He got up before sunrise.
Matthias rose as soon as Leon woke him. He was quieter than yesterday, but he didn't look like he'd slept poorly.
Leon checked the horse first.
There was nothing wrong with its legs or hooves, and no chafing on its back. The saddle strap Matthias had been using had loosened a little.
“This.”
Matthias came over.
“I told you yesterday.”
He glanced at the saddle strap, then pulled it tight himself.
“Like this?”
Leon slipped a finger beneath it.
“Yeah.”
He remembered what he'd been shown once.
That was good enough.
They fed the horses the remaining hay, filled their water, and set out at once.
They didn't light a fire.
They could eat one morning meal on horseback.
The farther south they went while avoiding the main road, the narrower the road became.
Once the fields ended, low woods and small pastures alternated. It was wide enough for a wagon, but if two met, one had to pull over.
Matthias asked while chewing bread.
“Are we staying on this road today too?” “Probably.” “Probably.”
Leon looked back.
“What?” “I feel like I've heard you say that a lot.” “When I know for sure, I'll tell you for sure.” “Then what do you know for sure right now?”
Leon thought for a moment.
“Someone's looking for you.”
Matthias's expression tightened slightly.
“Are you sure about that?” “Going by what we heard yesterday.” “So that might be a probably too?” “…Yeah.”
Matthias looked ahead and took another bite of bread.
“Then there's still nothing.” “Nothing what?” “Nothing certain.”
He's got a point.
Leon didn't answer.
Around noon, the road met a shallow stream.
There was no bridge. The water was low enough to cross directly.
Leon didn't dismount. He studied the bank.
There were a few fresh hoofprints in the mud on the opposite side, but nothing unusual.
Matthias asked first.
“Are we crossing?” “Yeah.”
Leon rode into the water.
The horse's hooves splashed, and Matthias followed right behind him.
They were about halfway across when Leon raised his head.
Hoofbeats came from the road behind them.
More than one horse.
Matthias heard them too and looked back.
“Mr. Leon.” “Keep going.”
Leon reached the opposite bank first.
The road split in two here. The left fork continued south along the edge of the woods, while the right led between the hills.
Leon pointed right.
“Go that way.” “You're not coming with me?” “In a little while.”
Matthias's hand stopped on the reins.
“I'll see how many there are before I go.” “What if they're the people looking for me?” “Keep going.” “How far?”
Leon glanced down the right-hand road.
A large zelkova tree stood about a hundred paces ahead.
“After you pass that tree, the road splits again. Take the left.” “And after that?” “Just keep going.” “What about you, Mr. Leon?”
The questions are getting longer.
Leon looked at Matthias.
“I'll catch up.”
The boy fell silent for a moment.
“What if you don't?” “If I'm not there by sunset, keep going south.”
He didn't answer right away.
He wore an expression much like the one he'd had yesterday when he'd asked whether Leon could abandon his baggage.
“Matthias.” “Yes?” “Go. Now.”
A moment later, the boy nodded.
“All right.”
The horse entered the right-hand road.
Leon watched until Matthias passed the zelkova, then turned his horse around.
The hoofbeats drew closer.
Four.
The same number the man had mentioned yesterday.
Could be a coincidence, but
I can confirm it today.
Leon waited on this side of the stream.
A little later, four horses appeared between the trees.
None of the riders was fully armored. Three wore swords over thick leather, while only one wore chain mail.
The last man slowed when he saw Leon.
The other three stopped as well.
“Are you alone?”
Instead of answering, Leon looked over the four men.
Their horses were covered in dust.
They looked like they'd been riding for more than a day, and the lead horse had a little foam around its mouth.
They've been moving a lot.
The man in chain mail asked,
“Seen a kid in a brown coat?”
Leon answered without a hint of a smile.
“I have.”
The four men's gazes shifted at once.
“Which way did he go?” “Why are you looking for him?” “That’s our business.” “Then it's not my business to tell you.”
The man in front muttered a curse.
The one in chain mail gave Leon's single-edged sword and crossbow a once-over, then glanced at the baggage strapped to his horse.
“A mercenary?” “Until yesterday.” “I heard there was a man taking a kid with him.”
So they are looking for him.
Leon slowly lowered his hand from where it rested on horseback.
He didn't reach for the hilt.
“Who's looking for him?”
The man didn't answer.
Instead, he jerked his chin at the two behind him.
“Cross.”
The two riders urged their horses forward.
Only then did Leon put a hand on his sword.
“Stop.”
They didn't stop.
The first horse entered the water.
“I'm telling you one last time.”
Leon drew his single-edged sword.
“Stop.”
The man in the water drew his sword.
That seemed to be his answer.
Leon didn't wait.
He turned his horse toward the bank and grabbed the crossbow hanging from the saddle.
The distance was short.
Click.
The bolt struck the water in front of the horse.
