It took a few days of calm that were sorely needed for the rest of the caravan. Every hour away from the pass seemed to put them at ease, but the guards were hyper-vigilant at night. Captain Volk ensured that an extra pair would be in rotation at all times—one set of guards at each end—to ensure the nobles' safety.

Krenlow was ecstatic; he had a fire in his eyes the last time I saw him. How he looked at Devon, me, and Alice was… Intense. Neyenna warmed up some more, no longer regarding us with a seven-foot pole, and Alice was constantly besieged by Haldeena's questions.

The cold was reserved for one guard in particular. For a while, I wondered if Volk had forgotten, but before we set off for the nearest village, Volk had gathered the entire company of guards in front of the nobles' wagon.

Devon, Alice, and I watched from nearby but didn't participate. No, Volk ran the show. He made a grand speech, commending his men for quick action and forcing them all to swear to do better.

Jezra looked like fury incarnate, while Merrick kept glancing in his direction with a grim frown marring his face. Yadalee looked at us, and I gave her an attempt at a smile but shook my head. Her confusion grew as Volk pulled out his sword and stopped before his men.

A letter was produced from his belt, and he unfolded the page after removing it from the envelope.

None of them seemed to understand except Jerrick, who continued to burn a hole in the grass in front of him.

Paeter was called to the front, and he looked white as a sheet. Sweat dripped down his brow and his hands shook. Volk turned him around to face the other guards and then handed him the note to read out loud.

As he did, looks of confusion spread. But Yadalee seemed to understand before the rest, even before Jerrick, whose eyes flinted a moment after hers did.

Once Paeter got to the line about his betrayal, he dropped the letter and raised both arms while starting to plead, but it was too late. Volk's sword flashed through the morning light and cut cleanly through his neck.

Paeter's head hit the ground and landed on the grass. Volk stepped over his corpse and speared the severed head through the jaw while ignoring his men. With robotic movements, he approached the nobles' cabin and got onto one knee while holding his sword up high to Neyenna.

She merely nodded and closed the door, much to the protest of Haldeena, who tried to peek through her father's fingers.

The horses were readied within the hour, and a very quiet Yadalee kept her head down as she drove the wagon.

***

At one point, the little girl joined our campfire for the night, along with a very stiff and terrified Crolus.

He kept silent and stood guard as Haldeena ate some of the roasted deer skewers.

It was hard to control my hunger, but I kept it at a more reasonable level while tearing into the meat. Thankfully, Alice helped command her attention away from me and Devon.

Odenn, on the other hand, rarely exited the nobles' cabin, and I only knew she was still alive by the escort of a female guard toward the river.

Now that we were on our way to the capital, the last four days were a blur of repetitive activity.

Alice was harder to spar with, my new constitution being tested, and she pushed me further and further with each new bout.

The constitution helped repair the injuries but didn't stop them from hurting. And after I finished sparring with her, Devon stepped in and ruthlessly tore me down using his spear. If fighting Alice was equivalent to a disadvantaged battle with a more trained opponent, Devon crushed me like the seasoned veteran he was. Stats didn't matter, increased strength or not; he could casually lift me up or sweep me off my feet. I tasted grass and loam more times than I cared to remember.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Outside of the bouts after dinner, the time spent inside the wagon was filled with more incantation practice—not that it helped. The ward incantation refused to work, even as Alice began to conjure a whisper of a barrier into existence. It frustrated me enough that I called it quits on the third day and relaxed even as Alice trained. Devon watched me judgmentally, but I didn't care.

It just wouldn't work. It was as if my mana was opposed to the concept required for the incantation. And enough strain from the failed feedback left me with a faint headache. At that point, I wasn't going to push the attempt until I had a chance to revaluate my proccess.

***

It was around mid-day when Yadalee stuck her head into the wagon.

"We'll be pulling up to the village gate within the next half-hour. We planned on going around the settlement, but Mrs. Ashton demanded we stop for the night. We'll resume the journey by morning," she said.

