The Forgotten Field Novel - Chapter 105
### Chapter 105
Talia swept everyone with a cold, sharp glare.
“What are you looking at? Was this not hung up to be displayed?”
The men, holding their food bowls and blinking in bewilderment, averted their venomous gazes with evident discomfort.
Talia let out a sarcastic and defiant laugh; then, she pushed Varkas’s arm away and stumbled forward toward the carriage.
Varkas followed her immediately and grabbed her by the elbow. Talia raised her eyes to him with a tense face.
If she were an ordinary noble lady, she would have fainted from the shock or politely averted her gaze from the corpse.
Would he reprimand her for behaving in a manner inappropriate for a princess?
While she watched him warily, Varkas gently turned her around.
“From here on, we will have to travel on horseback.”
Talia froze at his unexpected words, as he guided her toward the line of horses.
Talia hurried to protest:
“I don’t know how to ride a horse!”
“Don’t worry, you will share the steed with me.”
Varkas let out a light whistle, and Turco, who was grazing in the meadow, approached, shaking his violent black mane.
Talia stared at the robust grey horse, which looked as if it were forged from pure steel, as if it were a terrifying beast.
Turco was completely different from the purebred Nurnik horses that Garciel bragged about so much.
His body was much more massive than that of ordinary horses, his wild temperament bordered on that of untamed beasts, and he carried an arrogance that despised any living being other than Varkas.
Talia detested that violent animal that Varkas adored so madly. And it seemed that Turco loathed her just the same.
Seeing the horse snort loudly through his nose upon noticing her presence, Talia turned around in horror, trying to walk away. However, Varkas grabbed her by the arm immediately.
“Let go of me! I will go in the carriage!”
“The path from now on is steep. You wouldn’t last even half a day in the carriage.”
“I would rather faint than ride that filthy, smelly animal!”
Some of the eastern inhabitants, who were preparing the saddles in the distance, looked at her with stunned expressions, as if they could not believe their ears. They seemed dumbfounded by the mere idea that someone could hate horses.
A people obsessed with equines, just as it was said.
Talia gritted her teeth:
“Let go of me right now!”
Varkas exhaled a brief sigh, quickly lifted her up, and placed her on the saddle.
Talia let out a scream and clung tightly to Turco’s neck.
Varkas climbed up behind her and drew her tense body against his chest.
Talia forgot her pride and wrapped her arms firmly around his waist, terrified at the possibility that Turco might throw her to the ground at any moment.
“Put me down!”
“Relax and lean on me. I won’t let you fall.”
Talia quickly raised her head and shot him a piercing glare.
She was on the verge of slapping him, but she did not dare to move for fear of upsetting Turco.
She pronounced each word forcefully through her teeth:
“Put me down right now!”
Varkas ignored her words and shook the reins.
Talia snapped her mouth shut for fear of biting her tongue.
Her vision shook unsteadily to the rhythm of the horse’s gallop.
She felt a slight dizziness and closed her eyes tightly, when she heard a familiar voice nearby:
“The preparations are ready. Do we set off immediately?”
It was Darin, one of the subordinates.
Varkas nodded to him:
“Divide the unit into two. Have half follow me, and the other half escort the baggage carriages.”
The knights moved with discipline, following Varkas’s orders.
Talia opened her eyelids a little to observe the scene, but she froze upon seeing corpses hanging at the side of the village square.
Once again, something blocked her vision.
“Don’t look at them.”
Talia raised her eyes to him with a rigid face.
Varkas made the horse run lightly while saying coldly:
“They plundered this village numerous times. We hung them to appease the anger of the inhabitants and to warn other thieves, not as an entertainment show.”
Talia closed her mouth firmly and turned her face away. Varkas contemplated her for a few moments and then guided the horse toward the hill.
As the square of corpses receded from her sight, she felt a strange relief. She did not understand herself. Was she fascinated by death, or did she fear it?
Talia contemplated the village landscape, which was seemingly peaceful. A breeze blew, carrying the scent of grass mixed with the echo of the animal’s howling that had resonated throughout the night.
An absurd idea suddenly crossed her mind:
Would these sinners be born again as animals to sing to those they loved?
Perhaps, someday, I too…
Talia looked toward the thick forest that glistled with a bluish hue, and then chased away those illusory thoughts with a bitter smile.
The inspection tour of the lands was coming to an end.
After visiting the eastern and western villages, the group of knights turned north toward their final destination: Tarlin.
After some time, the largest city in the east and west emerged on the horizon.
Several knights let out loud cheers upon spotting the great sand wall.
“Tonight we will rest in comfort!” Darin exclaimed in a cheerful tone while pulling the reins to slow down.
Varkas did not answer, but instead turned to check the group following him. He spotted a luxurious travel carriage among the long baggage carts.
In the steep areas, he had forced Talia to share the saddle with him, but she, due to her physical weakness and intense dread, could not tolerate even two hours before losing consciousness. In the end, he had no choice but to return her to the carriage.
Varkas sighed slightly and spurred the horse once more.
The city wall approached until it was a stone’s throw away.
Varkas raised his arm to give a signal. The knights immediately hoisted the banners embroidered with the emblem of the black horse.
The iron gate opened wide, revealing the complex panorama of the city before them.
“You must be exhausted from your long journey!”
The city security guards welcomed them along the main avenue. Varkas nodded politely in response to their greeting.
“Who is in charge of the administration of this city?”
“Lord Timuran. His own father appointed him,” replied a middle-aged man, who appeared to be the captain of the guard, in a deliberate tone. “Lord Timuran is currently ill and resting in Tarlin Castle. He has asked to be excused for not being able to receive you in person.”
Varkas contemplated the imposing castle in the center of the city.
It looked majestic on the outside, but it seemed small to house hundreds of knights.
He gave instructions to Darin:
“Leave a few men here, and have the others look for separate lodging. Check if we can rent an entire inn.”
“Understood.”
Darin left along with twelve elite knights and Lucas Redgo Seerkan toward the outskirts of the city.
Varkas nodded to his younger brother, who seemed to have grown noticeably gaunt over the last few weeks:
“Don’t fall behind me, come closer.”
“Can’t I stay with Darin at the inn…?”
“Don’t make me repeat my words.”
His brother approached with a somber and sluggish face. Varkas looked at him with a icy stare and then shifted his gaze toward the captain of the guard:
“Lead the way.”
“Ah… this way, please.”
The captain of the guard advanced at a quick pace.
Varkas followed them to the center of the city, where a vast square and a gigantic castle appeared.
Varkas dismounted the horse with an agile leap and then approached the carriage that had stopped at one side of the square. He opened the door cautiously, revealing the woman reclining on the seat.
He supported her back naturally. She rubbed her eyes and emitted a soft murmur in a sleepy tone:
“Are we there yet?”
Varkas nodded slightly, then slid his other arm under her knees and lifted her incredibly light body with total ease.
Talia’s slender arms wrapped around his neck as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
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