We travelled for seven more days, resting in whatever safe and comfortable place we could find. Caerwyn decided it was best for us to go around the upcoming town and then head straight to the city to avoid another confrontation with armed guards.

We slept in caves or in groves of trees; whatever concealed place we could find. Caerwyn and Terry taught me how to make a fire. How frustrating it was! It fizzled out the first few times for me! I eventually got the hang of it, though.

It was raining furiously on almost all of the three days we travelled and it made me feel so blue. Even bluer than I already felt. I was nervous and lonely, and my heart was thumping as I reminded myself I was an outsider travelling with humans who may not have my best interests at heart. I suddenly became paranoid that they would enslave me and use me for their own devices.

I subconsciously clasped the necklace at my throat, however, and realized that I was being ridiculous. This man who had given me such a precious and personal gift would never enslave me. And even if he would, I was entirely dependent on his kindness. I could go nowhere else.

Regardless, we eventually arrived at Ironwall castle early in the morning within a week. It was surrounded by a mote, but luckily the drawbridge was down and unattended.

We walked into the gigantic human city silently.

I was worried. There were so many humans about...

Ironwall was a mix of ugly and beautiful; the ivory castle in the distance was gorgeous with its stylish spires jutting into the sky and its verdant flag with an orange stag stitched into it being flown from each of the spires.

The many houses in front of us, however, were very ugly. Smoke belched from the ceilings and made me feel queasy, and they were all an ugly gray color. Moths didn’t like that color.

“Almost there, Princess.” Caerwyn said to me with a grin.

I was glad. I was hoping for a hot meal, a bath, new clothes, and a comfortable place to sleep for the night.

I kept close to Terry and Caerwyn as we walked through the loud and bustling city.

I noticed a young woman whispering to her male friend as they picked out a piece of meat from a vendor.

There were armored guards dressed in black nearby who noticed the woman pointing and their gaze met mine.

I was dizzy with fear as I tightened the cloak about my head once again. The guards however began following us at a slow speed as we merged with a big crowd.

Caerwyn took a left at a street that forked three different ways and sped up his pace; he knew we were being followed. “It’s just down this street… God keep us safe!”

But the armored guards made no more subterfuge about following us—they suspected us of seeking sanctuary at the temple—and they began running after us through the crowd.

Caerwyn began sprinting, and I followed his example.

Fear gripped my heart, and my aching muscles from riding and lack of strength from not being active for the past eight years betrayed me. I was slowing down after only running for moments.

Caerwyn and Terry noticed and kept pace with me in case they would need to defend me.

“I’m sorry!” I wept childishly.

“Do not fret, Princess.” Caerwyn encouraged me as we went.

What I assumed was the temple was in sight now; there was a cross embossed on the circular arch at the top of the building that matched the cross on Caerwyn’s outfit.

“We must speed up, Princess!” Terry told me hurriedly.

We emerged from the crowd with six menacing knights chasing us quickly.

With one last burst of energy, I pushed myself to run faster and we arrived at the temple door with Caerwyn banging one of the golden, circular handles on the double-door.

An older man dressed all in white with a funny hat opened the door and looked upon Caerwyn in shock and disdain. “Caerwyn, I told you not to bring this creature here—I told you not to rescue her…”

The man in white peeked out the doorway to his right and saw the guards coming for us. “I will not let you in here, Caerwyn. Not until you give this creature to the authorities.”

Caerwyn looked furious. “Have you no love in your heart? Do you not heed your own teachings? This is an innocent girl!”

“This is not a girl—this is a beast made of evil magic!” The man in white countered.

I sobbed as the armor knights ever drew closer. “Please let me in! I mean you no harm!”

Caerwyn drew close to the man’s face in anger—I never thought I would see him so angry—and said, “if you claim to love all lives you will let her in. If you wish to have a place in heaven, you will let her in.”

The man looked like he was buckling under pressure at Caerwyn’s fierce gaze and my teary face.

The armored guards were just a yard away and Caerwyn said testily, “let her in, damn you! You are the beast if you can look upon an innocent girl with disdain and turn her away to be made into a slave!”

The man in white relented just as one of the guards reached out to seize me.

The man stepped aside and the three of us rushed inside the temple where the man in white slammed the door behind us.

I took a deep breath and collapsed to my knees as the guards outside hammered on the door repeatedly. “Open the door! We know you harbor an escaped slave!”

“I am sorry, this girl has claimed sanctuary,” The man in white claimed through the heavy double-doors.

The man kindly lent me a hand and I took it.

I am safe for now, diary, and I will write again later.