Kaewyn awoke to the rowdy chants of half drunken men from outside the tent. The temperature had fallen significantly since his meeting with Garren and he found himself shivering and trying to tuck his lower body in closer to keep warm without much success. He suspected that night had come, a suspicion soon confirmed by the sound of active crickets emanating from outside. How long had he been a prisoner he wondered, and how much longer would he remain so? With still no options for escape available to him, all he could do was wait for an opportunity.

Voices from just outside his tent snapped his attention and focus to the present. It sounded like two people were speaking, a woman and a man. Kaewyn shut his eyes and did his best to listen.

“I need to see the prisoner.” Athaia’s now familiar voice said.

“You should see to me first woman.” The man replied smugly. “You’re a bit old for me, but I haven’t ‘ad the company of a good woman in so long, I’m not likely to notice.”

“Garren says I am to be the mother of this group.” Athaia explained sternly. “You would bed your own mother?”

“…Why you gotta put thoughts like that into me head, fine. But you ain’t seeing the prisoner.” The man replied.

“He needs to be fed and I need to check his headwound. You hit him very hard Rallis, it’s a wonder he still lives.” Athaia said.

“Heh, always was strong.” The man said proudly. “But the way I sees’ it, bastard don’t need to be fed. Noble bastard’s horse probably gets fed better than me. One night of starving won’t ‘urt him too badly.”

“Garren gave orders for me to take care of him. I intend to do just that.” She said calmly. “If you don’t like it Rallis, bring it up with him. Or you could just take this mug of ale and let me do my job.”

“I’m not going to get in the way of Garren.” The man said sheepishly. “Give it here and go in, but if you take too long, I’m coming in. Get me?”

“Yes Rallis, I will be out in a moment. There is no need to fuss.”

Athaia entered the tent. In one hand she held a mug and in the other something that resembled bread. She scurried over quickly and place a finger up against her lips, signalling for him to remain quiet.

“This is all I could get.” She whispered as she held the mug to his lips and gently lifted so he could drink.

Kaewyn gladly gulped down the ale without a second thought. He downed the entire mug gratefully.

“Here, eat this.” Athaia said as she fed him a small piece of not so soft bread.

He bit into the bread without use of his hands and began to chew. It had been so long since he’d had anything to eat. Even though the bread was nearly stale, it was the tastiest bread he had ever had.

Much to his surprise, while he was enjoying the bread she had brought him, Athaia had leant down behind him and cut his bindings with a small knife. He was free at last. Athaia once again hushed him with a gesture. She gently placed the blade that had freed him on the ground beside him.

“After I leave, use the knife to cut your way out of the back of the tent, but be very quiet.” She whispered. “If the guard outside hears you, we’re done for.”

Kaewyn tried to speak, but she cut him off. “I will be on the other side waiting for you. Understood?”

He nodded his head to show that he did understand. Athaia returned the gesture, and just as she got up to leave, Kaewyn grabbed her hand. Athaia turned suddenly to see him thank her with a bow of his head. He was truly grateful. She smiled back at him and then left the tent. Nearly immediately, Kaewyn grabbed the small knife and made his way to the back of the tent. As he looked for a natural weak point in the fabric, perhaps a seam where the material had been sewn together, he realised that his heart had begun to race. What was Athaia’s plan he wondered. It didn’t matter. He had to escape, but he wouldn’t leave without Camilla and Yohren as well. Inside, he hoped that Athaia had planned something for them too.

Running his fingers along the fabric, he found what he believed to be a weak point and began to cut. The material broke apart easily enough but he was too eager to begin with, too eager to escape. The material ripped loudly. He held his breath and stopped, listening for any indication that the guard outside the tent had heard the noise. When he was sure it was safe to continue, he cut more and more until gradually, the hole he had made was big enough for him to slip through.

Forcing himself to crouch over and pull himself through the gap in the tent he had made proved more difficult than he thought. His body was sore from the beatings and exhausted, every movement caused him further pain, but nothing was going to stop him from attempting his escape now. After meeting Garren, he was not ready to trust his fate on the word of a deserter. This chance may be his only opportunity to escape.

Once outside, Kaewyn was exposed to the cold night air. The wind was blowing enough that it sent shivers down his spine. His captors must have taken his outer layers of clothing when he had been unconscious. He was not looking forward to escaping into the night without his finely stitched leather doublet to keep him warm against the elements. In addition to his clothes, Kaewyn also realised that his personal blade had been taken from him. The sword was the one his father had commissioned from the Oakerton blacksmith. It was given to him when he came of age, along with a duplicate sword that his brother Rahim had also been given when he too, came of age. Most likely it had been stolen from him when they had brought him here. Losing that sword cut deeply as it was a close reminder of his dearly departed father. Knowing there was nothing he could really do, he resigned himself to leaving it behind. It hurt, but he had no other choice. His father was a pragmatic man, and he knew that he would want him to flee and live, rather than risk his life for a sword, regardless of the sentimental value of the weapon.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Kaewyn peered into the tree line for any sign of Athaia. He spotted her crouched between two smaller trees some distance from the campsite. She was waving at him vigorously, signalling for him to come to her. Athaia’s position looked relatively hidden and obscured by the foliage of the forest, but to get there Kaewyn would have to cross a clearing that would leave him exposed. Shaking his head to dispel his doubts, he quickly looked around to make sure no one was about, then ducked down and rushed over as speedily as he could to the nearest bit of cover. He looked back only once to make sure he had not been spotted. Reunited with his captor turned rescuer, he followed Athaia around a few trees and up a slight incline toward a large rock. Athaia had guided him to a spot behind a large rock where the most of the camp could easily be seen from the relative safety of cover. Feeling somewhat secure, Kaewyn finally allowed himself to breathe easy.

