“Lead the way, Huntress.” Inari swung himself back up on his horse and Aloisia followed suit.
The other huntresses dispersed, some heading back to the guild and others remaining in the town. Aloisia clicked her tongue twice, and the mares started at her command. Her stomach twisted at the thought of returning to Execution Square, to the magistrate’s home. Up there, she was too close to Fynn’s potential fate. Too close to the tree where he may hang.
They rode in silence through Littlewatch, drawing closer to the Watchtower looming above the town. Finally, they reached the square and Aloisia pulled her mare to a halt.
“It is a strange thing to see a town from afar. It is so different once within the streets,” Inari remarked.
“Different to your homeland?”
He nodded. “A lot more stone. More permanency.”
Aloisia weighed the words in her mind, determined to decipher more about his past and what had happened.
“Which one is it?” he asked, eyeing the Watchtower and prison.
She pointed to the magistrate’s estate on the other side of the square. “There.”
“Ah.” He dismounted, guiding his horse alongside him.
Aloisia spotted a glint of fear in his eyes and her heart squeezed. He didn’t have to do this, yet here he stood. Tension rippled off him. What he was risking going in there, into the viper’s nest before the judiciaries…
“Oh, you left this.” She held out the small carving of an owl. “I’m not sure what this rune is, but I thought perhaps you had carved it for luck.”
Inari closed his hand over hers. “No. I made it for you.” He turned the carving, so it rested in her palm, the rune facing upwards. “This iskoihja. It means strength.”
Aloisia blinked in surprise, cradling the owl. “Thank you. Good luck in there. I wish I could go too.”
“Do not worry.” He touched a finger beneath her chin, tilting her face up to meet his gaze. “I will be fine. I have faced worse than this and lived to tell the tale.”
Aloisia’s cheeks flushed at his touch. She cleared her throat, stepping back from him. “You should head inside. They’ll be expecting you.”
He gave a nod and turned to face the gates.
“I’ll wait for you out here.”
He glanced back over his shoulder with a grin. “I’ll see you soon then.”
The shaman passed her the reins and Aloisia watched as he approached the gates. A pair of guards let him inside. She remained there long after he disappeared within the house.
Aloisia sent a silent prayer to the Divines, or any other gods who may listen, that they would permit him to study the markings. Her plan rested on this one moment, this one decision. A spiral of panic coiled inside her, for it was not in her control. She had to trust he would be right. And hope his charm would work on them after all.
TWENTY THREE
Aloisiapacedbackandforthalongonesideofthesquare.She’dtiedthehorsestoalowwoodenbarwhereatroughlaysotheycoulddrink.Asshemarched,herattentionshiftedbetweenthemagistrate’sestatetotheWatchtower.Ononeside,Inariwasstillspeakingwiththejudiciaries.Ontheother,Fynnwaschainedinacell.
The sun slowly crept into late morning, nearing its highest point, as she waited. Patience had never been her strong suit, and with each passing moment, it wore thinner and thinner. She tossed the wooden owl from hand to hand as she paced, keeping her mind occupied with her movements rather than her worries. All she needed now was for Tristan to turn up.
As if her thoughts had summoned him, Tristan stood on the far side of the square. Aloisia halted abruptly at the sight of him. The time she’d spent away from him crashed upon her. It had only been a day, but it was still longer than she’d ever gone without seeing him.
Tristan and Aloisia stood for a long moment, each on opposing sides of the square, each staring at the other as if an unsaid conversation passed between them. The priest was the first to break from their trance. He strode away from her and towards Magistrate Vester’s home, where the guards let him in.
Aloisia watched as he went into the building and, as the door closed behind him, her legs gave out. Her knees struck the cobbles, the owl tumbling from her clasp. It was as if the weight of the past few days had fallen upon her, and she could no longer bear it. Not on her own.
She wasn’t sure how long she remained on her knees, the pain of the impact barely reaching her. Sobs shook her shoulders, but she made no sound. No tears fell down her cheeks. She cradled her head in her palms, taking several deep breaths to steady herself. Gradually, the sobs subsided, and she pushed herself to her feet.
As she stood, she brushed her leathers down. Pocketing the wooden owl, she returned to pacing, pondering why Tristan had gone into the magistrate’s estate. Had the high priest sent for him? Did he come bearing some news for the high priest? She could not think why else he would be here. It pained her they had drifted so far apart. Kaja said it would take time for him to come around, and she hoped it would be true. However, he had just walked past her, did not stop to say anything… How much time would be enough?
After another long while, the gates opened. Through them stepped three figures: High Priest Silas, Tristan, and Inari. They seemed an odd group, offset by the presence of the shaman. A breath of relief escaped her and Aloisia resisted the urge to run to them. Inari being allowed to leave was a good sign.
