Kingdom of Runes

Chapter 7

Their trek through the plains was a lot slower now that some were walking on foot rather than horseback. As Wolf guided the two injured ones, she was quick to notice their already slow pace to begin slowing even more now. Out of the corner of her eye, she could've sworn that she saw one of them beginning to limp.

Looking up at the sky, Wolf noticed the sun beginning to set. It would only be a matter of time until it became completely dark.

"We really need to find a stopping point so these wounds can be properly looked at."

"We just need to find some type of cover so we're not ambushed in the middle of the night." Green said as he scanned the area ahead. Of course they're probably wouldn't be much until they were at least nearing the end of the plains. But still, anything was better than just being completely exposed out in the open.

Much to their relief and luck, there was a large rock appearing in the distance. Not perfect but better than nothing. Green pointed to it.

"We can rest there."

Once they had made their way behind the large rock, the two injured horses laid down. Wolf grabs the bandages that were packed and begins to dress their injuries. As everyone else began to settle down for the night, Red sat next to her.

"Do you think they're doing okay?" he asked.

"They say they are but it's best not to push them any more than we have to." Wolf said as she focused on tending to the last injury. "We don't want these cuts to get worse."

Red, seeing the concern his friend had, reached over and gently grasped her hand. Giving it a light squeeze. "If they themselves say that they're okay then we shouldn't worry too much. I'm sure they're glad to have you around."

It was only when he said that Wolf looked up at him. "You really think so?"

"Yeah. You're the only one here that can easily understand them. I'm sure that gives them a lot of comfort. And they'll heal faster when they're not stressed."

Wolf nodded a little more at ease with Red's reassurance. She glanced down at her hand to see that it was still in his grasp. Glancing back up at his face she noticed his usual bright smile aimed at her. Despite the sudden warmth rising to her cheeks, Wolf didn't make any attempt to move her hand away. For a brief moment, she thought about giving his hand a little squeeze back but the thought was interrupted when Green spoke up.

"Okay, I guess some of us can sleep in the carriage with Zelda and Margot while the rest of us sleep outside. Shadow, you take the first shift for nightwatch."

"If it starts raining then we'll all just have to fit ourselves into the carriage," Zelda added. "I refuse to have anyone sleep out here in bad weather."

"It wouldn't be a very comfortable sleep with nine of us crammed in there." Ghost stated.

"It's better than risking someone getting sick."

As their surroundings got darker, the group began settling down for bed. Much to her friends' insistence, Zelda stepped into the carriage to rest. With no other way to make a campfire, Red simply summoned a flame with his Fire Rod. Much to the relief of his brothers, he had perfect control of the flames so the fire wouldn't spread anywhere.

Margot sat near the fire and pulled out her journal as those around her went to sleep for the night. For his shift, Shadow got on top of the carriage to keep a better lookout. Red and Wolf slept near the injured horses that had curled up around them. Ghost slept near one of the healthier horses closer to the carriage, where Green and Blue decided to rest at in order to keep Zelda as guarded as they could.

Margot let out a sigh of relief as she began to write.

"I've decided rather than just writing about the places I've seen, I'll also write about the what I see along the way. Today we began traversing through the plains but unfortunately we ran into a bit of trouble and weren't able to make it all the way through before it got dark. As I'm writing this, we're currently resting behind a large rock Sir Green had spotted. I'm sure that we'll make it to the port town at some point tomorrow. But seeing the knights fight off those bandits that tried to rob us... I can't help but wonder if I'll ever have the means to travel around on my own. I don't know what would've happened if I had to deal with those bandits by myself. Would there even be enough time for me to learn how to properly defend myself? I'm not so sure."

Vio's voice snapped Margot out of her thoughts.

"Those are some impressive pictures you've taken."

"Oh, Sir Vio. You're not tired?"

Vio shrugged. "Not at the moment."

Margot considered something briefly before speaking up once more. "Would you like to see the other pictures I've taken so far?"

"If you're willing to share them."

As the knight sat next to her, Margot flipped through the pages of her journal she already filled out, also sharing the little passages she wrote about each photo.

"Even though we've just started, you seem to be enjoying this little journey." Vio noted.

"Yes, I am. But..." Margot trailed off as the events from today replayed in her mind. When all she could do was hide while everyone else risked their safety to quell the threat. "I don't have the strength and skill that you and everyone else has. I doubt I'd be able to protect myself if I was to run into any danger when I'm alone."

"You shouldn't limit yourself to future possibilities. There's always a chance you'll find something within yourself to stop your worries."

"You sound so certain of that."

Not that she didn't want to believe that. If there was a way around this, Margot would definitely at least try. But to easily fend off threats would take years of training. Was it already too late for her to start learning self-defense?

"Even a small journey has the potential to change someone." Vio said. "If it's for better or worse... that depends on the person in question."

It was then that a small smile formed on Margot's face. A small glimmer of cautious hope bloomed in her chest.

Suddenly a pebble flew and hit Vio on his shoulder. He sighed then turned to glare at the one responsible.

"Was that really necessary?"

Shadow shrugged. "I was bored."

"One of these days, all your little pranks are going to bite you in the ass."

Shadow gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his heart. "Using such foul language around a noble lady! Where are your manners, Sir Vio!?"

'I swear to the Goddesses I'm gonna kill him one of these days.'

Margot couldn't stop the small fit of giggles from escaping her. "I suppose there's never a dull moment when you have four brothers around."

Vio sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You have no idea."

Margot smiled more as she closed her journal. 'It must be nice having siblings.'

She wished the two boys a good night before stepping into the carriage. Perhaps now, sleep would come easily for her.