The Path of the Doomed

Chapter 2: Fiern

The ride to Fiern was a struggle with the heavy rain pouring. It will be a cold camp tonight but it is still preferable than spending a night in one of Alkas' taverns. 

After climbing a small rock incline, the trees from a forest came into sight. I followed a familiar trail and headed towards the bottom of a cliff. There is a shallow cave there where I had stayed for a night a few weeks ago when I was on a mission to execute a deserter. 

I hid the entrance with the vines from the trees that surrounded it. I am only hoping that no one has discovered it yet. Finally reaching my destination for the night, I unmounted my horse and pulled him towards the entrance where the trees were big and thick. 

I tied his rope to a tree and started walking towards the entrance. The vines had grown and some were now attached to the cliff. I'm relieved that the place is still clean and as it used to when I had left it. The ground there is slightly inclined so it never flooded inside. 

I took off my soaked cloak and started to make a fire. A few leftover branches are still inside so I have no need to gather for dry ones. With the fire ready, I retrieved my journal from my canvas bag. I've had this since I was still at the orphanage but the writings only started when I left to set out for my revenge which was about 7 years ago, when I was only 12. 

I opened it to where my newest information on Ion Dalgord was. The man who murdered my family. He was one of the commanders of Albione's army but he had committed crimes against his kingdom. He, along with 7 of his soldiers had intentionally killed civilians who refuse to do their bidding, stole from them and even raped women. 

After their crimes were exposed, they deserted and abandoned their duties but not before stopping by and killing my whole family after my father had refused his demands on providing him weapons. My father was the greatest blacksmith in Albione and he had been killed for refusing a criminal. 

For 7 years, I hunted Ion's soldiers. During those years I also found out that he had more than 7 underlings. Only him and 7 deserted but there were more. Nonetheless, I had successfully killed them all but their head is still alive and crawling somewhere I cannot reach under normal circumstances. Rumor has it that he is now allied with Tulgar, exposing information he had with Albione. 

My informer had given me a clue to solid information this time. If I confirm his latest movements and whereabouts, then I will use Albione and Tulgar's feud to get to him. One might think this is pointless if he is actually already dead but I just know he is not. He is still alive. I am certain of it. He cannot die until I've killed him myself. 

As I write down in my journal, I noticed that the rain had let up and the moonlight is now slightly peeking inside the cave through the vines. I opened it and welcomed the now cold and calm air. Only then I remembered that I had bought 6 strips of meat and a piece of bread in a small village just outside of Alkas.

Cutting my dark train of thoughts, I decided to fill my stomach. As the cold wind gently blew, swaying the fire as I ate, I heard my mother's voice whisper in my ear.

"You mustn't starve yourself, Hestia. If you are hungry, you eat. If you do not have food, go to the forest, you'll find plenty. Our strength is the only thing we mustn't betray, because in this world, we will always need it." 

I smiled as I recalled the day she told me that. It was the day when I had refused to eat because they would not allow me to play by the river. It was my favorite place. It had rained for days so the river's flow was strong and carried many logs and branches.

"I am eating well, mother. It is not much but I never sleep hungry." I whispered in the wind hoping it would somehow reach her in the heavens. 

Thinking about my mother, my thoughts landed on the queen and the prince. The prince. I have never seen him. I never stay in Alkas for long. The king, however, I have seen a few times. When I was brought to the palace for my judgement, he was the one who opposed my imprisonment because I was only 14 then. He looked kind and strong.