Going Down the Mountain 2

Ryan listened intently as Tori caught his breath, explaining, "I had Chuck watch the road down the mountain, and then I ventured into the forest to check things out. After walking about ten miles, I found more than twenty bandits in a sheltered spot. They were all wearing leather armor, and most had bows. It seemed like they had just arrived. I observed them closely and saw they had eaten and were resting, obviously preparing to attack us tonight."

"Nice work, Tori," Ryan nodded. "In that case, Tori, you carry Alice, and I'll take Darlis. Chuck, you handle the horses. We need to leave immediately; otherwise, we'll be in trouble."

Although Ryan could have easily ordered Niu Niu to have the Windwolf take care of the bandits, he chose not to. He knew that with the Windwolf's help, the bandits would be wiped out in an instant, but Ryan wanted to grow stronger on his own. Besides, he was confident that if danger arose, Niu Niu would step in to help, so he wasn't worried about being in real danger.

"Chuck, you lead with the horses, Tori, you follow second, and Darlis and I will cover the rear. Chuck, remember to stop when we reach the flat area after descending. We want to surprise the bandits in the town." Ryan instructed, arranging the plan. After their meal, they set a pile of wood on fire in the stable, which would burn for a few hours as a decoy. Alice and Darlis wrapped themselves tightly in cloth to stay hidden. Chuck led the group down the mountain first. He was the most at risk, especially in the snow, where the horses could slip, but he wrapped cloth around the horses' hooves to prevent it. He led the pack slowly, with the Windwolf, Niu Niu, walking alongside them. Ryan had two packages tied together with rope: one containing his belongings, such as magic books, and the other containing provisions, including the remaining Ape Demon meat. Alice had told him that monster meat was worth several gold coins per pound.

"I'll carry you, Darlis. It seems we've fallen behind," Ryan said. As he had expected, the bandits never anticipated them running. They thought no one would leave, and the scouts certainly wouldn't dare get too close, knowing there was a mage involved. From a distance, they could see the smoke rising from the stable, signaling someone was inside. The heavy snow started falling, reducing visibility. Darlis insisted on walking, but Ryan gently insisted on carrying her. They ended up trailing behind the others, as the descent was steep and slow for both the people and the horses.

"Alright," Darlis finally agreed, glancing at Tori, who was carrying Alice, and nodded.

Meanwhile, in a nearby forest, the bandit leader, a man with a scarred face, asked one of his men, a shorter man, "Are they still there?"

"I checked, boss. There's just a stable with a fence. I saw smoke rising and smelled roasting meat," the shorter man, nicknamed Big Nose for his sharp sense of smell, replied.

The leader, angry at the escape of his target, had been hired for a 1,000-gold contract to raid a knight's estate and capture a 12-year-old girl. However, the girl was no longer there when they arrived, causing her to escape. In a panic, the leader had sent men to chase her, only to encounter a mage—a mage at a knight's estate, which was unheard of. Attacking a mage was a direct provocation to the Mage Guild, the most powerful force on the continent. After reporting back, the leader's employer had given him ten crossbows and an additional 1,000 gold coins, boosting his confidence as he resumed his hunt.

"Ha, a mage? I'll kill you tonight with these crossbows, personally ending the life of a noble mage," the leader muttered, his excitement rising as he imagined the coming confrontation. The snowflakes fell in thick drifts as he thought about the bandits slowly approaching the stable, ready to kill anyone they found. He even fantasized about taking the two women for himself, planning to have one of them that night. But as he looked at his men, a new idea came to mind.

"Brothers, the gods are on our side tonight! With this heavy snow, we'll surprise them. When we storm the stable, kill the men and take the women. The first to enter gets the noble girl. If anyone kills her, we'll deal with them later," the leader shouted to his men, who laughed in response. The bandits had dug out a hidden shelter in the snow, where they could stay warm and out of sight. If Tori had arrived even half an hour later, they would have been in serious danger. Thankfully, Tori had been sharp.

"Damn it, who's gonna fight me for the prize?" one large, brutish bandit, nicknamed Big Bear, stood up, waving his axe.

"Big Bear, go find a 7 or 8-year-old girl. Maybe someone will want to be with you," another dark-faced man mocked.

"Rabbit, your backside itching? There are plenty of branches outside for you to scratch it with," Big Bear shot back.

"Ha ha!" the bandits all laughed.

"Quiet down! Do you want to get caught?" the leader shouted, his fantasy of taking the noble girl interrupted by his rowdy crew. The bandits fell silent, eyeing him cautiously while some recovered their strength, and others discussed what they would do with the captured women. The leader, lying on a bear skin, continued to fantasize about his plans.

Meanwhile, Ryan noticed that his physical strength had increased several times over. Carrying Darlis for such a long distance, he felt barely tired. As he carried her, his heart raced with excitement, imagining giving her a bath and feeling the strands of her golden hair brush against his neck.

The sky grew darker as the snow continued to fall. Everyone was covered in snow, and the horses were equally coated. Visibility had dropped to under 200 meters, but Ryan felt a sense of relief, knowing they had already passed the steepest part of the mountain. They had not lost any horses, and had they waited any longer, he didn't want to think about the consequences. He was now completely confident that the bandits, even if they had noticed their departure, wouldn't dare chase them down the treacherous path.

"Ryan, the town is just ahead. What should we do?" Tori turned to him. By now, everyone in their group had started to see Ryan as their leader.

"We can't rest here. If we rest in the snow, we'll get sick. Chuck, watch the horses. Tori, come with me to the town. Niu Niu, stay with Darlis and Alice. The bandits have already caused some casualties in the town. When they came up the mountain to chase you, another dozen of them died, and there are still some left on the mountain. It's best for me to use my magic now, before night falls. Tori, are you ready to fight with me?" Ryan asked after considering the situation.

"I'm ready. I've fought my way through worse," Tori replied confidently.

"Good. Let's go," Ryan said, looking at Darlis and Alice, then setting off toward the town with Tori by his side.