“W-Where… are the others?”
“I told them to move on.”
Maxi's face fell.
“D-Did you have to break up… because of me?”
Riftan turned to her as he pulled Talon out from behind a tree.
His expression was so neutral that it was difficult to imagine that he had been so full of emotion just moments before.
"I'm sure Hebaron is capable of leading them.
I told them I would follow them once I found you."
“B-But… how did you find me?”
“I followed in your footsteps,” he replied dryly, looking at her feet.
Intrigued, Maxi followed his gaze and saw his footprints in the dirt.
They were barely visible on the rough, root-filled terrain.
It was surprising that he had managed to find her by following such a trail.
Seeing Maxi's surprise, Riftan pointed to the horseshoe marks beside his footprints and the branches that Rem had trampled on the path.
“Actually, it was your mare who helped the most.”
“D-Didn’t it cross your mind… that they could be monster footprints?”
“I know a monster footprint when I see it,” he said dryly.
"I thank God I found you before the rain.
It wouldn't have been so quick if your footprints had been washed away."
Maxi shuddered.
If Riftan had been delayed, she would be food for worms now.
Still, she wondered how he had found her so quickly with the path blocked.
Did he really climb the huge stone block?
She was looking at him with a dubious expression when he jumped onto a wide rock and offered her his hand.
"Let's go quickly.
We have to find shelter before the rain gets worse."
Maxi began to climb the mountain trail in silence.
Riftan made his way up the rugged incline as agile as a mountain goat, despite having to lead two horses with one hand, Maxi's in the other.
It was hard to believe that he could move so silently in such heavy armor.
Shaking the rain from his eyes, Maxi dimly watched the drizzle soak Riftan's black hair and broad neck.
Drops of rain splashed onto his broad shoulders, creating a halo of white mist, and his wet armor glowed a darker shade of gray.
His face, always alert, was covered in rainwater.
He didn't show even a hint of tiredness.
Her long, sturdy legs marched tirelessly across the muddy path with ease, and the arm that supported Maxi whenever she staggered was as solid as an anchor.
Maxi was in awe of him.
Not only did he have more stamina, but it was as if they were completely different species.
“Let’s rest there for a while,” Riftan said when he noticed her slumped shoulders.
He led her to a towering tree.
Maxi followed behind him, his shoes making noise with each step.
He tied the reins under a leafy branch before carrying her with one arm.
Maxi was so exhausted that she didn't have the energy to ask him to let her go.
He took her to the base of a tree where there was a hollow space, similar to a cave.
Its trunk was so thick that six men could not wrap itself around it.
Riftan placed Maxi inside the hollow and crawled in beside her.
Maxi collapsed like a withered leaf, his head lolling to the side.
His body alternated between sweating and shaking as if he didn't know whether to feel hot or cold.
After taking off her breastplate and setting it aside, Riftan pulled her against his chest.
The heat that penetrated her wet clothes made Maxi's remaining tension and fear disappear.
Even though they were huddled inside a tree trunk like forest creatures seeking shelter from the rain, Maxi felt as safe as if she were in a fortress.
She got as close as possible to Riftan and laid her head on his muscular shoulder.
After placing his gauntlet and bracer on the ground, Riftan ran his warm hand over his shoulders and back.
“We’ll have to start again as soon as the rain stops, so try to sleep.”
"W-Are the others okay?
And s-if the goblins attacked them“"
"Goblins hate water, so the others should be fine while it rains.
They should be heading down the mountain now."
Riftan slipped his hand under her robe and caressed her cool skin.
“Stop worrying for nothing and go to sleep.”
Wrapped in Riftan's embrace, Maxi let out a sleepy sigh as a feverish heat penetrated her skin.
Riftan looked silently at the trees.Maxi looked at him through heavy eyelids and watched the water drip from his hair until exhaustion engulfed her.
She closed her eyes and listened to the wind blow through the leaves.
Riftan lifted Maxi onto his lap, and she laid her head on his chest.
In an effort to make her feel as comfortable as possible, he removed her soaked shoes and socks and massaged her swollen feet with his wet hands.
Drowsy tiredness now overcame Maxi, and she fell asleep.
The rain had eased when she finally woke up.
She watched the drizzle with sleepy eyes before turning her gaze to Riftan.
His eyes were closed, and he was leaning against the tree as still as a stone.
Maxi's heart sank.
She placed a hand under her nose.
It was weak, but I could feel soft breaths.
Sighing in relief, Maxi gently brushed away the hair that fell into her eyes.
Was he tired after all?
They had marched brutally for days, and he hadn't been able to rest properly.
