Chapter 12: A Far Frontier

 

“The world is not fair, fools, cowards, liars, and the selfish are able to hide in the dark, but the righteous cannot. Light has nowhere to hide in the darkness”

-Old proverb.

 

-“PLEASE GO AWAY!” Nina yelled at the top of her lungs. The ear-piercing shout scared the hell out of Rudo, who has been desperately looking for her after she disappeared for a few minutes while he was sleeping. Unbeknownst to him, however, she has been looking for a place with better privacy to do her natural needs. A rather large burrow next to an oak tree proved adequate, just a few yards away from the grove of trees they stopped by to rest and take refuge from the relentless rain after running the entire night and a good part of the morning.

  But she has been feeling unwell lately and not exactly in the best mood, being greeted by an untimely monthly pain besides the call of nature. Nina knew Rudo was exhausted, suggesting to him a brief rest to regain his strength, which he took gladly. She patiently waited for him to fall asleep before relieving herself. However, she didn’t count on his light sleep and his keen sense of smell, immediately noticing something was wrong, much to her absolute frustration. Even though she should be used to his odd antics by now, no amount of meditation or training in the universe could ever prepare her for him interrupting what should be a private time.

-“Are you ok?!” he dared to ask, poking his head from behind a tree.

-“I SAID GO AWAY!” Seriously! What the hell is wrong with him?!

-“I just want to help!”

-“GO THE FUCK AWAY! I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!”

  Rudo recoiled immediately, visibly distraught, finally leaving her alone to finish her business. She could hear his noisy steps as he walked over the wet carpet of leaves. Her heart sank. She didn’t mean to yell at him like that. But he just wouldn’t leave her alone! She knew he didn’t know better and only meant well, cursing the pain, her blaring temper, and her current very sensitive state. Damn it! Her mind already looking for the right words in anticipation of the imminent face-off, but annoyance at his antics took the better of her. Why do I even have to apologize?! He’s the one sticking his nose everywhere! She finished cleaning herself, put on her clothes, and walked to meet him, finding him resting against a tree, staring at the ground with a dejected expression.

-“I just went to relieve myself for five minutes! Five minutes! Not everyone is happy squatting in public to do their business!”

-“I COULDN’T FIND YOU! I WAS SCARED!!” he growled, baring his teeth in a display both shocking and terrifying. She gulped nervously. It’s been a while since the last time she’s seen him this mad. I forgot how scary he could be!

-“Calm down. Let’s talk. Ok? YOU scared?! Scared of what?!” she asked nervously.

-“That something happened to you!”

-“But I was right here! Why would anything happen to me in five minutes?!” she asked again.

-“I don't know! But I smelled it!”

-“You smelled what?!”

-“I smelled blood! Blood! From down there... and I...” he paused, looking away. She didn’t notice it at first but he was shaking, clenching his oversized hands into gigantic fists. -“I thought something bad happened!”

  Only then did Nina fully realize what he was trying to convey, much to her utter horror. He didn’t know the word for it, but she could tell he thought someone had raped her while he wasn’t there. The sheer realization hit her like a powerful blast, feeling the shockwaves slowly travel through her body, from her heart to each limb. She found it difficult to even breathe, feeling tears flowing down her face again, cursing at how easily she cried. Even though she was still mad at him for peeking, she couldn’t help but feel utterly sorry for yelling at him. Girl, he was only trying to protect you.

-“Rudo, I'm sorry for yelling at you. It’s just… I’m not feeling too well, and I forgot you could smell things we couldn't! I didn't think you could smell blood,” she said in a calmer tone.

-“You mean you can't smell it?” he asked, confused.

-“Of course not! We humans can't smell as good as dragons!”

-“Hew... man?”

-“Yes! Human! It's what people are! We are humans!” she explained. He nodded decidedly in response, yet still looking unsure. -“Listen. Nothing happened to me. Really," she reassured.

-“But you're bleeding!”

-“Yes, Rudo, I'm bleeding! Thanks for noticing! Ok?! But it's only natural!” she replied, trying her hardest not to lose her cool, but growing increasingly uncomfortable each minute. She’s been enduring not only the excruciating pain but also his childish-like curiosity. This is exhausting! It feels like teaching a child!

