He/Heroine And My Villainess

HE/HEROINE AND MY VILLAINESS

(THROUGH UNKNOWN ROADS)

Not long and the birds land on Lady Cathlen balcony. Alda happened to be also still awake and still thinking of what tomorrow brings to her and Yerre. When she heard the heavy sound of a pluck outside the balcony, her expressions turn alert as she stands out from her bed, gets her sword beside the closet, unsheathing it as she points straight to the front, then went over to where the sound has echoed. 

Alda headed to the balcony in cautions. She first scanned her eyes through every corner of the balcony, then to the gigantic tree that grow in front of the balcony, using her instinct technique and hearing capability to sense danger from far. But her senses telling her that it's okay to go further outside, that she does not need to be wary.

And so Alda, sheat her sword back, then open the balcony glass window only to see a bird that has white feathers on its head, white, black firm eyes and brown feathers on its wings. The bird is large and has a powerful aura imprinted. 

She went close, with her other hands on the air, attempting to pat the bird's head with caution. As she walks closer to it, the bird only looks at her with a wondering gaze and puzzled eyes. 

The bird sings a piercing rhythm as Alda reaches to it, patting the head, making Alda startled for a minute. But she never backs down and felt afraid. Instead, Alda felt nostalgic and amaze. 

Because this is her first time seeing such a large bird, and she felt an overwhelming connection. That made her forgot the time for a bit. She stares at the bird with an impressive eye and a satisfied smile as she stroke the bird's head and feathers. 

The birds didn't panic or get unfamiliar with her touch. The bird is only steady as she traveled her hands through its feathers like a curious scientist who discovers new artifacts for the first time. It's such steady as a statue. The bird lets her touch her like Alda is its owner.

Alda got lost in her thought for four minutes until her eyes traveled down to the feet of the bird, then she saw a tiny white paper being curled up and tied into the bird's feet. She got shocked for a while, then sober up as she went to untied the white paper into the bird's feet. 

When she, at last, got it to untie. Alda then went to open it and saw well-written words inside. She read what it said, then knows where it came from, and so does the bird. She sighs in relief, then gives out a thankful smile to a bird in front of her.

In the paper, Sir Arnold's name was at the bottom, and it said that he and his brothers are going to travel at dawn for the Voldron land. They will meet her at a place she told them to be, and he also stated that the bird in front of her right now is one of his companions.

He orders one of his young brothers to flee his bird for her safe voyage and that she can also use it as her messenger when she stays at the Voldrone land. But the bird will come back to him once the mission to the Voldron land is finish.

Alda look at the bird with a smirk then patted its head like she had become its owner, feeling jealous while thinking. She also wants a bird like this to stay beside her as a messenger and a companion.

'When I finished this first mission. I will ask Sir Arnold about where to get a bird-like you,' Alda thought, excited and happy as she continues caressing the bird's head and feathers. 

"You are such a gifted bird," She utters as she straightens her hands and commands the bird to stand on it. The bird followed at her command and landed in her right arms. 

At first, she felt heavy by the bird's weight because of its large size. Also painful because its claws are very sharp. But she has then begun to adjust after. She put her arms higher as she felt joy upon seeing Sir Arnold landed and obeyed her command. 

She felt happy like a child who wins her first medal in Olympic competition. Alda carries the bird to her arms for two minutes, then whispers something for it to do for tomorrow. 

"Follow me from above tomorrow, and when I go out from the carriage. You follow from above and land to where I call you, understand?" Alda instructs, but the bird didn't reply. It only wanders its eyes through every place. Even so, Alda never felt worried because she knows somehow the bird understand her. 

"Go sleep to that tree for now. I see you tomorrow morning," Alda commands. The bird then soared its wings away from her arms and landed on a large part of the tree. 

Upon seeing the bird already settled to the tree, she felt satisfied and went back inside the chamber. She closes the glass door, then went back to the bed. She lay down feeling contented and unbothered.

It didn't take long for Alda to meet the slumber, then woke up feeling the sun the next day. But her mood was bitter. She does not feel better because her heart is bothered by her lying to her girlfriend Yerre. She knows that she lied to Yerre before countless times, but those lies were only minor, and these lies she is committing right now could become a bad omen for their relationships. She felt worried and unsteady. 

She can't stay put her heart keeps screaming. To never do what she is planning to do. But her mind is telling her to do so, or else something worst will happen if she let this problem slide like an easy matter.

