On the outskirts of the city called Haffel, walked a woman dressed in a brown robe. In her hands, she carried a small child who was wrapped in a warm blanket. 

"We are almost there" she whispered to herself.

"Alviona, no matter what fate awaits me, I will ensure that you grow up and have a future. I swear my life on this" vowed Sofia to her daughter. 

It has been three days since noble Jemin had banished Sofia from the village. She had been on the road ever since. Priestess Emma was somewhat surprised to hear what had happened and told Sofia that she would investigate this; however, as it were right now, there was not much either party could do. And so she walked, towards the nearest city where some degree of safety would be assured. 

As Sofia approached the city, the first sight she witnessed was the high density of soldiers leaving the gates. They were well-armed. As they marched, it felt as if the ground was shaking. If she was to guess, it was a battalion made of 500-600 troops. At the rear, they were escorted by a mounted knight, who was probably their commander. They moved rather slowly, in neat and narrow rows.

Sofia moved to the side to not hinder them. The last thing she needed was instant execution. 

"I pray, that the war will not drag out" she whispered. After the soldiers moved out of the view, she was finally able to approach the city gates.

A tall guard stood by the gate. While his face was concealed with a plated helmet, judging by the way the armor was crafted, it was a male. As the man noticed Sofia approach, he instinctively let his hand go towards his blade. Without unsheathing it, he asked the woman as to who she was and what business she had in the city.

Sofia did not know what to answer. Should I tell this man of my exile? She thought, but it was too risky. What if Jemin had sent a forewarning not to let her into the city? It was quite a possibility.

"Well then, woman. Have you swallowed your tongue? Are you mute? I shall ask again. What business have you in the city?" asked the guard, who seemed to be losing patience. The man finally got fed up. Within seconds, Sofia saw him move his gauntlet into the air, open his hands and cast magic [Identity]. Since she was registered inside the Royal Kingdom of Damas, the spell was cast instantly, and everything about her was revealed. 

"Sofia Donward?"  asked the guard.

A chill ran down her spine. 

"Yes," she replied.

"Half-elf?" 

"Yes" 

"Age: 22?" 

Sofia nodded.

"Married to Duncan Donward? The captain of the village of H'ulm?" asked the guard with a different tone than from before. This time, his voice was showing some degree of respect to the woman, but more importantly towards her deceased husband.

"How fares Mr. Duncan?" asked the guard in a more polite way, while simultaneously lowering his guard. The hand that was touching the sheath of his sword was no longer there. He looked at Sofia and the daughter she carried, who was wrapped in blankets. "Is that your child?" he asked, to which the woman nodded. 

"Do you know of my husband?" asked Sofia in a soft and curious voice. 

"Duncan Donward? Bite my ass! Yes, I do. A fine gentleman. Great captain and a fine comrade" the guard chuckled. He moved his hand towards his beard and began gently stroking it. Not even a second later, he burst out into laughter. 

Sofia's face turned pale. Without even realizing, she burst into tears. 

The guard, understanding that something might have happened, gently patted her on the shoulders. 

"He is dead," said Sofia, still sobbing. 

"What?! How could this be? What happened madame?" asked the guard in a confused voice. He removed his helmet, revealing his blue eyes and a rather gentle face with thin brows and short blue hair. His face harbored disbelief that the man he had served alongside had passed away. Once Sofia had told him all the details of his death, leaving out Jemin's involvement, the man stood with his mouth agape.

"Is... Is that so?" he said, shocked. 

"Sadly yes" replied Sofia. "Now then, may I please enter the city?" she asked hurriedly.

The guard shook his head. 

"Madame, I am afraid to say this, but this is not the best city to enter currently. On the contrary, if I were you, I would run away. As far as possible. There is a forest in the near vicinity known as the Great Javl. Go there. Hide. You and your daughter will be most safe there" said the guard with a firm yet a sad voice.

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"This is absurd? What are you talking about? Why?! Why would I go to a forest? In a place that is filled with nothing but beasts? Or perhaps bandits? Perhaps both? How would I raise a child in the wilderness? Are you insane?" asked Sofia coldly. She could not believe that a city guard was telling her to leave the haven available. She walked for three days straight without any food. Of course, she had made sure to purchase provision that would last for at least two years with the gold and silver amassed from the nuns and Jemin. Those items were safely stored in her magical bag. However, she was not about to turn around and doom herself any further than she already had. Plus, she had a responsibility - her daughter.

"Madame... I understand your worries, but please, hear me out. Allow me to explain the current situation". The guard was trying to make reason. His voice expressed fear. Seeing that he had the woman's attention, he gulped.

*Sigh*

"Very well. Allow me to start from the very beginning. First of all, this is the city of Haffel a major city that supplies the rest of the Royal Kingdom of Damas. As you may or may not know, this is the trading hub, where most caravans pass through to do business. As such, it holds strategic importance to the rest of the kingdom, for we supply it with provisions such as fish from the harbor city of Na'ul, healing herbs and grain from the village of H'ulm..." he paused and extended his palm. As he did, a map appeared in his hand. 

