“Even if we ignore the fact that you have no sense of direction and don’t know where you’re going—”
“Hey!”
“There are other factors to consider. What if you encounter bandits? Wild animals? Ghouls? How are you going to handle them?”
She flapped her hand in the air. “Ghouls only haunt cemeteries,” she contended.
As’ad crossed his arms and stared her down, a thing that was harder to do as she was nearly his height.
After a moment, she relented. “Fine. You are correct. I need a more experienced companion. May I join you?”
Her wide grin invited him to say yes. He resisted the urge and resolutely turned toward the fire.
“These flames must be visible in the next village over. It won’t be long now.”
Help did not arrive that evening. As’ad and the girl watched the tree until it was nothing more than glowing coals. They stomped out the occasional burning patch of weeds or clump of grass but otherwise had little to do beyond watch. The girl was surprisingly silent during this time.
As the night progressed, As’ad became more and more concerned about being responsible for this gal. While the ghouls may not be the most realistic concern, bandits and wild animals were. She was also likely to die of exposure or getting lost and tripping into a canyon or something ridiculous. He simply could not in good conscience leave her to her own devices.
With that decision made, he reluctantly led her back to his own camp when it became clear that the fire was no longer a danger to the surrounding countryside. There he set her up in his tent after sharing some of his food. She tried to protest, but at that point, he had turned off his ears. His determination to ignore her finally made a dent, and she quietly crawled into the tent.
As she was scooting out of the rain, he couldn’t resist a final sally. “Don’t forget to guard your feet; this is palis country.”
The girl yipped and pulled her feet into the tent faster. Then she poked her head through the flap to scowl at him. “Those aren’t real!”
“How do you know?” he challenged mildly.
Her answering sigh was rather aggressive. “Creatures with barbed tongues that lick your feet until they can drain your blood? That no one haseverseen before?”
“If no one has ever seen them, then how can you be sure?”
“The absence of evidence should be enough.”
He shrugged with all the insouciance he could muster. “All I know is that I wear my shoes every night and I haven’t died in my sleep yet.”
Her nostrils flared as she refrained from saying anything more. Her face and rebuttal said that she didn’t believe him, but the way she very carefully tucked the tent flap in suggested she wasn’t as immune as she pretended.
As’ad chuckled quietly as he made a nest for himself under the handcart while listening to the industrious movements of his nocturnal pets above. His amusement distracted him briefly from the cold, invasive drips. If the rain didn’t stop soon, it was going to be a very long night.
In the morning, As’ad woke to clear blue skies and an annoyingly happy, and therefore loud, bevy of birds. While he waited for the girl to make an appearance, he retrieved his maps and stretched them out on the driest rock he could find. Everything steamed as the morning sun touched it; apparently yesterday’s foray into winter weather had been an aberration.
Still a little disappointed that the nearest community was filled with heavy sleepers, As’ad turned his attention to the next occupied space on the map. It looked like there was nothing substantial for days, unless they veered north. There was a village or town about a day and a half in that direction. Lamentably, the girl had already proven incapable of getting there herself without mishap. Which meant his plans now included a detour.
Chapter Four
In Which Introductions are Finally Made
As’adexpectedthegirlto sleep for hours still after their long night guarding the fire. But as soon as he began cooking breakfast, he could hear rustling from the tent behind him.
He turned to look. She was stumbling through the flap and groggily attempting to pat her hair down. As’ad had never seen hair so . . . big? The dark curls that he had previously noted as being a bit wild were completely untamed outside of the braid she had confined it in the day before.
“Turn around.”
As’ad blinked stupidly at her.
“I can feel the absolute beast that my hair has become. I’m pretty sure it’s feral, and you don’t look a wild animal in the eye, as it is liable to attack.” The girl delivered her speech with half-closed eyes and a monotone voice. Then she stumbled toward the low hill and scraggly bushes they had designated for privy use.
As’ad did as she asked and returned his focus to the fire. He kept his back to her when she made her return a few minutes later, and resolutely ignored everything happening behind him until she appeared at his side. He then wordlessly offered her the stale bread he had toasted, plus a portion of porridge.