“Kaewyn? She… she got you out!” An excited voice spoke from within the darkness.

“…Camilla? Is that you?”

Kaewyn had to look twice in disbelief as two familiar figures were huddled together under a small tree. It was Yohren and Camilla. She leapt to her feet and rushed at him. He caught her in his arms and hugged her tightly.

“I’m so glad you are safe.” Camilla said tearfully. “Athaia told me you were okay but…”

“I’m okay Camilla. I’m okay.” He assured her.

“When you went down… you went limp.” Camilla explained. “I thought you were dead.”

“Shhh!” Athaia hushed them. “We’re still close to Garren’s camp. We should get going before they discover what I have done.”

Kaewyn squeezed Camilla tightly and felt her return the embrace. He did not want to let her go, but he reluctantly did. His eyes free to wander, he saw that Yohren had not moved and realised that he had not said a word.

“Yohren…?”

Kaewyn felt a lump form in his throat when he saw that Yohren’s face was bloodied and bloated. He bore cuts and bruising all over his face and shoulders. The way he was awkwardly slumped up against the base of the tree filled him with a sick feeling of dread.

“Yohren, are you okay?” Kaewyn said with worry. “What di—"

“Hush!” Athaia said angrily, though quietly. “If they hear us, you’ll be beaten far worse and I’ll probably be killed for releasing you, your friend too, I might add. I will do what I can for him once we are somewhere safe.”

“He doesn’t look well.” Kaewyn remarked.

“You don’t look much better Kaewyn, but I agree.” Camilla added.

“I’m… well enough.” Yohren blurted out through pained breaths.

The sound of Yohren’s beleaguered voice brought a bitter smile to Kaewyn’s face. Even though he was in a bad way, it was somewhat comforting to know he could still muster the strength to speak.

“Where can we go?” Camilla asked.

“I would not know. I’m not from around here!” Athaia explained with a hint of frustration. “I hail from the North, in the Heartlands. I thought you were the locals?”

“I was brought here completely senseless from when I was struck in the head.” Kaewyn lamented as the pain in his head seemed to throb at his mention of the injury. “I’ve no clue where we are now, unless you could direct us to where we were captured? I could get us home from there.”

“They covered my head with a sack of some sort so I could not see where we were being taken, Yohren too.” Camilla said sadly. “Do you know of any nearby roads or paths Athaia? Perhaps Kaewyn will recognise one.”

“Hmm. Yes. There are a few.” Athaia explained. “For Garren, roads mean people, people mean coin.”

“Are there any that cross?” Kaewyn asked. “If we were to find a crossroad then I could probably figure out where we are.”

“…Not that I am aware of, but I can take you to the biggest road I know.”

“That will have to do I suppose.” Kaewyn replied. “What about our horses? We will make much more ground if we can recover them.”

“Forget it. Garren had a man take your mounts to the nearest dishonest merchant for quick coin. Somehow, he knows all the merchants who’d rather buy and sell without asking questions.” Athaia explained. “Before you ask, his own horses are locked up tight. There’s no way we’re getting near them.”

“Damn. We need to get moving then.” Kaewyn said. “Lead on Athaia. Get us to that road. We need to make as much ground as we can before they discover that we’ve fled.”

“We do have one more advantage.” Athaia explained. “Garren had his men open a barrel of their finest ale, stolen of course, but before I freed all of you, I dropped a tincture of Gelsemium elegans into it. Any who drink from the barrel should find it very difficult to move.”

“You poisoned them?” Camilla said with a concerned look. “With… what did you call it?”

“You might know it by its more common name, heartbreak grass. That is what the peasant’s call it.” Athaia said. “Don’t worry. In small doses it’s not fatal, though it can cause a person to remain in the privy all day. Garren’s men should be merely paralysed, or close enough to it.”

“Poison.” Kaewyn mused. “My father calls… called it, the weapon of cowards and knaves.”

“Also, desperate physicians.” Athaia added. “It’s this way, come on. Unless you’d prefer to return to captivity?”

Kaewyn was no warrior, but inside he still felt bound his own version of honour. It was impossible for him not to have developed such scruples being raised alongside Rahim by his father. The use of a poison was something he believed he would always be against, but in his present situation he could not find anything wrong with the use of it. He wanted to ponder further, but he knew that now was simply not the time. Athaia had given them their freedom, and deserved his thanks, regardless of the method.

“…Thank you for freeing us Athaia. We owe you a great deal.” Kaewyn said gratefully.

The older woman smiled and bowed her head gently.

“What about Yohren?” He asked.

“Don’t worry. I’ll help him.” Camilla said as she leant down beside Yohren and helped him to his feet. “I owe him that much. He tried to keep me safe after you were hurt.”

“Aright, let me help him as well.” Kaewyn said, putting his concern aside about the use of poison for now. “We’ll support him from each side. Help him walk.”

The group, led by Athaia, moved quietly through the darkened cluster of trees and bushes away from Garren’s camp. The further they got from the camp the quicker they moved and less quiet they became. Yohren was slowing them down due to his injuries, but with Camilla and Kaewyn’s assistance they still set a decent pace.

