Groaning, Sylvia turned onto her side. “I already miss my bed.”

Afi huffed a laugh. “I thought you liked being on the road.”

“I guess I have gotten used to being in Fristad by now. I suppose it feels like home now.”

“I know what you mean”, Afi concurred. Getting up, he pulled his trousers on and rubbed his eyes. Sylvia smiled at him from across the tent. Frowning, Afi asked, “What?”

“I could ask you the same. I sense that you are happy this morning.”

Afi shrugged a little. “I suppose I am glad to be travelling again.”

“Why is that? I thought you missed the inn as well?”

After pulling his tunic over his head, Afi hummed thoughtfully. “I feel more free on the road. In Safeharbour there are a lot of rules, and in the house where I lived there were more rules still. On the road, everything was more lax. As long as you stayed with the pack, you could do whatever you wanted. Sleep long. Drink. Play dice. With Fri it is different, of course, but I guess I suffer from nostalgia.”

“Whatever you want, hm? Wolves have no guard duty?”, Sylvia nitpicked.

“Not for me”, Afi said.

Sylvia nodded in realisation. “Because of Björn.”

A shiver of discomfort ran through the tent. Afi did not bother to give a verbal confirmation.

Yawning, Sylvia sat up. “I for one would love to be back in the city, with a proper bed to sleep in and books at my disposal. Besides, I will hardly have the opportunity to practice out here. I was just getting the hang of that light enchantment.”

“But you are happy as well”, Afi prodded.

“I do like seeing the land”, Sylvia admitted. “Besides, the sooner we reach Storhjärd, the sooner I can explore the archives.”

“You think they will be intact?”

“There is always hope”, Sylvia smiled.

After pulling her clothes on, Sylvia rolled up her bed and carried the roll out of the tent. She reached up and tied the bedroll to Natta’s saddle. It felt good to be able to do these things on her own again. She had recovered from starvation quite nicely, far better than she would have anticipated. She sent a silent thanks to her parents for always putting at least some food on her plate. Lost in thought, Sylvia jerked when a hand landed on her shoulder.

“Good morning”, Thorun greeted.

“Thorun. Good morning.”

Thorun ruffled through Natta’s mane and leaned in. “You are close to Theodorus, right?”

Sylvia nodded.

“I want you to keep an eye on him.”

“Okay. Why?”, Sylvia asked.

“I want you to figure out what he is up to. Preferably before we reach the capital.”

“Up to?”, Sylvia repeated.

“Oskar may trust him, but I do not. I cannot begin to put trust in a man who keeps an escape under his tongue. Besides, there is something shifty about him. He fights well, but I am telling you, he is hiding something, and I am not just talking about his face. His knowledge is sporadic and none of his stories add up.”

“I have noticed”, Sylvia agreed.

“If he is going to advise my future husband, I want to know exactly where his loyalties lie. I need to know what drives him. What is his goal? What does he value? What affects him?”

Sylvia kept her expression carefully blank and nodded again. “I will see what I can find out.”

Thorun patted her on the arm before leaving.

“What was that about?”, Afi wondered.

“Do not ask”, Sylvia sighed.

She knew all too well that Theodorus was an elusive individual. Despite having spent a considerable amount of time with him over the winter, she had no idea where exactly he came from or what his story was. She had a suspicion, but she sure hoped that she was wrong.

Shortly after breakfast, the caravan set into motion again. Spirits were high. It was the second day on the road and exhaustion had yet to creep up on any of them. Yri kept shifting between different sections of the troop as usual, joking and teasing. Aimo was telling stories to amuse whoever rode close enough to hear. Deprived of any reading material, Sylvia listened with eager ears.

Theodorus came to their side as well. He pulled his face guard down, revealing a broad smile. “Mind if I ride with you?”

Afi shot him a glare, but said nothing.

“Do what you want”, Sylvia shrugged.

She looked over at Theodorus. While she doubted that he had any nefarious plans, she had plenty of questions of her own. Just what was he hiding under that mask, and why? What was the truth among his many tales? His clothes were like nothing she had ever seen before, and despite his quick and nimble movements during battle, he rode a horse that was the exact opposite of him, strong and compact.

“What is her name?”, Sylvia asked.

“Maher.”

Steering Natta closer, Sylvia held out a hand to the brown horse and it inspected her for treats.

“Now you are just teasing”, Theodorus chuckled.

“You spoil her, do you not?”, Sylvia quipped back.

“I do like to spoil—” Theodorus suddenly went quiet, staring into the distance. His focus had left the caravan entirely.

“What do you see?”, Sylvia asked.

Theodorus spurred his horse on to fall into step with Oskar and the others. “Ambush ahead”, he warned.

