Light of the Unexpected Adventure

Chapter 30 Who Is That?

Gabriella's POV

Once he sees that I am alright, with all the concern for me in his eyes that I never expected to see ever again, I give him a nod as he nods back. Our silent moment is all we needed to know that I am ok and he can do what he needs to with this woman. But before he says anything else, he looks back to her, then his arm quickly wraps around my back as he pulls me closer to him. I feel his grip automatically tightening around me. I don't know if that is to protect me or hold himself back from her. He obviously knows the woman who is also in a suit of armor, but the obvious irritation or maybe anger is noticed within his features. But where would he know her from? That's the question I wish to answer.

It's someone he knows, so maybe a woman he has been interested in or maybe she has interest in him, or both. Wait.. Since she is wearing a suit of armor with the Royal's crest on it, does that mean that she came from the village? I am not sure, I have not seen her before but that is not saying much. I watch as she uncomfortably shifts in the armor as if she is not used to wearing it, making me think it is just a disguise, but I am not sure nor why she would need it. Is she here to help us out? Better question, Where did she even come from? Because we didn't even hear her coming, so I don't understand how she found us. Maybe followed our trail from the village. Who knows?

"Oh Leoric, you know exactly why I am here. I was sent here to clean up this mess." She replies, spreading her arms out and pointing at all the nothingness and darkness around us. I am not sure what she is implying, as I notice that Leo is shaking his head, which makes me think he is understanding. "I don't need help. I can take care of this on my own and the way I want. I am so close, and I won't let you take this away from me. You know that I have more motivation than most to be the one to finish this." he says as I feel his hand tightening over my hip, feeling his arm curling tighter around my back. With my body snuggled into his side, so there is no space between us, I feel secure and protected, just completely confused about what is happening.

"I know you have motivation and reasoning.. It doesn't mean that you know what to do to stop this. You can lie to yourself, but not to me and especially not to her. She is a human life! You made her live bait! She never agreed to what the fae did. And from what I can see, she is the one taking care of you two. I haven't seen you save her yet." the other guard shakes her head after saying this, looking over at him in disgust. I don't know how she knows such things, as if she was right here when I knew she wasn't.

"He saved me multiple times. Don't act like you were here to see how he helped me and us. He kept us alive until I tried to figure out how to save us." I state in his defense as I feel his eyes on me. I quickly glanced away from her and to him to see some type of admiration at me defending him, I would assume. "You don't understand." She says to me, the confusion within me is probably evident as I shake my head, but he is responding before I have a chance to question anything.

"I am not lying to myself. I have helped her and will help her when she needs me. Don't act like you know me and my intentions.. and as for live bait, I did no such thing.. Everything just played out that way. We needed a magical being and we got one. Who am I to object to fate?" he states as I watch the anger consume her face. "You have to at least talk about it.. Warn her.. Not just volunteer her without her own knowledge. Look at that blank stare she has on her face. She has no idea what is happening with anything. Ugh Leoric, what would your sister say?" she spats as she points at me, making me mad.

"You don't ever mention her.. Ever." He snaps this back as his hold gets even tighter. I think I am here to help calm him down from this woman that seems to be irritating him at every turn. I put my hand on his chest, trying to calm him down, but at this rate it just looks like I am attempting to hold him back. But it is hard to hold him back when I want to say something to her. I'm offended. She is making it sound like I don't have a thought in my head, which is insulting. My eyebrows meet in the middle as I glare over at her, not knowing who the heck she thinks she is, coming over here and dictating everything like this.

Leo huffs out next to me but doesn't say anything to object, so maybe she is right in this argument. I nervously look up at Leo, who looks livid with her words, before he starts to shake his head while thinking about this. "I don't need your opinion and I don't need your help." she scoffs loudly at that comment before responding. "It looks like you do at least need my help, maybe not my opinion.. But, as you know already, my help comes with strong opinions. Besides, you know the undead are coming back. So you need to get far from here, and you know that I can do just that. So let me do what I do best." she spats at us as Leo huffs out.

"Ugh.. I know you're right about those beasts. I have been thinking about just that.. Fine, you win. I will accept your help to move us away from here.. But.. Don't move us too far, we need to get back to the village after the break of day. If you're not willing to do that, then we will go on our own. Without your help. We will start making our way back there after we make a camp and build a big fire.. Along with many smaller fires." He states with confidence and strength intertwined in his words as he holds his head high and his chest looks as if it is puffing out.

