Chapter 19: Ships
She had sure underestimated him, she thought she taking a ship to the south will divert his attention. Instead he ordered for all ships that sailed the saw to return back to the capital.
The ship captains had received the massage through a pigeon and had turn the ship around because failure to do so means death and the baron is someone feared even more than the king is feared. With fear they had turned the ship around and headed back to the capital.
People who didn't know why they were returning back protested.
“Attention everyone, the baron had ordered for the ship to return back. The reason why this order was given is unknown yet so we have to obey for now.
Everyone immediately kept shut when they heard it was the baron’s order.
Althea’s heart beated too fast that it disturbed the ear of the woman seated close to her.
“Oh dear, what are you so anxious about, you heart beat is too loud” the old lady complained.
Althea had forgotten so soon that she was seated with people who had beastly forms. This woman’s beast must have the ability to hear things even from miles away. Although all beast has it but it seems her's is a special breed if she could here her heart beat very loudly in her ears.
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience”
The old looked at her closely and perceived her “You are human, you smell like a human”
“Yes I am, I only came to Westland for business and I’m returning to the south back”
“I see, so why are you scared we are returning back”
Althea was silent.
“Are you perhaps running form something or someone?” the old lady asked suspiciously.
Althea wa surprised but immediately masked it.
The old lady knew it was the case but she did not want to admit it “I just hope you get escape form whatever or whoever you are running from”
The old woman has studied her and knew she is not someone to have committed a serious crime, if not she would have surely been caught. She must have been running from someone who might want to take advantage of her. Such a beautiful girl whose skin glowed in the sun must have caught the attention of one of the capitals wealthy men and the man might have forced her to stay and she escaped from him
Althea smiled sadly, only if the woman knew that that person was the Baron himself and if he was here and heard her statement he would have beheaded her. Only she knew that her plans of escaping had failed that the moment the ship arrived Damian would be there himself to drag her back to his residence, she would not be surprised if he locks her up this time.
Tears rolled down her cheeks, she turned the other way so the woman won’t see her tears .
From afar, Althea could see a large number of the barons men on the seas shore.
She clenched her fist tight, her running away was in vain.
When the ship got nearer she could clearly see Arthur and also Damian. She panicked.
On the sea shore Damian's men all searched the ships that had arrived back. They made sure to identify each of the passengers that boarded the ship. About 3 ships had arrived back, two which was heading to the north and one to the south, but she was not found inside.
Damian was getting more impatient.
It was unlike the baron to come here himself and the ship captains and passengers including other people around the shore wondered what it was the Baron is looking for himself.
“You can tell us what it is and we help you find it Baron” a ship captain said and the others nodded in agreement. They had to show that they were innocent of whatever this was, they did not want to end up facing punishment for it.
Even if they were all werewolves, nobody can compare to the Baron and also he had a very high authority in the land so if he accused them later they would not be able to get out of it.
Damian scanned them with his eyes; he could see how scared they were and did not want to offend him. He is not going to punish anyone for Althea’s escape, she had run away from him and she will be the one to face punishment for it.
He knows she had boarded one of the ships because he, more than anyoneelse knew her scent, her scent had brought him here and since he could not know which ship she boarded he requested all ship to be sent back.
He had also found her jewelry she sold in the market. How could she sell something he bought for her? He clenched his fist.
“Baron, two other ships are returning” one of his men said.
Damian looked ahead and saw two ships arriving.
His men got on the boats and went to the ship.
Damian’s eyes were fixed on both ships, he scanned his eyes and immediately caught sight of her. His heart became calm now that he had found her. She was putting on peasant clothes and had paint on her face that made her unrecognizable but he could recognize her from a few distance.