Her surprise at seeing the guard posted when she opened the door at the bottom of the stairs was not unfounded. He stood there wide awake and said, “Good morning my lady, I had someone tell me you were an early riser. My apologies if I startled you.” She smiled, responded with a quiet voice. “Good morning, would you like a cup of hot coffee or is that against protocol?” He responded, “Thank you my lady, I would appreciate it very much.” She began a light version of her morning routine, as she had planned on getting an early start to the day.
As she worked on a fresh pot of coffee, fixing it with the same ingredients, Silviano had taught her. She then began cooking a small breakfast. The smells of breakfast began to fill the room with the same tantalizing hints of something wonderful being made up that Silviano always had in his meal preparation. Georgia had learned well the lessons Silviano taught her about his cooking. As she had everything in motion, she prepared her travel bag that she kept hanging in the storage room. This was a small room located off the kitchen for convenient access. Most often it was used to store fresh ingredients she purchased from the local farmers and stored in this room in preparation of the meals.
This morning though, it was to be used for a different purpose as she prepared to journey to her father’s location to discover what this was all about. She used it to prepare her travel bag with some key ingredients that would travel well with her without spoiling. These could be used for preparing light but tasty meals each evening during the trip. It would keep her from having to forage for them wasting time after a long day’s journey on the road. When she returned from the storage room with the bag slung around her shoulder, she was not surprised to see Silviano already checking on breakfast and coffee. She nodded to him and continued her work towards preparing for her journey.
Silviano, poured three cups of coffee. Completed the work on breakfast. He took one of the cups to the guard, and then set it and two plates of breakfast for himself and Georgia. He hadn’t said much to her yet as he was waiting for her to begin the conversation. After they both sat down, Georgia took a few bites of the breakfast, several small sips of the coffee then asked. “I see you’re planning on traveling somewhere today by your ware. Are you planning on accompanying the Duchess on her return trip home?”
He responded, “I see you too have made your decision and have prepared to travel to your father.” She continued with her breakfast, took some more sips of her coffee then said, “Yes! I made my decision minutes after returning to my room last night.” He said, “I assumed you had, so I am prepared to go with you.” She was not surprised by this but asked, but what about my inn, who will attend to its needs and those of my guests and patrons if both of us are gone?” Silviano responded, “The Duchess, captain and I spoke last night before retiring to bed.
She insisted that I travel with you to ensure you reach your father without incident. She also said that the staff in attendance last night would stay to manage the inn in both our absences.” She waited a moment, spoke to him, and said, “I appreciate the offer. But I can assure you I am more than capable of defending myself if that is something that needed to be done.” He responded, “The Duchess put it in a non-negotiable statement to me. I know when not to argue with her on something she’s made up her mind to.”
Her response was to exhale, take a few more bites, finish her coffee, stand up, grab her bag. She then turned as she neared the door to the common room. She said to him, “Okay Silviano, are you coming, I want to get started early. I have a lot of questions for my father once we reach him. I hope you’re prepared to travel at a fast pace?” He responded, “Yes, Georgia, you set the pace, I’ll be there right alongside of you.”
With that they exited the kitchen. She took a moment to take in the common room where she had spent so much of her life growing up. It was in this inn that she had been educated, learned to work, and manage the inn, and some of her most important lessons, being of service to others. She had her father to thank for these lessons and the careful choices he made to help her learn the lessons she needed before he announced his departure.
She then walked to the front door and was not surprised to find the captain waiting with two horses for them. The captain bowed to her then said. “My lady, Silviano, all is ready, may your travels go well and my lady, may your reunion be joyful with your father.” She thanked the captain, mounted up, then said to the captain. “Please extend my gratitude to the Duchess for all that she’s done for me. I will not forget her kindness. “
The captain said, “Be assured I will let her know.” He looked at Silviano then and she noticed that something passed unsaid between them. A message of concern but also one of confidence. She thought to herself, “I’ll asked him about this after our first stop for the evening.” They headed out of the town where she had grown up. She had spent much of her adult life here too and knew every road and trail in town and the surrounding area.
With that and a quick final glance at the town, she set a fast pace with her picking a road rarely traveled by others. This was to ensure no one would see them leaving. Off they went and as they rode further away, the landscape began to change. The familiar houses and streets of the town disappeared behind them, replaced by the untouched beauty of nature.
The road they were on was narrower, its path twisting and turning as it moved through a dense forest. Sunlight filtered through the lush canopy overhead, creating a mesmerizing dance of light and shadows. Birds sang in the trees and the scent of flowers filled the air. This was a part of the land that Georgia had always found breathtaking.
Silviano rode close behind her, keeping an eye out for any potential dangers. Though they had both traveled these types of paths before, countless stories had been told of people encountering mysterious creatures in the woods. It was essential to be prepared for anything. As the day wore on and the sun began to dip below the horizon, they decided to set up camp in a small clearing they found beside a creek. Silviano built a fire while Georgia collected water to refill their canteens. With their campsite ready, they sat together and enjoyed a modest meal they had prepared beforehand.
