Chapter 209: Found At Last (2)
Before Julian could respond, the pursuing guards burst into the clearing. They stopped upon seeing Cedric and his men before immediately drawing their weapons.
"If you don’t want trouble," one of them warned coldly, "hand the boy over to us and continue on your way."
Cedric looked briefly at Julian, who shook his head desperately, before turning his gaze back toward the armed men. His eyes narrowed, and his voice became dangerously calm. "And why," he asked, "should I hand him over to you?"
The bodyguards exchanged uneasy glances because they could hardly admit that they had abducted the boy. Realising words would solve nothing, they slowly tightened their grips around their swords before looking back at Cedric.
"You leave us no choice," they said almost at the same time.
The next instant, they charged.
Cedric gave a short command, and at once the men behind him charged straight toward the bodyguards. Soon the sharp clash of swords rang through the woods as steel struck against steel, while grunts of pain and angry shouts echoed through the night.
Julian stood frozen where he was, terrified as he watched the men fight one another, blades cutting into flesh while sparks flew each time the weapons collided. His small body trembled, unable to look away from the frightening scene unfolding before him.
Cedric quickly crouched to his level, drawing the boy’s attention away from the battle. "You’re safe now, alright?" he said gently, but Julian was too frightened to know whether he should believe those words.
"My mother..." His voice shook as tears welled up in his eyes.
Cedric’s expression grew serious. "Where is she?" he asked without hesitation.
"They took her," Julian answered immediately, his voice breaking.
Cedric’s brows drew together into a deep frown before he looked the boy firmly in the eyes, his expression carrying both conviction and reassurance. "You don’t have to worry anymore because we’re going to get your mother back," he said at once.
Julian nodded weakly, and Cedric gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder before turning his attention back to the fight. By then his men had already gained the upper hand. The remaining bodyguards had been completely disarmed, forced onto their knees and bound tightly.
"Where is the boy’s mother?" Cedric demanded as he stood over them.
The men merely exchanged glances without saying a word, and before anyone could react, each of them swallowed something hidden inside their mouths. Within moments they collapsed onto the ground one after another.
Cedric exhaled sharply through his nose, already understanding what had happened. "We need to find the woman immediately. She can’t be far from here, and I’m certain she’s being held by the rest of them," he said, his tone leaving no room for delay.
One of his men stepped forward. "Are we certain he’s the boy we’ve been searching for?"
Although Cedric could already see the striking resemblance, he turned back toward the child because there was no harm in confirming it.
"Is your name Julian?" he asked.
Julian swallowed nervously as he looked around at the unfamiliar faces. For a brief moment he wondered if he should tell them the truth, but these men had saved him from the others and were trying to rescue his mother, so he slowly nodded.
Cedric’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "And your mother’s name is Rebecca?"
Julian nodded again without speaking.
Cedric straightened immediately. "Then we don’t have another moment to waste. We find her now."
Without delay they followed the tracks deeper into the woods until they came upon the remaining bodyguards. Just as Cedric had expected, the men were waiting for their companions to return with the boy, never imagining that the guards of Eryndor would find them instead. Panic flashed across their faces the instant they saw the approaching soldiers, and they hurriedly reached for their swords and bows. However, before they could organize themselves properly, Cedric’s men were already upon them, overwhelming them with swift, disciplined strikes until every one of them had been disarmed.
Amid the chaos, Julian’s eyes searched desperately until they landed on his mother lying against a tree, still clutching her wounded thigh as quiet whimpers escaped her lips. Forgetting everything else, he ran straight to her side and dropped to his knees.
"Mother!"
Rebecca slowly turned her head toward him, her vision already clouded by pain. "I... told you to run," she whispered weakly as she looked at him through hazy eyes.
She didn’t understand why her body suddenly felt so heavy, but the arrow lodged deep in her thigh seemed to drain every bit of strength from her. Julian’s face was becoming harder to see, his features blurring together no matter how hard she tried to focus. Even his voice sounded distant, though she could tell from the tears on his cheeks that he was crying and begging her to stay awake.
By the time the last of Griswold’s bodyguards had been restrained, Cedric strode over to them.
"Who is behind this?" he demanded.
Once again, silence answered him.
The bound men merely looked at one another before swallowing the same hidden poison, and within seconds they collapsed to the ground. Blood trickled from the corners of their mouths as life left them one after another.
Cedric released a weary sigh. He had seen this before. Men like these would rather die than betray the master they served, and extracting the truth from them had become impossible.
Without wasting another moment, he walked over to Rebecca and knelt beside her. Her breathing had become shallow, her face frighteningly pale, and her eyes were struggling to remain open.
"His Majesty has ordered that I bring both you and your son safely to the palace," Cedric said, hoping she could still hear him.
Rebecca’s lips parted slightly... she looked like she wanted to say something, "Pa..."
She barely managed the first syllable before her eyes rolled shut, and her body went completely limp.
"Mother!" Julian cried, throwing himself toward her. Tears streamed down his face as he gently shook her shoulder. "Please wake up... Mother, please wake up."
