I walked past the Fu family without looking at them again. Their eyes followed me, but I didn't care. Fu Sheng walked beside me quietly, his steps calm, his face unreadable as always.
Ahead, the head guard and his men were settling down under a large tree. They had already made a small fire and were sitting in a circle, their weapons placed within reach. Even while resting, they looked alert.
I walked toward them with a small smile.
"Head Guard," I called gently.
They all looked up at once. Their hands had almost gone to their weapons, but they relaxed when they saw it was me.
I crouched down and held out the two fish. "You've all worked hard today. Please take these."
The men looked surprised. One of them scratched his head awkwardly. The head guard stood up and accepted the fish with both hands.
"Madam, this… we can't just take your food, This is exile, you would hardly have enough to eat." he said.
