SHOVED DOWN DEEP

The group rushed back to the wagon, the two captured bandits leading the way to ensure they made it back to the road as quickly as possible. Mocha was pacing nervously as they exited the woods and came within sight. Each moment that passed felt like an eternity, the urgency of the situation weighing heavily on them. The sun began to dip toward the horizon, casting long shadows on the ground, and Iris knew they needed to hurry.

When she saw Kaira's condition, Mocha whinnied with concern. “Iris? What happened?”

“She’s hurt, but she’ll be okay, just needs a doctor,” Iris reassured her horse, trying to keep her own anxiety in check.

They all worked together to gently load Kaira into the wagon, taking care not to jostle her too much. The woman was still unconscious, which had Iris even more concerned. The two bandits were also placed in the wagon, under Iris’s watchful eye while Laken and Gryff quickly hitched horses to the wagon.

Iris rapid-fired orders at her party, her voice tense with urgency, “We need to get to Stilstead as quickly as possible. Mocha, can you stay alongside us? Gryff, hop back here. Laken, you drive. Bree, keep her stable.”

Her horse nickered her agreement, and everyone moved with haste, knowing that every second counted.

The wagon sped across the stone bridge, the horses' hooves pounding the solid surface as they raced towards Stilstead. Mocha kept up alongside them, her powerful strides easily matched the slower pace of the other horses as they pulled the wagon. The two and a half kilometers stretched out before them, but they couldn't afford to slow down.

Once they had crossed the sturdy stone bridge, the sound of rushing water faded behind them. The road ahead was mostly flat, which allowed the wagon to maintain a swift pace. Trees and fields whipped past as the wagon rumbled, the party members inside doing their best to maintain Kaira's stability.

Sweat dripped from the horses' brows, but they pushed on, seemingly understanding the urgency of the situation. Laken guided the wagon expertly, avoiding any bumps or obstacles that might cause Kaira further harm.

The wagon finally reached the outskirts of Stilstead, the village luckily not busy as they rushed through the streets toward the inn. As they pulled up in front of the building, the group saw a figure standing outside and Iris instantly recognized the telv knight from Lady Arden’s castle. Ser Meredith was flanked by several guards and she seemed to be in deep conversation with a group of villagers, who quickly dispersed as the wagon approached.

Ser Meredith's gaze fell upon the group as Laken jumped down from the driver’s bench and the telv’s expression shifted from one of seriousness to one of recognition. Her gaze fell on the bound bandits and Kaira’s prone form and she nodded to several guards.

The knight stepped forward, her eyes scanning the group with a wary expression. “What's happened?” she asked, her tone stern.

Iris took a deep breath. “We’re on a quest for Lady Arden. Kaira was injured in an attack, we need a doctor for her. Bree has stabilized her for now but she is still unconscious.”

Ser Meredith’s expression softened a little. “I see. I have a medic with my squad here at the inn, she will be able to help your friend. Let’s get her inside.”

The woman gestured towards the guards who quickly moved forward to assist in transporting Kaira inside the inn under Bree’s direction.

Ser Meredith watched closely, her eyes narrowing as she noticed the two men still seated quietly in the back of the wagon. As her gaze fell on Iris, a sudden realization came over her.

“Excuse me, Ser Meredith. Let me speak with my party first and then I’ll explain,” Iris said, stopping the others before they could follow Kaira inside.

As Laken and Gryff made to follow after Kaira, Iris swiftly reached out, grasping Gryff's arm. “Hey.”

Both men halted and pivoted to face her as she let go of the man. With an earnest and grave tone, Iris assured them, “We'll take care of Kaira.” She paused, then added, “But first, I need something from the two of you.”

The pair exchanged puzzled glances, yet the weight of her words wasn’t lost on them. They waited for her to continue, their expressions serious as well.

“You two take the wagon and head back to the bandit camp. Take everything. We will sort through it later, but we need evidence. Anything valuable is ours as well. We may need the funds to supply whatever we need to continue the quest.”

Gryff’s eyes narrowed. “What about Kaira?”

“Kaira is strong, she’ll be fine,” Iris said with surety. “I will remain here with her, but I need you two to do this.” She turned her head to Mocha. “Mocha?”

“Yeah, boss?” the horse nickered.

“Can you go with them?” Iris asked.

