CHAPTER TWENTY
Thalassa pulled the reins to stop her horse. The path she was taking was blocked by a group of fallen trees that made crossing entirely impossible. She gritted her teeth in frustration. She turned back and went towards the other path. But- her new path would not allow her to arrive before the night ended. Determined to arrive before Mr. Pierce leave the camp, she pushed her horse as fast as it can go.
She arrived at the camp just in time for the first ray of sun to appear. The soldiers looked shocked to see a woman there. She dismounted the horse and took her parasol. She opened it to protect her skin from the coming rays.
She left the satchel on the horse but not before drinking a whole bottle. Then, she approached the nearest soldier to ask. “Kind sir, may I ask where I can see Mr. Sinclair?”
The soldier she asked looked at her like she had lost her mind. A few had congregated around her to listen and watch. She took a deep breath to stop herself from shouting. The soldiers in front of her were wasting her time when she should have been already talking to the person she came for.
“A young lady like you must be lost!” one of the new soldiers who came near her exclaimed.
He put a hand on her arm to assist her back to her horse as he told her how dangerous the place was. They were looking down at her merely because she was a woman. Some who were watching started to laugh. But- faster than they had noticed, she already had the soldier pinned to the ground. Her left knee pressed in his chest to keep him in place. Her hand was still holding the parasol to cover herself from the now fully out sun.
“Where is Mr. Sinclair?” she asked with gritted teeth.
“Long gone- he left earlier than planned,” the soldier beneath her answered.
Suddenly, soldiers by the bridge were shouting for help. The soldier forgotten, she ran towards the bridge where a group of bandits were attacking. She hit the first bandit with the end of her parasol and pushed him back. The soldiers were shock. She was at the front line with nothing but a parasol.
Another one threw a dagger at her and she spun her parasol at such a speed that it deflected the blade. She then closed her parasol and hit another one with it in the head. She then gave a spinning kick to the one on her left. She jumped high in the air and landed on a bandit’s back, who she then kicked at the nape. She continued to fight until she found herself at the opposite end of the bridge.
“Keep control of the bridge!” she shouted at the soldiers. “I shall be back with Mr. Sinclair!”
She then dragged a bandit off his neck and led him towards the woods. The soldiers who all witnessed her skill were still in awe and shock at the woman who was able to surpass them.
Thalassa pushed the man to a tree and pinned him there. “Tell me what I want to know and you will not suffer,”
The bandit laughed at her threat for all he saw acted as her weapon was the parasol on the ground where the woman left it to hold him in place.
“I am in no mood to play,” she then kneed the man in his privates where he instinctively reached to cup his manhood but Thalassa hadn’t allowed him even that much. She stopped his hands from covering and his face became contorted with pain. “Tell me!”
“The abandoned mansion to the west!” he screamed as Thalassa pressed her knee.
She let him go and he instantly fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Thalassa left him and returned to the bridge where she saw a few horses that the bandits probably rode. Keeping in the shadows, Thalassa mounted one even before the bandits realized she was there.
Her parasol, folded, in one hand and the other hand was busy with the reins. The bridge was slowly vanishing in the background as her journey to the west continued. She could not help but think of the worst for the man she was coming for. She repeatedly saw his leaving figure in her mind and her heart shattered as well.
There was no way she would allow him to leave once more.
Thalassa dismounted the horse not far from the abandoned mansion to avoid detection in case Mr. Pierce had not made contact yet. But the nearer she got the more bodies she saw; bodies of bandits. He had already made his attack. She was guessing that he was currently inside because the outside of the mansion was empty except for the lifeless bodies.
As she near the door, she stopped to listen to her surroundings. The room behind the door was empty. So, slowly, she opened the door. It creaked on its old frame, but no one seemed to have heard or there was no one left to hear it.
Praying to the heavens for him to be alright, she entered the dilapidated mansion. She was slowly walking through the hallway when she heard fighting down in the basement. She pushed the door open and climbed down the stairs silently. She saw Mr. Pierce kneeling to the ground; bearing a wound to his left side.
Anger controlling her at the sight, Thalassa jumped down the remaining steps. She flipped through the air, over the bandit’s head and landed a blow on the top of his skull.
They both rolled down to the floor. The bandit’s sword flew to the other side of the room as well as Thalassa’s parasol. Mr. Pierce looked up shock at the happening and he quickly realized who had come to save him. He tried standing up to help her but he only fell back down.
The bandit stood up and reached for Thalassa. She quickly snapped her legs at his extended arm and rolled. She heard his bone snapping as he knelt in pain. Then, Thalassa jumped towards her parasol but the bandit pulled at her foot. She landed on the floor with a loud thud; hitting her head on the stone floor. A sharp pain attacked her head as she felt something cool sliding down her face.
She spun around; causing Mr. Pierce to see his wounded head. He tried to help her once more but his surrounding spun; branding him useless. Thalassa stood up as the man started to throw a punch at her which she quickly avoided. The bandit fell to the floor and swept her off her feet. Thalassa fell on her back and she arched from the pain it had caused; biting her lip to avoid from crying out.
She jumped up and sent the bandit to the other side of the room with a ruinous kick. He hit his head on a corner of a table. Thalassa quickly jumped to her parasol and unsheathed her sword hidden inside of it. She faced her enemy who was still on the floor. With a deep breath and closed eyes; she brought the sword down at the man’s heart.
She opened her eyes and stared at the glassy eyes of the man whose life she had just taken. Despite the circumstances, the people’s word of how she was a disgrace to her family echoed in her mind as her heart constricted in the fear she had been always living with. Her eyes started watering as blood started surrounding her and Penny’s blood-curdling scream attacked her senses and drown out the people’s voices.
“Thalassa?” Pierce’s voice; despite being so soft and low; blocked out all the other voices in her mind.
With a gasp, she looked up and saw him reaching for her. Her fears of him leaving her forever had made her move her frozen limbs. She ran towards him and pressed a hand to his wound. “Don’t die on me, Mr. Pierce! Hurry, I have a horse waiting for us,”
She slowly helped him up and supported most of his weight as they walked towards where the horse was waiting. She helped him mount first before she climbed up in front of him. He leaned on her back; unable to even support himself.
“Hold on, Mr. Pierce,”
Mr. Pierce put his arms around her waist as unconsciousness fought to take over. “Why. . .?” he started, “why are you. . . here?”
“I came here with the queen’s order, Mr. Sinclair,” she answered, hiding the truth of her begging to be sent. “Please, save your strength,”
Suddenly, Thalassa pulled the reins to stop the horse. Mr. Pierce, curious about what got her to stop, forced himself to look over her shoulder and saw that the only bridge towards the town was on fire.
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