Chapter 124: Inviting The Group leaders [5]

Chirping of the birds and the occasional roars of beasts echoed throughout the forest. The sunlight filtering through the leaves of the tall redwood trees fell on Dora and Mira as they made their way towards the settlement of group leader Naqir."Dora, are you sure about taking me with you?" Mira asked with a nervous expression marring her face.

Dora’s high ponytail jumped to the side. She turned her head towards Mira and asked with a frown, "Is there a problem?"

Mira nodded rapidly and said, "Our liege had only allowed the lords to meet the group leaders."

Dora let out a chuckle, turned her head to the front and commented, "He never said that we can’t take our squad members with us, did he?"

Mira frowned, nodded slightly and mumbled, "But what if he punishes you?"

A strange, nearly obsessive light flickered in Dora’s eyes, her lips suddenly twisted into a wide grin, and she mumbled under her breath, "I wish..."

Mira, ignorant of Dora’s obsession with Rion, furrowed her brows and asked, "Did you say something?"

Dora’s grin vanished instantly. Het ponytail bobbed around as she shook her head and answered, "Nope, you must be hearing things."

Mira frowned and whispered to herself, "I did hear something though..."

Dora ignored her and entered the castle of her thoughts, ’One year, huh...’

Her heart began to ache, and a sudden sorrow filled her eyes as she mumbled in her head, ’Only if I hadn’t listened to that damned prophecy...’

Feeling the gloomy clouds around her, Mira asked worriedly, "Dora? Are you fine?"

Her voice pulled Dora out of her dark thoughts.

Dora closed her eyes, took a deep breath and remarked inwardly, ’There’s nothing I can do.’

Her eyes shone with determination, and she added, ’I just have to enjoy my final year after the war.’

However, she knew how hard it would be yet she didn’t want anyone, especially Rion, to find out about her dwindling life.

She had already tried and failed to stop Rion from running away from her, so she didn’t even know how she would be able to enjoy her final year as his partner, but hoping for it was better than drowning in sorrow.

"Dora?" Mira asked again, her voice heavy with worry.

Dora turned her head towards her and replied with a forced grin that didn’t reach her eyes,

"I am fine."

She wasn’t.

Mira looked in her eyes, and her lips parted to say something, but before she could do so, the bushes beside them began to rustle.

Their ease vanished instantly, and both of them quickly turned towards the bushes.

Mira took out her bow and glanced at Dora, only to find out that Dora had already nocked an arrow on her bow and was ready to shoot at a moment’s notice.

The bushes rustled once again and parted as a pale white deer with blue stripes running across its body jumped out of it.

Pew! Sleek!

Before its feet could even touch the ground, an arrow pierced right through its head.

Mira’s eyes widened, and she turned towards Dora.

"That was amazing—" Her words died down as Dora’s bow still had an arrow nocked onto it.

"It wasn’t me!" Dora shouted and quickly turned her head towards the direction of the arrow but she couldn’t see anyone.

"Who was it...?" She mumbled, lowered her bow and placed her arrow back in the quiver.

She glanced at the pale deer, walked to a nearby fallen log and sat down on it.

"What are you doing?" Mira asked while hanging her bow to her shoulder.

"I want to meet the person who shot that arrow," Dora said while staring at the dark arrow lodged into the pale deer’s head.

Mira fell silent and took a seat beside Dora.

A few minutes passed, and the sound of quick steps reached them.

Both of them turned towards the sound, and their eyes fell on five men who were making their way towards the deer.

Dora stepped forward, and they stopped in their tracks.

Dora scanned them for a moment and asked, "You are with group leader Naqir?"

They looked at each other, and one of them stepped forward. He looked Dora in the eye and asked, "You..." his gaze shifted to her bow, and he added, "How good are you with the bow?"

Confused, she tilted her head and mumbled, "What?"

He pointed at her bow and said, "How good are you with it?"

Her confusion deepened even further. She furrowed her brows and muttered, "Why do you ask?"

He scratched his chin and mumbled, "You are here to meet the group leader, right?"

She nodded.

He continued, "Our group leader only allows worthy bowmen to meet him."

Understanding dawned on Dora, and Mira snapped, "Worthy? You birdbrains! She is the disciple of Heaven’s Bow!"

"Oh..." he mumbled with disbelief, and a voice reached them from above.

"Is that true?"

Dora lifted her head to look above herself, and her eyes fell on a lean man.

His light frame was carved for travel and speed, while his fair skin made him stand out against the usual brutish tribesmen. His vivid blue eyes were fixed on Dora’s bow as his chestnut brown hair and short ponytail followed the wind.

Unlike other group members, he wore a simple forest tunic trimmed with dark fur at the shoulders, fitted trousers and sturdy leather boots with a quiver on his back and a bow in his hand.

That man was none other than group leader — Naqir, one of the best bowmen within the tribe, though lacking in explosive strength.

She studied him and asked, "You are Naqir?"

Naqir jumped off the tree, landed a few steps away from her and answered, "I am. Who are you?"

"I am Dora, a squad leader under group leader Rion Del Haden," she replied.

Naqir’s brow rose in surprise, and he mumbled, "Rion Del Haden? Sovereign’s son?"

She nodded.

Naqir frowned and said, "Looks like we have a lot to talk about."