“Could we not climb over it?” asked Garrow.
Gabel shook his head. “Goblins might be lurking, and the boulder might not be stable.”
He took out the pipe again and blew on it four times in a peculiar pattern. There was silence, then another whistled response.
“We will take the long way up. There should be another path if we head northeast.”
“What if we miss the others?” Ulyseon asked.
“There is a village right below this mountain. We willgather there. Now, stop asking questions and follow me.” He spurred his horse forward, scanning their surroundings. “We must hurry. We do not know when the goblins will return.”
Maxi hunched her shoulders and surveyed the dense trees and rocks. The thought that monsters might be watching them like hawks from the deep shadows sent chills down her spine.
Garrow stepped closer to Maxi in a protective stance and asked Gabel, “Do you think they caused the rockslide?”
“Probably. I’d wager that’s how they have been attacking bigger monsters or merchants traveling through this mountain. There might be more traps about, so stay vigilant.” Gabel jumped his horse over a small boulder and signaled for the party to set out.
Maxi sweated buckets as she crawled up the slope, even with the knights’ help. Every inch of her body screamed with the effort. Her wrist twinged painfully with every jerk, and she wondered if she had sprained it in the fall.
“Are you all right, my lady?” Gabel was assessing her with shrewd eyes.
“Y-Yes.” She was far from all right, but she answered out of habit.
Gabel clearly saw through her hollow response, but turned his gaze to the gloomy mountain path once more. His lips tightened to a thin line. “It would be difficult for us to rest right now, my lady. Please endure until we find a safe place.”
With an arm slung over Rem’s back, Maxi desperately tried to keep up with the knights as they weaved through the trees, their swords drawn.
“Do you think the goblins will come after us?” she asked.
“They saw us fall, so yes, they will,” Gabel replied. “And you can bet that they will go after the smaller party.”
“Indeed…they would not give up so easily after preparing such a big trap,” a knight muttered apathetically, ducking his head to avoid a branch.
“We will just do away with them should they come after us,” said another knight. “If it weren’t for that trap, those damned goblins would all be—”
“Don’t make light of them just because they’re goblins,” Gabel said, cutting him off. “Have you learned nothing from what just happened? They might not be high-level monsters, but they possess astonishing collaboration skills even among the monsters of the Ayin race. In large numbers like that horde back there, they can be dangerous. They use their heads. That’s nothing to scoff at, especially when they have land to use to their advantage.”
Leaving the other knights chagrined, Gabel trekked back to the head of the group to continue leading them through the thick trees.
Before long, the blazing sun was dimming into a hazy light. Wiping the droplets of sweat trickling down her forehead, Maxi looked up at the birds soaring above them. Though it was still bright, mountain sunsets were abrupt. There was no knowing when darkness would descend. Maxi knew Gabel was right—they could not afford to dawdle in a forest like this. Desperately, she trudged on.
“We will get back on our horses once we reach even ground, so please take heart until then, my lady,” Garrow said, clearly anxious to keep Maxi moving at pace. Despite his encouragement, she kept lagging behind as he carefully led their party through the trees. Maxi lost track of timeafter a while, but eventually, the slope became noticeably gentler.
After surveying their surroundings, Gabel raised his hand to signal that they could take a short rest. Maxi slumped to the ground and tried to catch her breath. Ulyseon uncorked a waterskin and handed it to her.
“This is a pellet made with sugar and salt, my lady. Please, take it with some water. It should help you replenish your energy.”
Maxi washed down the round, candy-like pellet. She spilled half the water on her dress, but you could barely tell given how soaked they were with sweat. After handing the waterskin back to Ulyseon, Maxi chewed on mandrago root from the pouch tied to her belt. She had to recover what little mana she could.
“We should go on horseback from here,” Gabel said, drinking from his own waterskin. “They look exhausted but should be able to manage a low climb. Do you think you can ride, my lady?”
Maxi nodded. She savored the last few moments of rest to catch her breath and regain a sliver of energy before Ulyseon and Garrow helped her remount Rem. She was not entirely convinced that she could stay on without falling off, but there was nothing to do but try.
They rode along the quiet mountain path in silence. The knights remained vigilant with their hands on the hilts of their swords. Terrified that monsters would leap out of the thicket at any moment, Maxi threw nervous glances at the shadows between the trees. She had an eerie feeling that something was watching them from the dense vegetation.
Gabel abruptly raised his hand and signaled for them toride faster. Maxi galloped behind the knights in confusion, doing her best to keep up. Leaning her body close to Rem to avoid falling off, Maxi chanced a look over her shoulder and saw goblins ferociously chasing after them.
“My lady!” Garrow cried. “Keep your eyes on the path!
