Chapter 1.2

"Hmph... Did someone just challenge me? That's wonderful, it would be a great workout for me too. I needed someone to vent my anger on, but judging from your actions, I guess you want to offer yourself," he said, smirking at her. He pointedly glanced at the clenched fists by her sides as he smiled at her.

This doesn't look good. My lady is drawing a lot of attention to herself. What am I going to do if her father finds out about this? Isabella wondered as she watched as the lady threw another punch at the wanderer. She knew that she would either be exiled or executed for going against orders and there was only one thing she could do about it to avoid being punished. I am sorry, my lady.

Covering her face partially with the hood, she backed out from the crowd that had soon formed to watch the new source of entertainment. Looking around to ensure that no one was following her or paying attention to her, she walked towards the nearest shophouse she could find.

She could hear the jingle of the bell as she entered the shophouse. Several heads turned to look at her as she made her way to the counter, all the while clutching a few coins tightly in her hands. With a smile, she handed them over to the shop owner as she picked up the paper that was handed to her.

Unaware of the betrayal of her lady-in-waiting, the lady resumed to further weaken her opponent with continuous blows, which were blocked easily by Aidan, also known as The Untamed Wolf. With each punch and each kick, she found herself getting more and more tired, unlike Aidan, who seemed to not even have broken a sweat.

As the lady threw a kick once again, Aidan caught a hold of her leg and wrapped his hand around it, before flipping her over onto the floor. He heard her groan and saw her rubbing her arms and legs before getting back up and throwing a punch at him again. This time, Aidan grabbed her fist and went under her arm. Pulling her arm behind her, He pinned her arm behind her back.

The lady struggled to get out of his grasp, but his hold on her was too strong. "Let.... Go... Of... Me," she managed to gasp out. After a few more agonizing minutes of struggling to get out of his hold, he finally let her go, causing her to crash into a nearby wooden cart containing vegetables.

Vegetables were shred to pieces, wooden doors were broken from flying objects and the ornaments and accessories were now either chipped or dirty from having been smashed to the ground and stepped on several times. The crowd continued to cheer on, not noticing the state their goods were in.

The lady snapped the moment she saw his laid back smile. Screaming out loud in frustration, she mustered up all the energy she had left and ran charging towards Aidan. Noticing the sudden change in atmosphere, he stepped aside just as the blow was about to hit him.

Not being able to stop, she found herself heading towards the nearby well. She closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the cold water to engulf her but it never did. She slowly opened her eyes, only to find herself staring into a pair of red eyes.

They were an unusual and unique red. One would mistake it to be the color of blood but though it was only a glimpse, she could see the small burning fire within those eyes. The desire to achieve something. The longing for someone. What could it be? She wondered.

The loneliness, the pain, the terror, the fear, she could see it all. After all, she was constantly surrounded by different kinds of people who expressed their emotions differently. In no time, she could read what he/she was feeling at the moment just by looking into their eyes.

She wondered what or who could have caused him so much pain. He doesn't seem to be that old to have experienced much in life but why does it seem like he has gone through much more than people of his age.

The more she tried to decipher his actions and emotions, the more curious she was about his background. Who could he be? Where was he from? Why is he so lonely?

Aidan had caught her in the nick of time before she could have fallen. He carried her bridal style towards the village. "Are you alright?" he asked her, his eyes wandering around to search for a nearby straw mat or a stable wooden chair.

Aidan smiled once he found the chair he was looking for. He glanced down at the lady in his hands who couldn't seem to stop staring at him at the moment. She blushed when he caught her looking at him.

"Aren't you getting down?" he asked her but zipped his mouth as he noticed her raising her hand. "What... What... What are you... Trying to do?" Aidan stammered as he struggled to decipher the lady's actions.

As her hand slightly touched his cheek, Aidan immediately turned his head to the other side, disliking her close proximity. Instead of placing her on the chair like he had initially planned to, he dropped her without any warning.

Refusing to spare her another glance, he gestured his friends to follow behind him as he walked away. The crowd, that had gathered to watch the commotion, moved aside, making way for Aidan and his companions.

The lady stared at his retreating back, wondering why she felt the need to comfort him, hold him in her arms. Why did her hands move of their own accord? Why can't she stop thinking about him? She wondered as she gazed blankly at the ground, which was littered with squashed vegetables.

"My lady! Are you alright? Oh my, oh my! I warned you not to fight with him and now look at yourself!" Isabella shouted as she rushed to her lady's side. She carefully helped the lady up and flinched when she saw how dirty her lady's skirt has become.

"We have to buy you a new dress immediately. This dress is no longer fit for a lady," she muttered under her breath as she glanced at her lady who still seemed to be occupied in her own thoughts.

Isabella snapped her fingers in front of her to catch her attention. "Wh-What...?" The lady said as she glanced around at her surroundings. "What just happened here?" She wondered as she watched some of the passers-by looking at curiously.

"That is what I am supposed to be asking you, my lady," Isabella said. "Oh... Nothing important happened. Don't worry, let's get going before someone finds us," the lady says as she immediately changed the subject and pushed Isabella forward. Hoping that she would cross paths with him again one day, she started making her way across the street.

... ... ...

"You are so cruel, Aidan. You didn't have to drop her like that," Haidee said as she glanced at Aidan only to be surprised as she  saw Aidan blushing and muttering something under his breath with a confused look on his face.

"Haidee, what else can you expect from Aidan? He has never been near a girl before so he pretty much knows nothing about them," Jevon said as he shrugged. "I am a girl you know," Haidee said, glaring at Jevon.

"Oh really? I thought you were a guy, Haidee. I mean just look at your... Attire, your hair, the aura you give off. Which part of you screams GIRL at me? I think everyone would agree with me that you are more suited to be a guy," Jevon said, chuckling only to receive a punch in his stomach from Haidee.

"But honestly, I feel quite sorry for that girl though. She seemed to have fallen for a cold hearted guy like Aidan... Another poor victim who unknowingly fell into his trap... I really pity her," Jevon said, sighing. "Yeah, you do," Haidee said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Once the three of them arrived at their destination, Aidan cleared his throat and hesitated for a moment before opening the door to a broken down building. As the three of them entered the building, they cautiously looked around, as if they were waiting for someone to jump out from a corner and ambush them.

Aidan, sensing the slight movement in the air, pushed Haidee to the side without hesitation and attempted to grab the arrow coming his way, only for it to graze his palm slightly and pierce the wall behind them.

Groaning, Aidan glanced at the blood dripping from the cut on his palm as he closed his eyes. He tried to pinpoint the location of the attacker but before he could do so, he was interrupted with loud clapping sounds.

"Never knew even the Untamed Wolf would have trouble blocking an arrow. From all the rumors we have heard thus far, I assumed you were an immortal," Aidan heard someone say from above them and glanced up.

Above them was a man who seemed to be in his late 20s, dressed in clothes fit for a noble man with a sword hanging by his waist. "I wish I was too, but sadly I'm not as you could probably see from my blood," Aidan said as he raised his injured hand for emphasis.

Aidan looked around to see about 30 men coming out from their hiding spots. They were all either armed with swords or bows and arrows. Smirking, Aidan asked, "So, he's really here, huh?"