The intruders' mounts were found tethered in the woods outside town. Their belongings held no hint as to their identities. But some items of clothing in their saddlebags were distinctive to the north. Which corroborated Ida's suggestion. They were either from the Snowridge kingdom or they had ties there.

After a visit to the local Bluesnow post, Leon and his company left at dawn the next day. The sky was clear, and the weather held a touch of warmth as winter ceded to spring.

"How much time would it take to reach the capital?" Summer asked, she had switched horses and was riding behind Felix this morning. Al was leading, Ida took the rear. Leon and Felix's horses trotted side by side.

"It depends," Ida replied. "You could make it in a few days if you ride hard. But it's usually a couple of weeks. The journey ahead is mostly on flat lands, and the weather is holding quite well. If there's no issue, we'll be in the capital in a week or less."

"Will we go through other towns like Midcreek?"

"Only if we make a detour. Which I don't assume we will," Ida said.

Al chuckled. "And you just jinxed it. We'll probably end up reaching the capital in a month."

Ida muttered a curse under her breath. Summer laughed. "Rotten Summer is with you, so Al is probably right."

"Do you actually believe it?" Al glanced back at her.

She sighed. "Truthfully? I try not to. But it's difficult to keep faith in myself with what's happening."

"What's happening?" Leon asked. She looked at him, her eyes dancing in the sunlight.

"So far we've been attacked by bandits, and maybe assassins. That doesn't exactly inspire good luck."

Leon looked ahead. "You give yourself too much credit. It would've happened with or without you."

"Have you been attacked or robbed on your journey to my lovely town?"

"No."

"Ha! See. My presence must have a magnanimous effect on this trip."

Her voice was light, but Leon couldn't help but wonder if she really wasn't affected by it. It was a silly thought. Of course she was. Her entire life was ruined based on her supposed bad luck reputation. She'd been shunned, avoided and left out to starve even as a child. Of course there would be a small part of her that believed she was bad luck.

Leon's eyes scanned the horizon. The trees were growing thicker in this stretch of land. He didn't make the same mistake twice. This time he was on guard and his senses were sharp.

His instinct, born out of being in countless battles and looking into deaths' eyes more times than he should, made him stop his mount.

"Hold," he said out loud.

Al, Ida and Felix stopped their horses in silence. Slowly, he surveyed the trees around them. Birds twittered, small critters scurried, a soft breeze whistled through the leaves. It all sounded and looked normal.

Leon urged his ride a few paces forward. He rode past Al and kept going. Everything looked in order, but he wouldn't discount his gut feeling again.

He trotted back to his company.

"What is it?" Al asked, his eyes continuously scanning the surroundings.

"I don't know. It could be nothing," Leon said.

He led his horse out of the dirt path and into the trees until they were well hidden from any traveler's sight. The others followed. Leon jumped down his horse and retrieved a map from his saddlebag. He stretched the map on the ground and knelt by it. His four companions surrounded him.

"This is where we are." He pointed where they currently were. The main road they were taking would lead them almost all the way to Straiton, a portal town. That road was interrupted only by the Red River.

Ah. He remembered now. They'd crossed it on their way from the capital. A stone bridge connected the two banks of the river. The current was strong and the water deep. So the only way was through the bridge.

On both banks of the river, trees and vegetation were dense enough to provide a decent hiding spot. Leon pointed to the bridge.

"A perfect location," Leon said.

"For what?" Felix asked, confused.

"An ambush," Ida and Al said simultaneously.

"Why is that?" Felix asked.

"Only one way in and one way out," Summer said, her eyes on the map. "The enemy can split its numbers between the two river banks and hide until we're on the bridge. Once we're in, they'll box us in. With enough numbers, the ambush will have a high chance of success."

Leon looked at her. There it was again. She did not think like a normal woman her age. She thought like a well-trained soldier. Normally, that would make her a more susceptible suspect for the theft. Except that if she had truly been involved, she would have done her best to appear a harmless, brainless woman. He was now curious about the identity of the man who'd trained her.

