Falkner and Nyssa stood at the woman's table. the only thing left in her home besides food. she must have been a wealthy merchant

“tell us what happened” Nyssa said with no nonsense

“my son just thirteen went to check on the goats and when he didn’t come back three men came in and stole everything I tried to fight but one of the thugs held me down”

“Did they say anything?” Nyssa said with her finger on her chin

“Yes, the one who held me said don’t worry your son will be taken care of” she said then started to cry again “what is your name?” she looked up from the table

“Clarisse”

“Clarisse we will see these thugs brought to justice and find your son Charles” Nyssa said giving her a hug then left we to hunt them with Nyssa following behind he put on his behemoth armor

“there's still some daylight to catch up”

“how are we going to find them?” Falkner asked he stopped mid putting on my breastplate

“there two days gone”

“but at least we have a direction”

“they could have chance that by now”

“This is pointless, we have to try unless you're willing to give up,” Nyssa said he responded by putting on his armor after everything was in order. They rode out of town heading east the road quickly turned to little more than a dirt trail through the woods except there were no woods. seems like a place for lowlifes to use at least there's not a lot of snow on it and the footprints there were the only ones so they followed them the sun set

“We need to make camp” Falkner said

“No we need to catch up and our moas aren't too tired yet can’t you make us a lantern or something?” I guess I’ve never actually used it like a source of light but it should be possible a ball of flame hovered over his hand giving enough light to see the ground. As they rode through the night they stopped after a few hours to let the moas rest and a late dinner of bread and dried meat yum. I miss my comforts my bath, my good food, and my bed. it was all the height of luxury. but now I’m freezing the road food is bad and I’m sleeping on the hard ground

“Do you miss home?” Falkner asked “of course I do” Nyssa said

“I miss my friends and family and all I got is you” Nyssa continued Falkner ignored her surveying the footprints

“Is everything a joke to you?”

“of course not silly” she is so infuriating she sounds like a child just focus on the footprints there seems to be about a dozen maybe more but I’m not an expert

“Nyssa, do you know about tracking?”

“a little why?”

“because I don’t know what I’m doing” Nyssa sighed as she took the lead with me providing light we slowly followed before we had to stop “I’m exhausted we need to head back to camp”

”Alright,” Nyssa agreed, not sounding tired at all. They set up their tents. Falkner and Nyssa begin taking off their armor and fell asleep immediately in his tent as Nyssa took her watch outside.

After days of following the tracks Falkner and Nyssa rode slowly with luck we will catch up with them within a few days.

On and on they rode when they changed direction south east we followed them into the woods of Pine trees Following the footprints wasn't too difficult even Falkner could follow them with how fresh they were we must be only a day behind our moas was having a difficult time with these windy trails. their hideout must be in the middle of these woods. The sun did little to warm him so he held fire in his hand even during the day but he can’t do it forever. So he had long breaks. These footprints are the only good thing winter has to offer.

They stumbled upon their camp in a small clearing. he tried to turn around before they saw them after dismounting and putting on his helmet the steel cold in his hand reflecting the pale light Nyssa did the same they carefully looked at their camp the boy tied to a tree indicated this was the right place there where about eighteen men and women. rescuing the boy is going to be difficult.

“will wait till nightfall to strike” Falkner whispered Nyssa nodded in agreement it was painful waiting for nightfall Nyssa grew restless and was being a pain nagging about why they should strike now and other foolish things when night arrived and the thugs began to fall asleep but three guards were set and not close together great there’s one more than us. so we need to somehow kill one of them without alerting the other two

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“I’ll kill the nearest one you what towards the one on the right then we kill them both”

“good plan except I should be the one to kill the one in front of us”

“don’t argue for once remember the boys life depends on us” Falkner said growing frustrated finally Nyssa carefully crept into place he threw a pebble onto a rock hoping he would come closer to me sword drawn he began to see what was the noise was but he wasn't tense he threw another pebble a little farther than the first one he came within reach his back towards him Falkner sprang covering his mouth and slitting his throat with his sword before dragging him closer towards the woods satisfied he got his kite shield before creeping towards the one closest to the tied up boy closer and closer Nyssa must be in place until they strike as one rushing forward swinging for the exposed throat Falkner missed and hit her collarbone and she gave off a yell before he could finish her off.

