The escort that had led the Knight, Helim, had gotten to the eastern border of the woods. It was to guide a guest who had gained permission to enter the woods.
Looking at her, she felt that something was wrong. For one, she somehow could not see her soul. This is not strange. Those who are secretive and know of the forest folk's keen perception, usually try to hide it. But this was even stranger.
It was clean.
She had seen an object with a soul before. It's just a mess to look at. Even those who learn concealment leave thin traces, untraceable, but visible. Normal objects have none. And this is what it seemed she was looking at. But it couldn't be.
"Hello, I'm Helim. I hope I did not make you wait too long."
"Not at all. I rather enjoyed camping here for those few days, it was nice."
'If I run… wait, why am I even thinking of running? Maybe I'm the strange one...'
"That's good to hear."
She said this with a natural smile. This is because she genuinely hoped she was just paranoid. She instead continued to escort them inside. However, the thought could not be silenced. They walked and conversed, in that single minute more than the entire week spent with the Knight.
'A shapeshifter? No. They change their soul shape, thus their physical form. But I sincerely doubt they can be shaped into nothing itself. Maybe it's a demon? Their souls can't even be hidden using concealment, so I can't imagine what it would take to get it to be this empty.'
"What's wrong? Anything the matter?"
"No. why do you ask?"
"It's just that you seem troubled. You have been holding that drink in your hand for a while now. And when I asked if I should put it in your bag, you said you were 'following'."
"Oh! No! you don't have to worry about it. I just finished escorting this brooding fellow. Real quite like. Barely a word the whole week. I've been so mute, talking just felt strange for a minute, so do mind my words, they might not sound like what I'm thinking."
Helim after all is fluent in the language used by most humans.
"If that's what it is, I don't mind being quiet. I like the sounds of the forest anyway. I could fall asleep while walking."
Helim chuckled a little and said, "Don't get the wrong idea there. I do like talking – a lot. It's just that I could feel my throat shaking, almost like it was terrified to speak. So, please let me start over. My name Helim. I am a guide for the woods of Elleria. And wha-who might you be?"
"I'm lady Mavi. Just call me Mavi."
"What brings you to the woods of Elleria?"
"If I had to say it would be taking in the sites. But I do have some other official business."
After that, they kept talking throughout the day. Today they even slept. In turns though.
'I must be overthinking it. The best explanation would be an inanimate human – which is as ludicrous as it sounds. Nevertheless, it's still strange – maybe she's a monster with a strange soul, or maybe it's just me who's incapable of seeing the soul. That has to be it. But just in case. I'll be safe and check, at the very least, I should make sure I'm not leading danger, straight into my home, this is also an escorts duty.'
Their journey continued as they tracked deeper into the woods. They were not headed for the palace. Instead, they were headed for one of the smaller settlements, many of which are spread throughout the woods. These are governed by a leader, similar to the human towns.
After a few days, their destination was in sight. Once there, they split, and Helim headed for the supply area, before she heads for the palace. She will be staying here for a week, so the two did make arrangements to meet up again. And today, after three days, was the day they had planned on.
Inside a nice quiet restaurant, two enticing beauties met. For Helim, she was usually dressed in travelling robes, and these were meant to be efficient and reliable. Although they did spare some thought to aesthetics, Helim had altered it over the years, so one could not tell what beauty lay beneath.
For Mavi, she was already quite pleasing to look at, but the formal wear she adorned now, spoke volumes of her character, while also stunning onlookers. Her black hair was now braided into one thick braid, laying around her neck like a serpent. Her black eyes added to the dark theme, especially since she was wearing black. She wore a light jacket on top of a dress long enough to almost cover her toes. The dress was heavily black until the knees, where the rest was translucent-black silk, that also revealed her black sandals. She wore a black flower, made like a black veil on her hair, holding it together.
Helim wore a white dress top, with a pair of leg-ins that reached just above the knee. Her silver-blond hair was tied in a neat bun, that allowed her hair to flow, not to her waist but to her shoulders. Her dazzling blue eyes shied away from the light. Her tanned skin still showed highlights of her usual clothing choice. Her sandals were vermillion in colour and made in a simple design. The silk adornments fluttered in the wind as she walked inside.
They looked around and soon found each other. And met up on a table between them.
"I see you're more of a looker." – said Lady Mavi.
"I try not to, I just thought to dress freely, I am leaving tomorrow."
"Really! I thought you would be leaving later."
"Usually I would, but there seems to be so many people coming into the woods recently, that my senior reached out for me since I happen to be near one."
She scratches her head and sighs. Then looks up with her own question.
"I see now that lady is no simple title, why did you not ask for a more fitting escort?"
She sighs as well, while raising her hand to call for the waiter.
"The old man who usually escorts me was all the way on the southern side and headed for the palace; he had been given orders to escort some VIP guests. He can be boring at times, and so I just wanted someone I could talk to."
The waiter arrived and they took a few minutes to order some delights. This place is known for its deserts and early this morning, they were going to taste extra tasty. Dawn had just passed, and only now were the tables starting to fill up.
