Chapter Trapped in Mistrust
As Rosche continued to discreetly follow the mysterious figure through the forest, little did she know that the man, revealed to be Rojan, was aware of her presence. Rojan, having prepared for such a scenario, deftly led her into a trap. Suddenly, nets descended from the trees above, ensnaring both Rosche and her horse. The unexpected entanglement caused Rosche to fall from her horse, resulting in minor injuries.
Struggling to extricate herself, Rosche attempted to unravel the enchanted net, only to be met with Rojan’s calm intervention as he dismounted from his horse. “You won’t be able to untangle that; the net is imbued with enchantments,” he remarked with a composed demeanor.
A palpable sense of tension hung in the air as Rosche, suspicions heightened, cast accusatory words at Rojan, treating him with a mixture of skepticism and disdain. Unfazed, Rojan absorbed her words, fully aware that her accusations held a grain of truth.
“You barbarians are nothing but agents of chaos, spreading cruelty wherever you go,” Rosche lashed out, her voice carrying the weight of her mistrust. “I heard the screams, the pain caused by your kind. And you expect me to believe that whatever happened back there was beyond your control?”
Rojan maintained a calm exterior, meeting her gaze with a level stare. “What transpired there was not of our volition. It’s a complexity you may struggle to comprehend,” he responded with measured patience, attempting to convey the intricacies of the situation.
But Rosche, fueled by anger and suspicion, remained unyielding. “Complexities or not, your actions speak louder than words. I don’t trust you, and I certainly won’t believe your excuses. You people are heartless, and I won’t be swayed by your twisted explanations.”
Undeterred by her skepticism, Rojan, before releasing her from the enchanted net, made a decisive choice. Extracting a small, unassuming sphere from his horse’s pocket, he carefully aimed and released it. As the sphere touched the ground, it exploded into a fine powder, swiftly enveloping the surroundings. The potent substance induced a momentary unconsciousness in Rosche. With precision, Rojan lifted her inert form and gently placed her on his horse, embarking on a journey back to the darkbane territory.