The wagons started rolling. I climbed back onto Nox and fell into position near the rear.

  One of the children from earlier, a girl maybe seven or eight years old, peeked out from behind the third wagon. She was staring at Nox with wide, fascinated eyes.

  "Is he nice?" she asked in a small voice.

  I looked at her. "Usually.

  "Can I pet him?"

  "No."

  Her face fell.

  "He's not a dog," I explained. "He's a great wolf.”

  "Oh." She continued staring at Nox anyway. "He's really big."

  "Yes, he is."

  "What's his name?"

  "Nox."

  "That's a good name." She smiled, then her mother called her back to the wagon. She waved at me before disappearing inside.

  The first few hours passed uneventfully, as the caravan moved at a steady pace.

  I stayed near the rear on Nox, watching the surroundings while the other guards maintained their positions—two at the front, one on each side, and Derrick moving between them to check on everyone.

  I kept to myself, which seemed to suit everyone fine. The guards did their job, I did mine, and we didn't get in each other's way.

  Then one of the guards drifted back toward my position.

  He was young, maybe early twenties, with shaggy brown hair. He carried a sword at his hip and a crossbow strapped to his back.

  "Hey!" he called out cheerfully. "Vera, right?"

  "Mm." I nodded.

  "I'm Noel!" He grinned, clearly unbothered by my lack of enthusiasm.

  "That's a great wolf, right? I've only seen one once before, and it was trying to eat me, so this is much better." He laughed at his own joke. "How'd you tame him? Must've been crazy dangerous."

  "It was complicated."

  "I bet!”

  He rode closer. "So where are you headed after this? Just traveling? Guild business?"

  I glanced at him. He seemed genuinely friendly, not probing for information. Just... talkative…probably.

  "South,"

  "Cool, cool. I'm from the south originally. Well, southwest. Little town called Redbean. You probably haven't heard of it." He didn't wait for confirmation. "Been adventuring for about a year now. Started at F-rank, just made it to E-rank last month. Derrick says if I keep improving, I might hit D-rank by next year."

  "That's good."

  "Yeah! I mean, it's not C-rank like you, but I'm working on it. Derrick's been teaching me a lot. He's strict but he's good.”

  He continued talking, filling the silence with a constant stream of chatter. About the caravan, about the other guards, about places they'd been, jobs they'd done. I mostly just nodded or made noncommittal sounds, but he didn't seem to mind.

  "...and then the chicken actually bit him! Can you believe that? A chicken!" Marcus was laughing at his own story. "Anyway, that's why Jared refuses to go near farms anymore."

  "Uh-huh."

  "Oh, but hey, you came from Oakenford, right? Lord Hugo mentioned that." His expression turned more serious. "Heard there was some trouble up there. Something about Drakmoor attacking?"

  I tensed slightly. "There was an attack, yes."

  "That's crazy. I mean, Drakmoor's always been aggressive, but attacking a town in Argus? That's basically a declaration of war." He shook his head. "Everyone's talking about it. About the tension with Drakmoor, the Eastern Empire mobilizing, everything heating up."

  I perked up at that.

  Perhaps seeing my interest, Noel continued talking, leaning forward in his saddle.

  "Well, word is that Drakmoor's been mobilizing their forces along the western border.” He lowered his voice like he was sharing a secret. "Some merchants coming through from the west say they've seen entire camps being set up. War preparations."

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  "Do they know why?"

  "That's the weird part. Nobody knows. I mean, Drakmoor's always been expansionist, but this feels different. More urgent." He scratched his head. "There are rumors though."

  "Like what?"

  "Some people say it's because of succession issues. That their king is dying and the nobles are jockeying for power. Others say they're planning a full invasion of Argus, trying to seize territory before the Eastern Empire makes their move."

  "But the point is, tensions are really high. The guilds are preparing for possible conflict. A lot of adventurers are getting hired for escort missions or to reinforce border towns. That's why escort jobs are paying so well right now."

  “That's actually why Lord Hugo is relocating his family." Noel gestured toward the third wagon. "Did he tell you? His estate was in Fletchburt, pretty close to the western border with Drakmoor. With all the tension and military buildup, he decided it wasn't safe anymore. Especially not for his grandkids."

  "Smart move."

  "Yeah. A lot of nobles and wealthy merchants near the border are doing the same thing. Selling properties, moving assets, getting their families to safer locations." He shook his head. "It's like everyone can feel something big coming, you know?"

  "Where's he moving to?"

  "He's got family in one of the southern settlements. Farther from both Drakmoor and the Eastern Empire. Figures it's the safest place to be if things go bad." Noel leaned in conspiratorially. "Between you and me, I think he knows more than he's saying. He's well-connected, you know? Probably has sources that tell him things us regular folks don't hear."

  That explained Hugo's generous payment. In uncertain times, protection was worth its weight in gold.

  "And Drakmoor's not the only problem," Noel continued. "The Eastern Empire is the real threat. They've been expanding for years, and now they're setting their sights on Argus. If they push through Thornwood Pass..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "Well, it won't be good."

