Month of the Shepard, Second Tenday, 10h Day, 767 KD

Paul, the horse, was gone when we woke. Wolf tracks were all over the area. It was a wonder the wolves had not found Ruby and me, magic or no.

We resumed our journey at first light, on foot, hungry and cold, with no time to build a fire. We wanted to get out of the woods before night fell again.

Ruby’s traps had worked, but there was nothing left of the small creatures they had caught, other than bits of bloody fur and tiny bones. The wolves had devoured them.

As we walked and our bellies rumbled, we found ourselves talking about food. Great feasts we described in detail.

Then it began to rain. A light mist at first, it quickly developed into a downpour, a deluge of water, soaking our clothes and our skin from head to foot.

“Tonight we will sleep in an inn,” Ruby said, speaking loudly over the rain. “I do have a bit of gold you know.”

“Yes,” I said good-naturedly. “I believe it is Alec Braun’s gold you have.”

“Fuck Alec Braun, Handice. Why in the gods’ names would you still have any loyalty at all toward that man?”

“I do not know. He did come back for me.”

“He went back for the gold! I was there when he left. He even said it.”

“Maybe so.”

“He is an outlander. You can’t trust any of them.”

“What about your outlander?”

“What about him?”

“Do you trust him?”

“Gods, no! I intend to use him, just as he has used me.”

It rained all day. It made our progress slow, our steps careful and navigation hampered by the lack of sun. We had to find our way eastward by the moss on the trees and hope for the best.

We talked, trying to take our minds off our predicament and discomfort, but it was cold, wet misery. I slipped and fell on a muddy hill. I tried to catch myself with my right hand, forgetting that it was gone. I landed hard on my side, tumbling a bit. I ended up quite covered in mud. I expected Ruby to laugh, but she did not. She came over without a word and helped me to my feet.

Time dragged on and on. Almost no light made it through the trees, leaving the woods dark and gloomy. Every time a cold wind blew, I thought of the mountain where I had nearly frozen to death and told myself this was not quite as bad.

We could sense night coming – the air growing even colder, the woods dimmer. Soon, it would be too dark to see, and we would be forced to stop once more for another night. It began to feel as if these woods would never end.

And then we were out. We suddenly found ourselves walking in a lush green pasture, sheep lying about, a handsome farm house near, just visible in the misty evening gloom.

I thought it best to make camp right there, but I followed Ruby as she marched up to the front door of the house and rapped on the door with bold confidence.

After a short wait (I stopped Ruby from knocking a second time), the door opened. There stood a man of medium height in his middle years, a thick staff in his hand.

We were lost, Ruby told him, cold and starving, seeking shelter. We had a bit of gold to trade.

The man eyed her and then me, thinking it over.

“Let them in Joss,” a woman called from behind him.

Her name was Sara, a handsome, matronly woman.

We soon sat by a roaring fireplace, out of our wet clothes and huddled in dry blankets, eating hot stew with fresh bread. We sipped whiskey that Joss practically forced upon us, claiming it would prevent us from becoming sick. I felt it warm my bones as if from the inside out.

Ruby had a story prepared, and all I could do was sit and listen. We were recently married, Ruby told them, pioneers off to settle the frontier. I had thought the forest would be a shorter route, and Ruby followed despite her own misgivings.

She could certainly weave a tale. I nearly spat out my whiskey when she said that we were married.

I do not remember falling asleep.

Month of the Shepard, Third Tenday, 1st Day, 767 KD

I was awoken by a kick from Joss – not hard, but not exactly gentle. I sat up. Ruby still slept next to me – we had slept huddled together as we had in the woods.

The farmer put a finger to his lips and motioned me to follow him. I complied, holding the blanket around myself like a cloak.

Outside, the sun had just risen in a clear blue sky. Sheep and cows bleated and mooed. In the distance but seemingly close enough to touch stood two magnificent mountains looming over a quaint hamlet of farms and huts, a pleasant clear brook meandering through it.

Joss cared not for my sight seeing. He spoke in a low, firm tone. “Just had a visit from four men and two women. Outlanders. Hard looking types. Well armed. They’re looking for a young woman. The description they gave fits that of your wife. Is there any truth at all to the story you told us last night?”

I opened my mouth but found speech difficult.

He held up a hand. “You are not the lying sort. I can tell. You seem like a good enough lad. I already had doubts last night about the tale, watching your face while Ruby told it. Other than the two of you being married, I believe little else.”

“In truth…”

“I want to hear nothing more. I lied to the outlanders. Told them I hadn’t seen her. They seemed to believe it. But they could be back. Or more like them. We will feed you breakfast but then you must move on.”

“Of course, and we will pay you…”

“No need for that.”

“I must insist.”

He stared at me. “I don’t know what trouble you’re in, but you are certainly not of ill character. And if she is with you, neither is she. I have no use for these outlanders. Strange times we are living in.”

We had a meal of milk and porridge, and Sara packed a sack full of food for us to take on our journey. Our clothes were somewhat dried. Ruby wanted to reach a town called Glen Falls, which Joss told us was a day’s walk if we followed the brook and then the river. We gave them our thanks and bade them farewell.

We followed the brook, walking just inside the woods and out of sight.

“You could have stayed,” Ruby said. “The bounty hunters are only looking for me. Joss and Sara liked you, and it looked like they could have used a farm hand.”

“Maybe. It did not occur to me.”

“They will kill us both if they find us. I can’t ask you to keep risking your life for me, Handice. You can still go back.”

“I am not quite ready to return to that way of life. I too am a horse thief. There may be people looking for me as well. Perhaps the same people.”

“It doesn’t sound like it. Maybe no one got enough of a look at you to provide a description.”

“Rany did say he would cover my tracks.”

