Breakfast was uncomfortably silent as a result of yesterday's event until a stall-keeper rushes into the room out of breath. It takes a few seconds for him to regain his breath before he informs Finn and Claudia that Attia had taken a horse and left Court along with her guard. Hearing this news, Keiro looks up from his breakfast, worry drowning his face. He quickly stands up from his chair and is about to walk out of the room until Finn says to him, "Where will you be going? You have no clue where she even went."
"I don't know but I just have to go look for her. She could be hurt for all I-" Keiro answers but is cut off when the guard Attia had ran away with barges into the room, his armor damaged and face cut and bruised.
No one needed to ask what happened since the guard had immediately blurted out, "We were attacked, sir!"
"Where's Attia?" Keiro questions with alarm.
"I had tried to protect her but I was knocked by two of the men. The rest took her as hostage."
Finn enters the conversation, "Where were you two when you got attacked?"
"By the forest. We rode for about 20 minutes away from Court until the group of men had attacked us."
Keiro no longer stays to hear the rest of the conversation as he dashes out of the room and rides on a horse to look for Attia. His mind becomes an ocean of uncontrolled thoughts with guilt and worry seeping through him. What have I done? This is all my fault. Only one name rings in his mind: Attia.
As he reaches the forest, he quickly dismounts from the horse and enters through the forest looking for Attia. Not long after he spots her by a camp, tied up and unconcious. He quickly and quietly takes out the three men by the fire before he frees Attia from the ropes. He attempts to embrace her in his arms but she flinches at his touch which causes him to back away with alarm.
"It's okay..I promise I won't hurt you again, ever." Keiro reassures.
This seems to calm Attia down since she doesn't resist to Keiro's embrace. He feels her trembling against his chest and soon enough he can hear her quietly sobbing.
"All of it was real again. Everything before you and Finn.."
"I know, I'm sorry."
"It hurts." Attia says as she buries her head further into his chest.
"It's okay; I'm here now. Let's get back home."
Attia gives a small nod before Keiro carries her in his arms and lifts her up onto the horse. He climbs up behind her and puts his arms to her sides, grabbing on the the reins. He can feel Attia relaxing back into his chest as they ride home in silence.