Toby's heart hammered. He stared at her, eyes wide.
"What… what do you mean?" he whispered, voice rough.
His sudden edge frightened Xiaolan. She flinched, ducked her gaze, silent once more.
Realizing his mistake, Toby closed his eyes and drew in a slow, steady breath. He bowed his head slightly, then looked back at her with gentle eyes.
"It's okay," he said softly. "I'm sorry if I scared you." He reached out, tapped the top of her head in reassurance, and gave her a small, crooked smile.
Satisfied she felt safe, he stood and quietly left the room, closing the door behind him, letting her rest at last.
Sibel toweled her hair by the hearth, the towel draped over one shoulder.
"How is she?" she asked softly.
Orin sat at the rough-hewn table, shuffling a deck of worn cards. His companions were already asleep, and boredom tugged at him.
Toby stood by the closed door, eyes shadowed. He exchanged a quick look with Orin and Sibel, then leaned in.
"She's asleep… but she spoke," he murmured.
Orin raised an eyebrow, tossing a card onto the table.
"She did? Said what?"
Toby's voice dropped lower.
"She asked for help."
"For what?" Sibel's voice was steady, but her eyes narrowed in concern.
Toby shrugged, running a hand through his hair.
"I pressed her—tried to find out—but I frightened her. She clammed up."
"Tsk, why do you even care? It's not our job," Orin muttered under his breath.
Toby shot him a glance. "Yeah, but… she's a kid. And something's off. I can't just ignore that."
Sibel sighed, folding her arms. "Let's just stick to the mission, alright? We mess around too much, and we risk crossing the Frings family. That's not a game I want to play."
"What are you talking about?"
A deep voice cut through the room like a blade.
The three jumped.
Standing just behind them was the knight—Sir Gendry. Silent as a ghost.
"Ah—uh, we were just talking about… what we'd do with the payment, sir," Toby stammered.
Gendry's expression didn't change. "Keep your voices down. The girl is sleeping."
"Yes, Sir Gendry," they all echoed, bowing slightly.
"You should rest too," he added, stepping past them. "But not too deeply. Stay alert. That girl's more important than you think."
With that, he disappeared into the hallway, his footsteps as quiet as his arrival.
Orin exhaled slowly. "Creepy bastard."
"Shut it," Sibel snapped, eyes still on the darkened corridor.
Silence settled over the room like a thick blanket.
Orin leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Man, I hate that guy. Shows up like a damn ghost."
Toby didn't respond. His gaze lingered on the hallway, thoughts racing.
He stood and walked to the window. The woods outside were dark—too dark. Even the usual sounds of crickets and owls felt… distant.
"Five days," he murmured. "We just have to keep her safe for five days."
"Unless something finds us first," Orin muttered, half-joking.
Toby turned. "We're not letting anything happen to her."
Sibel studied him for a second. "You're serious about this."
"Yeah," he said. "I don't know what they did to her. But she looked me in the eyes and asked for help. That's not just fear. That's desperation."
Orin looked uneasy now, rubbing his face. "Damn it. This was supposed to be easy coin."
Sibel walked past them, her towel now slung around her neck. "Get some rest. One of us stays up each hour. Rotate. We're not letting our guard down."
"Fine," Orin muttered, reaching for his cloak.
Toby took one last glance toward the door where Xiaolan slept.
'Hang in there, kid.'
Day One
Xiaolan barely moved from the corner of the room.
She sat on the edge of the bed, knees drawn up, watching with wide eyes as the others bustled about. When Toby brought her a warm bowl of stew, she took it silently, holding it like a fragile treasure.
"Don't worry," Toby said gently. "It's not poisoned."
She didn't laugh. She didn't even blink.
Later that evening, Orin threw a cloak at Toby and muttered, "You and your soft voice. The kid probably thinks you're about to cry."
Sibel shot him a glare. "She's traumatized, not deaf. Maybe try not being a jackass for once?"
Orin raised his hands. "Hey, I'm just saying. This job's already weird."
When Sibel helped Xiaolan wash up again that night, she noticed the girl finally leaned into the touch just slightly. Barely a breath of trust—but it was something.
Day Two
It was Sibel who found Xiaolan standing by the back window, staring at the trees.
"Morning, sleepyhead," Sibel said, wiping her hands on a cloth. "Want to help me sort herbs?"
Xiaolan nodded, almost imperceptibly.
They sat in silence for most of it—until Sibel offered a tiny purple bloom. "This one helps with sleep. Used to give it to my little brother."
Xiaolan took it gently. "…Thank you."
Orin poked his head around the corner later. "She talkin' now?"
