I put my hood up and followed Caerwyn down the stairs, through the dining room, and out the door of the inn. Outside, it was still raining and Caerwyn hurriedly picked up our horses from the stable boy next to the inn.

In the distance, mounted knights were already heading toward us. The landlord must have warned them there was an escaped moth slave.

I climbed on the horse behind Terry and he told me, “hang on tight, Princess.”

I nodded silently and we set off at a breakneck speed toward the knights who were fast approaching. I closed my eyes like the coward I was and all I could hear was yelling and horses stomping through the oncoming rain.

I heard Caerwyn grunt and swords clang followed by a thud. I worried about him as Terry seemed to be ploughing ahead and leaving him behind.

Terry stalled the horse for a moment and then yelled, “Caerwyn! Hurry! More are coming!”

“Keep going! I’ll catch up!” Caerwyn replied as I heard more swords clanging.

He might have been relying on that door of his and his tempral light, and I worried about him endlessly. I couldn't believe he would bet his life on something that he couldn't rely upon at all times.

Terry obeyed like a good squire, however, and I felt him set his horse to sprinting again.

I dared to open my eyes and look behind us to see Caerwyn battling six guards at once. His horse lay dead beside him and he cut through a horse’s leg and quickly thereafter blocked a sword blow from another knight.

Just as one of the knights was poised to strike Caerwyn’s shoulder, he reached out with his free hand and traced a door with his finger pointer finger in the air.

I looked away—I didn’t wish to see him die when the door didn’t appear for him. I sniffled bitterly.

I looked forward. We were almost out of the small town and onto the grassy plains surrounding it, but there were still three mounted knights chasing us.

Terry spurred his horse faster and the horse leapt off the cobblestone and onto the grassy plain.

It was freezing—especially with the rain ever falling and dampening my fur which now felt like a wet blanket. I tightened my arms closely about Terry for warmth.

Suddenly, the horse whinnied when an arrow struck its hind-quarters. I glanced backward and saw that one of the mounted knights behind us had an arrow nocked to his bow.

Two more arrows met their mark on the horse's rear and it toppled over with me squealing in fear and Terry grunting. I took a fall and bruised my hip.

Terry was on his feet and he unsheathed his blade. “Run, Princess.”

I sobbed in terror. “What about you?”

“Caerwyn told me to defend you so that's what I'll do. Get to our temple and tell them what happened.” Terry demanded.

The mounted knights were fast approaching and I sorrowfully began running—still not understanding why I clung to life when I had no one left to cling to life for—I looked back to see Terry dodging an oncoming arrow. One of the mounted knights rode toward Terry at full speed with his spear poised to strike. I closed my eyes with a scream, but--

A golden door appeared in the air and Caerwyn fell through it with his blade ready. He blocked the blow for Terry as he fell on all fours to the ground.

Caerwyn sliced through the horse’s legs which carried the spear-knight and the knight clattered to the grass in his heavy armor. He seized the spear which the knight had dropped while simultaneously dodging another arrow and blocking a blow from the third mounted knight who swung at him with a sword.

Terry, who the knights had forgotten about, aimed his sword and tossed it at the bow-knight in the distance. It met its mark and the bow-knight went down. His horse ran off.

Caerwyn, in the meanwhile, easily dispatched the spear-knight by finding the chinks in his armor, and then stabbed the sword-knight in the heart with the spear, using its length to his advantage. Caerwyn let the horse which was carrying the sword-knight go free. It galloped away quickly.

With all the knights dispatched, Caerwyn made sure we were both okay.

First Caerwyn turned to his squire and made sure he was unharmed—Terry was looking at Caerwyn in amazement—and I heard him reply to Caerwyn, “I’m okay…”

After that, the two jogged over to me and Caerwyn examined me carefully. “Are you well, Princess?”

I was gazing at him in wonder as rain drenched his yellow hair. I looked down, feeling like I didn’t deserve the magical protection Caerwyn had to offer me. This wonderful, light, and gold-hearted person, sweet as a woman and strong as a man, seemed to be sent from the moth gods themselves to safeguard me. I felt small and insignificant when I was faced with him and wondered why he should waste his time protecting me.

“I am well…” I replied. “I didn’t know they would be so aggressive in pursuing me…”

“Moth slaves are very useful to them, Princess. Many of you are blessed with magic, and magic is a very useful thing to own.” Caerwyn explained to me solemnly.

“But... I have never been prone to magic.” I replied quietly. “My mother is the one who had powerful magic.”

“It doesn’t matter to them, Princess. To them, you are just a moth, and all they see when they look at you is power that they can control.”

Caerwyn looked up at the rainy sky. “We have to get moving. They will send word to the next town we travel through that there is a moth slave on the loose.”

Caerwyn threw up his hood, and Terry trailed behind him.

I put up my own hood and hugged my stomach for warmth, speeding up and walking next to Caerwyn and his squire.

“Caerwyn… Thank you for doing all this for me.” I told him sincerely. “I do not know why I am still here, but your faith that there’s a reason for it makes me… Makes me feel worthwhile.”

Caerwyn turned to me with his gentle smile and nodded. “You are welcome, but you give yourself too little credit. You are here, Princess, because you still have a passion for living despite everything. That is a beautiful thing.”

I felt warm despite the rain; was this very pretty and golden man flirting with me? Why should he give me so many compliments and devote himself to my safety otherwise♡? Ah! What a black creature I am! I should not pine after a human.

I shall write again later.