New Beginning

The situation was desperate. Even though the princess seemed confident in her affirmation to follow him, Hildebrand knew that it was only a facade. Furthermore, even though their survival was by no means guaranteed, it was still imperative to flee the summoning room and those damn mining tunnels before anything else. In this regard, the guard had managed to do so with disconcerting ease and without any bloodshed. Indeed, even though the tunnels were swarming with enemies, this was the kingdom’s main mine. Having been in operation for decades, it was full of abandoned tunnels, dead ends, and other dark spaces. This allowed Hildebrand and Elena to escape from the underground unscathed.

Once on the surface, the guard took a moment to glance up at the gloomy gray sky above Kustdin. A few faint orange rays pierced the cloud cover here and there, indicating that the sun was setting for the day.

“Excellent. We’ll be able to find a place to hide and wait for nightfall,” Hildebrand said with satisfaction.

He turned around to confirm that Elena was still behind him. The young woman seemed frozen in place in her ostentatious dress. Her gaze swept over the chaos around them. Panicked citizens were running in all directions; buildings had been damaged, while others were being consumed by fires caused as much by the invaders as by the general panic. The smell of burning flesh and blood was also noticeable in the air. The warrior wasted no time in grabbing the princess’s arm and pulling her abruptly toward him.

“Come on, Your Highness... Given the current circumstances, there is nothing you and I can do to help these poor wretches.”

“But it is my royal duty to protect them,” she protested in a low voice as she let herself be led away by the man.

After several stressful minutes during which every change of direction could have led the two fugitives into the clutches of an enemy, they finally found an old, abandoned warehouse. Its glory days were long gone, with its roof in such poor condition that parts of the framework were visible in several places. When Hildebrand and Elena opened the heavy, petrified wooden door, they were assaulted by a blast of stale air.

“What a stench! Is it wise to seek refuge in such a place? There must be a decomposing animal in there,” said the princess indignantly, pinching her nose.

“Perhaps, but isn’t it better than coming face to face with a patrol of Church soldiers?”

Elena’s face scowled; then she shrugged her shoulders in agreement before walking past the guard and entering the building. She couldn’t argue with Hildebrand’s point, but that didn’t stop her from being dissatisfied with her situation. Her protector followed her inside and closed the door.

Once inside the warehouse, it took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the darkness, as there were no light source. The room and everything in it were buried under a thick layer of dust. Several wooden barrels and crates were scattered about, some partially covered by moldy tarps. The guard wasted no time and stepped forward to grab a small box lying near an imposing column in the center of the warehouse. He turned it over in his hands before placing it on the floor so that it could serve as a makeshift bench. Hildebrand then turned to his mistress and held out his hand to her.

“Please take a seat, princess. You can use this moment of calm to regain your strength while I inspect this place.”

As the man began methodically opening and searching each of the containers in the room, Elena staggered toward the crate in question before collapsing onto it, clearly exhausted. The hem of her dress was stained with dirt, and her feet were sore. The young woman was still holding her father’s signet ring, which Hildebrand had given her earlier in the summoning room. A single glance at the object was enough to remind her of the sad events of the day: the turn the war was taking, the failed summoning ritual, and even her father’s fate.

“Why? What have I done to deserve such punishment?” she thought.

Left alone in a dark, cold, and dirty place that was unfamiliar to her, it didn’t take much for something to snap in Elena’s mind. The king’s daughter let out a bone-chilling scream before bursting into uncontrollable sobs, her face hidden between her delicate hands. A strange sound distortion was audible for a fraction of a second.

Alerted by this sudden event and the strange tingling sensation in his fingertips, Hildebrand immediately stopped his search and rushed to his mistress. When he approached and saw her there, alone in her beautiful clothes that contrasted with the surroundings, the man was speechless.

“It’s almost like seeing a fragile flower in the middle of a battlefield.” A flower that must be saved at all costs, the guard reminded himself.