-“Only natural?!” he asked, shocked.

-“Yes! Only natural! Girls bleed from their... well... down there, once in a while!” she replied. And to think this one has been running late! It came at the worst possible time!

-“Once in a while?”

-“Yes! Every freaking month!” she replied.

-“Why?!”

-“Just because! Listen! It's really embarrassing to talk about this, ok?! Especially with a boy!” she lashed out.

-“But you said I was a dragon, not a boy!”

-“You are a dragon boy!”

-“Now I'm confused”

  You think?! She took a deep breath before speaking. -“Look, I'll explain it properly when we catch up with Nana, ok?! Please bear with me!”

-“Ok! But it stops, right? I mean, the bleeding!”

-“Of course, it stops! I would bleed to death otherwise, don’t you think?! I was only cleaning myself when you interrupted!” she growled, taking another deep breath to calm down before continuing. -“Let’s talk about something else, ok?! Besides blood, what else can you smell?” she asked, now with a much calmer tone, desperately wanting to take the conversation in a different direction.

-“I can smell a lot of stuff” Rudo replied, just as glad to change the subject as he was about knowing she was fine and nothing happened to her. Damn! It sure sucks being a girl!

-“And what is it like?” Nina asked again, sitting beside him, hugging her legs in front of her, adopting a more comfortable position to bear the annoying pain more easily. The dense foliage above them provided reasonable protection from the rain that had mellowed considerably since last night. She noticed his completely soaked half-naked body oh so subtly shaking courtesy of the cold merciless winds battering against them, yet Rudo remained resilient, stubbornly refusing to even acknowledge it. It was the first time she actually saw him reacting to the cold, the thought having never crossed her mind before. Poor Rudo. She moved closer, covering him with her bison fur cloak, which was large enough for them to fit under, and softly leaning against his shoulder, which took him off-guard. Nina hesitated at first but decided pertinent to allow this sharing if just this only time.

-“W-wa-what do you mean?” he asked nervously.

-“How can you tell you are smelling something or the other?”

-“I just know it, I guess,” he replied, although her reaction clued him in that wasn’t exactly the answer she was expecting. -“I mean, every smell is unique! People smell funny when they’re mad, and they smell itchy when they’re scared,” he quickly corrected himself.

-“Wait! You can smell that?!” she asked, shocked. Breaking off their contact to face him wide-eyed.

-“Sure! You can't?”

-“Of course not, silly!”

-“Oooh! So that's why people lie! They can't smell it!” he replied, astonished. She realized that he has been completely unaware of it by his utterly surprised reaction.

-“You can smell lies?!” she asked again.

-“Sometimes! People smell rancy when they lie!”

-“So... If I lie to you... you’ll know, right?” Nina dared to ask, although her actual concern flew right over his head. It wasn’t like she planned on deceiving him or anything even remotely like that, but she had the very bad habit of concealing the truth and outright lying to get out of trouble.

-“Sure! That’s why I like you! You never lied to me!”

-“Yeah!” she replied, laughing nervously. Just a friendly reminder, Nina. You need to be careful around him! He can tell if you lie! You’re lucky he’s so naïve! He could weaponize it if he was any more clever!” -“Lucky thing to have you as a friend!”

-“Frend? Who's that? I've heard you say that before”

-“It's friend, you dimwit! Friend is someone who you trust and is dear to you!” she replied.

-“Deer? Like those things in the forest?”

-“No! Dear as someone you hold dear! That is important to you!” she explained, gently touching his forearm to land the point home. Rudo could only stare at her gloved hands wide-eyed before looking back at her in the eyes and asking her in return.

-“Am I important to you?”

  Damn it! Nina cursed internally after being taken with her guard down like that. -“NO! I mean, y-yes! Of course! We are friends, right?!” she said, hastily correcting herself, cursing at how easily Rudo made her stutter, for all the wrong reasons. He suddenly became an expert in triggering her. And without even trying! What I’m getting myself into! If only he wasn’t so dumb! I wouldn’t be explaining all this! The Gods must be enjoying it! What are you thinking?! They must have their reasons! She took a deep breath to calm down before continuing. -“Friends means the two of us! You and me!”

