Talesworn
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Chapter 26 - Between a Rock and Hard Place
🕑 Added 2025-10-02 13:58:38 +0000 UTCPiper stood in front of the longhouse ruins, a few tendrils of smoke rising from the charred wooden beams. The structure had burned down to the ground, and little remained of what had been her home for over a year.
Glancing over at Alfred, she pressed her lips together with worry. The big man stood frozen a short distance away from the ruins of his house, a despondent look on his face. Both she and Ethel had told him they shouldn’t return, but he had insisted. And now he looked lost.
“It’s all gone,” he said, his voice catching slightly. “Twenty years of work gone in the blink of an eye.”
Ethel approached Alfred from the side. She took his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder. “We’ll rebuild once we reach the Arissian Empire.”
Ophelia bounded forward, a new stick in her hand. “Plus, now I can be an adventurer. Isn’t that amazing? I bet they have all sorts of great stuff in the Empire. Can you imagine?”
Alfred didn’t reply to his daughter as he stared off into the distance. His wife patted his arm and then disentangled herself from him. But even then, he remained standing like a statue.
“We’ll be fine,” Piper said, walking closer to him. “Once we’re over the mountain, we’ll use the money to buy a new farm for all of us.”
She had two gold pieces weighing heavily in her pouch, which should be more than enough to buy a plot of land. The other six silver pieces she’d received for the aetherstone had been used to purchase supplies for the trip, with the remainder being given to Beatrice.
Ethel’s sister had steadfastly refused to leave Alderwick. She believed she was far enough removed from what had happened that she wouldn’t face any reprisals. Hopefully, she was right.
A few hours earlier, Ethel and Beatrice had had a teary goodbye. No matter what happened, both women knew they weren’t likely to see each other again in this lifetime. No one, not even traders, traveled across the Dragonspine Mountains.
“You’ve never been in the mountains,” Alfred said softly. “There are things that dwell there from long before Thronefall.”
“I’ll keep us all safe!” she said quickly, before adding, “with you of course.”
Alfred gave only a wan smile in reply.
Piper didn’t know what else to say, so she adjusted her new dress and headed over to the smouldering remains of the longhouse. While the others were collecting what little food remained in the outbuilding, she was searching for something different.
Is there any chance it could have survived?
She poked around near the remains of the front door, where the boots were normally kept. Finally, after moving a few pieces of charred wood, she found Alfred’s boot. Miraculously, they were only singed. That was one of the benefits of having a dirt floor—it couldn’t burn.
Lifting the boot, she tapped it against her hand. From inside the little statue that they used to hide on each other, popped out. She’d placed it there before Alfred and she had set out to search for the ruins. Once they stopped tonight, she would hide it in Alfred’s bedroll. Maybe that would lift his spirits.
She paused as she thought back to finding the ruins where she’d arrived. It was hard to believe that had only been yesterday. More than anything, she wished they could return to explore them further. Inside might be a clue as to why she’d been reincarnated in this world. But she knew they couldn’t stay in case the vampires were on their trail.
Placing the little statue in her pouch, she hurried over to help Ethel and Ophelia load the horse. The oxen had been sold in town, but the horse was going to be used to carry their supplies. Without the animal, Alfred said they wouldn’t be able to carry enough food to make it over the mountains. Especially in early spring with almost nothing to forage.
In town they’d also purchased new cloaks, a box to carry embers from their fire, and a fire-starting kit with flint and some pyrite. Alfred claimed that he could start a fire with it, but she was doubtful. How were you supposed to start a fire with a shiny rock?
Her thoughts were interrupted as [Ambush Detection] blared a warning in her mind. She spun around, her sharp claws ready to lash out. But she froze when she spotted Ophelia about to poke her with a stick. She recoiled slightly, horrified that she’d almost clawed her friend.
I really need to chill out.
Ophelia was unfazed by her response and poked her in the ribs. “I got you, foul demon,” the young woman said. “How in the world did you survive against a vampire? You can’t even avoid a stick.”
“Ophelia!” Ethel snapped from nearby. “Do you think that’s appropriate?”
The young woman wilted slightly. “What? I was just kidding.”
