Chapter 20 - 19 - Lawbearer
A sturdy man in his forties, clad in dust-covered light armor, rode his horse into the ruined fortress. His brow furrowed deeply as his gaze swept over the scene: scorched houses, rubble strewn across the streets, and corpses lying like discarded dolls.
His jaw clenched. He tugged the reins, making the horse turn sharply. As he turned, the hundreds of cavalrymen behind him—each clad in steel and bearing the royal crest on their chest—straightened their backs and sharpened their eyes, awaiting command.
"Find Queen Belmore," he ordered sharply. "Search every house, cave, or hiding hole in this region. Leave no stone unturned. If you find anyone suspicious, capture them."
He paused, his breath ragged for a moment, before adding, "And if they resist... cut off a part of their body. Bring the rest back here."
--
The sky shone brightly as they left the house behind.
Riven walked at the front, pulling a small wooden cart that creaked under its weight. Inside, a pile of weapons—swords, spears, even one or two broken bows—lay in disarray. They were taken from last night’s battlefield. Dried blood still stained some of them—Mira hadn’t had time to clean them all—serving as silent testimony to the chaos that had just ended.
Behind him, Mira and the mysterious woman who called herself Anna followed silently. The hot wind danced through the leaves, as if trying to erase their tracks from the little house on the hillside.
That house—though it sheltered them only briefly—had been a sanctuary.
But once the woman regained consciousness and confessed that she was still being hunted, the house became a ticking time bomb. No longer safe for Riven. Nor Mira. And certainly not for the woman herself. Staying longer would only invite death to knock at their door.
So Riven made a decision—to leave.