Blood for her Crown

Chapter Seven

Ciden

After what Jamie had told him, he kept thinking about possible ways to save Grace, but since he had no knowledge about poisons and cures whatsoever, he couldn't come up with a single solution.

When he stood up to walk his mind off for a few minutes, something occurred to him.

He jogged over to Jamie, who was sitting next to Grace, holding her hand. He had laid his dark cloak over her, as if she had just caught a cold. Her shaking had finally stopped after some time, but they knew better than to think it was over.

"What if the people in this village have a cure for her? Maybe these traps aren't meant for travelers, but for the people who tried to kill us? They could have some experience with this poison and therefore with a cure."

Jamie looked up at him. He considered his words for a minute. "I'm not so sure if these villagers are that hospitable..."

"Maybe not, but do we have a choice?"

They ran out of time, and that was the only solution they had. Jamie knew that, too, so he, eventually, agreed.

Like before, Ciden held Makhi's reins and took Grace with him while Jamie searched the ground for more traps. The worst ones were already behind them, now he only found rather harmless ones.

Ciden wondered how old these traps were. There were no bodies, not even bones in the pits, no blood on the stakes, nothing.

For now, he was just glad, his bones wouldn't be the next to rot in there.

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The path before them became freer of trees and underbrush.

The first houses came into their view, voices sounded from not so far away.

It was late in the afternoon, the people would be working, walking around the streets, being attentive.

Ciden had travelled through enough villages to know that he should have thought twice about this. Especially here, in Merrisan, people were dismissive towards strangers, leery of them. But these people were their only hope, so they rode towards the voices.

More ruined houses on dirty roads, old sheds, dilapidated barns, and empty willows lay before them. People in dirty, torn clothes were hurrying through the streets, carrying buckets and baskets with food or different fabrics, children were playing on the muddy willows.

They looked wretched.

Even Jamie seemed miserable at this sight. "I'm having trouble believing that this was once such a happy and beautiful kingdom. How could it get this far?"

Ciden agreed.

Nevertheless, they had to ask these people for help, so they rode towards the nearest road.

As soon as these villagers saw them, they stepped aside, making space for them to get past, a few even went inside their houses, hiding from them. Some looked at them in awe, others were visibly afraid of them. The children only had eyes for the horses. A little girl even tried to run up to them, but got stopped by her mother. It would not be so easy to get help, it seemed.

Jamie wanted to ask the very few villagers that were still on the road for their help. They only backed away from him without even listening to his words, as if he was treathening them.

Jamie turned his head to Ciden. "Told you. These people don't want to have anything to do with outsiders."

"We will find someone. Grace is the pessimist of you two, don't you start with that attitude, too."