Chương 20: Wolves

I'd decided to step back to capital stealthy, in order to understand what was going on. However, I was aware of the hazard before me. I wrapped my stuff up, exclusively. I cooked up ready to hit the road. I had to move early in the morning. It was going to take me five days to reach Persis by using the Tram road from Samara without stopping a lot so I mounted up. Yes, the road already had hungry wolves waiting for unfortunate prey to tear them up. But did I have any other choice? I was in debt. My father and uncle both were in danger of execution.

So after each day of riding, I used to stop whenever there was an inn on my way back home. The horse could've rested and I had warm meals. To gain my goal I needed to remain healthy and arrive there alive. In the third inn that I set up, I realized that I have stopped in the wrong place. A colony of hornet bees! A banquet of notorious border bandits.

The night was still young when I finished my meal someone stumped his foot on my table, I didn't like that at all.

His muddy boots made the table full of filth. It wasn't a good scene for me, as I just finished a meal. I thumped my spoon down and swallowed the rest of the rice in my mouth without chewing it well. Rolled my eyes and looked above glaring at him blankly. What I observed made me feel even more awkward. A huge muscular man with a black beard and long curly hair. He smelled stinky. Subsequently, I could guess he had been drunk almost every day and of course hadn't washed up himself for months.

"I thought women are supposed to stay at home and take care of children and serving husbands, since you are here it means that you've gotten no man", he said impudently.

Brought his head closer and said again, "a beautiful lady alone in this inn, answer me don't you have any man? What's your name, magnificent beauty?"

I grinned, with disinterest and bitterness. Pulled back my seat quickly and took two steps backward. Just to keep my nose away from a spoiled gerbil.

"Hey black-beard Eden, move your dirty boots or you have to pay more." The middle-aged bartender warned him with a tagged frown on his face. Proved to me no good outcomes expected that giant.

"You greedy Oldman," Eden said to him and moved his leg away then cleaned its traces by brushing a hand.

"What a time, look where I am!" I thought to myself.

I had put some copper coins on the table. I turned back to take my leave out of that disgusting place. With all of those lustful gazes, chasing me around like hungry wolves I couldn't bear to be there anymore. It was at that moment when I felt a hand on my shoulder, then I heard a deep voice saying, "Maybe you need a man beside you." That little move was what I had needed to go on a rampage and set myself on fire. A fire which could be put out only with my way.

I grabbed his hand and twisted it back. Then I whirled and kicked his spin with my right knee. At the same time released the hand hanged on the other hand which tried to catch me and I twisted back in front of him and again kicking him in the stomach hardly. When he bent a little I grabbed the back of his stand-up collar, picked up the water jug on the table. I shattered it on his head. Then I climbed up his back quickly like a whirlwind. "It was obvious that no one has taught you how to show respect toward a lady, so this is going to teach you to forget whatever you have in your dirty mind when you meet a single lady," I told him.

I looked around myself. Every one of them was staring at me in anger. Hands-on swords ready to be unsheathed, "my name is Asaya!! Anyone else has something to say? You saw my way of speaking to mad pervert men, I force them to sleep on cold earth while lost their honor". My voice was enough loud and my words clear to make them understood.

They turned their heads and all started to eat again. My gazes caught the bartender. It was clear that he was pleased by what I had done a few seconds ago. The smile on his face was revealing everything. I picked another coin in exchange for the broken jug and aimed to give it to him but he refused and said, "no daughter, I will take the breakage from that arrogant fool."

I turned around to leave as fast as possible, but I heard a slight soft surprised voice saying, "Asaya is that really you? Tell me, it isn't a dream."

I shifted to my right side, a girl was standing on the staircase in darkness, gazing at me in pure shock. She walked down slowly and said, "I can't believe I found you here."

She walked down and when light gleams glowed on her face I was marveled that I couldn't speak a word. She was wearing a normal shirt, not those fantastic silky dresses. Covered herself between furs. And her father's sword was on her waist. A bitter smile laid on her face. She was dressing like me, cotton pants with leather shoes and a dagger beside her thigh.

One side of her hair was braided, her blue eyes were even more sorrowful than past when I left Persis to find prince Shaya. Like a cute little cat gazed into my eyes begging for a hug. She ran toward me and I hugged her, her little delicate body was disappeared in my arms.

"Oh girl, what are you doing here? I'm so glad." Then she said.

I said with surprise, "I'm on a mission, you are the one who must explain what on the earth brought you here, exactly in this disgusting place?"

"Long story, I was looking for you, we must talk, and everything has changed." She said and tears rolled in her eyes.

I pointed to Eden by lifting my head to his direction and told her, "I know, but it's better to leave before this stinky drunk bear wakes up."

She nodded and we left the inn.

The next day it was dusk. Sun became red more than any other day like it was crying blood. Oh king of justice, what a tragic story he had. Even I wasn't able to retell it, however, everyone must know about it. The king was in love with a lady from another foreign land. The result of his love was a boy never seen by folks or royals. But the king never denied his existence because he was the son of a brave mother who sacrificed herself in order to give birth to her child. To allow him to live and taste what love is. Fate had put her between Scylla and Charybdis. She chose to give her only child a chance of living.

On our horses, we marched to Persis. It was around midnight when Oria got tired and said, "It's better to rest near this forest and then hit the road again, I'm not used to riding for this long."

I nodded then pushed the tether and held my horse. We stopped and dismounted. Dragged our destriers near a dried tree whose root was half out the ground. I detached my bow from the saddle, went to gather some woods when she said, "come back soon we must talk".

I tilted my head and moved to do what I intended. After gathering up some woods, I heard Oria's screaming. Her voice broke the silence like thunder flashing and whipping the air unexpectedly. I felt like I got hit by a frozen belt in the back and made my spine about to rip. I ran to her while didn't even notice how far I was.

Drowned in my Thoughts I lost the path. I was running fast and jumped over a half tree trunk and suddenly stopped. Unfortunately, she was sieged by three wolves, couldn't observe the horses there. I could see the moonlight through the leaves.

Oria was sitting on a thick tree branch, a nice effort but not enough to survive. She wasn't even able to open her eyes and just grabbed her sword in one hand! The fired wood moving aimlessly on the other hand. Just to keep them away. She had this phobia of wolves since her childhood, eating her from inside like a worm.

I shot one of the wolves with my arrow. One of them attacked me and another attacked Oria I had no time for a second shot when it pushed me on the ground. Its fangs couldn't pass my thick clothes. I pushed its head back with the right hand and by using my left hand I picked my dagger out and slit its throat, blood was spilling over my face, warm and slab.