"You think there's trouble there?" Al asked.

Leon sighed. "I don't know for certain, but my instinct is warning me. It could be nothing." It could also be an ambush.

Leon looked at the map. The Red River found its source in the eastern mountains. It spanned the kingdom horizontally until it reached its estuary in the western sea. The stone bridge was the shortest route across to Straiton. If they decided to avoid the bridge, they would have to add days to their travel.

"If we change our route, the closest place to cross the river is here," Leon tapped the map, where the closest bridge lay.

"It will add five days to our travel," Ida said. "The bridge we originally crossed is only half a day, maybe a bit more if we ride slower."

"We scout ahead," Leon decided. "See if there's indeed an ambush waiting for us there. If there isn't, then all is well and we proceed as planned."

"And if there is trouble?" Al asked.

"Then we change the route." It would add five days, as Ida said, but they would be safe. Or at least, safer.

"I'll go," Al said. He was the most qualified person for a scout in their party. Leon looked at Summer. Hmm. Maybe the second most qualified.

"Go," Leon ordered. "Take Summer along."

Two was better than one. They would be idiots not to take advantage of Summer's skills. Summer looked at Leon, clearly surprised.

Al's face iced over. "There's no need."

Leon shook his head. "Take her."

Al's mouth snapped close with a click.

"Be careful. If there's an ambush, they no doubt have their own scout some distance away from the location to warn them of our arrival. Get whatever information you can about them without endangering yourselves and get out of there as soon as you can." Leon stared at them both in the eyes, "Alive."

They nodded. After making camp deeper in the woods a good distance away from the main road. A grumpy Al and an excited Summer took enough water and dried food for two days, light weighted weapons and went ahead to their mission.

Leon and Ida brushed their horses down. Felix was taking a nap, leaning against a tree, an open book forgotten on his lap.

"We'll be lucky if Al doesn't murder her and drop her in some ditch," Ida said. "She's not his favourite person."

"He'll come around." Leon patted his black horse's neck. "He just needs to see beyond his prejudice."

"You trust her?"

"That's going too far," Leon said. "I don't trust her. I trust her skills, her instinct for survival and her loyalty to her friend."

Summer didn't trust them either. To her, Leon was the kind of person who would take an innocent for a crime she didn't commit. Her belief that Rose would be sacrificed in her stead was what kept her cooperative.

The problem was, sooner or later, she would discover that he wasn't that sort of person. And when she did, there was a good chance she would attempt to escape. That meant he had to keep her believing the worst of him. Leon didn't like it. But he had to do it. His first loyalty was to the kingdom.

Ida was going through the motion of brushing her horse, but he could see she wasn't there. Leon remembered how she'd spent the majority of her time with Summer. She had developed a sort of friendship with the other woman. And now that he reminded her Summer wasn't trustworthy enough, she had difficulty coming to terms with it. She had fought with her side by side, and in Leon's experience, that forged friendships faster than years of company.

Ida was particularly vulnerable to Summer's charm. She'd always been the only female element in their ranks, from when they were children training. She was an excellent fighter and a loyal friend. And it hurt Leon to tell her that Summer could still be their target, no matter how small the chance was.

"For what it's worth, I do think she's innocent." He moved closer to Ida. "However, there's still a small chance she isn't. Just keep that in mind, Ida."

She nodded but didn't meet his eyes. Leon sighed.

He was fond of Ida. She was a friend. Three years younger than him, she was brought into the castle when she was thirteen and he was sixteen. The two of them, along with Al, had been training together for years, then they'd fought together for years. A friendship forged in blood and battle.

He pulled his sword out. "Let's spar."

"Not in the mood," she grumbled.

He clicked his tongue. "I understand. Maybe later when you're more yourself. You're a little too emotional right now."

He'd just said the magical word. She dropped the brush and stared at him. If looks could kill, Leon would be six feet under. He raised his brows and drew his sword. "Well?"

She pulled her armor out of the saddle bags. Made of a light leather material, impenetrable but pliable, it was usually worn in battle. Ida looked at him.

