Other Fan Fiction ❯ Black Roses ❯ My Mystery Girl ( Chapter 11 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

“Excuse me?”
The blacksmith wiped the sweat from his greasy forehead and turned to look at the boy. Mathiues rubbed his head nervously under the older man’s gaze.
“I was hoping you would have seen a young woman with blonde hair coming by here? She’s about as tall as me... Very pretty.”
Mathiues blushed at his last statement, but the blacksmith didn’t seem to care. He gulped some beer before speaking in a deep voice.
“You’re lookin’ for travelers? You might want ta check out in Barrow Fields. Plenty a strangers come through there.”
“Thank you, sir!” Mathiues slapped some gold on a table in the shop before running out, a broad smile on his face.
I’m getting closer to you, my mystery girl!
Several Oakvale villagers snickered at the strange boy, running through the streets with such a childish look. But, Mathiues couldn’t have cared less. His mind was filled with his current objective, saving Leah.
The Guild boy was much closer to ‘his’ girl than he could’ve imagined. Just a few more miles up the road, in Greatwood, was where Leah and Caden walked. And, of course, Evange. Though his presence was less easily detected, even in the warm sun of Greatwood.

~~~

In the years since Gladiator had cleared out the various ‘villains’ from Greatwood, several checkpoints had been set up by Lady Grey. Guards were supposed to look through bags, taking anything that looked dangerous. They were also there to stop unsavory characters from passing into Lookout Point.
But, the guards stationed there weren’t as noble or respectful as the guards that worked directly under Lady Grey. They often stole the beer from traders and other expensive things. Saying, with mocking voices, that the items looked dangerous for common traders to be carrying.
Of course, if someone had the money to buy off the guards, then they had an easy road ahead. They could pass through without a second glance towards them, no matter if they were unsavory or not. Gold could blind a guard easier than cutting out his eyes.
Leah and Caden had been waiting for their turn to pass through inspection. Caden had hurriedly drunk all his beer beforehand, and had advised Leah to either dispose of her valuables or just give them up to the guards. The mercenary knew these guards would take anyone they wanted into custody if it suited them. And a young girl would be very tempting to these lonesome guards who couldn’t even get away from their posts to go to the brothel.
“I don’t remember these stops being here when we walked the other way.”
“No one cares who goes to Darkwood. Everyone who goes in, eventually makes a return trip.”
Leah sighed, and played with a small rock she had found on the ground. A rich trader had spent the last hour chatting the guards up and slipping them plenty of gold. Most people knew to keep their mouths shut while they waited. The guards didn’t like whiners.
“If you really don’t want to walk through here... We can go back and use the guild seals.”
“I lost mine.”
Leah frowned as she tried to remember where she had seen it, but nothing came to mind. She couldn’t remember having it after the Darkwood incident. Maybe she had dropped it in Darkwood? It wouldn’t be a surprise that she hadn’t noticed losing it, Leah had been heavily distracted during the fight and then getting Caden out of the woods, safely.
“Then we wait. There’s nothing else to do.”
The rich trader finally moved on, sending a cheerful goodbye to the guards as he walked off. The next trader in line wasn’t carrying anything and passed through quickly. Then, Leah and Caden were next.
Caden walked in front of the girl, one hand on his gold and the other on a dagger hidden beneath his clothes. He’d give the gold up only if he couldn’t scare the guards off. Caden was smart enough not to try and outright start a fight, he was still healing and he was less than confident in Leah’s skills.
“Eh, well, let’s see you two.”
A guard circled Caden and Leah, taking note of their weapons but lack of belongings. As he circled the two, Evange’s careful eyes watched the guard. The boy kept an arrow nocked and aimed at the guard. He wasn’t about to let his mother’s men land a strike on ‘his’ woman.
“Looks like you just might cause a bit o’ trouble.” The guard paused to raise his eyebrows, “But, per’aps you’ll have the gold for a, heh, special permit.”
“And if we were to cause trouble even after we got a permit?”
The guard chuckled at Caden’s response, “No skin off my nose.”
“I thought you were supposed to guard this point.” Caden was hoping this approach would work on the guard. He had been saving his gold for a good while, now.
“It seems a rogue swam past our post. We just couldn’t grab at ‘im.”
Leah frowned, looking over Caden’s shoulder at the guard.
What a liar.
“An’ what’s this?” The guard came around Caden and shoved his sneering face at Leah.
Evange pulled the arrow back farther, locking onto the guard’s throat.
Take another step and you’re dead.
Leah frowned and unintentionally stepped in front of Evange’s target point, blocking the guard from her potential savior, while backing away. A nervous smile hung on her lips and Caden tried to edge in front of her, without any success. The guard continued to advance on the girl, a leer on his face before straightening up.
“If you don’t ‘ave gold, a night with the girl will do.”
Leah’s face twisted up in rage, hands making fists at her side. A sharp snap could be heard from somewhere out of sight. Evange had pulled back on the bowstring too hard, and the severed ends and whipped his face. Two thin lines of blood appeared on the boy’s face as he hurriedly dug a new bowstring out from his robes and tied it back to his bow.
If that damn girl would get out of the shot, I could’ve-
Leah had drawn her ax and was holding it to the guard’s chest, nearly shaking in anger. Caden, seeing that the situation had probably just turned disastrous, had drawn his sword and faced the number of guards that had sprung up from the woods.
“Eh, you’d rather die than spend one night with me, girl?” The guard spat at Leah, glaring at the girl when his saliva didn’t hit her.
Leah didn’t respond except to return the glare, raising the ax so it’s blade nearly touched the guard’s neck.
