Chapter 62: Bypass
"What do you mean the road was blocked? Clarify." Izaya had not once seen Craigh show an expression of anger or anything alike so far, but right now his eyes held an unknown air of animosity.
The servant seemed intimidated by the unspoken irritation, "One of our messengers advanced the route earlier this day but his way was blocked by trees," she quickly continued with a voice shaking from insecurity.
"Trees?" Craigh's face scrunched into an expression even worse and for a moment it seemed as though the air around the knights had frozen to a lump of ice.
Commoners and believers alike were still roaming the plaza. Happiness and hope was the defining emotion displaying in their faces, serving an awfully harsh contrast to the news they had just received.
"Why not just clear them away then?" Carlyle suggested after a seemingly endless moment of silence. He had always been the most reasonable of the knights and his head seemed much cooler than Craigh's.
Reclaiming some of her confidence, the woman shook her head slowly, "There were too many," she whispered and this time it was Shizuo's gaze that narrowed.
"What number are we talking about?" he asked, and the servant shriveled upon being talked to by the gruesome king of their lands.
"More than he could count," she pressed forth between tight lips and Izaya spotted her hands shaking ever so slightly in fear of how being the messenger of these unbecoming facts would affect her.
Izaya didn't need to be a genius to understand the crux of their current situation.
A road being blocked was nothing unusual, it happened all the time. Just on their way here they had encountered a tree that had done the very same.
But Izaya saw it, the amount of time it took to clear away a single tree blocking the road.
It was no real hindrance, one day's time would be enough to suffice.
But the timing-
Carlyle frowned upon the servant's declaration and turned towards his king. "That sounds a bit too convenient for a coincidence."
And Izaya's eyes narrowed all the same.
He was right.
The past few days had been filled with sunshine, pleasant temperatures and nothing except a pleasant shower of mild rain.
No.
This was the work of someone different from nature and the knights realized as much as well.
The danger of staying in these lands had just increased tenfold and Shizuo was aware.
"We could return to lord Hebaron's mansion. I will stay behind and protect our queen while you clear the road," Crispin suggested while glancing towards Izaya and his eyes grew soft.
Ever since their small banter at the fireplace, Crispsin seemed awfully protective of Izaya. Probably because of his dead sister. Was it her that he saw in him? Another chance to protect what he couldn't save?
Izaya couldn't tell, but he recognized unrivaled conviction when he saw it.
"No." Shizuo denied Crispin's request as quickly as it had come, much to his knight's surprise. Lowering his voice to a more gentle tone the king explained, "Your suggestion honors you, but we don't know who or what it was that reduced those men to this state. Not to mention the unknown fate of those women," a deep frown grazed not only Shizuo's expression as he spoke about the missing victims and his gaze traveled to Izaya. "As it is now I'm not going to lose sight of you for even a moment."
It was then, with that gaze and those words, that Izaya realized what he had failed to notice.
Shizuo's answer was to be expected. After all, Izaya was his queen. If not him, then who would he protect? That was not the issue at hand that caused Izaya's guts to plummet.
No.
He appreciated Shizuo's care.
But-
It was when Shizuo mentioned the fate of those missing women, that Izaya realized it wasn't only him who was endangered right now.
Woman. Mostly young ones.
Mairu and Kururi were disguising as boys, but if they were found out-
"What if I just join you on a horse?" The suggestion Izaya voiced came as much unexpected as it was spoken with the confidence driven by urgency.
"My lady?" Lothar blinked in what must have been the boldest surprise he had heard all year.
Izaya was a lady. The queen, to top it off. Him having been guarded on the way here in his carriage wasn't only attributed to his illness. It was the proper way to move. Befitting a queen.
Riding on a horse's back not so much.
"I don't need a carriage. Maybe a break or two on the road, but I'm well enough to ride at least a short distance," Izaya emphasized but met nothing but astonished faces filled with rejection.
