C16 journey

Ciora hands me a piece of paper and after looking at it for a moment I raise an eyebrow "number 6, 9, and 4 go home. I will not tolerate men or women who can't keep their minds on the job." All three of them look at Ciora in anger, and one steps forwards "NUMBER 4!" He jerks to a stop and watches me, Ciora backs away from him a bit and I put an arm over her shoulders. "leave. Now." He finally turns and the two others follow him, I look at Sera and after a moment she stalks away "she'll follow and make sure they get back to the city ok." I survey the remaining people, "these two are helpers that are following my commands," I gave Celeste one of my last shirts and make her put it on, it helps cover her body well enough, and after giving her a mask her face is covered, now the only thing for the guys to be distracted by is her legs and... honestly her legs are all that are needed to distract anyone. Alvana covered her face but her armor helps to cover her body, apparently she was an assassin, or at least that's what she said "let's go, since most of you don't have horses I'll walk with you. Right, let's make a game of this. Whosoever walks the longest without complaining or falling is the winner. The winner..." I've gotten this far by winging it, come on think of something. Ciora finally leans closer, she stepped out from under my arm when we started moving, and gives me a few ideas "money, freedom or the power to have you do something. There are two girls in this group numbers 7 and 8. They'll be happy with the ability to get you to do something." Some part of me believes that that's her intentions as well, but far be it from me to let a girl down. "Numbers 3 and 5 would go for the money. And anyone would be happy with not having to do your next training." I nod and turn back to the others, laying out the options they'll have should they win. Cioras good with people, as she said, 7 and 8 started whispering to each other as soon as I said that they could ask me to do something, though I stressed that I wouldn't follow them to bed, I wouldn't kill someone they couldn't, and I wouldn't give them large amounts of money, and 3 and 5 got motivated when I said that they would get three gold pieces if they chose the money. The rest perk up at the thought of not needing to do my next training mission.

It takes around two hours for the first one, number 8 to bow out. She uses a bow anyway so I wasn't expecting her to last long. I pick her up and after Alvana Simmons another horse I put her on it. Soon number 5 drops out, he uses his fists, so his body needs to be strong "hey kid, if you want to be strong using only your body there are two paths you can choose, either become the greatest weapon, or become the one that will never break." Cioras the only one that knows where I went before coming here, and she probably assumed I rode a horse to go there. Celeste and Alvana are the only ones who know I've been walking, and fighting, all day. "Aila," I look at Alvana so she knows I'm talking to her "how much further do we have to make our target for the day?" We would have struggled to make it to the camping spot we chose on the first day even if I hadn't had to chase down my sword. Since I did I've been pushing us all to make our first camping spot, that's why even though it's only been an hour there are two dropouts, well, number 5 stood back up, so I'll let him start over. "Celie," I turn to Celeste this time and she smiles, I'm not sure how I know she smiled but I know she did, even if only for a moment "will you scout out the area ahead of us? The way these kids are breathing by the tome we get where we're going they'll be pig feed. You don't need to kill anything just report to me if there's anything in our way." She nods and not long after she turns around "your wolf is returning, she doesn't seem happy." I nod and soon Sera ghosts up behind me. I notice she looks a little dusty "Sera, I know you're clumsy but at least... that's a boot print, did one of them kick you?" She whines and I nod "Fucking knaves. I send you to protect them and they throw it in my face, please tell me you pissed off some beasts and sent them after them?" She whines again and I ruffle her fur, soon you can't see the boot print, and not long after the dust is gone "there, see?" She turns to look at it "if you want when we find a stream I'll give you a bath little one." She rubs against me and immediately ghosts away from us, after all the years weve been together we can almost understand each other. She's angry, but she knows I'll return their animosity ten fold. They shouldn't have hurt her, now I have to kill them. "Nicta, you can't kill them. Number 4 is the kid of some big shot, while number six is the kid of a merchant." I shrug as I stand, and turn to look at her "even if I wasn't the student of the maiden I would still beat them so badly they won't be able to look at my wolf ever again. The thing is Aila, I am the student of the maiden. I don't care if he's the kid of the city lord, I'll still leave my boot print on his ass cheek. The only difference is that I won't leave him bleeding in the street, I'll take him to a hospital instead."