At that moment, the caravan abruptly stopped, and shouts were heard outside. Rodrigo didn't understand the language being spoken since he didn't know the local language of that region.
When he peered out of the window, he realized it was a group of thieves. There were eight of them on horseback, and they had a cart full of tied-up women, presumably kidnapped.
—Oh, what a shame that you crossed into the territory of the Gaçon brothers— the man at the front of the group said in Occitan.
Tania, who had been awakened by the sudden movement, saw them and shouted at them in Occitan:
—We have nothing of interest to you, leave!—
The men started laughing.
—But what a beauty! It seems this will be a good slave hunt— another man in the group shouted in Occitan.
—My lady, may I take care of these bandits?— the Malak turned to Tania and bowed.
—Yes, go ahead,— Tania responded.
Anpiel then got off the caravan and, holding a club, confronted them.
—But what can a miserable priest do against all of us?— the gang leader laughed.
—And look, he threatens us with a stick, how frightening!— one of the bandits said as the whole group burst into laughter.
The angel then jumped and struck the leader, knocking him off his horse. The man fell unconscious.
The other men fell silent and immediately drew knives, spears, and swords, but the angel, evading their attacks acrobatically, knocked them out one by one. Rodrigo could tell that the angel didn't use any hint of divine power to do so; undoubtedly, he was better at fighting on a human level than Rodrigo was.
The men who were still conscious broke ranks and fled, leaving behind the cart with the kidnapped girls.
—We have to save the women— Rodrigo said.
Epona, who had a knife, approached the cart and began cutting the restraints of all the women.
—You are safe now— she said in Occitan, giving them a reassuring smile.
—Thank you, thank you so much. Those men specialize in kidnapping women and selling them as sex slaves— the women said in Occitan as they cried tears of happiness.
—We are heading to Toulouse at the moment. Would you like us to take you there?— Epona asked.
—Yes, please, if it's not too much trouble— the girls replied.
—Not problem at all— the horse goddess smiled and got off the cart.
Tania peeked out of the wagon door and gestured for them to come in.
—Come in here, we'll take you. You're safe now— she said in Occitan.
Ana, awakened by the commotion, asked groggily, —Eh? Are we in Toulouse already?—
—You sure have a heavy sleep— the equine goddess said indignantly.
The women who were boarding the wagon were surprised by the strange language they were speaking.
—Aren't you from around here?— one of them asked.
Ana didn't know Occitan, but Epona quickly responded in Occitan, —W-w-we're from Ireland, that's why we speak strangely. Don't worry—
With some difficulty, they all fit inside the wagon, and they continued their journey to Toulouse. Ana caught a glimpse of one of the girls—a tall girl with light brown hair and blue eyes.
—That girl looks a lot like... no, impossible— she thought.
The girl turned to look at Ana and smiled. Ana became nervous.
After a few hours of travel, they finally arrived in Toulouse. Tania explained what had happened on the way, and the guards let the caravan in without a fuss. The women finally disembarked, thanked them, and even offered a place to sleep for the tired gods, but they declined the invitation.
—We already have a place to stay, but we appreciate your offer— Tania said in Occitan.
The girls went their separate ways, and the gods were content with having helped those women avoid the fate that awaited them.
—Of course, helping others always brings us satisfaction, don't you think?— a woman's voice spoke in divine language behind the gods. They quickly turned around.
The girl, whom Ana had identified, was still standing behind them.
She had her hands on her waist. She was tall, with slightly olive skin, like people in southern Spain; her hair was light brown, curly, and tied back in a ponytail with a headband on her forehead. She wore a blue and white tunic, which was not the typical attire in the Frankish kingdoms but rather in the Eastern Roman Empire, and she wore sandals.
Ana began to tremble in fear.
—What's the matter, Ana? I thought you would never recognize me. Have I changed that much— the girl said with a challenging yet joyful voice, filled with strength and vitality.
—M-Mistress Athena!— Ana responded, her eyes filled with surprise.
Everyone else froze like statues, except for Rodrigo, who didn't understand the situation.