It was around noon when the vast forest ahead finally came into view. Despite the clear sky, the dense trees cast a heavy shadow, making the area feel dark and foreboding. They stopped for a short rest before entering the forest, stretching their legs and grabbing a bite of their dried rations. Pydas, the merchant, even surprised them with a loaf of bread they all shared. Still, they couldn't afford to wait too long, so they continued their journey soon after their rest.
It was autumn, and trees had begun shedding leaves, creating a thick layer of fallen leaves on the ground. As the three-wagon caravan approached the treeline, the creaking of the axles was joined by the crunching of the wheels over a carpet of dried leaves. Once they entered the forest, the dense canopy blocked most of the sunlight, creating a constant twilight beneath the trees.
The colorful leaves, a mix of yellows, oranges, and maroons, blanketed the forest floor, almost obscuring the faint wagon tracks ahead. Pydas easily followed the tracks, navigating them with a practiced ease.
It was nearing the evening when Gorsazo muttered under his breath, "Damn it," his voice barely a whisper.
Kivamus was nearly dozing off by this time, despite the discomfort of sitting on a wagon all day, so it took a moment for him to register that Gorsazo had said something. "Did you say something, Gorsazo?"
"Don't be alarmed, my lord, but I think there are people following us."
"What? Where? How can you tell?" Kivamus looked around the wagon for a moment, trying to calm his suddenly racing heart. "I don't see anyone."
"I'm not certain, my lord, but I believe I heard some crunching of leaves on our right some time ago. It might just be animals though, I can't say for sure."
Unable to hear anything but the sound of wagons moving over dried leaves, Kivamus sat up and strained to see into the dense foliage.
After a while, when he had started to relax thinking it was a false alarm, Gorsazo suddenly spoke, "There! Did you hear it this time?"
Kivamus still hadn't been able to hear what he was talking about, but it was unlikely that Gorsazo had misheard it twice. "What should we do?" he asked, trying to calm his nerves.
"Nothing, for now, my lord. They may only be scouting right now to see if this caravan can be a good target for them. I don't think they would know about you specifically, my lord, since we don't have a visible detail of guards with us."
"Do we need to tell Pydas?"
"He would have noticed it before even I did since he is used to traveling on such treacherous roads. And since he hasn't stopped, we have to trust that he knows what he is doing." Gorsazo added, "Unless there is an imminent attack, I think getting to Helga's inn quickly is the best way forward."
"Then, shouldn't we at least tell him to speed up?" Kivamus asked, at the same time he heard Pydas whipping the horses to make the wagon move faster.
"Like I said, my lord, he knows what to do."
The other wagons had also sped up to follow the lead wagon closely. As they continued to move, the sun gradually began to set, casting long shadows through the trees and cloaking the forest in a deepening twilight. Kivamus couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as they trudged along the winding path, his eyes constantly scanning the surrounding foliage for any signs of danger or movement. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flicker of movement in the distance. Squinting through the dense underbrush, he thought that he caught a glimpse of what looked like a horse with a rider moving swiftly through the woods. Though he couldn't be sure, the sight made his heart race with uncertainty and apprehension. It continued like this for a while, and they kept moving while the sun started to set, making it darker in the forest.
By the time it had gotten dark enough that Kivamus thought it would be difficult to keep moving, he saw a glimpse of light a little way ahead on the path. "Is that…?"
"Yes, my lord, I believe it must be Helga's inn," Gorsazo said with a smile, "It seems we will be safe, after all."
Slowly the wagon approached the two-story wooden building in the middle of the forest. The flickering light of a lamp, perched on a wooden pole outside the building, served as a beacon in the encroaching darkness. Trees had been cleared around the inn to provide a clear view of the area, and a partially open structure to the left of the inn housed a single horse and some carts. A small, painted sign hung from a wooden pole. It displayed the symbol of a tankard and the words "Helga's Inn" written in the strange script of the local language. The inscription would likely be unreadable to the majority of the people in his world if literacy was anything like that in the medieval era on Earth. However, thanks to the memories he'd inherited with the body, Kivamus could read it with ease.
"We are here, my lord," Pydas announced with relief while turning around in his seat to speak. "We managed to reach Helga's Inn safely after all. After that scare of riders following us, I thought we might be attacked right in the middle of the forest. But thankfully, we are safe."
"Indeed, Pydas, and I thank you for taking us here," said Kivamus. "And remember, not a word about us."
Pydas nodded respectfully. "Of course, my lord."
Gorsazo admonished him in a low voice, "Don't keep saying 'my lord' from now on, it will defeat the purpose. If you have to say anything, just talk to me."
"As you wish, Mr. Gorsazo."
Kivamus disembarked from the wagon with the help of Gorsazo, taking in the surroundings with tired eyes. The leaves made a crunching sound with each step and added to the whinnying of the tired horses. The other wagons had stopped nearby as well, with their drivers stepping out of their seats after sitting there all day.
Hearing all this sound, the door to the inn opened and a teenage boy came out of the door to the inn. He looked around quickly and ran back inside, shouting, "Ma, we have visitors! Mr. Hudan, please come outside!"
Soon, a tall and burly man, who was perhaps in his early thirties, came outside. He had the build of a professional bodybuilder, with a few scars added all over. He was wearing a well-used leather armor with a chainmail above it. The huge sword he was carrying behind his shoulder only added to his intimidating appearance.
"How many of you are here?" he asked.
Gorsazo answered for all of them. "There are five of us, Mr…?"
"I'm called Hudan," the huge man answered in a stern voice.
"Well, the two of us are just catching a ride to Tiranat with Pydas, the merchant here," Gorsazo explained while pointing to Kivamus and Pydas respectively. "If you have free rooms, we would like to stay in your inn for the night."