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Chapter 19: Return and Turbulence

The sound of hooves echoing along the dirt road brought immense relief. More than sixty horsemen emerged on the horizon. My father had been extremely strategic. Now I understood why he had dispatched three swift messengers to the Vance Fortress. It was not merely an alarm regarding potential invaders; he had requested heavy reinforcements.

It didn't take long for the uproar to cease and the dust to settle on the coastal road. Unfortunately, the toll was steep. Of the ten brave guards who had accompanied us from the start, only three survived.

However, the enemy's casualties were far higher. Initially, we calculated that we would face roughly twenty or thirty highwaymen. But the damned bastards had sent an entire half-company! Could you believe it? Forty trained men!

To their misfortune, thirty perished under the crossfire on the road. The remainder fled in a chaotic rout through the dense woods. If the support sent from the fortress had not arrived in time, the soil of the road would have drunk the blood of us all.

A short distance ahead, I spotted my father. His countenance was far from good. Blade cuts lined his torso, arm, and leg. Judging by the amount of blood staining his garments, they did not appear to be deep wounds. Even so, they required urgent care.

A cleric, however, was already at his side. The man chanted ancient prayers, channeling mystical healing arts to close the gashes.

I had to avert my gaze and focus on what mattered now. My attention needed to shift toward the condition of my mother, Thys, and that easygoing panda, Katriny. Our main carriage would suffer a considerable delay before rolling again. Its wooden wheels with iron rims had been utterly destroyed in the clash.

Comfort and Suspicions

I approached my mother. Her eyes still reflected the terror of battle. She pulled me close, asking if I was whole. I tried to soothe her with my best innocent child's hug:

— I am fine, mother, do not worry. Katriny dealt with those brutes. Are you injured? And you, Thys, any hurt?

Both, still pale from fright, shook their heads. Thys attempted to speak, but her voice still stammered from the shock.

I announced that I would look for Katriny to inspect the surroundings. My mother immediately gripped my arm, panic flashing across her face:

— There could still be bandits lurking in the trees! Will you risk yourself like this? Stay here, Kaelen!

I wrapped my arms around her again, adopting that soft tone that always worked:

— Rest your heart, mother. All the highwaymen have retreated. And our reinforcements now dominate the road. The element of surprise the attackers possessed is lost. They will not dare attempt anything for now.

Her eyes welled with tears. I remained nestled there for a few more moments. Thys joined the embrace, allowing herself to weep quietly.

Come to think of it, life in this medieval era is far too brutal for ordinary people, I reflected. Whoever wrote the chronicles and fairy-tales I used to read lied blatantly. If I could, I'd wring the necks of those romantics. Reality here is far more brutal.

The Secret in the Arrows

After a while, I managed to slip away and went after Katriny. She was leaning against a tree, specks of blood dirtying her monk's robes. I adopted my serious young-master posture:

— Your robes are somewhat disarrayed and stained. Do you wish to clean them? — I asked, extending a clean linen handkerchief to her.

She turned abruptly with a stern expression. Upon seeing me, her shoulders relaxed and she accepted the cloth:

— Thank you, young master.

— So... matter settled around here?

— Yes, in this area, yes... But we escaped by a hair's breadth, Kaelen.

— I noticed. Those men were professionals. You could tell by the precision with which they handled their steeds and swords.

— Not just that. Look at the tips of these arrows collected from the ground.

I looked at the wooden shafts, not quite understanding what she meant:

— What about them?

— This type of notch and tempered iron tip is typically manufactured in the forges of official armies. It is what I learned from the scrolls of the temple. This was not an attack by mere road scavengers.

— Well... to a certain extent, my mind already suspected that. But what about you? Are you alright?

— Yes. Just a bit short of breath from the exertion.

I decided to break the tense atmosphere with a light tease:

— Have you ever considered performing on the stages of royal courts? Your combat techniques were a true spectacle. Your movements flowed like water, and your speed was impressive! A ferocity worthy of note.

The tips of the panda's furry ears immediately flushed a light shade of pink. She averted her gaze, embarrassed:

— I thank you for the words, young master... But my master from the Sacred Kingdom would still find a thousand flaws in my stance. He always warned me to focus on nearby opponents, but never to take my eyes off distant archers. If you hadn't neutralized that damned one perched in the tree, I don't know what would have become of us.

— I merely did what was necessary. Now, how about helping me retrieve my ceremonial daggers that are stuck around here?

She let out a hearty laugh, forgetting the tension:

— Yes, yes, young master. Let's go.

The Painful Return

After several long hours of rustic labor to repair the carriage's axle and wheels, we resumed our march toward the Vance Fortress. The remainder of the journey was peaceful, under the constant vigilance of that large escort of sixty horsemen. Yeah... the journey to the top is never easy.

Upon crossing the castle's iron gates, my true martyrdom began. I didn't know whether to hold my rear or my stomach. My rear pleaded for mercy due to the infernal bouncing of the carriage without shock absorbers. But my stomach won the dispute the second I set foot on the stone courtyard.

All my breakfast and lunch from the last inn were left right there, beside the carriage wheel.

Katriny approached with hurried steps, her eyes wide:

— Young master! Are you alright? Do you need an apothecary or help?

I wiped my lips with the back of my hand, taking a deep breath. Relief was immediate, though I felt lighter than I should have. I began walking half-bent, both hands clasped over my aching rear end.

Noticing my ridiculous posture, Katriny placed her paws over her mouth, trying to stifle a boisterous laugh:

— Look... pff... if the young master wants... pff... I can fetch a very soft feather cushion... pff!

I looked at her with narrowed eyes, distilling pure promises of vengeance:

— You traitorous bear! You'll pay for this. Just wait till I catch you... I won't let you sleep for an entire week!

She spun around and took off running across the courtyard, laughing loudly and provocatively:

— Young master, it's no use trying to ruin my beauty sleep! Walking all stiff like that, it'll take you years to catch up to me!

My parents, stepping down from the carriage right behind, witnessed the scene. That silly interaction drew the first genuine laugh from their lips since the ambush. My father embraced my mother from the side:

— We have arrived, my dear. We are finally safe.

— Yes, we are home... I feel a weight lifted from my shoulders. But we need urgent rest.

My father's countenance soon turned grave again, heavy with duties:

— I know, but a lord's work never ceases. I must draft an urgent scroll to inform the King of this attack. I will request military reinforcements coming directly from the royal capital. Though... I do not know if the crown's councilors will heed my request with the necessary swiftness.

My mother looked at him with sweetness and a touch of longing:

— We barely crossed the gates and you are already locking yourself in your solar? Can't you stay with me a little first?

He softened his gaze, kissing her forehead:

— Of course, my love. But I fear I cannot linger away from my duties for long.

Plans in the Dark

Later, during dinner, the atmosphere in the great hall was heavy and profoundly silent. My father's chair at the head of the table remained empty. My mother moved the food around her plate with a distant, melancholic look.

I didn't know exactly what to say to comfort her at that moment. I decided to respect her space and let her process events. Seeing that sadness broke my heart. But realistically, there was no spell or word that could undo the fright she had suffered.

However, I could act on another front. It was time to stop merely reacting and begin planning how to prevent future ambushes. Modern knowledge and the geeky tactics of Theia would finally have practical utility in this rustic medieval world.

I wore a subtle, conspiratorial smile to myself as I finished my meal. Ah, I almost forgot... what will be the ideal punishment for that traitorous panda?

With that amusing thought hammering in my mind, I rose from the table and walked calmly toward my chamber. It had been a long and exhausting day on the roads of Aegis.