"Captain, there's no more snow" - One of the Shadow Guards whispered, awe in her voice. She stared down at the brown soil beneath her boots, real earth, no longer hidden beneath layers of frost. Around them, the trees grew taller, and their leaves richer in color. Greens, deep and alive, swayed gently in the breeze.
The further they walked, the more alive the forest beca.
Leier stopped, raising her hand to halt the others. Her single eye scanned the forest ahead, taking in the unfamiliar and brimming life surrounding them - "Keep your guard up. And your ears sharp" she commanded. Despite the calm tone in her voice, she couldn't completely hide the glimr of surprise and expectation in her expression. This place was indeed beautiful.
At her words, the Shadow Guards moved quietly, their discipline showing even as their eyes sparkled with curiosity. The strange beauty of the place tugged at their attention, but their steps remained cautious, their hands never far from their weapons. They marched until the sun dipped below the treetops and the shadows stretched on the forest ground.
At last, Leier raised her hand again and nodded to a small clearing surrounded by thick brush and uneven trees - "We will rest here for tonight" she said, eyeing the space around them before stepping into the clearing. They had already beco accustod to sleeping outside.
"Set up camp. No fires." - Her voice was firm, but her gaze lingered once more on the forest that seed to breathe with every gust of wind. The warmth was welco, but it was unfamiliar. And unfamiliar ant dangerous. They couldn't afford to grow complacent, not here, not inside the jaws of the unknown.
The won moved as one, spreading out furred blankets and supplies, speaking in hushed voices as they unrolled their packs. Leier watched as a few of them exchanged quiet remarks, stealing glances at the surrounding environnt that was brimming with life. It was clear none of them had ever imagined such a place existed just beyond the cold reach of the North. Like Leier, their entire lives had been built on surviving gray skies and white wastelands. And now this, green, warm, breathing.
"I wish the king could also see this" - Leier murmured under her breath as she gazed up at the full moon. She reached up and lightly touched the patch covering her blind eye, then turned to the group. "I will take the first watch. The rest of you get used to the environnt. We don't know how many days or weeks we'll be down here. Rest while you can."
The Shadow Guards responded in unison, bowing their heads slightly. "Yes, Captain." - Without delay, they sat on their blankets, pulling out preserved food from their packs and sitting close together, exchanging lively words about the surroundings. Indeed, despite the hellish training and the painful experiences, they were still woman.
Most ca from humble beginnings, forr maids, daughters of farrs, street girls—and now they were part of one of the most secretive forces in Stahl, their bodies carved with the tribal tattoos that gave them strength beyond their years and experience. They had beco ghosts in noble halls, perfect for infiltration and survival.
Leier let them be and climbed one of the nearby trees, settling herself into the branches with practiced ease, her body blending into the foliage like a shadow among shadows. From above, she watched her squad with a steady eye, though her thoughts drifted. She couldn't help but recall the night her family was slaughtered, the faces of the murderers forever burned into her mory. They had fled to a place like this, soft, green, safe. It felt wrong. Her hand curled into a fist. They didn't deserve such beauty. They didn't deserve to breathe in peace.
The hours passed. The sounds of nocturnal life filled the woods, foreign and strange to ears raised under silence and snow. However, Leier remained perfectly still, her eye flicking between treetops and the floor down below. Just as she was preparing to wake the next watch, a new sound cut through the night, a soft crunch, not wind or falling leaves, but footsteps. Soone, or sothing, was approaching.
In an instant, the other won were on their feet, blades drawn. Their silence was deadly, honed by pain and practice. They didn't speak. They didn't need to.
"Hoho," a nasally voice echoed through the trees, brash and mocking. "What do we have here?"
From behind a tree erged a man whose very appearance was enough to cause nausea. His nose looked like it had been smashed flat against his face and healed crooked, and his hair, slicked down with so oily concoction, clung to his scalp like wet straw. He grinned, yellow teeth showing.
"Hey boys," he called over his shoulder, "looks like we struck gold. Been complainin' about no new won in the village, and look at this, so many beauties falling right into our laps."
Behind him, more shadows moved.
Leier didn't blink.
-x-
Over the course of two weeks, Henry did not remain idle.
During the first two weeks, he told Princess Eleanor that he still had matters to attend to in Hidden Stone, and that their departure to the mining region would be delayed. He used the ti to travel across these new annexed parts of the kingdom, also visiting a part of Luak, inspecting villages, visiting farmland, and speaking with local leaders. His goal was simple: to accelerate the spread of agricultural knowledge and to learn more about the land's potential. If Stahl was to survive, it could not rely solely on forests and hunting. They needed crops, renewable food from the soil.
Eleanor followed him throughout the journey, though she rarely spoke. Most of the ti, she remained inside her carriage, silent and observant, watching the lands roll past through her window. Only when the sun was high and the air less biting would she step outside, map in hand, covering her coughs, and quietly approach Henry with a series of thoughtful questions.
"When do we depart?
"Is there an ancient road that crosses the mountain range?"
"Are there any books that tell the full story of these lands?"
"I've heard dwarves know of the old world, can I speak with them?"
Henry could sense in her tone and eyes so kind of hidden desperation, a desperation that beca clearer and stronger with each passing day. She seed more like a falling person, sprinting towards a rope that could save her life. However, she never let a word out, not telling the reason she was seeking that fire.
Henry delayed as much as he could, but two weeks passed and he finally finished visiting the main villages that Inacia pointed out. All leaders, maybe pressured by his image, decided to contribute with their knowledge.
So, during one of the dinners inside the Hidden Stone Castle, where Eleanor ate while silently studying a map, Henry announced - "Princess Eleanor, we are departing tomorrow morning to his, the capital of our mining operation."
Eleanor's eyes shone - "I will be sure to be prepared, King Henry." - She emptied her plate fast and soon excused herself, with Zolun following right behind her, always silent, always alert.
Two weeks passed and at the sa ti as Leier and her entourage were being surrounded by unknown forces, Henry set out to his.
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