Anna returned to packing her belongings, while the sultan's words flashed through her mind. However, she still could not grasp who the one that sultan meant to forgive by the Pitung and herself. She immediately closed her bag and went to sleep
The next morning, the singing of the little birds immediately woke her up from her soft mattress. And after preparing and packing, she immediately came out of her room.
"Princess, are you ready ?"
Ron greeted her with a warm smile, along with the other five pitung who were already preparing with their respective luggage.
They immediately got down their boat and walked towards the horse-drawn carriage that the sultan had prepared for them to ride. To be precise, three chariots had been prepared for them. Anna walked onto one of the trains and got on with Pito and Ron while the others took another train.
Their destination was Karta, the capital of the Mataram kingdom, Bhumi Mataram.
Their journey will last half a day. Of course, it was not a long journey when compared to the previous voyages. In fact, it will feel very short to enjoy.
They also left through the residential route.
Not infrequently, Anna turned her face out to greet the locals who passed them, and the residents were so friendly as to greet Anna. It was a soothing thought the trip early.
Seeing the mountains and rice fields as well as the Mataram community settlements, really healed the wounds of her heart and mind that had previously been terrorized while in Batavia. Moreover, the fact that all the sights that she saw now look like new scenery for her because he suffered memory loss.
"Princess, what's wrong?"
Ron asked seeing Anna's eyes that could not feel shed tears.
"Eh ..., not just, ... why do I shedding tears, huh? he he ..."
"Hmm ...? I do not understand ... but if there is anything I can do, just say it, princess! "
Those innocent words were full of attention as they touched and immediately dispelled the sadness that had somehow come to Anna's heart. Anna immediately leaned on her knees and hugged Ron who was standing in front of her seat.
"No Ron, this is enough ... you've done more than enough for me"
Looking from the side, Pito only smiled slightly before then returned to reading the book he had brought.
§
"HIEEE !!!"
Suddenly the horse on which the man was riding lifted his leg, and immediately it made the man fall.
"Ugh !! Horse, what's wrong? "
"Hieee ..."
The horse only walks back and forth in its location, as if something is blocking it.
Intrigued by what had prevented his escape, the man got back up and walked past the horse. However, even in the very dark woods, with his senses which already risen sharply, there no breath of other creatures around them that he could not hear.
No, if he focused more on his listening calmly he could pick up on a distinct breath sound that was neither his nor his stolen horse. A thin breath that is barely audible because it is close to the sound of the breath of the earth, the breath that is exhaled by the soil from the absorption of oxygen into carbon dioxide or what scientists also call aeration according to the remains of knowledge in their memories.
He also turned his gaze down. There, limply limped a white rabbit with a spot of red blood soaking its feet. In fact, with his smell, he should be able to notice the smell of fresh blood blocking his path.
However, his priority to escape had clouded the blood smell and made him ignore the little injured animal to fulfill his priorities.
"Auukh ... auukh .. . . "
The rabbit seemed to be begging.
But for the man time was very precious, he turned away without paying attention to the rabbit. Grabbed the horse's bridle, and climbed on the saddle, and he began to signal the horse to start running again to avoid the rabbit.
"Hrr !!"
"Ha? Don't joke, you horse! start your leg movements! "
"H r r ...."
The man continued to try to stomp his leg against the horse's thigh, but instead of running, the horse lowered its body by bending its four legs to the ground and tapping its head without paying attention to the man who was upset.
The sound of the wind blowing was heard again, really quiet and lonely. The man finally gave up.
Even though his face looked grimly at the horse, he began to get out of the saddle and walk toward the rabbit. Slowly he lowered his head and was right as he thought. It was a trap, the rabbit couldn't move because one of its legs was trapped and the trap injured its leg.
He immediately stretched out his hand, grabbed the two traps that caught the rabbit's leg, then pulled it aside so he could get the rabbit out.
The rabbit immediately jumped and went deep into the darkness of the forest.
No !!
However, at the same time as he released the trap from his hand, suddenly the trap seemed to be pulled into the ground and disappeared. But that wasn't all that happened, not after a few seconds, a large wood twice the diameter of an adult immediately shot out of the darkness, and immediately hit the man's body until he fell to the ground.
"H r r ...," tab! tab! tab! " HIEEEEE !!! "
With a response, the horse immediately ran towards the man, or rather it's back to him while lifting his two front legs.
"See! I told you that tonight we will get slaves two at a time, right! My fortune teller is a great person, you know! "
" Hiss! Just keep on boasting yourself, big ass! You can't even count, and only depend on other people for what you can! "
"But brother, how are we going to catch this horse. Just look at the muscles, it looks like this horse is stronger than a horse in general, right! "
"Hmm ... that's right"
While carrying torches, three bandits appeared from the darkness. The three of them were disheveled, but judging by their weapons, the three of them had good quality weaponry.
The three of them immediately coiled around the horse while starting to swing their chain guns to attack the horse. But their movements immediately froze when the man, who had fallen on the ground, started to get back up again.
"Wh-what are you !?"
"Mo-mo-monster, don't come near you monster !!"
"...?"
Responding to the two younger siblings who were scared to see the man, the bandits' eldest brother immediately threw his ax and pulled the two younger siblings who were stumbling back in fear.
Jleeb !!
"AKHH !!"
The ax shot straight at the man's body and stabbed into his left shoulder.
With the stinging and hot feeling on his shoulders, he began to turn his gaze. thick red blood began to flow incessantly, and the nail that stuck it soon fell off and left a deep wound.
His breathing grew heavier as well, and as his gaze began to fade, unbearable drowsiness immediately tugged at his two lids along with all the strength supporting his body.
Unable to maintain his consciousness, only the horse's voice could he hear the last time before he fell asleep in the silent darkness.
§
"Mm ... Mr. driver, please stop the train!"
Simultaneously the driver who was surprised by Anna shouted and immediately stopped the horse carriage.
Then, without wasting any time, Anna immediately jumped off the train and ran towards a lake behind some trees beside the road.
"Princess?"
"Princess, ah no ... let's chase Ron"
"Hm!"
The other train also came to a halt, and that too immediately caught the attention of the sultan who was at the forefront.
"Princess! Where do you want to go, princess? "
"Over there! I saw someone lying beside the river! "
The two brothers who listened to Anna's words finally decided to follow her. They continued to run to the place that Anna was pointing at.
And it's true what Anna said, beside a black horse, a man was lying face down on the green grass by the lake. Anna immediately approached him as well as Ron and Pito.
But immediately the two brothers immediately confronted Anna and stopped in their tracks.
"Eh? Pito, Ron, what's wrong with you? "
"No princess, don't approach him!"
"Princess, you can't approach that person! He, ... that person ...!! "
Anna's gaze floated for a moment, and immediately caught the face of the man. Immediately an immediate Anna's face paled, her iris shrink and her breathing seemed depressed.
"Not that person, that person is a dangerous person for princess! That man ... was the first son of the former governor-general of the VOC, ... Meleonarch van Pieterzcoon! ! "