Free Web NovelChapter 157: Wanda’s winter
Every day, the pale winter sun tried in vain to warm the frozen landscapes of the Kingdom of Athína.
The biting cold dominated the mountains and valleys, turning the roads into treacherous, slippery tracks.
The wind whistled between the bare trees, scattering snowflakes that danced in the air before settling on the ground, covering everything in a silent white blanket.
With the coming of winter, the streets, once bustling with merchants and travelers, turned into desolate white wastes. Only the bravest or most needy ventured out on these dangerous paths. Among them were some hunters, even when the snow tried to block their way, for many races of monsters did not rest during the winter.
Wanda Stillwind was one such hunter, but she traveled for other reasons, her blonde hair pulled back in a tight braid and her blue eyes alert to every movement around her. Her weathered wolf-skin cloak protected her from the unrelenting cold as she led her caravan down a narrow path surrounded by snow-covered pines.
The caravan was made up of a diverse group of merchants, craftsmen, hunters, and other travelers. The Guild of the Golden Sun provided escorts for those leaving the north for the winter and heading to the kingdom’s capital. Despite the difficulties, this was a cohesive group.
It was a particularly cold evening when Wanda stopped the caravan. The sun had not yet set, but she knew it was time for them to stop, for if a storm hit the caravan during a night journey, it could be fatal. Besides, the horses were tired after sinking their feet into the fluffy snow since morning, and the children in the group were starting to complain about the cold.
Wanda dismounted and pulled her cloak around her body. She felt the icy wind on her face, but didn’t show any discomfort.
"Let’s take a break here," she announced seriously. "We need to rest, warm up our bodies and feed the animals before we continue tomorrow."
"Yes, ma’am!" The other members of the Golden Sun Guild agreed at the same second.
The people in the caravan quickly began to set up a makeshift camp, lighting fires and distributing blankets.
The children ran close to the flames, laughing and playing, while the adults worked.
Wanda approached one of the shopkeepers, a cat-like half-human.
"Calcifer, how are your supplies?" she asked. "The road ahead may be even harder, and we need to be prepared."
Calcifer brushed one of his whiskers. "I’ll check right away, ma’am."
While Calcifer started checking the supplies, Wanda walked around the camp, offering to help with a few things and making sure everyone was comfortable. Her presence was a guarantee of safety, for even though there were other Golden Sun Guild hunters around, none of them seemed to care as much about ordinary civilians as she did.
"How do you do that, Captain?" Freawise, one member of Wanda’s guild, asked as she sat down next to him and the others.
"What?" she asked innocently.
"You haven’t stopped since this morning, and you don’t look the least bit tired," Freawise replied. "If it were the first day of the journey, I could easily understand, but we’ve been traveling for eleven days and your pace doesn’t seem to be slowing down."
Wanda stretched her hands out in front of her, trying to warm herself from the cold in the warmth of the fire. "There’s no reason to slow down when you haven’t reached your destination yet."
The determination and fullness in her eyes reflected an unwavering, unyielding strength.
Frewise knew then that it would be pointless to argue, knowing his captain’s relentless nature. Instead, he simply nodded, respecting her devotion. However, he watched as she suddenly stood up, her eyes glancing to the left of the camp.
"Captain?" Freawise asked, confused.
Wanda’s instincts were sharp, so she sensed what was about to happen before anyone else. It was then that everyone could hear as a loud, deep sound, like the cracking of a rock, echoed through the forest, causing everyone in the caravan what they were doing.
"What’s that?"
"What’s happening?"
"Is it a monster?!"
"Take care of the children and don’t leave the camp," Wanda ordered, throwing back her cloak as she prepared to investigate. "Freawise, you’re in charge while I check out what caused that noise."
Freawise saluted immediately. "Yes, ma’am! Attention, soldiers, spread out around the camp!"
Then Wanda entered the forest of tall pines. The sound was unique and lonely. It could even be a rockfall, but she had to be sure, because there were trolls in this region between Édessa and Kilkís.
The snow began to fall lightly, and the distant sound of a stream flowed gently, almost a murmur, contrasting with the tension in the air.
