Another week passed with the caravan following a winding road through the dense forest. Thick trees and foliage extended as far as the eye could see, leaving little to see and much to fear as the battle was still fresh in everyone's mind, even if the topic itself was mostly avoided.

Still, the overall atmosphere had improved, nights filled with laughter became the norm instead of the exception.

Percy raised both his cup and his voice with gusto.

“TODAY DESERVES A TOAST!”

After a long day of marching, the group was once again gathered around their campfire but today there was palpable excitement in the air brought about by a long awaited piece of news.

Standing up with his cup still raised high above his head, Percy added.

“Tomorrow we shall finally leave this godforsaken forest and finally end this goddamn mission…. Not that it was unpleasant getting to know you all, don't get me wrong. I just would have preferred if we didn't have to fight alongside each other and end up losing some of us along the way….” His voice trailed off to barely a whisper as he finished his sentence.

Everyone lowered their heads at the mention of those that had died, Peter’s face flashing through their minds.

Having collected himself, Percy raised his cup once again in a swift movement which sent droplets flying through the air.

“TO PETER AND TO US!”

Travis, Roy, Anna, Aegon and the three surviving disciples of the Sword Island Martial House rose to their feet and clamored in unison.

“TO PETER AND TO US!”

Before downing their drinks in one gulp.

“Lullin huh? That’s pretty close to the frontier.” Travis commented, wiping traces of the drink from the corner of his mouth.

“Yeah and that might just be the reason we’re escorting this caravan there.” Marcus responded.

“What do you mean?”

Marcus sat down and started polishing his sword once again, an action that had already become synonymous with the tall youth. “Well, let’s think about it clearly. We’re escorting a caravan to a frontier fortress and along the way we get attacked by a well organized band of bandits, or perhaps something else, intent on hindering us. Doesn't that make you think that we might just be transporting something to the frontier fortress because we’re about to be at war with the Kingdom of the Urids?”

Travis pondered Marcus’s words for a second before furrowing his brow. ”I don't know man, it’s possible but just because we’re going towards the frontier doesn't mean it’s something directly related to war. It isn't like the frontiers of every country serve only as their shields and the people there don't need food or other goods, for all we know we might just be transporting a luxury set of wardrobes for the lords of Lullin and those bandits just wanted to steal them to make a profit.”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Refilling his cup and downing it all once again, Travis continued. “Granted that’s probably an exaggeration, they wouldn't pay the martial houses to defend a caravan loaded with wardrobes but still, without knowing what we’re transporting it’s hard to make any assumptions.”

Marcus smiled. “Indeed, we don't know what the hell we are transporting, still, if we were transporting wardrobes do you think it would be a secret? I only think it might be related to a war because of that, there’s no point in hiding something mundane, but something related to a war? That’s a whole other story…..”

…

The first rays of the morning sun shone through the forest’s leaves and landed on Aegon’s face prompting him to turn around with an annoyed grunt. His face was slowly easing as he returned to his peaceful slumber when a large hand grabbed his shoulder and violently shook him awake.

“Wake up Aegon, we’re starting the march.”

Seating up with hate filled eyes that followed Travis’s figure, Aegon mumbled. “Where are your manners? There’s no respect nowadays.”

With a series of low grunts born out of imaginary pain, Aegon slowly stood up, grabbed his pillow from the ground and placed it in his backpack before making his way to his post by the side of the caravan.

The day started like any other, the caravan slowly churning forward at a pace which allowed one to walk at a leisurely pace by its side.

The forest was still the same as ever, trees as far as the eye could see.

“Ahhh, I kind of feel sad knowing we are leaving this forest today, look at this view, how could any place compete with such beauty?” Aegon’s exaggerated comment resulted in a few scoffs of amusement.

A few people were going to respond when they turned a curve and noticed that, in a straight line ahead, the road which they had been walking on for weeks, solely flanked by trees, led to a beautiful prairie filled with wheat in sprawling fields that rose over rolling hills far into the horizon.

As they crossed the tree line and fully entered the prairie, the true scope of their new surroundings came into full view. Roy spoke what everyone was thinking inwardly.

“I never thought I would be so glad to see a wheat field in my life.”

The group laughed heartily as they took in every detail of their new surroundings.

Brooks and streams snaked through the prairie, small cobblestone bridges riddled with moss across them a common sight. That same cobblestone was used for the many small walls that separated the fields of different families and, speaking of families, for the first time since starting this mission they saw people apart from themselves or those that wanted to kill them.

Waving back at an old man busy working on his field, Aegon reflected on the last few weeks, the memory of that day weighing the most on him.

[This is a nice change of pace.]

The group continued their march throughout the day until the middle of the afternoon when black towers which resembled spears pointed towards the heavens first appeared in the horizon, behind yet another rolling hill of wheat.

Soon the whole structure became visible.

“Lullin.” Aegon whispered.

Before him stood a town with a large curtain wall which had several watchtowers across its length, a host of men could be seen marching atop its walls even from far away, their shining armor reflecting the light of the sun, contrasting with the black walls marred by a copperish color at their base. In the center, two similar towers rose side by side from a rock outcrop around which the town seemed to have been built, only a large stone bridge connecting them at half their height.

Taking a step forwards and leaning closer to Anna’s ear, Aegon asked in a teasing manner. ”With all due respect to your father but I doubt you guys have a keep as cool as this one.”

Anna’s expression turned sour and she discreetly showed him her middle finger before increasing her pace to leave the annoying guy behind.