Because the search party had been delayed, the caravan moved slowly to let them catch up. Noble noted the relief that the soldiers had felt when the three people in command returned.
She hadn't considered what it would mean for the group if all of them had been killed. Was there a fourth-in-command that she hadn't met?
The group mourned the loss of Livia and celebrated the restoration of Drusus in equal measure. But the biggest change was their attitude toward Noble.
Before, she could feel their wariness toward her. Their first impression of Noble was her falling from the sky, which was understandably cause for concern.
They had treated her with respect because of Syrce's confusing fondness for the stranger, but now there was a fundamental shift.
Noble had joined Orrin in his quest to find his cousin's son and had risked her life to bring their fellow soldier back alive. Additionally, she had slain the enemy and made them all safer.
And then there was Syrce's declaiming. As they marched, the Saint walked among her people recounting the battle that had taken place. She waved her hands, which had been made clean when they passed the river, and allowed her voice to ring out across the wagons.
"Then Bel slew the enemy with one slash of her sword. A dozen of them fell by her hand! Frightened by her presence, the moths tried to flee, only to find their wings were no good. They were trapped, and Lady Bel was the righteous avenger. Red flowed in rivers. The land was drunk with monsters' blood!"
The people closest to the Saint cheered.
Noble could feel their emotions. Awe. Wonder. Hope.
The last one stung the most. Her True Name could be translated as Inheritor of Hope, but that did not mean she felt comfortable spreading it falsely.
Yet, one by one, the soldiers and servants warmed their hearts towards her, caring about the stranger and revering her.
Noble couldn't help but respond in kind. She couldn't help but wish them well. Tiny, imperceptible strings connected her to the people around her. The Kingdom Keeper Attribute was already responding to her unspoken desire.
Syrce's tale was reaching its climax as she strode down the line of moving wagons. "And then Lady Bel, in an act of heroism, charged the Queen, ready to lay down her life for the good of us all!"
Noble's ears burned. So much praise was overwhelming, and she couldn't even do anything about it unless she wanted to chase after the Saint and correct her.
Noble didn't think that would go over well.
So instead, she did her best not to let the words or the emotions around her affect her. Thankfully, the floating Master was riding on the second bench of the front wagon. There was no one to see her blush except the two men sitting in front of her.
Orrin was politely ignoring the blonde's discomfort, and Flint was doing his best to keep all of the curses inside his own head.
"I can't take much more of this story," the frustrated Master muttered. "It's all propaganda. Lady Syrce wasn't even there for the initial battle."
That was true. While the three others had told the Saint what had happened before she arrived, the tale had been grim, not heroic. Even the parts where Syrce had been present were inflated and overly flattering.
"Lady Syrce has her own way of doing things, Titus," Orrin answered calmly. "She doesn't want the glory for what happened, so she is spreading it around."
"She could spread a little more our way," Flint crossed his arms. "It's like she forgot we were there, too."
"I agree it isn't fair," Noble straightened slightly. "I saw how you both fought. It deserves to be mentioned. I can go and--"
"I would rather our Lady forget," the Shieldbearer flicked the reins lightly. "If she forgets my triumphs, she will also forget my transgressions. It is like having a clean slate."
In response to the reins, the Pink Ones trumpeted in protest. They would not change their pace.
Orrin frowned. "Come on, you lazy beasts of burden!"
He snapped the reins again, but in response, the Pink Ones slowed down.
Noble sensed it a moment after the creatures. "Something is ahead."
Before she could use her second sight, Dalia's trunk shot forward like a serpent. It lengthened an impossible amount, stretching into the distance and up to some hidden branch.
When it came back, it was coiled tightly around a batlike creature with a snub nose. Noble barely got a glimpse as the trunk contracted and popped the bat into Delia's waiting mouth.
The Pink One chewed quietly as if nothing had happened. She swallowed and let out a low rumble.
It had all happened in the blink of an eye. Noble's mouth opened and closed a few times.
"I…assumed they were vegetarians…"
Orrin shrugged. "As long as they don't eat people or each other, they can have whatever they want. We will stop for food soon. Now, hurry up! We will never make it to the Fortress at this speed!"
The second Pink One shot out his trunk, making it comically long. It took him just a hair longer than his sister to retrieve his prey. He stuffed the bat in his mouth with a high whine.
No Shieldbearer was going to tell him when it was time to eat!
Noble smirked at the two Pink Ones. Syrce had called them tame, but they certainly weren't docile. The rest of the group was forced to follow their lead, and the pair would take whatever breaks they pleased.
A snack was a small price to pay for having their supplies pulled across the countryside.
Noble extended her emotional sense to encompass a larger part of the forest. She wanted to see just how much snacking the Pink Ones would do.
Her smile faded.
"There are more of them. A lot more."
Flint turned to look at her over his shoulder. "When you say a lot..."
Orrin pulled a curved horn from under the bench. He blew it with all his might. When he did, the forest itself seemed to rattle from the sound.
A nest of disturbed abominations rose above the trees. The inky cloud grew, blotting out a large portion of the sky ahead.
"The first two were scouts." The Shieldbearer clicked his tongue. "They meant to ambush us. Eyes up!"
The command was passed down the line, and the soldiers prepared for battle.
The colony of monsters gathered overhead. There were so many! While Noble had sensed them, it was the early warning by the long-nosed beasts of burden that had caused her to look more carefully.
If they had waited much longer, then surely they would have been enveloped before news reached the back of the caravan.
At least with the element of surprise gone, the humans had a fighting chance.
Summoning her bow, Noble drew it as she lifted away from the cart.
Her first arrow was released quickly. Aim was not as important as speed.
[You have slain a Dormant Beast, Shadewing.]
[You have slain a Dormant Beast, Shadewing.]
The Spell echoed the sentiment twice. She had hit two beasts with a single arrow. That was something.
Her next shot yielded a similar result, killing two and wounding a third. Yet, Noble didn't feel any excitement with her success.
Instead, she furrowed her brow. The creatures were behaving strangely.
What was going on?