The secret of the Moondrop

Chapter 17: Fighting

Cassandra's POV:

She ordered Fidella to stop.
Pascal had just made a squeaky sound, jumping from the head of my horse and sticking his tongue on a stone arc at the beginning of the forest.
Cassandra squinted her eyes, trying to see through the dark shadows of the trees, deciding whether it would be wiser to leave the horses there.
She said something about a stone arc and a well with a hole. Thats what Rapunzel had told her, which meant they where going the right way. The full moon had already placed itself in the sky, it was probably the best moment to strike.
"I think we should go on foot from here" interrupted Adira.
Cassandra nodded slightly, jumping down from the horse and patting Fidella gratefully.
She then put her fingers in her mouth and let go an ear piercing whistle, at which his loyal pet Owl came descending almost immediately.
"Go and call for reinforcements, we have reached our destination and will be proceeding to retrieve our target" she said. Owl took off, extending its wings and disappeared in the sky.
Cassandra turned around and looked at the people accompanying her, most of them wearing determined looks on their faces. Specially Eugene, who had remained oddly silent during the whole ride.
Adira took her dark sword from behind her back and gripped it with a fierce look in her eyes.
As for the two guards accompanying them, Stan and Pete, well, Cassandra hoped they would fight better than try to intimidate. With their shaky knees and dubious glances, she doubted Gothel would see them as any threaten.
Don't panic, she told herself, the king will come with reinforcements.
Cassandra cleared her throat, dropping her gaze on each and every person standing in front of her. She recalled something his father had once said: A motivational speech right before a battle should be enough to boost your soldiers confidence, always remember that.
"We are about to enter Gothel's hideout. I'll be honest with you, there's no telling what will await us there. Gothel is a powerful sorceress who also appears to be inmortal. Moreover, she has Varian, the moondrop, and by the placement of the full moon in the sky there's a big chance he's been healed at the moment I'm speaking, which would also mean the total destruction of Corona, so... try not to die"
Okay, she had never been very good at being optimistic, that was more Rapunzel's thang.
In fact, her speech seemed to have the opposite effect that she intended it.
Stan and Pete shook from head to toe, even Adira seemed nervous.
Eugene gulped.
She sighed.
Who am I kidding? she thought, we're doomed.

Lady Caine's POV:

What the hell was she thinking?
Making a deal with a witch?
Ugh. It had been her worst decision since the attack to the royal family.
It was true that it also had its advantages.
Lady Caine had finally gotten her revenge on Rapunzel, shoving her in a stinky prison like the one she had lived in for months.
Plus, she was now out of prison, free to do whatever she wanted...
Except that last part wasn't true.
She detested the feeling, that she was being used by Gothel, that she was just another minion.
Lady Caine didn't like it when people bossed her around, specially that ghost of a witch who couldn't move on even in her death.
But the worst part, was having to wait in that stupid cave, staring at a wall that reminded her of prison.
Lady Caine scowled.
And to be honest, she was starting to get bored to be stuck with the only two members left of her gang. Even Andrew had abandoned her.
"Don't you worry, sweetheart" came a very known voice in her head.
Her scowl deepened, crossing her legs and trying to act confident.
"Do you really have to do that?" she asked out loud, earning confused glances from the two men.
"Now, now, they will think you're crazy" Gothel giggled.
Lady Caine scoffed, glaring at her thugs.
"Just, what are you lookin at?" She said, her voice cold and menacing.
The two men looked away, slightly frightened.
The thief woman smirked, it was nice to know she still had that effect on people.
"I've got a job for you and your friends" Gothel whispered in a sly voice.
Lady Caine raised a brow.
For starters, they weren't her friends. But whatever.
"We have a few visitors waiting at our door..."
Lady Caine felt a cold grip in her shoulder, it was hard for her not to flinch.
"Your mission will be to delay them until the process is finished, did I make myself clear?"
She nodded, taking a dagger from her belt and looking to her own reflection, a small smile creeping to her face.
It had been so long since she had fought a decent enemy.
"Boys, looks like we have a job to do"