After some hours of walking and trying to catch his breath, Zevran stopped abruptly and faced the three people, who were unusually quiet. He knelt down as he stared at Cordelia, studying her every movement. “Are you alright?” He asked in concern.
“I'm fine,” Cordelia answered simply, rather exhausted than hurt.
Zevran looked unconvinced but refused to push her further. The quicker they got to the Capital, the better. The raven haired man rose up and continued to follow behind, keeping a close eye on the group as he listened carefully for any sounds of trouble ahead.
“Are we almost there?” Alaenor asked anxiously.
The sorcerer gave her a curt nod, “Yes. Just another hour, perhaps less.”
She didn't reply, instead choosing to focus on making sure that she kept her guard on alert, ready to pounce on any threat that might appear in front of her.
They continued walking through the dense foliage for quite a while in silence, each person taking the opportunity to rest and recover, though none of the group could really afford to be at their most vulnerable during this quest. Eventually they reached what seemed like the edge of a forest, having walked past a large open field where it was only lit by the light of the moon above. When they reached the edge of the forest they found what looked like some sort of building and, upon closer inspection, recognized it as a stable. They had reached the outskirts of the Capital, fortunately.
They began walking towards it but stopped once they reached the main street, noticing two very peculiar things: One, the streets were completely empty; two, there was a large amount of guards patrolling around the city.
It was apparent that most people were inside the Capital's Hall for some reason until Zevran decided to speak to one of the guards nearby, “Excuse me, sir. May I ask what is happening here?” The man raised an eyebrow at the blonde assassin but answered anyway, “There is a feast taking place tonight in the Capital's Hall which many citizens of the capital are invited to attend. I suggest you go inside to witness the spectacle.”
“Oh…thank you.” Zevran replied politely while giving a quick bow of his head. He turned around and began to walk away towards the rest of the group. “Looks like we have a feast to attend. I suggest dressing up nicely for the occasion. As for her,” He glanced at Cordelia, “Would you be able to attend? Otherwise, it is best to find-”
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Out of the blue, Alaenor heard a familiar female voice calling out to her causing a smile to break upon her face then turned towards the voice, “Euphemia! Over here!”
The woman smiled happily when she spotted her friend coming into view and waved to her. Once Euphemia finally reached her, she wrapped her arms tightly around her friend and hugged her. “It's good to see you again. I hope your journey was well?” She exclaimed excitedly.
“Quite the opposite, actually. We ran into some trouble.” She explained in an equally energetic tone.
The elder woman's excitement faded slightly and became concerned as she leaned back, taking a closer look at the younger woman, “What happened?” She asked worriedly, her blue eyes wide with concern.
Before Alaenor could answer, Zevran interrupted her, “This matter is rather urgent, thus we came here as fast as we could, so we could speak with the Council of Elites. And this girl here needs some medical attention.”
Cordelia simply huffed, “Whatever. I'd rather not attend this feast anyway.”
Euphemia glanced at the redhead, studying her injuries. “Then follow me. I have a couple of anointment for your bruises. As for the rest of you, you may go get yourself changed for the feast. And Alaenor, I might have something just for you, so come with me.”
Both women followed the blonde woman who led them deeper inside the city until they arrived at one of the many inns located in the city. Once they entered the small establishment, they saw a young woman sitting behind the counter, reading a book with a bored expression on her face while chewing on a slice of bread. Her eyes immediately locked onto the woman who approached her.
“Can I help you?” She asked as she wiped her mouth with a napkin before setting it onto the table before continuing to read her book without saying a word.
“Hello. We would like two rooms. Two beds if you have them.”
The unnamed young woman gave Euphemia a once over with suspicious glances before standing up and grabbing two keys. “Take the first two rooms at the end of the hall. The one on the right.” She instructed while pointing in the direction of the rooms and walked away from them, leaving the three newcomers alone after handing them the keys.
One time, they stepped inside and made sure everything in it was in order before turning around to check on the redhead. She had collapsed onto a bed, unconscious, and covered in dirt.
Alaenor raised a brow as she spotted Cordelia unconscious on the bed, “Her injuries aren't that severe, are they?”
“No.” Euphemia answered as she went to the bedside and gently placed a hand over Cordelia's forehead, closing her eyes. After a few seconds she reopened her eyes, frowning slightly, “From the looks of it, there aren't any internal injuries. She's just tired.”
The brunette nodded before speaking up, “Very well. You said you have something for me?”
Euphemia smiled before answering, “Yes.”
A moment later, a few minutes later, Euphemia handed a large box from her large satchel to her, “Here. This is for the feast, requested by Lady Mirana. She was not certain if you'd be able to attend the feast in time, thus she passed it on to me, just in case.”