Even Shizuo seemed surprised by his suggestion and Izaya figured he hadn't yet realized that it were his siblings that were being endangered at this very moment.
"We can wait for them to clear the road, my lady," Carlyle informed with a smile, obviously trying to talk his queen out of her idea.
And so Izaya turned towards Shizuo.
"You need to get back to gather more forces, right? You should. There are more women out there who are at risk of being killed."
Shizuo didn't know how he could miss such an important detail, but the second Izaya's eyes laid upon him he realized what it was that he truly meant to say.
Fuck.
Right.
His sisters.
"My lady, we will be riding through uneven terrain," Craigh pointed out, apparently agreeing on the fact that it was a stupid idea to force their arguably still weak queen onto such a long ride. "Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad you are feeling better, but a ride on the back of a horse will not benefit your condition," he added with as much care as his rough voice could muster.
And even Crispin seemed to share the same opinion. "Nor will sleeping on the hard ground."
A glance was cast towards Shizuo, by Izaya, as he waited for his response.
Serious eyes laid upon him and he took a deep breath.
"... are you sure you could endure?"
"Shizuo-" Craigh spoke from the side as if scolding a child for stealing an apple from a carriage. He was obviously as opposed to the idea as one could be, and Izaya was aware he was acting out of sympathy and care.
But what choice did he have?
"I can," he replied with the firm voice of someone that was not going to let the topic rest, and Shizuo sighed, in most obvious defeat.
"For fucks sake this is the worst idea I ever heard," Craigh complained, but knew his commander well enough to know when a decision had been made.
Izaya couldn't blame him. His condition wasn't the best and he didn't know he was a man either. Of course he was going to try and talk them out of it.
"I will take her on my horse," Shizuo announced and nodded towards Lord Hebaron's servant. As if on cue the woman nodded before quickly moving towards the stalls they had been brought to.
"The poor horse," Carlyle sighed, but smiled towards Izaya, understanding the necessity of their departure as something that was not to be discussed.
After that declaration, everything went quite fast.
The people nearby had barely noticed the conversation even taking place, and the horses were brought quicker than expected.
Hooved clapped against the cobblestone making up the plaza and with quick strides the knights moved to their respective partners.
The reason for their rush was clear.
It was midday.
Now.
But in a few hours the sun was going to set. Shizuo obviously wanted to be gone from these lands before that happened.
Having gotten onto his horse first Shizuo pulled it over with a quick, but gentle motion as he reached for Izaya.
He gladly took the arm extended towards his frame, but didn't quite expect the pull to the side.
Izaya was used to riding. At least a little even back at the mansion. And it showed.
Leaning forwards a quiet whisper met his ears, "You are a lady. You should sit like one," Shizuo reminded him.
Right.
He forgot.
The worry he held for his sisters was messing with his performance and his grip on the reins Shizuo was holding tightened.
"I don't think they are in danger yet," the king whispered further, and Izaya listened. "From what we found out the disappearances are currently concentrated to Lord Hebaron's lands only. And the last you heard of your sisters they were sighted in Istal, right?"
Right.
A brief nod was given as Izaya felt part of his anxiety lift.
He was right.
The way to Istal was almost perfectly opposite to the route they had taken towards lord Hebaron's lands. He was located in the south while Istal laid in the highlands way up into the north.
"So, just leave it to me, okay?" Shizuo finished, and with that he pulled the reins.
"Let's go!" he announced loudly, and the knights moved like a large body in perfect unison.
The route this time around changed considerably.
So far Izaya had only seen the nearby meadows, a few stripes of forests aligning next to the farmer's fields. But upon nearing a much grander forest stretching farther than he could look, he realized just how much of their path he had missed to notice on their way to lord Hebaron.
Fever, dizziness and sleep had effectively rid him of the chance to get a good look of the area.
That had now changed.
The sun was still high and the light was touching every last corner of the forest despite the thickly growing trees. Leaves of maples and oaks made up most of the vegetation present and colored the road with their beautifully shaded leaves.
