--- The girl

Run! Run! One step at a time... But run!

The girl sprinted on the trail, focusing everything she had into her legs. Close behind, three men followed. Bandits, from the looks of it. She had crossed their way a couple of minutes before, in the woods of the valley where she lived. At first they just glanced from afar, probably even more surprised than she was, but then they had immediately gone after her.

For weeks at the village there had been rumours about the presence of criminals, but for some reason she hadn't been paying attention to them. Even a kid knew that bandits were dangerous, the girl had thought, so there was simply no way that she would have wandered around that area. Except that she had. And what those people could do to a lonely,defenseless maiden wasn't exactly a secret.

Jump over that stump. There is a root there! I have to be careful or I'm done for!

Knowing those forests like the back of her hand, the girl could run through without even checking her surroundings too much. Yet, that wasn't enough. All she needed to do was getting to the path that led to the safety of the village, but she would have never made it in time, not when she had ventured that far. How in the world had she stumbled in that situation? Inside her head, the girl believed to have a very precise idea of where things started to get dangerous. That day, however, she seemed to have got it very wrong.

She turned back to check her distance with the bandits, finding that they were closing the gap. Those men probably knew the area even better than her and weren't looking tired at all, like they could outpace her at any moment. A horrible thought crossed the girl's mind.

I'm not going anywhere. They are just playing with me. Like wolves do.

She put even more strength into her aching legs, trying to delay the inevitable. Cold, chilly sweat ran down her forehead, blurring her vision for a moment. After a brief slope, she remembered, the trail went down towards a crossing. From that point, the way home would have been straight and easier to follow.

Keep it up. A little more and I'll be on the downhill! Hurry!

The girl sped up, ignoring her exhaustion and the dress hampering her movements. Right as she had reached what she considered a safe point, however, one of her pursuers appeared from the right and cut her escape route.

No! Where the hell did he come from?

She took a sharp left and followed the way upwards, that led to the mountain pass. Those bastards were pushing her into a corner. From the way they laughed while running, behind her, the bandits were already confident of getting her. In her desperation, the girl turned around a second time to see how much time she had. She fought to focus her gaze on the pursuers, failing to notice her skirt folding on itself...

Suddenly, she stumbled and fell. A burning pain erupted from her palms, as they absorbed the impact with the ground.

I'm finished. I'm finished. Makers, what are they going to do to me...

She wanted to get back on her feet, but her legs weren't moving. With barely any stamina left and paralyzed by fear, the girl couldn't do anything but watching her assailants getting closer and closer.

Nonetheless, after a couple of seconds, she realized that the three men weren't moving nor laughing anymore. Most importantly, they weren't even looking at her. It was only when the girl's eyes inspected the way ahead that she noticed a figure coming down along the path.

It was a boy of her age, advancing with tired, heavy steps. His entire body was wrapped in an old and dirty woolen cloak that protected him from the foggy weather, and on his shoulders he carried a big backpack. The wear of his clothes and his long, messy hair suggested that he had been on the road for quite some time. The traveler had just come out from the brush and was heading towards the girl with no hurry, glancing at her with an exhausted expression like he had just undergone an incredibly demanding hike.

A... A person? Here? Nobody ever comes down from this side of the pass these days...

The bandits stood motionless around ten meters below, temporarily halted, but it was just a matter of time before they would decide if the newcomer was an obstacle or just another unlucky prey. After a moment of hesitation, the girl forced her shaky legs to stand up and rushed in the direction of the boy.

"Help me, I beg you!" she panted. "Those three are armed. They are criminals! I'm scared! I... I..."

She was still out of breath. There was certainly a better way to ask for aid, but in the state she was it had to suffice. After all, that traveler was in the very same boat and would have sided with her for sure. If he wasn't a bandit too, of course. He stopped walking and dropped his backpack on the ground, studying her without any change in his expression. Then, he glared at her pursuers. And that time he seemed much more pissed.

"Keep an eye on this for a minute, if you would," he said, as he kept following the road down. "And don't move."

The girl caught a glimpse of leather under his cloak as he passed.

Is he wearing... Armour? There are no armies around here...

