---
The clearing where the wild boar beast had fallen was alive with tension and activity.
The guards busied themselves with checking their wounds, retrieving their weapons, and ensuring their formation was intact.
The faint metallic scent of blood lingered in the frosty air, mixing with the earthy aroma of crushed snow and disturbed underbrush.
Amid the chaos stood the girl, her brow furrowed and her lips pressed into a determined line.
Her deep brown eyes swept over the trees with unwavering focus.
Unlike her guards, who had resumed their professional calm, she seemed restless, her body practically vibrating with certainty.
"There was someone else here," she stated firmly, breaking the silence. I am sure I saw someone.
Although I didn't see his face only his back when he saved me. We must find that person. I need to thank him.
The guards exchanged skeptical glances, one of them pausing in his task to speak.
"With all due respect, Miss Helena," he said, his tone polite but dismissive, "there was no one else.
We saw no one. It must have been your imagination."
"It wasn't my imagination," Helena snapped, her voice sharp. "I saw him just for a second. A boy. He was helping us."
Fowad, hidden within the dense underbrush some distance away, felt his chest tighten at her words.
From his vantage point, he could see the frustration etched on her face and the doubt in the guards' eyes.
He adjusted his position slightly, careful to remain silent as he continued to listen.
---
"Miss Helena," another guard chimed in, his voice softer but equally skeptical, "it's impossible for a lone boy to survive in the Sapling Forest, let alone fight a beast like that.
You know as well as I do how dangerous this place is."
Helena turned to him, her eyes flashing with irritation.
"Then how do you explain the way the boar was distracted? Those precise strikes on its legs? That wasn't luck it was strategy!"
Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, the guards had no answer.
One of them shifted uncomfortably, his gaze dropping to the ground.
"It could have been the fox," another guard offered hesitantly.
"We saw something darting around the boar's legs a wild beast, maybe. But a boy? Out here? It doesn't make sense."
The fox was a wild beast. Fox loves boar meat. It's natural for them too attack board beast in the middle of battle.
Fox beast don't have much strength.
So they always used different tactics to hunt. It simply took advantage of the battle to hunt some meat.
Helena let out a frustrated huff, her hands balling into fists at her sides.
"I know what I saw," she insisted, her voice rising slightly. "And I'm telling you, there was someone else here."
---
As the guards murmured among themselves, their disbelief evident, an older man stepped forward.
He was dressed more formally than the others, his posture straight and his expression calm.
His silver hair was neatly combed, and his piercing gray eyes held a quiet authority.
"Miss Helena," he said in a measured tone, his voice carrying a soothing quality that seemed to calm the tension.
"Perhaps it would be best not to dwell on this matter for now. You've had a long day, and the forest is no place for prolonged debates."
Helena turned to him, her frustration giving way to a mix of respect and exasperation. "But, Mr. Edgar, I....."
The man held up a hand, silencing her gently. "I understand your concern," he said, his tone even.
"But our priority should be to ensure your safety and regroup. This forest is vast and unpredictable.
Whether or not someone else was here is irrelevant at the moment. We can continue your training another time."
Helena hesitated, her gaze flicking back to the trees where she had last seen the mysterious figure.
Fowad could feel her eyes boring into the shadows, and for a moment, he thought she might somehow spot him.
But then she sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly.
"Fine," she said reluctantly, her voice quieter now. "But I know what I saw, Mr. Edgar. And I'm not going to forget it."
---
From his hidden vantage point, Fowad watched the scene unfold, a mixture of relief and curiosity swirling within him.
Relief, because it seemed they were preparing to leave the forest, which meant he wouldn't have to worry about them discovering him.
And curiosity, because the girl Helena was unlike anyone he had ever encountered.
Her determination was impressive, almost admirable. Even in the face of disbelief, she had stood her ground, refusing to let her claims be dismissed.
It was clear she wasn't the type to back down easily.
"Helena," Fowad murmured under his breath, testing the name. It felt strange on his tongue, but it suited her. Strong, assertive, unyielding.
As the group began packing up their supplies and tending to their injured, Fowad shifted slightly, careful not to make a sound.
He had no intention of revealing himself, but he couldn't help but linger, his curiosity keeping him rooted in place.
---
Fowad listened closely as fragments of conversation drifted toward him.
The girl and guard leader were taking to each other.
"Miss Helena," one of the guards said as he helped her adjust her cloak, "it's commendable that you're so dedicated to your training.
But perhaps your father was right it's too dangerous out here. Even with us to protect you, the Sapling Forest is no place for someone of your standing."
"My standing?" Helena echoed, her tone sharp. "Do you think that will matter if I can't defend myself? My family's wealth won't mean anything if I'm dead."
The guard flinched slightly at her words, but she pressed on. "My father sent me here to train, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I refuse to be a helpless burden."
Mr. Edgar stepped forward, his expression calm but firm.
"Your resolve is admirable, Miss Helena."
But your father entrusted me with your safety, and I must insist that we leave for now.
The Sapling Forest is far more dangerous than we anticipated.
"We can return to training once we've regrouped and assessed the situation."
Helena's lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't argue further.
Fowad watched as the group began moving, their formation tight and their movements cautious.
---