Then she heard a muffled scream, followed by the sound of breaking wood. Wanda grabbed the hilt of her sword and ran toward the sound. When she finally reached the source of the scream, in a small clearing that separated the end of the forest from a road and a ravine, a huge troll was holding a merchant’s cart aloft as if it were a toy.
The creature, with its greenish skin and bulky muscles, was at least three meters tall and had a pair of enormous tusks. Its eyes gleamed with a primitive malevolence as it swung the cart around.
Beside the wagon, on the ground, a desperate merchant was screaming to avoid being hit, while on the other side a man with a lute in his hands was trying in vain to attract the troll’s attention, perhaps hoping to distract it.
Wanda put her hand to her throat and screamed:
"Stay back!" she ordered, her voice much louder than usual.
The troll slowly turned his head, his bestial eyes focused on Wanda. As soon as he saw her raise her sword, he let out a deafening roar and hurled the cart toward him with his uncanny strength.
The cart flew fast like a meteor, and the bard and the merchant who were watching swallowed the saliva in their mouths.
No ordinary person could dodge something flying so fast.
However, Wanda Stillwind was anything but ordinary.
In the blink of an eye, the cart flew to where Wanda was standing and even hit something, but it was nothing more than a pile of residual particles from the magic Wanda had used.
For a moment, the troll was confused and unaware of what had occurred. Could he have seen an illusion? He was stupid and psychologically limited, so he didn’t understand that she had somehow already moved to his feet.
With an obvious opportunity to attack within her grasp, Wanda didn’t flinch and slashed deep into one of the creature’s heels with her shining sword.
The troll roared in pain and fell to its knees with a thud that shook the ground.
Wanda wasted no time. She knew she had to finish this as soon as possible.
Taking advantage of the troll’s vulnerability, Wanda used her magic again. Her body vanished for a moment, leaving only a spectral glow in the air. Before the troll could even try to pull himself together, Wanda reappeared on one of his shoulders, like a ghost from nowhere. In one deadly motion, she raised her sword and struck a swift blow that severed the troll’s head.
The creature’s colossal body collapsed into the snow, lifeless, while its head fell like a rock, its eyes still wide with surprise. freewēbnoveℓ.com
Wanda landed softly on the ground and immediately wiped the blade of her sword with a quick motion before sheathing it.
The merchant and the bard were still in shock from the troll’s presence. They hadn’t even gotten over the fright they had been given, let alone what they had seen Wanda do.
She approached the middle-aged merchant, tucked a lock of hair behind his ear, and held out her hand:
"Good evening, sir. Are you alright? Can you get up?"
The middle-aged merchant looked at Wanda, his eyes still wide with disbelief. He blinked several times, as if to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Her outstretched hand looked like an anchor in the midst of the chaos that had unfolded, and there was an almost sacred glow around it. He took her hand with a hesitant gesture, feeling the firmness and strength in her delicate fingers.
"I... I’m fine," he murmured, his voice shaking. "Thanks to you, miss. I can’t thank you enough."
Wanda smiled softly, her eyes shining with a reassuring calm. freeweɓnøvel.com
"I’m glad you’re alright," Wanda said, helping him to his feet. "Let’s get you out of here."
Then the bard, who had watched the whole fight scene with his lute pressed to his chest, was still paralyzed with fear and admiration.
"That was... that was incredible!" he said when his voice finally returned. "I’ve never seen anything like it!"
Wanda looked at him and nodded slightly. "Thank you. I see you’re all right. You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?"
"No, thanks to you, I’m unharmed! Thank you very much!" The bard bowed.
Then she turned back to the merchant, noticing the expression of gratitude and awe on his face. "You were traveling with goods. Where were you going?"
The merchant blinked, trying to focus on her questions. "I... was going to Kilkís to sell my spices. But now... well, now, thanks to you, at least I’m alive to tell the tale."
"I’m from the Golden Sun Guild. I’m with a caravan that’s camping nearby, and we’re going through Kilkís. We’ll make sure you spend the night safely with us, and in the morning we can come back here to pick up the rest of your goods and continue our journey, okay?" She looked around, her sharp eyes scanning the landscape for any sign of further danger. "We can’t do that now, because the sound of the troll will surely attract more monsters here."
