Wood Witch and the Bounty Hunter
Five
Ronan climbed down from the roof and went to collect the hammer he’d thrown. He didn’t recognize the archer, so he hadn’t been someone Ronan trained with. He looked a few years older so no doubt he’d finished training around the time Ronan asked to join the Guild. He yanked the hammer free and wiped the blood on the man’s shirt. Then he shrugged and took the bow and quiver of arrows too. He preferred knives to bows, but having more weapons on hand was always a good idea and it was better than leaving them here for another hunter to find and use against them.
Ronan put the hammer back with the other tools and then went inside to gather his pack and think. It wouldn’t be wise to stay anywhere in the heart of Lionsdale. No one would expect them to stay there, but the odds were too good that someone would recognize Ronan and wonder why he was there instead of witch hunting. But they’d have to stay close enough to be able to look for this sister-but-not-sister of Flora’s. He had a decent mental map of Lionsdale and the area around it by now, and he figured a small village on the easternmost side of the city called Harper’s Glen would probably do. It was quiet and out of the way, but close enough for them to search for the sister.
Ronan stood, hefting his pack and doing a quick calculation of how long it would take to get there.
“We’ll probably want to bring some food and water,” he said. “It’ll take a day to make it out of the forest, and probably another two after that. Although, if you’re all right riding through tonight we can make it a little sooner.”
“I don’t mind,” Flora said, clutching the bag she’d packed to her chest. “I can pack up some supplies. You can take some stuff for Briar.”
Ronan nodded, going outside to put the saddle back on Briar. He collected some veggies from the garden and a couple of apples so she could enjoy some treats as they went. Flora joined him outside, casting a glance at the body of the archer and grimacing slightly.
“Don’t look at him,” Ronan said, tightening the girth on the saddle. “The more you look the harder it is to get the image out of your head. You can ride behind me,” he added, securing his pack. He figured she might feel a little better if she wasn’t in his direct reach. She moved around him like a skittish rabbit and he wasn’t sure how to seem less menacing.
As Flora stood there waiting for him to finish up, her little bird friend flew over and perched on her shoulder with a chirp. He nestled under her hair and Flora glanced at Ronan a little anxiously.
“He might follow me,” she said. “It’s just, he got hurt and I took care of him and so he stays close to me and-“
“I don’t care.” Ronan realized his tone was brusque and he tried to soften it slightly. “I mean, I don’t mind if the bird follows you. He’s not a problem and he…has a nice voice. Now let’s get moving.”
He helped her mount and then he swung up into the saddle in front of her. He patted Briar’s neck.
“Okay girl, let’s go.”
He gave her a gentle nudge with his heels and Briar set off at a brisk walk. She picked her away among the trees, her soft hoofbeats on the forest floor and some bird calls the only sound, since Ronan and Flora rode in silence. In the late afternoon, Briar twitched her ears then stopped, moving off into the trees as best she could. Ronan felt Flora tense in alarm behind him and he drew a knife, just in case. He heard muffled voices through the trees, though he couldn’t see whoever was speaking. He knew they were bounty hunters though. He debated confronting them but decided it would be too risky since it might alert them to Flora’s presence. He let Briar decide when it was safe. When she no longer sensed the hunters, she moved out of the bushes and resumed their trek.
Ronan leaned forward to pat her neck again. “That’s a smart girl. Thanks, Briar.”
They emerged from the thickest part of the woods when the sun was almost completely set, and Ronan asked Flora again if she was okay with riding through the night.
“Yes,” she said, most likely thinking about the people they’d heard in the woods. Ronan nodded.
“Okay then. Hold on.”
Flora yelped and her arms shot out to wrap around him as he nudged Briar into a canter. They’d made fairly slow progress while inside the forest because it was too dense for Briar to move any faster. Now they passed through meadows and she was free to go faster, which she seemed to love. He tapped Flora’s wrist.
“I know I said to hold on, but I do need to breathe,” he said. “Relax, Briar won’t let you fall.”
Flora’s grip around his midsection relaxed slightly after a moment.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. They did ride into the night and at some point he felt her slump against him a little as she fell asleep. He kept Briar at a walk to make sure Flora didn’t topple off her back. They were taking a long way around the city to avoid passing through Broadoak on the way to Harper’s Glen. They passed onto a narrow road surrounded by fields of farm land. A ways after the sun rose, Flora woke up and Ronan stopped.