-“I've never been frendz before” he replied, staring at her with that giant pair of piercing yellow eyes that never ceased to startle her. -“You are important too, Nina! We are frendz! Rudo and Nina!”

  He stood suddenly with a determined look on his face and a fire in his eyes, grinning his crooked, pointy yellow teeth wildly. Nina could only stare back astonished at how he shrugged off the ice-cold wind like it was nothing. He took both her hands, pulling her to her feet to her utter surprise.

-“Let me show you something,” he said with a gentle tone. Nina could only gasp in shock as he suddenly scooped her in his arms. What the hell is he doing?! -“Hang on, ok?”

  She barely have time to reply as Rudo took off violently, so she just clutched tighter into him, absolutely terrified, her heart beating wildly as he held her against him and so close to the ground, unlike other times when she rode on his back, which made racing through the soggy grasslands seem even faster, at a speed she thought impossible. He raced over the top of a hill, revealing the vast highland landscape behind it. An unending herd of countless bulls and woolly bisons roamed under the chilly soft rain and through the ethereal white mist, approaching them quickly as Rudo strode relentlessly towards them. She soon found herself tearing through the mighty herd, which immediately began stampeding in all directions as the tireless predator made his way between them, carrying a very startled maiden in his arms.

  But after glancing at her surroundings, she couldn’t believe her eyes. She saw the bulls galloping only inches away from them, surrounding them completely as Rudo now reduced his speed to stride at the same speed as the herd to have an undisturbed view. The terror that took over her previously slowly turned into awe, as she timidly extended her arm to caress the bull’s magnificent velvety fur, trying to suppress her inner little girl that was clawing around inside her, begging her to squeal from the sheer joy of having the chance to touch such a wonderful animal.

 

  This is amazing!

 

  Yet her share of surprises didn’t end, as racing past a small but dense thicket of forest revealed a colossal behemoth hiding behind it, to which Rudo charged towards. Her heart raced even faster. Wait. Is he going to…? Is he going to jump?! Nina let out a high-pitched squeal, squeezing Rudo tightly as he sped up, now going like lightning towards the gigantic animal that barely registered their presence. She shut her eyes as Rudo leaped violently. The unforgiving momentum crushed her, almost making her pass out for the sudden thrill. But after opening her eyes, she found herself gently floating in the air, still in Rudo’s arms, squeezing him for dear life, feeling her heart pounding powerfully against her ribcage, threatening to burst through her chest at any moment, now marveling at the breathtaking visuals from such a privileged position, hundreds of feet airborne, before making their inevitable descend, slowly but surely.

  Nina shut her eyes again at the exact moment they landed on top of the animal, his powerful legs absorbing the blunt of the impact and causing the many birds resting on its back to flock away by the unexpected visit. She slowly opened her eyes again as Rudo put her on her own feet, being instantly taken aback by the fact that she was now stepping over the soft woolly fur of the gigantic yet peaceful behemoth’s back. She crumbled over a soft patch of wet fur when the titanic animal just stepped, making the earth beneath it tremble with each step in its wake. She felt dizzy from the height, grabbing the long hairy strips from the animal’s back not to fall from it. But as she rode the majestic mount of at least twenty feet tall, her heart soared with joy. The birds soon returned to rest on top of their generous host. Nina turned to watch Rudo standing still behind her, unflinching as if balancing on top of the titan wasn’t an issue at all. How in hell does he do it?!

  But it was this, this incredible feeling of riding such a magnificent creature of the Gods that she never imagined she would even get close to, let alone touch and ride it. Feeling as if being at the top of the world, crying in joy like a baby, making her forget about the grief for her late mentor, the villagers that gave their lives for her and the ones they left behind, even her womanly pains, at least briefly. The odd pair looked at each other, smiling like fools for the first time in a while, glad for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Thank you, Rudo! I didn’t know how much I needed that!