It was still very dark when the wind picked up, blowing cold air into their half-frozen faces. When they set out, only their rescuer Athaia was clothed appropriately, but shortly after they had fled, she had gifted her warm outer layer to the wounded Yohren in order to keep him warm. Kaewyn hands and face stung from the cold and his ankles ached with pain. He was still suffering from headaches from the injury he had sustained when they were captured. Whenever he felt weak and wanted to rest, he looked to Yohren. His newly appointed retainer and friend was badly hurt, but whenever he caught a glance of him, Kaewyn saw a determined young man pushing on through the pain. If Yohren was so badly hurt but kept going, he could keep going too.

Eventually exhaustion and tired bodies gave way and Yohren limped to a halt. The group stopped to rest by a small stream that was probably dried up before the storm that had hit during the battle against Lord Severus. Everyone looked absolutely drained and no one spoke. The only sounds that Kaewyn could hear was of his own heartbeat and the deep inhaling and exhaling of air from each of them as they struggled to regain some strength. He didn’t know how long they had rested there, but the sudden sound of angry voices in the distance quickly roused the group from their much-needed rest. Without a word, Athaia placed her finger on her lips, signalling for them to remain quiet. Garren’s men must be after them, Kaewyn thought, wondering if the poison Athaia had mentioned was ineffective. Athaia signalled for them to follow her as she moved in the opposite direction of the angry voices. The group dutifully followed, and soon the voices became more distant before disappearing altogether.

Once he was sure they were safe, Kaewyn found himself worrying about Yohren’s injuries, but he was also concerned about Camilla. Whenever he looked to her though, she seemed relatively calm and upbeat. He didn’t know how she did it, because all he felt was pain, tiredness and fear that they’d be caught by Garren and his men. She caught him looking over a few times and just smiled at him. He truly admired her inner strength, she reminded him of his older sister Alyssa in many ways. They both had a fiery willpower and intelligence that few could rival, and on more than one occasion they had both proven their penchant for mischief. He did not like to think about her much as it caused him grief. He was very close to his sister as a child, and when Alyssa fell from the Xu Castle parapets during a mighty storm, Kaewyn forever associated stormy weather with the death of his only sister. It was a memory that had always haunted him, one he knew he would never be able to forget.

Another hour of travel saw them come across a large and open field. Glad to finally be free of the forest, Kaewyn let out a sigh of relief. The field had obviously been used in the past to grow crops, but currently it was neglected and overgrown with weeds. A flimsy fence that was broken in places ran the length of the field. It was safe to assume that a road must be nearby. Initially it seemed wise to follow the fence until they came to a road, but Athaia insisted they cut across the weed ridden field where she believed a large main road was located. As Kaewyn had no idea as to where they actually were, he reluctantly agreed.

The group cut across the field until they came upon a farmstead. More than likely the place was abandoned. It wasn’t just the fields and fences that had been left unmaintained, but the large building that dominated the area too, appeared to be in ruin. The roof had fallen into the building itself and half of the windows were broken. A few animal pens lay abandoned with no beasts in sight, overturned barrels and crates lay scattered, as well as several pots and buckets. The place looked as though it had been left for a significant amount of time, and had been thoroughly looted of anything valuable. Some of the farmstead even looked to have suffered fire damage. A shame, Kaewyn thought. This was good fertile land. He wondered why the folk who lived here had left their livelihood to ruin.

“We should rest here.” Athaia said through panted breaths.

“That homestead does not look safe.” Kaewyn assessed. “Looks as though it could collapse at any time.”

“What about that?” Camilla called, pointing. “Over there, behind the well.”

Kaewyn looked and saw a second building that looked to be in much better condition. It was a large structure and as they approached, he soon realised that it was a barn. The barn looked to be in good shape. The wind was picking up again making travel unpleasant and Yohren, not to mention everyone else, needed to stop and recover. It seemed as good a place as any.

“Good call Camilla, let’s get inside.” Kaewyn shouted to be heard above the increasingly strong winds.

He undid the latch that held the immense barn door shut, and entered the barn alone first. It was dim inside, but light was streaming in through cracks in the wooden walls and through some small open windows that were very high up and out of reach, which meant that it was not difficult to see clearly. Certain no one else was inside, he called for the others to join him. They quickly set Yohren down on a broken pile of hay. He grunted in pain as they lowered him down which worried Kaewyn. His friend had truly pushed himself to be able to travel so far from Garren’s camp. He only hoped that now with some peace, Athaia would have a chance to look at him properly. He wondered about the older woman’s credentials when it came to healing, but at this point he could not afford to be picky. She had done right by them so far and had earned his trust.

Athaia let out yawn that showed just how tired she was, and then, much to Kaewyn’s relief, began to look at Yohren. Camilla knelt down beside them and was asking questions and trying her best to help which brought a smile to his face. Camilla had always been one for helping whenever she could, which again reminded him of Alyssa.

Kaewyn looked around and saw a farmer’s pitchfork embedded into some hay. He wandered over and pulled it from the hay and then lodged in into the barn door’s handles from the inside. That would stop someone barging in without them knowing at least, he thought to himself. Satisfied of their temporary security, he looked for a place to sit. His eyes scanned for a suitable place, but all he could see was the dirt or hay. His nose was filled with the stench of animal dung, and it wasn’t horse. As a frequent rider he was used to horse droppings. His upper lip retracted in disgust. His father would have been mortified if he had known he was on the floor in a barn.

“Where do we sit?”