Startled, the horse leaped sideways.
As the rider lost his balance, the horse coming in behind him crashed into them.
“Damn it!”
The two horses tangled in the stream, losing all their momentum.
Leon let go of the crossbow and drove his horse forward.
Before the first rider could recover his position, Leon struck his wrist with the back of his sword.
The sword fell into the water.
The second rider couldn't get any closer and pulled his horse back.
So far, so good.
The problem was the man in chain mail.
He was already off his horse.
When did he dismount?
He was walking toward Leon through the shallows along the edge of the stream.
A sword in one hand.
A small round shield in the other.
He wasn't trying to force his way across on horseback.
Leon dismounted.
Fighting from horseback would only get in the way.
“Hand over the kid,” the man said.
“Then you can leave.” “And if I don't?” “Isn't this a job you're being paid for?” “It is.”
Leon lowered the tip of his sword slightly.
“But I already got paid up front.”
The man came in first.
His first strike was fast.
When Leon caught it, the impact traveled all the way up to his wrist.
Heavy.
The second time, the shield came first.
Leon slipped to the side and redirected the sword, but the man followed immediately.
He's quick.
Not just strong.
When Leon struck low, the shield came down.
The man blocked, then immediately swung his sword back around.
Leon stepped backward.
The tip of the sword grazed the front of his coat.
One step.
Then another.
It would have been more troublesome on level ground.
Even so, the stream bank limited where they could place their feet.
When Leon circled left to avoid a wet stone, the man followed.
At that moment, Leon twisted his wrist.
The tip of his sword slipped beneath the shield.
The man immediately folded his arm in.
Too shallow.
It only tore his leather glove a little.
In return, the edge of the shield slammed into Leon's shoulder.
Thud.
His body was shoved to one side.
“Ugh.”
Stronger than I expected.
Leon immediately widened the distance.
The man didn't pursue him. He settled back into position.
His breathing wasn't even badly disturbed.
Behind him, the two men who had entered the stream were getting their horses under control again.
Leon couldn't keep all four of them tied up here for long.
Even this one man wasn't an opponent he could finish quickly.
Only then did Leon take another look at his opponent's equipment.
The chain mail was old, but it fit him well.
The shield was heavily scarred from long use.
Even the hand gripping the sword was steady.
A knight?
A coat of arms came to mind, but he wasn't certain.
At the very least, he wasn't an ordinary mercenary.
The man said,
“You're good.” “So are you.” “So don't get hurt for nothing. Step aside.” “That would be a problem.”
A horse splashed out of the stream behind him.
Time's up.
Leon suddenly backed away.
The man's eyes narrowed.
“Running?” “Yeah.”
Leon mounted at once.
One of the men behind him shouted,
“Get him!”
The man in chain mail lunged to stop him, but Leon didn't swing his sword.
Instead, he pulled the reins and turned his horse up the slope beside the stream.
There was no road there.
The horse slipped once, but immediately regained its balance.
A curse came from behind him.
“There’s no road that way!”
I know.
That's why I'm going.
Leon kept to the edge of the woods.
Branches scraped his shoulders and face.
He didn't make the horse run at full speed.
If he fell here, it was over.
The hoofbeats behind him drew close for a moment, then faded again.
They couldn't all follow.
At the very least, the man in chain mail would have to turn back for his horse.
Leon cut through the woods and headed toward the road where he'd sent Matthias earlier.
His shoulder throbbed.
It hurts more than I expected, for something that wasn't a sword wound.
Still, it didn't interfere with his movements.
After a little while, he saw the road between the trees.
And farther ahead, he saw a brown coat.
Matthias was continuing on as instructed.
Leon picked up the pace slightly.
The boy looked back.
Even from a distance, Leon could see his expression visibly relax.
“Mr. Leon!”
“Keep going!”
Matthias started to stop, then urged his horse forward again.
Leon caught up alongside him.
“Are you hurt?” “A little.” “How many were there?” “Four.”
Matthias's face stiffened.
“Were they the people looking for me?” “Yeah.”
This time, it wasn't a probably.
Leon looked back once.
No one was in sight yet.
But it wouldn't take long.
They were on horseback too.
And one of them was—
If the fight went on head-on for long, he wouldn't just be troublesome. He'd be dangerous.
“Matthias.” “Yes?” “We're going to ride a little faster from here.”
The boy shortened his grip on the reins.
“How much faster?”
Leon looked down the road ahead.
The woods would end soon, followed by low rolling hills.
Two horses.
At least four behind them.
Some of those horses were already tired.
He couldn't shake them completely, but he could slow them down.
“Not enough to wear out the horses.”
Matthias glanced at Leon.
“How am I supposed to know what that means?”
He's right.
“If I tell you to stop, stop.” “All right.”
Leon increased their speed.
Somewhere behind them, the faint sound of hoofbeats began to rise again.