Dragged Into Another World By The Obsessive Villain

The sun was sinking fast behind the horizon, the last remaining bits of light casting shadows that reached toward their group like skeletal fingers. The temperature was steadily dropping, too, the warmth that had come in the afternoon was all but a memory now. Elara was lucky enough to be in the magical carriage which was equipped with a heating rune that shielded her from the worst of the cold.

They had been riding nonstop for hours. Whenever she looked out of her window to gaze at the scenery, she could tell how tired everyone was. The small chatter from the knights and the maids following behind her carriage had long since died down. Tired or not, the knights never kept their hands too far from the pommel of their swords--this from the border, monsters could jump out from anywhere. At least, that's what the knights had been saying to each other earlier in the day before they'd gotten too tired.

They hadn't even stopped for dinner. Everyone had simply passed around dried meat sticks and water to munch on while they kept going. They had only just come to a standstill an hour ago when the sun had gotten too low for Caspian to be comfortable riding with such a large party. He sent off a small group of knights to scout and when Elara peeked her head out, she could see they were just now returning.

"Your Grace," said Chirovan, who was taking charge, "there's a glade up ahead. It's a suitable place to set up camp for the night. It's surrounded by rock formations on three sides, too, so it should provide good protection from any beasts or monsters that hunt at night."

"But?"

"Goblins, your Grace. Two hordes of them, maybe three. Obviously, with so many of them, the danger of clearing them out isn't advised, but it's the closest space that will be able to fit so many of us nearby. Edris says if we want to find another open space like this, we'd have to ride for three more hours. A big party like this, traveling at night..."

Caspian glanced back at the group, and she knew what he must be seeing: a group of tired travelers who very much couldn't do another three hours. The knights might be fine--they'd gone through worse situations and rigorous training--but the maids, the coachmen, and Elara definitely were not.

"Kyran?" He turned to look over at the chancellor. "What do you think?"

Chancellor Kyran rubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw, considering. "Clearing out the goblins is our best bet. Between you, me, Chirovan, and a few other knights, I believe we can easily clear them out, your Grace. It's easier to do that than to ride three more hours and risk running into an orc or something. Fighting in the dark like this may not be easy for the ones who have only just been knighted."

"Agreed." Caspian turned back to Chirovan. "Chirovan, you, Edris, Kyran, Luke, Marina, Tamlin, and Luciano will come with me. We'll clear the glade. The rest of you," he continued, raising his voice slightly, "will stay here and guard the others. Be on high alert. It's unlikely, but we're far away from city or village borders and this is the prime hour when monsters like to hunt their prey."

"Yes, your Grace," the knights chorused.

Caspian dismounted his horse with fluid grace, handing the reins over to one of the knights. As he did, he caught Elara's gaze for a brief moment. She saw a flicker of something, but it was gone, replaced by calm reassurance. It eased some of the panic in her chest a little. 

She was well aware Caspian was the strongest swordsman alive. Stronger even than the female lead who was great at everything, but even still, she couldn't help but worry about him as she watched him disappear into the forest with a handful of knights behind him.

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

Elara sat in the carriage, staring out into the forest, the fading light casting everything in shades of blue and gray. The door to her carriage was opened and her legs were stretched out so that blood could flow through them freely.

Crisseda had come to stand near her, passing her a waterskin and another meat stick after a few minutes of waiting for Caspian, the chancellor, and the knights to return.

"Do you think they'll be all right?" Elara asked quietly.

"They'll be fine, miss," Crisseda replied, more confidently than she felt. "His Grace knows what he's doing. So does Chancellor Kyran. And Sir Chirovan, even though he doesn't look it. Forget goblins, they could take on an army of orcs without breaking a sweat."

Elara nodded, but she still felt uneasy. It was one thing to read about these kinds of battles in a novel and another thing entirely to wait in the dark, knowing the fight was happening just beyond your sight. Especially when there were so many things happening that hadn't happened in the novels.

The sounds of the forest grew louder in the silence—leaves rustling, the distant hoot of an owl, the wind whistling through the branches. Elara's heart thudded in her chest as she strained to hear any sign of the battle, though she knew she wouldn't.

Then, a sharp, guttural shriek split the air, followed by the unmistakable clash of steel. Crisseda gasped, clutching at the edge of her seat. Elara's nails dug into the upholstery of the carriage, her mind conjuring images of goblins as they were described in The Day of Eternal Night, with jagged teeth and blood-red eyes.

The noise continued for what felt like hours but was likely only minutes—cries and snarls, the grunts of effort, and then, silence. The knights guarding her carriage were on high alert, hands gripping the pommel of their swords as they trained their eyes to where the sounds had come from. Elara's breath caught in her throat at the sound of something approaching, crunching fallen branches and leaves, and rustling shrubs as they came closer.