“It’s alright,” Piper said quickly. “And I just got lucky.” As she spoke, the memories of killing the men resurfaced once again. But this time they didn’t bother her as much. She’d come to realize it had been her or them.
“As Alfred tells it,” Ethel continued, glaring daggers at her daughter. “You were quite resourceful in how you defeated the Blood Lord.”
“Like I said, I just got lucky.”
“You probably don’t want to talk about it.” For once, Ethel looked unsure of herself, almost as if she didn’t know what to say. Which was very unusual for the woman. Then, with a pained smile, the blond-haired woman returned to loading the horse.
After a few more minutes, they finished packing what little they could salvage from the surviving buildings. The horse shifted slightly, still unnerved by the smell of lingering blood, and Ophelia had to hold it steady.
With the loading complete, Piper retrieved her bow, quiver, and moonstone from nearby. In town, she’d bought a leather cord to turn the gem into a necklace. She lifted it over her head, angling it away from her horns, and dropped it into place. The stone she’d received from Ophelia was one of her most treasured possessions—aside from the knife Alfred had given her, which was sheathed on her hip.
At the thought of Alfred, she pulled her cloak around to cover her bow and quiver. The last thing she wanted to do was upset him at the moment. And no matter how useful they had been in the battle against the vampire lord, he still didn’t like her carrying the demonic gifts.
“Hey, what are you doing?” she heard the muffled voice of Gorebark say from beneath her cloak.
“Not now,” she whispered.
“Any timeline on taking over the world?” Gorebark continued, ignoring her. “I’m not seeing a whole lot of progress yet. No offense, but you’re the most boring demon I’ve ever met. On second thought, a lot of offense.”
She ignored her bow as she watched Ethel move over to her husband, who hadn’t budged, and touch his arm.
“Are you ready to leave?” Ethel asked. “We dare not linger here.”
Alfred started in surprise, almost as if he hadn’t heard her approach. Then he nodded his head and began to walk toward the foothills. He pushed through the treeline, leaving them behind without saying a word.
Ethel took a deep breath before trudging after her husband. After a second, Ophelia joined her mother, leading the horse by its reins.
Piper scanned the farm one last time, trying to commit everything to memory. While she’d only been here a year, it had been some of the best times of her life. Her parents had done their best to make her happy on Earth, but it was difficult when she was confined to her bed most days. Still, she knew they had done their best.
I can’t wait to see you both again someday, she thought to herself. I hope you’re alright, Mom and Dad.
With one final look, she headed after Alfred and his family. Thankfully, today had warmed up nicely, and as she walked she spotted the first shoots of greenery emerging from the soil. In a few days, the hills would be blanketed with wildflowers. And not long after, spring would arrive in force.
Reaching the edge of the forest, she followed Ophelia up the steep slope. She was surprised at how much easier it was to navigate now. But then again, she had vastly improved her physical attributes. Maybe she’d avoid tripping on rocks for once.
As if she’d jinxed herself, she immediately slipped on a muddy patch and nearly face-planted. A giggle from ahead made her glare at Ophelia. “That’s not funny.”
“It’s a little funny,” Ophelia replied. “Maybe not as funny as you having a face full of mud.”
“I’m with the girl,” Gorebark said. “That was funny.”
Piper rolled her eyes and kept moving up the slope. She passed familiar ruins, and a weathered statue in the vague shape of a humanoid. The elements had long worn away all the features, and she could only guess what the sculptor had carved. Had it been a demon?
It was too bad that no one here remembered the history of the ruins. And it wasn’t like archaeologists existed in this world. Aside from treasure hunters, no one bothered digging in the ruins. But somewhere under the dirt could be the explanation of why she was here.
With a sigh, she continued to slog her way up the hill. Their pace slowed considerably after the first few kilometres, and they had to take multiple breaks. While the healer in town had cured their wounds, the injuries had still taken a toll on them.
When the others weren’t looking, she pulled the quiver to the side of her belt. She knew it looked incredibly creepy with the ear on the side, but she needed easy access to it in case they found themselves in trouble.
I wonder if I can cut off the ear?