the other’s began to stir, plunging his sword into the snow and began to light the camp ablaze. ice could be seen as Nyssa joined the fray. The camp cried in alarm as they saw two godlings attacking them. rushing for their weapons. his flames began to die out with a curse I used too much lighting our path coming here. two men rusted forward. raising his shield while grabbing his sword deflecting a blow to the head and his shield blocked a spear to the chest. This is bad. We need to grab the boy and go trying to maneuver towards him. One of the men got too close, swung his ax and got on his shoulder but bounced off. stabbing his exposed shoulder and slashing his gut open others were coming out of their shock rolling to put out the flames then grabbed weapons soon they would be overrun. dodging a spear thrust, dropping his sword and throwing fire all around him all I have left to keep them at bay cutting the boys' ropes

“run!” Falkner yelled as they began flanking me. great. sword in hand he backed away towards the moas hacking and blocking arrows hit his breastplate lodged in it an inch deep a spear thrust went into his armpit where the armor was weak Falkner sprinted while blood gushing out and he had to hold his arm pit to slow the bleeding as much as possible. Nyssa threw icicles hitting several men the boy reached the moas first when he was strike by an arrow in the knee cap causing him to stumble and cry out in pain dragging him to the pack moa helping him up and getting on himself Nyssa came running her thigh bleeding and her side jumped on Stormbreaker as they galloped away an arrow hit Falkner in the heel I’ll worry about that later. riding out of the pine woods all the while being chased and bleeding hot blood ran down his side that's going to be a problem Falkner thought on the edge of hysteria.

They stopped as soon as possible. to treat their wounds first the boy Nyssa got out the healing pack and broke off the shaft as close to the knee as possible she broke it then pulled it out from behind and he let out a cry of pain

“are stuff is in flames” he muttered but Falkner didn’t care he was so tired I feel like I’m gonna faint Nyssa help Falkner take off his armor taking off the shoulder first as blood gushed out of his armpit Nyssa didn’t hesitate to sew it up wincing at the pain when she was done she took off his right boot and broke off the arrow then pulled it free from his foot it’s so painful Falkner thought as he screamed in agony as she worked when she was finished

Nyssa collapsed and he immediately hurried to sew her side up. Good thing she took off her mail shirt. She lay on the ground rock as he worked frantically.

He's much worse at sowing than her. It took longer than it should have, Nyssa's losing a lot of blood next her thigh when he was done lifting Nyssa to her feet barely and got Nyssa on Stormbreaker. The boy already was on with his injured leg limp. He will need to see a doctor for that.

Putting his cloak back on and mounting took several tries but finally he managed. I'm so tired kicking her in the ribs we need more distance trotting back to town we need sleep but there right behind us those thugs aren't going to be happy. I burned their loot. I didn't see moas but donkeys are not that much slower than an exhausted moa.

stopping for a quick rest. He was so tired that no one bothered to set up tents. We just rolled out blankets and went to bed. None of them could set a watch, they just had to hope to wake up in the morning.

In the morning Falkner awoke to soft crying poor boy. He lay there clutching his leg. behind him, donkeys were coming towards them. He bolted upright. Then cursed himself when spikes of pain shot up his arm. Those thugs are two hundred feet away!

“We're leaving now!” getting the moas and Nyssa up. she hurried to get the blankets and packed them no time for breakfast they saddled up with not much help from Charles

“Were doomed” Charles said in despair “not that it matters I’ll never run again” “don’t talk like that I didn't risk my life for you to give up now! Nyssa snapped

“we ride!” Falkner called kicking his moa into a gallop

“there right behind us!” Charles said in a panic trying to make his moa go faster

“don’t push her too hard!” Falkner scolded Charles and stopped trying to make her go faster. We need a cool head. Why didn’t we just go on our way? And to make sure Farmboy doesn't ruin the world they slowed to a trot to not tire them out with protests from Charles thinking they should run their moas into the ground breakfast was in the saddle

These guys don’t give up, they are fading away in the distance now we need to keep up this pace for a few more days.