Lydon

As I approached the spot, I changed how I concealed myself. Bryanna taught me a technique of turning my body completely black instead of see-through, thus hiding my identity while allowing people to see me if they needed to. I entered the hiding spot and saw four girls behind what looked to be their leader talking to Bryanna's utterly black silhouette.

The girls screamed when they saw me. Their leader turned sharply and scolded them.

"This woman told us a man that would be completely black like her was coming. Settle yourselves, or a fate worse than being in a bandit prison awaits you."

The way she talked and the absolute sincerity in her threats made me instantly think she was some sort of royalty. The unfortunate girls behind her were accompanying her at the wrong time. I used magic to conceal my voice before speaking.

"I killed close to half, and the others will be very occupied with the fire that threatens to burn everything they've plundered."

The royal woman straightened her dress and dawned a flirtatious look before speaking.

"I am Elizabeth Lydon, first princess of Lydon and heir to the royal throne. Your magic was terrifyingly beautiful and would serve the kingdom well. If you show your face, I will take you as my fiancé, and you will be the future king."

I could feel the warmth of Bryanna's anger emanating from her. I couldn't help but smile at thinking this beautiful elf healer was jealous.

"I'm sorry, my lady, but I am looking for someone important to me. No matter how tempting or beautiful the offer, I could not abandon my quest to find her."

Bryanna choked and coughed. Neither of us acknowledged her.

"What if I made a royal decree that you had to?"

"Well, I am not a citizen of your city, and even if I was, you couldn't prove it. I'm sorry, princess, but I'm sure plenty of eligible bachelors would take your generous offer without a second thought."

Elizabeth turns to Bryanna and looks her up and down.

"Even though I cannot see your figure or face, you were brave enough to save me and my handmaidens. If you show your face, I will take you as my fiancé, and you will be the future queen."

Bryanna's stunned silence was all she could do in response. I chuckled internally clearly; this princess had no shame and was willing to marry anyone who saved her from kidnapping. How many poor souls was she engaged to?

"I have a quick question. How often are you kidnapped, fair princess?" Bryanna slyly elbowed my ribs, but her lack of speaking up showed me she was just as curious.

"At least once a month. Why do you ask?"

I could tell that the princess's attendants understood my question as they all smiled, indicating they were holding back giggles. I just shrugged in reply.

"No reason, my lady. Now, should we return you to your castle?"

"There is no need for that. There is a knight outpost not far from here. Take me to those knights, and they will return me in the morning."

Bryanna said, "I know of the outpost; if you all follow me, I can get us there in half an hour."

Bryanna took the lead, and I took the rear guard. The princess stayed only a half step behind Bryanna, offering her a list of positions she could have if she came with the princess. After fifteen different offers and thirty minutes of walking, we made it to the outpost's perimeter. Bryanna stopped and turned toward me.

"This is where we leave. The knights can't see us, and we will not reveal our identities."

I nod and bid farewell. "May we meet again, fair Princess Elizabeth."

I could see Bryanna's intense eye roll, even under her concealment. We went from pure black to transparent and headed deeper into the forest. After a few minutes, Bryanna came to a stop. When I came up next to her, I could see the city walls.

"Unfortunately, I don't think we can stay the night inside the walls."

Bryanna took down her magic and sighed deeply. "Yes, you are right. Your new bride will be looking for us in the morning. Every new traveler to the kingdom tonight will be interrogated."

"I seem to remember her offering you much more than she did to me, but you're right. For now, we will camp outside of the walls. I have mastered recovery magic to the point that I need little sleep. I'll take the first watch, and if you wake before morning, I will switch with you."

Bryanna looked reluctant but sighed again. "I must trust that you won't try anything funny?"

"Oh, I would never," I cross my heart and wink at her. She rolls her eyes before reaching into her bags. She grabs some food and drinks her water before resting against a tree. I climb the tree, lean against the trunk, and look out over the walls of Lydon. After a minute, I look down to see Bryanna already asleep.

I decided that any night was an excellent night to practice new techniques. It was impractical to be pure black to prevent people from seeing us, and my twin swords would also stick out like sore thumbs. I spent the rest of the night trying to split my focus between concealing my swords and changing the appearance of my face. Before I knew it, the sun rose, and a new day of challenges awaited me.

I watched the sunrise while I waited for Bryanna to wake up. I usually wanted to start my day early, but I knew she had a long night. I was surprised when I heard movement underneath the tree and saw her stretching.

"Well, good morning. Did you sleep okay?" I called as I climbed down the tree.

"Yes, I feel alright. I'm sorry I didn't take a shift."

"Don't worry, you can make it up to me by paying for breakfast."

"You must be sleep-deprived; we still can't enter the city walls."

"Watch this," I focus my magic, conceal my swords, and then change my face. 

"What the hell, when did you learn that?"

"I spent all night practicing; I can try to explain it to you..."

Just then, Bryanna changes not only her face but also her clothes. "I can take it one step further. If I knew you could learn this quickly, I would have taught you before the bandit raid."

"That's alright; I like the idea of being a silhouette cleaning the forests of crime."

Bryanna rolls her eyes. "One step at a time, mister hero." She wraps her arms around mine affectionately. "Don't get any ideas; this is purely for our cover story while we are looking for information about other bandit groups in the area."

I had to slow my heart rate. Her soft touch and warm skin against my body were exhilarating, but she was right; we had people to find and a mission to complete. I confidently stride forward, and we approach the city gates. We casually walk through the streets, taking in the sights and smells. Eventually, we stopped at a stall selling a pastry stuffed with fruit puree filling. Bryanna insisted on paying for breakfast, and we sat nearby to eat.

"I suppose we can't get any information about bandits directly from the knights, especially if your new princess friend is still looking for us."

"Well, even if your new fiance weren't looking for us, the knights wouldn't tell us anything."

"Is there something like an adventurer's guild or a notice board with commissions for independent mercenaries?"

Bryanna raises an eyebrow and looks at me skeptically. "You say some weird things sometimes, but since I have no idea what you are talking about, I guess the answer is no."

I cross my arms and lean back against the chair. I have read and watched a lot of fantasy content, and there is usually a group of drunken masochists willing to take any odd job for money or, rather, booze. Other than running around asking every person about bandits, which would likely cause the knights to detain us, I wasn't sure how to proceed.

"Well, I am open to suggestions; where do people normally gather information in Lydon?"

Bryanna gave me a sly smile. "Have you ever broken into a castle?"