  “It's scary, honestly. I mean, I'm just an E-rank guard. If there's a real war, I don't know what I'll do. That's part of why Lord Hugo wanted to move his family now, before things get worse."

  "You'll survive," I said. "You look smart and resourceful.”

  "Thanks." He smiled. "You're not as scary as you look, you know that?"

  I raised an eyebrow. "I look scary?"

  "Well, yeah! You ride a great wolf, you barely talk, and you've got this whole mysterious adventurer thing going on." He laughed. "But you're actually pretty cool."

  "Thanks, I guess."

  He seemed satisfied with that and continued chattering about various topics.

  Hearing Noel talk gave me a lot of knowledge that filled the gaps in mine. It was helpful, to be honest. As talkative as he was, he seemed to know the world way more than me.

  Time passed, and Noel was still talking. He didn't seem to have an end. Stories about other caravans he'd guarded, close calls with bandits, that one time they'd encountered a nest of razor hawks and barely escaped. His voice became almost background noise, oddly comforting in its consistency.

  Then—

  It was Nox who noticed it first. His ears suddenly pinned back, and I felt his muscles tense beneath me. A low growl started building in his throat.

  I sat up straighter, immediately alert. "Noel, quiet."

  He stopped mid-sentence, looking at me with confusion. "What's—"

  "Something's wrong."

  I scanned the surroundings. The road had narrowed here, with dense forest pressing in on both sides. Perfect ambush terrain.

  "Derrick!" I called out.

  But I was too late.

  Arrows whistled through the air.

  "Ambush!" someone screamed.

  The first volley hit before anyone could react. One of the guards at the front took an arrow to the shoulder and went down with a cry. Another arrow struck one of the horses, making it rear and scream. The wagons lurched to a chaotic stop.

  An arrow flew straight at me. Nox moved faster than I could think, his massive body shifting to put himself between me and the projectile. The arrow struck his fur and bounced off harmlessly, deflected by whatever made his hide so resistant to damage.

  More arrows rained down from both sides of the road.

  "Shields! Get behind the wagons!" Derrick was shouting, trying to organize a defense even as he pulled the injured guard to cover.

  The bandits emerged from the forest on both sides. Dozens of them, emerging from the trees with weapons drawn. Rough-looking men and women in mismatched armor, carrying everything from rusty swords to proper military blades. The archers stayed back in the trees, still loosing arrows at anything that moved.

  A man stepped forward from the group, clearly the leader. Older, with a scar running down the left side of his face and cold eyes that assessed the chaos with satisfaction.

  "Stop shooting!" he called out. "Let's not waste all our arrows."

  The archers lowered their bows but kept them ready.

  Behind me, I could hear one of Hugo's grandchildren crying. The merchants were huddled in and around the wagons, using them as cover. Two guards were down, one clutching his shoulder, another with an arrow in his leg. Derrick and Noel were still standing, weapons drawn, but their faces were pale.

  I unsheathed my sword—a simple but well-made longsword I'd bought before leaving Oakenford.

  I felt my heart rate pick up. Bandits. I didn't really have good memories of bandits. Last time I'd encountered them, I'd lost control. The rage, the bloodlust, the way I'd torn through them without thinking. And it had cost the deaths of the other survivors from Millbrook. People I could have saved if I'd been more careful, more controlled.

  I sighed, pushing the memory away.

  The bandit leader's eyes shifted to me. To Nox. To the sword in my hand.

  Then his gaze traveled slowly down my body, lingering in ways that made my skin crawl.

  "Well now," he said slowly. “Looks like we've got ourselves a bonus. Nice figure on that one, boys."

  Several of the bandits laughed. Some made crude gestures.

  "Tell you what," the leader continued, his eyes fixed on me. "We'll take the goods from the wagons. And we'll take her too. I think we'll enjoy her company later tonight. Make sure she knows her place."

  More laughter. One of the bandits called out something vulgar that I didn't quite catch, but the intent was clear enough.

  Anger flared hot in my chest. Not fear. Not nervousness. Just pure, cold anger.

  The leader gestured at his men. "Now, you lot can either surrender peacefully, or we can put a few more arrows in you. Your choice. Either way, we're taking everything."

  Derrick gritted his teeth, clearly calculating the odds. Two guards down. Dozens of bandits. Archers in the trees.

  "What do we do?" Noel whispered, his voice shaking slightly.

  I stepped forward, moving past Nox.

  "Last chance," I said, my voice flat. "Walk away. Nobody else has to die today."

  The leader laughed. "Oh, you've got spirit! I like that. Makes it more fun." He looked at his men. "Don't damage her too much when you take her down. I want her intact."

  That did it.

  Something inside me snapped.

  "I'm going to kill you," I said quietly. "All of you."

  The leader's smile faltered slightly. Maybe he heard something in my voice. Maybe he saw something in my eyes.

  "Big words for one woman," he said, but there was less confidence now. "Even with that monster, you're outnumbered. And my archers have clear shots."

  He raised his hand, preparing to signal another volley.

  "I know."