The walkers of the night made bold progress, traveling nonstop. The light would be spreading over the horizon in a few hours, but the path wended onwards and there was much journeying ahead. After every mountain peak there was another, after every grove there was a bigger one.

'How long will it take us to your city?' Ines asked after a while.

The old elf came beside her and looked at her in thought. 'We will have reached it by tomorrow night. If the weather allows it.'

'It is bad luck to start a journey on a Tuesday,' Landos protested.

'Ugh! I've had enough with your superstitions!' came Inemra's voice from their left.

Ines ignored their bickering; she had got used to it by then. She glanced at Matthew. He looked the same, so that was a tiny relief. 'Will he be alright?'

'I hope so,' answered the old elf, sounding slightly brittle.

'But why him? Out of all the people in the city they could have taken...'

'I presume it had to do with his weapon. And you.'

Ines turned to him, her brows knitted in confusion. 'What do you mean?'

'They are targeting you.'

'Me? Why?'

'Some things about your past are buried in the dark. Back then oblivion was the best way for you to be safe, but now they know who you are, and they will not waver from eliminating any threat.'

'What have I done to threaten them?'

'It does not matter what you have done. What you will do makes them worry.'

'And why don't I remember anything about my past?'

'Your memories were removed. You see this mark on your arm?' He grabbed her left arm that carried the unusual mark and raised her sleeve. Ines had never paid much attention to it.

'Yes,' she nodded her head.

'It is a sign of use of magic,' he said cryptically. 'Most probably they gave you a draught of the right potion, I can only guess. Landos has mastered the art of brewing, whereas I perform the art of mind control.'

Landos, being close by, heard them mentioning his name and approached them. 'It is a powerful potion, and a very difficult one to make,' he said skeptically.

Ines thought over his words and got her hopes up. If she could use their magic, there might be a solution to her problem. 'Is there a potion that can bring back lost memories?' she asked.

Landos' booming laugh pierced the silence of the forest. 'You wish.'

'How do you know—'

'We cannot reveal much yet,' the old elf interfered. 'You will learn everything soon enough. All in good time.'

The group moved along. Ines stayed at the back to keep an eye on Matthew. Until then, he looked the same, his face serene, his body tied to the stretcher. That gave her strength to keep on hoping he would be okay.

'I am tired! Won't we rest already?' Inerma complained dramatically.

Ines tried hard not to smile. She had learned early on that she was a bit loud and sassy, but she was too kind to hold a grudge against her. She was the one who forced Landos heal the wound she had on her thigh.

'Oh stars! For a time, I had forgotten how whiny you are!' Landos cried in protest.

He, on the other hand, was like a strong rock, big and stiff. He was rough around the edges, and sometimes spoke curtly, but Ines had the impression that the elves could trust him without hesitation. He would truly bare the weight of danger.

'Stop bickering. We will rest for the night around here,' the old elf seemed tired of their quarrels too.

The group camped in the forest, where they deemed they would be safe for a while. Peter tended to her horse and checked on Matthew again. She heard footsteps behind her.

'Does he know?' Inerma asked her.

'Know what?' she said and looked at her with a frown on her face.

'That you are...'

'No,' she said abruptly.

And she would rather keep it that way. She didn't even want to imagine how he would react, should he discover the truth. He definitely wouldn't take it lightly. Ines sighed in distress, her head tilted downwards. Inemra probably sensed her sorrowful mood and rested a hand on her shoulder as a comforting gesture. Ines' eyes flickered to hers, and she gave her a sad smile.

Inerma left, giving her some space to be alone for a while. The elves had taken up the duty of lighting a fire.

'Never light a fire near a grove of pine trees at night or you will encounter a failure,' murmured Landos, his words riling Inerma.

'This forest is full of pine trees! Are we supposed to freeze to death?'

Ines saw Rakron roll his eyes and chuckled. At least there was someone there that found those two annoying as much as her. Right then, she realised that she had never heard him speak. 'You surely are a quiet one,' she remarked.

'He is mute,' said the old elf who happened to be passing by them, carrying wood for the fire.

'He couldn't be quieter than that,' Landos shouted at their direction and laughed. He pounced on Rakron, and the men started chasing and fighting each other like schoolboys. Ines thought it would be better to just ignore their existence. 

In the darkest hours of the night the group finally settled down for a few hours of rest. Ines lied down in the cold grass around the fire, gazing at the night sky. She was too tired to think of anything, her mind an empty space. She listened to the sounds of the forest that calmed her soul. The last weeks had been a living nightmare; she couldn't think of anything worse that could happen. She was running all the possibilities that could go wrong in her head, when she heard the faintest sound coming from behind the trees.

'Do you hear that?' she whispered to the others, nudging them lightly.

All of them shook their heads.

'I'm sure it's nothing. We are too close to the wall,' Landos tried to reassure her.

They went back to sleep, but the sound was still there, and it was getting closer. The elves jerked up, their eyes still foggy and drowsy. A few seconds passed, and Ines could hear the sound more clearly. It was feet, many feet running towards them. A chilling shriek penetrated the woods that made her blood run cold.

'Are you kidding me?' Landos groaned.

The elves immediately stood up and readied the horses. Ines frantically looked around her. They hadn't got to them yet. She fixed her armour and looked at Matthew. She couldn't let him get hurt.

'Inerma,' called the old man. 'Go check their numbers.'

Inerma did as she was ordered, her magic taking over her body.

'You should go,' she told him. 'I will hold them off.'

The old elf raised a hand up. 'No, we stick together.'

'It is too dangerous!'

The old elf looked at her unsure. His eyes darted between her and Matthew, and his hands were fidgeting with his medallion.

'Take Matthew away. I will be fine. Go!'

'They are more than 20,' Inerma informed them.

'Rakron. Stay at her side.'

Rakron nodded and came to stand beside her. The others mounted the horses and ran away as fast as they could.

Ines took out her sword. She would fight like she had never fought before; she would become an angel of death if that way Matthew had a chance to be safe.

'Let's kick some ass,' she said, and charged at the dead army ahead. 

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A/N:  Join in on the journey, dear readers. An adventure awaits in the next chapters! Let's give Ines some stars to encourage her before the fight. 

Phrase of chapter:  φιλία ἐστί μία ψυχή ἐν δυσί σώμασιν ἐνοικουμένῃ / friendship is one soul in two bodies  - Aristotle