The sun shone down on the snow directing its glaring rays towards our unsuspecting party. Water from the lting snow stuck to my shoes and so had managed to soak into my trousers.
Just as the locals had said, the weather changes fast. It was bizzare than I had imagined and also fascinating on its own rit.
This morning I woke up to bright sunlight shining through the curtains and a load of water flowing from the roof as the snow rapidly lted.
The journey to the trader’s spot had been relatively easy thanks to the spontaneous change we didn’t have to worry about sliding on ice.
Unlike the first ti we had avoided the use of carriages, this ti it had been more comfortable. I didn’t like horses very much.
Our carriage pulled up at the back of the barbarians’ caravan and we all got out. Everyone was curious about our companions since they had only heard or read about them.
All of the girls except for Kianah and Luna stared. This caught the attention of the head who walked over.
"You arrived much earlier than expected, young master."
The head of the barbarians’ caravan said while subtly scrutinising our carriages. They were much simpler and lower quality, ant to blend in.
"No, Baros i prefer to co early, as it’s easier for planning. "
I answered carelessly. Baros, his na, laughted outloud.
"You are the first noble to arrive a sand glass earlier," we both chuckled," Since you got here earlier, we shall leave early since I have already finished all our preparations. "
He said with familiarity. I nodded. The faster the better, I didn’t really care but if it ant arriving earlier then I wouldn’t mind.
"Will going earlier disrupt anything during the journey?"
I asked just to be cautious. A smooth journey was the best option but I wouldn’t mind distractions along the way.
The journey across the forest might take a month and I didn’t want to just sit in the carriage all day.
I seed to be contradicting myself more and more.
"Master, is it really okay to travel with them, he sounds indecisive. "
Nixie whispered into my ear while vigilantly glancing at Baros who had turned his back on us and was instructing his crew.
The man did look untrustworthy with how carelessly he had dressed and his overgrown beard.
"You don’t have to worry about that...I heard the forest has the best watering area, you might get a chance to swim since you’ve not been on the water for a long ti."
I said to her changing the subject. That was enough to take away her caution and she walked to her carriage excitedly with the other girls looking back and forth between us.
"Get in the carriage, we’re leaving."
I looked up at the sun. It hung low in the sky ready to set but the heat was much worse than midday. We were supposed to leave after dusk but leaving at this hour wasn’t bad at all since we couldn’t travel in the forest during the night.
This was a well-known fact that everyone subconsciously obeyed without knowing the reason.
"I can’t wait, I hear there are more magical creatures inside, i wantto slay them. ...I’ll give you so for your experints. "
Seraph said the mont I settled down in the carriage. She leaned on settling all her weight on my body.
"That would be wonderful, a gift from you will lift up my day."
I said to her. I ran my hand through her hair enjoying the silky feeling of it. She leaned further into my touch.
"What do you think of the man, the barbarian?"
She suddenly asked as the carriage started to move forward. I looked out at the streets, people moving out of the way as our carriage passed by.
"Nothing really, as long as he gets us through the forest and doesn’t do anything mildly stupid then we’re good. I like his personality a little, he’s a bold one."
I said whatever ca to my mind. Our carriage ca to a stop as the guards started to inspect the barbarians’ carriages for anything illegal.
I didn’t try to intervene since it didn’t affect whatsoever. Footsteps approached our carriage before they stopped then turned around and left. Our carriage started to move forward.
"We’re entering the forest."
Seraph said and looked outside at the looming trees. Our carriages were nothing but ants in front of these giants. The trees were incredibly tall with overlapping canopies that covered the sun and only a small fragnt of light escaping through the leaves shone onto the road.
"I get why this is called Troll Forest. These trees are taller than trolls themselves. How old are these things?"
Seraph said in fascination.
"It’s always been there i suppose, i couldn’t find anything about the forest origins in any books. It’s just about hunting trolls."
"We’ll be entering no man’s land in a few monts."
Seraph said excitedly. No man’s land was a neutral point where the kingdom’s borders ended and the forest beca its own unclaid territory until the barbarian kingdoms’ border.
No kingdom was allied to claim these lands as its own.
This had made no man’s land a hot spot for all criminal activities and a hideout for wanted criminals.
"You seem happy about that?"
I asked intrigued.
"That ans we won’t be tied down by the kingdom’s laws and we can do anything we want."
She explained her eyes shining brightly, fist clenching, and leaning against the window while looking out at the front. Her excitent couldn’t be any more palpable.
"But we aren’t really controlled by the kingdom’s rule."
I said breaking through her apparent excitent. This was probably the feeling of finally leaving a familiar place and going to a place where control could be maintained or not by oneself.
"You don’t have to be that much of a let down, aren’t you excited to do anything without it reaching the nobles or....mother."
She whispered as though she was saying the worst secret. I chuckled amused.
"I suppose you are right."
I conceded. Her clear eyes were enough to sway on that one. But I knew that was nothing but a pipe dream on her part.
We both knew that would never happen. I was sure we had soone following us assigned by mother.
The carriages moved forward slowly as we neared the invisible boundary. The mont we passed it felt different, freeing maybe.
There wasn’t any shield or a magical artifact that was used to identify the border lines. The only thing present was the guards who seed to be tired of life.
"We are finally out!"
Seraph whispered to . I nodded. Her excitent was infectious but now wasn’t the ti to celebrate.
"You know we’ve entered a lawless land right?"
I said to her again but she didn’t seem to care. I looked outside at the now darkened sky. The sun had sunk a long ti ago during our travel.
The only source of light was crystals placed on the side of the carriages.
The forest was dark, unusually quiet except for the occasional hooting of owls. The only sound was that of horses clipping and the carriage dragging as we moved forward into the uncertain night.
A small twinkle of scattered light ca into view before a shadow of a building started to take shape as our carriage testing. The number of people on the road increased as people walking towards the sa direction.
"Look, it’s an inn."
Seraph said. Unlike her usual self, she was still wide awake despite the middle of the night having passed. I guess the taste of true freedom can be addicting.
"Young master, Baros has told to inform you that we will be stopping for the night."
Donovan’s voice ca cutting through the night air.
"Okay, we could use so rest."
I answered back. Donovan didn’t respond. I wasn’t expecting him to.
We pulled into the large inn that seed to be on the verge of falling. I helped Seraph down the carriage and pulled her coat closer to her body.
"Why is it so windy?"
Seraph asked while trying to hold her hair down.
The night air was chilling. Heavy winds had started to blow the mont we stopped causing curses to ring out from the barbarians who seed to enjoy walking bare-chested.
"It’s normal milady, the wind blows occasionally we were just unlucky to arrive during the ti."
Baros who walked over to us answer Seraph’s question. I turned to him in question. My gaze shifted to the inn then back to Baros.
I pulled Seraph closer to trying g to reduce the wind velocity heading for her.
"Will there be any room available, there seem to be a lot of carriages outside."
I said worriedly. This seed to be the only building area there and it would be a sha if we lacked a place to sleep and had to sleep in our carriages.
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