Chapter 7.2

A cool stream wound its way through the forest here. Deep enough for her feet, as well as a short stretch of her legs, to find space within it.

First, she cupped her hands together to quench her thirst with the fresh water. She didn't need to worry about her water containers; those were with Ero, and he would fill them with fresh water, which the horses eagerly accepted from this nourishing source.

Next, she shed her shirt and dress. Once again, her hands filled with clear water. Alina lifted them, then paused. The reflective surface threw back an image, not of the pretty girl with tanned skin that so many of the boys at her school pursued, but of the bounty hunter. A blood-stained angel, as many called her.

In thick droplets, the water sank through her fingers, which slowly opened, allowing the water to trickle back into the stream. What was she even thinking about such things for? It was her damn job, her duty to her father and to the students, that drove her. What else was left for her? She could never afford everything just by dancing alone. Just like her teaching didn't bring in enough money.

Even though many of the farmers thanked them, they had nothing with which to pay for their education. And Marno would never ask anything from them, especially not from those who possessed so little. He was not a villain.

Again, her slender hands sank into the water. The cool water not only washed the blood from her, but it also carried away her thoughts until everything was gone: her sadness and the pain over the many lives these hands had taken. Yet, it was she herself who walked this path. Her father liked seeing her talent not go to waste, and she helped others along the way. For fourteen years, the kings had not cared about robbers. Since the Amazon village fell back then, and they could pursue their passion again.

The war against each other and the expansion of their realms, regardless of how many people died on the battlefields or how the people screamed. Weaker than fourteen years ago.

After this cool cleansing, she put Ero's shirt back on. Lastly, she tore her dress into pieces, leaving her with just the skirt, which she tied around her waist with a knot. This shortened the length by a few fingers, but it would hold until they reached the school and her room.

Her gaze shifted to the sky. It was time. They had to move on. The sun would set in a few hours. By then, they needed to have found a place for their camp.