Surena’s eyes narrowed slightly as the bandit leader raised his trembling hands in surrender, his voice stuttering out a plea for rcy. He stood there, stripped of his earlier bravado, looking at the four won who had reduced his once proud group of bandits to nothing more than a bunch of cowards. Around him, the remaining bandits had also dropped their weapons, their eyes filled with a mix of fear and sha.
Surena glanced over at Wilhelmina, her lips twitching into a small smirk. Wilhelmina caught her gaze and nodded, a silent agreent passing between them.
"Alright, listen up!" Surena called out, her voice carrying authority. She turned her gaze back to the cowering bandits, her sword still held loosely in her hand. "You’re lucky we’re feeling rciful today. You get to walk away with your lives, but you’re not taking anything else with you."
Wilhelmina stepped forward, her expression stern as she addressed the group. "Strip off your weapons, armor, and any valuables you have. Everything. You’ll leave here with nothing more than the clothes on your backs," she said, her voice calm but firm, leaving no room for argunt.
The bandits hesitated for a mont, glancing at each other as if hoping soone would object or co up with a plan to turn things around. But one look at the four won standing before them—each one of them radiating a confidence that said they wouldn’t hesitate to cut down anyone who resisted—made them realize there was no other option.
One by one, the bandits began removing their weapons, their swords and axes clattering to the ground. The armor followed, the pieces falling with dull thuds as they were stripped away. Rings, coins, and even a few trinkets were thrown into a pile, the bandits’ expressions growing more and more dejected as their possessions were taken away.
Wilhelmina watched them with a steady gaze, her eyes never leaving the bandit leader as he reluctantly removed his own armor, his face a mask of anger and humiliation.
"Consider this a warning," she said, her voice carrying over the sound of tal hitting the ground. "If we catch any of you trying sothing like this again, you won’t be so lucky. Now get out of here."
Surena nodded towards the guards who had been watching from the sidelines, their weapons ready. "Make sure they leave," she instructed, her eyes still on the bandit leader.
The guards moved in, gathering up the disard bandits and herding them towards the edge of the forest. The bandits moved slowly, their heads hanging low, their shoulders slumped in defeat. The guards watched them closely, their eyes never wavering until the last of the bandits disappeared into the forest.
Surena let out a small sigh, sheathing her sword and glancing over at Wilhelmina. "Well, that went better than expected," she said, her lips curving into a smirk.
Wilhelmina nodded, a hint of a smile touching her lips. "I suppose so. At least they got the ssage."
Emilia and Clarisse joined them, both of them looking rather pleased with themselves. Emilia’s eyes were still glinting with excitent, her hands resting on her hips. "That was a good warm-up," she said with a grin. "So, how many did you take down?" she asked, her eyes shifting to Clarisse.
Clarisse tilted her head, her fingers still tingling with the remnants of her lightning magic. "I think it was around fifteen? Maybe sixteen. What about you?"
Emilia puffed out her chest, her grin widening. "Eighteen. Beat you by two."
Clarisse rolled her eyes, but there was a smile on her lips. "Alright, alright, you win this ti."
The two of them shared a laugh, their competitive banter easing the tension that had filled the air monts ago. Surena shook her head, her expression amused. "You two are as competitive as always," she muttered.
Back at the carriage, Xena was leaning out of the window, her eyes wide with admiration. "You guys were amazing out there!" she called, her voice filled with excitent. "I an, not that I’m surprised, but still... impressive work."
Alicia, sitting beside her, nodded in agreent. "I have to admit, I’m a bit jealous. I wanted to get in on the action," she said, her tone light and playful.
Wilhelmina smiled, shaking her head slightly. "Maybe next ti, wait, you’ve got your part before, aren’t you?" she said as she approached the carriage, the others following closely behind. "For now, I think we’ve had enough excitent for one day."
Once everyone was settled back inside the carriage, the journey resud, the winter wolves pulling them forward with a steady, powerful stride. The earlier tension had dissipated, replaced by a sense of camaraderie and ease as they continued on their way.
Lyan glanced at each of the girls, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You all did great," he said, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "But I have to say, the fact that we keep running into these bandits is starting to worry ."
Wilhelmina frowned slightly, her gaze shifting to Lyan. "What do you an?"
Lyan leaned back, his expression thoughtful. "The number of bandits we’ve encountered... it’s unusual. Especially for a region that’s supposed to be under the protection of the royal knights and the local feudal lords. It makes wonder if sothing is going on behind the scenes."
Surena nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You think there’s so kind of power struggle happening?"
