II

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Arc II Chapter 8

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12^th Anima Lunar 753 AAC

 

The night was cold and dark. Icy winds gripped the forest. The comforting warmth of the sun had abandoned them and the temperatures were falling. As the days grew shorter every moon, and the nights longer, the months passed. Summer wouldn't last forever. The golden rays of autumn would arrive, followed by the glacial winds of winter.

 

Lambert and his party erected a makeshift camp to provide them with shelter against the elements. A bonfire illuminated the night, banishing the darkness. Fuelled by firewood, the flickering fire was dancing in the night, its flames shielding them against the cold and the wild beasts. Beasts lurked among the trees, but even they feared the fire, the fumes. They feared the light of civilisation. They kept their distance and retreated deeper into the forest, into their dark kingdom.

 

The night was still young, and his party was sitting together around the bonfire. Watching the fire, they enjoyed a hearty meal, a bowl of hot stew. The day was long and stressful. All the marching took its toll on them. Their empty stomachs starved for food, for meat.  

 

Profound happiness filled Lambert. The savoury aroma of cooked boar and delicious vegetables entered his nostrils. Meat had never tasted better. This was heaven. This was true happiness. This was what they needed. The stew strengthened their malnourished bodies. Spoon after spoon, their strength returned.

 

“Delicious as ever.” Lambert consumed another helping. “Your cooking skills never disappoint, Rudolf.”

 

“...” Rudolf frowned in disagreement, studying his bowl with the critical gaze of a chef. His old companion wasn't much of a talker. He wasn't a man of many words, keeping mostly to himself, but exceptions proved the rule. “Hmm, mediocre work at best, but I guess it's ... adequate. The meat quality leaves something to be desired. The seasoning is lacking. The texture is off, but otherwise, ... it's acceptable. Mediocre work.” 

 

Lambert comforted their chef. “Don't be too hard on yourself. You did your best, and that's what matters.”

 

“Sure.” Rudolf thought otherwise. His mood barely improved.  

 

“...” Lambert nodded along for the sake of camaraderie and politeness before stealing a glance at a certain familiar girl. Their little princess had finally asleep, coiled up together with her beloved doll in her warm blanket like a cocoon. Nothing dared to disturb their peaceful slumber. Cuddling her precious doll, their little princess was visiting the sweet land of dreams.

 

The sleeping girl looked like pure innocence, a not an evil cookie devouring demon that feasted on their limited supplies. Her breathing was slow, calm, barely audible in the silence of the night. If not for her tiny, rising chest, the girl might be easily mistaken for a doll. Her adorable cheeks and her fluffy hair only added to her uncanny dolliness, turning her into a human doll, into a cute human doll, but such was only an illusion, a mirage of their fantasies. The stars stood high, and the moon smiled upon them. It was just the darkness and the flickering fire that played tricks on their mind. Nothing more, nothing to be concerned. Their little princess was most definitely not a doll. The girl was real, and not a fabrication of their vivid imagination.

 

Lambert mustered a weak smile. Her incessant questions tried his patience, but she was just a curious child. Unlike his, her world was still filled with mystery.

 

Watching the flickering fire and the sparks sent flying by the wind, Lambert was searching for an answer that eluded him so far. “What do you think about our little princess?” His words showed their desired effect and gained his party's attention. Iris, Rudolf, Michael stopped eating. They were listening with interest.

 

Michael was their youngest and most recent member, barely an adult. He lacked experience, but he was a good boy and promising swordsman. He did his best to improve and learn. After all, no adventurer ever fell from the sky. They were forged in the fires of battle. Michael was who spoke first. “Not much so far, but I am glad the girl didn't affect our mission. No interruptions, no unnecessary distractions, which is good. Aside from reducing our supplies, the girl caused little trouble so far. We are still on time.”

 

Lambert nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. The experienced adventurer knew that children were a constant source of hassle. They were loud, brash, always causing unnecessary trouble. Children were annoying, but not so her. The girl behaved, mostly keeping to the background and observing, which didn't escape his attention. Her behaviour was ... unusual for a child.  

 

Lambert folded his hands. “Iris?”

 

Iris clapped her hands together, beaming. Her enthusiasm didn't escape them. “I find her adorable. The girl is such a lovely child, such a curious kitten. I won't forget the happiness in her eyes when I showed her my fire magic. Her eyes veritably sparkled with joy. She was adoring my flame. I am sure she can't be a bad person.”

 

...

...

...

 

“Interesting ... observations.” Lambert cleared his throat. “We will keep them ... in mind.” Even after all these years, Iris was still full of surprises. He always thought that she detested children, but reality proved him wrong. As long as they shared her enthusiasm for magic and were cute, Iris approved of them. Intriguing.

 

“And you?” Lambert turned to Rudolf. “What are your thoughts?”

 

Rudolf watched the flames, his eyes fixed on the bonfire. The flames weakened, as fuel dwindled. The fire consumed the last logs of wood. Only ash and embers would remain. “The girl is a mystery, an enigma. Her origins remain unknown, which is troublesome.”

 

Lambert raised his eyebrow. “Elaborate.”

 

“Lambert, ... girls don't appear out of nowhere. They don't wake up in the middle of roads. That's not how things work. Our little princess must come from somewhere, the question is just from where? Who is she? What was she doing here? What caused her state? Because I doubt that she is faking her amnesia. Her memory loss seems genuine, judging by her lack of even basic knowledge. She doesn't remember names, places, locations.

 

Her pale complexion and attire at least suggest a wealthy background, rich merchants, or low born nobility. Her skin tone shows no signs of manual labour or exposure to sunlight. Her clothes are plain, yet the fabric is of high quality, sturdy, yet soft. She is certainly not some common girl, but that's all we can say.”

 

“...” Lambert shared his analysis. He had seen too much to still believe in coincidences. His experience and trusted his instincts warned him, there was more to their mysterious girl than met the eye. “Do you think she could be related to the Schwarz carriage?”

 

...

...

...

 

Rudolf deliberated. “Possible, but unlikely. The attack carries all the signs of professionals. The attackers spared nobody, leaving no witnesses. I doubt they would have spared her, nor can I imagine her escaping the slaughter. The incident happened the day before we found her today on the road, a handful of stades away. That's not a hiding spot. That's nothing. The attackers were thorough. They would have hunted her down, and they would have eliminated her.”

 

“So you think they are unrelated?” Lambert asked for confirmation.  

 

Rudolf nodded. “I think so.”

 

“...” Lambert processed the new information. Rudolf had a point, a fairly strong point. The girl could have impossibly escaped her pursuer. “... I think we should get some sleep. It's already late.”

 

Everyone agreed.

 

“Rudolf, Michael, you take the first watch”, Lambert commanded. “Iris and I will take the second.”

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