Chapter 519
Athena forced herself not to dwell on the assassins‘ connection to Michael. All she cared about now was reaching Wendral Mountain as tax of 60
Athena didn’t know if Michael had managed to hold off the assassins or if she was just lucky, but two hours later, no one was trailing the cardage
At the foot of Wendral Mountain, Athena and Jessa gazed up at the towering peaks, both frowning
Finding a single dry well on a mountain this vast was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
in concern.
“Just the two of us searching, we could spend two weeks and still come up empty,” Jessa said matter-of–factly, not meaning to discourage Athena, just stating the truth.
The odds were stacked against them.
Then, Athena calmly pulled a map from within her clothes. “Searching blindly will get us nowhere,” she said. “But with a clear objective, we’ll achieve twice as much with half the effort p>
She traced several marked spots on the map with her finger and explained to Jessa, “Chief Rogers’s hometown is in Halewick. He must have sensed danger, so he bypassed the official road and took smaller, more discreet routes. Wendral Mountain would be his wisest choice p>
Athena’s finger landed firmly on a fork in the road on the map. “Here, ” she said, “there are two roads, left leads to Jewel Temple on Wendral Mountain, right is the only way to Halewick. Which do you think he would choose p>
Jessa was impressed by Athena’s sharp mind. After a brief pause, she ventured, “The right one p>
Athena shook her head slightly. “If you had pursuers at your back, would you still run deeper into the mountains? ”
Her words struck Jessa like a revelation. She shook her head. “No, I’d head toward populated areas p>
“Chief Rogers must have fled to Jewel Temple, with his wife and daughter in tow, ” Athena affirmed.
Jessa’s eyes lit up. “Right!” she exclaimed. “Where there’s a temple, there must be a well. Athena, you’re truly brilliant p>
Athena smiled as she folded up the map. “It’s not really about being smart. Wendral Mountain’s boxed in on three sides, and only Jewel Temple has a decent water supply. Everywhere else is too steep, digging a well there would’ve been next to impossible p>
As she spoke, Athena tucked a dagger into her sash.
Then, with a sharp crack of the whip, she sent the horses and carriage thundering away.
Though the pursuers hadn’t caught up, Athena knew better than to let her guard down.
It was better to be safe than sorry, a little extra caution never hurt.
Jessa followed behind Athena, marveling at how someone so small could have such immense strength inside her.
Any other woman would probably be sobbing uncontrollably and completely at her wits‘ end by now.
Yet from the moment disaster struck, Athena had remained perfectly composed, without so much as a single frown.
“Athena, aren’t you scared?” Jessa asked softly.
Athena’s heart caught in her throat as she gazed up at the mountains, their peaks lost in the clouds.
A bitter smile touched her lips. “Afraid?” she echoed. “I used to be terrified of pain, a complete coward. But after three years of brutal suffering in the military camp, no hardship scares me anymore p>
Chapter 519
“ What was the military camp like? ” Jessa asked gently, though she hesitated to reopen Athena’s old wounds. Still, she believed Athena needed
her trauma.
Only by letting the pain out could the healing begin.
Athena’s current state was clearly the result of lingering trauma.
She showed no joy or sorrow, appearing untouched by anything.
But Jessa knew this wasn’t true fearlessness, just a self–protective numbness from wounds too deep to bear.
In the slave camp, she had seen women break down into desperate screams as they watched others die before their very eyes.
At first, they were terrified, but after witnessing so many gruesome deaths, even the most horrifying scenes couldn’t faze them anymore p>
It wasn’t that they had stopped being afraid, they had just become numb.
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.