On the summit of High Heart, Dora and some mounted men were exclaiming in awe at the huge, pale stumps, chattering away, guessing at how magnificent the trees must have been before they were cut down.
Bennard, Lyman, and a few knights sat on a smaller stump, discussing the ancient tale of Erreg the Andal besieging High Heart. They were deeply curious about how such a defensible stronghold could have been taken.
"It must have been a siege, waiting for the defenders to exhaust their food and water," Lyman asserted.
William and Malora stood at the very edge of the summit, looking out in all directions. The mountains lay beneath their feet; distant peaks and nearby ridges stretched out in a vast, hazy expanse. Deep valleys appeared serene and chilly, their endless green stretching to the distant horizon, vanishing into the misty, cloud-shrouded depths, as if concealing some unknown terror.
"Found anything, William?"
William was equally clueless and could only reply helplessly, "After all, more than six hundred years have passed. Some changes in the landscape are inevitable."
Early that morning, after leaving two men to care for the wounded, the remaining sixteen had pressed on. Following the records in the book, they had searched the valleys near High Heart for an entire day but found nothing. William could sense a powerful magical fluctuation in the area, but frustratingly, similar traces were everywhere. Clearly, this Green Seer had deliberately concealed his tracks. In the end, William had suggested spending the night on the summit of High Heart, hoping to observe the terrain from above and see if they could spot any clues.
"I'm not blaming you," Malora said, not looking at him, still observing carefully. "We can all feel it. He is here, somewhere, isn't he?"
'If only you could always be this reasonable.'
William breathed a sigh of relief. "Actually, I wanted to spend the night on the summit for another reason: to see if we might encounter the ghost of High Heart."
"What's that?"
"A dwarf woman, an old crone. It's said she can see the future." William shared his guess. "That ability is very similar to the green dream. She might know a clue or two."
William, having knowledge of the original story, knew this dwarf crone's prophecies were quite accurate. If a Green Seer was hidden at High Heart, and she lived nearby, it was highly likely they were connected in some way.
"Interesting," Malora said with a cold smile. "Do you know how to find her?"
"No," William shrugged. "But perhaps if we light a campfire, she'll come on her own." In the original story, she always appeared uninvited.
By midnight, the temperature on the mountaintop had dropped to a wintry chill. The wind moaned as it blew, and the trees in the mountains rustled with an eerie sound.
Most of the party were resting in their tents. Two sentries, clad in full armor, paced back and forth outside the tent circle.
By the campfire within the tent circle, William added some wood to the flames. Malora stared into the fire, her thoughts unknown. The flickering light made her face appear shifting and indistinct.
Dora's head suddenly nodded forward, and she jerked awake. "Has the ghost of High Heart come?"
William couldn't help but laugh. Malora had told her to go sleep in the tent, but she had insisted on staying, apparently concerned about the ghost. "She came while you were asleep," he said.
"What?!" Dora's face showed both disappointment and shock. "Why didn't you wake me?"
William laughed heartily. "Just joking. She hasn't come yet."
"Hmph!" Dora shot him a glare. She looked at the pitch-black night sky, tightened the blanket wrapped around her, and complained to William, "Can't you think of something? Does this ghost like anything? Offer it something?"
William's eyes suddenly lit up. "I think she likes songs. I'll try singing, see if I can lure her out."
Dora nodded excitedly. "Ser, are you going to sing 'The Gold Hand'? I love that one too."
William cleared his throat and began to sing. The melody, tinged with a faint melancholy, rose over the mountaintop. Even the wind seemed moved by the song, unconsciously slowing its pace.
Hearing the singing, a few people emerged from the tents and stood nearby, listening quietly. William smiled at them. "Sorry for disturbing you. You..."
Suddenly, a glint of cold reflection caught the corner of his eye. Alarm bells rang in his mind, and he lunged forward. In that same instant, the soldier revealed the weapon in his hand and thrust it towards Malora.
Just as the longsword was about to strike her, William shoved the soldier hard on the shoulder. The force was so great it sent him flying backwards. Before William could feel relieved, a sharp pain shot through his back. The "Absorption" shield blocked the fatal blow before shattering and dissipating.
William spun around quickly, slamming his shoulder into the attacker. As he sent the second soldier flying, William noticed his vacant, dull eyes and realized he must have been controlled by the Green Seer. But it was too late to pull his punch; he could only watch as the man spat out a mouthful of blood and crashed heavily to the ground.
Two more sword flashes came. This kind of direct, face-to-face attack posed no threat to William. He easily dodged the blades, closed in, and knocked them out with a punch each.
Only then did Dora's scream pierce the air.
Hearing the commotion, the others rushed out, mostly bare-chested but holding their weapons.
Dora screamed again, covering her eyes. Malora, however, stared intently into the pitch-black night sky, as if she could see something.
After the chaos subsided, everyone was properly equipped and gathered around the four soldiers.
The one William had shoulder-charged was seriously injured and still unconscious. The others were largely unharmed. Upon waking, they complained of splitting headaches and had no memory of what had just happened.
"This isn't their fault. It's also why I initially advised against you joining us," William said sincerely, looking at Bennard, whose expression was grim. "You are all worthy knights, brave warriors. But this enemy is not an ordinary man. All sorts of strange and bizarre things might still happen. I suggest you return to our campsite from yesterday. Lady Malora and I will finish our business and then come find you."
Bennard looked deeply conflicted. Tonight's events proved that their presence could indeed become a weakness exploited by the enemy. Yet, before setting out, Walder and Shella had repeatedly instructed him not to let William act alone.
Lyman suddenly asked, "Ser William, why do you think this mysterious enemy only controlled those four, and not all of us? If he could make all of us attack, wouldn't he have succeeded?"
*Even if all of you came at me together, the result would be no different.*
Not wanting to discourage him, William paused thoughtfully. "Perhaps he can only control so many at once?"
"Or perhaps only those four *could* be controlled," Lyman offered another possibility.
Bennard also nodded. "That's right, Ser. Maybe his goal is to split us up. If it's just you and Lady Malora, and a large-scale attack comes, you might find it very difficult to manage."
Now William was also unsure. He looked to Malora.
Malora swept her sharp gaze over the group. "We continue tomorrow."