Chasing The Cure

Chapter 25: Journey To The Lake

"But Sire..." Sir Arlo paused with a frown on his face. "I cannot let the three of you go alone whilst I stay with my family!"

"It is all right, Sir Arlo, you have earned some time off and you should spend it with your loved ones," Kenric insisted. "Besides, it is simply border patrol and there are soldiers already posted there. We will be fine."

"But—"

"Do not make me give you an order," Kenric replied sternly, making Sir Arlo sigh as he nodded.

"Thank you, Sire. If you need me then just send a word and I will be right there," the redhead spoke.

"Of course," Kenric said.

They stayed at Sir Arlo's estate for a day, with Kenric and Sir Christian having to dine with his family who was more than glad to have the warrior prince over. Kenric did not want to overstay his welcome, but they insisted that he spend at least one night. Kenric remembered Godric's words about building and maintaining diplomatic relations, and even though all he wanted to do was get back on his way, he obliged out of courtesy.

The three men were off the next morning at first light, not wanting to waste any more time than what was absolutely required. The good part about the visit was that they had food to last them a few days. And especially after Archie's...barely edible cooking, some nice food was appreciated by all of them, the stable boy included.

Sir Christian was leading the way, growing warier and warier with each mile that they traveled, Kenric had been in this part of the forest before, and he had never come across or even heard of the lake that Sir Christian was apparently taking them to, so he was curious as to where it was and how it managed to stay well hidden.

Archie, on the other hand, was beginning to get more excited than nervous. It was going to be his first time meeting a witch, and he had always wondered what they were like. Would she be scary or kind? Would she be like the stories that he heard or would she defy all of his expectations?

He could not wait to get the answers to his questions.

"How far away is it?" Kenric finally asked. It had been over a day since they left Sir Arlo's estate, only having stopped for a few hours at night to rest. Long journeys did not bother Kenric, and he had not even broken a sweat, but unfortunately, they had time constraints.

"Not too far now," Sir Christian muttered. "Be on your guard."

"Do not need to tell me that," Kenric mumbled. Of-bloody-course he was going to be on alert when entering unfamiliar territory. He was the Commander of the Knights and the Marshal of the King's army, for fuck's sake, not an amateur.

The tree line grew thicker and thicker as they traveled until it reached a point where they could no longer ride their horses forward. The three climbed off their steeds and they grabbed their bags, carrying as much as they could take without the weight slowing them down as well as their weapons. Archie had brought his bow, and he hoped that he would not have the need to actually use it.

Kenric hated parting from Nyx as he stroked his mane for the last time before tying the horses to trees near a small pond. Sir Christian said that they were walking distance away and should ideally be back by nightfall if all went right.

A chill went down Kenric's spine as they walked deeper into the forest. Despite it being the middle of the day, it was getting darker and darker due to the shade of the trees. The silence made everything all the more creepy, which was weird since the western forests were known for their wildlife, yet Kenric had yet to see or even hear any animals.

The more he tuned in and focused, he realized that he could not hear any insects either. There was absolutely no sound whatsoever apart from that of their own footsteps.