“Fine, be that way, wench.”
The guard stepped back, pulling out the sword on his back and facing Leah. The girl was too slow to go after the guard while he did this, and soon, she was to busy blocking the man’s blows.
“Leah! Run, I’ll meet you down the path.”
Caden had several guards on him, and it was evident from the pain on his face that his wounds were reopening. He’d be cut down in little time. Neither Leah nor Caden noticed the black arrows killing off the guards that tried to sneak up on the two from the trees. Evange didn’t want to risk hitting Leah by shooting at the guard she was fighting.
But, if worse came to worse, the boy would use will on the guards. He couldn’t do that, yet. It would mean revealing himself to Leah. And he didn’t want her to think he had been watching out for her. And Evange definitely didn’t want her to see the still-dark bruise on his head from her ‘dream’.
Caden kept crying out for Leah to run, because if she didn’t, then he couldn’t. He was here to protect her and he couldn’t run while she was in danger.
“Damn it, run!”
Leah was pushed back as another of the guard’s blows hit her ax. She tried to get away in the brief lull in the guard’s attack, but the man grabbed her wrist and wrenched her back, ax falling from her hand.
“Heh, you don’t get away that easy.”
The path had rapidly emptied of traders who had been waiting for their chance to pass the checkpoint. So, when someone walked up to the fray with a bewildered expression, it was evident that someone would notice him.
Evange almost shot down the new-comer but hesitated. He didn’t want to kill a potential ally.
The guard holding Leah had paused, shooting a menacing glare at the person who had walked upon the scene.
That’s... that one guy from the Guild...
Mathiues took in the scene quickly before drawing his sword, his eyes focused on Leah.
“Do not worry, I will save you, my mystery girl!”
‘Mystery girl’?
‘My mystery girl’?
Leah was surprised someone had appeared from nowhere to save her, while Evange scowled at the boy. Mathiues ignored the burning in his cheeks and ran at Leah’s guard.
The guard dropped Leah, getting ready to block Mathiues’ attack. But Leah wouldn’t be brushed off so easily, she grabbed her ax, swinging it at the guard.
At the same time, Evange saw his chance to kill off several of the guards attacking Caden, sending off multiple arrows at once, just as Caden fell to the ground.
Leah’s ax sliced through skin and muscle but was stopped as it hit the hard ribs of the guard. The girl gasped as blood ran over her ax, down the shaft and onto her gloves, backing away as Mathiues struck. He neatly stabbed the guard through the chest, not bothering to pull his sword out before rushing to Leah.
“Are you alright?” Mathiues grabbed Leah by the shoulders, steadying her.
The girl averted her eyes from the fallen guard, wrenching herself away from Mathiues to walk to Caden. She leaned down towards the mercenary, scared that she had caused his death. But, before she could even speak, Caden had lifted his face, a tired smile on his face.
“Avo must be looking out for me. I swear there was at least three of those bastards on me when I fell.”
“So, you’re okay?”
The mercenary waved away Leah’s concern, lifting himself.
“My wounds opened, and I’ve got not a few new scratches to keep me busy.”
“I should let you go.”
Caden shrugged as he sheathed his still bloody sword, “If you want. But, who’ll you take, instead?”
Mathiues, hearing the conversation, had sidled next to Leah and caught her attention. He smiled as he spoke to the girl.
“You can take me!”
I don’t care where. As long as you’re with me.
“It’d be dangerous...”
“I’ve had training at the Guild. I can take care of myself and you.”
“It’ll take a long time.”
“I don’t have anywhere else to be.”
Leah looked down, worried that she might be sentencing someone to death to save another. But, in the end, she really couldn’t have a much better companion than a Guild apprentice.
“Alright. Caden, here,” Leah dug out her last reserve of gold and handed it to the mercenary, “Is your payment. You are free to leave.”
Caden nodded in thanks, heading back towards Darkwood. He called back as he went.
“I’ll take my chances in the bandit camp down by Oakvale. You know where to find me if you need me.”
Leah watched the mercenary go, hoping he would get there safely. Mathiues stood across from Leah, beaming at the girl, before he remembered something.
“Oh, you already know my name... But I never got yours.”
“Huh?” Leah blinked as she realized Mathiues had been speaking to her, “Oh, my name. It’s Leah.”
“Leah... That’s a beautiful name, befitting a,” The apprentice blushed, “Beautiful lady.”
“Oh, thanks.”
Leah had closed her eyes as she jerked her ax away from the guard, wiping the blood from it on the grass and spotting one of the many black arrows littering the ground and bodies.
“Why do I keep-”
Mathiues, having already pulled his sword out from the guard, had come to stand beside Leah.
“Where are we off to? And what are we doing?”
Leah began walking farther into Greatwood, “We’re going to Knothole Glade, to save my friend.”
Evange followed the two, sullenly. He didn’t like the sudden appearance of this apprentice. Especially since Mathiues seemed to be so fixated with Leah. Evange fingered his bow, itching to send an arrow through the apprentice’s head.
But the boy had to give in to one fact. Mathiues could protect Leah when Evange was in no position to.
But I won’t let him have the girl. It’s pathetic the way he watches her do everything. Coming to her rescue.
Evange didn’t seem to connect those same properties to himself.
And so, the three walked off, heading for the nearest port. Leah hoped they would be able to hire a boat, despite her being without any form of gold.
Saving Kuyo is what’s important. I’ll get to him, no matter what.

~~~

The funny thing about this chapter...
As I was finishing the second part, I didn’t realize I had finished the chapter.
There was more I had wanted to do with this chapter, but it’s already a bit longer than what I usually do. So, I’ll end it off here.
It’s nearly 12am and I have school tomorrow.
...Caden wishes you a happy season as he forever leaves this story!
(Or maybe he’ll pop up again... Like Mathiues did. :D)