“And why would you want to know that?” he replied, his voice barbed. He let out a sigh when he saw her face flush in embarrassment. “The woman who gave birth to me was a maidservant from the Southern Continent, and my birth father was probably a knight.”
“B-Birth father?”
“I was a bastard,” he said flatly, looking away from her. “I never saw my real father. When he found out that the maidservant he had amused himself with during one of the wars was pregnant, he left after giving her a small dowry. He even found a husband for her. Then he apparently died after getting himself into some kind of dispute.” A faint sneer briefly tugged at his lips. “I guess he was not an exceptional knight.”
“Wh-What about…your mother?”
“She died when I was twelve.” The chill in his voice made Maxi pause, but Riftan continued dryly. “After that woman died, I lived with my stepfather for a while until I ran away and became a mercenary.”
“Was your…r-relationship with your stepfather strained?”
“It was neither good nor bad.”
“B-But…if he made you run away from home attwelve—”
“Maxi,” Riftan said, cutting her off coldly, “we have to climb down the mountain as soon as day breaks, so no more interrogations. Go to sleep if you are done eating.”
Maxi pressed her lips together. While his blatant refusal to share himself upset her, she could not exactly judge him for something she was unwilling to do herself. How many things in her own past would she rather never disclose to him?
Schooling her features into an indifferent mask, Maxi ate the rest of her soup and bread, then lay down by the fire swaddled in the blanket. Although she was so exhausted it felt like a miracle that she was conscious, sleep still seemed to evade her. The crackling of the fire and the chirping of the insects were the only sounds floating softly in the darkness. Lying on her side, Maxi watched the flickering shadows on the cave wall before turning her head once more. Riftan had removed his breastplate and stretched out his long legs toward the entrance.
“Are you…n-not going to sleep, Riftan?”
“I will when I can. Stop worrying about me and go to sleep,” he replied brusquely. He had one hand on his sword hilt, clearly on alert for another possible monster attack.
When Maxi gazed up at him, the worry evident on her face, Riftan softened and brushed the tangled hair from her forehead.
“I will keep you safe. Don’t be scared. Get some rest.”
He thought it was fear that kept her awake. Maxi looked back out at the dark forest. Yes, the pitch darkness had filled her with fear, but with Riftan next to her, that fear had melted away.
Maxi placed a hand on Riftan’s lap. He shifted his legs asthough he were uncomfortable, and Maxi thought he would pull away, but then he clasped her hand in his.
Relieved, Maxi closed her eyes. Though it did not sit well with her for him to keep watch while she slept, it was not as if she could volunteer to do the job instead. If she did, she would be completely drained by morning, and he would have to lug her down the mountain on his back. Her priority was to replenish as much energy as possible so as not to become an even bigger hindrance to him than she already had been.
Shaking off her prickling conscience, Maxi fell fitfully asleep.
—
Maxi woke as theblue light of dawn peeked faintly through the trees. She glanced around, looking for Riftan. He was already in full armor and saddling the horses.
Maxi slowly sat up and started when she felt the cold air on her bare skin. Quickly, she pulled the blanket up again. Riftan’s eyes flicked to her for a moment before turning away with his lips pressed together.
“If you are awake, get dressed. We have to get moving.”
Maxi stood and gathered her tunic and trousers, wearable now, albeit a little damp, after lying out to dry on a rock all night. Her boots were a different story, and she grimaced as she slipped them on, knowing there was no other option than to have wet feet all day.
Riftan helped her mount Rem. “Don’t let your eyes wander, no matter what. Keep close to me at all times. Do you understand?”
Trailing behind him as he and Talon led the way, Maxi still snuck glances at her surroundings. The forest graduallybrightened as the sun rose. All was quiet. The peaceful surroundings almost seemed to mock her current state of paranoia, twitching with every snap of a branch as if it were another goblin attack.
They found a spring halfway down the mountain and let Rem and Talon quench their thirst before pushing down the rest of the mountainside without another rest. They reached the foot of the mountain before the sun had reached its zenith and were welcomed by the sight of a village settled just below the foothills.
Maxi smiled brightly at the sight; soon she would be able to bathe with soap, eat at a table, and catch up on rest in a soft bed. Spurring Rem into a gallop, she sped down the hill like the wind itself, Riftan at her side.
A high rampart of stacked logs secured the border of the village. Riftan approached the gate and rapped on the door. A village sentry peered at them through the gap.
“Who’s there?”
