Alexis.

I had spent the night without leaving the wagon. Talking to the girls and trying to calm them down, it took two hours before they believed me and another six to coax all of the girls outside. Sarah was the worst she hadn’t responded to anything she was still sitting there staring into nothing. We had to spoon feed her to ensure she didn’t starve. She was a young girl only fourteen the daughter of a lumberjack. By the time we had exited the wagon Arthur had made significant progress. The day was just braking and for the first time, I got a decent view of the campsite. Overnight Arthur had packed the almost one hundred tents away and stowed them away in a wagon. It took me a minute before I realised why I felt something was off. there were no bodies. Last night when I had passed by, I could see darkened lumps on the ground the I had presumed were bodies. Looking around I saw signs of fighting large patches of darkening earth where the blood had been absorbed into the soil. The large campfire was still lite but smaller now. Looking up to it I saw Arthur standing on the other side leaning over a large cauldron.

“Breakfast?” I asked.

He looked up at me registering my presence.

“It’s a simple porridge. They had some honey so that will liven it up a bit.” He said

I stood there for a minute staring at him wasting honey on porridge, what a waste did he not know how expensive honey was. I shook my head clearing up my thoughts. I walked over to him.

“There’s bowls by the pot if you want some” Arthur said.

“No thanks I'll wait for the girls” I responded.

“How are they doing?”

“They're doing better a tad traumatised most of them are doing better now. But unfortunately, Sarah’s in a bad way. She’s just sitting there not responding to anything. If you touch her, she flinches slightly but remains still its as if she’s not there.” I said.

We stood there looking into the fire not saying a word for several minutes. I looked around the area before looking towards Arthur.

“You’ve been busy last night,” I said.

“Yeah” I heard him mutter.

I turned to him then.

“Have you checked out the wagons yet?” I asked.

“Yeah, I did it last night. There are around two months of food in one of the wagons. Most of them are full of wood. I disabled the camp and threw it into the back an empty wagon. Then there is the treasure wagon.” He said

“Treasure wagon?” I asked.

“Third one on the right go and see if you want.” He responded.

I walked over to the wagon in question hoping up the back entering into the wagon. It was packed. A large chest of draws had been placed on one side, upon the backboard was a large map. The other side was packed with different crates and barrels. But what drew my eye was the chest. Sitting there open was a small chest packed full of coins. It was more than I had ever seen in my life. Hell, I could live off this for years. To the side of the chest, a was a large jewellery box with large sparkling gem’s.

I turn around then hopping out of the wagon heading towards the outskirts of the wagon circle. Walking up to a fallen tree I sat down. It was so much money, I could buy a title with that much. I would be able to live the rest of my life carefree no problems no issues just sit back and relax. No more working in a dingy tavern spending my nights avoiding lecherous bastards. It’s not like I was missing anything I had nothing to go back to. I could take the money and run be in the woods and in a few days reach a town and be off into the wind. Sure, I had made an Oath with Arthur but what did that truly mean. I was a woman a barmaid that had made a bad decision while scared and alone, what did it matter if I lost my honour, I had none, to begin with.

Quickly then I made span dissension this world was a dog eat dog world. If I did not look after myself no one would, I would take the money. I stood up then and took a few steps towards the wagon. I had barely made it five meters before a burning sensation hit me. It was like a fire in my heart burning at my chest. It started warm but quickly grew in temperature. I felt a sharp and sudden pain and smelt a smell of burning. Quickly I pulled on my shirt ripping it off to see the flesh underneath. In the centre of my chest protruding over my left breast was a circle. Inside was strength and odd letters arranged in a bazar pattern. The pain was increasing it was barely bearable now. Gasping out in pain I collapsed to my knees. Looking down at the pattern I could see that it was burning into my flesh. I collapsed forward falling on to my face desperately I tried to call out but found the pain had taken my voice away. My vision began to darken as I began to black out in my pain-addled state, I tried to collapse to fall sleep to let the darkness take the pain away but each time I was close I felt a sudden spark unlike anything I ever felt before or since, it woke me up kept me from losing consciousness. I don’t know how long I was like that the pain had shut down my mind. Kept me from thinking. I remember towards the end seeing a shadow standing over me. I remember the voice Arthurs speaking to me.

“Silly girl, you do not try to break an oath-bound by magic”.