She scoffed. “Well if Rany is good for anything, I suppose it would be that.”

“I believe he said the same.”

We reached the point where the stream flowed into the Muwoth River. We followed the river, which took us southeast, away from the woods. We now had to walk out in the open. For a time, however, we did not see any people at all.

For once, fortune seemed to favor us. We began to see farms, then a person here and there, and then a village, which we passed through without incident. More villages followed, all fairly close to each other. Travelers seemed common, and no one paid us any mind.

This perhaps lulled us into false security.

We ate our lunch just outside a small, pleasant looking hamlet. We sat on soft grass among flowers and clovers, eating fruit and cheese, watching sheep graze.

A young shepherd watched the sheep, but he also was watching us. When he began walking with purpose toward the hamlet, Ruby and I decided it best to conclude our lunch and resume our journey. We debated whether we should divert our path into the fields and go around the hamlet, but that could only call more attention to us.

The hamlet was comprised of ramshackle huts, a mill, granary and tavern, with a green in the center of it all, prominently featuring a well-built gallows.

As we passed through, villagers began to stop what they were doing and look at us, greeting, “Welcome to Bornthal,” in a way that seemed almost too friendly. They were looking at us far too intently. Some were staring openly while others cast furtive glances.

Ruby and I said nothing about it, but we hastened our pace from a casual walk to a firm, purposeful stride.

“What’s your hurry?” a man called.

“Stop and rest for a bit! We have the finest ale in the district!”

A woman approached us. She seemed to possess more manners than the others. “Pardon these louts,” she said. “Yesterday an outlander came through here with new bounties to post, from River City. That’s all these fools have talked about since. You fit the description of one of them. See?”

Indeed, posted on the gallows were a dozen drawn portraits and names. One of the drawings looked like Ruby.

“I know you’re not her,” the woman said. “You probably haven’t even been to River City, have you?”

“I have been once. When I was a little girl. And I am much prettier than the girl in the drawing.”

“Of course you are, dear. Good day to you both.”

We walked on several paces before we heard the woman shout, “It’s her!”

At once the villagers began converging on us from all sides, blades of various sizes drawn. A few had bows.

I realized I now had my own sword in hand and was trying to hold it in a convincing manner. It felt foreign and awkward in my left hand.

“Let us pass!” Ruby shouted. She brandished a small branch in each hand. A few villagers laughed.

“Watch out! She’s got sticks!”

I saw several of the bowmen shoot arrows. I dodged one and then another, then felt one strike me in the back, punching through my armor.

Ruby pointed one of her branches at the tavern. Fire shot out from the branch, hitting the thatch roof, which caught flame.

“She’s a witch!”

“Get the buckets! It’ll spread!”

“Get them!”

Rubt shot flame at another building, which caught fire as well.

We ran, more arrows coming, men coming at us with blades.

We headed for the river, some fifty paces away. Two men blocked our path and Ruby hit one with flame. His tunic caught fire. He screamed and went to the ground. The other ran.

Another arrow hit the back of my shoulder. Thank the gods for the armor, but both shots had penetrated and hurt like mad.

We dove into the river.

The water was so cold that I gasped. I swam for my life.

I nearly drowned. Twice I went under but thrashed my way back up. Then I sank all the way down. My boots touched the rocky silt of the river bottom. I felt I weighed as much as four men. I managed to pull my arms out of my cloak. I took my belt knife, slashing at my armored tunic, near panic. My lungs burned for air. Somehow I got the armor off. I kicked off from the bottom and swam up toward the surface. I reached it just in time, gasping and choking.

The shore looked to be close, but the appearance was deceiving. I swam on and on, in a sideways fashion I had learned in the lakes near my home. I did not see Ruby anywhere in the water.

After an eternity, I crawled my way up the muddy embankment, sputtering, dripping and freezing. I collapsed on the dirt and rocks, inert, not wishing to move for a spell.

“Gods, I thought you said you could swim.”

Ruby stood above me.

I groaned. “Not so easy with bloody armor. And only one hand.”

“Not that excuse again.”

She held her hand out to me, to help me to my feet. “Come,” she said. “We need to move. Those bastards may yet find a way to cross.”

The bastards did not.

We said little as we walked. We were soaked and freezing, yet again.

All of our provisions, weapons and equipment were lost in the river. We were each lost in our thoughts. Ruby was in a dark mood, a grim look in her eye. I entertained ill thoughts of my own.

“What will you do when we reach Glen Falls?” Ruby asked me.

This was much later in the day. The sun was creeping down close to the horizon behind us. These were the first words she had spoken since the river.

“I do not know,” I said. “Perhaps I will go to Meridea. Look for Rany and Sammyl.”

“You should go home,” she said. “Go back to your village. Marry that girl.”

I had told her about Alayna.

“We shall see,” I said.

As the sky turned from orange to purple, a group of riders came our way. There were six of them. They were well armed. Both the riders and horses were armored. They rode in a tight, rigid formation, at a brisk pace. We could do nothing but wait, and hope that our luck was better than it had been in Bornthal.

They grew ever closer, the men’s faces stoic and unreadable. They slowed and halted just in front of us.

“Good evening,” called the lead rider. “I am Captain Wilhelm.”

I could not help but think what a suspicious sight we presented. Ruby’s dress remained wet from the river. I was bare chested, with fresh wounds in my back and shoulder.

“Good evening,” Ruby greeted them. “I am Ruby, of Cantor. This is my escort. We are traveling to Glen Falls. I am a follower of the outlander Michael Trang. Do you know of him?”

The captain laughed.

“Surely you jest, Madame. We are Trang’s men. And he is the lord of Glen Falls now. You are heading there? It’s only a mile away – Private Ryne and Corporal Louis will be happy to escort you the rest of the way.”