"I forgot to ask, what about you lady Mavi, any plan changes?"
"Yes, I will be here longer, as it turns out, there seems to be a situation that is delaying the flow of information. They need more people who have skills related to invisibility. (She leaned in to whisper the rest) So, that we can guard the royals secretly while most of the guards are away."
Before Helim could communicate her confusion, she was interrupted by the sounds of laying plates on the table, their orders had arrived. Mavi had ordered a cold dessert, that comes with hot melted desert, they are meant to be eaten together, using the edible baked utensils.
Helim herself had ordered a soft yellow sponge, sweet but calm. It had come with this butter sized block. The block is cream that can be ordered alongside the sponge and be added according to the customers' fancy. She had ordered for a medium block of cream, but she had not expected it to be so tame, but so incredibly complimentary to the sponge. Her only regret now, was not ordering the large cream block. Her meal also came with baked utensils.
They stared at their meals, both had been too busy to enjoy themselves as of late, so this meal looked even more scrumptious. They had almost forgotten what they were talking about. They were only reminded by their desire to keep the dessert on the plate for longer. They had already eaten a proper breakfast, and this dessert was plenty filling, but they still wanted it to last a little while longer.
"I know about the knights being summoned, but I didn't know anything about the secret guarding of the royals."
"As it turns out, the princess, Forg, is missing. It was about a week ago. It's rumoured some faction is using the few guard situation to try and overthrow the kingdom."
"Why are you even talking about this here?"
She took a spoon full of the cold one and tried to speak. "Don't worry, I have a skill that makes the conversations I have with people encrypted, regardless of who-else is listening. It's actually my special skill. The soul invisibility [Traceless], is one I learned."
'Well, this explains why I can't see her soul. Something still doesn't make sense.'
"Why tell me though?"
The cold dessert was a little too cold, so she took a spoon of the melted hot one, and when they mixed, she felt so elated she screamed prompting the others to look. They quickly looked away; her reaction is usual for those who've never tasted forest folk deserts – after all, using special skills and spirits, they can still give the strong some forms of brain freeze.
"Sorry about that."
Helim chuckled and answered. "No problem, I understand, the desert you're having is actually one of my favourites."
"Well, to answer your question, it has to do with my next request. I need you to send a report to the council when you make it to the palace. I would send it normally, but the message needs to be covert, and it's not too urgent. Just tell them the prince is safely secured. Me and my friend have it sorted."
"No."
"What do you mean 'no'?"
She took her edible knife and spread some cream on the block she had carved out. Then she ate it, allowing the sweet flavours to melt in her mouth.
"I am headed for the palace after fetching my next escort, at most it will take a week or more. And I don't wanna spend all that time with dangerous information in my hands."
"Hear me out first. You will be heavily rewarded."
She sighed out and spoke.
"Okay, here's the deal. I feel like you want to make me a decoy as you take the prince back to the palace, right?"
"You're right, but not fully. I spoke to the prince and his entourage, and they know they are being followed. I am not using you as a way to lead them off, more like a way to distract them.
Me and the prince will be accompanying you to fetch your escort then back to the palace. At first, they will follow you, thinking you have valuable information, and after stealing the letter from you, the one telling the palace not to worry, they will then turn back. They would have noticed it was a distraction. After they leave, me and the prince will join you from an alternate route.
The actual decoy will be the entourage itself. Don't worry about them, my friend will be guarding them – she came up with the plan. She also has a skill that can render all those around her indetectable."
She took the last scoop from the sponge. The fluffiness of the cream was so good, she had eaten so much of it, there was barely any left to spread on her last bite.
"I guess now that you told me the full story I can't refuse?"
"Oh, you can, we have other plans. But I will need your word not to endanger the prince."
"I'll do it. Having you along is already looking up. And who would refuse a personal request to help the kingdom. I just have one last question. Why did they hire someone like you lady Mavi?"
Mavi had long finished her cold side, and eaten the edible utensils, even the straw. Now, she was drinking the now hot beverage, that was beginning to thicken.
"Well, this is also classified, but now that you agreed I can tell you. I am part of an organisation that helps nations in these times to help make sure their society does not crumble. Upon calling, we make our way to the nation, infiltrate it, and secure the major figures.
We're also responsible for coming up with reliable plans, just like this one. We already have a few dozen contingencies should things go wrong. We usually avoid adding civilians, but you told me you escorted a knight, which told me that the kingdom trusts in your services – meaning I could trust you too.
And you were also fun. I liked the face you made when you realised you couldn't see my soul. You're cute you know that…"
She was smiling which made Helim puff with friendly anger. "You're telling me you knew..."
"I knew, but I wasn't worried. If you're wondering, the rest can't see it, but I'm using another skill to warp their common sense, unlike you they haven't noticed."
They continued talking and soon finished their meal. Mavi shook the waiter's hand, transferring funds, coving for their meal. Not all nations use these value coins, but the woods of Elleria does. They parted to make preparations for the upcoming days.