Chapter 6: My kidnapping.
"You did well today," Earnest nodded and put away his practice sword.
"Screw you," I huffed while laying battered on the ground. At that point being polite was the last thing on my mind.
"Hmph," Earnest smirked and walked off with a happy hum.
The sun had barely risen and when I woke to prepare breakfast Earnest was already waiting outside with a wooden sword in hand. I somehow managed to persuade him to wait till I was done with my duties but no sooner than when I finished he attacked. He seriously attacked me. Out of nowhere he threw a sword at me and swung for my side. He even had the nerve to berate me for not blocking it in time. Of course I wasn't going to block it in time. I was still wearing my damn apron!
I looked up to the sky brightening above me. If my body wasn't hurting from all the bruising I would have enjoyed the view. From the corner of my eye Marley walked over me.
"Hey is breakfast ready yet?" she asked with a grating indifference.
"Y-yes, but first if you could please help me I would be grateful," I replied with a weak smile.
"Hmm I don't know," her expression became conflicted. "I'm pretty tired. Then again if you would promise to do something for me I think I could spare some energy."
You're kidding me. Was she extorting me? I always knew she was evil on the inside.
I sighed, "What do you want?"
"Those sandwiches you made on the first day, I want to eat those again!" she smiled excitedly.
"That might be a problem…."
"Why?" she tilted her head.
"Because I ran out of ingredients for the sauce I use. I'll make it for you once we get to the next town so please could you-,"
"No," she huffed. "I want to eat it today." Why this spoilt brat!
"Like I said-,"
"Ah too bad. Looks like you'll have to spend the rest of the day cut up and bruised. Not that I mind." There it was again that creepy smile she made whenever someone got hurt.
"F-fine!" I gave in. "I'll do something about it so just heal me please."
"It's a deal," she cheered and stretched out her hands. A warm green glow enveloped my body and within seconds my swelling wounds deflated. "You better keep your promise. If you don't the next time Earnest beats you black and blue I really might be too tired."
I had to hide my scowl, "Right…." It was easier when I tried to stay away from them.
*
Due to my promise with Marley I parked the carriage for lunch earlier than usual. To make the sauce for the sandwiches I was missing a relatively rare herb. Yes I could make without it but it just wouldn't be the same and the chef inside me refused to cut corners. Luckily the forest nearby was known to have the herbs in surplus and it wouldn't take me long to find some.
I managed to convince Marley to give me till dinner as she continued to look at me expectantly while I prepared lunch.
During the meal I turned to Ronalt, "Ronalt there are a few herbs in the forest I'd like to collect before we leave."
He looked at me with narrowed eyes but didn't fail to notice Marley's happily nodding head, "How long will you be?"
"Quarter an hour at most. They shouldn't be too far in, especially around here."
"You have my permission," he nodded.
"Thank you," I bowed my head in return.
The Hero looked at me, "Will you be okay? I thought the forests around here could be dangerous."
I smiled softly, "I'm not going too far in. As long as the sun's up there won't be anything I can't handle. As for beasts, I have this." I held up a bell and rang it. The sound spread around us with a clear chime.
"Oh and what is that?" Ardent asked intrigued. "Some kind of enchantment to ward off monsters?"
"It's just a simple bell," I explained with a laugh. "I'm not hunting for game and most creatures will scamper away at the sound of it. We use them all the time back home."
"Do you want me to come with you anyway?" the Hero asked me. Her expression showed no ulterior motive, just a gentle and pure concern.
I hesitated, "N-no that's fine. If anything happens I'll come right back."
She nodded in reply.
As soon as lunch ended I cleaned up what I needed and picked up the bow the guards of Wester had given me. It really was a brilliant piece of work and would have cost them a year's worth of pay. Even as thanks for saving their lives I felt it was a bit much. While I wasn't going to hunt for anything I wasn't stupid enough to not go into the forest without proper equipment. All I needed now was my knife.
"Looking for this?" Taylor held out the simple knife in her hands. "If you ask me you won't be killing much with this thing. I can lend you one of mine."
"This," I took the knife from her, "is all I need."
