Molly enquired, without raising her eyes, about the duration required to arrive at the destination.
“The duration of our journey is contingent upon the number of detours we encounter. Provided we are not excavating through snow for a superfluous book or being attacked by rogues, we should arrive imminently.”
Molly experienced intense embarrassment. She felt foolish for perpetually wishing to postpone their trip to search for the book, yet he was equally impolite regarding the matter. “Have you ever journeyed to the north?” she enquired. His fingers grazed the edge of the curtains while he stared into the snow.
“No. I have only heard anecdotes. My father would have never permitted it during my youth, even when he was indifferent to my actions.”
“I heard several messengers were-“
“Wait.” He abruptly sat up, while Molly sealed her lips and observed him. “Do you perceive that?”
Molly endeavoured to listen, yet she discerned only the noise of the wheels traversing the snow and the clatter of the carriage. No
He signalled for her to remain silent once more. His head tilted to the side and his brows knitted in concentration, yet she could not discern a single sound.
Their carriage jolted; Jayce positioned himself beside her and draped his arm over her as though protecting her from a tumultuous jolt. Upon halting, he exited silently and surveyed his surroundings.
“What transpired?” he enquired.
A guard dismounted his horse and indicated the wheels. “We struck an object, but its identity was obscured by the darkness.”
Jayce went to observe firsthand. Molly cautiously exited the carriage and instantly felt the biting cold against her cheeks as Jayce turned his head to gaze at her. “What are you doing outside of the-“
He halted and tilted his head, as if attuned to an auditory cue. “Approach here, Molly.”
Molly cautiously approached him as he shielded her behind his back, scanning the surroundings with vigilant eyes.
“Jayce?” Molly murmured. He raised his hand to silence her. It was evident that those surrounding her also appeared to perceive something.
“We ought to-”
An arrow penetrated the air and impaled one of the guards in the shoulder. They all observed his descent before someone exclaimed.
“Descend!”
The events transpired rapidly; Molly scarcely managed to evade before Jayce lunged at her. A barrage of arrows struck the trees moments later, causing the wood to splinter precisely at the location where Jayce had been positioned.
Shouts shattered the night’s silence, plunging it into chaos, leaving Molly uncertain of her course of action. Jayce seized her arm and instructed her to crouch and follow him across the clearing as a group of men and wolves attacked the guards.
Jayce positioned her behind a substantial rock and a fallen tree, then draped his coat over her. “Remain here and do not move. Alert me if anyone approaches.” He stated before turning to confront the rogues who had ambushed them.
Molly clutched the tree’s bark and inhaled deeply as she observed.
It was sheer chaos. Wolves descended upon several guards before they could draw their weapons. She averted her gaze as one of them had their throat severed and abdomen eviscerated. She lost sight of Jayce in the crowd and was uncertain whether he had transformed into his wolf form or remained human. The ground was thoroughly saturated with blood in a brief period.
Her eyes endeavoured to monitor each guard, but their widespread distribution made it difficult to track them. To the right, a guard overpowered a rogue and thrust his knife through its jaw; Molly swiftly averted her gaze and sought Jayce once more. Where had he departed? He could not be distant.
A sizable wolf pivoted away from the epicentre of the turmoil. Molly crouched lower, her eyes fixed on her concealed position, and adjusted the jacker higher on her head. The grey wolf inhaled deeply and retreated slightly before sprinting towards her hiding place. Molly observed its serrated teeth glinting in the moonlight as it gaped its jaws wide. Molly commenced her movement but halted before progressing significantly. A black wolf subdued the grey wolf prior to its approach.
They glided over the snow while snapping their jaws at one another. The black one seized the grey one’s neck before it had the opportunity to defend the territory. Molly averted her gaze swiftly, unwilling to witness any further bloodshed. She traversed the trees in search of a more secluded concealment. Upon her turn, the black wolf stood behind her, a trickle of blood oozing from its lips. She observed his blue eyes illuminate slightly in the darkness and experienced a dissolution of her fear upon recognising him immediately. Jayce inhaled her scent briefly before resuming his engagement in the battle.
Molly retrieved an arrow from the ground and examined the sharp tip with her fingers. No one had taken the initiative to provide her with a means of self-defence in situations such as this. She would need to utilise her available resources should any of them approach her too closely.
Molly observed the black wolf navigate the shadows, eliminating as many rogues as possible. It was difficult to avert my gaze from him. He was undeniably formidable, and she now comprehended the reason for the widespread fear he instilled in others—particularly in his wolf form.