"First blood."

*** ***

Summer was good with silence. She'd spent most of her days in the woods, after all, with only herself or a curious animal for company. Out of the two of them, Rose was the one who spoke the most.

After an entire day of fast-paced walk, Summer and Al finally got closer to the bridge.

She'd followed Al in silence. He was careful with his steps, so he didn't make much noise. As the sun rays filtering through the trees turned a deep, warm orange and the world was ready to sleep, Summer heard a sound that didn't belong. She put her hand on Al's shoulder. When he turned, scowling at her, she put her finger to her lips. "Shh."

Summer stood still. Allowing her senses to stretch and feel the forest around her. A squirrel scurried up a tree, a cold breeze rustled the leaves, crickets chirped, and beneath it all the faraway rush of a river. The scent of wet earth and running water tickled her nose.

Distant footsteps crunching dirt and grass. The sound that didn't belong.

She didn't know if Al heard it. But he was scanning the forest, his gaze never settling on one thing. She walked forward until she was in his line of sight and pointed to the left. They had been walking north along the main road all day, deep enough in the woods to not be noticed by travelers.

"Someone is there," she whispered, barely hearing her own voice.

"On the road?" he asked, equally as quiet. She strained her hearing. The person sounded as if they were shifting from foot to foot, and the sound was closer than the road.

"I don't think so." She shook her head. "They're not walking."

Al narrowed his dark eyes at her. He obviously didn't like her, didn't trust her, and was debating whether or not to believe what she said. He finally nodded.

"Could be their scout, could be just an innocent." He unsheathed the dagger on his hip. "Lead the way."

As she'd anticipated, there were two men, standing with their backs to them, watching the road. They stood concealed from the main road by the trees. One of them was standing still, leaning against a tree while the other paced back and forth in front of him. Both men wore all black. Tunics and trousers with knee length cloaks and boots. Their hair was a light brown and they were about the same height. Short swords secured at their hips. The bulge of what could be a dagger in their shins.

Summer concealed herself in the shadow of a tree, Al next to her. They stood like that for what seemed like forever before one of the two men finally spoke.

"The night is falling, I don't think they'll be coming today." His voice was young and impatient.

"We wait until darkness falls." The other replied stoically. Older, his voice rough and raspier with age. The first resumed his pacing, huffing and puffing.

"You're making more noise than a charging bull. Settle down."

The younger man threw his hands up. "It's not like there's anyone around. Tomorrow the boss better send Nikolas up here. I'm not coming again. It's boring as hell."

"You're the youngest, you just joined. You will be getting the boring parts of the job for a while."

"How long is a while?"

"Very long. Your whining about like a spoiled toddler does not help."

The younger resumed pacing in silence. After a few minutes, he spoke again, "what's so special about that old thing, anyway?"

"Who knows why those northern weirdos do anything?" the older man shrugged. "We get the damn artifact, deliver it, and get the money. We don't have to know what's so special about it. They stole it from the national museum in the capital. They probably did it to stick it to the royals. I don't know and I don't care."

Summer and Al waited until darkness shrouded the forest. The men then lit up a torch and moved on. Summer looked at Al.

"We follow them," he whispered when the men were out of sight.

The moon's weak beams could barely light up the way, and the two men's flame was flickering away in the distance. Summer was used to the forest nights, her eyes easily accustomed to the darkness.

"Alright, try not to fall in some ditch," she whispered back.

He glared. "Worry about your own hide."

"I'm not the one whose steps could wake the dead," Summer said with a sweet smile, "city boy."

He growled something, but followed her as quietly as he could. Without fire, they ran the risk of attracting predators. Summer paid attention to the woods around her. Nothing unusual at the moment.

She had to slow down a few times for his benefit when the trees got too thick to allow any light in. The flaming torch was only a faraway pinprick of light, but it was enough to lead them right to the men's nest.