“We’ll take a break here to stretch our legs and give Briar a little rest,” he said, swinging down and digging out an apple for Briar. “We’ll make a camp tonight, and then tomorrow we’ll reach Harper’s Glen and we’ll find an inn. Then we can look for your sister and see if she knows anything.”
Ronan put the hammer back with the other tools and then went inside to gather his pack and think. It wouldn’t be wise to stay anywhere in the heart of Lionsdale. No one would expect them to stay there, but the odds were too good that someone would recognize Ronan and wonder why he was there instead of witch hunting. But they’d have to stay close enough to be able to look for this sister-but-not-sister of Flora’s. He had a decent mental map of Lionsdale and the area around it by now, and he figured a small village on the easternmost side of the city called Harper’s Glen would probably do. It was quiet and out of the way, but close enough for them to search for the sister.
Ronan stood, hefting his pack and doing a quick calculation of how long it would take to get there.
“We’ll probably want to bring some food and water,” he said. “It’ll take a day to make it out of the forest, and probably another two after that. Although, if you’re all right riding through tonight we can make it a little sooner.”
“I don’t mind,” Flora said, clutching the bag she’d packed to her chest. “I can pack up some supplies. You can take some stuff for Briar.”
Ronan nodded, going outside to put the saddle back on Briar. He collected some veggies from the garden and a couple of apples so she could enjoy some treats as they went. Flora joined him outside, casting a glance at the body of the archer and grimacing slightly.
“Don’t look at him,” Ronan said, tightening the girth on the saddle. “The more you look the harder it is to get the image out of your head. You can ride behind me,” he added, securing his pack. He figured she might feel a little better if she wasn’t in his direct reach. She moved around him like a skittish rabbit and he wasn’t sure how to seem less menacing.
As Flora stood there waiting for him to finish up, her little bird friend flew over and perched on her shoulder with a chirp. He nestled under her hair and Flora glanced at Ronan a little anxiously.
“He might follow me,” she said. “It’s just, he got hurt and I took care of him and so he stays close to me and-“
“I don’t care.” Ronan realized his tone was brusque and he tried to soften it slightly. “I mean, I don’t mind if the bird follows you. He’s not a problem and he…has a nice voice. Now let’s get moving.”
He helped her mount and then he swung up into the saddle in front of her. He patted Briar’s neck.
“Okay girl, let’s go.”
He gave her a gentle nudge with his heels and Briar set off at a brisk walk. She picked her away among the trees, her soft hoofbeats on the forest floor and some bird calls the only sound, since Ronan and Flora rode in silence. In the late afternoon, Briar twitched her ears then stopped, moving off into the trees as best she could. Ronan felt Flora tense in alarm behind him and he drew a knife, just in case. He heard muffled voices through the trees, though he couldn’t see whoever was speaking. He knew they were bounty hunters though. He debated confronting them but decided it would be too risky since it might alert them to Flora’s presence. He let Briar decide when it was safe. When she no longer sensed the hunters, she moved out of the bushes and resumed their trek.
Ronan leaned forward to pat her neck again. “That’s a smart girl. Thanks, Briar.”
They emerged from the thickest part of the woods when the sun was almost completely set, and Ronan asked Flora again if she was okay with riding through the night.
“Yes,” she said, most likely thinking about the people they’d heard in the woods. Ronan nodded.
“Okay then. Hold on.”
Flora yelped and her arms shot out to wrap around him as he nudged Briar into a canter. They’d made fairly slow progress while inside the forest because it was too dense for Briar to move any faster. Now they passed through meadows and she was free to go faster, which she seemed to love. He tapped Flora’s wrist.
“I know I said to hold on, but I do need to breathe,” he said. “Relax, Briar won’t let you fall.”
Flora’s grip around his midsection relaxed slightly after a moment.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. They did ride into the night and at some point he felt her slump against him a little as she fell asleep. He kept Briar at a walk to make sure Flora didn’t topple off her back. They were taking a long way around the city to avoid passing through Broadoak on the way to Harper’s Glen. They passed onto a narrow road surrounded by fields of farm land. A ways after the sun rose, Flora woke up and Ronan stopped.
“We’ll take a break here to stretch our legs and give Briar a little rest,” he said, swinging down and digging out an apple for Briar. “We’ll make a camp tonight, and then tomorrow we’ll reach Harper’s Glen and we’ll find an inn. Then we can look for your sister and see if she knows anything.”