| WHAT CHOICE IS THERE? IT’S OBVIOUS THAT WE'RE THE BAND THIS TEAM HAS THE IF WE CAN'T HIGHEST GET GRIFFITH OUT...IT’'S POTENTIAL , MEANINGNO MISTAKE, PIPPIN AND JUDEAU I CAN SEE, BUT AFTER ALL, AIN’T IT A BAD IDEA FOR YOU, OUR LEADER, TO GO IN THERE?
YOU'RE WORRIED. WHEN IT COMES TO SWORD- FIGHTING, I’M EVEN BETTER THAN THOSE TWO! \ a
OBEY YOUR | Viz SUPERIOR'S j YOU'RE ‘Sh A PRO MERC RIGHT ¢ YOUR PERSONAL FEELINGS OUT OF THE PLAN.
Ww NDHAM C12: END/ AS
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=. COMPOSED, RUTHLESS... ALWAYS WINNING. ALWAYS TAKING. "00 "... THAT \ ~ f p you I'M \ THINK...” CRUEL?” : WY es a)
"GRIFFITH'S NO GOOD WITHOUT youl!" sl BIN WG S > BZ —> WE SURE} | SOMEONE ON THE INSIDE.
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THANK GOODNESS... I KEPT WONDERING WHAT WAS TO BECOME OF US IF YOU DID NOT OH! YOU! YOU SHOUTED “HEY, PAL!” AT LORD JULIUS WHEN YOU WERE WITH LORD GRIFFITH...
; IAM | CHARLOTTE. \i PRINCESS? THEN THE ONE ON THE INSIDE... I AM CASCA, ACTING LEADER OF THE BAND OF THE HAWK. YOUR HIGHNESS' DEVOTION = Ee AND EFFORTS HAVE ee J ’ YOU'RE MADE IT POSSIBLE AN . (*. | BEING mm FOR US TO BE aR ENTIRE BAND OF THE HAWK OFFERS ITS DEEPEST \_ GRATITUDE.
; ON THE OU, I YOU'RE THE MORNING YOU | — ; ages. REMEMKNIGHT Tada! SET OUT FOR Kl Za BER Wa poLoREY <5 “Re you, Www of ~~ Y)TOo. =~ Py F ASKED 10, ~ PROTECT tk , | LORD rf { . fl = - j cRir- a ” lnm OK rity... (A, Sm: tS. ¥) a: SHE MISTOOK HER FOR A WOMAN, \ Ce V7 | ay ea re enel p MORE IM- ae L| PORTANTLY, WE HAVEN'T £SE> MUCH (Fi. i
HQ Es =x Zz 4 w Ny S = EA s if tx ee S& ve SY = CAZ220I Be I NEVER EVEN IMAGINED A HOMECOMING LIKE THIS
EVEN THOUGH SHE'S SHE SEEMS PRINCESS OF 4 KINGDOM, CHEERFUL SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE AND KIND... CHARACTERISTIC HIGH- weet gh 3 HANDED BEARING OF c poppies ROYALTY OR NOBILITY. i IMPRESSION. ~ of NOS Vag} MIDLAND. Mh, a MANE hy GRIFFITH'S... Wy; — NOW THAT THINGS pale HAVE COME STILL SEE vee HER AS NECESSARY? ¥ § eB a
Ih Wass 5 JA _TE MY FATHER'S-- AS HIS BLOOD HIS MAJESTY'S RELATIVE I FEEL BEHAVIOR I MUST APOLOGIZE TOWARDS LORD FROM THE BOTTOM GRIFFITH AND } OF MY HEART. ALL OF YOU A “a YEAR AGO... = MY FEELINGS OF ADMIRATION FOR GRIFFITH
HOWEVER, WE'RE NEVER GOING IT WAS THROUGH TO CLEAR THE AIR LIKE THIS. IF J}YOUR HELP THAT WE | YOU KNOW, WOULD YOU PLEASE WERE ABLE TO N-NOT AT ALL, THERE'S NO CALL T ? T INFILTRATE WINDHAM FOR YOUR APPEND THE DAY BEFORE D | "THis way. PLEASE, HIGHNESS TO WE WERE ENTRAPPED...THE DO NOT LET IT APOLOGIZE. Pre NIGHT BEFORE GRIFFITH brig Whi WAS IMPRISIONED? >> ois “UMMA Oy Zao! Wy) “| ..LORD GRIFFITH