As the night settled in, surrounded by flickering firelight, Georgia finally turned to Silviano and asked, “So, what was that exchange between you and the captain before we left? It seemed like there was something unspoken.” Silviano hesitated for a moment before answering. He met her gaze with a serious expression. “The captain wanted me to keep a close eye on you, not just for your protection, but to prevent anyone from following or reaching out to you.
There are rumors of people who may not be happy about your departure or your father’s identity. The captain trusts me to handle any such encounters.” Georgia thought quietly about the words Silviano had selected and then asked something not immediately realized. “What is it about my father’s identity that concerns the captain? My father is just a property owner and traveler out to fulfill some held over boyhood dream to travel the lands and learn more about her people. Why would anyone be concerned about someone like that? There is nothing to be gained.”
Silviano immediately realized that he had given this very insightful lady more than he had intended. He recovered quickly though by responding to Georgia with the following: “Your father in the past, before you were born had become very good friends and close to the Duchess and others of the court. There are those that are jealous of his relationship with them and might use it to gain some advantage over the Duchess or others within the royal court.”
Georgia had listened closely to Silviano response trying to perceive any hint of deception. She had not but wanted to know more about this as her father had never spoken about it to her. “My father had never said a word concerning any of this to me, why is it that he would not want to share with his daughter something as wonderful as a relationship with royals?” Georgia paused to consider something briefly, “I mean we were just simple townsfolk working an inn and helping to provide a good night’s stay and a hot meal to our guests and patrons.”
Silviano reached out to touch Georgia’s hands and said, “The courts of the royals have long been an area of concern for those who are trying to do the right thing. There are many who would use that power to their own advantage, both of monetary value and of gaining political power.” He paused briefly and then finished his thoughts by stating, “Without people who are willing to take up the guard of what is good and right, many innocents might suffer without ever knowing why by those whose only concern are their position in society and how they are perceived by others.”
Georgia appeared to be ready to ask more but Silviano stopped her questioning further by saying, “Any more than what I’ve told you is not for me to say, only your father can provide you with the answers you seek. I ask you with all sincerity to reserve them for once we bring you and him together for your reunion.” Georgia had picked up the conversation might reach this point of an impasse. She nodded her redundant agreement and ended the questioning with, “My father has a lot to explain once we are reunited.” Silviano simply acknowledged her statement and began to steer the conversation away from the questioning of stories of his life growing up as a child of a servant to the royal court.
They both spent the rest of the night in deep conversation, swapping stories and recounting past experiences. Georgia reminisced about her time spent at the inn, the laughter and friendships, and the struggles they faced together. Silviano shared tales of his adventures during the years he spent away from the court as well but always returned to the service of the Duchess in her court.
Georgia reached out to him before retiring and said to Silviano, “Thank you for being honest with me. Together, we will face whatever challenges come our way until we reach my father.” Silviano thoughtfully responded, “I am here for you and committed to your welfare as we journey to your reunion with your father.” With that they knew it was late and time to retire, Silviano stepped into the shadows taking up a place beyond the bright light of the fire to better see into the night around them just in case.
Georgia grabbed her night bedding off the horse, spread it out in front of the fire and fell asleep exhausted from the days ride. The emotional turmoil resulting from the answers she was receiving to the questions she had asked of Silviano that evening had added to her exhaustion. Those responses were beginning to weave a puzzle of a life beyond what she knew growing up.
The next day, they rose early and set out once more on their journey. Their path took them through rolling hills and vast fields, as the shadows of distant mountains fell ever closer. They pressed on with determination, Georgia eager to uncover the secrets of her past, and Silviano devoted to protecting his cherished friend.
With every step they took, the mysteries of Georgia’s heritage unfolded before them, and the two friends marveled at how their lives had become entwined by destiny. As they traveled further into the unknown, they knew deep in their hearts that whatever awaited them, they would face it side by side. It was on the last day of their journey to the capital city where the Duchess, Silviano, and the Captain had all three confirmed that her father would be waiting for her that trouble had arrived at this uneventful journey thus far.
They neared a bend in a heavily wood section before the road straightened out to open to the first of the pastoral lands surrounding the capital city of the kingdom. There was a band of harden looking men who appeared to be waiting for them. There was no attempt to harm them at this point, but it was clear that they could go no further as the woodland surrounding the road, they traveled in was dense and hard to travel through, especially with horses.
A well-built man of about six foot in height, two hundred and ten pounds or so and armed with both long sword and bow held out his hand for them to stop. He called out to them, and said, “Stop, your journey towards the capital ends here!” He then waited and Silviano who had caught Georgia’s look of surprise responded, “I see, and what do you propose happen at this point?”
