The soldiers packed up and began their steady pace towards the nearest village to restock supplies. Nova tried her best to keep pace with the men.
Her wounds were bandaged but her legs were still numbed with pain. The leader of the group who decided to bring her, Branson, turned a blind eye to her suffering.
He had decided that if Nova couldn't keep up with them he would just toss her. The other soldiers felt sympathetic and they subtly helped her during the duration of the trip.
After a few days of travel, Nova's legs grew stronger under the nourishment of food. Eventually, the group reached the town.
The moon was out and the night watch shouted in alarm when they spotted them in the shadows. Branson waved a hand and stepped into the moonlight.
The night watch immediately erupted into cheers because his return meant the battle with the enemy soldiers was successful.
Swiftly, the entire town was notified and the gates were opened. The rest of the soldiers stepped into the light as well and walked through the large gate.
[Whoa..]
Nova couldn't help at gawk at the size of the gate. She had lived in a small farming town with little trade and defenses. They had rarely met any travelers since they were so out of the way.
This village was obviously an important trading site. The tall walls seemed impenetrable and the numerous guards on watch were intimidating.
The streets were lined with people who had hastily woken and stumbled out of their houses to meet the heroes.
The so-called 'heroes' held stoic expressions and heads held high. Nova was overlooked by the crowd but the few people who saw her glanced around in a confused manner.
As the soldiers spoke to the local garrison and prepared bed and board, Nova was pulled to the side by the head strategizer, Kim.