Free Web NovelChapter 314: Chapter 314
Ragnar cut the distance steadily, guiding his horse through the large expanse of land that surrounded his estate. The terrain grew rougher as the trees thickened, ducking under leafless low hanging branches as he rode past. The man he was pursuing glanced back once, his panic clear even from a distance.
Ragnar urged his mount harder.
The chase did not last long. Snow slowed the man at every step, while Ragnar’s horse tore through the drifts with relentless force. The fugitive stumbled toward a ravine, breath coming in sharp, desperate gasps. Ragnar anticipated the move and veered sharply to the side, cutting off the only clear path of escape. His horse reared slightly as he pulled on the reins, bringing it to a halt just as the man skidded to a stop, trapped between the looming slope and Ragnar’s towering presence.
The man spun around, chest heaving, and his hand darted toward his coat. But Ragnar was already moving.
He dismounted in one fluid motion and closed the distance before the man could draw whatever weapon he carried. He struck the man’s hand and the knife slipped from numb fingers and dropped uselessly into the snow. Ragnar seized the front of the man’s coat, twisted, and drove him face-first into the ground.
The impact knocked the air from his lungs and he let out a strangled grunt. He struggled as Ragnar forced an arm up behind his back and pressed a knee firmly between the man’s shoulders until all resistance drained from him.
Ragnar released his hold on his shadows, the wispy tendrils slithering like writhing snakes along the man’s body as they searched for any other hidden weapons. The man gasped at the chilling sensation of the shadows curling around his hands, binding his wrists together so tightly that it would be impossible to break free, then hauled him upright.
"Unhand me!" the man shouted, voice strained. "This is a huge misunderstanding. I have done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment!" Even as he protested, his eyes darted frantically, scanning the trees, the ravine, anywhere that might offer escape, though he clearly knew there was none.
"If that is true then why did you run when I spotted you? Why did you not remain where you stood and explain what business you had on my lands?" Ragnar asked evenly.
He shoved the man forward and took hold of his horse’s reins, leading both captive and mount as they retraced their path through the trees.
The man continued to spew hollow protests, causing a ruckus and it didn’t take long for Ragnar’s patience to wear thin. Without breaking stride, he released more of his shadows and gagged the man’s mouth with them. The effect was immediate. Silence fell, broken only by the crunch of snow beneath their boots for the entirety of the walk back.
They reached the point where Ragnar and Kostia had parted ways earlier. Ragnar brought them to a halt and forced the man down onto the frozen ground. He positioned himself behind the captive, one hand resting lightly at the back of the man’s neck. More shadows spilled free, curling around the man’s throat like a dark choker. One sudden movement, one foolish attempt to resist, and the shadows would crush his windpipe without hesitation.
Then Ragnar waited.
Time dragged on. The wind whipped through the trees, blowing cold air across Ragnar’s face, but he remained unmoving, gaze fixed on the path ahead. His grip never loosened.
At last, movement stirred in the distance.
Kostia emerged first, posture rigid, sword drawn. Six guards followed behind him, dragging two men between them. Unlike the first captive, these two bore clear signs of resistance. The coats they wore were torn, and blood trickled from the corner of one man’s mouth, while the other one limped slightly when he walked.
Ragnar straightened as they approached.
Kostia stopped a few paces away and gave a brief nod. No words were exchanged. The guards forced the two men down beside the first captive, pressing them face-first into the snow. One struggled until a guard wrenched his arm higher, drawing a sharp hiss of pain from him.
Ragnar stepped forward. He studied them one by one, his expression unreadable. Three men. All dressed like travelers. Their boots were worn but well cared for, their coats thick enough to endure the winter cold. Yet their faces were unfamiliar, faces Ragnar knew he would have remembered had he seen them before.
Strangers lurking on his lands and fleeing the moment they were discovered... All together, it spelled trouble.
Ragnar crouched before the first man he had captured, lifting his chin just enough to force their eyes to meet. Instantly, the shadow gag fell away.
"Who sent you?" Ragnar asked. His voice was quiet, stripped of all inflection.
The man swallowed hard. His gaze flicked toward the others before dropping back to the snow. "No one," he said quickly. "We were only passing through."
Ragnar released his chin and rose. He moved to the second man. This one was broader, a bit older, with a fresh bruise on his jaw, still red and swollen.
"Then state your business," Ragnar said coldly. "What were you doing so close to my estate? Every stretch of land here belongs to me, and I am well within my rights to punish you for trespassing."
The man’s jaw tightened. "I didn’t know," he said carefully. "I am not from these parts. My companions and I lost our way. We did not intend to wander onto your lands." freeweɓnovel.cѳm
Ragnar let out a sharp, humorless huff. "You expect me to believe that you had no idea where you were headed when you stumbled here?"
The man nodded once. "Your Highness, I—"
Ragnar cut him off, his voice snapping like a blade drawn too fast. "Then you truly take me for a fool."
Ragnar turned his attention to the third man. Unlike the others, this one avoided his gaze entirely, his face pressed down into the snow.
Ragnar paced slowly before them. The measured sound of his footsteps seemed unnaturally loud in the tense stillness.
"I don’t believe a single word you’ve said," he remarked coolly. "You did not stumble here by mistake."
