Chapter 19: Two Survivors

Silence once again enveloped the abandoned shack, with only the heavy, ragged breathing of James and Liana competing with the sound of the wind and snow still raging outside. The thick stench of blood began to congeal in the cold air, making the atmosphere even heavier and more suffocating.

Liana stood trembling, her father's blood-stained short knife still gripped tightly in her hand. Her golden-brown eyes stared at the second kidnapper's lifeless body on the floor before slowly shifting her gaze to James. Her face was pale, but her expression was firmer and colder than he had expected.

After a long moment of silence, James, trying to gather his wits from the shock and exhaustion, was the one to speak first, breaking the silence. His voice was hoarse and still trembled slightly.

"Are… are you alright?" he asked, looking over Liana with concern.

Liana shook her head slowly. "I… I'm fine. Thank you so much for saving me." She glanced at the kidnapper's body again, a complex emotion in her eyes, before turning back to James. "But why… why did they take me? Who were they?"

James was silent for a moment. He had many questions as well. "I'd like to know what happened to you, too." He paused briefly. "Those men… what did they want from you?"

Liana frowned slightly, trying to recall the events. Her eyes showed confusion and fear once more. "I… I'm not sure," she said softly.

"It all happened so fast. I was on my way to Felnia to inspect the family's branch store, on my father's orders. I had Ronan… my trusted guard, and five other escorts. They were very skilled. I didn't think…" She stopped for a moment, swallowing dryly.

"Suddenly, a group of men in black ambushed my carriage. They seemed well-prepared and were aiming directly for me. Ronan and the others tried to fight back, but the enemy outnumbered them. I was knocked unconscious. When I came to, I was being taken here…"

She looked up, meeting James's eyes, her own filled with misunderstanding and suspicion. "I don't know who they were or what they really wanted from me. It might be… a business rivalry within the family, or… or maybe something else I don't know about."

Liana's account made James realize that this girl's situation was more complex and dangerous than he had thought. The fact that she had high-level escorts but was still successfully ambushed and kidnapped meant that the person behind it was no ordinary figure. And the fact that she wasn't safe as long as she didn't know who her real enemy was, was a worrying thought.

Liana looked around the abandoned shack, now filled only with silence and the stench of blood, before turning back to James. "So, what do we do now?"

Her voice was becoming more anxious. "It's definitely not safe here. They might have others coming."

James nodded in agreement. He knew they had to get out of there quickly. Just then, Liana noticed the wound on James's hand, where the blood had dried.

"Your hand!" she exclaimed softly, before quickly reaching into her cloak pocket and pulling out a small, still-clean handkerchief. "At least let me help you with your wound first," she said, moving closer. Though still in a state of shock, the concern in her voice was clear.

James watched her actions with mixed feelings. He let Liana awkwardly but intently wrap her handkerchief around the wound on his hand. "Thanks," he said softly.

"I should be the one thanking you," Liana replied. Her eyes still held a look of fear, but a faint glimmer of trust was beginning to show.

Not long after, Liana began to show clear signs of exhaustion. Her body swayed slightly, and she nearly collapsed. James quickly rushed to support her just in time. "Are you okay?"

"I… I just feel… weak…" she said faintly, her eyes starting to droop.

James looked at Liana's condition, then glanced outside the shack where the snow was still falling heavily and the wind was blowing fiercely. He realized they couldn't stay here any longer, and returning to Felnia was the best option right now.

He quickly considered his choices. The lumberjack village he had just visited was closer, it was true, but he didn't know anyone there well enough to fully trust them. More importantly, it was still too close to the scene of the crime and might not be safe if other kidnappers were on their way.

Compared to Felnia, although it was farther and required traveling through harsh weather, he had Brack and Elen there—people he could trust and who might be able to offer help or advice. And he still needed to deliver the reply token about the firewood to Brack.

"We're going to Felnia," he said, his voice gaining firmness. "It should be safer for you there for now. I know some people there."

He gently helped Liana sit down, leaning against the sturdiest-looking part of the shack wall, before looking at the wound on his own hand again. The bleeding had stopped, but the pain remained. He used a strip of cloth torn from his own tattered cloak from the earlier fight to wrap tightly over Liana's handkerchief.