Thorun threw her hand up to signal halt and the caravan stopped. Everyone looked around, curios what had caused the delay. Those in the front saw the way their leaders eyed the woods, and those behind them saw their glances in turn. Worry quickly spread though the ranks. A deafening silence shrouded them. Only a slight shifting of hooves, a clink of metal here and there, and the banners fluttering in the wind were audible on the road. Not a single bird could be heard from the woods. It was too quiet.

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“He is right”, Thorun determined.

As soon as the words had left her mouth, an arrow soared from between the evergreen and caught her. Her horse jerked back in surprise and she fell to the ground. A volley of arrows followed, and a myriad of Wolves spilled onto the road ahead of them. The soldiers pulled their weapons. Yri raised her axe high.

“Watch out!”, Theodorus called. He yanked Maher’s reins and bumped into Yri’s horse.

Another perfectly aimed arrow soared through the air. Instead of finding Yri’s head, it met Theodorus’s chest. It struck his armour and fell to the ground.

Yri nodded her thanks.

“Get back”, Theodorus urged.

Before Yri could ask why, a bolt hit Theodorus in the stomach and he nearly toppled off his horse. One hand still clutched around the reins, he held on. He tugged the bolt back out and spurred Maher on toward the woods. Maher plowed straight through the bushes. Yri peered into the shadows, and her eyes widened. Among the thicket, a repeating crossbow cart stood stationed. Five men were busy turning it toward the caravan.

“Retreat!”

Sylvia tugged at Natta’s reins, bringing the steed about. She rode tantivy back along the road. The soldiers around her did the same. Aimo released a horse from his wagon and clung on while it carried him along with the fleeing masses.

Kvist moved her horse in front of Thorun and jumped down from its back. Standing before her liege, she brandished her sword. Thorun pressed down on her wound, curling her fingers around the arrowhead lodged in her throat. Yri met her eyes and saw the raw fear in her soul. She choked and blood ran from her mouth. She disappeared from view among a sea of Wolves. Clenching her jaw, Yri turned her head away and spurred her horse on further.

The rattle of the crossbow cart echoed along the road like the roar of a mighty beast. Sylvia hid her face against Natta’s neck. She could still see the road blur under the black hooves, and noticed soldiers falling beside her. She clung on to the reins and prayed to the god in her pocket to keep her alive.

In the clearing where they had made camp last night, Oskar’s caravan regrouped. The wagoners, cooks, and Sylvia gathered in the centre, while the soldiers assumed a defensive circular formation. Oskar and Tone were urged further into the centre by Una and Ida. Yri arrived in the clearing moments later with Kaija and Bothilder at her heel.

“What do we do?”, Oskar asked hurriedly.

Yri swept her gaze over the remaining force. There was no time for a headcount, but it was clear the damage had been substantial.

“We do not know how many Wolves there are”, Bothilder urged.

“Afi?!”, Yri called.

Afi shook his head. “I have no idea.”

Theodorus emerged from the woods at a gallop. Both he and Maher were covered in blood. “We have to move”, he said.

“How many are they?”, Oskar prompted.

“More than us now. I took out the cart, but we do not have the time to regroup properly before they are on top of us again.”

Yri cursed to herself and then whistled sharply, getting everyone’s attention. “Ride on! Get back to Fristad and close the gates! Do not take chances! Do not stop riding for any reason! Go!”

Everyone hurried to follow the command. Heads low, they galloped toward Fristad. Sylvia’s back ached, but she pushed on. Before long, she ended up at the tail of the group. Spurring Natta on again, she gritted her teeth. Another rider was loosing momentum, though. Theodorus was falling behind.

Sylvia eased Natta back, coming to his side. “Hurry! You are going to loose the group”, she urged.

“I know”, Theodorus grumbled.

“Are you alright?”

“Great”, Theodorus winced.

Sylvia kept riding alongside him, dictating a faster pace for his horse. It was just enough to keep up, but Theodorus’s posture deteriorated over time. Sylvia nudged him a few times to get him to focus on the road, but in the end he slid sideways off Maher’s back. He hit the ground with a dull thud. Sylvia stopped Natta at once and dismounted.

“Sylvia!”, Afi called in alarm.

Sylvia crouched down beside Theodorus and held a hand over his nose. He was still breathing at least.

“Sylvia, we have to go!”, Afi urged.

Sylvia shot him a stern glare. “He is still alive.”

“And what do you propose we do?!”

“Help me sling him over the horse.”

“He will fall and break his neck”, Afi protested.

“I will hold him”, Sylvia said.

“He will not make it. He is bleeding from his stomach. If you jostle him around like that all day, he will die either way.”