The man laughed and said, “Well Silviano, you have two choices, the first is the easier one and less hazardous to your health. The second one would be an unwise decision for you and your traveling companion.” Silviano replied, “I assume the least hazardous choice is for us to turn around and return to the town we came from?” The man responded, “Yes, that is correct and to ensure your safety, we will accompany you back to offer our protection and make sure you arrive back there unharmed.”
He then laughed with a booming ruckus from those who were apparently surrounding them in the wooded area directly in front and beside them. Georgia had been quietly accessing her surroundings and looking for an opportunity to change the game afoot if she could. Silviano then responded to the man, “I see, well it appears we are undone then; we will take you up on your offer of protection and return home.”
The man who had been speaking to them whistled and two more men appeared along the roadside, he spoke to them and told them to let the others know we were preparing to escort these two back from where they came. Georgia saw her opportunity and had been given the time to sense the others of the company were further down the road towards the open lands beyond waiting with their horses and possibly at the camp they had settled into waiting for her and Silviano to appear.
She raised her hands as if adjusting her hair, with a flash of precision she flicked the two sharp hair pins at the two who had shown themselves beside the other man’s position. The pins flew at blinding speed and penetrated the necks of both men hurting them enough to grab their neck and stumble. At that same moment before Silviano or the man blocking the road could react, she drove her horse full speed at the ruffian and left one of her long knives buried in his shoulder. She knew this would prevent him from using his long bow against them as they began the chase towards the open lands and beyond.
It did not take long for Silviano to pick up the pulse of her actions and they both spun past the three men who had tried to block their forward motion knocking the main man and one of the side men over with the weight of their horses. The man with the bow knew he could not use it with that darn long knife buried in his shoulder and called out ahead sending out the alarm that something was not right, and his men should prepare for a break from these two.
Georgia had taken the lead and Silviano who was coming up the from the rear was trying to get the lead to protect her, but Georgia was using her sense to guide her now and had it turned on one hundred percent living on pure instinct and the foresight her ability gave her. She had sensed a doe and her fawn running quickly away on a small trail that veered off a hundred yards from the opening to the land beyond the woods where his other men had gathered to block their way.
They saw them coming and prepared to stop them with weapons drawn, but before they could do anything she jumped the horse over a small creek and found the trail the deer had used. She was using her senses now to follow the direction the deer were running in as she knew by instinct, they would be running towards protection away from all of this. Silviano was amazed at how graceful of a rider she was and how fast and accurate her ability had been with those pin knives she threw at the two on the side of the road. He smiled to himself thinking, “No wonder the towns people felt she could hold her own against any trouble that came up at the inn.”
Georgia had lost all sense of anything beyond the deer and the trail they ran down allowing her sense of everything else fade temporarily. Silviano, who was adept at riding, had given up trying to get the lead and determined to let her continue to protect her from the rear since that was the most likely direction that any danger would come from. As they rode on, Georgia sensed something ahead, a formation of stones located and forgotten about long ago deep in the heavily wooded areas. She sensed something else too ahead. Something familiar to her.
“Hmm, was it him she began to think”, but before the thought could be finished, they arrived and a man with a covered hood appeared and waved them towards the circle of stones. She knew then it was Elysian, “what and how did he know where to be”, she thought to herself. He threw back his hood so they would both recognize him and then waved an intricate weave of runic symbols in the air around the circle of stones. The stones began to glow, and a large doorway of stone and earth opened in the floor of the forest where the stones stood.
He waved them into the opening and as they entered the downward sloping path with their horses, the stones around them lit up to light the way. Once all three were within the underground area. He said something and the opening closed again as if it had never been there. He whispered to them to hold their questions. He asked, “Please be quiet until I sense the party has gone beyond this area and we are safe to speak freely again. Georgia and Silviano both nodded their agreement. Georgia then absently began to gently caress the horse to communicate calmness and thankfulness for his willingness to obey her commands during the daring escape.
Elysian finally spoke softly, “I believe it is safe to speak now. Your pursuers have passed beyond this location for now. It will amuse me for a while to know they are not exactly sure of how they lost you. I am sure they understand the price would be high for their failure from whoever it was that hired them.”
There was silence in the room under the earth momentarily. Elysian then continued, “Georgia my dear, you would make a formidable Druid indeed, if it were not for your already ordained destiny I would try and persuade you to come study alongside of me. I am impressed by your skills.” Silviano spoke up then, “They shall be worried about us if we don’t continue our journey soon. Is there a way to get a message to them to inform them of our difficulties delaying our arrival?”
Elysian replied, “It is already done, I knew of the danger and came quickly. I had just arrived when I sensed Georgia reaching out with her insight and probing for an opportunity to escape your untimely predicament.” Silviano replied, “I see, thank you once again Elysian for your assistance in helping to get our lady to her much-needed meeting with her father.” Elysian responded, “I like you, are committed to her welfare Silviano; you know that.”