The Princess and The Bandit

SIX

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"Tell me yours, I'll tell you mine,"

The girl on horseback replied.

Dinah doesn't do well being indebted to anyone. She's used to being the one people owed something. Not the other way around. She knew she can handle those hunters but the unnamed archer was an unexpected help.

The girl was wearing a dark blue cloak, its hood was up covering most of her head but Dinah can clearly see the bright eyes warily looking back at her. The cloaked girl actually seemed tense and was trying to be subtle but Dinah saw her keep one hand on an arrow from her quiver that's resting on the side of her horse. She saw the color and only one place in the world that has that shade of blue with little dust of gold in their weapons.

The great empire of Arcadia.

Before Dinah can reply, a swish of an arrow went past her ears and landed on the horse's chest. The arrow was red that's all too familiar for her; the serpentina bandits has arrived. To what purpose, she doesn't know.

"Dash!!" The girl cried out as the horse fell to the ground.

And despite her surprise, she still managed to jump off her falling horse and on to her feet. She then drew her bow and arrow, aimed for the direction of where the shot came from.

"Serpentinas!" Dinah exclaimed as she steered her griffin away just as the girl shot her arrow.

It struck someone from the dark, a considerable distance from them. They both heard a groan followed by a thud, seemingly like someone just fell off an elevated ground.

"That arrow is poisoned! I'm sorry but it's too late for your horse, you must ride with me now!"

Dinah knows how dangerous the serpentina bandits are. They attack in great numbers and their weapons are always poisoned. It is unwise to stay and challenge them in combat. And she most definitely doesn't have the heart to leave this girl in their hands.

The girl was obviously weighing her options. She was wary of Dinah's offer and for good reason. The girl doesn't know Dinah is a member of another notorious group of bandits.

She doesn't know her at all.

But the incoming sound of hooves running towards them made the decision for the girl.

She bid her horse one last farewell, kissing his forehead, a lone tear falling from her clear emerald eyes didn't escape Dinah's notice. It tugged something in her chest and for a moment she doesn't know what to do. If it was Buck, Dinah would be as heartbroken as well. That's why she did her best to save him from those hunters, and the othergriffins too.

Then, the girl gathered her meager belongings and quickly hopped on behind Dinah.

"Hang on tight, we're gonna fly high,"

Dinah steered her griffin and in swift, agile motion, they were off the ground. Buck's a strong griffin who can carry hundred times more than his own weight easily and still fly at a blink of an eye speed. They managed to evade the flying red arrows that went after them and soon enough they're flying really high.

Soon after, no one was attacking them anymore. They're now flying in silence underneath the starry night sky.

Dinah is well aware of how much time she spent from fighting off the hunters as well as tracking down this mystery archer who made her fight easier. She doesn't have enough time now for any more detours to take her unexpected companion to. A ray of light pink sky was already peaking over the horizon, she has to come home now.