  After she decided it was high time to continue their journey, Nina slowly climbed onto Rudo’s back for a more comfortable ride. She had to admit, however, that she desperately wanted to remain on the behemoth’s back, at least for a little while. They slid through the beast woolly back to the drenched grasslands below, allowing the gentle giant to continue peacefully with its business. They also continued with their journey, Rudo now jogging at a much slower pace than earlier. Maybe he didn’t want to appear weak but it was rather clear he was exhausted. Although she was really thankful for it, that little show-off certainly took its toll on him. She was about to suggest some rest when he suddenly halted in his tracks.

-“What's wrong?” Nina asked.

-“I smell something,” Rudo replied, sniffing around.

-“What is it?”

-“I think it's the Norzmen” he replied unfazed, much to her complete shock.

-“THE NORTHMEN?!” she froze, panicking. Her eyes widened in shock, and her chest clenched, their mere mention brought her heart to a halt. Shit! This is bad! Please Gods, no! Not the Northmen!

-“Don't worry! I think it's just one!” he clarified, sniffing the air again to make sure.

-“DON’T WORRY?! How can you be so calm?!” Nina asked, trying her hardest to remain calm but losing the battle horribly. Seriously! How does he do it?!

-“I can handle a few of them, no problem”

-“Are you sure it’s just one?!” she asked again.

-“Yeah! I would've smelled it if they were more!”

-“Has your smelling ever failed you?!” she asked yet again.

-“A few times. I had a really bad time smelling gas in the mines”

-“What if it fails you now?!” she inquired.

-“We’ll hide until they go away. If they find us, I’ll leave them behind! If they are few, I think I can handle them, ok?”

-“Ok. But be careful”

  Rudo kept running until reaching the top of a hill overlooking the field extending beyond the horizon. They hid behind a patch of tall grass, which, with the help of the thick otherworldly mist, provided excellent concealment. The rainfall mellowed considerably since the morning, coming to almost a halt, being little more than a drizzle by now, although a few stubborn droplets were still falling. They spotted a lone armored rider galloping along the hills in the distance, looking the area around. This isn’t good!

-“I told you it was just one! Doesn't look like a Norzman though, a missionary maybe?” Rudo commented.

-“Missionary?!” Nina asked, confused.

-“Like the guys that came to town last night,”

-“You mean mercenary!” Nina countered.

-“Yeah! That!”

-“Probably. Still bad news. We should keep hiding”

  The rider, however, had different plans as it kept coming closer to their hiding spot, if not by pinpointing their exact location, but by mere coincidence. Nina watched in horror as the rider steadily walked his bull around, now just a few yards away. So close that she wondered if he could hear her heart pounding violently against her chest. She held her breath, trying her hardest to remain as quiet as possible, looking at Rudo who nodded reassuringly in return. The rider stopped a few yards ahead, looking at his surroundings.

-“I know you’re here somewhere! Reveal yourself and I won’t hurt you! Don’t make me look for you!” the rider demanded with a deep, menacing voice muffled by his enclosed helmet. Damn it! She frightfully turned to Rudo again, receiving a much desperately needed reassurance when he put his hand on top of hers. You can do this, Nina!

-“I’ll stand! Please don’t do anything rash!” she said, giving Rudo one last glance before standing up. Relieved from knowing he had her back.

-“Who are you?!” the rider asked. Nina took a brief time to inspect him closely. He remained on his mount, a magnificent bull that looked well fed and taken care of. A steel helmet with its visor down made it impossible to see his face, a mail hauberk that reached to his thighs, a steel gorget for neck protection, and a leather vest with an assortment of pockets, crossed by a leather strap holding a kite shield on his back, over a soaked fur cloak not too different from her own, encasing his tall, well-built frame. Complimented by corrugated steel spaulders, and steel-reinforced dark leather boots and gloves covering his hands and feet. A simple, elegant-looking sword rested on his side. An Imperial Knight?! Impossible! There was no way he could be one, that was for sure. His armor was lacking for a knight if he really was one, although he was rather well-equipped for a mercenary. Who was he?!

-“Respond!” he demanded, startling her, interrupting her thoughts.

-“Just a traveler, sir” Nina replied, as calmly as she could.