Lyan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It’s possible. If the nobles are distracted, or if there’s so kind of conflict within the royal court, it could explain why the patrols are lacking. And if that’s the case, it’s only going to get more dangerous the closer we get to the capital."
Emilia crossed her arms, her expression turning serious. "So, what do we do? Do we change our route?"
Lyan shook his head. "No, we continue as planned. But we need to be cautious. We don’t know what we might run into, and I’d rather not take any chances."
Clarisse nodded in agreent, her fingers idly playing with the hem of her dress. "We’ll be ready for anything," she said, her voice filled with determination.
The others nodded, their expressions filled with a mix of concern and resolve. They all knew the risks, but they were willing to face whatever lay ahead. Lyan looked at each of them, his heart swelling with a mix of pride and affection. He knew he could count on them, no matter what.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, the group decided it was ti to make camp for the night. The carriage ca to a stop in a small clearing, the winter wolves settling down to rest as the girls began setting up their campsite. The air was cool, the sky painted in shades of orange and pink as the sun slowly disappeared.
Wilhelmina and Surena worked together to set up a small fire, their movents quick and practiced. Clarisse and Emilia gathered firewood, their laughter echoing through the clearing as they playfully teased each other about who could carry more. Lyan watched them, a smile on his lips as he helped unload supplies from the carriage.
Once the fire was lit and the campsite was set up, they all settled down to relax, the warmth of the flas warding off the evening chill. Lyan leaned back against a log, his gaze on the flickering fire. It was peaceful, the sounds of the forest surrounding them, the crackling of the fire providing a comforting backdrop.
Suddenly, a rustling sound ca from the edge of the clearing, drawing everyone’s attention. Lyan’s eyes narrowed as he turned towards the source, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his sword. But before he could draw it, a familiar figure stepped out from the shadows—a skeleton hobgoblin, its bones glinting faintly in the firelight, cloaked in illusion magic.
"Oh, Grimclaw’s servant," Lyan muttered, relaxing slightly as he recognized the undead creature. The hobgoblin approached him, bowing its head before presenting a small stack of handwritten docunts. Lyan took the docunts, his eyes scanning the pages. They were reports from Grafen, detailing the current status of the city.
The hobgoblin remained silent, standing at attention as Lyan read through the reports. He could feel the girls’ curious gazes on him, and he glanced up, offering them a small smile. "It’s just an update from Grimclaw," he explained, his eyes returning to the docunts.
As he read, Lyan’s eyes caught a note from Arielle, written in her neat, careful handwriting. She reported that everything was running smoothly in Grafen, the defenses were strong, and the people were well taken care of. However, she ntioned rumors of unrest in the capital—whispers of trouble brewing among the nobles, of tensions rising that could lead to sothing more dangerous from the peddlers.
Lyan frowned slightly, his mind already working through the implications. He folded the docunts, tucking them into his coat as he looked up at the hobgoblin. "Thank you. You may return to Grimclaw," he said, his voice calm.
The hobgoblin bowed once more, turning to leave. But before it could disappear into the forest, the girls decided to make their move. Emilia—always the instigator—stepped forward, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Wait a second," she called, her voice filled with playful intent. "We should give our new friend a proper send-off, don’t you think?"
Clarisse’s eyes lit up, a grin spreading across her lips. "Oh, I agree. It’s not every day we get a visit from an undead servant."
Wilhelmina and Surena exchanged glances, both of them shaking their heads in exasperation but clearly amused. Lyan watched, a bemused expression on his face as the girls surrounded the hobgoblin, their laughter ringing through the clearing as they playfully teased the undead creature.
The hobgoblin, for its part, remained motionless, its head turning from one girl to the next as if trying to understand what was happening. It let out a rattling noise—sothing between a groan and a sigh—as the girls continued their antics.
Lyan chuckled, shaking his head as he watched them. "Alright, alright, let the poor thing go," he said, his voice filled with amusent. The girls finally relented, stepping back as the hobgoblin gave a final bow before disappearing into the forest.
As the laughter died down, the group settled back around the fire, their expressions softening as they enjoyed the warmth and the peacefulness of the evening. Lyan glanced at the docunts once more, his mind lingering on Arielle’s ssage. Trouble in the capital... it was sothing they would need to be prepared for. But for now, surrounded by his family, he allowed himself to relax, the worries of tomorrow pushed aside in favor of the warmth and comfort of the present mont.
The fire crackled, the warmth of the flas wrapping around them as they settled in for the night, the stars beginning to twinkle in the darkening sky above. Whatever lay ahead, they would face it together, and that was all that mattered.
"Tomorrow we’re arrive in the capital, huh..."
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