She tracked him with her eyes as he reached a point around half way between her and the three men. Speaking of them, that was the very first occasion she had to observe their appearance with some degree of clarity.

The one who was standing closer was in his thirties, muscular, with curly hair and a thick beard. He was the taller of the group and carried a lumber axe. He was accompanied by a bald geezer, whose attitude pointed at him as the leader, and a boy who looked at least two or three years older than the girl and the newcomer. Those two were respectively armed with a short sword and a wooden club. After a brief silence, the elder bandit stepped forward and spoke.

"Greetings, traveler," he said, displaying a nearly toothless grin. "Seems like you got lost. This is our territory, and everyone who wants to pass has to pay a toll."

He spat on the ground. Like most criminals, he obviously liked to toy with his victims a bit when he knew that they couldn't get away from him. The cloaked boy, however, didn't show any sign of being intimidated and remained silent.

"But maybe, seeing that luck is not on your side today, we might give you a little discount..." continued the man, exchanging looks with his accomplices. "What do you say? Just let us take that girl, and you are free to go."

The girl for a moment wondered if the newcomer would have simply accepted that deal. After all, who wouldn't have? How could she trust a perfect stranger so easily? Still, before she could even curse her own foolishness, the boy pushed his cape to the side and drew a long, sharp sword.

What? He is going to... Fight them? All three at once?

"Get out of the way," he threatened. "Or else."

The axe-wielding bandit lost his nerves almost instantly, and charged up the slope.

"Let's see how you'll spit out nonsense after I take your head!"

He reached the place where the traveler stood, swinging his weapon horizontally, but the hit never landed. The axe cut thin air, the boy crouching beneath it faster than the girl's eye could see. With a single, fluid movement he ran his blade through the man's guts, tearing his flesh apart. When the weapon came out from the other side of the abdomen, sprays of blood went flying and the criminal collapsed on his own entrails. The traveler shifted into a defensive stance, circling around the body of the defeated enemy and checking if he couldn't move anymore, then he turned to face his companions.

The youngest bandit, clearly in shock, rushed towards him holding his club high in the air and screaming, but the traveler intercepted his attack with ease and brutally struck the middle of his chest with the pommel of the sword. The ruffian let his weapon go and went to the ground, coughing and gasping in search for air. Meanwhile his older leader got closer more carefully and engaged the cloaked boy. The two exchanged a couple of blows, but it was immediately evident that the geezer wasn't even remotely on the same level as the traveling swordsman. The boy punched him on the nose twice and pushed him back, then after defending against a last desperate assault he finally drove his blade deep into the man's torso.

However, while he was still turned around the last survivor managed to get back on his feet and reach for his club, ready to hit from behind.

"Be careful!" screamed the girl.

Even that time, the bandit's weapon couldn't hit anything. The traveler moved sideways and dodged the blow, cutting the tendons of his opponent's leg. Carried by his own force, the young bandit fell on his knees and didn't get a second chance. A moment later, his head was severed by a single, clean blow. The girl could vaguely distinguish the face spinning in the air until it landed and rolled down the trail.

The entire thing had happened so fast... Backing up, terrified, she found herself unable to avert her gaze from the mess in front of her. As she struggled to regain control over her trembling legs, she felt the need of puking.

Who... Who is this guy?

***

--- Roric

Roric wiped away the blood from his sword using the clothes of the last enemy he had killed. He still couldn't understand why that scoundrel had chosen to attack him again instead of just surrendering, considering how his companions had already ended.

Damn bandits. Trying to pick on a single girl like that. What would have happened if I hadn't been here to stop them?

The young warrior put his weapon back into its scabbard and glanced towards the person who lay a couple of meters away from him. Unsurprisingly, the girl was currently busy emptying her stomach.

She must be terrified. Most people will never witness this kind of scene in their daily lives. I wonder how old is she. More importantly, she must be from this valley. Maybe there's a village somewhere nearby.

"Hey, you," he started, trying to use a gentle tone in order not to scare her even more. "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

The girl, who was still staring in space, jumped at his words. She seemed to be putting every effort into getting back on her feet, but her legs were limp and weakened. Her face was also very pale.

