The Seeress

Chapter Twenty Three

Harold almost forgot what it was like to eat salt crops back in Westhaven. It was not the tastiest food he had eaten, but it was home to him. The ones his mother usually cooked for him personally. Not it mattered to him, as soon as he ever remembered putting it into his mouth, his eyes awakened.

"You should always focus if you do not want to fall off your horse,"

Harold rubbed his eyes while steadying his horse. He half expected the advice to come from John. But he sounded too young.

"Is he always like this?" Erik asked as Edwin gave a light smirk.

"I wouldn't say that. He wasn't like this..." Edwin said, giving a quick glance to Harold as he stayed forward. Harold gave himself a light slap; he was daydreaming again. It was probably due to how restless he was at night. That cold, damp place that he was shanked to, was something he could not ward off his mind.

"Well, tell him he should stay awake if he wants to do his damned job," Erik replied briskly. But Harold knew he meant well.

The party had set out at dawn, but even after three hours, the road still looked mostly the same. John said that the path was much wider than the ones they were accustomed to. Which meant that they were on the road to the city. Even then, there was no guarantee. At least the snow had been dissipating for a while.

"I remember you said only one week left until we reach there," Harold said as he went to Erik's side. "When was that?"

"I wouldn't know," Erik said. "The days are becoming too similar with each other, I lost track,"

"Do not jest..."

"Perhaps four days ago? Can't be too sure," Erik said, as he kept his eye on the Seeress. She was terribly silent for so long. The only time she opened her mouth was either to eat or those murmurings again. It was quite sickening for Harold, but he did not want to bring it up mostly in fear of her. He still remembered the pyre.

"Is it just me?" Edwin said. "Or is it that the ground is becoming livelier?"

Harold looked at it, thinking that Edwin was once again talking nonsense. But there was grass, small leaves laying about. Harold rubbed his eyes to see if they were real leaves.

"Erik..., does that mean..."

"Yes my friend," Erik said as they looked at the horizon. The seemingly small wooden and stone buildings that are at the distance are strapped onto the long, winding body of water.

"The Klarelva," Agnetha muttered under her breath. Harold was happy, to finally see so much water after being stripped of it for so long. Of course, the ground was livelier. He could drink the whole river if he wanted to. But Harold quickly put those thoughts to rest, knowing that they were wanted, men. And that town was full of guards, they reckon.

"Are you alright?"

Erik turned to Agnetha as she tilted her head down.

Harold made it clear that it would be hard to enter any town at all. While they were sure that identifying one out of thousands of people would be terribly hard, they didn't lax themselves as they knew there were many out there. Possibly more people like Alfred to be hunting them down for some piles of coins.

"This way," Erik said as he looked around. He claimed that he knew several boatmen that could transport them there. Their destination felt very close, no doubt the end of this journey was in sight for the mercenaries. But the city of Klarelva was packed with various people, be it, merchants, farmers coming to the city to sell off additional food, or merely priests. Much more so than Jernby.