Dreu and Bayard left the cave as soon as there was some light outside. The early morning was silent except for their footsteps. The woods appeared empty and the young man preferred it that way. At this point, he was unsure if the Duchess was still alive. If he learned anything from his encounters, the demons were relentless and, no matter how strong the Duchess and her bodyguards were, they would eventually be overwhelmed. Given their limited information, Dreu and Bayard decided to head to the capital instead. That was their best bet, assuming the capital wouldn’t share the fate of York.

By noon, the party of two slowed down to evade the demon patrol parties. The demon patrols suddenly started appearing and it wasn’t uncommon to catch sight of a patrol every ten minutes or so. They had to keep a wide berth while navigating through unfamiliar territory. Dreu eventually stopped to eat the last bit of rations he carried on him.

Why do you think there are so many patrols? Dreu asked while he ate.

There are three possibilities here. First possibility is that they are searching for the Duchess. Second possibility is a third party appeared which the demons consider hostile. Third possibility is we are near a human settlement and the patrols are there to either catch fleeing civilians or encircle the settlement.

Sounds like all three possibilities may work in our favor.

True, though the first option will benefit us the most as it has the least uncertainty.

Dreu nodded before he washed down the bread with some water. He didn’t need to convince the Duchess that he was on her side. Other parties might become suspicious if he and his footman showed up in demon infested woods. He and Bayard then resumed their journey with the goal of finding shelter before dark. Bayard admitted that he stumbled upon the cave when he was getting Dreu to safety. To seek out a cave before dark might prove more difficult, especially if they wanted a cave that would escape the demon’s notice. The two of them were walking when they both unsheathed their weapons upon hearing noise.

“Easy there!” said a familiar voice from atop a tree. “I’m glad to see you two still kicking.”

Dreu and Bayard sheathed their weapons once they caught sight of Gaenor.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes.” Dreu smiled at the ranger.

After a quick exchange of pleasantries, Gaenor led the way to a small camp established by the survivors. The group had a much easier time maneuvering past the demon patrols with the ranger’s help. Upon reaching the camp, Dreu did a quick count and estimated there were only a few dozen knights left. Among the knights was Baldwin. The knight captain waved when he spotted Dreu and the young man happily joined him. Just as he sat down on a log, Dreu noticed Sela, Jeane and Sadon walking towards him. The reunion brought out a smile on all of their faces. The group shared some food around the fire.

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“What’s happening next?” Dreu said after choosing to get into a serious topic.

“My uncle is discussing that with the Duchess,” replied Sela. “We cannot hope to win against two demon armies with our current strength. They are probably finding another solution on how we can reach the capital.”

At the mention of their strength, Dreu studied the knights and noticed many of them staring down at the ground. Compared to when they first left the forest, he was uncertain if these were the same men. A few of the knights had noticeable wounds but it was obvious that their physical wounds were the least of their problems.

Do you think they would flee at the sight of the enemy? Dreu asked Bayard.

Most likely. For your sake, let’s hope we don’t confirm our thoughts.

Dreu stood up for a stretch when the Duchess came out of her tent with her two bodyguards flanking her. Behind the bodyguards, Aleit and Isylte followed with grim expressions. The Duchess addressed everyone in a calm voice.

“I wish to thank all of you for what you have done. The last two days were trials we were not prepared for. Sadly, we still have not reached the capital. We are close but the demon patrols are numerous. As soon as we are discovered, we will be given our death sentence. To sneak past them with the large group we have here simply isn’t possible. As much as it pains me, I fear that we must split up to improve our odds of reaching the capital. I will take one group of our remaining forces while the other group will travel a separate route. This will be treacherous for both groups but I have faith in what we can achieve if we put our hearts to it. I hope we can all meet at the capital and I will treat everyone to a big feast..”

Following her short speech, the Duchess ordered Isylte to split her forces. With the exception of Sela, all of the other adventurers were grouped with Dreu and a dozen knights. The Duchess had her bodyguards, Aleit, Isylte, Sela and two dozen knights. Once the new groups were formed, the Duchess ordered everyone to have a proper meal and rest. For the following day, the groups would split up and head their separate ways.

I find it amusing that she left all the wounded and demoralized knights in our group, communicated Bayard.

We don’t get a say in this. Let’s just make the best of our situation.

Dreu gripped the handle of his new blade and sneaked glances at the adventurers. He vowed to protect them to the best of his abilities. They could complain about the Duchess when they had the luxury to. Following the instructions of the Duchess, everyone went to bed early as the Duchess’ illusion magic could afford them proper rest.

“They’re gone!”

Everyone jumped and turned to Gaenor for an explanation when she shouted in the middle of the night. When the ranger said nothing, they then looked around and saw no trace of the Duchess and her group. Only the adventurers, Dreu and the dozen knights remained in the makeshift camp.