Scars of War
Chapter 5
A Path Opened
Ash had left the inn bitter and cold.
"How dare she imply that I had relations with that man!" she clenched her fist and looked at the road ahead of her.
However, her rage still boiled and prevented her from actually moving.
The door opened behind her to reveal the landlady holding a tissue and giggling to herself.
"So, how good was he?" she asked coyly.
Ash seethed in anger.
"He looked very strong. Did he hurt you?" the landlady continued prying for a response. "What did you try out? Or did you just go the normal route? He seems like a man of adventure." she grinned and tapped her back.
"I did not have relations with Fernando, you idiot!" Ash yelled at the top of her lungs and glared at her with fury. The voice echoed for miles and left the landlady standing in fear.
Ash let out a huff of air and turned to see a whole crowd of people had literally stopped their activities and looked at her with confusion.
"What do you all want!?" she gnashed her teeth at them.
The townsfolk looked away and continued their labors.
"Oh they definitely did do it." the landlady giggled and went back to her inn.
Ash could not catch the woman in time and decided to let her go, for she thought any further confrontation would just be a huge waste of time and would distract her from her current mission.
"Where is that buffoon?" She stepped down the inn's porch and looked to her left and to her right.
Thankfully, her quest was finished before it truly started.
Down the road to her left was Fernando, holding his horse with his right hand and a red sack in his left hand. He seemed relieved by the look of his face, and he was striking a conversation with a town guard as he walked towards the inn.
"There you are..." Ash locked on to him and tightened her posture.
"And that's how I slew the Giant of the Gagarenes. Very messy." Fernando told the guard as he made a stabbing hand motion with his left hand.
"You said the sword was 5 span?" the guard asked, "My gods, that is huge!"
Fernando stopped when he saw Ash standing with her arms crossed.
"Ah, you!" he smiled and bowed, "So sorry for leaving, but I got word that my horse was found eating apples on the other side of town." he gave a small laugh.
"I wonder how it ended up over there?" the guard asked.
Fernando shrugged his shoulders but gave a quick glance to Ash.
"Who knows, must have become hungry." he lied and walked to a beam to a tie his horse to it.
"I need to ask you some questions," Ash told him curtly.
Fernando tied his horse and turned to face the guard.
"Excuse me, amigo, but I must attend to my fair damsel."
"Oh... Ok." the guard chuckled, "Good luck, Romeo." he winked and went his way.
Ash rolled her eyes and pointed at him.
"You, come with me." she started to walk towards Fernando threateningly.
Fernando shrugged it off and lifted up the red sack he was holding.
"How about we speak over breakfast?" he asked as he opened it up. "Muffins and jam fresh from the market."
"That is the food for babes." Ash grumbled and looked at the food tauntingly.
"I prefer hardtacks and water." she flicked back her hair.
"Very well, whatever you say, my lady." Fernando sighed and put up his food in the horse saddle. "You say and I will provide." he started to walk off.
"Where are you goin-"
"You said you wanted hardtacks and water." Fernando turned to face her, "It's not too expensive so I can get you enough for three days-"
"I don't need your sympathy!" Ash swiped her hand, "I need your answers, you idiot!" she pointed at him.
"Very well." Fernando nodded, "What do you require of me, my lady?" he bowed courteously.
"For the last time before I render your head from your shoulders..." Ash clenched her fists, "Who are you and why are you playing to be a knight!?"
Fernando sighed.
"Still at it with the pretending, huh?" he stood straight, "As I said before, Fernando is a knight of honor and chivalry! I hail from Sun Spire!" he pointed upwards.
Ash balled up her fist.
"Wrong answer." she raised it, only to have Fernando catch it and hold it.
"Let us abstain from violence and enjoy muffins, no?" Fernando pulled up the sack close to her face and wiggled his eyebrows.
"You must be very hungry, my lady."
"Get off of me!" Ash pushed him away.
"I don't want to see you or your baby food ever again!" she stormed off down the trail to the country side.
Fernando shook his head and let her take her distance away from him.
"I can't just let that poor defenseless damsel go into the country by herself!" he told his horse as he walked towards it.
"HYAH!"
00000000
Ash stopped in the middle of the countryside and found herself in dire need of food. Her stomach growled and her strengths waned as she continued out.
The summer sun beat down on her like a thousand stones, and with the armor she had own not only weighing her down but also increasing her heat, she was definitely in a predicament.
"Ha... Ha..." Ash panted as she reached for her canteen. "Ungh... RAH!" she threw it when she realized it was empty.
"Damn that idiot!" she yelled to the sky, "Had he not pestered me with his presence I would have actually prepared!"
Fortunately for the woman, there was relief in the distance.
A single farmhouse was there, and with a small glimpse of people in the front yard of it.
"Thank the gods..." Ash murmured as she got a beat in her step.
When the woman arrived she found a most shocking sight. The farmhouse was ransacked and the people in the front yard where actually an elderly couple tied to a stake.
"What the hell..." Ash gasped and ran up to them, "Hey!" she called out.
"No!" the elders responded and shook their heads, "Get back!"
Ash stopped, but too late. Out of the farmhouse came marauders in black turbans with scimitars ready to strike her down.
"Barbarians!" she yelled and reached for her cannon, only to receive an arrow to her triceps. "Ah!" she groaned in pain.
"Hahaha!" one of the marauders raised his sword and aimed to cut her, but Ash blitzed him and threw him at one of his comrades.
"I'll get her!" the archer on the porch yelled as he reloaded and aimed. His aim struck true and he hit Ash in the same arm, but on the bicep.
"I'll kill you for that!" Ash screamed and set her sights on the archer, but was struck by a marauder.
"HRAH!" she grabbed that man by the skull and tossed him into a tree.
"You will die!" the last two marauders came up and charged.
The first one broke his scimitar on Ash's armor and fell back, but the second managed to distract Ash by getting a little hit on her left flank.
Ash cried out in pain and stumbled back.
She was tired from her travel and unable to fight back, for her rage was giving way to her sheer exhaustion.
"I... I..." she looked up to see the archer aiming straight at her head.
The bow shot sounded and Ash closed her eyes.
But the arrow never landed.
"Back!" Fernando lowered his shield and pummeled the marauder that had hit Ash with his lance. "Worry not, Fernando is here!" he shot out fire that consumed the other marauder and sent him away screaming.
"You will die!" the marauder that was pummeled stood up and charged with his sword again, only to be completely bashed when Fernando charged with his shield.
"Coming through!" Fernando yelled and kicked the marauder into a tree, then set his sights on the archer.
"Uh oh..." the archer gasped and started to run away.
"My lady, you free the elders!" Fernando looked at the archer, "I will get him!"
Ash growled and limped over to the elderly couple.
"Go to shelter." she removed the rope and helped them down, "I'll handle this..." she turned and saw the archer outmaneuver Fernando.
"Hey Hey!" Fernando turned to see the archer was getting on his horse.
"Smell ya later!" the archer chuckled and kicked the horse.
"Hyah!" he was about to take off.
Suddenly, a rope wrapped around his neck.
"HWAK!"
Ash pulled the rope and dropped the archer to the ground.
"There is only one punishment for brigands!" she yelled and walked over to the tree.
Fernando's eyes opened in shock.
"Hey! Wait!"
Ash tied placed her end of the rope on a sturdy branch and pulled it with all her might.