A few birchs scattered throughout the area served the pleasant sound of water rushing down a hill as this type of tree's leaves were known to create the sweetest symphonies within a breeze.
Had the reason for their rushed departure not been of such a perilous kind their ride could have been one of the sweetest kind so far.
But the absence of witty chatter, laughter and sarcasm served well enough as a grim reminder of their current situation. The knight's banters had stopped. Instead they focused on the road ahead, the forest left and right, and even spared an occasional glance to the sky and the path behind as if expecting an ambush any second.
They were tense and ready for battle at any given point in time.
And that tension was almost worse than an actual battle.
Eyes blinking against the rays of sun streaming down from between the maple branches, Izaya found himself almost wishing for something to happen. Just so that this suffocating air would pass.
And soon enough he got what he desire as they reached the part of the road that lord Hebaron's servant had mentioned.
Trees. Massive in both their height as well as their weight crossed the road in a fashion too orderly to have happened by accident.
A deep frown grazed Shizuo's expression on sight and Izaya's mirrored a similar one as he saw the man made barrier ahead.
Just by a glance Izaya could tell there were a lot more than ten trees that had been felled to their disadvantage.
Left and right they collapsed right into the middle of the road, completely ignoring the fact that this road was located on a mountainside. The right of the road lead down towards even steeper areas, while the left showed a heavy incline.
This was not a willful act of nature.
Had it been, then the trees would have descended downwards into their natural path. But falling uphill?
Who? And how?
In such a short amount of time-
"My king-" the figures of a few farmers that had probably been derived from their fields popped up from in between the many branches and thick stems. Sweat pearled off their foreheads and leaves stuck to their clothes as they were in the middle of cutting down the trees that blocked the road.
Quickly hurrying forth one of them heaved himself across the thickest of stems before quickly offering a fearful bow. "Were you not informed? The road-" he stuttered quicker than his lips worked.
He probably thought lord Hebaron's messenger hadn't informed the king in time and was waiting for punishment executed by the rumored cruel king himself.
The rest of the farmers had paused in their actions and viewed what appeared to be their friend with ears filled with dread.
"We know," Izaya replied, serious, but gentle.
A confused glance barely hidden was expressed by the farmer as the king steered his horse towards the incline of the forest.
"We are taking a shortcut!"
"As you wish, commander," Craigh smiled and his horse seemed to show a similar excitement as the ginger steered it towards the uneven heaps of grass, bushes and stones.
Quick movement and not a shred of hesitation marked the animal's movements and Izaya snorted. "He seems used to skipping roads."
Offering a similarly amused expression the king confirmed Izaya's assumption with a quick smile. "Craigh despises man made roads. And so does his horse. Any chance he gets he prefers to strive through new terrain."
Izaya smiled.
Honestly, the more time he spent with Shizuo's knights the fonder he was growing of them. Each had their own unique personality. Different from each other in vast ways, but together they served a mixture almost too well to believe.
Protesting noises and a soft yelp from behind caused Izaya to look back and stifle an expression of laughter.
"At least one is enjoying the ride," he whispered, and Shizuo looked back.
Karzam had quite the hard time convincing his horse that this was the path they were going to take. And that included him walking backwards in a pretty disordered fashion.
The rest of the knights didn't seem particularly excited either and Shizuo pulled his own horse's reins.
"How about you, holding up?" he questioned shortly, and Izaya nodded.
"Of course."
Hooves trampled against the softer ground and uneven blotches of earth as if to test its sturdiness. "Hold on tight, this part won't be as smooth," Shizuo announced, before his horse finally hopped into the forest.
Riding down a manmade path, even and in the best case plastered by stone was one thing, improvising each step through a forest a completely different one.
Following Craigh's path the horse traced along the small gaps left between the maples. Bushes were skipped, stones avoided in rough jerks making the ride nothing less than a rough way to be thrown around.
