The Sword

Night had fallen over the forest. The sky had faded into a dark blue, and eventually into the pitch black of the night. So far from home, the stars seemed to shine brighter, and I could still distinguish the shape of the trees in the sparkling nightsky. We walked back in silence. Miles away from the horse we had left behind. Alexander believed that the villagers would wait by it, and I was too tired and distraught to complain. The trees seemed to melt into each other, the longer we walked down the mountain. I tried to forget what had happened. My aching feet were a good distraction for the time-being.

Alexander was whistling a cheerfull tune in the meantime, which resembled the way the birds were singing.

"How can you be so cheerful?"

He looked down at me, a big grin on his face.

"We survived, what is there not to be cheerful about?"

I could think of plenty of things.

"Besides, you took a man down on your own, little Lady! I'm impressed."

Well, I certainly wasn't impressed with myself, but I found that the praise lifted my spirits, even for a little bit.

"I think you should hold on to that dagger, Ignis," he said, while reaching for a small pouch around his waist, "there are bad people out there."

I stopped dead in my tracks. He looked at me, confused, before handing me the pouch.

"It's better not to wear it in plain sight, however. Keep it around your waist, so you can quickly reach for it, if need be."

I nodded, thankful for his help.

When looking at my face, he sighed.

"You did what you had to do, Ignis. I wanted to show you the way your father's people live. So, if anyone is to blame for that man's death, it's me."

I grimly stared ahead, into the dark forest.

"It might be that my father is to blame for it then, not you."

When I didn't hear the sound of footsteps next to me, I halted to see the faint shape of Alexander in the darkness.

"Let's sleep here for the night. Those poor scoundrels are all long gone."

My heart started racing. Up until recently, I hadn't slept one night outside of my own home before. The bed in my tent had already been a very strange experience, but this was nothing in comparison to the idea of sleeping on the forestground with a stranger.

Although he was a stranger that had saved my life. Admittedly from a situation he himself had put me in.

"If it is me you are afraid of, you should know that not one sinful thought entered my mind last night."

I sighed, walking back towards him. I could hear the suffeling of leaves as he sat down against a tree.

"It is not you specifically. Too much has happened."

He sighed.

"I agree, even for my standards, the last two days have been busy."

He looked up at the stars and patted the ground next to him. I hestantly sat down on the forest ground. Out of a reflex, I checked the ground, fearful of making my fancy dress dirty. But I had no fancy dress. And I could't even see the ground properly enough.

"Tell me, Ignis, this was this the life you envisioned for yourself when you set foot into that carriage."

I snorted, then realised how uncouth that was, only to be reminded of the fact that a bandit was sitting next to me.

"I had envisioned a beautiful working mansion, with other lovely young ladies I could call my friends."

I had never had a friend before.

"So you were lonely."

I blushed, and kept looking ahead into the night. Despite the darkness, I could feel that Alexander's gaze was fixed on me.

"You could really be part of something here, Ignis," he said. His quiet, thoughtful voice blended with the the rustling of leaves of the forest and the soft screeching of an owl.

I laughed.

"Of what, a movement that wants to see my father burn?"

He sighed.

"You are the daughter of the most powerful count of the region. If you would stand with us, you could change Ferrus for the better."

I looked towards him, to see his silhouette only inches away from mine.

"You would no longer be a spoiled noble profitting from the poor without a care in the world. You would be the daughter that stood up against her father. And more importantly, you would show the people that nobles can change."

Normally, I would have shouted at him, belittled him or maybe even hit him. Tonight, I thought about the children working in the factory. I thought of Alexander's family's house.

And most importantly, about the possibility that this was my father's doing.

Instead of answering him, I fell asleep on the leaves.

*

When I woke up, the sun was shyly peeking over the clouds, creating a pale blue stain on the still dark sky. Alexander was standing in front of me, his arms folded together, staring into the distance.

By the time the sun had risen higher in the sky, I could see the path where I had been taken on that first frightful day when they had ambushed the coach. However, this time I felt a bit of excitement going there. Although I hadn't liked my tent very much, now it seemed like paradise compared to sleeping on the ground.

I even made an eager step forward, but as soon as I did it, Alexander's large arms tackled me to the ground, into the bushes on the side of the road. I wanted to scream at him, and even raised my hand to strike him. However, all my resistance ceased when I saw a large unknown man emerge from the entrance of Melchior's settlement. He was carriying a large sword, which, to my horrow, was covered in blood and other things that I didn't want to investigate any further. What caught my eye, however, was the blue, water-like ebroidery on his coat, portraying the river. It was what my father's soldiers wore. Had my father's soldiers come to rescue me?