“Anywhere.” Athaia said, not bothering to look away from her patient.

“But I can smell something… foul.” Kaewyn said as he shook his head. The thought of stepping in something horrible would only serve as an appropriate example of how terrible his hunting trip had gone.

“Kaewyn...check… check your boots.” Yohren said jokingly.

“Hush.” Athaia said firmly.

Kaewyn cocked his head. “Are you… making jokes?”

Camilla turned and smiled a wide-eyed smile. “He must be feeling better!”

“Not much, but…a little.” Yohren said through grit teeth. “Resting helps.”

Kaewyn smiled. “I’m glad to hear your voice Yohren.”

“I wish I had some medicine for your pain.” Athaia explained. “While nothing is life threatening, you most likely have a fractured arm, and those cuts to your brow will get infected if they aren’t cleaned and dressed soon.”

“I can manage.” Yohren said bravely, though it was obvious to everyone he was in a lot of discomfort.

“I should have a look at you too, my lord.” Athaia said somewhat formally as she looked to Kaewyn.

He held his hands up defensively. “No, focus your efforts on him. I’m feeling much better now.”

“Your head, does it hurt badly?”

“Not nearly as much.” He said quickly, knowing full well that Athaia was wise enough to know he was not telling the truth.

The truth was, that his head was pounding, but he wanted Athaia to tend to Yohren and to make sure he was okay. It made him feel better about getting he and Camilla involved to begin with.

“As you wish then. Camilla…” Athaia hesitated. “Lady Callidus? Help me lift him up so we can rest his arm more comfortably. Ready? On three, one-two-three.”

Yohren let out a grunt of pain, but soon thanked them as his arm felt better in the new position.

Satisfied that Yohren was being tended to, Kaewyn searched around and found an old wooden stall that he guessed was probably used for milking cows. He first offered it to Camilla, as she too was of noble birth and shouldn’t have to sit on the ground in such muck. Camilla though, did not seem to care at all, waving his offer away before falling dramatically into the hay beside Yohren. Kaewyn shrugged, placed it down and then sat on it for himself.

“You really are a noble lord, aren’t you?” Athaia asked as the older woman turned to face him. “Even after all this, the thought of sitting in the dirt or on hay is too much for you?”

Kaewyn turned his head away, embarrassed at being called out for his aversion to sitting on the ground. He then saw Camilla snicker and cover her mouth before giving up and just laughing. He sighed heavily, and when Camilla noticed his expression, she tried to stop herself from laughing further.

“I shouldn’t laugh. I’m sorry Kaewyn.” She said between giggles. “It’s how we were raised Athaia. We were taught to be clean and presentable at all times. I was once scolded and forced to remain in my chambers for an entire day when my mother saw me wearing a new dress that had not been sufficiently cleaned.”

“I remember that day.” Kaewyn added. “My family was visiting Varde Castle for feast, as were several other notables from nearby provinces. When I didn’t see you, I asked your father where you were. He told me that you had been confined due to your insolent behaviour.”

“Well….” Camilla smiled slyly. “I may have reacted somewhat poorly when my mother told me to change.”

“Somewhat poorly?” Kaewyn repeated. “I heard later that night from Rhys that you likened your mother to that of a female dog.”

Now it was Camilla’s turn to feel embarrassment, but she had the temerity to laugh it off. “Ahh… I never knew that you… heard about that…heh.”

Following the awkward silence, Camilla felt the need to clarify. “I was angry okay? Besides… she deserved it.”

“I practically grew up covered in dirt.” Athaia said with a faint smile. “Coming from a poor village in the Heartlands, you managed however you could.”

“What was that like?” Camilla asked.

“It was… simple. I was well taken care of. My grandmother was a healer of some renown so my family had more coin that most.”

“Is that where you learned your skills as a healer?” Kaewyn interjected, curious as to where Athaia had learned her trade.

“At first perhaps, but I am not just a simple village healer. I am a fully trained physician.” Athaia clarified. “My grandmother had no such education.”

“A physician?” Kaewyn said, his scepticism evident in the way he spoke. “I have never heard of a woman becoming a physician.”

“You don’t believe me, do you? Like everyone else you see a woman and doubt my words are true.” Athaia said with a touch of frustration and anger.

“I do not think you are a liar.” Kaewyn stammered, not wanting to offend Athaia, especially when Yohren’s health was in such a state. “And you have already proven your skill in medicine, it’s just that I have never known a university to accept women before.”

Camilla’s eyes widened with interest. She sat up from her bed of hay and shuffled about excitedly. Kaewyn could tell she wanted to ask a hundred questions.

“I can’t believe it! I have always wanted to study something, but my father never would have allowed it.” Camilla spurted out quickly. “You must tell us your story! How did you do it? Which university did you study at? Were there other women who studied like you did? How long have you been a physician? What—”

“Calm down my lady, and I will tell you.” Athaia offered. “But if I am to speak, then I will need some water. My throat pains me if I speak for long periods without some water.”

“There’s a well just outside.” Kaewyn said as he was about to stand. “We could all do with some water anyway.”

“I’ll do it!” Camilla exclaimed as she jumped to her feet and made for the door, beating him to it.

“Be careful Camilla.” Kaewyn added. “Garren’s men might still be looking for us.”

Camilla rushed off and tried to open the barn door, but the pitchfork Kaewyn had barricaded the door with prevented her from doing so. She calmly removed the pitchfork and put it up against the wall. With the door no longer wedged shut, the excited young woman then disappeared outside, reappearing a few minutes later with a bucket full of fresh water drawn from the well. Closing the barn door behind her, Camilla re-joined the group revealing that she had risked entering the main building outside and found cups for them to drink from.

