Getting out of Edinburgh was easy. To divert attention, I went to the village and from there I was to meet Bree at a fork. She took the standard route, heading towards the border with Dunhill. All the men knew about the camp was that Breanna had been assigned to a border militia. My impression was that many were happy. Well, I couldn't blame them for thinking that. I had to confess that Bree was a bit bossy, a negative point in her strong personality, but that I liked it very much. She had guts and strength and a lot of courage. If that marriage wasn't a front, I could say I made the right choice of a wife.
The whispering of a horse made me leave my daydream and I concentrated on the trail. I was alone and whinnying it off my own horse. I knew that road well, because I used to ride all over the region with my father. He was bringing us beyond Dunhill's limits so we could get to know our land. As we grew, in the midst of the policy that governs our country, we began to explore everything on our own. There were many paths that I knew, but they did not. That was one of them.
- Damn it!
The scuffling got my attention. I narrowed my ears to try to find out where it had come from and soon the tinkling of swords made me guide the horse towards the sound. I rode past where I was a few more feet to the fork. It was then that the impressive scene of battle almost made me fall off my horse. Bree was surrounded by the bodies of three fallen soldiers, I believe dead, and smiled at each escape from the blow of the sword of the man who was still standing. The man was distracted and Bree seized the opportunity, knocking him down with a single stroke of sword. I smiled shaking my head. She was dressed in her traditional black leather vest and armed to the tip of her braids. I could see the handle of the dagger hanging from his boots and also from his waist. That's because I already knew she kept them there. Now I was trying at all costs to find out where she was hiding the others.
- It's unbelievable how you look like a magnet for dangerous moments. - I ironized, getting off the horse and walking to where she was. - To make matters worse, you don't even invite me to the party. I get hurt sometimes, you know?
Bree let out a laugh, and wiping the sword on one of the guys' cloaks, she put it in the hem.
- It's your fault! - she fired in a debauched way. - If you'd gotten here on time, you could have had a good time too.
I laughed and stopped next to one of the men.
- Are you mercenaries? - she asked when she saw my expression.
- Yeah, but they didn't come around here for you.
- What do you mean, no?
Rising, I followed the trail of the horses' legs that were still visible. They came from the opposite side of Bree and that meant they didn't follow her.
- They were coming that way. - I pointed in the direction that the marks were ending. - Weird!
- What's weird? - she asked.
- If those men didn't follow her, why did they come this way? - he said, frowning. - Few know about this path and they wouldn't risk coming down this trail.
- Why do you say that? - she asked.
- If they follow where you came from...
- They would face our men, just like they did me.
Bree finished my thinking. I nodded smiling at her.
- Exactly! Mercenaries aren't dumb men like everyone thinks they are. They know most of the trails because they are people who have grown up in the villages. For them to risk facing so many men, it is a sign that there was urgency in something.
I walked up to one of the horses and opened the saddlebag. There was nothing but a bottle of booze, a blanket and arrows. Taking a deep breath, I opened the saddlebag that was next to another horse and checked what was attached to the saddle. There was the same thing in him, but a piece of paper caught my attention.
- Is it a letter?
- Yeah. - He said, frowning. - The lyrics are from Alistair.
- What's that? What's that? - Bree said euphorically. - What's it say? Is it something about my sister? Is Aileen all right?
Signaling her to wait, I started reading. In it, Alistair said that Bruce had found Aileen, but they were trapped in a village because of the blizzard that descended through the mountains of all the Highlands. He waited
