I Will Be the Greatest Knight

Irene wouldn’t lead Henry astray.

The last time she had gone to this region, she hadn’t even noticed the forest hidden behind a bend in the foothills and part of a cliff that led to the plateau. Her only sign had been a rabbit that she had followed into the trees.

Now, she was Henry’s rabbit. His sign that things were going to get a bit easier, at least for a moment.

If this trip turned out to be nothing more than a visit north, she would be alright with that. For a few moments, she considered that there might be no wyrm at all that they could find. It wouldn’t be the cosy winter they would rather be having, but at least they were able to spend time together.

In no time, the tips of the trees became visible, and as they rode down the foothills, an entire forest was presented to them. Even though the snow here was impossibly dense, it was no match for evergreen trees. It also meant they would have a warm place to sleep if Irene thought it was a good idea.

The two riders stopped at the last bend of the lowest foothill, and Irene audibly released a sigh of relief, accompanied by a puff of steam as her breath combined with the freezing environment.

"This place will be safe for us," she explained. "Last time I was here, I caught a sizable rabbit that fed me for a few days."

However, Henry’s eyes weren’t on the red-haired knight.

"Or..." he uttered, still looking off over Irene’s shoulder.

Her head turned quickly, and she was shocked to see a deer feeding at one of the bases of the trees. While grasses were rare in winter, this would be a good place to feed for a deer where the snow hadn’t reached.

"Is it a good idea?" she questioned. "Last time I had excess, I simply let it freeze until I could cook it. Is that feasible for us?"

"I’m hungry," Henry admitted. "And we have plenty of space to carry frozen meat."

An almost child-like grin spread across Irene’s lips. She nodded once.

The red-haired knight then put a finger over her lips, and she dismounted from her horse as quickly and quietly as she could. The bow and arrows that hadn’t left her since she received them, unless she was sleeping, were slowly pulled out.

Henry opted to stay on his horse as he watched his wife compose herself and become the warrior he saw when he first met her. Only he had broken her focus so much. His ego always grew as he remembered this fact, and a smirk pulled at his lips.

On top of that, she was putting his gift to good use. What more could he ask?

As soon as Irene had her arrow aimed, the deer put its backside towards them. But she could wait. Any good hunter was a patient one, and she was admittedly also starving.

Henry’s dark eyes went from the deer to his wife occasionally, and he had to hold his reins tightly at times so that the horse wouldn’t move too much and cause the snow to make a noise. It was impossible to travel silently during this season.

Only a split second after the deer gave Irene its broad side did she hold her breath and release the arrow. With a tight "fwip!" and a soaring sound, the deer only raised its head before the sharp arrow sliced right through it and sent it into a heap on the ground.

At that, Irene’s arms lowered, and she slumped slightly.

"Seems I made up for my shakiness well," she uttered. "Now to put the animal out of its misery."

In one smooth motion, the bow was hooked onto Irene, and she mounted her horse. Both of them squeezed their knees so their horses would move forth.

As they approached, Irene realized the deer was convulsing. At that, she rushed to get out her hunting knife to be sure the animal didn’t suffer needlessly. She silently gave a Sunstoian prayer about her thankfulness for the animal’s sacrifice.

This place was one of survival, after all.

"Should I find somewhere to camp in the meantime?" Henry asked. "Is this place safe?"

Irene glanced over her shoulder at the knight and nodded.

"Very safe," she assured him. "We’ll be protected and hopefully have a good sleep tonight."

Henry returned the nod and pulled his horse deeper into the forest until he found a tree suitable to create their camp beside. He also made sure it was far from where Irene was taking care of the deer so that predators wouldn’t be attracted to where they were camping.

The Commander was grateful to be inside a forest that evening because trees were always more stable to pin the tent to a tree rather than relying merely on the sticks that held it up if there was nothing else. It also afforded them more space—not that they needed it since they had taken to a habit of sleeping right next to one another.

Meanwhile, Irene waited for the deer to bleed out more before she would go forth. She watched as blood mixed with snow and caused it to melt into a red puddle. While there wouldn’t be time to let it bleed out all the way, it was enough when the movement slowed.

It was time to remove her gloves.

With practiced precision, she gutted the animal before beginning the butchering process. Making sure the pieces were reasonably sized and easy to carry, she began burying what they wouldn’t use that night or in the morning in the snow.

After skewering two generous pieces they would take with them for the night and morning, she washed her hands with snow, realizing her fingertips were so cold they were feeling numb. Fortunately, it wasn’t hard to tell the direction because Henry burned pine, and she could smell the smoke early on.

When Henry saw his wife approaching—having situated himself so that he could see her arrive—he immediately rushed to her and took Sammy to where he had left Froid. The horses were eager for grass and immediately distracted themselves with that.

When he returned to the camp, he noticed her hands.

"Your gloves?" he asked.

Instead of a verbal response, she lifted her hunting knife with large pieces of venison and gave him a grin. His response was a sigh before he said, "Warm your hands by the fire. I’ll cook the rest."

Since he had seasoned lentils already cooking down with water, he put the meat in the pot and a bit more salt before closing the lid and allowing it to steam everything together. It would be more than enough for the next two meals. His mouth was already watering at the prospect.

When he sat down by Irene with their backs to a tree and the fire between them, he let out a light sigh.

"We will get a good sleep this deep in the forest," he explained.

"I can really use it," Irene responded. "It feels like I’m asleep while walking around. My eyelids haven’t felt heavier, but I know I’ve gotten less sleep than this."

"You’re working hard each day just to stay warm," Henry insisted. "You were right when you said the winter here made Chemois look mild."

Irene smiled faintly, still holding her hands towards the fire.

"Tomorrow, I think we will get a little break," she explained. "If it’s possible, then I insist."

Henry’s eyebrows rose. He didn’t ask for elaboration, knowing he would see for himself in the next leg of their journey.

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