Her Highness Elena was clearly in distress, and Hildebrand was struggling to find the right approach to take to lift the young woman out of her grief. The crying would inevitably end up being heard by someone outside. He therefore had to rectify the situation so that they could have the slightest chance of moving forward, which inevitably meant going beyond his role as a mere protector.

“And the king made me promise to save her, whatever the cost,” Hildebrand muttered with some apprehension.

The man approached the tormented young woman. He knelt on the ground before taking her hands in his. Their coldness took him by surprise, but he immediately pulled himself together before speaking, looking her in the eyes.

“Your Highness, I am here,” he began.

She remained impassive at the guard’s statement. He took a deep breath before changing his approach. He let go of the woman’s hands and instead grabbed her porcelain face. The man immediately noticed that the princess’s blue irises were shining with a strange violet glow.

“Elena, you must get up and continue the fight,” Hildebrand ordered.

Under normal circumstances, simply using the first name of a member of the royal family in such a familiar manner could have been perceived as an act of lèse-majesté. However, the guard was unwaveringly loyal and was prepared to commit such acts if he deemed them necessary to fulfill his duty. Fortunately for him, the person in question did not seem to take too much offense when she deigned to look up at him, her reddened eyes having returned to their usual color.

“And why even try? The crown has fallen and the kingdom is in flames. The royal family has failed in its role as protector of the people. I have failed in my task,” she shouted back.

“Yes, your father is dead, and I grant you that the kingdom is in a very bad way. However, you are still alive.”

Hildebrand did not give Elena a chance to respond and continued in the same vein, expressing his deeply held convictions.

“The fact that you are alive should be enough for you. It means that there is still hope for all of us. Nerfeldfer is not just a country. Above all else, it is its people. Even if it cannot be saved today, it certainly can be saved tomorrow, as long as you don’t give up.”

“And how can I achieve that? I don’t even know where to start,” Elena replied.

“To begin with, it is imperative to evacuate the area and find refuge outside the capital. Once you are safe, you can decide what to do next.”

“I see... All right.”

Not wanting to overstep his position any further, the soldier stepped back to put a short distance between them. He then drew his sword before kneeling on one knee and placing both hands on the pommel of the weapon.

“I am but a humble servant ready to serve you, Your Highness. Whether you wish to discover the truth surrounding your father’s death or even take revenge on the Church, I swear to be at your side,” Hildebrand declared solemnly.

Elena ignored her protector’s sudden burst of decorum. In any case, she was deep in thought after the guard’s words. As terrible as it was, the idea of revenge was already beginning to take root in the young woman’s mind.

“Perhaps I could restore my father’s honor, but also gain the legitimacy of the people by purging these despicable beings from the kingdom,” she thought.

Elena ended her mental deliberations when a rough plan began to take shape. She stood up and used one of the sleeves of her dress to wipe her face, then walked over to Hildebrand, who was waiting there like a statue.

“Very well. I’m counting on you to get us out of this mess,” she said, placing a hand on the warrior’s shoulder.

The man looked up. He seemed pleased to see her so motivated to move forward.

“You said a few moments ago that we should leave Kustdin as soon as possible?”

“Absolutely,” Hildebrand replied without hesitation.

“How do you plan to do that? I imagine it won’t be easy to get past the guards, especially if some of them are controlled by the clergy,” added the young woman.

“The capital is sinking into chaos with fighting taking place everywhere and a growing stream of civilians trying to flee the area. I dare to believe that they will be too overwhelmed to notice our presence, especially if we take precautions to hide our identities.”

“Hmm...”

The princess crossed her arms and looked Hildebrand up and down. Already tall, the man appeared to be at least twice her age and had short blond hair, in addition to wearing the gleaming armor of the royal guard. Seeing her reflection on his breastplate, Elena realized that her clothes were also inappropriate. They would be more useful at an evening gala than on an outing in the wilderness. Her gaze then wandered to the furniture in the warehouse behind the guard. Her eyes suddenly widened when she spotted one of the tarps covering the crates.

“We could use one of these tarps and cut out some makeshift capes,” she suggested, pointing to one of the objects.