-“A traveler?” he asked, looking around. -“And where is your ride? I saw you scaring away the herd”

-“It’s down the hill, grassing,” she replied. Her response seemingly convincing the unknown rider.

-“What are you doing here? Other than scaring the bulls”

-“I’m heading south. To Clan Aureon territory,” Nina replied.

-“You're deep in Clan Aureon territory already” the unknown rider countered, prompting a surprised response from Nina. Really?! But… When?! We must have gone so fast that we didn’t even notice! she thought, cursing the lack of marked frontiers.

-“You don't seem to know where you are,” he pointed out, growing suspicious. -“In fact, I think you've been following us”

-“Following?!”

-“A band of Northmen has been lurking around lately. We barely evaded them last night,” the rider stated, walking his bull closer to her before continuing. -“Who were you again, miss?”

-“That's… That’s none of your business!” she replied, nervously.

-“It is my business when someone’s been following our steps!” he countered fiercely, making her retreat frightened. -“I don't trust travelers! Especially those who look like Northmen and lie to my face!”

-“I'm not a Nord!”

-“No?! Those sky blue eyes say otherwise!” he accused. Shit!

-“Please! Leave me alone!”

-“So that you can inform our position?! I'm sorry, young lady, but you are coming with me,” the rider said, drawing his sword, sending chills down her spine. Rudo? Now would be a great time to show up!

-“LEAVE HER ALONE!” Rudo yelled, leaping from behind the tall grass, behind the rider, which immediately turned to face him.

-“What in the name of the Gods?!”

  The unknown rider struggled to rein his bull under control as the animal grew nervous around Rudo. Nina quickly took the opportunity, hastily looking in her bag to produce the mage’s spellcaster in case the need arose, taking a few steps back to avoid being hit by the bull’s powerful hind legs if the animal became any more scared. Rudo held his ground fearlessly as the bull quickly grew uncooperative with the rider’s commands. Finally, the bull reared fiercely and ran away, toppling the startled rider. A soft patch of grass beneath him cushioned his fall. He quickly stood up, brandishing his sword at Rudo, who remained motionless, sniffing him.

-“Rudo. Please don't kill him,” Nina asked.

-“Him?” Rudo asked, confused, before leaping out of the way of the rampaging swordsman that charged at him, launching powerful blows back and forth with all his might. Rudo stoically dodged the attacks, making no effort in counterattacking, to Nina’s utter frustration. Great! Now he’s showing off!

-“Stay put! You little freak!”

-“Nina! What should I do?!” Rudo asked nervously, dodging another blow just barely.

-“What do you mean?! Fight back, of course!”

-“I can't!” he replied.

-“Why not?!”

-“Because…!” he tried to reply before being forced to dodge another blow with only inches to spare. What’s happening with him?! She soon realized, however, that something was very wrong, much to her shock. She gripped the mage’s spellcaster tightly in anticipation of the imminent need to use it, pulling the main lever back as instructed, cocking the rotating mechanism, getting it ready. The swordsman tackled Rudo to the ground, pinning him down, swiftly pulling his sword to his chest, and using his weight to drive it through, which Rudo wrestled against with his legs.

-“STOP!” Nina cried at the top of his lungs.

  Rudo tilted his head out of the way, releasing the hold on the man struggling on top of him. His sword burying itself deep into the ground right next to him. He kicked the swordsman away to one side, quickly rolling away in the opposite direction. He stood immediately, adopting a defensive stance before speaking.

-“I can’t fight her! She's a girl!”

 

  WHAT?!

 

  That huge pile of walking muscles is a girl?! Nina wouldn’t have believed it if she didn’t trust Rudo and that incredibly keen sense of smell of his. The swordsman just stared back speechless, before raising the helmet’s visor, revealing a sharp and hardened yet youthful and feminine face, to Nina’s complete shock.

-“What?! What did you just say?!” the swordswoman asked without dropping her guard. -“How did you even know, beast?!”

-“I can smell it!”

-“I swear this must be the first time a Nord... something refuses to fight a woman! They never cared before!”

-“I’ve told you we weren't Nords! We are also running away from them!” Nina interrupted, desperately trying to deescalate the situation.

