They traveled for what felt like endless hours without a single break, but Lillian wasn't complaining – the farther from Tywin, the merrier.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, their relentless journey came to a halt.
"You can release me now," Lord Firebane calmly instructed, his gaze noting Lillian's arms tightly wrapped around him.
Feeling a twinge of embarrassment, Lillian let go, It wasn't her fault she clung on for her dear life; He rode the horse like he had a dragon on his tail.
Lord Firebane dismounted, attending to his horse before leading it skillfully through the secluded landscape.
Lillian, still atop the horse, wondered where this seemingly endless journey was headed.
"Where are we going, My Lord?" Lillian questioned, but Lord Firebane maintained his characteristic silence.
"Answer, or I'll persist with my inquiries," Lillian warned.
"Then address me as Dorian," he replied, marking a shift in titles.
"Dorian," Lillian echoed, acknowledging the change.
"We're en route to Pyralon, as mentioned earlier. However, with the sun setting, we must secure a suitable campsite for the night," Dorian informed her.
Lillian nodded, mentally preparing for a night in the wilderness.
Finally reaching a spot surrounded by trees, they set up camp for the night.
As night enveloped the forest in a shroud of darkness, the crackling fire casted flickering shadows on the trees.
Lillian, now seated by the fire, pondered the mysterious journey she found herself on with Lord Firebane—no, Dorian.
Unable to bear the oppressive silence any longer, Lillian couldn't resist breaking it with a question.
"Forgive my curiosity, my lord, but do you have family back in Pyralon?"
Dorian, ever the stoic figure, replied calmly, "Yes, a sister."
Not exactly a chatterbox, Lillian noted. Still, she was determined to unearth the layers of the man now in charge of her fate.
"That's lovely. Are you two close?" Lillian probed, not out of genuine interest in sibling dynamics but more as a gauge of his character. After all, a man who cared about his sister for reasons beyond advantageous marriages might just be a decent sort.
Dorian remained silent, a frown creasing his forehead as if he were attempting to decipher distant sounds.
"My Lord?"
"Hush. Someone's coming."
Lillian strained her ears, but all she heard was the crackle of the dwindling fire.
"What??" she whispered urgently.
"Five men. And they are close. We have to douse the fire and keep moving," Dorian declared, already extinguishing the flames before Lillian could muster a reaction.
"Are you sure? I don't hear anything," Lillian insisted, a puzzled frown creasing her forehead.
"I don't expect you to," Dorian replied calmly, swiftly gathering their supplies.
Lillian couldn't help but feel a twinge of annoyance. What did he mean, he didn't expect her to hear anything? Did he think she had cotton balls in her ears?
Before she could voice her frustration, the forest erupted into chaos. A dark blast slammed into Dorian, sending him hurtling through the air to collide with a tree.
"Dorian!!" Panic seized Lillian's chest as she sprinted to where he lay on the forest floor.
"Are you alright?" she asked urgently, her eyes scanning for any visible injuries.
Dorian grunted in pain, his white shirt now stained anew from the previous tournament wounds. Despite his resilience, the attack had taken a toll.
"We need to go," he managed to say, urgency in his voice. The dark blast had not gone unnoticed, and Lillian's heart pounded as she helped Dorian to his feet, their survival now dependent on fleeing the unseen threat lurking in the shadows of the forest.
Dorian's eyes scanned the surroundings, his senses strained to detect any sign of the unseen assailant.
He tried to listen, but a frustrating silence enveloped the forest. Damn it, his injuries were hindering even his heightened senses.
Before he could grapple with the situation, another blast hurtled toward them. Dorian instinctively pushed Lillian away and dodged, the force of the blast colliding with a tree, sending it crashing down.
Their adversary remained elusive, invisible and seemingly invincible. Dorian pondered his options, his mind racing to find a way to make the unseen visible.
"How do you fight something you can't see?" he muttered to himself, frustration evident in his voice.
Lillian, now sprawled on the forest floor, grappled with fear and confusion, the unsettling feeling escalating when an invisible hand clamped around her wrist.
Panic surged through her as she was abruptly yanked upright, a terrified scream escaping her lips. The piercing sound caught Dorian's attention.
As he turned toward her, a mysterious force held him in place, restricting his movements and constricting his breath.
Each struggle seemed futile, the unseen power relentless in its grip. It felt as though an invisible hand was not only restraining him but also constricting his lungs, making each breath an agonizing struggle.
Veins bulging, skin turning an alarming shade of red, and eyes watering, Dorian fought against the invisible force with unyielding determination. The struggle intensified, but he refused to succumb.
Meanwhile, Lillian attempted to free herself from the invisible vise around her wrist, but the force held her firmly in place, rendering her struggles in vain.
Just when all seemed lost, the forest air suddenly resonated with the swish of deadly daggers, and a throat was unceremoniously slit open.
Dorian and Lillian collapsed to the ground.
"I've saved your arse twice in one day. That has to be a record. Dragon," Julian quipped with a smirk as he helped Dorian to his feet.
"Shut up, Julian," Dorian retorted, heaving as he clutched his stomach where the stab wound still smarted. The pain could wait; what mattered now was the assailant who, upon his demise, had materialized on the forest floor.
Both men towered over the lifeless body, contemplating the turn of events.
"He's definitely a sorcerer," Julian observed.
"Not just any sorcerer," Dorian replied, squatting next to the body. With a swift motion, he yanked a necklace adorned with a perfectly drawn serpent from around the sorcerer's neck. A symbol only one group claimed.
Dorian stood back up, handing the necklace to Julian. "The Ornex."
"Exactly," Dorian confirmed.
"They don't really think..." Julian's words trailed off as his eyes landed on Lillian, still on the forest floor.
Hurrying over, Julian extended a hand with a warm smile. "Let me help you up, my lady."
Lillian, still petrified from the ordeal, stared at the lifeless body. Never in her life had she witnessed such a bizarre situation.
Slowly she turned towards Julian, recognizing him as the mysterious man in black from the tournament—the one who had aided Dorian. They evidently knew each other.
She grasped his extended hand, finding a sense of reassurance in his presence.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his tone gentle, accompanied by a faint smile.
Lillian smiled in return, relieved by the warmth in his demeanor. Her self-esteem, bruised by Dorian's initial coldness, received a subtle boost. But the peculiar incident lingered in her mind.
"I'm fine. Thank you," she replied. Julian nodded before turning to Dorian.
"How long do you think before they'll send another one?"
"The moment they realize this one is dead. We have to keep moving. I have to get her to Pyralon," Dorian responded with a determined edge.
"I'm coming with you."
"No need," Dorian asserted.
"Your injured, Dragon. You need me," Julian insisted.
"Need you?" Dorian scoffed, a hint of reluctance in his tone.
Lillian, standing there, couldn't quite grasp the dynamics of their conversation. The term "Dragon" seemed to hold significance, and she wondered about the shared history between the two men.
"Mmm, sorry to interrupt. But clearly, I don't understand what's going on here. So can someone please explain why some... thing or man attacked us?" Lillian asked, a perplexed frown creasing her face as she glanced at the lifeless body on the ground.
Julian was about to respond when they were suddenly interrupted by the entrance of five men—Tywin's men.
Dorian heaved a sigh. Great, more trouble. He had forgotten they were still on their trails, especially with the arrival of the sorcerer.
Lillian immediately recognized Tywin's men, especially Raynes, whom she loathed with intense passion.
"Lord Firebane, hand her over, and we'll let you continue on your way," Raynes demanded.
Dorian inquired with a faint smile, "And if I don't?"
"Then you've signed your own death warrant."