The guard turned around briefly before looking back at Elena.

“A cloak could indeed help camouflage most of my armor. However, it’s your clothing that will be a problem, especially outside the city,” he added, perplexed.

Elena bit her lower lip, annoyed. She was already aware that her regal attire was causing problems on several fronts. First of all, leaving the city dressed like this would be like shouting from the rooftops where she was. What’s more, the dress was physically restrictive, not to mention the heels that went with it. Her feet were already in bad shape, and their exile was only just beginning.

“I suppose you have an alternative plan,” she said with a sigh.

“With all due respect, it would be wiser to change your outfit entirely. With the chaos outside, it would be easy for me to infiltrate a nearby residence to find more appropriate clothing,” Hildebrand suggested.

The princess remained unmoved by this bold suggestion. She was surprised, of course, but decided to chalk it up to blind loyalty to the royal family. However, one last point made her curious.

“What if you come back empty-handed?”

“If that were to happen, there would always be a way to locate the body of a victim of the conflict and relieve them of their clothes...”

Elena choked on her saliva for a second upon hearing such grotesque words.

“Excuse me!? I would rather walk around naked than stoop to such a low level!”

“A thousand apologies, Your Highness. I was only sharing with you a last resort solution,” Hildebrand stammered.

An awkward silence fell between the mistress and her servant. After a long minute, with neither daring to say a word, the princess attempted to break the tension still palpable in the air.

“Let’s move on, please. Why don’t you put your original idea into action? In the meantime, I’ll look for a tarp of the right size for our needs.”

Hildebrand nodded in agreement, then strode toward the entrance of the building. He changed his mind when he placed his hand on the heavy door, then returned to Elena. Once in front of her, the man leaned toward his right boot and pulled out a dagger.

“Keep it safe and don’t hesitate to use it,” he said, handing her the weapon.

He turned without asking for anything else and left the place to carry out his task, leaving Her Highness alone. Elena sighed, then set to work herself.

Hildebrand returned to the abandoned warehouse about two hours later. The few rays of light visible through the ruined roof had almost disappeared. As soon as he entered, Elena immediately noticed that the sweaty man seemed troubled. He was also holding old clothes and a pair of worn leather boots. For her part, the young woman had not been idle. She had first found a suitable piece of cloth to use as a cape for the guard. Elena had also used the knife, not to defend herself, but rather to cut off the duller parts of her dress. One of the pieces had been used as a ribbon to tie her long platinum hair into a ponytail. The others were used in tandem with a piece of tarp to make a crude, small bag in which to hide a few items.

“Are you alright? You seem troubled by something,” Elena said to Hildebrand.

“No. Nothing worth mentioning,” replied the man, who was still catching his breath.

He then walked toward the princess with the items in his hand before continuing:

“Here’s everything I could find. They’re not as clean as someone of your rank deserves, but they should be fine for our needs.”

Elena accepted the clothes the guard handed her, then stared at him intently.

“Is there a problem, princess?”

“Your presence, damn it! There’s no way I’m changing in front of you! Go check that no one is spying on us, preferably outside,” she spat, her cheeks turning red.

“Right... right away. I’ll go right now,” replied the embarrassed guard, before heading outside.

After confirming that she was alone in the storeroom, Elena undressed and exposed her pale skin to the cool, damp air of the room. A shiver ran down her spine, prompting her to speed up. In any case, she didn’t want to risk being seen in such a vulnerable position. Elena also thought about putting her earrings in the bag she had made earlier. She decided they might still be useful.

Dressed in her new clothes, the king’s daughter then went to fetch her protector guarding the door. The pair decided it was best to ditch and hide the dress and the metal parts of the armor among the myriad boxes, crates, and barrels in the warehouse. Hildebrand kept the small gold insignia identifying him as a member of the prestigious unit. However, he had placed it with Elena’s jewelry in the improvised pouch.

