The Dragon Thief [I]

The King's Road [3]

Chapter Three
The King's Road

Nox

Nox found Alderyth waiting with the horses by the river as he had last left them. When he returned, his Master questioned Nox on what had occupied him for the past hour.

"Just a mugging," he said, trying to pass as nonchalant. "It got sorted fine in the end." Of course he didn't say how in the end, really, it was the victim who ended up saving Nox's life. How, although she looked harmless and biddable, the woman Nox had randomly encountered was more steeled than he ever was. She had put down her attackers without a second thought and had frisked their still bodies without even a grimace on her face. Nox shuddered whenever he was overcome with the images of their perturbed faces.

Alderyth and Nox set off almost immediately. Nox was more than eager to get onto the King's Road and away from the dangerous middles of the Yelger Green. Where the forest was most dense and most unruly, rumours said it harboured the most wicked creatures. Nox had noticed after their first week in the Green that wildlife was harder to find this deep into the woods. Whether that was because it was uninhabitable due to the environment or because the woodland animals preferred to avoid this part of the Green, Nox wasn't so sure. What Nox was sure of though was that the more he dwelled on the rumours and the more he travelled through the woods, the jumpier he found himself to be.

He felt like he was being followed. They had ridden at a slow pace due to the overgrown, unkept foliage and had only covered a few kilometres of land in the past two hours. The trees sprouted taller and thicker. The path they followed had diverted from the river long ago. Nox found keeping track of their route and the time becoming increasingly difficult. It was only when the shadows began to mingle into one and Nox noticed the daylight fading that he realised night would arrive sooner than he'd thought.

"We should find a place to camp for the night," Alderyth suggested. Nox continued to travel however, meaning to find the King's Road before the end of the day. Several times he continued to think he heard the snap of twigs or the slosh of footsteps in a puddle. Animals, he would say to himself. Wild deer or rabbit. But he knew how scarce wildlife were in the neck of these woods.

"The sun is setting quick and we can't afford to set up in darkness," Alderyth announced as he took the lead to find camping grounds. Nox begrudgingly cursed the day's earlier events which hindered their travel progress.

Aria trotted behind Alderyth's horse until Nox heard a sharp snapping of a branch. He pulled on her reins and slowed her, canting his head to listen. Then, remembering an easy hear—enhancing spell, Nox muttered spell words and waited for magic to pool to his ears. With heightened hearing he could hear the loud thunking of Aria's stepping and the rustle of his robes. He drew on more magic to turn the hearing to further sounds. The wind carried sounds of ants digging through bark and grass swaying in a breeze. Faintly, but loud enough for Nox to notice, he heard soft breathing. It was slowed and muted, and completely undetectable to Nox's ear if not for the spell. He cast away the extra hearing and put his fingers to his lips, wolf whistling. Alderyth, who had made some distance ahead by now, looked to Nox. Nox pointed to where he suspected someone was hiding.

"We know you're following us," he said. Aria whinnied as if to agree. When Nox got no reply, he looked to his Master. "Step out now or we'll come looking."

Crunching of bark and dirt sounded, then a body moved out from behind a large tree. Nox felt his hand creep over his blade, grateful he had it on him again. When the woman he had met earlier stepped out from behind low hanging branches, Nox found his face met with surprise.

Alderyth had caught up with him by the time she revealed herself and paused to look between Nox and the woman.

"Well done," she muttered through gritting teeth. "I'm not sure how you knew, but you got me."