Page 100 of Huntress

Taking a bite, she realized Roz had been right. This mission was a perk.

Chapter twenty-one

Chapter 21

Elsie took a thermos of tea to keep her warm. The temperature was nice during the day, but the mountain air was growing colder as the sun set. She left a piece of silver that more than paid for the meal, then scooted out of there before anyone could awkwardly try to give it back.

“You’re welcome to join us in the night watch if you’re interested, Riven?” Elsie asked. “It’ll help us get used to working with each other, but to be clear, you are here to observe, not participate. That’s for the safety of you and everyone else involved.”

“Yes! Understood, I’ll leave the violence to you.” She beamed.

They walked to the watchtower, where a long row of water buckets had been set out. There were only two watchers to monitor the forest for threats.

“Do you mind if we join you?” Elsie asked as her group approached.

One of the men groaned, while the other grinned, and money passed from one man’s pocket to another.

“Told you, they just can’t help themselves.” He looked at Elsie appreciatively. “Thanks for being so predictable. We’re told to send you back to the inn, but we’ve done this before. We know you won’t listen, and we’ll have to chase you off again later, and that’s a waste of time for everyone. You hunters really need to learn how to relax.”

“That’s not in the captain’s vocabulary,” Morgan joked.

“Not any of your captains, apparently.” The man shook his head. “Right, no sense in keeping all of you here. There’s another pair of watchers at the second tower, some of you should head up there. We walk the perimeter every two hours, switching towers, so boredom and lethargy don’t set in.”

“Morgan, take Perrie and Riven up to the second tower, please,” Elsie requested. “Learn what you can.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he agreed, giving Saint a dark look before turning and walking away. Riven saw the exchange, confusion flickering over her face, but she followed obediently.

“Well, up to the crow’s nest you go,” the watchman said. “Name’s Liam, by the way. This is Harold.”

“I’m Elsie, and this is Saint.”

They climbed the handmade wooden ladder to the top of the tower. It was essentially a single-room shack on stilts, with a roof that covered a catwalk that encircled the whole thing. Even from within the room, they had a 360-degree view. It had a half-wall for a windbreak, offering the watchmen shelter in the cold winter months.

The tower had a bell large enough to alert the whole village, and a supply of necessities including flares, binoculars, and a small cache of weapons.

Elsie took a sip of the tea, grateful for its warming effect. She hadn’t thought to stop at the inn and grab something warmer to wear. She offered some to Saint, and he took a quick swig.

“Not used to the cold?” Liam laughed.

“It’s a lot warmer where we’re from,” she answered, trying not to overreact. It was chilly enough on the ground, but the wind atop the watchtower was brisk.

“There’s an extra jacket in here you can use. It’s lightweight, and definitely too big for you, but it’ll take the edge off.” Harold offered, holding it out.

“I accept your offering,” Elsie laughed. It was similar to the coats the two men wore, but he’d been right about the size. It fit like a dress, the bottom reaching halfway to her knees, and the sleeves were about six inches too long. Saint made a disgusted face as she put it on, quickly turning away.

“I’m surprised there aren’t more of you patrolling. Has your village leadership not stepped up the watch in light of what’s been happening?” Elsie asked. “I’d imagined there’d at least be a dozen people out here.”

“It’s not that hard to spot an active fire demon at nigh‌t, but we have doubled the guard.” Harold blinked, confused. “There’s usually only one of us per tower when needed, and only if there’s a known threat.”

“When needed? Are the towers usually unmanned?” Elsie’s brows shot up.

“They’re mostly used in late summer, when there’s a high fire risk. Who’d volunteer to spend their nights up here if they didn’t have to? The mosquitoes and gnats are awful in the summer,” Liam explained.

“You’re not worried about the demons at all, are you?” She couldn't stop a bit of awe from entering her voice.

“This is the first time in seven years we’ve had to ask for the demon hunter’s help, and it was nine years before that,” Liam said. “You’ve seen our village. We live by simple rules, like not taking what belongs to others, and maintaining peace. The demons and other magical creatures here are respectful, and turn a blind eye if we must eliminate a threat, because we only use it as a last resort.”

“That’s admirable.” Elsie was suddenly glad she hadn’t selected Marley for this mission. The healer would have been deeply disturbed and uncomfortable by their way of life, and she wouldn’t have held her tongue. She might even be forced to confront the idea that her sister’s death could have been avoided if humans in the nests lived differently.