“Where are the…other kn-knights?”
“I told them to cross the mountain and go ahead.”
Max’s expression darkened. “Did you leave the knights…because of m-me?”
Riftan dragged Talon out from behind a tree as he turned to look at her. His face was stiff and his expression looked as if he was muddled.
“Hebaron will do a fine job leading the knights. I told them that we will join them as soon as I find you.”
“B-but…how did you find me?”
“I followed your tracks.”
Riftan replied in a brief conclusive manner, then pointed to her feet with his eyes. Max looked at the ground with a puzzled expression, her eyes widening as she noticed her footprints marking the dirt road. The terrain was uneven and there were roots poking out everywhere, but she could see the faint tracks here and there upon looking closely.
Seeing how surprised and astonished she was with how he was able to follow after her, Riftan pointed at the horseshoe marks next to her footprints and the crushed bushes, and broken branches that Rem had made as they passed.
“Actually, this guy helped me a lot.”
“Didn’t you think…that it could have been tracks left by a mo-monster?”
“I can at least distinguish the difference from that.” Riftan replied coldly and glared at her with a hardened face. “It’s a great relief that I have found you before the rain poured. If not, the footprints would have been washed away and finding you wouldn’t be as easy.”
Max’s body shuddered. Had Riftan been even a second too late at that moment, she would have been a meal for the fishes.
But the path was blocked, how on earth did he follow after me so fast?Don’t tell me that he has climbed over the pile of rocks? As Max looked at him in curiosity, Riftan jumped onto a board and reached out his hand towards her.
“We need to find a place to shelter before the rain pours harder. Hurry up.”
Max grabbed his outstretched hand and followed him along the mountain paths in silence. Riftan led two horses up the rugged slope and gracefully glided like a wild animal in its habitat. Even if she witnessed it with her own eyes, it was still unbelievable how he moved so quietly despite the heavy armor he was wearing. Max watched in trance as the thin sheet of rain soaked his dark hair and trickled down his thick neck, while wiping off the raindrops that seeped into her eyelids.
The light drizzle created a white mist as it bounced off his broad shoulders, and his dark gray armor glistened with the raindrops that dribbled on it. His face that exhumed alertness towards their surroundings also shone smoothly. Riftan didn’t appear to have even the slightest of fatigue. Both his long, sturdy legs strode forward solidly through the muddy path without exhibiting any signs of exhaustion and when she staggered a bit, his strong forearms were quick to support her.
Max was completely amazed at the physical powers of Riftan, his strength did not simply differ, it was like he was a different species altogether.
“Let’s rest over there for a while.”
Riftan gazed down at her drooping soldiers and turned to lead them under a gigantic tree. A yelping sound escaped from Max as she struggled to keep up with his pace. He tied the horses under a branch with lush leaves as he grasped her staggering figure with one arm.
She was too exhausted to even protest. He walked to the base of the tree and bent down to inspect the hollow portion of the thick tree trunk that had a girth so wide that six men with their outstretched arms would not be able to surround it. After placing her inside the cave, he sat right next to her.
Max collapsed listlessly like salted cabbage and stared at a far distance through the misty rain. Her head kept leaning onto the side like it had become a heavy stone and her body trembled while she sweated profusely, seemingly confused of whether to feel cold or warm. Riftan deftly removed his breastplate and tipped it to the side, then pulled her close against his chest.
The tension and fear Max felt, completely melted away with the heat of his body that she could feel through her wet clothes. Even though they were crouching under a tree like wild animals sheltering from the rain, she felt as safe as being surrounded by a concrete fortress. She snuggled as deep as she could into his side and leaned her head against his hard, marble-like shoulders. Riftan untied his vambraces and removed his gauntlets, placed them on the ground and wrapped his forearm around her, rubbing her shoulders and her spine with his hot palms.
“We have to keep moving as soon as it stops raining. Close your eyes and rest for a bit.”
“Will a-all the other knights be alright? The g-goblins might attack again…”
“Goblins hate water, so as long as the rain continues, nothing bad will happen. Everyone should be descending the mountain by now.” Riftan tucked his hand inside her tunic and warmed her freezing body. “Don’t worry about anything and go to sleep.”
Max sighed contentedly at the intense warmth that seemed to reach the depth of her bones. Riftan continued to hold her tightly, staring quietly through the mountains. She looked up at him with half-closed eyes, staring at the drops of water dripping from his hair. Soon, the fatigue claimed her and her eyes closed slowly. The wind whistled in the distance and the sound of trees shaking against its blow could be heard.
Riftan lifted Max, who was extremely drowsy, and placed her on his lap. She naturally leaned her head against his chest. As if trying to make her a little more comfortable, he removed her wet shoes and socks and tossed them to the corner, he then massaged her swollen feet with his hot palmsMax was engulfed in exhaustion and fell asleep in an instant.
When she finally gained consciousness, the rain had subsided. She looked at the drizzle of raindrops through her drowsy eyes and then lifted her head. Riftan’s head leaned against the tree trunk and his eyes were gently closed. Suddenly, her heart sank at the sight of him as he sat resting like a statue and breathed without a noise. Max held her hand close to his nose and felt his soft, faint breathing.
