Saving Her Kingdom

♡ Chapter 25

Chapter 25 (Edited)

The next morning, I woke up before dawn. I was on my side, facing Thomas next to me. He was still asleep, and as I watched him, I couldn't help but think that he looked much younger in his sleep, with his face as relaxed as it could be. I decided to let him sleep a bit more and went to the river to get water.

When I arrived back, Thomas had just awoken and he was looking around frantically. "Anna?", he called in a concerned voice.

"Yes, I'm here!", I called him and watched him blow a breath of relief when he turned around to see me coming.

"Where were you? I nearly panicked when I woke up alone, you know. You don't know what can happen in a forest at night," he said while I arrived.

I held up the two water bottles, and then handed him one. "I went to get water at the river, there's no need to worry," I replied, "Don't drink everything, we have to keep some water for the horses."

"Alright, thank you for getting it," he said and took a sip of the fresh water.

"No problem," I answered with a smile.

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Not long after, the horses were saddled and ready to go. I invented a trick to mount on Belle without Thomas help, which was to lengthen the stirrup until I could put my foot in it, place my balance on it, then push myself up with my arms until I could pass my leg on the other side. Then I just had to put the stirrup back on its right length.

When I was seated, I saw Thomas staring at me with both eyebrows raised.

"Impressive," he commented, and climbed up his horse as well.

I grinned in satisfaction, and gave Belle a light kick to make her walk.

We had previously looked at the map, and remembered the way, so we rode fast, without hesitation.

When we reached the next village, we ate (more than I would like to admit), took provisions, and continued to the next town, which I thankfully knew.

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Three days later

Thomas and I had finally arrived at the last village before the Vast Forest. It was a bit after midday, and we had already eaten sandwiches on our way. When we arrived, the people all bowed flabbergasted, like in the previous villages.

We stopped at the market place and I looked around. It was a typical village, not too big nor too small. "Should we ask at an inn about the recluses in the Vast Forest?", I said unsure. I didn't know how the people would react, when we interrogated them.

Thomas contemplated and nodded, "I don't think we have much of a choice anyway."

He spotted what looked like an inn nearby, pointed at it and said, "Let's go there." When we arrived in front of the door, we climbed down our horses and I held them, while Thomas knocked at the door.

An old lady opened, and stood still from shock for a moment. Thomas said politely, "Good day, ma'am. We would like a piece of information if you wouldn't mind."

She blinked, curtsied, and said, opening the door wider, "Please come in!"

She called a young man, who came to take the horses to the stables. After I entered, she closed the door behind me, and turned to face us. "How may I be of assistance?", she asked, looking at us skeptically.

"We need information about the recluses living in the Vast Forest," I explained.

"Oh. Would you like to sit down?", she asked and pulled out two chairs from a table nearby. We sat down and she explained, "There isn't much known about the recluse living in the Vast Forest. All we know is that they don't live alone, since there's a woman who regularly comes to the village to buy food. But other than that, we don't know anything. They have always been recluse, and I have never seen any other person than that woman, who doesn't speak to us at all. We know the beginning of the way she takes because someone once followed her, but the path is like a maze, and she lost them rather easily. I'm afraid nobody here knows more than that about them."