Sibel smirked. "More than you ever should."
At lunch, Xiaolan sat closer to the table than yesterday. Still didn't speak much, but when Orin dropped his bread into the stew by accident and cursed, she let out the tiniest snort.
Toby heard it. So did Sibel. They exchanged a glance.
Day Three
The charioteer returned, the wagon creaking as it pulled to a stop near the lodge. He jumped down and dusted off his cloak.
"Got everything we need. Fresh bread, dried meat, and even a little sweet stuff for the kid."
Gendry met him halfway, arms crossed. "Did anyone follow you?"
The charioteer shook his head. "No one. I made sure. Took the longer trail and circled twice."
"Good," Gendry muttered, then reached for the rolled-up newspaper sticking out from under a sack. "And this?"
"Today's paper, fresh off the stand."
Gendry opened it and scanned the front page. His eyes narrowed.
RETHRUS AND HIS TEAM DEFEAT BANDITS ON ROUTE TO THE CITY!
Below the headline was a large sketch of Rethrus, standing over a pile of tied-up bandits, calm and poised.
Orin snatched it from his hands. "Yo—look at this!"
He ran to the table where Toby, Sibel, and Xiaolan were sitting and slapped the paper down.
"Look, guys! It's Rethrus! First day here and already beating up bandits. Damn, I wonder what he's gonna be like in a year."
His eyes were glowing with admiration.
"You really love the kid, huh?" Sibel asked, smirking as she sipped her tea.
"Of course I do," Orin grinned. "He's like me, but y'know… actually reached his full potential."
Toby snorted. "You're seriously comparing yourself to Rethrus?"
Sibel rolled her eyes. "Please. He's cute. You look like a half-boiled potato with muscles."
"Oh wow," Orin huffed, "jealousy's a disease, Sibel. Get well soon."
The two continued to bicker, their voices overlapping, but Xiaolan didn't mind. In fact, she smiled as she watched them.
Toby was chuckling beside her.
Then she reached for the newspaper. Her fingers traced Rethrus's printed face.
"…Is this Rethrus?" she asked softly.
The group fell quiet. All eyes turned to her.
"My sister at the orphanage… she used to talk about him. Said he was a hero."
A quiet warmth filled the room.
Sibel gently ran her fingers through Xiaolan's hair. "Yeah. He's everyone's hero, especially yours."
Toby nodded. "He's the guy who'll protect the whole kingdom. Now and in the future."
Orin grinned. "And he's gonna be the strongest out there, no doubt."
"Okay, okay, stop fanboying already," Sibel rolled her eyes.
"Can't stop the truth!" Orin shot back.
The bickering resumed, light and ridiculous, and Xiaolan… smiled for real this time.
Xiaolan followed Toby around as he cleaned up the common room.
"You don't have to help," he said.
"I want to," she said softly.
He paused, surprised at her clarity. "Well… alright. You're hired."
Later, Orin let her toss a few pebbles at a tin cup across the yard. She missed every shot.
"Okay, you're hopeless," he said. "We'll work on that."
She frowned. "You suck."
Orin blinked. Then burst out laughing. "You got claws!"
That evening, as Sibel brushed her hair by the hearth, Xiaolan finally spoke more than a sentence.
"Why are you all nice to me?"
Sibel paused. "Because someone has to be."
Xiaolan looked down. "Most people aren't."
Sibel ruffled her hair gently. "And we're not them."
That Night
The fire was low. The wind rustled the trees outside. Gendry stood guard by the front door, still as stone. The charioteer had dozed off in the corner, head on his chest.
The others were gathered near the fire—Toby, Sibel, Orin, and Xiaolan, tucked under a blanket.
"I need to tell you something," she said suddenly.
All eyes turned to her.
Sibel leaned forward. "Go on."
She told them everything.
When she finished, her voice trembled.
"I don't want to go back."
The silence afterward was heavy.
Orin stood up so fast his chair scraped back across the floor. His fists were clenched, shaking.
"That sick bastard," he growled. " I swear, if I ever see that Frings dog—"
"Orin," Toby said softly.
He was staring at the floor, pale, brows knit in disbelief. "I… I can't believe this. She's just a kid…"
Sibel didn't say anything.
She just stepped forward, knelt beside Xiaolan, and pulled her into a hug. Her arms wrapped around her gently, protectively.
"It's alright," she whispered, voice cracking. "You're not alone anymore. We're here now, okay? We'll figure this out. I promise."
Xiaolan clutched her back, tears wetting Sibel's shoulder.
Then, softly, she said again—
"…Please help me."