His tiredness was understandable.
Feeling sorry for him, Maxi gently stroked his cheek.
Riftan opened his eyes.
Surprised by the lucidity in his gaze, Maxi drew back with her hand.
He looked at her with black eyes, so dark that she couldn't make out his pupils, and lowered his head to kiss her.
Maxi stepped back, and his rough tongue gently brushed her lips as if to reassure her.
His warm fingers closed around her neck.
It was as if a dog that had been resting at his feet had lunged at his throat without warning.
Maxi groaned and grabbed his arm.
He responded with a sigh and squeezed her breast, and she looked into his dark eyes before his tongue delved deeper.
He caressed her palate and tongue, then greedily sucked the saliva from her mouth.
The lack of breath she felt was similar to the feeling of drowning.
Riftan's breathing also became labored, despite having traversed a steep mountain in heavy armor without breaking a sweat.
He walked away and faced the forest.
“The rain stopped.”
The abrupt interruption left Maxi stunned and unable to register his words immediately.
Riftan looked undecided, but he let out a sigh after a long moment and placed her back on the ground.
"We should get going.
It'll be dark soon if we don't hurry."
He came out from behind the tree and picked up his discarded armor.
Finally, Maxi managed to snap out of his daze.
This was no time to get comfortable.
After all, they were alone on a mountain infested with monsters.
The surrounding heat had evaporated, and Maxi hurried to collect his damp shoes.
She forced her feet into them and came out to find a fully armed Riftan leading the horses.
“Do you think you can walk?”
He looked so calm that it was difficult to imagine that this was the man who had tried to devour her moments before.
She looked at him with a sour expression before slowly nodding her head.
“I… I have rested enough.”
"Stay close.
We just need to go up a little more and then it will be downhill.
It will be much easier."
Riftan turned around and started walking along the muddy path without making a sound.
Maxi followed him trying not to slip.
The heat had thankfully subsided in the rain, but it was hard to appreciate the cool breeze when it was soaking wet.
Maxi wrapped her arms around herself, prompting Riftan to observe her surroundings and offer reassurance.
“I’ll find a place for us to camp soon, so try to get through it by then.”
Maxi looked around the darkening mountain with a worried expression.
“D-Do you intend to… spend the night here?”
“We’ll have to pass, as it’ll be dark soon.”
“T-That’s true… but wouldn’t it be better for us to rush to“”
His face became serious.
"Walking down a mountain in the dark is extremely dangerous.
It would be best if we found a safe place to rest until dawn."
Maxi nodded stiffly.
Although she was a little worried about spending the night in the mountains alone, she had no choice but to follow her decision.
She lowered her head in dismay.
If he was alone, Riftan would have already crossed this mountain and reached the village by now.
The thought that she had slowed the knights down made his heart sink like a stone.
“I-I… was I going the wrong way?”
Riftan, who was weaving among the trees, stopped and turned to look at her.
“Were you planning to leave the mountains alone?”“I-I was told that there was a village… at the foot of this mountain, so…” Maxi trailed off, afraid that he would get angry at her recklessness.
Riftan narrowed his eyes.
Instead of yelling at her, he looked at the dark forest path and said coldly, "You were going the right way.
This path leads to the village."
Your heart felt a little lighter at his words.
They walked forward through the dark forest in silence.
Riftan found a small cave before complete darkness arrived.
After checking every corner to see if there were any bugs, bats, or snakes lurking in the shadows, he motioned for her to enter.
Maxi looked at the cave suspiciously before crawling inside on all fours.
"I'm going to dismount the horses' saddles.
Wait here, it won't take long."
Hugging her knees, Maxi nodded.
Riftan crawled outside to tie the horses in sight and returned with a saddle bag.
He grabbed a blanket and handed it to her.
"It might be a little damp, but it's not wet.
Take off your clothes and get involved with it."
Maxi's eyes widened.
“H-Here?”
"The air gets cold at night.
You'll catch a cold if you sleep in those wet clothes."
He pushed the blanket into her hands and turned away, evidently his way of indicating for her to do as instructed.
She didn't move at first and instead stared at the dark ceiling, then at the forest now bathed in the blue of twilight.
Finally, unable to bear the falling temperature any longer, Maxi undressed.
She felt considerably more comfortable after taking off her wet clothes and wrapping herself in the blanket.
She also took off her boots and pulled the blanket down to her ankles.
“I-I… I’m done.”
Riftan glanced over his shoulder to check, then removed more items from the bag.
Maxi silently crouched down beside him.
Rifting the sleeve of his tunic, Riftan crumpled it into a ball and lit a lighter on it.