Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 175: Red Eyes

Chapter 175: Red Eyes

Tillian tugged the reins of his black stallion, forcing it to stop in front of the forest. He jumped off the horse and threw his large sword into the snow, adding more on top of it as he started kicking his foot around. Sir Stanis followed his example.

Tired, dirty, dripping with sweat, and covered with dried splatters of dark blood, the men had just finished cleaning up the territories, slaying the roaming beasts, and burning their dead bodies.

Stanis grabbed the lower part of his long dark-brown cape attached to the shoulder plates of his black armor and wiped his wet forehead with it, releasing a long, exhausted exhale as he said in a cold tone,

"Damn it... I don’t remember the last time we had to kill so many beasts in one day. Was it really the fire that made them so anxious? They never used to fight like that before. They looked genuinely scared and angry."

Tillian picked up his sword from the pile of snow and started wiping its sharp black blade with his black cloak, mulling over his aide’s observation. He then looked at the tall black wall of the dead forest, gliding his deep red eyes over the massive trees that stood before them like enchanted titans, and shook his head.

"It was probably Aideen’s magic that scared and aggravated them... The creatures are being controlled by the remnants of Navia’s spell, and Aideen’s magic is... was the same as Navia’s. Perhaps they got confused and perplexed as their mana blended together, especially since Aideen started slowly awakening her dragon powers as well.

Now that the forest is half-destroyed, there is not enough space for the beasts to hide, just like there is not enough force to hold them back from leaving its confines... I reckon the next several months will be tough on us."

Sir Nygard let out another heavy sigh, a lot louder this time, which added to the heavy drama of his lord’s words. He then whistled, signaling for the rest of the knights to get ready to depart, mounted his horse, and said,

"Well, the Raven Knights have been feeling somewhat stiff lately; adding a bit more movement to their daily routines will not hurt."

Duke Valentine responded with a somewhat bitter smile that slightly curled his lips. Mounting his own stallion, he took another good look at the black forest behind him, nudged the horse on the sides, and led the way back home.

***

Bella put the paper bag filled with a blend of different herbs inside her leather pouch and tied it tightly with a long ribbon.

"Thank you, doctor. I hope the tea will help. I cannot watch our lady wither away like that. I know she needs time, but she will definitely die if she continues to grieve like this. She barely sleeps, barely eats... Goodness, I am on the verge of tears just thinking about her!"

Reyad, the chapel’s doctor, patted the maid on the shoulder, offering a warm and friendly smile, and asked,

"Would you like me to visit the castle this week and check Lady Valentine’s health condition?"

Bella responded with a slow shake of the head.

"No, not now, at least. She will refuse to see you anyway. Let’s see if the tea helps first. My hopes are high about its healing abilities."

The doctor nodded, agreeing with her words.

’It’s already this late...’

The maid glanced at the small round clock sitting on top of the desk in Reyad’s room; its hands were pointing at ten o’clock. Although Bella indeed managed to arrive at the chapel before dusk, she had to wait for almost four hours for the doctor to return from one of the villages, and then it took him two more hours to find and blend the herbs for Aideen’s tea.

Now, her route back was shrouded in complete darkness, with occasional snowflakes falling from the pitch-black sky as a sign that heavy snowfall was just a few hours away.

"Would you like me to accompany you on your way back?" Reyad asked, worried about the woman. "At least half the way."

Bella smiled and shook her head, politely rejecting the man’s generous offer.

"No, it’s alright. The dogs are more than enough. They are half-beasts themselves, so I feel very safe with them. Please don’t worry."

"Well," rising from his chair, Reyad started walking towards the exit, "the horse must be well-rested now. My assistant gave him water and some carrots; I think you are good to go."

"Thank you. Have a peaceful night."

Bowing slightly, Bella covered her head with the hood of her long thick coat and left the chapel, fastening the leather pouch to her wide belt. Then, she gave the dogs two glass-covered lanterns with wide candles inside, which the dogs accepted gladly, securing them in their mouths. Then she skillfully got on the horse and ordered for Lord Wiggles to lead the way.

Apart from the bright orange light emanating from the lanterns carried by the dogs, there was absolutely no source of light on the road. The sky was veiled with thick scraps of heavy black clouds, hiding the silver disk of the moon behind them. The atmosphere was frightening, to say the least.

A long howling tune reached her from the distance, making Bella flinch with her entire body.

’Nothing to be scared of, it’s just a wolf. I recognize its howling. The wolves are scared of the siblings; they will not dare to attack me. Everything is fine.’

Nervously clutching the leather reins, the maid continued her journey home, silently praying that she would return quickly.

Suddenly, a sharp blow of cold wind hit her from behind, enveloping her body and seeping through the thick layers of her warm winter clothing, sending unpleasant shivers all over her body. She heard another howling, now louder and closer, echoing through the darkness like a war cry.

"Lord Wiggles?"

The leading Doberman stopped in front of her horse and dropped the lantern to the icy ground, growling menacingly and baring his sharp white fangs at something invisible somewhere in the distance. Lord Giggles came forward too and joined his brother, their glowing red eyes staring at something ahead.

"What’s wrong? Is something there?"

With the lanterns no longer shining the way, it was now a lot harder to see. The dogs began to growl even louder, saliva dripping from their mouths like venom, occasional angry barking shaking up Lord Wiggles’s body.

Bella squinted her eyes and tried to see what exactly made the dogs so nervous, and as she stared at the darkness ahead of them, at last, three pairs of narrow red eyes stared back at her.