The ship cut through the dark water like a blade that had already chosen its victim.
No one spoke.
The oars dipped in and out in a steady rhythm, soft, controlled, almost careful. Even the waves seemed quieter, like they understood something dangerous was unfolding and chose not to interfere.
Maria stood at the front, her fingers wrapped tight around the edge of the ship. The wind pushed against her armor, but she barely felt it. Her eyes were fixed ahead, though there was nothing to see yet. Just darkness stretching into more darkness.
Behind her, the girls moved in silence. Not fear. Not hesitation exactly. Something heavier. Like each of them had already made a decision they could not undo.
Helen watched Maria for a long moment before looking away. Two hours passed like that.
No one counted, but everyone felt it.
Then, slowly, Dragon City began to take shape in the distance. Tall shadows against the night sky. Towers rising like silent witnesses. Torches burned along the walls, small flickers that made the city look alive, but not welcoming.
They stopped before reaching the gates. The ship drifted slightly as the oars lifted out of the water.
The silence returned.
"The rest of you stay here," Maria said, her voice low but steady. "I go in with two."
No one argued. They already knew who. Helen stepped forward first. Claudia followed without being called.
Maria didn't look back again. She stepped off the ship and into the shallow edge of the water, then onto land. The ground felt different. Harder. Colder.
The forest waited just ahead. They entered without another word. Branches shifted softly as they passed. Leaves brushed against armor. The deeper they went, the darker it became. The kind of darkness that made every sound feel louder than it should.
Helen's eyes moved constantly. Claudia's grip on her sword tightened. Maria walked ahead of them, steady, certain. Or at least she looked that way.
"He could have already been captured," Helen whispered after a while.
Maria didn't slow down. "There is only one way to know." They changed direction.
Soon, faint light began to filter through the trees. Voices followed. Low, distant, controlled.
Northern soldiers. Maria stepped out first. The guards straightened the moment they saw her. They bowed immediately.
"My lady."
Maria didn't waste time. "Has Prince Drexo been caught?"
The soldiers exchanged brief glances. "No, my lady. We have received no such report. We were ordered to remain on guard."
Maria nodded once.."Inform me the moment it happens."
"Yes, my lady." She turned before they could say anything else.
Back into the forest.
The darkness had thickened now. It wrapped around them, pressing in from all sides. The path ahead was barely visible.
"I do not think he is within this territory," Helen said, quieter this time.
Maria shook her head. "He is here.".Not loud. Not dramatic. Just certain.
They kept moving. One step. Then another. And another.
Then, a hand shot out from the darkness..It grabbed Maria. Steel pressed against her throat. "Do not move," a voice said, low and sharp. "Or I cut you open."
Maria froze..Not because of the blade, but because of the voice.
For a brief second, everything else disappeared.
Helen and Claudia reacted instantly. Their swords were drawn. Points aimed straight at him.
"Touch her," Helen said, her voice cold, "and you die." Before the words even settled, movement flashed behind her.
Theon stood behind her, his blade rested against Helen's neck. "Drop it."
Helen didn't hesitate. She moved fast. She twisted, struck his arm aside, and drove him to the ground in one motion. Her blade came down to his throat before he could recover.
"Try that again," she said..The forest fell silent again.
Maria still hadn't moved. "What are you doing, Drexo?" she asked, her voice quieter now.
The blade didn't leave her throat. "Your brother killed my brothers," Drexo said. Each word felt heavier than the last. "I should kill you. Send your head back to him."
Maria's expression didn't change. "I am sorry," she said. And she meant it. Not as a strategy. Not as a defense. Just the truth. "But I am here to get you out."
"Lies." The word came out sharp. "You summon me out of my home. You knew he was coming."
Maria shook her head slowly. "If I knew, you would not have left Hills Ford."
Something shifted. Not outside. Inside him. It showed in the way his grip faltered for just a second.
He knew her. That was the problem. He knew she wasn't lying. But knowing didn't quiet the anger. It didn't erase the image of blood. "It doesn't matter," he said.
His jaw tightened. "Your brother killed mine. That is enough."
Helen's voice cut in. "You won't dare."
Maria almost smiled. "Helen," she said softly, "calm down." Then, without turning her head, she added, "He will not hurt me."
Drexo's grip tightened again. "You think I am weak?" The blade pressed slightly harder. "I can end you now."
Maria exhaled slowly. "If you wanted to," she said, "you would have done it already."
A pause.
Then, quieter: "Now stop this." There was no force in her tone. No command. Just certainty.
And somehow, that was worse. Slowly, she lifted her hand. Placed it over his. And moved it away.
Drexo didn't stop her. That was the answer. She turned to face him. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Too much sat between them. Too much that couldn't be said now.
Maria broke it.
"I need your clothes off," she said..Helen blinked. Claudia stared.
"What?"
Maria didn't repeat herself. She just looked at them, and that was enough.
They moved. Armor came off first. Then the rest. Cold air hit bare skin, but neither of them complained. They understood now.
Maria turned to Drexo. "And you." He hesitated for a second. Then nodded. Theon followed. Within minutes, everything was exchanged.
The armor sat differently now. Slightly off. Not obvious, but enough.
Maria stepped back and looked at them. "You two stay," she said to Helen and Claudia. "Find your way back at dawn."
Helen didn't argue. She didn't agree either. She just watched.
Maria turned. "Put helmets on." They obeyed. "Walk carefully," she added. "Do not speak unless you must."
Then she moved. They followed. The forest thinned as they approached the boundary. The torchlight ahead grew brighter. Voices clearer.
Step by step. Closer, and closer. Maria didn't slow. She walked like she belonged there. Like she owned every inch of ground.
The guards noticed them.nOf course they did. One of them stepped forward. Then stopped. His eyes dropped. To the boots. Too large. Too wrong.
"Halt." The word cut through the night.
Everything stopped. Even the air felt still. The leader stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. "Why are your boots of bigger size. No maiden wears these sizes?"
No one answered. The silence stretched.
Then: "Remove your helmets."
Drexo felt it then. His heart thundered loud, and heavy. Like it was trying to betray him from the inside.
The distance between them suddenly felt too small. Too exposed. Too final.