"So that's why those carriages were going towards the fort," Blanc said, connecting the two events.
"Most likely the important people of whatever stands behind those hills were in those carriages," Celine added.
"Oh well," Blanc shrugged before turning westward, "We cannot do anything about that. Drink some water, then let's just go around it, and then take a break only after we pass."
"Just like that?" Miyanna asked.
Blanc turned towards her before nodding, "Just like that."
Without the others saying anything further, they began walking in silence. Even Blanc removed the chain from his neck and placed it in his bag. They had to move silently while being aware of everything around them.
Luckily, the path they took was through high grasslands. So high, in fact, that it stood well over their heads. Yet it was easy to cut and move through, which made their sudden change in route not add too much time to their journey.
As he walked ahead, cutting through the tall grass, he noticed the smoke rising in the distance was now to the east instead of the north, meaning they were circling around the battle just fine.
Faint screams drifted through the air now and then, but since the others showed no sign of hearing them, he assumed the sounds were his alone and chose not to speak of them. However, he could not help but wonder about who might attack this Domain out of the sudden.
The Iron Line was going opposite to them, and since they planned on conquering more Noble Bloods to the south of the Empire, it would be foolish to break their wounded army even more.
Was it just a fight between villages? Or a small-scale revolt?
It would make sense, though, as the new Patriarch of Blood Certa was young, foolish, and inexperienced… or that's how Blanc saw it, even though the Patriarch of Blood Certa was older than him and had more experience in managing a Domain than Blanc ever did.
But revolts would be easily put down by an army controlled by the Noble Bloods.
So that could not be the reason either.
Perhaps it was pointless to guess who or their reason when the earth they were walking through was part of an Empire caught in a Civil war.
"Any idea, my love?" Celine asked, after doing some thinking of her own.
"Only that it could be anyone," Blanc sighed, yet a frown could not help but plant itself deeper into his forehead.
Something was wrong, yet he could not tell what.
Nothing larger than bugs crawled around them, and the only sound besides the random scream that Blanc caught was just the wind that was moving the giant grass around.
However, that eagle in the sky, three hundred feet in the air, kept circling a larger zone and had already passed them over eight times since they entered the grassland.
What was it hunting for? And why has it not done something yet? It's not in an eagle's nature to just soar around the sky. And weirdest thing of all, more of a coincidence than anything, was that it kept its distance at a range where no arrows could get to it.
Was it only Blanc too focused on anything that he got caught questioning anything else besides them?
"Say," began Blanc as he could not hold his tongue any longer, "Have you all noticed that eagle above us?"
"What? That black speck in the sky is an eagle?" Miyanna asked, narrowing her eyes to see better.
It made sense that his sight was better than hers, but it slipped his mind.
"I see it, but I don't think it's weird," Celine added.
"I didn't see it until you mentioned it," said the twins in unison.
"I must be overthinking then," Blanc sighed, "But just in case, look upwards from time to time and let me know if you spot it, okay?"
"What are you thinking, my love?" Celine asked, a wary coldness in her voice.
"Nothing dangerous," Blanc turned slightly to show his smile, "But perhaps just a hunch that somehow, that eagle may be following us."
"That sounds creepy," Miyanna muttered, her eyes now constantly upwards, searching the sky for that black speck she saw.
They continued walking for another half an hour until they found another hill they could climb on that would take them out of the giant grass.
The smoke, and the source of the smoke that was still hidden behind hills, was now to the southeast of them, meaning they managed to walk around whatever that village most likely was.
The issue, though, was that the eagle came above them around ten times during this time, with its appearances increasing as they kept on advancing.
Blanc was already feeling uncomfortable because of it, and the rest, who were now aware of it, found themselves agreeing with Blanc's thoughts. The eagle was indeed following them.
But… It was an eagle. While it's well known that these birds have high intelligence, they do not have the sentience of a larger beast or that of a True Vita.
Such calm and calculated stalking is more akin to a predator or a human scout than a bird of prey.
But not taking any chances, Blanc readied his bow and arrow, holding it lightly on the string as he stood on the hill and watched.
"We take a break here. Eat, drink, and rest for a bit before we start looking for a place to rest for the night," Blanc instructed, only for a sudden sound to make all five stop what they were planning on doing.
A shriek came from the skies as the eagle began diving behind a hill about a mile away from them.
A second passed. Two.
The eagle did not take flight any longer.
Was that where it had its nest? Blanc wondered.
Just in case it were, he decided that when they began walking again, they would leave that place alone.
It was not their place to disturb it, as it was not their issue to solve whatever was going on in that village either.
"I think we're safe now," Blanc said to the four.
They exhaled in unison, letting their bodies loosen as they dropped to the ground and finally allowed themselves a proper rest. Blanc set his bow and arrow beside him, slid the bag from his shoulders, and reached for his waterskin to soothe his dry throat.
As he drank, his gaze drifted instinctively toward the hill where the eagle had disappeared moments before.
And even before sound could reach him, he saw the grass parting, slowly, steadily marking a trail as whatever or whoever it was was moving towards them.
Not wanting to give up the advantage he had, he refrained from speaking to alert the others, and slowly, he placed the waterskin on the ground and grabbed his bow and arrow before he slowly started to draw back the string of the bow.
Step. Whatever was approaching was close enough for him to hear.
"My love?" Celine asked, noticing and wondering what Blanc was doing. But Blanc offered no reply as he focused on the sneaky target in front of him.
Step. Step.
He loosed the arrow. Watching it fly in an arch over the grass until…
Thud.
"CRIEEEEEEEEEEK."