16: Saviour

Run.

That's the only thing that Ayleth could think right now.

Run.

As far as she could.

She didn't even bother turning back. With wounds on her shoulder and several other parts, though it wasn't that serious, but for her, every interval cause her life by by now.

So, she couldn't wait.

:::

When she realized there was someone still lingered around her house, she decided to check on it. After leaving Krea's body, she wiped the last remaining tears from her eyes and grabbed her bow.

It's time to fight.

The sound coming from the backyard. Ayleth slowly dragged her feet, taking a cover behind the wall, just a few feet away from the spot. She took a deep breath, grabbed her bow slowly, reloaded the arrow and pull the string.

All action in discreet movement. Almost unnoticeable.

When she noticed a movement, even in tiny and fainted, she snapped the string and released the arrow. Then, she hid from the intruder. Back against the wall. Footsteps march towards her. Loud and clear everytime it approached closer to where her spot was.

Ayleth had no choice but to reveal herself and fight. The bow had been a good companion, at least. She had no sword with her, but she fought like that's the last time she will live in this world. The intruder was so strong, Ayleth almost gave up in the midst of fight.

When she notices a way out, she waited no more. She ran as fast as she could to save herself, leaving behind the house where she was born and grew, with millions memories that shattered her heart.

:::

Ayleth realized the day was getting dark. She still in hide from the intruders. Taking a break, probably recovering herself from the attack previously. The sound of the forest was even more eerie at night. Even though she was used with the ground, but, to be honest, she had doubts if she could survive the forest now.

In the dark, with a silence, she started to move a bit from her spot. She couldn't stay input for long. She will eventually drying dead because of the wound, or she might end up being a feast for some wild animals. Her movement was calculative with plans, however, any probability is possible by now.

As she tried to drag her feet much further, a hussle coming from behind. She kept her courage and ran as fast as she could with the limited energy and restrain movement. Finger cross, she might survive but somehow she could snuffed the death approaching.

"Ouch!" Ayleth fell harder on the ground. Her bow flew away from her, making her looked like a blind with no walking stick. She mustered her courage to stand up and facing the intruder, but her legs were betraying her. She turned around as she looked at the face of the intruder who now walked step by step towards her.

As the intruder approached Ayleth, she clawed the person viciously, fighting like a lioness. She screamed, kicking and punching the person. The fight seemed brutal, with both of them hurt quite severely.

But the luck seemed not taking Ayleth's side. With a swing of hand, she fell on her back, feeling the pain until her bone. The intruder had taking over the fight, squeezed Ayleth's neck so tight.

She gasped for air. And slowly, shut her eyes.

The image of Krea and her mother flashed a run on her mind.

She felt tight, knowing that tonight, she will be history.

"Krea... Mother... Father... I'm sorry..." Ayleth murmured silently, ready to give away her soul.

Then, she felt lighter on her chest. The air seemed filling in her lungs. So, this is how it feels when we die? She asked herself as the feeling was somehow... Cool?

"Are you okay?"

Ayleth felt her body had been shaken. She opened her eyes to find two men standing in front of her. Two men and a bear.

She looked at her side.

The masked intruder.

His body was on the ground, breathless.

"Ay! Ay!" Ayleth shifted her sights at the voice.

It was Aden.

"A..den?" Ayleth softly called him. The man approached her in hasty, pulled her into a tight hug. She could heard his sobs, like a devastated wailing.

"Thank God we're not too late..." the other man said. He put his dagger back into the casing and kept them at his waist.

"Thank Lilith for the signal, too! If I haven't met her in the forest, I wouldn't have known..." Aden pulled away, brushing the strain of hair from Ayleth's forehead.

"What are you doing here at this hour?" Ayleth asked Aden. The man looked at her in gloomy face. Then, his eyes fell onto the man who stood next to Lilith.

:::

"I had enough of it!" Aden whined as he stormed deep into the woods with his backpack. He had enough of the treatment that he received at the castle. Everyone restrained him from the outside world. Even Hadrian was torturing him into an intesive training.

So, he decided to run.

