The Baldarian Countryside

Upon arrival the the king, the princess and their escorts found the grasslands to be tranquil and peaceful. The wildlife was abundant and lively, quite a contrast compared to other aspects of the country. Baldaria was quite a very beautiful place for such a war like people, or so others thought. If one did not take into account the people’s reputation Baldaria was a beautiful country to explore and live in.

For some time they waited, first a few minutes, then five and then ten. At times they caught sight of movement but whatever it was vanished before anyone could discern what it was. Dismissed as merely animals the party continued to wait. But right exactly at fifteen minutes a low rumble could be heard in the distance, it was faint but there and it was growing. Soon the rumble was booming thunder of hooves and within a moment five horsemen appeared over the ridge of the a nearby hill. They rood in near perfect unison, their pure white horses a sharp contrast to the armor they were wearing. Within moments they were upon the royal entourage and brought their horses to a halt in front of them. The men were of average height and wore various types of armor, each one unique in it’s own right but still adhering to Balderian craftsmanship.

One rider’s armor had wing like protrusions sticking out from his helmet, arm braces and boots. Another had a blood red tail flowing out from the top of the helmet and flowing down his back. While beautiful each one’s armor was none the less intimidating and this was the reason for it, beautiful and intimidating in one package. Oddly enough, all five riders were rather shorter than what one would expect from Baldarian soldiers. The lead rider of the formation trotted his horse closer, “ Greetings King Philip, we are the Valkyries, we have been sent by the Commander of the Army to escort you.” The rider said in a surprisingly feminine voice.

“Forgive us for making you wait. Once you arrived we had to scout the surrounding area for any possible beings following you.” She said, revealing they had been in the area since the royals had arrived. “If you will please follow us we will escort you the rest of the way to the capitol.” She explained. The other riders meanwhile did nothing, remaining stoic as they waited. However their helmets turned and looked at each other as if they were speaking, but no sound could be heard from them.

Isabella looked around, growing very bored just waiting for their escort to arrive. "I have to get down for a moment," she said climbing off of her horse despite the protests of the men surrounding her. "I'll be fine, I have the four of you surrounding me." She grimaced as she stretched. Her blue shirt rose up as she stretched her arms high above her head. She had been sitting in one position for the last four hours. Pulling her shirt down, she didn't miss Evan eyes grazing her body. She felt her skin warm slightly at his gaze.

Isabella looked around, absorbing the sight and sounds around her. The grass was a vibrant green and looked so soft. If they were just on a casual stroll, she would want to lay down in the soft grass. Birds chirped and flew overhead, enjoying the freedom Isabella wished she had. When the sounds of hooves could be heard, Evan jumped off his horse and hoisted Isabella into her saddle before quickly reclimbing into his. In one fluid motion, Evan was in front of her, Nathaniel and Alexander on her sides, and Mason at her rear. Her father's guard replicated the exact motion.

Isabella let out a soft gasp as a group of horsemen approached them. When they heard a surprisingly feminine voice, Evan moved their group forward. The man flanking her father moved so Isabella could ride next to her father. Isabella's Guard fell into formation with her father's men. "Thank you for greeting us. I am assuming we weren't followed," her father asked in a polite and diplomatic tone. "Lead the way."

Isabella looked at Evan with curiosity. He was always the one he turned to whenever she was nervous or confused. If she was brave and bold enough, she might even make a move on him one day. She had a feeling that he liked her but she was too innocent to do anything about it. "It's okay, Your Highness," he said in a soft voice next to her. "I believe we don't have much farther to go. The Valkyries will escort into the city."

Isabella nodded, wanting to trust what Evan said. However, she had a bad feeling that once they got to the city something bad was going to happen. She wasn't sure what. "I hope you are right, Evan." The horses began walking, following the ones that would lead them to the city. Isabella grew nervous and excited, she couldn't wait to see what the capital city of Balderia looked like.