They were leaving, they were gone. Alexi and Katherine were safe.

[i]Thank the Lord...[/i]

Alexi sagged on his saddle, a heavy sigh taking the last dregs of adrenaline along with it. Why where things turning out like this? It's not like the job had ever been 'easy' -translating the document had required [i]days[/i] of tedious labor, and [i]still[/i] wasn't finished- but the trip was supposed to be the simple part. Get to Avantshire in time, with the documents translated, that was the only challenge they were supposed to face.

So why were there thugs in alleys and bandits on the roadways, seemingly hunting for [i]him[/i]?

He just wanted to get to Avantshire, to maybe -[i]just maybe[/i]- be able to take the journey he had planned for so long. Ambushes, people hired to steal his work, these weren't the local folktales and myths he was looking for. Not even a day into their travels, and already things had gone so very wrong. If he hadn't managed to hold on to some small bit of stubborn pride, he might have broken into tears at the frustrating absurdity of it all...

And Katherine's words, following swiftly on the heals of such welcome praise, nearly made him forget even pride.

"I don't know!" He all but screamed the words into her face, blood draining from his own as he tried to calm himself [i]somewhat[/i]. Refused? No, no, why did things only have to get worse?

"I don't know..." His voice fell to near-whisper, head shaking as he tried to force the words from his mouth. "It's just a commission. Royal scribes handle more important ones than this all the time. Of course, they have couriers and caravans and the King's blessing behind them..."

Rambling. He was rambling again. Get to the point quickly, Alexi, he [i]needed[/i] to.

"It... it's just supposed to be an escort. Get to Avantshire, complete the commission, done. A better job than I usually get but- nothing like... like [i]this[/i]," Swinging his hand about to point at now-empty forest wasn't the best way to make a point, but he wasn't thinking too hard about it. "Was supposed to happen. I got the job because no one could be [i]bothered[/i] to translate the documents in the court... Why would people be interested [i]now[/i]?"

Asking Katherine wouldn't get him anywhere. But what was he supposed to do? He knew about as much as she did about all this... maybe less. She was a mercenary, after all, ambushes and being paid for jobs were things she knew. Maybe she had an idea? Or... something?