Craigh's horse up front was not only less troubled by their current setting, but also seemed to have a different function as it not only provided a path to be taken but also the confidence the animals needed to follow through.
It was funny to think about, but while Shizuo led the knights, Craigh's horse seemed to have its unique leading position.
It was then, looking ahead towards the disappearing mane of Craigh's horse, that their own came to a sudden full stop.
"Hey-" a quick hiss escaped Shizuo's lips and Izaya found his balance blown from his body as their horse suddenly reared off the ground. A quick arm circled Izaya's waist, as he was about to be thrown off and Izaya gasped in a second of surprise.
Forelegs off the ground, the horse stepped backwards in a brief second and jumped to the side.
The what and why to that question was easier answered than expected, as Izaya spotted a very aggressive and grumpy snake circled up upon itself.
Craigh's horse must have either ignored or not seen the animal, but theirs obviously did.
Quick jerks executed by their startled animal moved them around the raging rope and forced Izaya back into his seat.
"Are you okay?" Shizuo asked quickly, but honestly? Izaya had nothing but a snort to offer.
"Can we repeat that?" Shizuo sometimes seemed to forget that he was a man, at heart and body. Riding a horse might not have been something Izaya enjoyed too frequently due to his illness, but the thrill of an adventurous ride was not going to scare him.
The opposite.
Looking at his queen, Shizuo seemed to realize that this short surprise had rather amused Izaya than shocked him, and a smile slipped onto his lips.
Right.
This was Izaya.
A beautiful queen, witty man and determined brother. Something like this wasn't going to shred the conviction he held.
And so Shizuo smiled, before edging his horse to move on.
The path through the forest was a short one.
Just around the area that had been blocked and within a minute or two they emerged into the even path continuing their way forth.
Craigh was already up ahead, seemingly bored out of his mind waiting for the rest of the group to hurry up.
"What took you so long?" he complained, sealing the impression Izaya had been given.
He was about to reply, but a certain knight, not up for jokes, beat him to it.
"There was a snake on the way, aren't you supposed to look out for such obstacles?" Crisping who had been following behind Shizuo and Izaya scolded and Izaya couldn't help but smile. The knight was obviously mad for his sake. His goal was to protect their queen, and in his eyes Craigh had endangered that goal.
"Do I look like one of those slithering worms that you think I would know its future paths?" Craigh complained, obviously not intending to take any form of blame for the small hindrance.
"No but I thought you possessed a working pair of eyes," Crispin snarled, and another horse joined on the way out of the forest.
"Did it come crawling up your ass or why are you so stuck up about it?" Alaric asked as soon as his horse's hooves touched the even ground of their path.
"You-" Crispin started, but sighed deeply instead as his forehead folded into a deep frown. "The lady was almost thrown off," he pointed out, and for a second Craigh's expression actually held concern.
"Were you injured?" he asked quickly, but Izaya negated the question as quickly as it had come. "Everything is fine. I don't blame you for not knowing a snake's intentions," he joked, and the confident smile Craigh had worn returned to his expression.
"See? All's good," he announced smugly, much to Crispin's annoyance.
"Just move your damned horse."
It was obvious the serious knight was a bit fed up with their ginger, but at the end of the day Izaya knew to blame his reaction on tension and not actual hostility.
He thought his queen was about to get hurt, and Izaya fondly noted his actions down as dedication to his orders. Because they all were just here to ensure his safety. To support their king, much more than they were probably willing to support their kingdom as a whole.
Izaya didn't need to be a mind reader to understand that these men were following Shizuo for who he was and not what his standing had become.
And so he smiled as the rest of their group emerged from the forest and the path towards their castle continued.
to be continued~
So far so good, they are on the way C: Now you may ask, where is the blood, where is the drama, the action? Well. What do they say? The dangers gather at night, right?
C: C: C:
See you next Saturday C: C: C: C: