I could count about twenty armed men, all heading in the same direction, all answering to the call of the city watch captain about the greenskins. A group of five centered around someone they called "sir," possibly a young knight, accompanied by retainers. The rest were mostly freelancers, moving in twos and threes.
I noticed we had not paired up with anyone else. We were already a pair, yes, but since I was just supposed to be a carrier, we only consisted of one fighter.
But what fear I had about what we were about to do was replaced with annoyance. Edmund would not shut up. Gone was his attempt to be lofty; now he was just spouting whatever came to mind.
"I was like, Lady Elena... you have the face, the hairiness, and the physique of a tiny, fat dwarf, why would you think I'd risk my honor to peep on you?" he reasoned passionately.
I scratched my head. "But you did not actually peep, did you, Master Edmund?"
He gave me an incredulous look, as if I had offended him with the question. He even stopped walking for a moment.
"I did not! Well... not to fulfill any carnal desire. Just out of morbid curiosity," he answered.
I shook my head, wishing I had vehemently refused his offer. I would have taken the boredom of the tavern room over this.
"That's still peeping, you see. Did she believe you?" I asked, only out of courtesy.
"Of course not. She's got the pride of a fair maiden, and it's like a necklace of pearls on the neck of a dirty pig," he said. "Now she demands I marry her... to restore her honor."
"And is that any way related to you leaving the Defiant Resolve tomorrow?" I asked again unnecessarily, since I already knew the answer.
Edmund laughed. "You are a smart kid! I like you. How about I make you my squire once I am knighted, which I believe is in the near future."
"I don't deserve such an honor, Master Edmund," I said flatly.
Mercifully, we finally left the town through the eastern gate. And he finally diverted his attention to the treeline ahead of us, which marked the beginning of the vast woodlands that allegedly hid the pesky greenskins.
The anxiousness returned. I found myself subconsciously placing my hand on the hilt of my sword.
Perhaps I shouldn't be this afraid, in light of my traits. But this was a first time for me.
"Don't be too fidgety, boy. Greenskins are easy prey. Anyone who stands his ground could defeat these cretins armed with just a stick. I killed one with my play sword when I was a kid," Edmund told me as we covered the small stretch of plain that lay between the town and the forest.
"I know that. But I heard they don't fight you one on one. They come in hordes. Isn't that what makes them dangerous?"
He chuckled. "That's only true if you don't have any real weapon. I could easily mow down a crowd of goblins with this here axe, like a scythe through stalks of grain."
I knew he was full of hubris. But his confidence was a comfort, if only a little.
We eventually reached the part of the King's Road that cut through the woodlands. With trees and bushes to each side of the highway, it was perfect for ambushes—the favorite place of greenskins and bandits.
After brief discussions on the main road, the groups split into narrower trails heading deeper into the forest. The smaller groups banded together... well, except for us.
"Is it wise for us to go on our own?"
Reluctantly, I jogged after Edmund, who had quietly picked one of the unchosen trails to take. It was immediately obvious why the other hunters had stayed away from it.
It was a path slowly being retaken by nature, one that had been forgotten even by the foresters. What portions hadn't been fully reclaimed by grass were covered in thick foliage that crackled loudly with every step.
A part of me feared that this so-called gentleman was instead leading me to be killed in the forests. Maybe he wanted my sword, since his axe looked like it needed replacing.
"Are you sure this is a good trail to choose?" I asked, glancing behind me, considering walking back to the main road.
"I know what I am doing, Devon. I've been hunting since I was a kid," he answered, eyes on the trees. "And I learned that the not-so-trodden path leads to where few have explored. And where few have explored, there is more to find."
I supposed that made sense. But it didn't make me any more comfortable. I decided to draw my sword. I cringed at how loud it scraped from the sheath against the relative silence of the forest.
Edmund was quick to hush me down.
I tensed when I saw him lift up the axe, which he had been holding by the handle just below the metal. Now he held it properly with both hands.
When I thought he would turn and square off at me, like I had been fearing in my head, I saw it. A head... a very ugly one, its green skin making it barely visible in the bush.
I saw it well before Edmund.
But as quickly as the creature moved, he detected it. He turned to his left and whipped down the axe to greet the greenskin jumping out of cover.
The axe bashed into the creature's skull and slammed it to the ground mid-flight. I think it instantly died.
Then I felt that same sensation again, like when I encountered the sea dogs—something at the edge of my vision. I looked away from the dead greenskin and, just in time, saw another release an arrow aimed at me from behind the treeline.
My cheek just evaded the jagged tip by mere inches. I heard a dull thud behind me where it struck a tree.
I saw Edmund look in my direction, wide-eyed. When he saw I was unharmed, he turned his attention to the greenskin archer. I saw him snarl and dash towards the creature.
Instead of running, the dumb cretin tried to nock another arrow. The axe head carried its way from the shoulder to the chest before it could even lift its crude bow.
The both of us immediately looked around for the rest. I was astonished by my senses. I could see into the dim shade of the trees just as clearly as if it were broad daylight.
As unlikely as it was, it appeared there were only two of them.
"Well, that was a close call, wasn't it?" he chuckled.
I was too shocked to even smile. I stared at both dead greenskins in disbelief. I had officially encountered these creatures I had only seen in bestiaries. I had thought their ugly appearances were caricature. I see now, they were literal.
"Archers are rare, so that's odd. But at least we took care of it. Which means we might never face one again," Edmund remarked, while he drew something from his waist.
"Time to do your job, kiddo." He pointed the knife at me. "Take the stones off these bastards."
Instantly my shock melted and my brow curled. "Nope. That's not what we talked about. You hired me as a carrier, not a butcher."
It was his turn to twist his face. "What do you mean? That goes without saying. And it's easy... you just make a little cut in the chest—"
"I have never handled blood before," I said honestly.
"You're sixteen, surely you've helped your father slit a bird in the throat before?"
"I have never killed any living thing... well, outside bugs and plants."
Edmund huffed as he finally squatted to do the job himself.
"Quite the commoner, you are..."