"A fire won't save you like you think it will.. It is smart and will deter some, but not stop all. But what I need to know is why you feel the need after all that has happened to take her to that place again? You know what they will do to her if you go back." she says looking from Leo to me as he looks at me before shaking his head. "They won't, if I have anything to do with it. Besides, I need to continue on, to finally complete this, as we all need.. It's for the best. You know that I have to do this before things get worse. Even at any expense, like my own." he declares before he quickly adds. "Are you going to help us out, or not? I'm done with this conversation, and we need to get out of here before we are ambushed another time."

With that returning spat from him, the woman smirked over at us before making eye contact with me, finishing that action with a wink directed at me. My head tilts with curiosity as we hear screeching in the distance, getting louder quickly, showing us those monsters are coming back and following our trail here. Or maybe all the sounds we were making just now and along the way. "Oh I'll help.... help get you away from those beasts that are making their way here as we speak.. and I promise that it will be exactly where you need to be.. Sounds good to you, Gabriella?" she replies, wearing a now larger smirk on her features before it quickly evolves into a face-splitting smile, looking mischievous.

The smile sends a chill down my spine, but it doesn't feel good at all. Not to mention the instant realization that she knows my name, but I have never met her. So how does she know my name? Leoric has not mentioned it once to her so this is very strange. I feel my eyebrows meeting in the middle from straight confusion in this realization. When my mouth drops open to respond, I am interrupted as Leo groans out loudly while he starts shaking his head for a moment. I look up at his protectively handsome features, that shift into shocked tones as if he just figured something out from her reaction.

I watch as his head shakes while holding me closer into his side. This does feel even more protective this time around. The woman starts to laugh as she snaps her fingers, making her armor fall as it instantly changes into a layered tunic. The cloth of her autumn-colored tunic bounces but shows that it is torn and used, worn out by all the patches covering the cloth and holding it together. Her long and dark red hair flops down over her shoulders, exposing a bandanna over the top of her hair as beads intertwined in her strands of thick hair catch the moon's reflection.

My mouth falls open in complete and utter shock at this sight before me. I have never seen such things, but I have heard of them. I have heard of the King making announcements about magical beings that can change into anything they want when the right magic is applied, so they can be deceiving and untrustworthy. Seeing instead of hearing about these actions are two completely different things. To see something so astonishing right in front of me makes me wonder if I am still in a dream. I know I'm not, but these things are easier to believe with the thought that this is a dream behind them.

I wonder what that makes her, you know, as a magical being? Is she a witch? Or whatever the woman who gave me her power was? Or maybe she can at least help me with my newly-found powers. My mouth is sitting agape in shock as Leo tries to step forward, with his arm still tightly wrapped around my back, so he is pulling me with him. I looked away from her and back to him, just seeing that his head is shaking even faster than ever before. "No.. Don't play your games.. Prudence.. Don't do this. Not now. What would my sister think about that? She made you promise to watch over me and help me how you can." Leo states as I quickly let my eyes leave him, then headed straight back to the woman. I don't understand what is happening, but obviously he does.

Her pointer finger instantly shakes from side to side. "No, no, no.. Remember I am not allowed to talk about her, by your request. So, moving on.. I hope you have fun.. Oh, and stop on by when you get to my place.. I have something for you." she stated, as I watched Leo start to really panic at that comment, shaking his head relentlessly. "No Prudence.. Don't play your little games now.. Please.. Not far away.. No." he says, taking a step forward, pulling me with him just so I stay close at his side.

My heart is now pounding at this sight even though I am not exactly sure why he is panicking. She starts laughing, before responding, "Oh, I'm sorry I can't hear you over the dead creatures coming this way. Besides, I am just trying to help out as you asked.. Actually, if we are being honest with one another. I am just trying to help you see what is truly important within this mission of yours that you call life. I know your sister would have appreciated that if she was here to see it. My advice: just have fun and hold on tight to her. I would hate for you to lose her." We watched her wink, then snap her fingers.. And before I can even comprehend what is happening, everything goes black, as my mind shuts off.