They had been walking for three long hours, following a single road that stretched endlessly toward the horizon.
To rlin, it was beginning to feel like a cruel joke. Was this path actually leading sowhere, or were they just wandering aimlessly into nothingness?
Yet, Ivan continued forward with quite confidence. He hadn't once hesitated or questioned the direction, which made rlin believe he must know where he was going. Maybe he had a destination in mind. Maybe he was looking for soone.
The truth, of course, was far less certain.
Ivan had no idea where this road led. He was simply following with the only idea of finding soone—anyone—who could give him answers. Given how far they were from any major town, the chances of encountering travelers were slim. But not impossible.
And just when rlin's legs were on the verge of giving out, the distant sound of hooves hitting the dirt broke the silence.
Her head snapped up.
Ivan's fingers instinctively tightened around the hilt of his sword, preparing to strike. rlin, on the other hand, was caught between hope and wariness.
A mont later, two n on horseback ca into view.
Ivan's gaze assessed them imdiately. They weren't Imperial Soldiers. They weren't Rebels either. But sothing about them was off. Their clothes were rough, practical—suited for n who spent their lives in the wilderness rather than in cities. The way they held themselves, the way their eyes darted toward Ivan and rlin with casual scrutiny, it all scread poachers.
The n pulled their horses to a stop, eyeing the pair curiously.
"What are you doing out here?" One of them asked.
Ivan's expression remained unreadable. "Walking," he replied flatly, the sarcasm dripping from his words. He wasn't even trying to sound gentle.
rlin visibly grimaced at that but she couldn't have known that it was his Ivan's 'gentle' version.
If it had been up to Isaac, he wouldn't have wasted ti with pleasantries—he would have shot them both down and taken their horses without a second thought.
The n didn't seem to appreciate his tone. Their frowns deepened and rlin noticed it.
Thankfully, she intervened before things could escalate.
Stepping forward with a disarming smile, she spoke gently. "My apologies. My na is rlin, and this is Isaac. We're lost and in need of help. If you could point us to the nearest town, we'd be grateful."
She kept her words brief, careful not to reveal too much. Given the number of corpses she had seen earlier, she wasn't sure what kind of danger they were dealing with yet. The safest approach was to remain neutral.
The two n exchanged a brief glance before giving each other a small nod.
"It's about an hour's walk from here," one of them said with a warm smile. "But if you'd like, we can take you with us?"
rlin's eyes lit up. "W-We'd be very grateful!" She stuttered, barely able to contain her relief.
She had been about to ask if she could borrow one of their horses, but this was even better.
"Let them have a horse, Cline," the man said.
"Aye," Cline replied with a nod before shifting in his saddle, scooting back behind his companion, who introduced himself as Tonan.
Isaac wasted no ti. Without so much as a word, he stepped past rlin and easily mounted the horse with a nimble leap. rlin, on the other hand, struggled. She reached up, gripping the horse's back, but her long robes made the climb awkward, and the height of the animal certainly didn't help.
She shot pleading glances at Isaac, silently willing him to offer a hand. But he remained utterly indifferent, watching without the slightest intention of assisting. rlin's frustration grew with every failed attempt, her arms trembling as she tried again and again. Just when she felt like she might burst into tears from the humiliation, Cline suddenly stepped in.
"Here, Milady," he said, easily lifting her up as though she weighed nothing.
"O-Oh, thank you, Mr. Cline," rlin mumbled, cheeks burning with embarrassnt.
"You're welco," Cline replied with a wide, toothy grin, his rust-stained teeth making the gesture more unsettling than reassuring.
rlin forced a smile in return before quickly erasing it. Her gaze snapped toward Isaac, eyes narrowing at his complete lack of concern. He didn't even acknowledge her struggle—let alone thank Cline for helping her. Instead, without warning, he snapped the reins, prompting the horse into motion with a sharp jolt.
"H-Hyaa—!"
rlin barely had ti to react. Instinctively, her hands shot out, grasping whatever she could to keep from toppling backward. Unfortunately for Isaac, that happened to be his back.