Summer and Al watched from a safe distance. Surrounding a giant fire, at least two dozen men sat down. Some eating, some cooking, others cleaning weapons: swords, maces, axes. The metal gleamed with a promise of blood and violence under the orange glow of the dancing flames. Horses neighed beyond the fire. Summer couldn't see the river, but she heard the rushing water all the same.

"At least Twenty five," Al said next to her, his eyes sharp. "Fully armed. Well supplied. They know what they're doing."

"How do you know that?"

"Guards around the perimeter, I bet there are more patrolling the surrounding woods. The way they move. How only less than half of them are sitting to eat at a time, the rest are all armed and ready." He added in a whisper, "how the hell did they know we have the artifact? We were so careful."

"What's so special about it anyway?"

Al looked at her, part surprise, part disbelief and two parts derision. Right. How dare she expect him to tell her?

They took off shortly after. She could almost hear Al's mind churning with thoughts. After putting enough distance between them and the river, they hunkered down for the night. Dried meat, nuts and water seemed like heaven. The only thing missing was a fire, but they couldn't chance it. It was only the two of them after all. Summer's cloak would have to do. She'd been through worse. Being cold with a full belly wasn't nearly as bad.

"What are you doing?" Al asked when Summer started climbing up a tree.

"I'm sleeping up here." She settled down on a sturdy branch and looked down at him. "I don't want to end up as a wolf's snack."

Al glared at her, then looked around with a hand on the blade at his hip. "Wolves?"

Summer grinned. "Just kidding."

The look he gave her could crush stone. Huh. Maybe she shouldn't tell him that a few wolves had trailed them for a short while. Summer and Al had probably been walking through their territory.

Al leaned against a tree trunk where he could see her and pulled his cloak snugly around himself. Hmm, that cloak looked so warm, thick and lined with fur. Oh, well. She had her own battered one. It was better than nothing.

"Why don't you like me?" she asked.

"Don't feel special," he grumbled. "I don't like a lot of people."

"You don't seem like it. You've been quite friendly with everyone back in Midcreek." Everyone but her.

"Just because I'm cordial with someone, doesn't mean I like them."

"Okay, let me rephrase the question. Why do you hate me?"

He scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. Hate implies a certain degree of care. I don't. I simply don't trust you. You're a suspect in a theft. You have skills that no woman who grew up the way you claimed should have. Ida may like you because she doesn't have the chance to spend much time with girls in her line of work, and Leon would utilize you for your skills if he has to. But your good girl act won't work on me. I don't trust you."

Well, at least he got that off his chest. He was right, though. Trust was earned, not given. She didn't trust him either.

So what are you doing here?

Alone in the night with only her thoughts for company, Summer could no longer ignore the question. Why did she agree to come with Al? She told herself it was her love for adventure. She didn't want to miss any excitement. But she couldn't lie to herself any longer.

At some point, she started to feel part of their company instead of the prisoner that she was. And so she agreed to come with Al without thinking twice about it. Because she was at home in the forest, because if she went along he would be safer and faster.

That had to stop. She had to snap out of whatever dreamland she had been living in for the past few days.

She had been starved of human company for so long that the first crumb of kindness and attention made her feel appreciated. It breathed life into her desire to belong; a desire crushed by a lifetime of rejections and disappointments.

Careful, Summer, don't let your guard down. That way lay heartbreak.

Summer and Al departed at the break of dawn. By mid afternoon, the terrain was familiar again to Summer. Al stopped and whistled, the pattern one that Summer was familiar with. Boyd had taught her that.

"What does that mean?" she asked Al when he was done.

He spared her a glance. "A code. It means incoming ally."

Summer stared in muted surprise. Boyd had taught her that exact whistling pattern, along with several others, it meant "friend".

"Where did you learn it?" she asked as casually as she could.

"It's a signal system we use in the Royals Guard squad."

Another familiar whistle sounded in the forest. All is well, it meant. Soundlessly, she followed Al. A few minutes later, the familiar faces of Leon, Ida and Felix greeted them.

How in the world had Boyd known the Royal Guard's whistling system?

--- ---- ---

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M.B.