"I do not understand..." said Sofia coldly. She was very confused. This idiot is lecturing me with the obvious she told herself; however, she still needed to understand why the guard made such a drastic statement.

"Take a good look here ma'am. This circle is the perimeter of this city" he said while pointing at the location. "The forest is located just Northeast from here. Getting into the forest is easy, getting out is troublesome, unless you are a hunter and have an experience. I can tell by your muscle build and by the marks on your hand, that you are an archer. A pretty good one too" he said while nodding in an appraisal. 

"Enough with this nonsense!" yelled Sofia at the guard with such force, that he was pushed a-back. "You do not make sense! You are telling me to run away even further than I currently have. Are you an imbecile? Are you blind? Do you not see that I carry a child? Are you telling me to survive inside a forest?! With a daughter of mine, who is only one-year-old? How, if may I ask, will I even protect her? What will I do for shelter? What if an illness strikes her or me? There are too many unknowns. Too many variables. Let me into the city this instant!" continued Sofia in an icy and angry manner. Her eyes were fierce, like that of a vicious predator, that was protecting its offspring. 

The guard could feel it. He could feel, that this woman was not ordinary. If she did not have a child, she would be convicted to the army right away. They needed soldiers as strong-willed and as skilled as her. However, he thought for a moment. As he did, his entire body started to produce an immense amount of sweat. He grabbed his flask, drank what seemed to be water and continued speaking to Sofia.

"Mrs. Sofia, please, I beg of you! Let me finish! If you go into this city right now, only butchery, misery and death await you." his voice started trembling filled with fear and terror. It was not an act. Sofia could tell that this man was dead serious. She had no clue as to what was going on, but something was amiss. 

The guard looked at the child that Sofia carried. For a brief moment, he went pale. After recovering, his eyes turned to Sofia. He gulped down the water flask one more time and continued his explanation.

"Madame, I understand that you are confused. You have all the right in the world to be. But let me state this right here, right now" he gulped one more time; "we are surrounded. The enemy is less than a week away from Haffel, and they are out for blood. According to the intelligence we managed to scrap, they plan to sac this entire city. In other words, civilian or a troop, all of them will be slain on the spot. As an emergency measure, the city has gone into a shut-down state. His Majesty has sent over seven battalions of his finest warriors in defense of the city, but with the blockade happening by the Vluver River, they will not make it in time to ambush the enemies and halt their advance" he said this with disappointed and saddened tone. "Moreover, you have already seen the battalion leave this city. They are heading towards H'ulm to ensure that the supply of healing herbs is secured. We have men amassed in preparation for the siege. However, the most we can fight out will be roughly one week". The guard shook his head in despair.

"..." Sofia was speechless. It would appear, that fate had once again condemned her and Alviona. She did not know what to do. What could she do? Without even realizing, she bit her lip so strong, that she started bleeding. "How many days to get to the forest? And why that forest in particular?" 

 "Well," said the guard, "There is a lake in Great Javl, that is said to cure the wounds of those who bathe in it. Normally the forest is used as the rite of ascension for druids and healers alike. As it is sacred ground, even our enemies would not go out of their way to taint it with blood. Besides, it is rumored to be guarded by an earth golem, which can decimate an entire legion. Upsetting such creature is not what any mortal would dare. Sadly, it is at least two weeks away on foot, however; I do owe your husband a lot. Duncan had saved my life multiple times. For that, he has earned my uttermost respect. We have a scout leaving for reconnaissance in a few moments. He is to gather intelligence on the enemy movements from the rear. He is very skilled at [Tracking] and is an expert at a detecting enemy presence. I shall summon you a steed which will disappear right after your destination is reached" he said punching his chest in a show of respect. "Oi, you there! Jim! I have a special order for you!"

"Sir!" replied the man, who was being addressed. The guard walked towards the mounted man and spoke to him in a lowered voice, privately. He pointed towards Sofia once. As he was done, he approached Sofia again and asked her to stand back a little. When the woman complied, he took out a small, white crystal from his pouch and crushed it in his gauntlet. He quickly chanted something, and right after a few moments delay, a blue pentagram appeared on the ground, followed by a horse materializing out of thin air. It was no ordinary steed. It possessed higher stamina and was less prone to tire quickly from the journey.

"Well then, one last thing." The guard stepped back and chanted a [Windrunner's blessing] on the two steeds that were in front of him. "This ought to do it! You should be able to reach the forest within six days. As for you Jim, your orders are as instructed. Alright, you two! Hit the road! And may the deities smile over you!". 

Sofia had just realized that this man whom she had spoken ill of, was no mere city guard. With regret flooding her head, she asked him for his name, but he did not respond. Instead, he waved goodbye and the moment he did, Sofia, Alviona and an unknown rider were already galloping at their full speed.  In fear of turning her head, she silently prayed for this man's well-being and more importantly, for her and her daughter's safety.