She clutched onto his clothes awkwardly before hastily adjusting her grip to his shoulders, her fingers digging in for stability. If Isaac was bothered by it, he didn't show it—though she could sense his mild irritation from the way his shoulders stiffened beneath her touch.
Still, it was his own fault for riding like a madman!
The path ahead was clear, but that was no excuse for the breakneck speed at which he was pushing the horse. Even Cline and Tonan, who were leading the way, exchanged bewildered glances as they struggled to match the pace.
"M–Mister Isaac, could you slow down a bit...?" rlin finally spoke up after a mont of hesitation, her voice sounding uncertain over the rush of wind.
"No."
Her stomach dropped at his curt response.
"B–But this is too fast! I feel like I'm going to fall! And—I can tell I'm making you uncomfortable by holding on like this..." She argued, gripping his shoulders tighter in desperation.
"Then switch horses," Isaac replied flatly. "There's probably enough room for you behind those two."
"..." rlin fell silent, fuming.
As if sensing her frustration—and deliberately making it worse—Isaac nudged the horse even faster. She had no idea how he managed it, but it was almost as if the animal feared him, galloping with the urgency of sothing running for its life.
At this point, she was genuinely terrified she might drag Isaac down with her if she lost her grip. Her hands trembled against his shoulders, fingers digging in uselessly. There was no helping it. Swallowing her pride, she hesitantly slid her arms around his waist.
Isaac's posture stiffened, and for the first ti, he glanced over his shoulder with a faint frown.
"Y–You're not leaving any choice!" rlin snapped, cheeks burning as she clung to him. To make her frustration known, she lightly thumped her forehead against his back—once, twice—before finally pressing her cheek against his shoulder, hoping to find so stability.
Now, she was practically glued to him.
Though rlin had lived for over a hundred years, she had spent most of that ti isolated, surrounded only by spirits. The first man she had ever t was Arthur, whom she had guided after learning of his destiny to conquer Britannia. But when it ca to experiences as a woman—especially with n—she had none.
Touching soone like this? Holding onto them this closely? Completely foreign to her.
Her face burned with embarrassnt, her thoughts spiraling into unfamiliar territory. Despite his lean fra, Isaac's back felt strong—sturdy, even—almost reassuring in a way she hadn't expected.
For a fleeting mont, the rhythmic movent of the horse and the warmth of his back made her drowsy, and she nearly let herself drift off, tempted to use him as a pillow. But she quickly shook the thought away, forcing herself to stay awake. She refused to humiliate herself any further.
Not because of him!
Isaac furrowed his brows deeper but kept his gaze fixed ahead.
He could at least acknowledge that rlin had a point, but that didn't an he was about to slow down.
His instincts told him to be cautious. He could have questioned Cline and Tonan for more information, but he didn't trust them—not even a little. For all he knew, they could be leading him straight into a trap. No, he would rather reach the next town first and assess the situation himself rather than risk falling for so deception.
In that regard, he was nothing like rlin, who always put too much faith in people's goodness.
After another twenty minutes of hard riding, they finally arrived.
The town wasn't particularly large, but it was still a town. However, sothing was off.
Isaac's eyes swept over the surroundings. The streets were eerily quiet, too empty for what should have been a normal afternoon. Buildings stood dull and lifeless, and the air itself felt weighed down with an almost suffocating gloom.
The Empire was strict, yes, but they rarely let their people fall into complete ruin. Poverty existed, but this... this was beyond that. The town looked abandoned in spirit, if not in body.
"We've arrived," Tonan announced, dismounting with an easy smile. "Welco to Nearnal."
Cline extended a hand to help rlin down from the horse, which she gratefully accepted. Finally, she was free from the mortifying experience of clinging to Isaac like her life depended on it.
She smoothed out her robes and turned to Isaac, expecting him to at least acknowledge their guides, if not thank them. But, unsurprisingly, he said nothing. Without so much as a glance in their direction, he strode straight into town.
rlin sighed, shaking her head before hurrying after him.
Behind them, Cline and Tonan trailed at a steady pace. Neither spoke, but in the dim light of the town's shadowed alleys, their lips curled into twisted smirks.
Reviews
All reviews (0)