After walking for what had to be hours, I realized I had made a vast mistake in not bringing my water skin. I had assumed it would make me look less vulnerable, but now I had a feeling that I would just look like an idiot when I arrived in the village dehydrated.
Oh well, too late now.
I had glanced over my shoulder a few times on the walk, but Otho had disappeared from view long ago.
As the town grew closer, I picked up my pace, hoping to appear out of breath by the time I arrived. The good news was, I had become somewhat out of shape in the past fortnight, whether because of my low rations or the fact that my ribs had been broken twice, I wasn’t sure. But it helped in this situation at least.
“Hello!”
The call came from my left, and I looked over to see a young boy who appeared to be no older than eight, a ball clutched under his arm. “What are you doing?”
I couldn’t believe my luck. “Sorry,” I breathed, my panting not faked. “I went for a walk and got lost. Are there any adults around I could talk to?” It was a lie, but I didn’t want tobombard the poor child with the fake sob story I had been preparing. He didn’t deserve that.
He nodded. “My mom is in the field.” He frowned as he said the words, his mood seeming to change in an instant. But then he turned and led me, not to the village, but to a farmhouse to the east I hadn’t seen as I had been too focused on getting to the village.
“Mother!” the boy called out as we got closer, and a head popped out from the tall grass, her blonde hair glinting in the sun. I glanced back at her son, who had dark hair and dark features. I figured there was a story there, but I knew it wasn’t my place to ask.
Her gaze flew to me, and I could see her visible relief, likely at the fact that I was female and not in a soldier uniform. Something which caused my heart to twist. I felt bad deceiving these people. “Nil! What have I told you about talking to strangers?”
“She said she’s lost, Mom!”
The woman sighed, bending back over to pick up a basket before making her way toward me. As she approached, I could see the lines on her skin which indicated she likely spent most of her time working in the hot sun and worrying about her son. “Go back and play, I’ll help her.” She flashed me a sheepish smile.
“There’s no one to play with, Mom. Can you come play with me?”
She shook her head. “I already told you I have to collect food for dinner. Why don’t you go see if anyone is in town?”
I thought it odd that a boy so young was allowed to wander when their town was closest to what was the front lines in a war. It was a small regional war, but still.
Nil grumbled some more but turned and headed for the town. Once he was out of earshot, his mother turned back to me, her face no longer warm as she looked me up and down. “This better not be some sort of trap.”
I was so blown back by her direct accusation it took me amoment to react. “Oh no, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you?—”
She didn’t let me finish. “I’m not stupid. I know there’s a war going on and you came right from behind enemy lines. Now, tell me what you want, or get out of here.”
I sighed. This wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought. I hated deceiving people, even though it was something I had trained my whole life to be able to do. “I’m not here to harm you,” I promised again, even if it was futile. “I was actually imprisoned by Count Adis, but some of the soldiers helped me escape. Now, I know they are at war, but I can promise I am just trying to figure out a way to escape Ralheim so I don’t end up back in his clutches. Because if he finds out I escaped he will kill me and the men who helped me.” It wasn’t a full lie, as it was always the partial ones that were easiest to spin.
Though she tried to keep the stern look on her face, her features softened slightly. “That doesn’t sound like something soldiers at war would do.”
I briefly debated mentioning Leif’s name, in hope he, or his coven, was well-known here on the outskirts Malheim, but decided against it. “I know. But believe me when I tell you that some of them are just as tired of the war as you are. Now, I understand your concerns, so I’ll just carry on into town. Sorry to have disturbed you.” I turned away from her and commenced walking toward town. Though my breathing had quieted, I didn’t have to fake my slight limp as I walked away—as the boots were still too small and still pinching painfully on a few raw spots on the side of my foot.
“No, wait, let me at least get you some water.”
I fought to keep the grin off my face as I spun back around. “No no, it’s okay. The town is so close, I’ll be fine!”
She was already walking toward her small house. “No, I insist. I should have offered from the beginning, but I’m just so used to spies coming over here, I had to be sure.”
“If you’re certain.” I was already following after her,desperate for some water. But at least I had already learned something—I wasn’t the only spy Otho had sent this way. Perhaps I was the only female one, something which could give me an advantage.
She ducked through the door, motioning for me to follow her. I did the same, quick to notice how the home had no floors other than the dirt the land provided. My skirt caught on the wooden beam which crossed the floor at the bottom of the doorway. It took a moment to tug my skirts free—I still wasn’t used to wearing dresses. Inside the hut, there were no walls beyond the exterior one either, the house having the bare minimum of a kitchen on one side, and two beds on the other. There was a wooden table in the middle with four chairs, all of which looked as if they had been broken and put back together using whatever supplies could be scavenged at least once. This family was very poor.
“Here.” She filled a clay mug from the pump and pushed it into my hands. “You look thirsty.”
I didn’t reply, simply draining the cup. When it was empty, she took it back and refilled it a second time. This time I drank slower. “Thank you,” I said between sips.
“I would never forgive myself if I sent you off and you passed out before reaching town.”
“It’s okay,” I replied. “I wouldn’t have trusted me either; I’m not offended.”