Kaewyn, initially hesitant to drink from a cup found in a ruin, put aside his misgivings due to his immense thirst. The water tasted clean and fresh; he had no trouble emptying his cup in one go. After he downed a second cup and tried again to finish a third, he realised he had been much thirstier than he had realised. The others too, downed several cups before they stopped. Athaia made sure that Yohren got some water as well, scolding him when he reached for the cup with his fractured arm.

It was then that Athaia began to tell her tale. Camilla was utterly entranced and hung on the older woman’s every word, while Yohren appeared to be starting to drift off. That was probably a good thing, he thought, as Yohren needed the rest more than any of them. Kaewyn though, found himself listening eagerly, for he was interested in Athaia’s story and how she had become a physician.

She began with memories of her village in the Heartlands, a fairly normal, but poor place in which her grandmother, a renowned healer, plied her trade. Athaia spoke of how her grandmother became her sole caretaker and taught her much about the art of healing and medicine, mostly about how to treat common sicknesses and basic remedies to prescribe. However, when her grandmother died peacefully in her sleep, the village pressured her to become the new healer. Athaia though, still a young woman at this point, wanted the freedom to do what she wanted. The idea of being trapped in her home village for the rest of her life terrified her, at least without being able to first see and experience the world. So, she left her village at the next opportunity.

Athaia spoke of how she wandered the Heartlands for a few years. Plying her trade as a healer was the only way for her to make enough coin to survive, but she didn’t mind. She got to see much of the Empire during those times, she met some wonderful people and saw many great sights. Eventually though, trouble found her.

She had been living in one of the large urban centres that made up the bulk of the Heartlands, plying her healing trade as usual, when some ignorant peasants who could not afford her services accused her of witchcraft. Before she could even explain, they dragged her before the local clergyman for judgement. If found guilty, it was likely she would be burned at the stake. Terrified, she spoke with the clergyman who listened to her every word. In Athaia’s experience, the clergy were zealous radicals who refused to consider anything outside of their own small world, but to her surprise this particular clergyman who she was brought before was a calm and considered man. He listened to her and asked questions, and he quickly came to the conclusion that she was no practitioner of witchcraft. To satisfy the peasants, he sent word to the university and summoned a physician to test her knowledge of medicine, as his own knowledge was not sufficient enough to judge completely.

When the physician arrived, Athaia recalled that the man was very, very old and walked with a hunched back. Clothed in university robes, the man’s eyes sparkled with a deep intelligence and his smile was warm and friendly. He tested her on medicinal principles and her knowledge on how to treat disease and sickness. The old physician soon dismissed the notion that she was a witch, and the clergyman returned Athaia’s freedom to her, apologising on the ignorant peasant’s behalf.

The physician, seemingly impressed with Athaia’s abilities, offered her a place to stay. She gratefully accepted, and eventually she learned that the old physician was one of the head lecturers at the university and possessed a considerable amount of influence within the inner circle of men who ran the organisation. Athaia explained that the old physician wanted her to enrol at the university to study and become a full-fledged physician under his tutelage. Despite there being resistance at the idea of a woman studying at the university, with the old physician’s endorsement, Athaia was eventually made a student.

Athaia’s face lit up as she recalled her first weeks at the university. She explained through a contagiously warm smile that It was a dream come true for her. As a student, she had access to all records and texts that anyone practicing medicine could ever ask for. She learned more than she had ever thought possible. Her knowledge as a healer only served as a basic introduction to the world of medicine. She eagerly devoured knowledge as she found it, excelling particularly in the field of surgery, soon becoming one of the most promising students in the entire university.

This level of success, as Athaia worded it, cause many other students and even some of the lecturers to become resentful toward her. She had very few friends and was often excluded whenever her presence was not mandatory, leading to her feeling very isolated. Many other students formed groups where one could share their ideas and discuss their studies, but Athaia was not welcome. If not for the old physician’s help and a few of the warmer lecturer’s assistance, she doubted she ever would have had the strength to continue with her studies.

After nearly a decade of hard study, it came time for her to complete exams that would render her a full physician. One of the exams, Athaia explained, was a practical exam which involved a cadaver. Her task was to determine cause the cause of death, but the body she was given was heavily decomposed, while the other students were given more recently deceased. Her tools were also in deplorable condition, often rusted or partially broken. Athaia went on to say that she believed the lecturers who opposed her becoming a physician had organised everything to give her the worst possible chance of success. Angry and upset, but not deterred, Athaia recalled that her disadvantages only filled her with renewed determination to graduate. Despite the difficulties, she did graduate, much to the surprise of her fellow students and lecturers. She explained that it was the proudest moment of her life when she was made a physician, against all the odds she had achieved her goal.

“You proved them all wrong in the end.” Camilla said in awe. “Thank you for telling us your story Athaia, it was inspiring.”

“You are welcome my lady. Though in truth, becoming a physician was not everything I thought it would be.” Athaia said sadly. “Since that day… which was many, many years ago now, I have still struggled to find any real form of consistent work.”

“Physicians are few in the Empire.” Kaewyn remarked. “Surely a lord or mayor of a city would be glad to have a physician on hand.”

“Truly spoken, and I have found several brief periods of employment, but eventually they all fell apart.”

“Why? What happened?”

