Chapter 48 - Ambush

Chapter 48: 48 - Ambush

The meeting had gone on longer than Ariane expected. By the time she stepped out of the administrative hall, the sun was dropping behind the rooftops, and the two Clairmont soldiers outside looked as ready to leave as she felt.

The woman who governed the city followed Ariane through the doors with several papers tucked under one arm. "I have to admit, Lady Ariane, I wasn’t expecting you personally. I assumed Lord Clairmont would send one of the older retainers."

"My brother and mother have enough to deal with in Greymoor, so I volunteered." Ariane glanced toward the mana carriage waiting farther down the street. "I thought it would be easier than sitting through meetings at home. I may have miscalculated."

The woman laughed. "For what it’s worth, you’re doing a good job. You listened to every complaint instead of pretending you knew the answer, checked the grain records yourself, and noticed the missing tax entry before my clerk did."

Ariane blinked at her. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

The woman smiled.

"You should. I was prepared for a noble visit. This was actually useful." She shifted the papers under her arm. "This was your last stop for today?"

"Yeah, last city. We’ve been out most of the day." Ariane stretched one shoulder. "After this, I plan on doing absolutely nothing useful until tomorrow."

"Then I won’t keep you. Have a safe journey back." Ariane thanked her and headed for the carriage with the two soldiers following behind. One sat beside the driver while the other took the seat opposite her, and Ariane dropped back against the cushions.

"How do people do this every day?" she asked.

The soldier opposite her looked amused. "Lady Evelyne does."

"That doesn’t answer my question. My mother is terrifying." The soldier laughed, and the carriage pulled away.

Ariane watched the city move past the window while she went over the day in her head. Three villages, two smaller settlements and this final city. Complaints about damaged roads, grazing land, missing supplies, tax records, and repairs that had somehow been "almost finished" for six months.

It was less exciting than fighting slavers, which was probably a good thing. More importantly, she’d handled the visits herself without anyone stepping in.

They left the busiest streets behind and took a narrower route toward the western road. From there, Greymoor was close enough that the enchanted carriage could cover the remaining distance quickly, and Ariane had already started thinking about food and a hot bath.

The carriage slowed, and Ariane looked away from the window. "Why are we stopping?"

The soldier opposite her leaned toward the door, one hand already moving toward his sword. "Something’s blocking the road. Stay here for a second."

A scrape sounded outside, followed by the driver swearing under his breath. Then something struck the side of the carriage hard enough to shake the frame.

The soldier stood. "Stay inside, Lady Ariane." Ariane was already opening the door. "That’s probably a terrible idea."

"Lady Ariane—" He reached for her arm, but she was already moving. "If somebody wanted to rob the carriage, they wouldn’t block both ends of the street." She stepped down before he could argue.

An overturned cart blocked the narrow street ahead. Five men stood beyond it, while more had appeared behind the carriage, closing the route they had just taken.

Others waited beside doorways and walls with weapons already drawn. Ariane counted quickly and stopped when the number stopped being useful.

’This is bad.’

Her pulse picked up, but her thoughts stayed clear. The two Clairmont soldiers moved to either side of her, and the one who had been riding with the driver drew his sword while scanning the men behind them.

One of the attackers stepped forward. His face was covered below the nose, and there was nothing on his clothes that marked a house or mercenary company.

"We don’t want trouble," he said. "Come with us quietly and nobody needs to get hurt."

Ariane stared at him. "You blocked my carriage in a narrow street with armed men. You’re doing a terrible job of avoiding trouble."

The man ignored the comment, but he’d already given her something useful. They wanted her alive, which meant this was more than a roadside robbery.

Ariane glanced toward the soldier on her right. "How far are we from Greymoor?"

"At full speed? Less than half an hour."

"Then you’re going back." The soldier turned sharply. "I’m not leaving you here."

"You’re going for reinforcements." Ariane kept her voice low. "There are three of us and a lot more of them. If all three of us stay, we’re trapped. If you reach Greymoor, my brother and Garrick know where to start looking."

The second soldier nodded. "She’s right. One of us needs to get out."

The first man still looked like he hated the idea. Ariane shifted closer to him and lowered her voice.

"I’m not asking you to abandon me. I’m asking you to make sure somebody knows this happened. Get back to Greymoor as fast as you can and don’t stop until you’re through the gates."

His jaw tightened. "Lady Ariane—"

"You’re a Warrior. You can enhance your body with mana and make better time than this carriage ever could." Ariane kept her voice low. "If you reach Greymoor, my brother and Garrick know where to start looking."

The second soldier nodded. "She’s right. One of us needs to get out."

The first man clearly hated it, but after another look at the men surrounding them, he finally gave a sharp nod.

"I’ll bring them."

Ariane answered immediately. "Then move."

The masked man ahead seemed to realise what they were planning. "Don’t let him leave!"

Two attackers broke from the group, but Ariane reacted first. [Frost Lance] formed and shot from her hand. One man threw himself aside while the second took the lance through the shoulder and slammed into the stone wall.

"Go!"

Mana surged through the Clairmont soldier’s body.

He exploded forward.

His first few steps cracked hard against the stone, and then he was already past the carriage, moving far faster than any normal man could manage. One attacker tried to cut him off, but the remaining Clairmont soldier stepped into his path and met him blade-first.

Steel crashed together.

Within seconds, the runner had already disappeared around the far end of the street.

Ariane took one slow breath.

She was tired after a full day of travelling, meetings and reports, and she would have preferred to deal with literally anything else right now. Unfortunately, the men surrounding her did not seem interested in her schedule.

She still had mana, and for now that would have to be enough.

White mist spilled across the stones beneath her boots. Frost crept outward in thin lines, and the nearest attackers slowed when the temperature around them suddenly dropped.

Ariane raised one hand as cold gathered around her.

[Winter’s Reach]

The entire street began to freeze.