“I can’t stay two days,” I blurted out. “I have to find the river.”
Armis regained his tongue and burst in, waving his meaty arms. “All right, everyone, enough excitement for tonight. Finish your meal and go home, back to your beds. If any is too drunk to leave, I have rooms available upstairs. Our guest will be here tomorrow. As I always say, decision-making is best after a good night’s rest.”
The silence ticked on, and then, all at once, a wave of conversation filled the inn, like my story had never been told. Relief flooded me until I looked up into the emotionless face of the tattered man.
Armis tried to bustle in between us, but the man held up his hand and Armis halted like it was a wall. “Err…Aofie, I’ll make sure your room is prepared. Don’t go anywhere.” He eyed the ragged man with some trepidation and moved away.
“Sit,” the man growled. “You and I are going to have a talk.”
I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to talk to this man, for he seemed to know too much. How could I keep my secrets from him? Reminding myself to be brave, I took a seat and clasped my hands in front of me. I was in a room full of people. What harm could come to me?
Chapter Ten
Turek had disappearedduring my tale, and I faced the tattered man alone, curious about what he wanted yet nervous under the onslaught of his penetrating gaze. He studied me a moment longer before roughly yanking out a chair and sitting down. Sticking the pipe back into his mouth, he crossed his arms. His gaze moved over the room, eyeing the villagers like a hawk studying its prey and picking the best moment to pounce. He spoke in hushed tones, careful not to be overheard. “So, what’s the real story? What are you doing in these parts? Someone coming down from the vale is unheard of here. The people think you are a goddess sent to free them; they will not rest until they receive some sort of comfort.”
My heart sank at his words. “How can they think I’m a goddess? I’m only human. What happened with the witch woman was only a mistake.”
He pinched the pipe between two fingers, chewing on the end, but no smoke came out of it. “That’s why I’m asking who you are. If I were you, I’d sneak away at sunrise and never return. You being here will cause trouble.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, unable to tell if he was genuinely concerned for my well-being and warning me, or trying to scare me. My thoughts flickered to my guide, Niamh, and again I wondered what had happened to her in the Vale of Monsters. She was unkind but she’d led me straight and true until the end. Why had she wanted to get rid of me? I had left Beluar Woods behind and I was unlikely to return.
“Who are you?” I turned the question on the tattered man, pointedly examining his neglected appearance. “The villagers seem frightened of you. Are you one of the elders? A leader?”
Although his bushy beard hid his expression, his words told me he smirked. “Ah. I see. You must know who I am in order to trust me. If you must know, I am not from this village. Like you, I am passing through. I have been here enough times that they don’t take notice of me.”
“Are you a trader?” I asked hesitantly. I’d heard of the traders and merchants who roamed from village to village, selling goods and making exchanges for food, drink, and a warm place to sleep. If he were a trader, he’d know the lay of the land and could guide me to the river. He carried no visible weapons and if he tried to harm me, I was confident I could defend myself against him. Although he was tall and broad shouldered, training with the centaurs had taught me how to take down someone twice my size.
“A trader?” He considered the term, scratching his beard with the end of his pipe.
I wrinkled my nose. He smelled bad.
“In a way, aye, one could call me a trader. I go by Romulus and I am a ranger of the north. The open road is my home and it is my business to know about unusual events and strangers entering quiet villages.”
“You heard the people,” I protested. “This isn’t a quiet village. The witch woman is killing them.”
“Is she? That’s only one side of the story. You haven’t heard her side; you don’t have an objective view on this. What if I told you the witch woman is right? She needs blood to keep the cycle of life in this village. Without her the crops would not grow, the animals would perish, and a drought would consume the vale. Perhaps she is wrong in killing people, that I would agree on. A pint of blood here and there would suffice, but perhaps she had a reason for demanding more. Maybe she is caught in the middle and must do penance for her sins.”
My mouth hung open at his words and anger stirred in my breast. How could he assume she wasn’t evil? I’d seen with my own two eyes the interior of her cave, her words dripping like blood as she weaved her spell around me. I visibly recoiled away from him and set my jaw. Angry words spewed from my lips. “Who are you to decide what is best for these people? What if she is a murderer who takes what she pleases without reason?”
Romulus took the pipe from his mouth and dropped it in his lap, glaring at me. “Then kill her,” he practically spit the words at me. “Now, I will only ask once more. Who are you? Why are you here? And why do you know so damned little about the ways of men?”
My breath caught in my throat. “I just shared my story for all to hear—”
He cut me off, raising a finger. He wore gloves, but the tips had been cut off, showing the dirt under his fingernails. “Oh, you think you’re clever, don’t you? No, you told the people what they wanted to hear. I am asking you for the truth.”
I debated telling him the truth, or rather, more of it. Romulus had given me no reason to trust him but I had to give him something in order to end the conversation. “It is true. My name is Aofie, and I had a vision from the gods. I am seeking my birth mother. She left me when I was born, because she had to, and now I need to know why. The gods told me to follow the river. Once I find her, I can begin to make sense of…everything.” I shrugged, embarrassed at sharing my deepest hopes. My eyes fell to the table, but when I raised them to Romulus, he was gazing blankly at me.
“You’re about eighteen, aren’t you?” he whispered.
I nodded.
“And you come from the Beluar Woods with magic.”
I nodded again.
“By the gods.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “Then you should leave at first light. I will show you the way to the river.”
“What about the villagers and the witch woman?” I protested.
