The hooves of the horses pounded heavily on the forest path like war drums against the earth. Adrian gripped the reins tightly with one hand while the other was wrapped firmly around Yuto's limp body.
The wind tore at them as they rushed out the forest to the nearest village. Every movement of the horse made Yuto's body to shift and instinctively Adrian further tightened his hold so as to shield Yuto from the worst that could possibly happen. Yuto's breath was very shallow. As Yuto was snuggled against Adrian's chest, he felt her heartbeat slow. A cold dread crawled up his spine. He looked down and noticed her skin become paler.
"We won't make it!" he shouted, panic clawing at his voice, "He lost too much blood. He... he's dying!"
Smoke curled upwards just a few miles ahead of them, a house hidden in the wilderness.
"Then that's our only chance!" the commander responded back.
The horses increased their speed as if they could sense the urgency of the matter. The small cottage looked lonely and bizarre, its walls were built with uneven stones probably picked along the riverbank. Wild vines clung to the house like nature's quiet embrace, a single lantern hung decide the wooden door casting a warm but a flickering glow over the entrance.
Adrian slid down from the horse holding Yuto tightly in his arms while Rhett proceeded to knock on the old weary door.
"Anyone home, ... Please we need help!" he shouted as he pounded on the door. The door opened revealing a tired old woman clutching a lantern.
"Oh, Lord..." she spoke softly as she looked at Adrian holding Yuto.
"Please let us in. He won't last long" Marcus pleaded pitifully.
The old woman nodded and stepped aside as Adrian entered however when the other soldiers wanted to get in the old lady blocked the path
"You stay here." the lady said calmly
"But..." Marcus tried to reason only to be cut off
"I am a witch doctor. If you want your friend alive then better stay here for my healing techniques require no disturbance whatsoever."
The old lady did not wait for their response and slammed the door in their faces. She quickly went to where Yuto lay and gestured for Adrian to leave as well. He hesitated to leave and then the old lady's face turned stern
"The child is near death's door, make haste" she said as calm as ever.
"If he dies..." Adrian said as his voice trembled slightly and the old lady shot him a don't you dare gaze and he quietly turned and went outside. The door automatically locked after him. For a moment he was puzzled until he met his comrades gazes.
"Commander, the woman cannot be trusted," Rhett began "I mean she is a total stranger and that is the prince."
"Half a loaf is better than none. None of us here could have done anything significant to save the prince's life. All we can do is pray that she heals him" the commander responded.
"Plus, I think that she truly is a witch doctor. She has a tone of herbs in there," Adriane said as he sat down on the ground.
Marcus sat right next to Adrian and whispered "no one doubted that, brother, I mean who in their right set of mind lives in the middle of nowhere nearest to Grimvale. I fucked a witch once. " Adrian gave a side eye warning Marcus to be quiet but Marcus didnt take a hint
"And funny enough, they all smell the same," Marcus continued and laughed hysterically
"Are you serious right now?" Adrian growled, eyes blazing with fury "We are all worried sick here and you are cracking jokes."
Marcus' froze and his smile vanished instantly "Well, I was just trying to lighten the atmosphere."
"Well, jokes aside. We should be planning a way forward. With the prince wounded we can't travel fast enough. Our route just changed its course. The northerners are probably going to attack before we form an alliance with King Kaelith. The worst part is that we might actually miss the boat sailing to Valdoria." Adrian spoke with calm authority. A dead silence descended upon every soldier.
Yuko's eyes fluttered open, the world spinning around her. Her head throbbed, her body a haze of pain, and the scent of herbs—strong, sharp, almost bitter—filled his nostrils. For a heartbeat, she couldn't move, couldn't speak, as though the darkness she had been trapped in was still clinging to him.
And then she saw her.
The witch doctor.
She stood at the edge of the dimly lit cottage, her cloak of dark feathers brushing the earthen floor. Her eyes gleamed under the flickering lantern light, sharp and unblinking, like a predator assessing its prey. Strange talismans clinked and swayed from her belt, and the faint scent of incense trailed around her like a warning.
"Welcome back. I thought you had crossed to the underworld," the old woman said as she rinsed a towel in water.
Yuto tried to speak, but her throat felt raw, her words caught between fear and disbelief. Her hands fisted weakly against the straw mattress beneath her. The old woman stepped closer, her movements graceful, deliberate. Each step was a silent declaration of power. The shadows of her talismans danced across the walls, echoing her eerie presence.
"I need to leave," Yuto whispered as she felt her throat dry and a little bit small.
The old woman slowly widened her smile "You cannot travel on horse; the wounds are too severe. The old woman leaned casually against a wooden post, her dark eyes glinting in the lantern light. "There's a faster way to reach your destination," she said, voice smooth, almost teasing. "But you won't be able to take your soldiers with you."
"But I can't leave them behind..." she said hurriedly.
She tilted her head, letting a strand of her dark hair fall across her face. "Oh, you can, and you will if you want to get there alive. There's a path… dangerous, yes, but swift. Are you willing to take that risk, Princess?"