“I’ll watch over them,” she assured Iris.

Iris nodded. “Okay, keep a look out for any stragglers, but this is important. Okay?”

Laken nodded with determination. “We cannot leave innocent animals to suffer. It’s cruel.”

“I couldn't agree more. Search for anything that could give us a clue about what the bandits were planning,” Iris instructed.

“Understood. We’ll handle it,” Gryff assured her, glancing briefly at the inn before turning back to Iris “Watch over her, Iris.”

“I will,” she promised.

She stepped away from the two and approached the telv knight. “Ser Meredith?”

The woman turned to her.

Ser Meredith took note of the state of Iris's armor, the once-shining metal and fabric tenderly made by Marlena now bloodstained and covered in grime. “I see you've seen your fair share of battle,” she commented, her eyes taking in the numerous nicks and scratches on the metal.

Iris shrugged, her expression tired. "We just came from a fight. It's been a long journey so far."

Meredith's gaze softened slightly. "I understand. Does that explain the presence of these two bound men in your wagon?” she asked.

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Iris nodded. “They’re bandits. I need you to take them into custody while my two men head back out,” she explained in a measured tone.

Meredith regarded the two bound men in the wagon with a scowl. "I see," she said, her voice low and serious. “We've been dealing with bandits and other unsavory characters around here lately. These two might be useful in getting to the root of it.”

She turned to her guards. “Take these men into custody and see that they are questioned thoroughly,” she ordered.

The guards quickly obeyed, escorting the bandits out of the wagon and away toward the village's makeshift jail.

Iris watched them go, feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders. With the bandits out of the way and Kaira getting medical attention, they could finally breathe a little easier.

“I’ll need to know whatever you find out,” she told the knight, keeping her tone respectful yet unwavering. “It relates to my quest.”

Meredith nodded in acknowledgment. “What quest did Lady Arden give you? I noticed your companions are all members of the City Guard.”

“In return for her full support in establishing the Adventurer’s Guild, she tasked me with finding and dealing with the Marauder Prince,” Iris replied, before giving a brief overview of her quest and her party.

Kaira's condition weighed heavily on Iris, and she longed to join her inside the inn. However, her duty as the party leader compelled her to continue her conversation with Ser Meredith.

The knight listened attentively as Iris explained her quest, her initial disbelief and surprise gradually giving way to respect. “Lady Arden gave you quite the task,” she remarked, her tone filled with respect. “I can see why you and your party are so determined.”

Iris nodded, grateful for Meredith's understanding. “I know it won't be easy, but it's something that needs to be done. If you have anything that could assist us, we would appreciate it.”

Meredith tilted her head as she fell into thought. “I will provide any information I can to aid you in your mission. In fact, I do have some things from a recent raid on a bandit camp that might be of use to you. I'll have the details sent over to the inn tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Ser Meredith. We appreciate all the help we can get,” she said sincerely.

Meredith nodded in response before turning to her guards. “Make sure these… adventurers have everything they need while they're here,” she ordered. “We owe them our thanks for their help today.”

Iris felt a sense of relief wash over her, grateful for the knight's cooperation. With their conversation concluded, Iris excused herself and made her way inside the inn, her thoughts consumed with worry for Kaira's well-being.

As she stepped inside, Iris was met with the sound of glasses clinking and people chatting. The warm, inviting atmosphere of the inn normally would have comforted her, but at that moment, all she could think of was Kaira. The old telv woman behind the bar noticed her looking around and called out, “Hello, dearie! Looking for someone?”

“Yes, my friend was brought in earlier. She's hurt,” Iris replied, her voice thick with emotion.

“Ah, yes, Kaira. The village physician and those medics are there with her,” the woman said, nodding toward a door at the back of the room. “You can go on in, dearie."

Iris nodded her thanks, rushing toward the door with renewed energy. The sound of her boots hitting the wooden floor echoed as people paused their conversations and watched the armored woman cross the room. Iris hesitated for only a moment before she pushed the door open and stepped into the dimly lit room.

Iris took a deep breath as she entered the room, feeling a mix of relief and apprehension. Her eyes immediately went to Kaira, who lay on the bed with Bree by her side. The village physician and Ser Meredith’s medic were tending to her two puncture wounds with great care, and Bree was using a small tool to apply healing goop in areas the physician requested. Iris could see the concern etched on Bree’s face, but there was also a glimmer of hope. Kaira was alive and receiving treatment. That was all that mattered.