Then, he turned back to Liana, who was sitting with her eyes closed, leaning against the wall. Her breathing seemed a little more regular, but she was still pale. James decided not to waste time searching the kidnappers' bodies.

His only thought now was to get himself and this girl out of this dangerous place as quickly as possible.

He took a deep breath, gathered all his strength, and slowly lifted Liana's weak body into his arms, before awkwardly but securely shifting her onto his back.

James supported Liana's exhausted body on his back as best he could, before slowly stepping out of the abandoned shack. The snowstorm outside was still raging relentlessly. Thick snowflakes blew about, making it almost impossible to see the path ahead. The cold wind howled, stinging his skin like icy needles. The cold made the wound on his hand sting even more, but he gritted his teeth and endured.

Every step was difficult. The ground, covered in thick snow, made balancing a challenge. Liana's body on his back, though not very heavy for a young man who had undergone some training, felt like he was carrying a small boulder when combined with his accumulated fatigue from the fight and using his bloodline power.

He tried to choose the path he thought would lead back to the main wagon trail the fastest, relying on his vague memory from the journey there and his sharpened senses to observe his surroundings. The silence of the pine forest, shrouded in a snowstorm, with only the sound of the wind and his own crunching footsteps, was terrifying. But at the same time, it made it easier for him to hear any unusual sounds if danger approached.

Liana, resting on his back, drifted in and out of consciousness. Her breathing was faint, and her body still trembled slightly from the cold and the lingering fear.

"I… I don't even know your name yet," her voice, hoarse and so soft it was barely audible, sounded next to James's ear. "I'm Liana… Liana Ashford."

"James," he replied curtly, trying to make his own voice sound as steady as possible while he continued to walk cautiously.

"Am I heavy, James?" Liana murmured again, her voice tinged with consideration.

"It's fine… I can manage," James replied, trying to be reassuring even though his body was beginning to protest. "You should try to rest. We're almost at the main trail."

"Thank you for saving me, James," Liana whispered again, before her voice faded, and her breathing became more regular, as if she had drifted off to sleep again from exhaustion.

James didn't say anything in reply. He just adjusted her body more securely on his back and continued to walk with determination. Liana's words made him feel an even heavier sense of responsibility, but at the same time, a quiet warmth grew in his heart. Amidst this freezing cold, they were two survivors who had to depend on each other.

After what felt like a long time, James finally managed to carry Liana through the snowstorm and back to the main wagon trail. The snow had started to let up, but the sky was growing darker by the moment, signaling the twilight of the day. They were still a considerable distance from the Felnia city gate.

When they finally reached the outskirts of Felnia, the snowstorm had subsided, leaving only light snowflakes drifting down. The last light of day was fading from the horizon, leaving the sky a gloomy, violet-gray.

James gently set Liana's body down under the eaves of an old, abandoned blacksmith's shop not far from the city gate.

Liana was becoming more conscious. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at James, her gaze still weary but filled with deep gratitude. "Are… are we here?"

"Almost," James replied, glancing towards the Felnia city gate nearby. "That's the west gate. But… are you going into the city now? I mean… are you sure your family's residence will be safe?"

Liana was silent for a moment, her expression clearly thoughtful and worried. "I… I'm not sure," she admitted. "I don't know who's behind this. If it's someone from the family… going back there might not be a good idea."

Only Ronan is someone she trusts.

"So, what will you do now?" James asked frankly.

Liana looked at him, her eyes full of uncertainty. "I… I really don't know."

James thought for a moment. He had to go back to Cranewold Bar to report on the errand Brack had given him, and more importantly, to give Brack the reply token from Timber. "If that's the case… would you like to stay at Cranewold Bar with me for now?" he offered. "Brack and Elen are there. At least it should be safe for you for the night, until you can figure out what to do next."

Liana looked at James with a slightly surprised expression, before slowly nodding. "If… if it wouldn't be too much trouble for them." In a situation like this, accepting help from the strange young man who had just saved her life seemed to be the only option she had right now.

"It won't be any trouble. I'm sure they'll understand," James said confidently. He gently helped Liana to her feet again.

The two of them supported each other, heading towards the Felnia city gate, where torches were beginning to be lit for the night. Exhaustion and uncertainty still clung to them, but amidst the aftermath of the snowstorm, a small hope and an invisible bond had begun to form between the boy from another world and the high-born daughter of a merchant family.