“We are almost there.” Orn’s father said smiling.

Orn began to pick up his pace and trying to spot the village in gaps through the trees ahead. After a what seemed like an eternity of staring at trees he gave up. “How far is almost?”

His father laughed, “That depends on whether Uncle wants to keep walking in circles, or open the gates.”

Uncle stopped his face expressionless, “What makes you think we are at the village? I do not see any gates.”

Orn’s father gave an exasperated sigh, “Are we going in, or are we staying out here?”

The hunter laughed, “I was just testing you. Had to make sure living in your palace had not made you forget where you come from. “

Orn looked around and could not see any sign of the village the men were talking about. Around them were more of the same towering trees and thorny shrubs they had been walking through for days.

“So you mean to tell me you are not just stalling because Aunty is mad at you?” Orn’s father asked staring flatly at the older man.

Uncle looked away, causing Orn’s father to place his hand over his face, “What did you do this time?”

“I disagreed with Kojar a bit. That is all.” He said in a tone that made even Orn sure it was more than that. “Just a disagreement, nothing serious mind you.”

“How bad of a disagreement?” turning to Orn he added, “with Aunty’s dear brother.”

“Bruised his ribs a bit, when… when he fell,” Uncle said mumbling a bit. “But listening to him tell it, half of them broke and it is my fault.” The man tried to fight back a smile as he finished the statement.

“Well, no one is going to save you. My wife is back at home and Orn does not have the healing skill.” Orn’s father shook his head, “I thought you were going overboard with all the tests. I should have known. You two brawl when you find out I am coming. It is not my wife’s job to patch up Kojar’s ribs, or your jaw, or whatever it was the year before that.”

“What do you mean? She is family and a good healer to boot, no reason to let two old men suffer from injuries.” Uncle seemed taken aback, by the Count’s statement.

Orns father scoffed, “Two old men is right, too old to be brawling over whatever stupid thing it was this year. Between the pain in his side and the one in your ear, Aunty will give you; maybe it will make you both grow up. “

Uncle looked at Orn with a sorrowful expression, “He used to be such a pleasant lad. Now he is all responsibility and restraint. Why I remember…“

“Enough Uncle,” Orn’s father cut in “we have had a long trip. Can we go in before it gets any later?”

“See what I mean” his uncle added with a wink. Then stepping past them he put his arm into a thorny bush. His arm shifted slightly and the bush swung aside with a faint rustling sound.

Orn stared at the opening and the small gravel path winding between the trees and shrubs. It was an arm’s length away from me.

“Do not just stand there gaping lad,” Uncle chuckled and stepped on a stone just to the side of the gravel. “Follow me and step only where I step.”

…

The hunter was not joking about stepping where he did, and pointed out several small traps and poisonous plants that would catch the unwary. These traps made the twenty feet to the stone wall take an eternity to cover. As they stopped before the small wooden door he stopped, and pointed the deep red flowers covering the arch around it. “I will give the gate keepers this, that is a nasty trick. Any fool who opens that gate will get a face full of fire roses. They are a real beauty though, especially at night when they flicker like they are burning.”

“Probably why they are called fire roses.” He winked at Orn, “Either that, or the fact they secrete a poison that makes you feel like you are burning alive while you die.”

Orn’s father cleared his throat, “I appreciate you telling Orn about the plants but can we keep this moving. We want to make the house by dark.”

Uncle scoffed, “Always in a rush these days. I tell you Toln you should slow down and smell the roses.”

Laughing at his own joke, he knocked on a section of wall several feet from the door. As if by magic a small section of stone wall opened to reveal a small archway. Light filtered through the opening and casting a pool of light over the hunter.

“Welcome to Hunter’s Holm. Welcome home.” he said walking through the archway clearly intending for them to follow.

[Lac]

Are you kidding me?! Lac yelled to herself storming away from the mangled body. Why would you do that?

The first one was comical, but the last couple had just been… sad. If you throw yourself off a cliff no one is going to save you. She idly rubbed her ears. No matter how loud you pray.

Sighing she considered the last few options she had. A couple would probably do something equally dumb in the near future. She shook her head and resigned herself to the only reasonable option she had; At least I still have the priest hiding in the basement…