"Well, have fun in the forest." She smiled, "scream if you need me,"
"Please don't jinx me," my words were serious. Too much effort had been put into this week and I really didn't want to die because Marley extorted me into making her sandwiches.
I entered the trees close by the carriage after giving Pina a goodbye rub. The trees in the area where thick and the forest stretching towards the south becoming denser the further you went. While sunlight would shine through the leaves, it was much darker than the road and I had to be careful where I stepped. Years of hunting with our town hunter Morgan had me used to fine footwork through similar areas but right now I was wearing a butlers garb and shoes not quite meant for gripping against the forest floor.
As I walked deeper into the trees and foliage the bell tied to my belt continued to ring. It was a noise I was used to. Whenever we went into the forests at home to gather wood or herbs everyone wore one. It was hard to get lost when others could hear where you were. Though there was that one time when I was ten and I took off the bell to scare one of my foster parents. Incidentally I fell down a ravine and it took several hours for them to find me. At the time I had been so scared of being lost forever not to mention the grilling I received afterwards. Now it was a pleasant memory of a simpler time.
Not ten minutes in I found what I was looking for. A green herb with a red stem. While bitter, when boiled it released a unique savoury taste. They grew in bundles beneath certain trees and I happily picked them. With the amount I found it would be plenty till we reached Greytree.
I was about to leave when I heard a very distinct call.
"Help! Someone help me please!" it was the sound a young women just ahead of me. Whatever she was doing she was running and heading my way. I threw my bell to the ground and dashed away to hide behind a tree, my bow ready. Within seconds they appeared. One women in her mid-twenties, she was wearing a tattered dress and she was covered in scratches of dirt and muck. Behind her were two men holding dangerously long knives. They were clearly not the most reputable kind.
Now here was my dilemma, should I help? Could I actually save her or would I just die? If I did, what would that lead to? There was no telling just how much this one moment could affect me in the future. If anything it was far safer to do nothing, ignore it and follow the path I knew. Even if that path would at end at the Monster, it was something I knew. Right now I could die here. The Hero and her party were far away, they wouldn't know my decision. I didn't need to help her, I didn't have to help her. But I did.
An arrow flew between the two men as I jumped out from behind the tree. It was a warning shot. I didn't want to go shooting someone when I didn't know the entire situation.
"Stay where you are!" I held another arrow ready to fire. The men skidded to halt looking at me with surprised expressions. Stands to reason. A butler with a bow and a bunch of herbs tied to his waist in a forest far from any town, it wasn't a sight you'd see every day.
The women kept running towards me.
I flicked my aim towards her, "That means you too."
She froze, "W-wait please you need to help me."
"Sure, but first explain and if any of you make a move I'll make sure my next arrow goes between your eyes. Trust me, I'm a good shot." I spoke confidently but my nerves were on fire and I honestly couldn't trust my aim from the slight shakes coursing through my arm.
"They're bandits!" the women screamed. "They kidnapped me and my friends. Please don't let them catch me." She was clearly desperate.
The two men said nothing and glanced at each other. Suddenly one raised his arm, knife ready to fly. My arrow made it first as it plunged deep into his shoulder. He fell to his knees.
"Shit!" the other man yelled and picked up his friend, trying to pull him away. Well I could get the gist of it now. My eyes narrowed as I readied another shot. The women however moved and ran straight towards me blocking my aim.
I clicked my tongue as they made it out of sight and into the trees. Going after them would be too dangerous, there was no telling how many there could have been.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" the women cried and fell to her knees clinging to me. "I thought… I thought for sure they'd kill me."
I put away my bow, "Well you're not safe yet. Stand up and follow me. If you know what's good for you, stay quiet."
She shut her mouth and looked at me with strained eyes. Finally she nodded. Good, at least she could still think straight. In an honest fight at close range I wouldn't stand a chance against those two bandits and there was no telling how many more there were. I just hoped I wouldn't regret this in the end and I came scarily close to leaving her. Dying and repeating… in the end I did what I would have done if this had been my first life. I started to think about everything as chance and manipulation, that somehow eventually I'd make it to the end… but at what cost? Yes, letting her die would be safer for me but I didn't want to throw away the part of me that wanted to save her, not just yet.
I took her hand and together we made our way back in silence.