Athaia sighed. “Most will not even consider me. Physicians are men, not women. Though some saw past my gender and did indeed grant me employment, usually it did not last. Their families and peers were not so accepting. Eventually it was easier for them to get rid of me rather than put up with the constant controversy of having a female physician serving them, and thus I would always be forced to leave before long.”

“That must be frustrating.” Camilla said. “That can’t have been every single time though, right?”

“Oh, definitely not!” Athaia said. “Once I was sure I had finally found a place I could work. A lord of a small valley sought me out and offered for me to become his court physician. His family was welcoming and his peers did not seem to mind that I was a woman, however not even a week into my new role, an injured boy was brought before me.”

“An injured boy? What was wrong with him?” Kaewyn asked inquisitively.

“He had fallen into a river and had been missing for many days. When he was finally found, he was brought to me, badly hurt and near death. Both his legs were broken in several places and a strong fever had set in. The boy’s father begged for me to save him, but it was already too late. He was bleeding internally and could barely breathe. I suspected an infection had developed as well, not to mention the fever had taken its toll on him. It was all I could do to reduce his pain and let him die comfortably. I explained this to the boy’s father, but he blamed me. He couldn’t accept the truth. He claimed to anyone who would listen that I was a heartless witch and that I was not even going to try and save his son.”

“…He must have been in much pain himself Athaia, seeing his son that way. I cannot fault him for his feelings.” Kaewyn added.

“I know, but after his son died, he made it his mission to end me. He roused the other peasants and had them chanting in the streets to have me burned at the stake. The lord nearly had a full-scale revolt on his hands. The lord was a kind and gentle man, and he knew I was not at fault for the boy’s death, so he politely encouraged me to disappear, giving me a bag of gold and a horse.”

“You have been through a lot Athaia.” Camilla said empathetically. “And you ended up a prisoner of Garren’s men too?”

“That is another story all on its own.” Athaia said, suddenly jerking her head to the side. “Did you hear that?”

“I did.” Kaewyn said worriedly as they rose to their feet.

The sound they had both heard was the whinny of a horse. Now that they were listening, Kaewyn heard the heavy steps of several horses and a man’s voice as well. They were too far to be understood, but he feared the worst. He ran over to the barn door and peaked through as quietly as he possibly could. His fears were confirmed. Coming from across the same overgrown field that they had come from themselves not long ago, were a group of men on horseback who resembled Garren’s men. They looked around and pointed at the farmstead and spurred their horses to a canter.

He slowly closed the barn door and used the pitchfork to bar the door once more. At first, he thought they might be able to run, but Yohren was in no condition to flee. Regardless, the land all around the barn was flat and without cover, an attempt to run would leave them completely visible.

“Garren’s men.” Kaewyn said at a whisper, raising his finger to cover his lips.

“What do we do?” Camilla asked with panicked eyes. “Yohren can’t move.”

“I can walk….” Yohren said through gritted teeth. “And If I can’t… just leave me and go.”

“Not happening Yohren.” Kaewyn said as he shook his head. “Regardless, it isn’t an option anyway. They’d see us straight away if we tried to flee now. We should be quiet and hide. Pray to the gods that they move on.”

“We won’t leave you Yohren, we couldn’t, don’t be silly.” Camilla said beratingly. “Where can we hide?”

“They’ll be investigating this barn any moment. Get Yohren behind that pile of hay and stay quiet!” He commanded.

Yohren was helped by Camilla and Athaia into a sheltered corner behind the wrecked pile of hay, but there was only room enough for two, so Camilla left the two of them there after she covered the pair with a few large clumps of hay. Kaewyn spotted in the opposite corner a bunch of neatly stacked crates with just enough room for someone to hide behind, and signalled for Camilla to take it. She nodded and after a bit of a tight fit, disappeared behind the old crates. She was well hidden, an excellent hiding spot, but now it was time for him to find somewhere to hide. The voices of the men were coming closer, he could hear their horses breathing loudly, tired from their travels. There wasn’t anywhere else to hide without making a lot of noise, so he instead decided to hide by crouching down by the barn’s main door behind a small pile of rotten timber. It wasn’t a particularly great location, but it was dark there. If the men searching for them didn’t look very hard, he might be able to avoid being spotted. If they did find him, he knew that he would be the first one to be found. Perhaps then he could lead his captors away and give the others a chance to remain undetected.

Crouching down into the darkness, Kaewyn immediately felt the strain on his legs. It was an uncomfortable position, but he knew he had no other choice. He pressed his body up against the wooden wall and peered through a small crack hoping to see something.

The barn door creaked and strained as someone attempted to open it from the outside, then the door was hit with much more force. The pitchfork he had lodged had done it’s job.

“We know you’re in there!” A sinister voice shouted. “Come out before we get mad.”

Kaewyn remained quiet, hoping to call their bluff. The men outside again tried to force their way in but were met with little success. He heard some more voices, but it was too quiet for him to understand what was being said. After a period of silence, he heard laughter.

“I’m done being patient!” A man shouted. “You’ve a minute until things become bad for you.”

It was Garren’s voice, but there was something else he could hear, and smell. He looked again outside through the small crack and looked to the farmstead. A column of thick black smoke was rising into the air, the smell of fire and ash entered his lungs. They were burning the farmstead down.

“Time’s up. Come out now or we’ll burn you out.” Garren said angrily. “Do not test my patience you insolent boy!”

