"Why is the Queen trying to kill you?" his head swiveled, eyes meeting hers. Time for him to get some answers as well. The princess flinched, her gaze sliding away under his scrutiny.

"I never thought she wanted me dead," the girl replied, shoulders slumping. "I just thought that she...wanted me out of the way." As'rya looked much smaller than just a moment ago, curled in on herself. The revelation had to be hard, Dagger sympathized, but that kind of motive didn't come out of nowhere.

"Why would she want you gone?" he insisted. If he had to answer her questions, she had better answer his, too.

Biting her lip, the princess laced her fingers together and confessed, "Mother has been ashamed of me, and maybe afraid of me." Eyebrows furrowing, Dagger's confusion grew. The queen, afraid of her own daughter?

Seeing his confusion, As'rya chose her words carefully.

"There was...an attack. When I was young. With my sister, Velora, and I. And...I killed them. The men who were trying to hurt us. I was just protecting Velora, but my mother..."

It seemed plausible. The princess seemed to be telling the truth. Dagger was sure there was also something she was omitting, but he decided to leave it there for now. After all, the reason wouldn't change the outcome. The Queen was out to kill them both; it was only a matter of time before they regrouped and began to track them once more. The vigilante still didn't know how they had tracked them, and the missing information was frustrating and perplexing.

"Do you still want to go to Lysima?" Dagger looked at As'rya in the dim twilight. She nodded resolutely, her decision clearly decided.

"Even if the marriage with the Prince isn't real, I clearly won't be safe going back home," As'rya told him. "And if I educate myself and become established in Lysima, maybe I can still help Velora establish the trade routes. Once my sister becomes Queen, I might even be able to go back home."

Dagger thought that it sounded like a long shot. She was right about one thing though; it wouldn't be safe to stay in Raizakar Kingdom anymore.

Pulling out the maps from his cloak, Dagger laid the papers out on the ground, inspecting them. The princess squinted as she tried to read them in the darkness, but the vigilante wasn’t bothered at all, able to read them clearly. Finding their current position on his local map, he then pinpointed the same area on the larger one. It could take months, in theory, to go all the way around the bottom of the Igoera Mountain Range. But if they cut through the middle, it could save them a lot of time. Normally, such a dangerous alternative would be left off the table, but their situation was quickly taking a turn for the worst.

"I think we should go through the mountains," Dagger finally spoke aloud, looking up at the girl.

"Do you think the assassins are more dangerous than the Himel savages?" As'rya asked, catching on.

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"I don't know how they're tracking us," Dagger confessed. "They were following us, but I never sensed them til’ I got back-"

He stopped, closing his eyes and kicking himself. Maybe she would just ignore the slip of the tongue...

"Got back?" As'rya asked, glancing at the man.

"...from scouting the area," he replied, keeping his face towards the maps.

"Oh, alright," the princess said lightly. "Hmm." Her tone implied she suspected more, but was going to let it go for now. Gods, surely she would interrogate him later.

"If we go through the mountains," Dagger continued, pointing to the Igeora Range, "the terrain and tribes will help us stay ahead of them."

"It will also be very dangerous," As'rya replied. "Are you sure you can keep us safe?" The vigilante bristled, anger boiling up.

"I can, if you can stay out the way," he snapped back, his tone like ice. "Don't jump headfirst into danger next time."

As'rya didn't reply.

"We will need to get warmer clothes," he informed her after a short pause. "We'll stop here in Baelahn to get some gear, since my pack is gone. Then we'll head straight to the mountains."

Carefully folding the maps again and putting them back in his cloak pocket, Dagger stood and looked at the princess.

"If you're ready, we'll head out immediately. We should be able to reach Baelahn by daylight if we make good speed."

And once again, the pair set off into the darkness, the moon watching them as it rose into the cloudless sky.

Dagger kept up a quick pace as they travelled, the rest of the world slumbering. Still unnerved from the last attack and unsure how they had found them, he kept stretching his shadow sense out, checking if they were being followed. Remembering the way they had all disappeared, shimmering like a mirage before vanishing, he felt sure they had used magic of some kind.

Unfortunately, he didn't know about magic. It was extremely rare in Raizakar, and those who did possess it were often shunned and considered pariahs. Seldom few were able to have normal lives within the kingdom, at least not without hiding any odd abilities they may have. As such, the texts on magic were rare, and the ones that did exist mostly declared the soul of the magic user to be 'tainted' and 'unclean'.

While surprised that the Queen would employ such people herself, he wouldn't put it past the malicious woman to use whatever means at her disposal to get her dirty work done. And if someone could just teleport to where they were, was there a way to truly be safe?

Even more reason to get to the mountains, the vigilante thought, clenching his fists. They had a chance at safety there.

*****

The princess was keeping up well, even though they were travelling more quickly than the first night. Her body was adjusting to travelling in the darkness, her other senses helping her navigate the nighttime world. The gentle touch of branches and ferns helped guide her, and the minute shadows from the moon illuminated the elusive tree roots crawling across the forest floor.

As'rya kept bouncing between determination and fear. She felt sure of her plan; it was the best and safest option. Once they were far enough from the reach of the assassins, she could focus on the next step in Lysima. But creeping doubt and shame kept sneaking into her mind. What if the marriage was all a hoax? What if they were working together to kill her? The thought made her blood run cold. Surely not...right?

Even if the prince was going to marry her still, what kind of relations would the Lysiman Empire have with Raizakar Kingdom after their attempted assassination on the way to be received? Especially knowing it was the Queen herself who initiated it? And...what if they found out about her magic? Would they hold the same ideals of the Raizakaran temples, decrying it as inherently evil? Maybe they would be more accepting. Maybe she would have to hide her power forever.

There were so many unknowns and so many what ifs that As'rya kept plenty busy, strategizing and planning for whatever the future would throw her way. If she had a plan, then maybe the gnawing anxiety would leave the pit of her stomach. Either way, keeping her mind busy helped the night pass as they trekked through rockier and rougher terrain.

Steadily, they were leaving the lush green trees and the bright, abundant flora behind. The path ahead was sparser, with fewer bushes and tough trees interspersed among the shady deciduous ones. The terrain rose and fell in hills and valleys more often, making the path trickier and more tiring. But As'rya saw hope ahead; as they crested the next hill, a small village with a few houses lit with lanterns was shining like a beacon.