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As they rode their horses through the forest path, Es had quickly gotten the hang of it. She no longer felt the aches she sustained this morning, to the point she could ride a horse with ease. The sa thing happened with the whip, and also the itching poison after she had taken the antidote.
Her rapid recovery was unsettling, and it was only logical for her to get suspicious. After all, this wasn’t how her body was ant to function. Without a wolf, she was still in the dark about the transformation taking place within her. The first inkling of this change occurred right after she cut her hair, when Vivienne pointed out after her bath that her skin was unscathed, despite being subrged in scalding water.
Today was no different. However, what troubled her most was Leonardo’s words. If it wasn’t Dahr who had entered her room last night, then who did she see? Her being alive right now and the bloodstain confird that she had shalessly given herself to soone last night, but it couldn’t possibly be that she gave herself to a complete stranger.
If only she could rember.
Lost in her own thoughts, Leonardo leaned in, his voice low and conspiratorial as he asked. "Are you aware that the king isn’t exactly perceptive?" he comnted out of the blue. "From day one, it was pretty clear that sothing wasn’t right, but then again, I’m just an ordinary advisor, who am I to interfere with the king’s dense observation?"
Es’s eyes widened, and she cast a nervous glance around to ensure no one heard his candid remark. They were both situated at the rear end of the procession, with the king and Dahr leading the way, surrounded by warriors. This strategic positioning allowed them to converse privately while maintaining a leisurely pace.
"Be mindful of your words, Leonardo." Es casted him a fleeting glance, her words laced with gentle caution. "It could be misinterpreted." But Leonardo’s facial expression remained undeterred. His thoughts were already several steps ahead, and he wasn’t concerned about offending anyone: his remark was simply a statent of fact, rooted in his own astute observation.
As he turned to Es, his gaze was piercing, yet detached. A faint crease marred her otherwise lovely features, her eyes fixed intently on the path ahead, as if to distract herself from. He could guess her thoughts to so extent, and if his hypothesis was correct, then sothing potentially catastrophic might have happened while he kept Dahr busy, sothing even Es herself remained oblivious to.
To his own strange feelings, he was relieved to see she wasn’t in tears anymore.
"May I address you as Lady Es from now on?" His tone was polite. His horse moved ahead slightly as he continued. "I understand that the reason it took you this long to confide in the king was because you were frightened. Like I said before, the king is quite dense, he won’t understand the gravity of what is happening unless it is told directly. You can’t bring yourself to tell him, and when you tried, I got in the way for my own self-serving reasons. I truly apologize for that, but I don’t regret it."
Again, those ambiguous remarks left Es thinking, and she blinked puzzledly. Despite their comparable age, his words carried a weight that hinted at deeper anings beyond the surface-level interpretation.
It was no wonder he held the position of king’s advisor, but Es couldn’t shake off the feeling that he possessed knowledge he deliberately didn’t want to reveal. This secrecy made her question whether it was prudent to trust soone who seed to harbor more than he expressed openly.
"Why did you decide to co here?" He asked, snapping Es out of her own puzzled state. "At first I assud you wanted to use this journey to get closer to the king, but it seems you have your own motivation for being here. Do you mind sharing it with ?"
Leonardo’s gaze never wavered as Es retorted. "Why should I confide in you?"
"It’s unwise to do so," his response was curt. "In a world as unforgiving as ours, the only loyalty you can rely on is to your own instinct. Learn to trust your gut, but more importantly, know when to listen to it." He gazed ahead, his eyes scanning the area. "Notice how everyone ahead is armored up? Though we made it clear we’re only visiting the fortress for proper examination, yet it looks like we’re preparing for an all-out battle."
Es’s eyes narrowed at his comnt, and her mind worked rapidly as she observed everyone in front. "It looks like so kind of precautionary asure? The king appears to anticipate an... ambush. I deduce this from everyone’s attire, and his sudden hesitation to bring along."
She used a hand to trace their riding formation. "This strategic positioning aids well if an ambush is bound to occur. If an attack cos from the tree, the warriors riding under the canopy can take them out. You and I, as well as the king, are placed in the safest formation."
Leonardo’s smirk was fleeting. "Not bad, I guess you really are the daughter of a warrior," he complinted. "You were close to the truth. Since you were brave enough to follow despite knowing the dangers, I’ll inform you on what we’ve discovered. Last night, there was news that the demon wolf was seen within the town near the black river, and he had... caused havoc. There’s a high possibility that he knows we’re here, and is currently aware of our destination."
Es’s pupils dilated at the terrifying news. "You... think he knows?"
"I know he does." Leonardo sounded sure of it. "You must be wondering why the king hasn’t made plans to withdraw, but it will be much better if we can catch him while he’s still weakened. I’ve waited a long ti for this, that’s why nothing can go wrong today." His tone was firm and resolute, as if that was his sole purpose for coming here. It was as if he believed that the one he wanted to see would reveal himself, and Es wasn’t sure why he was looking forward to sothing like that.
She had her own problems to solve, and it was finding out what really happened last night.
Their journey led them to a stone bridge, and Es’s eyes widened at the sight of the river below. Its dark water seed to stretch on forever, and she felt an urge to reach out and run her fingers into it. Was the black river healthy in any way? Does it color one’s hand when people touch it? She needed to know all these and more. However, her excitent was long gone, and her mind was filled with nothing but the infidelity she committed thanks to Dahr.
Just as she was lost in thought, Leonardo’s voice broke the silence. "Don’t get too entranced, your horse might lose its footing," he cautioned, his words making her jump. With that, he nudged his horse forward, and Es followed.
After crossing the river, they finally arrived at a massive iron gate. Two warriors dismounted from their horses and strode forward to open the gate, allowing the others to enter. Es’s eyes were wide open when the giant fortress ca into sight. She slid off her horse alongside Leonardo, awestruck as they reached the main entrance.
At Lennox’s signal, a group of about five warriors stepped forward, pushing the doors open with a loud creak.
Es was no stranger to the world of warriors, thanks to her father’s legacy. She had packed a small bag with the essentials for collecting blood samples from dead bodies — a task that sent shivers down her spine, but one she was determined to complete.
After the warriors gave the all-clear, Lennox and Dahr led the way into the fortress, followed by the others. He called out, "We’re heading to the central core. Stick to the plan and fan out!"
Es whispered, "What is the formation?"
Leonardo glanced at her before looking up the stairs. "Don’t you want to see the main core of the fortress? For now, let’s start with the stairs. God... it reeks of death in this place." He covered his nose and went up the stairs, with Es trailing behind.
Outside, a crow sitting at the top of the fortress’s building flew off into the forest, maneuvering it’s way through the trees. It perched itself on the hands of soone who was sitting on a tree branch, the face hidden by the hood of his cloak. The bird cawed, and from the depth of the figure’s cloak, a smirk adorned his lips.
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