She quickly discarded the idea. What if she cut it off and somehow broke the magic? It wasn’t like she could return to the Infernal Realm to get another. At least not until she reached level 50. And who knew when that would happen? Plus, Astaroth would probably be seriously pissed off if she broke his present.
Piper also pulled back her cloak slightly to expose her bow. She’d tried to keep it hidden from Alfred, but who knew when she might need it? If a monster popped up suddenly, she didn’t want to get it tangled in her clothing.
“Finally,” Gorebark said, taking in an exaggerated breath. “Have you considered some scented oils? Maybe a floral bath? Because you stink!”
Piper raised her brow, feeling keenly conscious of how long it had been since she’d taken a bath. But she refused to show her discomfort to Gorebark. Instead, she said, “I thought demons would like bad smells.”
“Come on. Even we have limits.”
She sighed and continued up the hill, keeping her distance from the others, so that they couldn’t overhear her bow. Though the furtive glances from Ethel directed at her weapon showed that her plan wasn’t working.
A gentle wind swept past her, and the handful of dead leaves still clinging to the trees rustled softly. Black clouds were approaching from the south, and she hoped it didn’t mean rain. Storms could be deadly in the hills.
Ahead of them, Alfred held up his fist before readying his bow. She realized she’d been lost in thought again and hadn’t been paying attention. Had he seen something? Why the heck wasn’t she watching the forest?
Alfred hurried back and pointed at a copse of pine trees. None of them said a word as they left the trail. Once they were all in cover, he gestured up the hill.
Squinting her eyes, she could barely make out a thin trail of smoke twisting toward the sky. That had to be a campfire. Had the vampires somehow blocked their path?
“It’s most likely redcaps,” Alfred whispered after a moment. “They must be planning a raid on the village.”
“We need to stop them!” Piper said, before a glare from the big man made her lower her voice. “We can’t just let them attack the town.” But even as she spoke, she wasn’t sure if she was up for another fight.
“The townsfolk will have to handle it on their own.” Alfred said. “I’m going to go scout their camp and see how many we’re facing. Maybe we can slip by once night falls.” He rose to his feet and disappeared like a ghost into the forest.
She was almost certain he was using a skill. There was no way someone that big could move so easily through the dense forest and not make a sound. Heck, she couldn’t even see his footprints. What were his classes anyway?
They waited in tense silence as the minutes stretched out. Worry gnawed at her that he’d been wrong and walked into the Blood Lord’s trap. But she knew she was being silly. Ransford had been on foot. It would have taken him days to reach another settlement.
Unless the Crimson Guard were camped nearby, she thought to herself darkly.
Without warning, Alfred reappeared, almost giving her a heart attack. She’d half-raised her bow before she realized it was him.
“I was right,” he grunted. “There’s about 25 redcaps in a camp not far from here.”
Ethel tugged on her braid. “Is there any way around them?”
“Nothing passable for the horse,” he said. “The hills are too steep and rocky for it.”
“We have to do something,” Piper said. “We can’t just be stuck here.”
“We’ll head back down to the farm. It will cost us a day, but there’s another pass about 15 kilometres from here.”
“What if the vampires are waiting for us there?”
No one said anything for a long minute.
Alfred glanced down at Piper’s bow. “The only other option is to fight our way through the redcaps, and that’s a hopeless cause. Most of them will have combat classes.”
Piper nodded slowly and pressed her lips together. She wasn’t sure if the situation was as dire as Alfred was making it out to be. After all, they had defeated an awakened lion together. But she wasn’t about to argue with him.
When no one objected, Alfred led the way back down the hill. As they moved, the surrounding shadows began to lengthen. It wouldn’t be long until the sun set, and they still hadn’t found a campsite.
As they crested the rise over the farm, Alfred grabbed his wife and wrenched her back into cover. Both Piper and Ophelia ducked into the bushes instinctively.
Piper pushed down a branch to peer through it. “What is it—”
“Quiet,” Alfred said, interrupting her. He pointed a meaty finger at the farm far below.
She scanned the area, not seeing anything out of place. Then, after a few seconds, she spotted movement. There were horsemen riding around the farm. And they wore the blood-red cloaks of the Crimson Guard.
They were trapped between a rock and a hard place. Or, in this case, between vampires and a fae raiding party.