-“If you aren't Nords, then who the hell are you?!”

-“You should reveal your name first!” she demanded.

-“Very well,” the swordswoman replied, unearthing her sword from the muddy highland soil, shaking it to remove the dirt sticking into it before sheathing it away. -“My name is Reinn. I'm an adventurer. I mean no harm to you if you mean no harm to me,”

-“I'm so glad to hear that!” Nina replied, finally putting the mage’s spellcaster down, gently releasing the cocking lever into the safe position. She briefly thought about the futility of drawing the device since the swordswoman didn’t even recognize it as a weapon. She was still unsure of revealing her name to her but did so nonetheless. At ease that she meant no harm. Damn! That was so close! -“My name is Nina, Nina Valdir. And he's Rudo, he's my friend,”

-“Valdir? From the Southern Isles?” the woman asked.

-“Y-Yes! How do you know?” she asked back, nervously, looking at Rudo for support. He looked relaxed, which only reassured her. She doesn’t seem to know about the bounty, and Rudo surely will know if she’s up to something.

-“I happen to know a Valdir. He might be a relative of yours,”

-“Really?! Who?!”

-“Kuro,” Reinn replied, making Nina smile fondly at the mention of her relative’s name, much to her relief. -“He's with the rest of the party, not too far away from here,”

-“That insufferable jerk happens to be my cousin,” Nina replied, making Reinn chuckle in return. She seems to know him as well. -“Seems you know him. Same old Kuro, I haven’t seen him in ages!”

-“Yes, I’ve had the pleasure,” the woman replied with obvious sarcasm. -“Anyway, where are you heading to, Nina Valdir?”

-“We were heading south, to Clan Aureon territory”

-“You are deep inside Clan Aureon lands already. We rendezvous with their warriors yesterday. You'll do well in announcing your presence. They don't take intruders kindly,” Reinn revealed, much to her surprise.

-“I'm not here for them! We wanted to catch up with a caravan!” Nina replied.

-“Whose caravan?” the woman asked, changing her tone to a more serious one.

-“Nana's caravan,”

-“And what's your business with Lady Nana?” she asked again.

-“Nothing! It's just... They were heading to Dawnfall, and I hoped to tag along with them!” Nina replied.

-“You could've just told me that from the beginning and saved us the trouble!” the woman replied, finally dropping her guard.

-“I wasn't sure I could trust you! To be honest, I'm still not sure,”

-“Lady Nana hired our services if that's what you're concerned about,”

  Nina smiled timidly, dropping her guard as well. She felt slightly disappointed that Reinn didn’t turn out to be the bold knight in shining armor she fantasized to meet once. She briefly looked the part though with that simple yet practical suit of armor and that impressive tall and muscular frame. She turned, watching Rudo chasing down Reinn’s scared bull downhill, skillfully driving it back to the hilltop from where both she and Reinn were standing. The bull seemed to have a natural fear of him, interestingly.

-“Do you trust that thing?” Reinn asked out of the blue.

-“Yes! Of course! He’s my friend!” Nina replied, taken aback by the sudden question. -“Why do you ask?”

-“Because I worry about a little girl traveling alone with a beast. Did he try anything with you? Like forcing himself on you?” Reinn asked again with such a serious tone that it startled her.

-“No! I’m sure he would never do that! He had plenty of chances to try anything if he really wanted to! He actually saved me from the Northmen!” she countered fiercely.

-“Good. I just wanted to make sure. Many aren’t that lucky,”

  Indeed. Many aren’t that lucky. Reinn’s response echoed through her head. Nina thanked the Gods and her lucky stars once again for how fortunate she’s been. The woman took the reins of the frightened animal, calming it with her contact. The bull stood still obediently, being actually quite docile even for Nina, who couldn’t resist petting it. She noticed a rather weird earring on its ear, which turned out to be a small shiny silver coin upon close inspection. She couldn’t help but chuckle at the Emperor’s face in it. Imperator Teberus? This must be Achtung’s missing bull. They must have lent it to Nana. Never thought the overly serious highlanders could even make jokes.