As she walked further into the room, Iris noticed the quiet that filled the space. The only sounds were the soft murmurs of the physician and the medic, and the occasional clink of Bree’s tool. It was a stark contrast to the chaos and violence they had just experienced, but it was a welcome respite. For a moment, Iris allowed herself to calm down, letting some of the tension that had been building release. Not wanting to interrupt, she leaned against the wall, her eyes never leaving Kaira’s still form.

She’s going to be alright.

Eventually, her gaze turned to Bree, and she saw the exhaustion in the eyes of her party’s medic. Iris knew that Bree had been taking care of Kaira non-stop since the fight. She made a mental note to check on her later. But for now, she focused on the task at hand.

The sun elf wiped at her brow and stepped back as the physician leaned forward with tools to stitch the wound shut.

“Bree, how is she?” Iris asked quietly, trying not to disturb the physician's work.

Bree turned her head to look at Iris, relief washing over her face at the sight of her. “She’s stable, but she’s lost a lot of blood,” she replied in a hushed tone. “The physician is stitching her up now. The healing goop saved her life, Iris. It was so deep. If it hadn’t slowed the bleeding…” The woman shook her head. “We need to keep a close eye on her.”

Iris nodded, taking in the information. She could see that Bree was exhausted, and she knew that they had all been through a lot. But there was still work to be done. “What can I do to help?”

Bree gave her a small smile, clearly grateful for the offer. “Can you go to the innkeeper and ask her for some fresh water and clean cloths? We need to keep Kaira’s wounds clean.”

“Of course,” Iris replied, pushing off from the wall and moving toward the door. As she stepped back into the common area, she felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her. The events of the day had taken their toll, and she knew that they were far from over.

This was so much easier when it was just me and Mocha. How am I supposed to lead a group if I’m constantly afraid for their safety…

Iris stopped walking, freezing as the realization settled in. She wasn’t afraid for all of her party members’ safety. Iris had just sent off the men to the camp alone with Mocha. She wasn’t worried about Bree. That meant…

Shit. Kaira was right.

Iris recognized that her personal feelings for Kaira were beginning to interfere with her judgment, and she knew that she couldn't afford to let that happen. She quickly pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind, locking them in that deep dark cabinet that held everything back, knowing that she had to remain focused on the task at hand. Any distraction could potentially put her team in danger, and she couldn't allow that to happen.

Iris made her way to the innkeeper, an old telv woman with curly brown hair who looked up from her book as Iris approached. “Can I help you, dearie?”

“We need fresh water and clean cloths for our injured friend,” Iris explained, her voice still quiet so as not to disturb the other patrons.

The innkeeper nodded and rose from her chair, disappearing into the back. Iris leaned against the bar, taking a moment to rest. The exhaustion was hitting her hard now, and she couldn't shake the feeling that everything was slipping out of her control.

You’ve got this, Iris. You can do this.

The innkeeper returned with the requested supplies, and Iris thanked her before making her way back to the room. As she entered, she saw that the physician had finished and was now packing up her tools. Iris handed the bowl of water and cloth to Bree, who began to clean Kaira's wounds with a gentle touch.

Iris stood quietly next to Kaira's bed, watching as Bree worked. She felt a sense of gratitude wash over her for the people she had gathered around her. They were a capable and compassionate group, and they had each other’s backs.

She felt herself sway, realizing it wasn’t just exhaustion settling over her. Her stamina must have been low from all of the mana used during the fight. She tried to fight it, but her eyes grew heavy, and her movements became sluggish. Bree noticed immediately and motioned for her to sit down.

“Iris, you need to rest,” Bree said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Let me take care of this. You did enough.”

Iris wanted to protest, but she was too tired to form words. She sat down heavily on the nearest chair and watched as Bree continued to tend to Kaira's wounds. The sounds of the physician and the medics speaking quietly faded into the background as exhaustion took over, and Iris's eyes slowly drifted shut. She didn't even remember falling asleep.

[Storm Warden – Step 48 attained!]

[Spell – Arcane Torrent now dormant!]

[Spell – Lightning Spear created!]