Because he knew, eventually the Royal Guard will find him if he hides himself at Rufus' place, he decided to run into The Meadow. At least, he knew Ayleth will be there. If he waits until the next day, he could perhaps convince the girl to let him stay at her place before fleading from Snowden.

Who could even knew the journey took a detour as he suddenly encountered Lilith while taking a slow path towards the tree where he used to meet Ayleth. The cub seemed panicking and off. At first, Aden felt reluctant to approach it. Lilith is a bear anyway. A wild one at least for him.

But he couldn't bothered her antsy reaction.

That's when he approached it slowly and carefully stroke her fur. The cub stared at Aden before it ran towards the road, where Ayleth always appeared from. When Aden stood still on his spot, Lilith seemed to be asking him to follow her.

So, Aden did.

And that's when he encountered Ayleth, fighting with a stranger in the dark.

The rest was history.

:::

"If I somehow let you fight the man, you've got killed as well, sire..."

"I have no reason to be angry to you for following me, Kamui..." Aden said.

Kamui nodded a bit. He glared at the body on the ground. If he didn't trust his instinct when he saw Aden climbed the castle wall, probably the young prince and his friend were dead by now.

"So you learn the lesson. Never dismiss a royal guard when he follows you," Kamui squatted down, picking up something from the ground.

Ayleth, who already stood on her feet with a help from Aden, looked at the body, full of interest.

"The man attacked my family. The whole household was gone," she said.

"Iron Hawk," Kamui flashed a badge to them. Aden frowned as he held Ayleth's hand tight.

In the midst limited lights that illuminated the area, Kamui could see Ayleth's face. It's the boy who saved the convoy from the Iron Hawk's attack earlier. But, to his surprised, the boy looked somehow... Different.

"You're the one who saved the royal convoy yesterday, did you?" Kamui asked. Aden sighed, looking at Ayleth's original appearance in scare.

Ayleth nodded. She had no plans to hide her identity now. It was obvious that she looked girly, with the inner garment almost torn apart, revealing some woman feature on her. Though her face remained the same.

"I know my instinct was right. You're not a boy..."

"How did you know?!" Aden fell in deep shock.

Kamui pointed his finger at the bow that resting on the ground.

"I'm acknowledging the bow so well. It belonged to once is my general. General Whitrose," said Kamui.

"Maybe he lend the bow..."

"No archer will give his bow just like that, Prince Aden. For them, a bow is their heart. Without them in possession, just assume they already dead," Kamui picked the bow and hand it to Ayleth.

"I know your father. So I know he had two daughters and no son. The family retrieved the bow during the funeral because the youngest daughter insisted on keeping it," said Kamui. "...and the girl is you," he continued.

Ayleth's eyes turn glassy. She surpressed her tears when Kamui mentioning her deceased father.

"Why did you represent yourself as a boy, milady?" asked Kamui. Ayleth looked at Aden. The young prince nodded in faint.

"I saved Prince Hadrian and Prince Aden during the attack at the market. That time, I wore Prince Aden's common attire. So, the royal guard assumed I was a boy. Even Prince Aden introduced me as a boy," Ayleth answered him.

"But why?" Kamui inquired her again.

"It's not common for a girl to befriend with a boy," Prince Aden quickly replied to Kamui.

"When the convoy got attack, I was in my training suits. Yes, I look like a boy. And I'm aware that I saved a royal convoy, even some of them had saw me before. So, I have no choice but to keep lying about my real identity," Ayleth explained her action.

Kamui sighed. He paused a bit before he started to move around, phasing a bit while think about something.

"The Iron Hawk won't be happy about this. They will continue looking for a chance to kill you. Because one; you help the royal guard, two; you survived this attack," said Kamui.

"So, what should we do now?" asked Aden.

"There is one way. Full benefits but it will be a bit torture for the girl-"

"My name is Ayleth..."

"Fine... Ayleth. There is a way, but I don't know if you'll agree or not," said Kamui.

"Tell us," the girl replied.

"We can protect you by keeping you in the castle. With one condition..." Ayleth's heart was thumping hard.

"You have to join the Royal Guard," said Kamui.

Ayleth's jaw dropped at the instant.