Sighing in relief, Max carefully swept his bangs that pricked his eyes. Although he never showed it outwardly, he certainly had to be extremely exhausted. It was not unreasonable to assume that he wasn’t, considering how he never got a proper rest, marching endlessly during the past few days.
She felt sorry for him and caressed his taut cheek affectionately. At that moment, Riftan’s eyes snapped open. Max was surprised at how clear his eyes were and retracted her hand. He stared silently at her with his eyes, which were so deeply dark that it was hard to distinguish his pupils from his irises, and lowered his head to devour her lips.
Max’s head shook. His rough tongue gently explored the cave of her mouth and his warm palm slithered to her neck like a snake. It felt like she was suddenly bitten by a hound that had been laying quietly by her feet. She moaned lightly and clutched his forearm, then he breathed a heated sigh over her damp lips and clasped her breasts. Riftan pushed his thick tongue deeper, sweeping the roof of her mouth and her tongue, and greedily sucked the saliva that pooled in her mouth.
She was out of breath just like when she fell into the water. As expected, Riftan also gasped wildly. It was unbecoming of the same man who quietly climbed up a steep mountain wearing heavy armor on and breathed without a sound.
“The rain has stopped.” He suddenly broke the kiss and looked into the forest. It took a while before she was able to process what he just said as her eyelids still trembled. Riftan, who looked like he was conflicted for a considerable moment, let out a sigh and removed her from his lap. “The sun will set soon if we don’t hurry. Let’s get moving.”
He ducked out of the tree and picked up the armor pieces he had removed. Only then did Max come out of her drunken daze. Riftan was right, they couldn’t afford to hang around like this. They were alone on a mountain full of monsters.
The heat that rose in her body subsided in an instant and Max hurriedly picked up her shoes. She winced as she forcibly slipped her feet into the damp boots and headed out. Riftan already had his armor on and approached her with her horse.
“Can you walk?” As if he didn’t just act like he was about to devour her, he wore a composed expression.
She gazed up at him sulkily and nodded slowly. “Yes, I got e-enough rest.”
“Stay close as you follow me. Just a little further downhill the path will get easier.”
Riftan turned and walked silently down the wet, muddy road in the rain. Max followed closely behind him, careful not to slip. The heat was dampened by the rain, but the cool breeze did not feel pleasant as her body was soaking wet. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her body, rubbing off the chill. Riftan saw her state and scanned around carefully.
“I’ll find a place to set up a camp soon, so endure it for a little.”
Max looked anxiously around the dusky mountain with an anxious look on her face. “Are we going to… spend the night in the mo-mountain?”
“It will be dark soon while we go down.”
“B-But… isn’t it better to go to the village even if it takes longer…?”
Riftan’s face hardened sternly. “It is very dangerous to climb down a mountain in the dark. It is better to find a safe place to spend the night and wait for dawn.”
Max nodded sternly with a stiff face. She was a little worried about spending the night in the mountains by themselves, but she had no choice but to obey his words. Her head drooped sullenly. Perhaps if Riftan was by himself, he would have reached the village by now. Her heart sank as if it had become a heavy rock, thinking that she was the reason for their delay.
“Was…I-I heading in the wrong direction? Perhaps I have come to the wrong place and have moved far away from the destination…”
Jumping nimbly over large tree roots, Riftan stopped to look at her. “Were you thinking of going down the mountain alone?”
“If I went down t-this mountain… there was going to be a village so…”
Max muttered and trailed off, fearing he would get angry with her decision, as Riftan squinted at her. But instead of yelling at her, Riftan turned his attention back to the dark forest and spoke calmly.
“You found the right direction. If you went down this way, you would have reached the village.”
Her heart, which had sunk down into depression, somewhat softened at his words. They continued to walk through the mountain in silence, the darkness slowly falling upon them. Before the sun had fully set, Riftan found a small cave. He inspected it, making sure it was free of any bugs, bats, and snakes before motioning for her to come inside. Max looked around the dark, cavernous space worriedly, then settled inside and sat on her knees.
“I’m going to remove the saddles from the horses. Wait for a moment.”
Max nodded and hugged her knees. She watched as Riftan ducked to go outside and tied the horses around a tree where they could clearly see them and came back into the cave with his luggage.
“It’s a bit damp but it’s not that wet. Take off your clothes and put this on.”
He took a blanket from his leather bag and held it in front of her. Max’s eyes opened widely.
“H-here?”
“The temperature plummets at night. You will suffer from hypothermia if you continue to wear wet clothes.”
He firmly handed her the blanket and turned to remove his own clothing. Max glanced uneasily around the dark cave ceiling and the forest that now appeared bluish, then took off her clothes, unable to bear the growing chills. As soon as she removed her soaked tunic and pants that clung to her skin, she wrapped the blanket tight around her, immediately feeling more comfortable. She also took off her boots and set them aside, wrapping the blanket around her ankles.
“I’m a-all done.”
Riftan glanced at her over his shoulders, then pulled something more out of his bag. Max sat silently next to him. Riftan ripped off the sleeves of his tunic, gathered the cloth into a ball, and struck two pieces of flint over it to spark a fire.
Note – Nymeria: I think the next chapter will be… *wink wink*