With their preparations complete and covered in cloaks, the guard and the princess cautiously left the dilapidated building. The evening air was cool, and the sky seemed clear. The maelstrom of screams, battles, and fires had also diminished significantly. The streets were deserted, except for a few lights filtering through wooden shutters here and there. Corpses lay on the ground, adding to the already gloomy atmosphere of the besieged capital.

The fugitives set off without delay and followed the paths, keeping the ramparts of Kustdin clearly in view. Once at the base of the imposing wall, it would be easy to locate a guard post to pass through. After a few minutes, Hildebrand finally spotted one of the famous passageways to freedom. It looked like an arch-shaped hole that ran through the entire thickness of the wall. A large wooden door reinforced with iron blocked the passage. Fortunately, the door seemed slightly ajar, and the steel grate was not lowered, which was a good sign.

“Wait in the shadow of this structure. I need to make sure the men stationed here are loyal,” ordered the guard.

Elena nodded in agreement, but hesitated for a moment as she took up her position. She called out to Hildebrand in a low voice.

“Take this. It might be useful to you,” she said, handing him his royal guard badge.

After thanking her, the man-at-arms made his way toward the soldiers blocking their path. Meanwhile, Elena crouched down at the designated spot and waited, clutching the dagger she had received earlier.

“Please, let these men not be soldiers of the Church,” she whispered feverishly.

The wait seemed endless, but the princess breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Hildebrand return to her with a broad smile. He informed her that the guards were loyal to the royal family, then invited the young woman to follow him. She turned around for a split second and spotted the palace towering over the center of the city.

“I swear it. I will purge the clergy from our country and restore the honor of our lineage,” she thought before following her protector.

                                                                            ***

An autumn breeze sent a shiver down Elena’s spine as she gasped for breath, her face covered in sweat. She stood motionless, legs apart, gripping an old sword tightly with both hands. A moment later, she charged at Hildebrand and attempted to impale him by lowering the tip of her blade. The man confidently dodged the thrust before simply deflecting the weapon downward with his own. This caused the young woman to lose her balance, and she fell to the ground.

“That was a nice try, but your intentions were too obvious, Your Highness,” Hildebrand said, reaching out his hand to Elena.

She accepted the guard’s assistance in getting up without a word and took advantage of the moment to dust off her clothes. For the occasion, the exiled princess wore a cream-colored long-sleeved shirt, fitted pants, and a pair of leather boots that reached her knees. The scabbard of her sword hung on her left side, held in place by a belt made of the same material as her boots.

“How many times must I remind you not to use such formal language with me, Hilde?”

“I know, I know, Elena. But it’s still pretty hard to change old habits in such a short time,” he replied with a sigh.

The person in question was visibly exasperated and glared at Hildebrand. She sheathed her sword, then ran a hand through her platinum hair.

“And for heaven’s sake, call me Lena. We both agreed it was best to hide our true identities.”

It had been approximately one month since Elena and Hildebrand had fled the fallen capital of Kustdin. Concerned for the safety of his protege to a degree bordering on paranoia, the royal guard had taken them along countless little used, even abandoned roads. The need for this became clear after their first visit to a large, urban area. The pair quickly realized that, in its war of subjugation, the Church had taken control of most of the major cities in Nerfeldfer and stationed troops there, significantly increasing the risk of being discovered. One thing led to another, and Elena and her protector drifted toward the eastern border of the country to a small town called Tunaust. Although not a large city, Tunaust still served as a hub for the agricultural villages in the area and as a trading platform. It was located at the junction of three major roads, which explained the abundance of inns and shops. All kinds of people could be found there, from the most honest merchants to the worst opportunistic scoundrels, but the main attraction of this place was the absence of clergy. The locality was, so to speak, perfect for going unnoticed.

Elena and Hildebrand had been staying at one of the town’s inns for two weeks, living off the money they had obtained by selling the young woman’s earrings. The place, also known as the Wandering Cat, was a good size and stood out, among other things, for its low cost of accommodation. Upon entering, one found oneself in a dining room with a heavy atmosphere due to the lack of customers. The worn tables and chairs were grouped together near the large fireplace that dominated the east wall of the inn. The kitchen and an old bar occupied the northwest corner of the room, opposite the heat source. A narrow staircase was visible to the left of the main entrance and led to the upper floor, which had about ten rooms. The fugitives rented two adjacent rooms there.

During this period of respite, the exiled princess had implemented several changes. First, Hildebrand had to stop being so formal with her. To this end, they had both changed their names, and Lena had completed her cover by cutting her white hair with blue highlights to shoulder length. The young woman had also demanded to be trained in sword-fighting by Hilde. The decision was motivated, among other things, by a desire to be able to defend herself if anything should happen to the guard. To do this, they left Tunaust every morning and headed for the nearby forest. It was in one of the clearings that they constantly held their one-sided duels, like the one that had just come to an end.

“I think that’s enough for today. We’re approaching the level of a newly recruited soldier, but that should be fine,” Hilde declared.

“It’s not as if we have a choice anyway,” Lena replied with a sigh.

She took a small purse from her belt and emptied its contents into her other hand. After counting the coins, the young woman looked up at the guard.

“We only have a week left. We’ll have to sign up as mercenaries and complete tasks as quickly as possible in order to earn enough to keep our current lodgings,” she added.

The man nodded silently as Lena gathered her belongings. They then headed toward the city and took advantage of the moment to finalize their strategy. It was obvious that, to the average observer, Lena would be perceived as the least experienced. However, it was imperative that she be registered as the leader of their group of mercenaries. Becoming the focal point would allow the princess to build a reputation and credibility for her alias in a relatively short period of time. She could eventually use this influence to gather information, but also to rally people to her cause.

Back at one of the entrances to Tunaust, the pair headed straight for the central crossroads, located at the junction of the region’s three main roads. As usual, the place was teeming with people, with a dizzying number of kiosks and merchant caravans. Even though she was not new to the phenomenon, Lena was still speechless every time she saw this sea of people. The cries of onlookers and merchants were indistinguishable, as were the body odors mixed with those of draft animals’ dung. All of this still assaulted the young woman’s delicate senses.

“This way! The guild should be on this side of the crossroads,” Hilde said loudly enough to be heard above the surrounding cacophony.

“Go ahead. I’ll be right behind you,” Lena replied, before diving into the myriad of people.

After a few minutes, Lena and Hilde finished crossing the intersection and arrived in front of the guild building. It was a kind of gray stone mansion with a green-gray roof. Although not as imposing as the residence of a high-ranking noble, the structure was still larger than that of the Wandering Cat and exuded a certain aura of grandeur.

“Here we are,” said the young woman, staring anxiously at the heavy oak door.

“Everything will be fine,” added Hildebrand, placing a reassuring hand on the princess’s shoulder.

The princess took a deep breath, then pushed open one of the doors and entered, followed closely by the royal guard. Lena and Hilde found themselves in a large hall with a cathedral ceiling. Like the inn where they were staying, there were tables scattered throughout the room, as well as a large, ornate counter at the back. Apart from these few similarities with the inn, the rest was very different. Ambient lighting, for example, was more than adequate, with a substantial number of torches and magnificent colored stained glass windows. Four wooden bulletin boards with pieces of paper of various sizes pinned to them were visible on the left and right walls of the great hall. Small groups of people were looking at the posters with interest, while others were sitting at tables or busy at the counter with one of the establishment’s employees. In the end, there were about twenty people from the teams present on site.

“Wow! There are a lot of people here,” Lena exclaimed admiringly, which immediately attracted the attention of some people.

“From what I can see in this room, everyone here is a mercenary. I suggest we watch what we say and do here,” Hilde whispered in the young woman’s ear.

Lena had, of course, noticed the suspicious glances being cast in their direction. However, there was nothing she could do for the moment except proceed with caution.

“We certainly don’t want to upset the wrong person, I imagine,” she replied, also in a low voice.

“Indeed. I also note that at least five or six people have concealed weapons in addition to those in plain sight. This place is a real snake pit.”

“That’s a great way to reassure me, Hilde. I love it. Let’s go instead of standing here foolishly waiting to attract trouble,” Lena grumbled.

Ignoring the attention directed at them, the pair headed for the counter at the back of the hall. Fortunately for them, one of the employees seemed ready to process their registration. He was a slender, frail man, but he wore an immaculately clean uniform. He didn’t hesitate when the princess and the guard arrived at his workstation.

“Hello, both of you. How can the guild be of service to you today? Would you like to post a job or register as mercenaries?”

“Um, hello. We would be grateful if you would allow us to register with your guild,” replied Lena.

The clerk looked up and furrowed his thick eyebrows, surprised by what he had just heard. He also took the opportunity to size up the young woman from head to toe. Hildebrand seized the moment and discreetly nudged his mistress to get her attention.

“That’s far too formal a response, especially for simple folk like us,” the man whispered to her.

Lena cursed herself inwardly for making such a stupid mistake. She cleared her throat and corrected herself by rephrasing what she had just said.

“Yes. I’m here to register my adventure partner and myself.”

“Perfect. In that case, please fill out these forms,” said the clerk, taking out two sheets of paper.

“Can you read, or do you need assistance with that?”

The question insulted the princess, but she swallowed her pride when her gaze met that of the guard.

“It’s true that I’m now in a part of the country where it’s quite common to be illiterate,” she thought, before grabbing one of the forms.

Lena gave Hilde a little nod, who grabbed his own document. She then turned back to the man and gave him her best smile before responding curtly:

“That won’t be necessary.”

The little man frowned behind his counter, realizing that it would be better for him to let the pair complete the documents without his help.

Lena and Hilde’s registration was completed about ten minutes later, after careful verification by the guild. With their approval in hand and their new identities now official, the pair headed for the bulletin boards, where requests and other labor demands were posted. Most of the tasks were courier missions or the extermination of creatures deemed harmful to the region’s development. The pay for fighting monsters was much higher than for tasks involving transporting something from one place to another. Occasionally, the guild also received requests to escort merchants to another city. It was one of these posters that Hildebrand had just picked up.

“Let’s take one of the merchant escorts,” suggested the man, handing the paper to his partner.

“Why choose that one over another?”

“Although there is a real risk, it is relatively low. However, the pay is similar to that for eliminating beasts.”

“But I suppose that risk might be... problematic,” Lena said, looking at the guard.

“I hope I’m not telling you anything new when I say that the further you get from Kustdin, the harder life becomes. Some desperate individuals turn to banditry in order to survive.”

“Wanting to survive doesn’t justify robbing innocent people! And for heaven’s sake, you’re still too polite to me,” the young woman shouted.

Hilde shook his head and stepped toward Lena. He stopped a few inches away from her and glared at her before replying:

“You’re naive to think that way, Lena. A person backed into a corner is not very different from a wounded animal and can act unpredictably and recklessly. Besides, someone hiding behind a new identity is in no position to pass such judgment on others.”

The fugitive princess stood there and took the jab without saying a word. She knew full well that such remarks, while not false, were deliberate on the part of the guard. The goal was to condition Lena to better control her emotions so that they would not take over in a stressful situation.

“Still, this man can really be a nasty bastard without the slightest tact,” she thought, glaring at him.

The silent exchange lasted another long minute before Hilde finally looked away and headed for the exit. Lena swore she saw the hint of a smirk on the man’s face and suddenly realized she had been holding her breath the whole time. Frustrated by the turn of events, Lena went to register the quest with the guild before heading for the door of the building.

“I’ll prove my worth to him when the time comes,” Lena decided before joining Hilde outside.

The next day, the two new mercenaries hurriedly made some preparations, especially with regard to provisions. They then met up with the client who had posted the mission to the guild. He was a small, plump man who was busy working in the town’s central square. The merchant wore elegant clothes, but they were not too flashy compared to the citizens of Tunaust. He was finishing collecting the last items from his kiosk and putting them in his cart when he saw Lena and Hilde.

“Hello, you two.”

Without giving them a second to respond, the shopkeeper walked up to the young woman with a big smile and held out his hand before adding:

“Call me Walter. I assume you’re my escort for the next few days?”

“Nice to meet you, Walter. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Lena, and this is my work partner, Hilde.”

Hilde simply nodded to his employer. Taking every task to heart, he was already scanning the area, waiting for them to leave. Lena took the opportunity to ask about their destination.

“With all due respect, is the destination the city of Nerauskei, located further north?”

“Absolutely. If the weather remains this mild, we should arrive there in three or four days,” replied the merchant.

Hildebrand, who had initially kept his distance, approached the pair.

“Nothing to report at the moment. Have you finished your preparations, Mr. Walter?”

“We’re ready to go,” replied the man.

Hilde took his place in the back of the cart, while Lena climbed into the front seat next to Walter, who was holding the horse’s reins. As their group left the city and headed for Nerauskei, the princess let her mind wander and realized that, without really knowing why, she was anxious about the outcome of this first mission.

                                                                          ***

The first day of the journey had gone smoothly. The wagon had covered a good distance, and the group had even encountered a few merchants heading toward Tunaust. Lena saw this as a good omen for the rest of the trip, which greatly helped to ease the initial tension of this escort mission. Once the sun began to set, Walter stopped the caravan at the side of the road to spend the night. Together, they built a campfire, ate their rations, and enjoyed a well-deserved rest.

The next day, the journey was much the same as the previous day, with one exception: the absence of any form of life. No sign of merchants, travelers, or even monsters was observed during daylight hours. When they finally stopped to camp, Hilde got out of the wagon and approached Lena, looking concerned.

“I find this situation rather strange, Lena. We should be more cautious,” Hilde whispered.

“If there had been a problem on the road, don’t you think the people we met would have told us about it?”

“If something unusual had happened after they passed by, we would have no way of knowing,” replied the man.

After tying his horse to a nearby tree, Walter approached the two mercenaries, curious about the nature of their discussion.

“Are you debating what to have for dinner, or who will take the first watch?”

“There’s no problem here. I’ll take the first watch tonight, and Hilde will take over during the night,” Lena replied curtly to her employer.

“I see... I’m relieved to hear that.”

The rest of the evening around the fire went by in silence, with no one daring to talk or make the slightest comment, the tension still palpable in the air.

The merchant and his protectors set off again at first light. Hildebrand had once again warned Lena to be careful and keep her eyes open. She couldn’t fault the guard, but she thought he was a little too cautious for a warrior of his caliber. Proving the princess right, the morning passed without incident once again, but things changed in the early afternoon. As the sun shone in all its glory, Hilde burst between Lena and Walter, demanding that the latter stop the cart immediately.

“Why on earth do we have to stop? Explain yourself, damn it,” demanded the merchant in exasperation.

“I think we’re in danger,” said Hilde.

“What makes you think that? I don’t see anything unusual around us, except for a thick forest,” protested the merchant.

Ignoring his angry employer, the guard turned his attention to Lena.

“Close your eyes and concentrate for a moment on our immediate surroundings. Then tell me what you hear.”

“I can hear Mr. Walter’s horse breathing, of course, but also the rustling of the leaves on the trees,” replied the young woman.

“Nothing else?”

“No, why?”

“In my experience, when everything is silent and you can’t even hear the sound of birds or other animals, it means that something terrible is about to happen,” Hilde explained seriously.

As he finished his explanation, an arrow whistled through the air and lodged itself in one of the wooden hoops of the wagon, inches from Lena’s head.

“We’re under attack! Everyone take cover!” shouted Walter, who moved his chubby body with surprising speed to throw himself into the caravan.

Lena stood frozen in place, stunned by what had just happened, until she saw Hilde leap out of the vehicle and rush toward the forest. Regaining her senses, she jumped off the wooden bench and drew her sword. She was about to follow the guard when he bellowed instructions.

“Stay near the cart and cover our backs!”

The young woman obeyed without hesitation and took up position at the rear of the cart, gripping her sword so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Lena could hear the sound of swords clashing nearby before a burly man suddenly emerged from the bushes in front of her. He was wearing tattered clothes and a worn cape. His unkempt beard and dirty hair gave him the appearance of a wild beast. As he emerged from the shadows, the princess noticed the short, gleaming sword he held in his hand, but also his piercing gaze, scanning the surroundings like a predator on the hunt. He smiled meanly when he noticed the young woman’s presence.

“What do we have here? Could this be a stray flower?” began the bandit.

“Come closer, if you dare, you filthy dog,” hissed Lena.

“Oh! What a temper, my beautiful! You’ll bring me a nice sum of money. I might as well take advantage of that and teach you some manners,” replied the man.

The bandit approached the princess nonchalantly and tried to provoke her with suggestive words. Frustrated, she finally attacked and tried to cut off her opponent’s head.

“Careful, my darling. It’s dangerous to play with knives,” said the bandit, blocking the blow with one hand.

Lena and the man then began exchanging blows and parries. Although the training she had received from Hilde had been a great help to the young woman, her opponent’s experience and physical constitution gave him an almost insurmountable advantage. In the end, the princess was exhausting herself as surely as the bandit was gaining the upper hand.

“There’s no way I’m going to be defeated by such scum. There must be a way out,” she thought desperately.

As victory slipped inexorably through her fingers, Lena realized that her opponent was, after all, just a man like any other, with the same weakness. The young woman couldn’t help but smile slightly and feigned an opening to encourage the gangster to close the distance. He noticed Lena’s renewed confidence.

“Still got energy to spare? Let’s see what you’ve got, little flower,” the man declared before stepping forward.

When he was close enough, the princess put all her strength into a powerful diagonal blow aimed at slicing him from shoulder to pelvis. As with the young woman’s previous attacks, the bandit blocked the blow, but had to use both hands to do so.

“And that’s that,” declared the princess.

Lena seized the opportunity to deliver a vicious kick to the man’s groin. He took the full force of the blow, and his knees buckled under such intense pain. The young woman looked with some satisfaction at her opponent, who glared at her from the ground.

A voice then came from behind Lena, from the cart. It was Walter who had deigned to come out of hiding.

“Is it all over?”

She turned to answer him when she felt something grab her ankle.

“You bitch! I swear I’ll kill you,” growled the thug, pulling hard.

Caught off guard, the young woman fell heavily onto her stomach on the ground, accidentally dropping her sword out of reach. She rolled onto her back in a split second, which was enough time to see the dagger that the enraged hoodlum had just drawn as he crawled toward her. Panicked at the thought of certain death in the moments to come, Lena closed her eyes, instinctively stretched her hands out in front of her to push her attacker away, and let out a cry of distress. A sonic distortion was audible for a moment, followed by the roar of thunder.

When she opened her eyes again, Lena noticed that the bandit was lying lifeless at her feet, his skin and clothes charred. The smell of burnt flesh and ozone was also noticeable in the air. As the princess struggled to her feet, Hilde came running up. There were a few splashes of blood on her clothes.

“Is everything all right here? I heard a hell of a racket and came as fast as I could,” said the guard.

“I don’t know what just happened myself,” admitted the young woman.

“She killed that scoundrel, I’m not sure how,” hesitated Walter.

“Excuse me? But how?”

“Wait a second, Lena. I want to make sure you’re okay,” added Hilde, approaching her.

As soon as he placed his hand on one of the princess’s shoulders, the guard received a small electric shock that numbed his fingertips. The man recoiled reflexively, but couldn’t help noticing his mistress’s sparkling purple eyes.

Although he had his own opinion on the matter, Hilde decided it was best to save that conversation for a more opportune moment. Instead, he took out a small metal object and threw it to Elena.

“Look at this and tell me what you think.”

“Where did you get that?”

“I found it on the body of one of the two bandits I eliminated,” replied the guard.

“Impossible! That would mean...”