Chapter 86: Sea of Bodies
Fear always struck Irene first, but she was becoming stronger and the thrill of battle soon took over. Not only that, but the need to help her father now that she was more equipped to do so came rushing forth.
He was a hero to many, but she decided that she would be a hero to him.
"Apprentices, if you aren’t too tired from travel, follow along," Sir Gunnar announced to his travel party. "We need only sharp minds out today."
There wasn’t an apprentice who left and they all stared at him, equally determined to face whatever lay ahead.
He felt bad knowing they seemed worse for wear after traveling all day, but such was the life of a knight. It was a life they had dedicated themselves to and the tests placed before them would be continual. Even after decades of being a knight, Sir Gunnar was still learning new lessons each day.
The man took a more significant glance at Iro who was looking far more determined than before and he offered a brief nod before turning and squeezing his knees so his horse would move forward.
There were already some knights and apprentices ahead and a few more just leaving and following behind. Needing all hands was never a good sign so Sir Gunnar begged the man in the sky that most in their society worshipped for a bit of a break. They were already having a rough year in terms of monsters.
Even after traveling all summer and into autumn, they would still likely have to climb the mountain to make sure there weren’t any monsters lurking. It felt evil to put Iro through that again, but that was an aspect of knighthood that most didn’t talk about.
Fear was nothing because you would have to face whatever you feared over and over again against your will until it became normal. There was no other choice but to press on.