Kaewyn left his hiding spot and saw that the others were emerging as well. There was no point in hiding anymore. His mind was racing with how they could possibly escape, but nothing was coming to him. He didn’t even have a weapon to defend himself with and running was out of the question. The barn was probably surrounded by now, and they had horses to run them down if they even managed to get away.

“I warned you!” Garren shouted. “Burn it down!”

Kaewyn bit his lip in frustration, he knew had they had no choice but to surrender. His eyes met with Camilla’s and then he looked away. It was his fault they were captured in the first place, he only hoped that they would be spared the worst of it.

“Garren! Stop, I’ll come out. Just stop.” He called out as he made his way to the door and began to unhitch the pitchfork.

“Don’t—”

“I have to.” Kaewyn said. “Stay here, maybe… maybe I can bargain with him or something.”

Camilla rushed over to him and grabbed his arm, but he shrugged her off and gently pushed her side. He opened the barn door and walked outside. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the light, but he quickly realised he was standing in front of nearly a dozen armed men, a few of which were keeping their horses still. Garren stood in between two massive men, his bodyguards most likely, and smiled from ear to ear. It was then that Kaewyn spotted a familiar sight, his own blade hung loosely at Garren’s hip. The knave had taken his blade for himself.

“So gracious of you to join us my lord.” Garren said sarcastically. “Never imagined we’d find you in a bloody barn. What a tale that’d make.”

Kaewyn continued to walk away from the barn, hoping in some way that he could get Garren’s attention away from it, but to his horror, he saw the eyes of Garren’s men all snap to behind him. He turned his head to see Camilla and Athaia, with Yohren held up between them.

“All o’ you here together, as I expected.” Garren said. “Bring that witch to me.”

Two of Garren’s men rushed toward Athaia and took a hold of her, Camilla screamed for them to get away, but they ignored her. Kaewyn wanted to react, but the rest of Garren’s men were fixated on him, weapons at the ready. When Athaia was brought close enough to Garren, he immediately stepped forward and with a strong right-handed blow, punched her to the ground in one swift hit. The way Athaia fell to the ground made Kaewyn feel sick to his stomach.

“Bitch poisoned near half my men.” Garren said angrily. “You’ll be getting much worse than that, I assure you.”

Athaia held her head with her hand and coughed violently, but thankfully she had the good sense to stay down. Garren wandered around her in a slow circle and began to speak. He was enjoying this show, Kaewyn hated him for it. Garren then drew Kaewyn’s own sword and examined it in front of him.

“A lovely sword. I think I’ll pass it down to me kids one day, and their kids, so on and so forth…” Garren laughed. “That’s what you noble pricks do innit?”

Kaewyn took a breath. “If you let the others go, I give you my word I will not try to escape again.”

“YOUR WORD IS WORTH NOTHING! DO YOU HEAR ME?” Garren screamed at the top of his lungs. “I will not… be fooled again.”

Kaewyn could see the immense anger that possessed Garren, negotiating with him was nearly impossible, but he had to try.

“Garren… I’m sorry. It was my fault; I orchestrated the entire thing. Leave the others alone and take me, I’m worth the most in ransom.” He pleaded, trying to speak as calmly as he could.

“Men!” Garren shouted, completely ignoring him. “Tie up Athaia and drag her all the way back to camp behind your horses, if she survives, she is yours to do with as you please. As for the wounded one, we’ve no need of him, kill him!”

“NO!” Kaewyn shouted. He stepped forward and positioned himself between Yohren and Camilla and the nearest of Garren’s men in a vain attempt to shield them. “Leave them be, I promise I will not resist!”

“After you’ve killed the boy, bring me the noble girl.” Garren said sinisterly. “I’m going to enjoy her right here, on the nearest patch of grass!”

Kaewyn’s heart raced. He spun around and saw the complete shock on his friends faces. He pointed at the barn and began to move towards them. Camilla reacted quickly and managed to get Yohren inside. She bent over and picked up the pitchfork and warded away one of Garren’s men who had rushed at them. The thug momentarily paused, which was enough time for Kaewyn to rush up behind him and knock him to the ground. He then took the pitchfork from Camilla and turned around, only to be attacked with the blade of another thug. He managed to ward off the strike with the end of his makeshift weapon, but a strong hand gripped at his feet. The thug he had knocked over had taken a hold of his leg. He struggled to get free, but he was dragged down all the same. The thug had a vice like grip and held him down, he could barely move. The thug manoeuvred around him and held him in a bear hug. As he struggled to get free, he saw the other thug grab Camilla’s arm and drag her out of the barn. He screamed and kicked, thrashed and swore, but the man would not let him go.

Camilla was taken to Garren, and when Kaewyn saw him take a hold of her arm, he thrashed with renewed vigour. He managed to get an elbow into the thug’s stomach which weakened his grip and allowed him to break free. He jumped to his feet only to be grabbed again. Before he could even react, Yohren emerged from within the barn and stomped on the man’s chest and then kicked him into unconsciousness. He shared a moment with Yohren, who nodded him to go after Camilla.

Kaewyn knelt down and took the thug’s short sword, then spun around and ran toward Garren, but he was intercepted by the rest of his men. He didn’t even know what he was going to do, but he had to try. Garren laughed at him as he approached, forcing Camilla in front of him as a human shield.

“Go on Kaewyn, be a hero.” Garren taunted him, all the while laughing maniacally.

