As the group made their steady way through the thick forest, the sounds of nocturnal wildlife surrounding them, Merissa finally felt they were safe enough for her to satisfy the questions that had been burning in her mind. She had overheard one of their saviors commenting that they were only an hour or two away now, and she already felt some of her old strength returning.

She’d watched Rick from a distance ever since they left the caves, but now, with the dark tunnels far behind and the safety of the town quickly approaching on the horizon, she quickened her pace to match him.

"Hey, Rick, right?" she called out softly but firmly as she caught up to him.

Rick glanced over his shoulder, his expression shifting slightly as he registered her approach. "Yeah, that's right. Something I can do for you?"

Merissa studied him for a moment, still trying to wrap her head around what he had said back in the cave. When he had mentioned her sister, it had startled her, and now the pieces didn’t seem to fit. She bit her lip, then asked, "Did you say my sister sent you? Melina?"

That seemed to catch his full attention. Rick turned more fully toward her, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked her up and down. It was brief, but it was clear he was reassessing her now that they had some distance from the chaos.

“Huh,” he muttered, rubbing his chin. “You know, I saw you back there, but I didn’t think it was you at first. You don’t really look like her...”

Merissa felt a flicker of annoyed impatience stir inside her, weeks of pent up aggression eager for a release. "Look, did she send you or not?"

Rick chuckled, shaking his head, clearly amused by her frustration.

"Yep, she sure did. Found her outside my office yesterday morning. Told me how long you’d been missing, and that’s when I realized how much danger this town was in. I had heard rumors about gobs in the mountains a while back, but I had also heard that the guild had sent a group of hot shots from the capitol,” here he paused to eye her consideringly, looking like he already knew exactly what had happened to her party without being told.

He continued after a moment: “We raised the alarm, rallied the troops and came for you as soon as Ms. Melina explained the situation. I’m well aware of the problem a gob infestation can become if allowed to grow unchecked, so I didn’t waste any time asking questions… I realized about halfway here that I probably should have asked your sister for your name and description before I took off running haha."

He was younger than she had initially thought, his laugh was boyish and maybe a bit charming. It was the first happy noise she’d heard in an age it felt like.

“I was hoping you were somewhere in that group, just feeling shy. We didn't find anyone besides the pests in the whole place and we searched it up and down. Bit weird that, actually. It’s not my first time hitting a gobo nest and they’re usually not so kind as to keep everyone all safe and sound in one place.” He finished with a questioning look her way, obviously hoping for some insight.

That left Merissa speechless for a moment, as she tried to process all of that. Her sister had come all the way out here? The mercenaries she’d hired were local? That was much cheaper but still, if she was on her own there was no way she could afford a veteran party like the one that had wiped out the nest like child’s play. Her own party members were young but not so inexperienced and they had still been taken by surprise. A party as skilled as the one that had come to her rescue could afford to charge a king's ransom for their services.

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"Huh, well... that’s awful nice of you," she muttered, still trying to process it. "I didn’t expect anyone to come for me for at least another month. I thought you were with the guild at first."

Rick’s chuckle was louder this time. He shook his head again, a grin tugging at his lips. "Nope, not with the guild. I’m just a local fixer. When your sister came into town looking for help, folks pointed her in my direction. So, really, you can thank her for me showing up with my friends."

That rogue grin on his face softened what had been a hard truth. The guild hadn’t saved her. It was someone she never suspected would have the power to help her. If Melina hadn't managed to somehow pull off this miracle, she would still be stuck in that hole, awaiting her fate.

Her sister, Melina, had gone above and beyond what she’d expected. Merissa couldn’t help but feel a surge of guilt, realizing how much her big sis must have worried, even though she hadn’t wanted her to get involved in this mess. She had always been the tough one, the independent one, but knowing that Melina had risked so much made her heart ache.

Still, Merissa found herself returning Rick’s grin, a reluctant but genuine smile curving her lips. "Guess I’ll have to thank her, then."

Rick shrugged nonchalantly, his own grin widening a touch. "Yeah, you do that. She was pretty insistent on getting you back in one piece."

Merissa rolled her eyes but felt a warmth spread through her, and she couldn't stop another little smile from spreading across her face. "Sounds like her. She might act like a mouse but inside she’s a lion."

Rick laughed again, the sound easy and unguarded. "I think I see the resemblance now."

Merissa gave him a look, but there was no venom behind it. Instead, a small sense of relief settled over her. Maybe she wasn’t alone in the way she thought she was. Maybe there were still people who cared more than she allowed herself to believe.

As they continued walking through the forest, with the rising sun filtering through the trees, Merissa couldn’t help but think of how much had changed in just a few short hours. From the depths of that dark cave to the edge of freedom, all because her sister had asked a stranger for help.

Perhaps life had more surprises in store for her yet.

—0—-------

The journey was grueling for the former prisoners.

They walked for hours, stopping frequently to allow the more injured or weakened prisoners to rest. The forest was dark, save for the faint light of the moon filtering through the trees, but the steady presence of Rick and his team kept the group moving.

The adrenaline that had fueled their escape began to wane, replaced by exhaustion and the simple desire to never return to that cursed mountain.

The forest near the site of the battle had been eerily quiet because all the wildlife had fled, but as they approached salvation the sounds of nature slowly began reappearing with increasing frequency.

The assault on the nest had begun in the early evening (dawn in goblin time) and by the time they extracted the victims it was well into the night. After the normal sounds of the forest had returned in full, the darkness began to lighten.

The long night was finally ending.

Just as dawn began to break, casting the forest in soft hues of pink and gold, they spotted the walls of the town through the trees. Relief washed over them in waves. As soon as the guards saw the ragged group emerging from the forest, the bells rang out in clear tones. The sound represented safety, civilization, and an escape from the nightmare. Tears were shed, and Merissa would be lying if she said not one of them was hers.

The town’s gates swung open, and villagers poured out to greet them, their faces alight with wonder and sympathy.

They had made it. They were saved.

And as the sun rose, casting light over the mountain they had escaped from, Merissa let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. She was free. They all were.