-HER-

I threw a murderous glare at Vittoria, expecting an answer in return as our ship hit the dock of the easternmost port of my brother's kingdom. She had thrown me out of the cabin before Viscount could tell us what my brother was up to. She treated me with a harrowing silence for the rest of the journey.

I fought hard with my desire to tackle her down and demand an answer, but oh, I suspected if that would work at all. Otherwise, I'd have tried.

It was easier to have a dead person talking than to make Vittoria talk. Once she had decided not to talk, no one could make her talk.

She broke her silence once we were in the bustling town of the little port city. It was pretty busy at the port because the town seemed to be celebrating a local festival. Several ships lined the docks, and several others were still waiting on the horizon with guests, traders and goods.

"They are here," Vittoria told me, grabbing my wrist almost painfully to lead me through the swarming crowd.

"Where?" I yelped and looked around the crowd frantically, almost expecting those troops to jump out of nowhere and surround us.

"Not here," Vittoria hissed, pulling me through the crowd. Her grip was getting tighter and more painful. For once, I could feel the tension in her body through her touch. It had the same energy as a cobra about to jump forth and bite its prey. "They're supposed to be somewhere around the town,"

"Didn't he tell you?" I asked, bewildered.

"No," Vittoria clarified. She spotted an empty alley where she pulled me aside temporarily. I gazed at the crowd passing, cramming the market. They were moving towards the town where the celebrations were happening.

I heard Vittoria ruffle through the small bag she had been carrying over her shoulder. She took a small pouch from it and shoved it into my hands.

"You should be able to find them before all of these are sold," She ordered

"What?" I asked, feeling more puzzled.

"Sometimes I wonder if God gave you sea shells for ears!" She hissed in response. I took the pouch and left without saying another word. Meanwhile, Vittoria went her way in search of them.

I wandered around the market for a while, trying to vend the stones and find out about the troops' whereabouts. So far, no one seemed to have noticed anything odd.

I decided to move towards the town after selling the stones at an enormous overprice to some clueless visitors by convincing them that it would help them find gold,

After lying to them about how the stones would make them even more beautiful, I sold a couple more stones to some girls at high prices. So far, I was earning well, but still, there was no clue about the troops.

After a long time, I had amassed so much money; I must divulge that my greediness got the best of me. I attempted to sell some more stones at an extremely high price to a customer without vetting her. It turned out she was one of the town's residents and not only that, she was a member of the town's guild and threatened to get me caught and punished for selling fake stones. I had to run, shoving people away from my way to run for my life.

I must clarify this in case you misjudged me and thought I ran because I was scared they would get me and prosecute me. No, I ran because if Vittoria got to know that I had been caught, she'll prolly make me swim back to the Lagrifiri (if the sharks and the sirens spare me), where she would already have a plot ready for me on the dead mountain, right next to Ceredora!

A shiver ran down my spine, and I pumped my legs harder. When I stopped, I found myself on the deserted outskirts of the town. I decided to stay there for a while and catch my breath. I sat over a fallen tree and wondered where Vittoria was and if she had found out the troops. In the distance, I heard some music before the crowd cheered.

The celebrations must have begun. I thought as I decided to stay there for a while. Suddenly, I felt peculiar as a light breeze greeted me, coming from the direction of the woods surrounding the towns.

I didn't know what it was about the breeze, but it stirred something in the air. I closed my eyes and turned into my inner ears, tuning into the whisper of the breeze and drowning out the noise of the crowd and the celebration.

I heard the sound of hooves... a lot of hooves. It must have been at least 30 horses. Then there was the sound of talking... primarily men. It was a chorus of voices, but a familiar voice almost stood out to me for a split second.

'Don't be disheartened, Alex, we'll find her,' Someone assured before that familiar voice replied, "I don't think so,'

Suddenly, the breeze stopped flowing, and I snapped out of the trance. I waited for the breeze to flow again, but it changed direction. Although whatever I had been able to make from the sounds of the hooves and the chorus of voices, I was sure they were near.

But who were they? I couldn't help but wonder. Where those the troops? But then I shook my head. Those can't be the troops. Why could they come from that direction if they were the troops? No, they weren't the troops, I assured myself. They must be some travellers heading this way to see the town's celebration, but that voice... it felt oddly familiar.

The train of my thoughts was interrupted when a horse neighed in the distance, and soon a caravan emerged out of the woods.

I couldn't help but stare at them... there was something odd about them... the way they moved so smoothly, the aura they carried, the way the woods stood silent and still as they exited it... I have seen this before.

Before I could notice, I found myself standing in the way of the caravan. The Caravan Master saw me on his way, he cracked his whip, signalling me to step away, but I didn't. He sped his horse towards me, but still, I didn't move. He stopped his horse abruptly in front of me, whipping it until it was on his hind legs and gave out a loud neigh.

Still, I didn't move.

"Move!" He barked at me.

"Where are you coming from?" I asked.

"That's none of your business—"

"— from a far away land, it seems," I wondered out loud, eyeing the load some caravan members were carrying behind him.

"I said move!" He commanded again, but my feet further sank into the sand.

"I have something that will help you in your journey," I offered, jiggling the small pouch full of stones in my hand.

"We don't need it. Move out of my way, woman!" He shouted again.

"Or what?" I dared with a mischievous smile. Suddenly, a horse raced by my side. For a split second, my eyes locked with the one riding the horse. My heart stirred in my chest as soon as I realised who it was.

He rounded around, making me turn around to face him. As he got off the horse, he took off the cover from his face.

"YOU!"