AUGUST 1745

Since Delyth had completed her challenge with Hias in nine out of the twelve months he granted, she decided to stay for the remainder of the three months she had left and spent it with Soo Min and Othmar. Now that her time has expired, she is moving onto her next chapter in life.

The leaves shuffle beneath her feet that lay under the melting snow when she looks back beyond the depth of the forest that hides Esadom. Leaving was harder than she could ever imagine. She made friends in the span of a year and now she is leaving knowing she will never see them again.

Letters are an option but getting a reply takes a long time. She knows for a fact that she'll miss Othmar's stewed peas the most. When she first tasted it, she stared into the abyss for more than a minute. The dish almost made her tear up because it reminded her of the way her mom cooked it. She never would've thought she would be able to taste a meal like hers until that moment. She went to hug him but being Othmar he avoided her hug. It was a thing he avoided. The last time he hugged his father, he didn't return home. Therefore, not hugging her was him hoping that he would see her again.

Of course, Ravi purred and pleaded with his big green-golden eyes for her to take him with her. It wouldn't be a good idea if Ravi did tag along because his life would be in danger. Swuybians are good at navigation and even better hunters. Ravi is a dangerous animal when provoked but it is highly probable that he would die trying to avoid being killed.

Everyone knows that traveling to Swuybia is more dangerous than what meets the eye. Getting to Esadom by Devil's Run was easy but using the same lake to Swuybia will be challenging. Yet if there is one thing about Delyth is, she will get there even if it means without a boat and chattering at her teeth.

She allows the waters to guide her along the stretch and paddles every now and then in order to not get swept away. It is the calm before the storm. She starts to prepare herself for the catastrophe that is to come. Right on time, the strength of the lake increases, rocking Delyth's boat side to side and colliding into the rocks. Despite being hit by the rapids on all sides, she manages to keep it afloat even though she loses one of her paddles. Swuybia is not that far ahead, she believes she can make it.

She paddles. She guides. She paddles. She sways. She paddles some more. She gets hit.

She is starting to lose hope. Swuybia is looking to be farther than it actually is.

The boat tips over and drifts to wherever the water takes it. She tsked when she sees the boat hit against a hard rock and break in half. The only thing Delyth has with her is the sword Hias gifted her and the thick fur clothes on her body that does more harm than good. The good thing about being born in Naelund is the fact that Naelundians are excellent swimmers given they are surrounded by Devil's Lake and the sea by the coast.

She swam her way to shore, chest heaving up and down, coats close-fitting, uncomfortably so, and shivering from the cold. As she treads the forest, she watches her surroundings carefully. According to what she's been told about the Swuybian hunters, they most likely had traps laid all around. Delyth is basically walking on the tips of her toes to avoid being caught in a bear trap.

Suddenly she hears rustling in the trees and stops to look in the direction of the sound. However, the sound is everywhere, so unsheathing her sword, she gets ready to attack. Luckily, Hias taught her a few things on how to use the sword without hurting herself. A massive flood of adrenaline shot through her like a drug. The booming of her heart was furious and incessant with each breath, it was as though she could hear the sound through her ears.

Something grabs her from behind causing her to spin around swiftly to face whatever it was. It was a bulky man wearing a cream coloured shirt with a leather brown vest over it, black pants, brown belt and brown shoes. It is a guard's uniform. It is almost similar to the white and blue uniform the Esadom guards wear. Except, unlike the Esadomics guards' pins that have an eagle on it, this guard's pin has a bear on his.

He's a Swuybian guard.

He grabs a braid from her hair and back-hands her. Her head snaps to the side while she stumbles away from him due to the force of the hit. She blinks rapidly and steadies herself. More men surround her with their knives and fists.

Delyth rolls her shoulders and grips the sword in her hands firmly. She knows she has no chance against the professionally trained men but she was going to go down with a fight instead of backing down. This could've gone well with a simple talk but they attacked her, so this was her defending herself.

They charge towards her from all sides and she starts swinging aimlessly. Whoever got caught in the way of the tip of her blade was their own fault. Pleased with herself that some got struck, she continues to swing. Unfortunately she is kicked in the back of the knee and lands forward to the ground. Her sword falls from her hands and before she could retrieve it, it is kicked away from her. A man kneels, fisting her hair forcing her to look at him before he punches her in the temple, knocking her unconscious.

Delyth wakes up with a terrible headache and an ache on her cheek from being slapped to consciousness. She tries to lift her hand to soothe the pain but they are bound behind her back Her eyes skate around the room and she registers that she is in the presence of Ruadhan Dinan, the Ruler of Swuybia. He observes her with a deep scowl on his face as he wonders what a woman like her is doing on his land.

"State your name and business." His voice echoes through the room. It isn't a powerful voice but with the power he tries to emit, it proves that he is in charge.

Her mouth begins to form the letters of her real name until she catches herself. "Delyth Aiken." Delyth takes in the shock of her fake Irish name, proving that she is a Swuybia citizen and continues. "I was given permission by Hias Gaisser to come back here in the hopes that you will train me to be a guard, Sir." She ignores the snickers on her left and right because she was used to them in Esadom.

Ruadhan nods and calls for his scribe. A young boy comes running with a letter in his hand. "Ah, you're the young woman Hias informed me about. He spoke highly of you. Fast learner, quick on the feet, very unpredictable and intelligent. However, you killed one of my men, so why should I grant you this proposition?"

Delyth had no knowledge that she killed someone yet that was not going to stop her from getting what she worked so hard for. "I apologize, Sir, but I was merely protecting myself. Your men attacked me. It was either kill or be killed."

She earns another slap on her face for her statement and almost sweeps off her feet and lands on her knees. She has to catch herself. The chains clamp around her wrists rattle loudly throughout the room. Gathering her pride, Delyth lets out a sigh, trying to not let it affect her even though she wishes she could break out of the chains and give them a piece of her mind.

Ruadhan claps his hand to get the attention of the knights and he strolls towards Delyth. "Gentlemen, that is not how we treat our women."

She tries not to grimace when she gets a peek at how dirty his finger nails are as he cups her chin forcing her to look up at him. Ruadhan is a disgusting man by nature so he couldn't stop the repulsive thoughts in his head seeing how ravishing she looks on her knees.

"Forgive my men. Savagery is the only language they speak, it seems. I am willing to allow you among my men but be sure to know that you will be treated as a fellow man. You will bathe among them, sleep among them and be assessed like them. When the time comes, if you are chosen, you will leave to Varusa and guard King Silas. Are we understood?"

There were many things about what he said that Delyth didn't like but she had no say in the matter. She had to take what she was offered, no matter how unpleasant it seemed. This is what she signed up for. There is no turning back at this point.

They remove the chains from around her wrists and she rubs the slight pain in them having been pulled harshly back and forth. She casts Ruadhan a spiteful glance. "Understood, Sir."

26/02/22

Au revoir...

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