A knight came to stand right in front of her and Crisseda, "Don't make any sudden moves, miss. If it's a goblin, they'll wait for you to panic before they attack."

She swallowed hard and nodded, then, remembering his back was turned and he couldn't see her, she said, "Okay."

When the Grand Duke and Chancellor Kyran emerged, flanked by the knights they'd taken with them, Elara let out a sigh of relief. They were covered in dirt and sweat but were otherwise unharmed. Caspian's white hair was disheveled, stray locks sticking to his forehead. Chirovan, looking positively radiant behind them, was loudly shouting about how much he'd missed killing monsters since they hardly showed themselves in Chirondale anymore.

"It's done," Caspian announced as he approached the carriage. "The glade is clear. We'll set up camp here for the night."

After he'd spoken, the knights all climbed back onto their horses, and Crisseda returned to her spot at the front of Elara's carriage, and they all took the rough, rocky road leading to the glade the scouts had found.

The rocky path wound through the forest, leading them deeper into the shadowed wilderness. Elara could feel the shift in the air as they approached the clearing. It was colder now, the temperature plummeting as the last of the sun's rays disappeared behind the horizon. The moonlight filtered through the thick canopy, casting an eerie silver glow that illuminated their way. The journey felt quieter, heavier after the skirmish, as if even the forest itself was holding its breath.

The maids, knights, and coachmen were visibly relieved now that they would be stopping soon, whispers of gratitude and exhausted sighs passing through the group. Chirovan's loud voice, in particular, could be heard regaling the slaughter of the goblins that had just happened. The horses, too, seemed eager for rest, their breaths coming out in visible puffs of mist in the cold night air.

When they reached the glade, it was just as Sir Edris had described—surrounded on three sides by tall, jagged rock formations that rose up from the ground like hands crawling up from the earth. The open space was littered with the remains of goblins Caspian and his knights had felled. Dark stains on the ground marked where the creatures had been slain, but the knights who had ridden ahead of the procession at full speed were already moving to clear away the bodies, throwing them into the underbrush where the scavengers of the night would take care of them.

The Grand Duke dismounted smoothly, handing off the reins of his horse to a waiting squire. He turned and caught Elara's eye, his expression softening as he walked toward her carriage.

"You can come out now," he said, extending a hand to help her down. "It's safe."

Elara took his hand, stepping down onto the uneven ground. She hadn't realized just how tense she'd been until her feet hit the earth and her body sagged with relief.

"Are you all right?" Caspian's voice was low, meant only for her to hear.

"Yes," she replied, managing a small smile. "Just glad you're back in one piece."

His eyebrow quirked up, questioning and almost offended. "You doubted me?"

"Never," she promised lightly, and it was true. It was not him she had doubted, but herself and her knowledge of this world around her. Things that were supposed to be knowledge were left out and things that shouldn't be happening were starting to happen.

"The area's secure for now, your Grace. Chirovan's taken a few knights to start guard duty in shifts, and we'll set up a perimeter just in case any other creatures are lurking nearby."

"Good," Caspian said. He glanced back at Elara as if checking on her again, before nodding. "Settle everyone in for the night, then. We'll dine quickly and rest. We've covered a lot of ground today, but we'll need to move just as fast tomorrow if we want to reach the Brovendor before dark."

Kyran's gaze flicked to Elara, then back to Caspian, and he gave a slight nod. "Understood, your Grace."

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

The fire was built quickly, flames crackling and casting warm light across the glade. The smell of roasting meat and fresh bread filled the air, and Elara's stomach growled in response. She got to watch the maid, Erin, make the bread with her own eyes now and she was coming to understand how she did it. The maid could use magic. She used her magic to give the cast iron skillet the same properties as an oven. It was very interesting to watch.

She sat on a thick wool blanket Crisseda had spread out for her, the heat of the fire chasing away the chill of the night.

Caspian joined her after a few moments, carrying two plates of food. He handed one to her, settling down beside her on the blanket. It was the closest she'd ever been to him since she was in his room at the inn earlier, watching water trickle along his chest, and she was hyper-aware of the warmth of his body, the slight brush of his shoulder against hers.

"You did well today," he said quietly, his gaze focused on the fire.

Elara raised an eyebrow. "I didn't do anything except sit in the carriage and worry."

Caspian turned to her, his eyes soft in the firelight. "That's not true. You kept calm when it mattered. I don't know many people who could handle talking about assassination attempts on their lives as well as you did. You trusted me. Even after I brought you here without asking you."

She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. "I trust you," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "Probably more than I should."

His smile was faint, but it reached his eyes, crinkling the corners in a way that made him look younger, almost boyish. "I'm glad to hear it."