She sat at the bed scratching the bakc of her neck, feeling stress, irritated, and pressured, until she remembered something, the bird at the tree that own by Sir Arnold.

She went out in haste to her balcony then whistle a tone calling the bird that's still asleep at the tree. The bird hears her call and woke its piercing eyes, then flies towards her direction as it lands in front of her.

"Hey, good morning. Are you ready for our adventure today?" Alda asks the bird, who only looks at her with a confused gaze. Alda felt dumb, and so she releases a dry also awkward laugh. Alda never has the experience of having a bird or a pet before, so Alda does not know how to create a bond with animals. Instead, she talks to it like a bird could understand her. 

"Okay, I need to prepare and wrote some letters for my girlfriend for a while. I will see you later. Don't worry. I will bring some bread with me when we travel and feed it to you when we arrived later at the Voldrone land. Wait, you eat bread, right?" Alda asks because she does not know what kind of species this bird is. 

Alda has read some books before about birds. But she didn't come across this kind of bird before, so she does not know what food it eats. 

Alda stares at the bird with a pressured face as she thought of what food it eats for a second, then she ended up on a piece of bread. 

"Aiya, I feed you bread for a while. I'll ask Sir Arnold what kind of food you eat after we step at the Voldrone land later. Go back to the tree and hide for a while," Alda mentions, then the bird flies back to its nest. 

Alda goes back inside to start writing letters full of lies excuses for Yerre while she is away, and the days go on till then. Alda keeps looking at the bird outside the window as they continue moving forwards as they stride towards the Voldrone land locations. 

The ride through is peaceful, also bumpy because they pass some rough roads on the way, making Alda irritated and annoyed as her butt keeps bumping into the carriage chair, and her head also sometimes bumps into the carriage ceiling. 

"Shit! WHAT'S UP WITH THESE UNEVEN ROADS!" She cursed inside louder, making the knight outside worried. The head knight went close to her window, then ask if she is all right, and she answers, unaware that her voice sounds irritated and angry.

"Yes! I'm fine! I'm fine, haha," 

The knight look at her in concern for a while, then turns his gaze towards his people, signaling them to slow the moving carriage a bit so the bumpy effect to the ground would lessen a bit. 

His people then do what has been commanded to them, signaling their subordinates, who are in charge of running the carriage. The ride then becomes less uncomfortable, which made Alda relaxed and at ease inside. 

When out of nowhere, Sir Arnold bird sang out a piercing cry out from above, making Alda jolted from realization as worried and anxiety pass through her. She peeks out her head to the window, then looks up to the sky, studying the bird's behavior while it flies through the air as it continues crying out like something is wrong. That something dangerous will come, and the bird is signaling her.

The knight looks at the sky and saw the bird flying above them in surprise. The head captain of the knight got panic as he thinks that the bird is a threat, for it cries an indecent sound.

He signaled one of his people whose an expert in bows and arrows, ordering them to shoots the bird, but before his people could do it. Alda saw him and stop him from aiming. 

"Stop! Put your weapons down this instant!" Alda shouts in furious tone of voice, making all knight startled and halt on their position. Alda look at all of them with a threatening eyes and death glare.

"Who told you all to hurt the things I own! That bird is mine, whoever touches it. I will behead with no second," Alda added, using her firm tone of voice, making the knight shocked and afraid of taking such unfavorable actions. 

Some knights look at each other impressed, also amazed upon knowing that their miss. Who is quiet and so fragile looking have such a firm bird on her side.

'The blood of the Duke is very unpredictable and amazing,' They all thought while they look at each other in amusement.

The head knight went close to her window again. Then apologize on behalf of his people, but Alda didn't reply to him. Instead, she instructs them to be ready because something is not right in the air and that the bird, which she claimed to be her's warned her.

The knight understands and followed her command as he didn't ask any further questions. He shouts to all his people, signaling them to be on alert and be cautious. All the knight's expressions and aura then become firm and steady. Already ready for what might they meet on the way through their journey. 

Being a knight is not only being ready to fight. It's also about being prepared to give out your life for the person whom you swear to serve all your life and for the people whom you want to protect too.

On the way, everyone is cautious as they pass every new path until they came to face a familiar carriage and knights that have an emblem that belongs to the Astrod kingdom. 

To be continued.