"Are you... A soldier?" she babbled, pointing a trembling finger towards the corpses. "No, I mean, you... You killed them. All by yourself."

Roric stepped forward, taking a closer look at her. She was very young, probably around his age, with straight raven hair that went down to her shoulders. Dressed with simple garments, fit for a farmer, the girl had a somewhat boyish visage. Not that she wasn't attractive, or so the young warrior thought. However, the thing that captured his attention among her rural, rough features were her eyes. Green and bright like gems, so uncommon in the Free Kingdoms that he had never seen similar ones before.

"I'm sorry this happened in front of you. I know watching this stuff must be scary," continued Roric, stretching out his hand. "Here, I'll help you. Think you can walk?"

The girl waited for a moment, then nodded and timidly accepted his grasp. Her fingers were soft and delicate, even if she clearly belonged to a poor family.

Definitely stronger than she looks. Look, she can already stand.

Despite the fact that she was still trembling, the girl was clearly trying her best not to seem vulnerable. She was taller than average, the boy realized, her posture solid and confident.

"Who are you?" asked Roric. "Do you live around here?"

"I'm... From a village down in this valley," she replied, with a cautious tone. "My name is Elise."

Elise? It isn't a common name, is it? Maybe she is foreigner, from Orinna or somewhere else.

"Nice to meet you, Elise," he said, shaking the hand that he was still holding. "I'm Roric. Just passing by."

The girl gasped, blushing and retracting her hand. Between them fell a rather embarrassing silence. She looked less scared than before, but every time her gaze focused on the bodies she just turned away nervously.

"We should get out of here," proposed the young warrior, noticing her unease. "I can't say it for sure because of this damn fog, but I think it's going to rain very soon."

They started following the path that led downwards. Elise walked in front of him, without a single word, as she was probably still troubled by what had just happened. Roric decided to keep their conversation running, at least to calm her down a bit more.

"You asked if I was a soldier, didn't you? Well, truth is I used to be one... But not anymore," he explained. "What about you? Have you always lived here?"

Abruptly brought back to the real world, Elise babbled a reply. "Yes... Yes, always here in Fradot. At mister Dominic's farm."

Another exotic name. I was told that the people of these valleys came from pretty much everywhere, after all. What about this guy?

"This Dominic... Is he your dad?"

"He is... A friend. He brought me here when I was an infant, and took care of me ever since. I have never met my real family... And I don't think I will."

During the following minutes, Roric learned that the girl's guardian was a rather old man who had decided to take her in because her father couldn't or wouldn't keep her. Elise seemed happy of her life, however. She went great lengths to describe how kind and wise the elder was.

Mister Dominic had been extremely protective towards her since she could remember. Even at that very moment, she suspected, he was probably waiting for her at home. And he would have gotten very mad after learning what had happened. Clearly, he didn't want her to wander far from the village.

It reminds me of the old days in Spjaldir. Of how mom used to warn me all the time about bandits. This girl disobeyed her family, just like I always did back then. Good thing she managed to get home safe and sound.

As they walked, Roric felt the rain getting closer. Something deep inside his spirit, for the entire morning, had been keeping him aware of that. Since the start of his wandering, in fact, his powers had grown to the point that he had started perceiving storms whenever they were approaching. Even if he couldn't talk about it, especially with a stranger, he could precisely locate the thundering clouds and predict their movement in that foggy weather. A grumbling sound echoed from above, confirming his feeling.

Well, Elemental or not, anybody could guess that it's going to rain by now.

"It's about to start," he said, pointing at the sky. "Better if we speed up a bit."

"My village isn't far," replied Elise, with a weak smile. "Come, I'll bring you to my place."

The duo sprinted down the narrow pathway. Even tired as he was, the boy was perfectly able to keep the pace of his new acquaintance. Months of traveling and working had trained his body, making it less and less sensitive to the strain of walking every day. Still, he realized that the girl was surprisingly fit and resistant on her side.

Living between these mountains must be hard.

He sighed, as he heard the first drops on rain falling through the trees. Still, maybe that night he wouldn't have slept out in the cold.