Savage confrère

The sun was beginning its first ascend when Mircea and her crewmates neighed their horses. Two days have passed since they started their journey for Gyyza.

Ruzzi Bay's weather is hot during the day and cold during the night, making it harder for them to adapt. If Mircea's assessment is correct, by the end of today, they would cross Ruzzi Bay and enter the frosty area of Gyyza.

Blending in with the savage crowd was not easy, but they have been training all their lives for these kinds of situations.

Mircea still does not know if the king has complied to aid her father and send his dear Witcher to a foreign land. It will be a real hassle if the Witcher does not agree to come with her.

"What are you brooding about?" Lilith is fast beside Mircea on her ebony horse.

"What if the Witcher refuses to aid father?" Mircea murmurs, frigid wind hitting her hidden face hard with numerous possibilities of what might happen if the Witcher says no to them. They are speeding through the deserted area of Ruzzi Bay.

No one travels from this route except merchants and hoodwinkers. Their main source of income is tricking those merchants.

"Then we have no choice but to abduct him." A third feminine voice comes from Mircea's right side. Mircea and Lilith both crane their necks to look at Cosmas.

"It is not that easy, Cosmas." Lilith groans.

"Yes, Lilith is right. Even if we abduct him and take him back to Slyve, he might refuse to use his powers at all." Mircea explains.

"But it is worth a try, isn't it?" Cosmas asks intently.

Mircea and Lilith are found wordless.

"Urban Waldwick is such a weird name." Cosmas continues after the long silence.

Mircea looks at Cosmas once again. She had never given it a thought. He or rather it was simply a Witcher to her, a solution to her problem.

To think he was a Witcher more or even a person was weird for her. Mircea breathes in deeply. She can think of him as a person when he saves her father from the death bed he is on right now.

"Yes, Urban seems… old and new at the same time," Lilith replies to Cosmas.

"Ah, it will be easy to abduct him if he is old." Cosmas snorts.

"Yes, and thin." Lilith chuckles.

"He is said to be the most powerful Witcher in medicines and herbs. He must be old. Only practised and skilled Witcher can be so valuable that Prince Pyron has sent Princess Mircea to bring him back." A squeaky male voice makes Lilith wince.

Of course, Chiron must prove he is the smartest.

"Mir, what do you think about the Witcher?" Lilith asks, ignoring Chiron.

"I think we should make haste if we want to avoid freezing tonight in Gyyza." Mircea whickers at her horse, who jumps in response before sprinting ahead of everyone.

***

The moon is hiding from the realm of five kingdoms tonight, making a place for the creatures of darkness to rise.

An eerie silence has blanketed the kingdom of Gyyza. But the crew is too tired to notice anything. Exhaustion is dripping from their body like cold sweat.

The dark bags under Mircea's eyes have deepened over the last two days. She blankly stares at the fire they had made. Her brain is shutting down, owing to the cold and darkness that surrounds her.

True to its words, Gyyza is a court of frost and magic.

The rotten smell of earth and woods linger in the air like the oxygen they breathe.

Mircea sniffs and curls up in her thick fur jacket. She does not want to sleep, but it is ringing loud in her head, asking her to submit herself to the relaxing darkness.

Slowly but surely, she closes her eyes and scoots closer to the fire, which is bedimming with every burning stick of the remaining wood.

A sharp gust of wind smothers the fire, Mircea jerks up in a panic. She looks around, her human eyesight not helping her much. She instantly scrambles around to search for their sags, hoping to find a lantern.

Again, a small squall rings through the trees, making Mircea sweat in fear. Athos wakes to see Mircea hurriedly going through their sags.

He sits straight "Your Highness, what is the matter?" He murmurs, scanning their almost black surrounding.

Mircea turns to glance at him. She knows he cannot see her but still brings her forefinger to her lips, telling him to keep quiet.

She finally finds the lantern, and it does not take long for her to light it up.

Athos is hissing in Orion's ear, "What is your problem?!" Orion shouts.

"Hush," Athos tries to hold Orion's mouth shut.

Mircea hisses at them both, now getting a better view thanks to the lantern. Cosmas, Lilith, and Chiron are still out in their subconscious murk.

Mircea can feel the presence of someone else in these woods. She is sure. She points at the three and instructs Athos to wake them up.

Orion lights up another lantern, hoping to help Mircea see whatever she feels is in this forest.

Everyone arms themselves with their weaponries. There is an eerie silence, with thick mist caused by the wintry weather.

"I do not think anything will possibly be here at this hour." Chiron snorts, feeling irritated that his precious sleep got disturbed.

Lilith glares at him, telling him to quit his unnecessary whining.

"Everyone stays together. The lack of light is our biggest disadvantage right now," Mircea warns everyone still studying the forest ahead of them.

A loud scream erupts from behind, causing the hair on Mircea's hand to stand straight. She turns around, afraid of the scream that erupted behind her.

Orion is lying on the ground with an arrow pierced deep in his left shoulder. Drops of fresh thick blood ooze from his wound.

Athos crawls at his side, ready to pluck the arrow out of his flesh. "No! Do not do it. It will only worsen things further." Cosmas runs at them.

"What do you think it is?" Lilith questions.

"They are fast and can see in the dark of night." Mircea voices her thoughts.

"A vampire? Or Maybe werewolf?" Athos glares at the wound on his best mate's shoulder.

"Yes, and it is still lurking in this forest, ready to hunt us one by one." Mircea draws her sword out, accompanied by Lilith.

"You are nothing but a coward, hiding in the shadows of trickery and deceit. Come out and fight us face to face." Mircea calmly takes position, ready to slice her enemy into two.

"Now, is that any way to greet your dearest corrival?" A voice comes out from the dark, and along with it, a shadow.

"He is not alone." Athos declares, looking at the group of four vampires that have circled them.