The Last Hero

Chapter Seven

"But you had no idea where we were heading earlier, what changed?" Katherine asked as they found a pathway through the forest to walk along. It still annoyed her that she could no longer walk on the carriage ways due to Tristan now branding them criminals. Yet she made due. She had to. She had to keep strong for Ren's sake.

"With Ren here, she will be safer within her own kingdom rather than this one." Caden replied almost immediately as if he was expecting the question all along. He led the trio as he made his way along at a slower pace, minding Ren's short legs. Even though she is a beastgirl, she is still young.

"Why can't we stay here? Go to the outskirts of the kingdom or something?" She asked with a tone that betrayed her uncertainty of the situation.

"Why do you think the bandits left Ren alive?" Caden asked as he came to a stop and turned towards Katherine. A serious look on his face that was slowly leaking his anger. 

"Weren't they going to kill her after her mother?" Katherine asked clearly confused slightly at the question proposed by Caden.

"She is what the fat nobles of your kingdom look for in slaves. Almost all turn towards the fetish way of life." Caden spat with disgust filling his tone and features. "They planned on selling her to either one of those nobles, or a slave driver with contacts with the same nobles."

"They wouldn't that, right?" Katherine asked trying to defend the nobles of her kingdom but failing miserably as she doubted them herself.

"You wouldn't know." Caden said as he swiftly turned around and began the trek once more. "I wasn't even apart of the kingdom and I could tell you were a puppet on strings. I didn't know it was Tristan, but I knew someone who has sway with the nobles was hiding this from you. And you bought every single one of their lies."

"That can't be." She said softly as she tightened her grip around Ren's left hand ever so tightly. Not enough to cause harm but enough to show the pain and emotional confusion that ran through her.

"It is and they have." Caden replied as he continued with the former Queen and his newly acquired slave behind him. Picking up his speed so he can end this sooner. He only hoped that they would find a town soon so they can get better clothes and maybe travel with more comfort.

Suddenly Caden stopped and went still, giving both Katherine and Ren a shock. He turned slowly until he was facing them.

"Do you happen to have any gold on you?" He asked knowing that the money he had was not enough for the three of them to get to the Beast kingdom.

"No, I do not." Katherine said clearly understanding the intent of the question. Since they both knew that Ren wouldn't, they didn't bother asking her. "Didn't you get enough from the bandits?"

"They barely had any on them." He said softly as he brought his right hand up and stroked the back of his neck. Trying to figure how they would get enough gold in order for his plans to work out.

"So what now?" Katherine asked as she stepped closer to him, noticing that he took a step back. Deflated at the motion he made, Katherine's heart sank a little further. She still thought the world of him, but knew that he was far from ever being hers.

"I have to find a source of gold." He said as he placed his hands on his hips thinking of the possible sources.

"Why not the market?" Katherine said with a tone that betrayed some of her sadness as she prepared to do the one thing that she had hoped and thought she would never have to do.

"And what would we sell?" Caden said quickly with a wave of his hand before he added onto his question. "And who would sell to me? It took ages to get that one back at the capital to sell me."