"For what reason?" Devon asked.

Yadalee winced. "I don't know. If I had to guess? It's for the woman, Odenn."

"I see."

Devon returned to resting with his eyes closed, and Yadalee sank into herself before awkwardly closing the flap. I looked between Alice and him, each with closed eyes and sitting eerily still despite the faint rocking of the wagon.

Ah, I could use some fresh air anyway.

Devon briefly cracked open one eye as I stepped past, but I slipped through the canvas flap and forced a startled Yadalee to move over. She kept a firm grip on the horses but side-eyed me as I settled into my spot. "Uh, Cain. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Stop looking at me like I'll bite you for speaking wrong. Seriously, it's been nearly two weeks, and you've eaten dinner with us."

"I-"

"I'm just getting some fresh air. Magic practice wasn't going well, so I decided to relax out here before we entered the village."

"I see," she hesitated. "I'm sorry, getting used to being around you is rather difficult. Your hellhound alone has half the guards scared to breathe."

I chuckled and pictured the guards holding their breaths like it was a horror movie.

"As funny as that sounds, that's ridiculous. Though, I guess I understand the apprehension.."

She stayed silent and gently tugged at one side of the reins to steer the horses to the right and away from a large rock. It took a dozen minutes and I started to see the walls of the village come into view past the tree line. It looked fairly simple, small even.

"This is the first village, right? Anything interesting about the place?"

She shook her head. "No, not really. I've only been here once, and it was for half a night. It's the remnants of an old village that got destroyed by a fire. Most of the original villagers moved to the one closer to the capital, so all that's left here is a small populace that is pretty isolated if it wasn't for the merchants using their village as a rest stop before the pass."

I blinked and cocked my head. "Was it a normal fire?"

Her voice took on a strange tone. "At first, it was thought to be caused by a storm and some lightning. But later, it was revealed a monster caused it. I'm not sure what, but the records in the library said the Grimms took care of it."

She glanced over but quickly looked away.

"I didn't take you for a bookworm. Did you study a lot of history?"

"Ahh, yes actually," she whispered. "The Ashtons are kind to the guards under them. And Captain Volk encourages education. It's why…"

Her voice trailed off, and I frowned. "It's why what?"

This time she did look away, enough that I couldn't see her eyes. "It's why being near Grimms is hard to wrap my head around. You have stories both inspiring and horrific. And magic-users have always been a problem for our kingdom. I know you are an ally, and you seem almost normal. But you are a Grimm, and with your magic and the red cloak..."

Unsure of what to say, I shrugged. "Well. So far, our only crime would be mercifully killing one of your horses. Outside of that, I think we've done well enough to be friendly. Though, Merrick still looks like he wants to stick us with his spear."

She chuckled, and some tension eased off her posture. "Maybe."

"I don't think there's a maybe. He's had a stick up his backside since he met us."

"He's not a bad person," she defended. "But he's dedicated to his job and dislikes threats."

I shook my head.

Him. Him, I will bite. Freki, you have full authority to bite him if he attacks.

Below me, a snout popped up between my legs, and I rubbed it before it sank back into my shadow.

Yadalee looked ready to jump out of her seat, but thankfully she didn't, and the rest of the ride to the city was done so in peaceful silence.

***

The caravan rolled to a stop next to the side of the road, and Yadalee waited for a whistle from the first driver. Once it came, a shorter second whistle pierced the air, and she hopped down, beginning to undo the reins. I helped and pulled the water trough from the back of the wagon while Alice grabbed the water barrel. By the time the horses were taken care of, Captain Volk approached Devon, who was leaning against the side of the wagon.

"Sir, Grimm. We'll be staying until early morning," he informed. "I and a squad of my men will escort Mrs. Ashton and Lady Ashton into the town accompanied by Madam Odenn. If you have need of us, that was is where we'll be."

Devon nodded, and Volk returned to the noble's cabin.

Alice held out her hand to Devon, and he stared at her open palm.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Coins. I wanted to buy some supplies."