Garren’s thugs blocked his way, and began to slowly surround him. They seemed wary of him, more than they should have been considering they outnumbered him nearly ten to one. Garren’s two big bodyguards remained by the side of their leader and watched, joining in the laughter. One thug lunged forward at him, but he stepped back and repositioned. He had no idea what he could do. Kaewyn would not have even fancied his brother’s chances in such a dire situation. He took a deep breath, remembered his lessons as a child, and stepped forward…

The sound of galloping horses came into earshot from the direction of the farmstead. They sounded like thunder; each step vibrated into the ground. Everyone, including Garren, turned their heads to see a line of charging horses, their riders waving swords and spears in the air. At their head, Kaewyn saw a familiar face. His brother had come for him, and he had brought help.

“Scatter them!” Rahim shouted twirling his long spear in his hand.

As Kaewyn’s focus returned to Camilla and Garren, he realised that more than half of Garren’s men had already begun to run for the densely packed forests across the overgrown fields. The men tending to their horses frantically mounted up and began to flee. Even one of his big bodyguards was stepping backward in fear, before he too began to bolt. Garren’s face was white with fear as he realised what was happening. There was nothing he could do to stop his men from running.

Two of the thugs who had not the wits to flee, rushed at Kaewyn to attack, but the first of the charging horsemen rode past like the wind and dispatched them in clean decisive blows. One of Garren’s bodyguards stood firm against the charge as he tried to protect his boss, but Rahim expertly ended the man’s life with a clear, strong thrust. A few of the horsemen circled around and completely surrounded Garren, while the rest pursued his fleeing men into the fields.

“Stay back!” A frantic Garren screamed as he held Camilla tightly in front of him, holding Kaewyn’s blade to her throat. “I will kill her if any of you get closer.”

“Let the lady go free!” Rahim commanded as he twirled his spear and pointed it at Garren imposingly. “I will not ask a second time.”

Garren looked around frantically for any sign of his men, but they had all either fled or had already been dealt with by Rahim’s riders. The situation had been reversed, but he still had a hostage. Judging by the way he held tightly onto Camilla, Kaewyn knew he had no intention of letting her go easily.

“Kaewyn!” Rahim called out. “I’m glad we found you! We saw the black smoke and rode at once to investigate. We’ve been searching for you all night.”

“Garren.” Kaewyn said, ignoring his brother’s words as he pushed his way through the circle of horsemen surrounding Camilla’s captor. “It’s over. Let Camilla go and be done with it.”

“I…I can’t let her go. You’ll have me killed in an instant.” He said in a panic. “I’d rather… I’d rather take the bitch with me!”

“Garren… let her go. Let her go and I’ll….” Kaewyn swallowed back a lump in his throat. “I’ll guarantee your safety. You will be allowed to leave. I give you my word.”

“Kaewyn!?” Rahim said angrily. “You’d let this dishonourable bandit leave with his head?”

“Quiet!” He shouted, before turning his gaze back to Garren. “Do we agree?”

“I wouldn’t trust the word of anyone, but you nobles are funny about your promises.” Garren said, a little bit calmer, but still very tense. “I… I will let her go, if you give me your word.”

“It is given, now let her go free.” Kaewyn replied.

As Garren released his firm grip on Camilla, she immediately rushed to Kaewyn’s side. For a moment, an awkward silence ensued as the riders and Rahim all looked to Kaewyn and then to Garren, who dropped Kaewyn’s sword to the ground in surrender.

“Hang him from the nearest tree you can find…” Kaewyn said coldheartedly.

Garren screamed and cursed as two of Rahim’s riders dismounted and dragged him off toward a lone tree by the overgrown fields. He called Kaewyn every curse under the sun, but he didn’t care. Camilla was safe, and that was all that mattered to him.

“You gave him your word…” Rahim said flatly. “You can’t just make promises and break them like that. It devalues the Edderfield name.”

“All that matters is that Camilla is safe now.” Kaewyn explained as he wandered over and reclaimed his blade.

He held the weapon in his hands for a moment and remembered his father. How would have he felt about what he had just done? Rahim was obviously upset, but Camilla’s life was worth more to him than a promise given to a bandit. He regretted nothing.

“Find us horses.” Kaewyn ordered, and when the rider’s hesitated, whether from insolence or fear, he shouted at them to get moving.

Kaewyn then found Athaia, still on the ground where she had fallen. He and Camilla helped her to her feet. She had bruising all along the side of her cheek, but Kaewyn was glad to see otherwise she was okay. The older woman watched briefly as Garren continued to scream, and spat at the ground in his direction.

“Athaia…” Kaewyn said softly. “I would like to offer you a position in my court. Will you lend me your skills and serve as my court physician?”

Athaia smiled and nodded, bowing a deep bow. “I would be honoured, my lord.”

Kaewyn locked eyes with Camilla for a moment, and while she didn’t smile at him, she did nod. Whether it was acceptance for what he had done to save her, or merely approval of his decision with Athaia, he couldn’t tell. He briefly checked on Yohren who was resting against the wall of the barn to make sure he was okay, and then rested for a moment beside his injured friend. Feeling overwhelmed, he held his head in his hands and dared not open his eyes, but when Yohren’s hand clapped his shoulder in support, he felt a little bit better.

He was relieved, aching and utterly exhausted when he finally mounted a horse and followed the riders as they led them back to Xu Castle. Kaewyn looked back toward the burning farmstead as they rode away, seeing only Garren’s body hanging limp from the tree. What he did not see however, was the judging eyes of his brother Rahim, who eyed him with great concern and caution.