Free Web NovelChapter 476: Chapter 476
Early that morning, Ragnar dressed and readied himself for the journey ahead.
When he emerged from the room he had occupied for days, Fala and her husband Callan were already awake and waiting for him. They stood together near the front entrance, and Fala held a bag which, when she pressed it into his hands, turned out to be food wrapped for travel. Ragnar accepted it gratefully.
"I owe you more than I can repay at present," Ragnar said. "What you did for me, allowing a stranger into your home without question, and caring for me— there are few who would have done the same."
Callan gave a small shake of his head as though the thanks embarrassed him. "Any decent person would have helped an injured man in need," he said simply. freeweɓnovel.cøm
"Perhaps," Ragnar replied. "But decent people are rare and hard to come by."
He meant what he said to them, and right then, he made a decision. When he returned to Amris, he would see to it that they were compensated. Not out of obligation, but because they had earned it. They were the kind of people who deserved better than the modest home they lived in, tucked away from the world in this remote area.
Callan handed him a sword before he stepped out. It was made of steel and seemed well-kept. Ragnar examined it briefly, tested the weight of it in his grip, and then belted it at his hip.
"In case you run into trouble," Callan said.
"Hopefully I will not need it," Ragnar replied.
He stepped through the front door.
The air outside was cool and carried the smell of damp earth and wood smoke. The small home was surrounded by trees, and there for nothing else in sight for miles away.
His horse was tied to a nearby tree, exactly where Fala had told him it would be. She had mentioned it during his recovery in passing. That the woman who brought him here had also retrieved the horse. Just one more thing she had done without being asked and without waiting to be thanked for it.
Ragnar had spent four days in this house. Four days where he had sensed the mystery woman come and go, and he had never once seen her face.
He did not linger on it though. There was nothing useful in dwelling over something he could not resolve.
He crossed to the horse and checked the saddle, running a hand along the animal’s neck before gripping the reins and swinging himself up. The motion caused his still healing leg to ache and he exhaled sharply through his nose, steadying himself once he was seated. He adjusted his weight on the saddle as the pain subsided till it became manageable.
When he looked back toward the house, Fala and Callan were standing in the doorway. Fala raised her hand and waved, a genuine smile on her face. Callan stood at her side with his arms folded, but there was a kind expression on his face as well.
Ragnar lifted his free hand and waved back before he could think twice about it. His lips had stretched into a wide smile
He would always consider himself fortunate to have met that couple.
After their final goodbyes, he turned the horse forward and urged it into a trot.
He kept an average pace as he rode. Whenever the horse moved too quickly over uneven ground, a sharp pain would travel up his leg, enough to make him grit his teeth in discomfort until the road smoothed out again. It made for slower progress than he would have preferred, but there was no sense in aggravating the injury further this early into the journey.
The road was mostly empty. The trees gradually thinned as the miles passed, giving way to open stretches of land, and the sky overhead was grey and overcast. He passed no one for the first stretch of the ride. Just the sound of the whipping winds.
He had been riding for a little over three hours when he heard it. The telltale sound of approaching hooves, coming from ahead.
He did not immediately give it much thought. But then his eyes found the figures in the distance, and he was instantly on high alert, a pool of unease forming deep in his gut.
Dougol and Gadiel rode side by side toward him at a fast pace.
Ragnar’s jaw tightened at the sight of them, his expression giving nothing away. Before he could weigh his options, more riders emerged from either side of the road, effectively positioning themselves around him to prevent him from bolting away.
Dougol brought his horse to a stop a short distance in front of him. A grin spread across his face, as though he was truly happy to see Ragnar but anyone who looked closely would see that it was fake.
"Your Highness," he called. "Where have you been? We have been searching for you."
"Thank you for your efforts," Ragnar said evenly. "But as you can see, I am well."
Gadiel responded before Dougol could. "You fought and killed three fenrars. That is a considerable feat by any measure. Her Majesty wishes to see you herself to acknowledge the accomplishment."
"You speak as though I did it alone. Many people died to bring those beasts down. Framing it the way you just did is a disservice to them." Ragnar said. "If the queen wants to see me, I will go to her. But I will go to Amris first. I left people behind who deserve to know I’m alive."
Neither man’s expression shifted. They were people who had already decided the outcome of this conversation before it began.
"I’m afraid that will not be possible," Dougol said, and as he spoke, one hand moved from the reins and came to rest over the hilt of the sword at his side.
Ragnar recognized the gesture for exactly what it was. A threat.
His own hand drifted slowly toward the sword Callan had given him. He had barely moved when he caught sight of one of the riders flanking him. The man had an arrow nocked and the bow raised, the tip aimed at Ragnar’s chest.