WHAT BRINGS
UMM, OF COURSE, BUT : WASN'T IT THE CASE THAT I ‘ YOUR HIGHNESS WAS NOT I WILL ASK , \ TO LEAVE THE PALACE? GO BACK 45 you, Se > THOSE WERE HIS INSIDE IN > | PLEASE .< BAe MAJESTY'S 0 ween : BAAS YN ORDERS. SEVERAL Pd S ws Uf e _f} IN 7, OURS. “gp ; RSS 2 H é LS ¥ mn a l, ; ~ lo, —ia S 4 aS ¥ f i] Ps ‘o ,) Aff — Pod | THEREFORE \/ e-eut DERE “hr Z VY ICHOSETO \; \ | As CANNOT \ | SB \ COME OUT AT YN Stan ir y ZG | THIS HOUR TO /})\\ Pe Hacp PV Wi Z&Z “J AVOID BEING TO : SEEN BY papell BREATHE... Paint CONSIDER 5 «hla ITA =/ WELL, OHH! jy SUPPLE- BUT WELL ** = Sa G Full) \\\ \ Z ae a Zz NOT BAD. I THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST A TIMID, - SHELTERED PRINCESS. f 0 I e F. Dy - v0 ee A
I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING AND CAN'T DO ANYTHING. | I'M JUST SOME SHELTERED GIRL. I MYSELF CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I JUST MANAGED TO DO. L..1'M ALRIGHT. I WAS JUST A LITTLE NERVOUS... BUT IT LOOKS LIKE prq eZ Oy be os, at ay
SHOULD I HOLD YOUR HAND? TAWA Se® ayy
THOUGHT WE'D BE KEEPING PERSONAL FEELINGS OLDLOOKIN’ TOWER. ee Oe AMONG THE MANY TOWERS IN WINDHAM, IT'S THE MOST ANCIENT. THEY SAY IT'S BEEN HERE SINCE THE TIME MIDLAND WAS ESTABLISHED... POSSIBLY EVEN BEFORE THEN. I DON'T EXACTLY KNOW WHY IT WAS BUILT...BUT IT SEEMS IN TIMES OF WAR, PRISONERS AND, DURING THE INQUISITION, HERETICS WERE IMPRISONED UNDERGROUND BENEATH THIS TOWER.
WE WILL GO ON BY OURSELVES THAT THE PRINCESS NOTHING AGAINST HAVE TO USE I'VE HEARD THAT LORD GRIFFITH IS CONFINED IN } THE ROOM ONE THE LOWEST/ | | i il PoE es oh Ce NO...EVEN PART OF THE TOWER IS USED AS LETTING HER LEAVE J) NOW? LS Sorat ,,
THE .. THAT WAY Sue coun z THe ONE WHO BE \ GUIDED US THIS TOGETHER / oN ‘ WITH HER ( FAR!! AND YOU... BELOVED \ LORD GRIF>, INVITE HER IN GOOD FAITH, WILLING TO TAKE ME ALONG WITH ‘INFILTRATI 'C2): END i, Al , ee ot oS f
_ FESTIVALS EVE, CHAPTER 1 _
IF YOU DID THAT, THE WHOLE CASTLE-- NO!--ALL OF MIDLAND WOULD BE | TURNED ON ITS HEAD IN PANIC!! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT HEART- BREAK IT WOULD CAUSE FOR HIS MAJESTY Sq THE KING... 7! WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO TAKE ME ALONG _\. WITH you? /
I BZ ii i PFe CoA sel WOULD ENDURE BEING A HOSTAGE... §&- PLEASE, MISS CASCA! I CAN'T RIDE A HORSE WELL AND T CAN'T USE A SWORD. I MIGHT JUST BEA BURDEN. BEEN AWAY FROM THIS w OTHING OF
hed AGAINST THIS. “UPS awe