“Then what do you propose we do?”, Sylvia demanded.

“He cannot ride like that. You cannot take him back.”

“We are not leaving him”, Sylvia stated unequivocally.

Afi opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it again. He looked after the retreating group. They were out of view already. “We have to get off the road”, he concluded.

They slung Theodorus over the back of his horse for the time being and retreated into the woods on foot. Sylvia kept a close eye on the unconscious man, making sure he would not fall. Blood seeped from under his clothes and Sylvia slowed them down even more to prevent further damage. They wandered a good hour from the road in the hopes of finding safety. Between a few thicker bushes, they finally stopped. Afi carefully heaved Theodorus down and lay him on the ground. He had lost a lot of blood during the unkind transport. The entire saddle was smeared with it. Afi attended the horses while Sylvia tended to the injured man.

Peeling the tight clothes off his upper body, Sylvia saw that even his reinforced leather armour had been pierced. She untied it and freed his chest and stomach. The wound ran deep into his gut. A bolt, she guessed, pulled out again for some arcane reason. He ought to know better. It was a wonder he was still alive. Bringing out stonemoss, sap, and silverwood leaf, Sylvia got to work. She placed the silverwood leaf over the open wound, pressing it firmly into place before sealing it to the skin with sap. Then, she layered stonemoss onto it, before wrapping his clothes around the bundle. She placed a hand on Theodorus’s neck and felt for his pulse. She could feel the sweat slowly drying on his skin. He was even colder than usual and his pulse was weak. She wrapped him in a blanket and exhaled hard.

“What do you think?”, Afi wondered.

“I think there is a chance, but only if we do not move him any more.”

“And you are of course planning to stay with him”, Afi added.

“And?”, Sylvia challenged.

“And it is dangerous. We should not be here.”

“Afi—”, Sylvia began sternly, but he shook his head.

“I do not like it, but you are my liege and I will do as you say.”

“You do not have to stay”, Sylvia offered.

“Yes, I do”, Afi refuted. He took a seat beside her and crossed his arms over his chest. “I am your shield and I will protect you, if it is the last thing I do.”

Sylvia felt the warmth of his care again, resting on her shoulder like the hand of a parent. “Thank you.”

Afi looked down at the unconscious man. “What do you see in him anyway? I know you had him, but why are you risking your life?”

“I feel him”, Sylvia answered.

“You love him”, Afi concluded.

Sylvia shook her head. “No, it is different. My soul is pulled to him, but not with longing. In fact, it is more like he is not even there, even skin to skin. Yet he draws my attention, the way a fly is drawn to light. I feel his attention as well. I can sense him even though we have no bond.” She looked up at Afi. “You have not noticed it?”

“I guess I have found him to be rather evasive. If anything, it is like he can avoid my attention at will. Which is creepy, I might add.”

Sylvia looked down at Theodorus's unconscious form. She placed a hand over his mask, but hesitated. Curiosity burned in her, but she had a feeling he would know if she peeked, and he would not take kindly to it. Maybe he had a good reason for hiding. Maybe it was dangerous, like in the stories. Could she loose herself if she looked? She was dangerously willing to find out.

“Do you think it is magic?”, Afi asked.

Removing her hand, Sylvia nodded. “It has to be, right?”

“So it is morbid curiosity? That is why you are risking your life for him?”

Sylvia shook her head. “Not only. He is a good man. He is kind.”

Afi gave the ominous ghost of a man a sceptical look. “Is he?”

“He is. He cares a lot about people, even if he does not always know how to relate to them.” Sylvia paused before adding, “And he is lonely. We have that in common.”

“You feel lonely? Even now?”, Afi asked. He was surprised. Or perhaps he was more sad than surprised.

“I always do. I did even before”, Sylvia shrugged. “It is not about having people around you. How do I explain it? It is how many people really see you.”

“I see you”, Afi said.

“Afi. I know, and I thank you for it. I do feel a lot less lonely with you in my life, but, and do not take this the wrong way, that is not enough.”

“You are more than enough for me”, Afi offered softly.

“I am glad”, Sylvia replied. She scooted closer and gave Afi a tight hug. “Afi. You are family to me.”

“As you are to me”, Afi smiled.

Pressing her forehead against his, Sylvia closed her eyes. She allowed her soul to connect to his, to share their experience of this moment fully. She had hoped for a brief respite, a sharing of care and safety. What she found was mostly worry. It was most unwelcome when she was already battling with her own. She inhaled deeply and got to her feet. “I will look around for something to eat. Keep an eye on Theo.”

“Do not stray too far. Call if you need me. Be safe”, Afi urged.

“I will. Do not worry.”