It had been over a week since they had left the city, and while it had been long, it had thankfully been peaceful.

During the first few days of leaving the city, it was the most stressful. They hadn't stopped to rest even once during the first two days of the ride; this had put some strain on the people with them, but ultimately it was for the best.

It allowed them to put a greater distance between themselves and the city as well as ensure that they weren't being followed by the church. At least if they were, the gap would give them enough space to escape safely.

After those few extremely tense days, however, the ride slowly grew more peaceful, and some people were even having fun traveling, once they realized we weren't being followed.

While they would only rest very rarely, it did well to bring the mood up and reduce the fatigue from stress. Thanks to this, they were able to reach the forest in little over a week.

The road behind them stretched long and quiet, fading into memory like smoke on the horizon. Along the way, they had passed through small villages and abandoned watchposts, trading what little news they could gather while avoiding attention.

Morena still rode at the front of the convoy, her cloak drawn over her shoulders to block the sharp morning chill. The horses moved at a steady pace along the dirt path, the carriages following close behind, their wheels creaking beneath the weight of everything they carried.

The further south they went, the denser the air became. The smell of pine and damp earth was heavy, carried from the great forest that stretched ahead of them like an endless sea of green.

They had finally reached the edge of it.

Before entering, they decided to stop at the nearest outpost to rest, restock, and gather information about the road ahead.

The outpost itself was a small thing, barely more than a handful of wooden structures surrounded by an old wall that looked like it had seen better days. But it was a popular place filled with people coming and going.

This was because of the forest itself; it was a popular destination for hunters, adventurers, and the like. Because of the outpost was the last stop of civilization before it, many passed through it to gather information of supplies.

They were also here for the same thing.

As the convoy approached, a few guards at the gate moved to meet them.

Their uniforms were mismatched, some wearing old armor, others dressed in simple leathers, but they were polite enough. They stepped aside when they saw the Ravenscroft crest displayed on the lead carriage; it seemed as if news hadn't spread to this place yet.

"Keep the wagons and the men outside the city. I'll go in with a few people to gather information, then return."

Morena said to Adolf as she dismounted.

Going in with a massive crowd wouldn't help them; instead, it would be far more beneficial to just go alone, but she also wanted to be safe.

"I think the tavern would be the best place to gather information. Have the horses fed and the wagons checked. We'll leave by noon if possible."

"As you wish, my lady."

Adolf began barking orders while Morena made her way inside the gate and down the streets with a few soldiers by her side. The captain followed close behind, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword out of habit more than caution.

The inside of the outpost smelled faintly of ink, sweat, and old wood. Unlike the city, where the streets were filled with people going about their lives, or merchants selling things.

The outpost was kept clean, merchants weren't allowed to set up stalls unless it was a building, and the only shops around the area sold herbs and materials.

Instead of children playing or folks working, the streets were filled with people dressed in armor, carrying weapons. A mixture of travelers and soldiers patrolled the streets.

After walking a while, Morena found what she was looking for, a tavern with a black rose symbol as its hangboard. She knew she would find one, because as long as the area had people, they needed to eat and drink.

For her, this was perfect, as drunk people told the most.

As she entered, a few eyes shifted towards them, but looked away once more when they found nothing interesting. After all, in this place, travelers in armor were a normality, so they didn't stand out.

The only thing that would stand out was Morena's looks, but thanks to the cloak covering her head, they couldn't clearly see her face under it.

She ignored the glance and walked over to the counter, taking a seat as she tapped the table to draw the keeper's attention.

"Morning, travelers? From one of the nearby cities, are you?"

Morena nodded.

"Yes, we're headed further south. I'd like to know if the roads ahead are clear."

The keeper rubbed his chin for a moment, studying her before replying.

"You're going through the forest, I take it?"

"Yes."

He exhaled slowly through his nose and rubbed at the stubble on his chin.

"Then you'll want to be careful. Word's been going around about bandits setting up deeper inside. Not the usual rabble, either; apparently, they're some soldiers from the Empire who abandoned their posts and deserted into the forest to hide. A couple of caravans that went through never came out the other side. Could just be rumors, but... best to be cautious."

Morena didn't flinch at the news, though her eyes narrowed slightly. She had previously heard rumors of bandits crossing over from the border and entering the Kingdom's side from the Empire, but she didn't think soldiers would be among them.

Was something going on in the Empire she didn't know about? Well, finding out information about the Empire is already difficult enough; the Kingdom strictly regulates all information pertaining to them, and learning news of beyond the border was practically impossible.

"Bandits again?"

"Aye, seems like it. Though that's not the only thing people have been talking about."

The man stopped talking and motioned to the drinks behind him; it was clear he had no intentions of speaking further without her spending money.

The bit before was just a teaser; Morena knew their types. She reached into her pockets and took out a few coins, placing them on the table, and just ordered something random.

She didn't even drink it; she just wanted to know what the man knew.

"What have the people been saying?"

While she spoke to the keep, she motioned for the others that came with her to spread out throughout the room and listen to conversations, or even start some themselves.

Just to expand on how much they learnt.

"Some adventurers said they saw lights in the woods at night, strange ones. Not torches, but bright, white light, someone said it looked like stars falling from the sky. Then there's the noise, which was like metal scraping. They were spooked enough to turn back halfway."

Morena's gaze drifted down as she heard the man's words. The rumor was odd, but it could also just be a load of nothing; people often mistake something they see for something else and spread nonsense.

"Has anyone gone missing in the forest because of that?"

"Hard to say, but I've heard word of some kid following the lights and vanishing. We sent another to check, but they came back empty-handed."

"Has the Church been through here?"

He blinked, surprised by the question.

"No, not that I know of. Haven't seen any of their cloaked riders for weeks now, thank the gods."

Morena nodded slightly and stopped up, pushing the full glass away; having not even taken a sip from it.

"I see. Thank you for the information. We'll keep it in mind."

He gave a small shrug.

"Your choice. I'd say take the old mining road around the edge of the forest if you can, but... that'll cost you a few extra days. If you're set on going through, keep your fires low at night."

She gave him a brief nod before turning and heading out; the others followed her once they noticed she was leaving.

The captain spoke quietly once they stepped back into the open air.

"My lady, do you think there's truth to it? About the lights?"

"Maybe. Either way, we'll find out soon enough."

Her gaze lingered on the edge of the forest in the distance. The treeline looked peaceful from here, almost inviting, but she had learned long ago that the most dangerous places always did.

She mounted her horse again and turned back toward the convoy.

"We'll enter the forest at dusk. Make sure the men rest and eat before then. Once we're inside, there won't be many safe places to stop."

"As you command."

Adolf moved off to relay the orders, his voice sharp as he coordinated the men.

Morena stayed still for a moment, her eyes locked on the forest ahead.

The wind shifted, carrying with it the faint scent of pine and something else, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. She frowned slightly, her instincts telling her that the forest would not be a simple crossing.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.