The apprentices were allowed to sleep as late as they wanted to after the hell they faced the night before. It would mean they were at least refreshed before having to go back into the township and clean up the mess that the monsters left behind.
Irene woke up after something brushed her face, and she shot up from her bed with a hand over her chest.
She had slept in clothing, considering all of their supplies were with their horses. It made her feel like she was outdoors.
However, she was met with the sight of the other apprentices looking at her with expressions of concern.
"I didn’t think you would ever wake up," Felix admitted.
Leif came to her defense.
"Probably tired after climbing to the rooftop last night," he insisted.
Since her grogginess was leaving as she rubbed her eyes, the girl swung her legs so her feet were touching the ground.
"Sir Gunnar told me to shoot fire arrows at the ogre’s skull," she responded, feeling the need to speak for herself—as if it wasn’t her own dangerous idea, but her knight’s trust in her.
"And you did from the rooftops?" Felix asked in disbelief.
"How else do you think I will reach an ogre’s skull?" Irene asked.
"That’s true," Felix relented. "You’re quite small, after all.’
Irene merely rolled her eyes.
"I thought it was quite impressive, regardless," Leif responded. "It definitely helped stop the damned thing so the knights could handle the rest."
"I wish I saw it," Felix responded. "We were on the other side of the township, where a different group of goblins was trying to scale the wall by the church. Not sure what they think they’re doing. Can they sense riches in the church?"
"The ways of goblins are beyond me," Leif responded.
"I don’t know much about their behavior, but didn’t you guys smell the poison again?" Irene wondered quietly, a bit afraid to admit that because they might think she was merely oversensitive.
"No, you’re onto something," Leif admitted. "There were victims with markings on their faces and wounds that looked to be festering despite how fresh they were."
He didn’t want to admit that he was there when Iro was asleep, and he saw them change her wound when she was first injured. Would she be uncomfortable with that?
"I didn’t see people as much," Felix admitted. "Thought I smelled something, but was wondering if my mind is simply overreactive now. During these fights, we’re not thinking as much as we are reacting."
However, now that she wasn’t having to fight for her life or the lives of others, all she could do was think. It brought up thoughts of Samson, and she decided to get out of bed.
"I ought to get up and help if I’ve slept for so long," she muttered as she pulled on her boots and then got back into armor. The belt that had been hung on her bed with her sheathed sword tip touching the wooden floor was then placed over everything else for easy access. She also pulled her arrow sheath and bow over herself in case they would come in handy. "I need more arrows. I only have a couple left..."
"We could go to Samson’s place," Felix suggested. "I don’t think bow wielders are that common. Unless his place was ransacked, it’s our best bet."
"I suppose it is," Irene responded, a bit standoffishly and causing the other two apprentices to look on in confusion.
Since she was leading the way, the others decided to follow. They hadn’t eaten since the night before, but they thought it best to wait until everyone was up and ready to go before they left their communal room.
"I want to make sure Sorrel is doing okay," Irene explained as she went down the stairs. "Hope he found someplace comfortable to rest." Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novelꞁire.net
"You treat that horse like a pony," Felix realized. "He’s one of your father’s and is undoubtedly a warhorse."
"Warhorses can be beautiful and soft as they are tough," Irene insisted. "Now I would like to find something to eat before we go into the township."
The moment her boot met the floor of the main level, she heard Sir Gunnar delegating tasks at the front.
"Ah, just the people I was waiting for," he said to the apprentices. "After you eat something, I will need Leif and Felix to go towards the northern end, where they are repairing farmers’ buildings and uncovering crops that were buried in one way or another. Iro, you will come with me."
"Yes, sir," all the apprentices responded quickly and bowed their heads in respect to the knight.
Irene wondered how the knights seemed to sleep so little, yet they were all so efficient and sharp. Perhaps it was because she was growing and spending energy in multiple ways that she was always tired after not sleeping.
She hoped that she would adjust within a couple of years and be as impressive as the knights.
The apprentices ate little and ate quickly. They weren’t trying to overwhelm the inn already lacking in supplies, since they were spending everything they had on those hiding out or recovering. Rather than it being an inn, it was more of an infirmary for the wounded. Supposedly, they had sent word to Stanley that they needed the aid of mages.
All they could do was see what would happen next.
After putting their gloves back on their hands, the apprentices went out the front of the inn together, even though they would be going in separate directions.
However, before they could move forward, a different knight, Sir Cress, came forward to Sir Gunnar. Others were pulling a wagon behind him.
"Sir Gunnar, we have the body of the blacksmith. You said that you wanted us to bring him to the inn," the knight explained.
Irene simply dropped her gaze as her chin fell to her chest. She felt the eyes of Leif and Felix on her. They could tell she was already aware of what had happened.
"Yes," Gunnar responded. "Do you mind bringing him to the stables for a bit of privacy?"