Rumors Spreading Around Town

"Why you little–!!!" Struck by the thief's unwavering audacity, Chucks charged forth with his fist, aiming to knock the annoying thief out with a single punch, but to his thwarted bewilderment, the little thief dodged and weaved around his blows with ease, shockingly quick on her feet.

He grunted in awe when she effortlessly drew a distance, but his eyebrows furrowed in irritation when the thief stuck out her tongue at him, mocking him.

Chucks renewed his strike without delay, growing angrier and more reckless the more the thief evaded his attacks, and he knew none of her movements hinted at her being a novice—it felt as though he was fighting with someone who had trained and honed her skills to perfection.

"Stay still you little brat!" He cussed in rage.

Valda feinted to the left, and she quickly spun to the right when he aimed to grab her cloak. Luckily he missed, and Valda used her momentum to flip over Chuck's big head. She landed behind him, her small fist shooting at his neck and delivering a solid hit to his weak spot.

"Argh!" He grimaced from the pain.

Chucks stumbled forward, caught off guard by the move she just used. He turned around to face the unknown lady in a cloak, and his face turned red. Valda could almost see the smoke flaring from his nostrils, like a bull about to charge at a gray-riding hood.

"You're so fucking dead!" And he moved again, obviously done messing around. Valda wisely darted to the side and used her agility to quickly climb a nearby wall, evading his lethal blows, and when he turned to see where she had gone, Valda leapt off the wall, her legs spinning in a deadly scissor kick.

She targeted his chest, making him stumble back till he met the wall behind him. She didn't give him a minute to recover before taking to her heels, knowing she couldn't wait behind and risk getting her identity exposed.

"YOU BITCH! I'M COMING FOR YOU!' She could hear Chucks anger seeping through his raging voice, and she knew he was indeed going to come after her.

Valda bursted out through the pathway, feeling the sack bag she hung around her shoulder, and when she looked inside, the files were still intact. She continued to run as fast as her legs could carry her, heading for the market area where she was sure Chucks would lose sight of her, but without warning, her wrist was instantly grabbed, and a tiny yelp escaped her throat when someone pulled her into a corner.

Valda's lungs were already prepared to release a scream, but a palm against her mouth had seized it. Looking up with alarmed eyes, her pupils dilated in recognition after seeing who had grabbed her.

"It's me." He whispered. Watching the alarm in her gaze waver, he withdrew his palm from her lips.

"Nelson?" Valda blinked in awe, "what are you doing here?"

"Shhhh…" He silenced her with a finger to his lips. Valda stiffened against the wall when she noticed Chucks pass by, and he was muttering cuss words as he looked around the vicinity for her. She nervously looked up at Nelson who had her trapped to the wall, shielding her from being caught by Chucks, and she immediately lowered her gaze when he looked at her.

"Come with me." Firmly holding her wrist, Nelson took her deeper into the cornered buildings. Valda could only follow till he led her through, and they bursted out to the other side of the street. They both ran together now, going into the small forest that wasn't far from Scarborough, and they didn't stop until they made it to a small clearing where a clean stream flowed.

"Wait wait wait, I can't run further than this." Valda was currently catching her breath, hands on her knees. Her heart was racing from the little marathon, and when she recovered a bit, she regained her posture, staring at Nelson who was sitting on a rock beside the stream, and he was equally catching his breath.

"He won't find us here." Nelson assured the silver-haired woman who was presently busy scanning their environment.

"Remember? This used to be our fishing spot, not many people come here." He reminded her, and only then did Valda notice the familiarity of the place he brought her to.

She exhaled in relief before calming her overworked nerves. Feeling tired, she joined Nelson on the big rock where he sat, taking off the hoodie and revealing herself completely now that they were alone.

"What happened to you?" Nelson frowned in concern, his eyes raking the woman who ran her dainty fingers into her full hair.

"Did that man hurt you anywhere? What is seriously going on?"

"It's a… it's a complicated story." Valda breathed out. She avoided his questioning gaze and simply laid back on the rock to rest, the forest trees and leaves shielding her from the sunlight.

Nelson arched a confused eyebrow at that unsatisfactory response and pushed on.

"Last night I heard you were taken by the palace guards, and this morning there were posters of you everywhere. I honestly thought your uncle must have done something to you. Did he try to harm you?"

"No, Nel, he didn't do anything of that sort." she shook her head.

"Then how did you go missing? Do you know how scared I was when people told me the guards sent to bring you in were dead! I thought something terrible must have happened to you." Nelson poured out his concern, his worries evident in his brown eyes, but then the woman he was talking to suddenly stiffened at the news.

"The guards are dead?" Valda's eyes constricted in shock when he told her this information. She sat up immediately.

"What do you mean dead? How are they dead?"

"They were all struck with some kind of poisonous arrow, according to the news circulating, and only the coachman incharge of the carriage survived. Everyone thinks you killed them to get away, many rumors are spreading around town, and now, even the King is hell-bent on finding you."

"You mean prince Sebastian??"

"He's king now, isn't he?" He tsked at Valda's cluelessness before averting his gaze, but a deep line formed on his forehead, and he looked her way, suddenly puzzled. "Wait, how come you're not even aware of this?"

"That's because I was abducted!" Valda finally told him, "the carriage was ambushed on the way to the Palace, and the ones who abducted me were assassin's from the Ancesgon capital! I never killed anyone!" She defended herself, wondering how her problems suddenly got bigger.

"The Ancesgon capital?" Nelson's face paled drastically, and he whispered, "you mean the line between the borders were crossed last night?"

"Yes, I honestly thought I was going to die over there, but they let me go and now I'm left to deal with this problem!" Valda palmed her face with both her hands, her mind racing on what she could do next.

"I think it will be better if you meet with King Sebastian in private and explain things to him." Nelson suggested, "I heard he's a considerate man who listens to reasons, and I trust he'll believe you once you explain the situation."

"That won't work!" Valda dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand, "it's no different from handing myself to the Palace. I'll think of something, but I need a favor from you."

"What?"

Valda brought out the files from her sack bag and handed everything to him. "Can you go through this file for me? They're the house documents, and I don't want those families of three living inside it! Can you confirm for me who my father named his house to? I couldn't understand the words, so I was hoping you'd help me read them instead, if it isn't too much trouble. Let's meet here again tomorrow morning."

"Wait, where will you go?" Nelson grabbed her wrist the moment she stood up from the rock, "you should come with me. This may sound inappropriate but you can stay in my room for the meantime till we sort this out, my parents don't intrude at all."

"No, do you understand what can happen if we're caught together? You can get implicated." Valda shook her head and smiled appreciatively, "thank you for worrying about me, but I have no wish to drag you into my mess. I can take care of myself."

"But where will you stay?"

Valda smiled cheekily and brought out a pouch containing silver coins. "You honestly thought I'd leave that house without fishing for a little treat myself?"

"So you did steal."

"No." She defended, "this is so little compared to how much I've wasted on that family. I'll stay out of sight for the rest of today, and we will meet here tomorrow."

"Be safe, I'm serious right now."

"You too, Nel." And she left. Hopefully she finds an inn before twilight noon.

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