We spent the night sleeping under a tree with our leather blankets. I never brought up the kiss since it would be awkward. I'll bring it up sometime in the future.
As we woke up from the warm rays of the sun. We had a quick breakfast of cooked moose meat at this point I was getting sick of the taste. Having the same food for every meal for days is really unpleasant. I think I remember it being a punishment for criminals in prison.
I knew Cynthia had the same opinion of the taste of moose meat, since I heard her gag even when she was trying her best to hide it. While trying to scarf down her portion.
The rest of the day was uneventful, as we got close to the Smoke Town I saw the town's stone walls and large wooden front gate. The watch towers looked basic but sturdy and also built from stone.
As we near the gate I could see two fully armoured guards equipped with long metal spears and short swords on their left hips. They were standing on each side of the entrance.
As we slowly approached, both guards brought out their weapons.
The one on my right then said.
"WHO ARE YOU? State your business and origins or off with your heads!"
Cynthia's usual smile cracked for a second. Her lips twitched with irritation and anger, by his disrespect. She then stopped in front of the guard and shouted at him.
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO QUESTION ME?!"
"Let me give you a warning if you even twitch your weapon at me or my companion. Your squad leader will have your dominant hand. Move aside, please my patience is running thin. My time is too precious to waste on you."
Both soldiers slightly lowered their weapons, moved their eye guards on their helmets to get a better look at the Noble Cynthia.
Then they looked at each other with confusion and started, whispering to each other.
"The right side soldier leaned in towards the left side solider and asked.
"Pssst, do you know who she is?"
Left side solider.
"Ummm, I can't tell she's wearing worn out, poor quality, leather clothing made by an amateur."
"Her face is dirty and she smells like the forest dirt floor. She probably hasn't taken a bath for a long time now. I can't tell who she is. Can you even see her face?"
The right side soldier was nodding his head with all of the left side soldiers' statements.
' Heck even I was'
The right side soldier then said to to left side soldier in a whisper.
"Yeah you're right about everything she looks like a poor hunter. But her attitude and aura she's giving off is noble so she might be telling the truth. Let's be safe and call over the squad leader and see what he thinks."
The left side soldier nodded his head and left to find the squadron leader. While the right side soldier gripped his weapon trying to hide his tense nerves. While he did a small bow to Cynthia and said.
" Young Miss, if you could be so kind as to allow us to check if your statement is true. My brother in arms and I can't seem to remember your face. So if you would be so kind to grace us with your patience. Please young miss I beg of you."
Then the soldier took a step back, standing straight as an oak tree. Keeping his eyes on us.
Cynthia seemed pissed. Then replied with.
"Tsk, and if I don't, what are you going to do? Cut me down? Do you dare? Block my way? Are you looking for death?! Hmmm?!"
The soldier looked shocked by her response and arrogant reply. He gripped both hands on his spear and started to bend his knees. While sweating ferociously. He looked like he was soaked in the rain. His eyes were looking at me with a plea for help.
I couldn't stand it anymore. The poor guy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Cynthia probably wanted to show off and quickly cleanse herself from all the dirt and sweat.
But they just had to say she looked poor and dirty. She was a noble after all, even if she was a kind person. You couldn't call any girl poor or dirty to their face, especially a noble.
I sighed and grabbed Cynthia to pull her shoulders back.
"Cynthia, please try to calm down. The soldiers didn't mean what they said about you being dirty or poor. They just said you looked like it. Since we've been in the forest for quite some time."
Cynthia seemed to calm down from the sound of my voice at first. But after she continued to listen while nodding her head.
She then stopped, looked at me, then turned to the soldier and her eyes turned blood red. The soldier was nodding as well but then started to shake his head frantically.
"No, no, no it's a misunderstanding!"
He looked like he was crying.
Cynthia started screaming at him and started swinging their arms at them.
"Come here soldier, let me show you a misunderstanding!"
Luckily, I was holding her back.
As this was going on, two soldiers approached. One with a silver outline over his armour and the other was the soldier, who was standing on the left side of the entrance previously. It seemed that he found his squad leader.
The squad leader looked confused and asked.
"What's going on here? Have you checked? Their origins?"
The soldier relaxed his grab on his weapon and answered.
"No sir, not yet."
"Miss if you could be so kind as to show me your origins. So I could formally apologize for my rudeness."
Cynthia looked embarrassed with a small blush.
And then said in a small voice.
"I lost it…"
I sighed and thought to myself. 'This girl is hopeless.'
As the guards brought out there weapons to apprehend us. While stepping forward. We all heard a loud bellowing voice.
"Can someone tell me? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO MY NIECE?!"
Then I saw a 6-foot-8 bulky man with a shoulder frame of two door frames. He had a thick brown beard and moustache all connected and bushy. His hair was as short as possible like a buzz cut. He had a scar running across his left cheek to right lip and all across his arms and neck. He looked like he fought a human-sized blender and he came out as the winner. You could tell this was dangerous.
The pressure he was admitting was more terrifying than the snake beast. It felt like my lungs stopped and my heart was frozen. All I could move were my eyes.
I looked around and every one was frozen except for Cynthia. She just started crying.
"Wah…. Wahhhhhhh"
The pressure was even stronger. I felt like I was going to die. This was probably blood lust or killing intent.
Cynthia then ran into the bear of mans arms and started hitting him with what looked like pkayful small punches. But they sounded a battering ram going into a steel plate.
As all four were stuck frozen. The bear uncle said in a low small voice.
"My dear sweet Cynth, are you hurt anywhere? Why are you so poorly dressed? Did they scare you? Do you want them to disappear?"
His black leather armor seems to be expanding, as he asks questions. Cynthia didn't seem to hear him; she was just crying.
At some point she calmed down.
"No, I'm fine, not injured, just tired. I was kidnapped. Yes, they scared and embarrassed me. Disappear? Hmmm I don't know yet, let me think?"
As she answered the questions the pressure was too much. My nose was bleeding and my face was probably blue from the lack of oxygen. And when she answered the last question my legs finally gave out and I fell with a thud. I gathered the last bit of my breath I had in my lungs and whispered
"Cynthia Help?"
All I heard was Cynthia scream.
"Oh NOO! SAGE?!"
Then I felt a warm embrace and passed out.