  Nina looked at the swordswoman in awe. She didn’t think it would be possible for a woman to make a living in such a dangerous career. Reinn just mentioned Kuro, her long estranged cousin, was part of the same mercenary party hired to escort Nana. But it made little sense. She recalled that he along with another childhood friend left their home island to begin their training as warriors with an allied clan. Did he turn into adventuring later? Did he even begin his training as a warrior to begin with?! Knowing him, it wouldn’t surprise her, as his cousin had always been an obnoxious maverick that never followed the rules and cared more about impressing girls than actually getting anything done. They weren’t too close, but he was family and she could count on him to help her. Heck! She’d welcome any help. Who would have thought they would cross paths again after all these years? Small world.

  Things were finally looking up, only until Rudo came back to her, sporting wide eyes and an utterly worried expression that only looked incredibly frightening. By the Gods! Nina immediately realized it could only mean bad news.

-“Nina! I smell something!”

-“What is it?” Nina barely dared to ask.

-“I don't know! The wind is taking the scent! But there’s too many of them! I think it's the Norzmen this time! They are still far but we should get going!” he warned, picking up a faint scent that he was sure was a large group of men with their mounts a few miles away. Damn it! Please, Gods! Not the Northmen again!

-“Are you sure, beast?!” Reinn demanded.

-“The hell I’m sure!”

-“Please don’t call him beast! He can smell really far!” Nina said. Rudo knelt beside her, allowing her to climb on his back, which she promptly did. -“Come on! We have to keep moving!” she urged.

  The woman bit her lips, looking troubled. Her original mission has been scouting the road to make sure the band of Northmen they had found yesterday wasn’t behind their tracks again, which they wrongly assumed was the case. But now Reinn had found this lost girl and her odd pet that suddenly awakened a deeply buried sense of morality. She knew awfully well what their fate would be if the Northmen caught them, and she wasn’t going to let that happen. She also needed to make sure they didn’t follow them and put Nana and the others at risk. What a time to have a conscience! Fuck it!

-“You guys go! You’ll find the road downhill! The caravan hid in the forest some miles away but that beast should be able to find it if he can really smell that well!” Reinn commanded.

-“But what about you?!” Nina asked.

-“I'll lead them away! I know the area well! I'll lose them in the swamps and catch up with you later! Tell Kuro! He knows the drill!”

  Nonononono! Please Gods, no! A sickening flutter in the pit of her stomach threatened to void out its contents at any moment, a dreadful feeling took over her soul, and her eyes tore up again as yet another unwilling pawn of the cruel fates was about to risk her life for her sake. Again. Although her natural survival instincts urged her to run for dear life, a part of her just wanted to give up already so no one would suffer in her stead. But that would mean that Verkan and the villagers died in vain! She shook her head to get rid of the bad thoughts. This was something she must endure. Why?! Why must the Gods punish me in this way?!

 

  It wasn’t fair.

 

-“I’ll get Nina to safety and come back for you!” Rudo yelled, interrupting her thoughts.

-“I don’t plan to let them catch me, dragon! Now go!”

-“Please take care!” Nina shouted before Rudo took off violently.

  Rudo tore through the drenched grasslands at his maximum speed with Nina on his back, which made the world around her blur in shapes she could barely glimpse. The pair blasted their way downhill until reaching the gravel road that Reinn mentioned, a few miles away. How much he could keep this pace? Nina couldn’t help but wonder, as he hadn’t stopped running through the entire night and a good part of the morning. Not to mention that insane stunt with the behemoth earlier. Now he raced even faster, fueled by the threat the damned Northmen posed, and his desperate desire to help both her and the woman that now was daring her life for them.

  He followed the road heading south. Nina wondered how Rudo even knew which direction was the south. They soon left the endless grasslands and the highland landscape behind to push through dark, dense forests which only made her grow uneasy as it was the perfect spot for an ambush. Still, they pushed on since there wasn’t another place to go, and Rudo wasn’t willing to leave Nina alone. He had no choice but to trust her safety to this cousin thing they talked about.

  As they tore through perilous woods toward an uncertain fate, she could only think about the brave, selfless woman they left behind.

 

  Please, Gods! Protect her!