/ HOWEVER, WITH THE BAND OF j AS A THE HAWK IN ITS PRESENT HOSTAGE, YOUR WEAKENED STATE, YOU WOLILD \ HIGHNESS MAY BE A DOLIBLE-EDGED SWORD [yaa VERY WELL BE . THAT COLILD CONCEIVABLY 3 pp OPTIMUM, ir, ALTHOUGH IF WE TAKE YOUR HIGHNESS WITH US, IT BECOMES EVEN IF AN ISSUE WE ARE ON A NATIONAL PURSUED, SCALE. THE MIDLAND KING WILL COULD LIKELY TRY TO HOPE TO GET YOU BACK GAIN No BY ANY MEANS Ah: MORE OF A WILL REACH | < NECESSARY. 1" senerir OTHER ; | EN THAN THE NATIONS SS y Wwe CAPTURE AND THE ; \ ANSs PURSUIT N\N CRIMINAL. WILL NN; : Y NEVER AND ABov ALL, ONCE WORD GETS AROUND THAT WE'VE NEVER BE ERASED. LEADER GRIFFITH AND MAKE TO MIDLAND IT WILL NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT A CRIMINAL
TO GO OUT INTO THE WORLD YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT BUT IF YOUR THOUGHTS LIE CHIEFLY WITH SIR GRIFFITH, PLEASE LISTEN TO REASON. ae lg) i y Bs HAPPENS... GRIFFITH'S PATH TO SUCCESS WOULD BE CLOSED WHY'RE \ WE TALKIN’ 50 MUCH }
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THAT'S ONE HELL OF A PRINCESS. ys a WHAT NOW? IF WE _ — LET GO SHE'LL NW Ve SCREAM AGAIN. FFT Xf i M7 ( Phi XY) yy ¥ hi i) A\Y i i YAY Ki ZA IW UZ op le & Wy OY, 3
I'LL JUST “CONVINCE” YOU MUST PLEASE GIVE UP. EVENT THAT SIR GRIFFITH TELLS YOU IT'S FUTILE...
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SOMEWHERE IN MY HEART, HEARING THE PRINCESS TALK ABOUT GRIFFITH LIKE MAKIN’ A BIG DEAL OVER SOMETHIN’ STUPID... WHY? WHAT YOU SAID SOUNDED RIGHT ~ ENOUGH.
NOW'S NOT THE TIME TO BE TALKIN’ ABOUT THAT WEREN'T YOU THE ONE WHO SAID NOT TO MIX PERSONAL \ FEELINGS
THAT'S THE ONE | fowr WHO STILL ao oy UNBOUND OVER GRIFFITH FEEL LIKE I'M JUST PLEASE LOOK THE OTHER WAY, YOUR : HIGHNESS.
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Wy) ig ly, E NOT EVEN or IF YOU . | j Si HANG IN THERE! PUT A Eafe (Csrm GRIFFITH'LL BE THOUSAND ae ® i eC BACK SOON. IF MORE a, <7, wer) > YOU DIE NOW, STITCHES tty des YOU'LL HAVE TO IN ME... By, G* if HAUNT IMI WATER. HEAD DOWN TO THE LAKE AND DRAW SOME MORE! an <=, Se
YEAH! THE HAWKS'LL \/ RIFF‘ BE BACK IN fy SRIFFTTH BUSINESS! a EVERYONE'S A SO 4 CHEERFUL. A LITTLE LONGER... A LITTLE LONGER AND GRIFFITH WILL COME tiyhy yy DETOUR, BUT AS LONG AS WE'VE GOT GRIFFITH AGAIN...
WOK — — Rear rersnis—— = ¥
Unis , MISTAKEL!
ATA a TIME LIKE Vig THIS... Pf j/) y — / Bx WOULD'VE Y BEEN BACK. HOW COULD IT END AT A TIME LIKE THIS?!
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MAD) FESTIVALS EVE, 7 | CHAPTER 2 : A
EVEN SO, I DON'T SEE ANY ENEMIES. SOMETHING... SOMETHING’S WEIRD! DID THEY ALL REALIZE THERE WAS A RAID AND RUN AWAY...7