Return of the General's Daughter-Chapter 189: Into The Danger Zone

Jethru was right about one thing: Aramis would do his best to defeat Lara.

Although Aramis learned that Kane was Lara Norse, the image of Kane Mendel still stuck in his mind—the fierce warrior and the gentle healer he had once seen— lingered there. It didn’t matter to Aramis that she was a woman; what mattered was that she was a formidable rival, and he intended to surpass her.

Unlucky for him, Lara did not hold back.

She didn’t just know how to ride—she lived for it. A former equestrienne who had competed in countless underground horseback races to earn discreet cash, Lara had stashed away her winnings in a secret bank account, planning to sever ties with her family once her vendetta was complete. Unlike car racing, which she also excelled at, horseback racing thrilled her more. There was something primal, raw, and beautiful about commanding a creature with its own will and heartbeat. It took more than speed—it took trust, power, intuition.

At first, Aramis led, with Lara trailing behind and her two brothers flanking her on both sides, like loyal guards who would protect her from harm.

"Don’t hold back. What is the use of participating in this if you are holding back? Are you letting me win?" She shouted loud enough for the two to hear, her voice cracked through the wind like a whip. Then she spurred her horse forward, leaving Gideon and Percival behind, who slowed down and looked at each other in bewilderment.

Then, as if they realized something, they led the horse into a gallop and followed the two who were leaving the dust for them to eat.

In the end, Lara claimed victory, Aramis close on her heels. Gideon and Percival, despite their efforts, never recovered from that moment of hesitation.

Breathing hard but grinning, they approached their sister and handed over a silver ingot each.

"Thanks. How about we do another one when we get back?"

Aramis shook his head. He had a sullen look on his face. He still could not beat her, and he hated losing.

Lara didn’t mind his silence. The ingots in her hand meant more than bragging rights—they meant supplies. With this money, she could finally buy the fabric she needed to produce more backpacks. Every step was a step closer to her vision.

They waited for Jethru and Bener at the village entrance. When the others arrived, they handed the horses over to the new village chief—a solemn, upright man, and the son of the previous chieftain.

Since Demitrio died and only his severed right hand was recovered and sent back to the village for burial, the eldest son of the previous chieftain became the new village chief.

By tradition, the title of chieftain was passed to the firstborn son. But tradition had been broken before.

Two years ago, Demitrio arrived at the village, and the chieftain’s daughter was smitten by him. And so they got married. Then the bandits attacked, and it was Demitrio who defended the village against them. He drove them away after their chieftain was hacked to death.

Demitrio became a hero, as they called him — a savior!

Because of his heroic deed and as the husband of the chieftain’s eldest daughter, the villagers made him the new chieftain.

But the truth had surfaced like a corpse from deep water: Demitrio was Hook—the notorious human trafficker. The betrayal still burned, and the villagers were shocked. No wonder it was so easy for him to drive out the bandits. They were his accomplice.

And what about the time when the bandits raid their village? Did he have a hand in that, too? The villagers were grateful that Demitrio’s true character was revealed, and he was punished for his sins.

"Uncle, please take care of the horses." Abel addressed the new chieftain respectfully. He was an upright person, and he knew that the village would be better off with him at the helm.

The new chieftain nodded as he instructed the villagers to lead the horses to the grazing farms where the cows were.

Lara stared at the vast grazing land, where a herd of over thirty cows grazed. They belonged to Hook. But not for long.

...

They left the village and they traveled on foot for fifteen minutes southward until they reached the ford.

"Sis, is this the river you crossed when you escaped from the trafficker two years ago?" Percival eyed the river, noting its width and the way rocks peeked from the water like tiny islands.

Lara stared across the water, the memory pulling at her. "It is the same river, but this is not the place. We escaped at Legares. The river there is narrower, the water deeper and more turbulent."

Lara shifted her gaze to the east. The sun had now risen, bathing the landscape in a golden glow. Lara guessed it was around 6 a.m.

"Let’s cross." She said decisively.

She led the way, light on her feet, and easily navigated herself by picking her steps carefully across slick stones. Aramis, right behind her, mimicked her balance and poise. They reached the other side with ease.

The Lenard brothers followed, familiar with the terrain from past visits, they knew exactly where to place their feet.

Not so for Gideon and Percival.

Intent on racing each other again, they leapt and scrambled across the rocks—until...

Splash! ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

Percival went down with a startled yelp. He stepped on a rock covered with moss—a misstep that resulted in an awkward fall. Cold water soaked him to the waist.

Gideon’s laughter rang out... just before he made an ambitious leap—too far.

Splash!

He landed hard, sputtering beside his brother.

Bener just stared. "...Seriously?"

Abel and Barett removed their boots and pulled up their pants out of the water’s reach.

Abel helped out Gideon while Barett pulled Percival up.

"You two," Bener said, half-amused, half-exasperated, "Aren’t you ashamed?" You are supposed to take care of your younger cousins, but look at you. Tsk. Tsk."

Lara watched with a frown. Why would they take off their shoes? Didn’t they realize the riverbed was nothing but jagged rock?

By then, the Lenard brothers were barefoot in the water, wincing with every step on the sharp stones, while her two brothers were shivering like wet chicks.

She shook her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Sometimes, being the weak ones in the group wasn’t necessarily the idiots that you need to put up with.