“Junior knights are usually chosen from among the squires who are about to be knighted. We have gained enough experience during the last few months, so you need not worry, my lady.”
Garrow puffed up his chest, and Ulyseon nodded resolutely beside him.
“I shall not put you in danger like last time, my lady,” said Ulyseon. “Please rest assured that we shall keep you safe no matter what!”
Maxi smiled as she looked at the young men who had grown so much during the short time she had not seen them. “Th-Thank you. I trust that you w-will be more than up to the task.”
“Livakion and Rovar here are the best among the juniors. Please make sure to stay by their side at all times during the journey, my lady. You must never leave the ranks on your own,” cautioned Gabel. “If there is a problem, please inform me or the other knights.”
Maxi nodded solemnly. “I will keep that in mind. And…wh-where is Riftan?”
“The commander is over there.”
Maxi turned to where he pointed and saw Riftan speaking with Rodrigo, two white-haired knights, and three younger subordinates.
“He is delegating the castle duties,” Gabel explained. “He is leaving Rodrigo in charge of the great hall, while Sir Obaron and Sir Sebrique will be in charge of managing themilitary facilities.”
After handing Obaron and Rodrigo a ring of keys each, Riftan took his place at the head of the ranks. Maxi kept her eyes on him as he effortlessly mounted Talon. Riftan’s gaze soon darted to her as well.
Maxi stiffened, worried that he might change his mind and insist that she stay behind. However, he simply stirred his horse toward the gate without a word to her.
“Onward!”
The sentries on the castle wall blew their kopels at Riftan’s command. Hearing the signal, the knights began to cross the drawbridge in an orderly procession. Maxi gripped the reins and led Rem to move with the ranks. As Calypse Castle grew distant, an odd combination of excitement and fear surged inside her. She wondered what awaited her on this journey.
As if sensing her anxiety, Garrow said softly, “You do not have to be so worried, my lady. We have been scouring Anatolium all spring to subdue the monsters. There will be no attacks any time soon.”
Despite being younger than her, Garrow showed more bravery than Maxi. She gave him an embarrassed look. Not only was the squire calm, but all the junior knights of similar age seemed to be as well.
As the Remdragon Knights led their towering warhorses through the village, the villagers flanking the road gazed up at them in awe. Maxi felt like a small pup that had somehow been lost in a pack of wolves.
Gabel rode ahead of her. He looked over his shoulder as he said, “My lady, please move to the center once we pass the village gates.”
Following his instruction, Maxi fell back to the center ofthe formation as soon as they were out of Anatol. Riftan glanced at her from his place at the front before picking up speed. The knights followed suit, galloping down the dirt road that cut through the valley.
Maxi rode Rem carefully to make sure she did not bump into the other horses. Traveling down a narrow and uneven dirt road proved more difficult than she had thought. If she had not practiced with Rem beforehand, she would have struggled to keep up with the knights.
They rode for a long time, and when Ulyseon noticed her sweating and breathing heavily, he called to her in encouragement. “We must pass through two mountains today, but the road will be smoother once we are out of Anatolium. Hold out until then, my lady.”
She nodded, wondering how he was able to articulate so well atop a galloping horse without biting his tongue. Her thighs and buttocks were already throbbing, but she could not complain. She was the one who had stubbornly insisted on coming along after all.
The knights thankfully slowed down once the road became steeper. Finally able to relax a little, she scanned her surroundings.
Lush hazel trees lined the narrow path through the valley. A pointed rock that looked as if it had been carved with a chisel loomed precariously from the mountain peak. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of rushing water floated over to them. They rode for a while longer before stopping to rest at a brook.
Maxi dismounted with great difficulty onto shaky legs and led Rem to the water. While the horses guzzled from the brook as though they intended to drain it, the knights aterations of bread and jerky. Maxi quenched her thirst with her waterskin and gulped down a chunk of tough jerky that was as hard as a block of wood.
After only twenty minutes’ rest, the knights mounted up again and set out. Only half a day in, and Maxi was already losing her confidence. The brutal saddle made her backside feel like it was on fire, and her lungs stung as if pricked by countless needles. Even her hair annoyed her; curly locks kept slipping free from her braid and sticking to her face. In contrast, the knights appeared at ease in their heavy armor.
Maxi pressed her thighs against the saddle as she struggled to maintain her posture. It was not until the narrow, secluded road turned into a smooth path that the hellish march finally came to a stop.
Riftan’s voice resonated down the ranks. “We will sleep out here tonight.”
Garrow muttered under his breath as he slid off his horse. “I suppose it would be difficult for us to traverse the mountains in a day….”
Maxi was so relieved that the ride was over that she had no qualms about spending a night in the mountains. She nearly tumbled off her saddle. If Ulyseon had not been quick to steady her fall, she would have ended up facedown on the damp ground.
“You must be exhausted, my lady. Please, sit over here. I will pitch a tent for you immediately.”
