Chapter Five: Strangers in the Woods

Chapter Five

STRANGERS IN THE WOODS

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“Unfortunately, madness is not uncommon among those who have undergone multiple resurgences. While the body is healed, the mind is rarely so lucky. Strangers, particularly those who appear out of sorts, should be approached with caution.”

– Argus Phaedlich, High Magister of Her Grace’s Order of Radiance

~*~

Liv slowly withdrew her hand from her boots and rose both arms in placation. Blood pounded in her ears as her heart raced and despite her best efforts, her fingers trembled. Fear kept her eyes glued to the figure’s reflection. They held a bow of some sort, from what she could tell, and while it was held idly toward the ground, that could change in the blink of an eye.

“If I’m trespassing, I’m sorry,” she said, “I’m lost and this stream was the only source of water I could find.”

The stranger’s deep voice made her flinch, “Who are you?”

“Liv– Olivia Lockhard.”

“Let me see your eyes.”

“My eyes?” She asked, trying and failing to place the man’s hint of an accent.

“Now.”

“Alright, alright,” she said, shuddering as she lifted her face.

The man had an arrow notched to the string of his bow, fingers poised and ready, should she make the wrong move. She tried to swallow past the dryness in her throat and meet his eyes. They were difficult to make out beneath the hood he wore, but she felt the weight of them all the same. Their scrutiny was enough to chase goosebumps along her skin.

“I’m not high, if that’s what you’re looking for,” she said.

“High? What are you talking about?”

“On drugs,” she clarified, “Why else would you be looking at my eyes?”

“For signs of the Rot,” he said, lips pressing thin.

“Right . . . the Rot . . .”

Would her book know what that was?

He looked her up and down several times, his apparent, thinly-veiled confusion only mounting.

“You haven’t a clue what I’m talking about, do you?”

She gave him a shaky smile, “Not in the slightest.”

He sighed, shoulder’s relaxing as he returned his arrow to the quiver at his hip.

“So what exactly are you doing out here?” He asked.

“Trying to find my way out. I saw an airship fly by overhead not that long ago and figured following it was my best bet,” she said, looking him over, “What are you doing?”

“Hunting. I haven’t seen a thing all morning. Now, I know why.”

“Hey, don’t blame me. Coming here was hardly my idea.”

“That so? And whose was it?”

Liv hesitated, “That’s . . . a bit of a complicated answer.”

The man eyed her right arm, “I can imagine it is.”

She instinctively lowered it and clutched it close to her chest as if hiding the stupid marks now would somehow make a difference. He’d already seen them. Even so, the way he eyed them led her to believe he might know something about them. Maybe he could help her? She was hesitant to explore the possibility. Desperate as she was for answers, she had no intention of placing her blind faith into the first person she met.

On a hunch, though, she tried reaching out with her ability to read energy. Someone’s intent could be seen as both positive and negative, so maybe she could apply the skill here? Hopefully, he couldn’t sense her use of it. She’d rather not have to explain herself, but considering the circumstances, could he really fault her for being careful?

It was far harder to sense the energy he gave off when compared to the plant life, but she was certain she felt something. It was more an inkling, a thin sort of aura. Maybe even a vibe, if she had to put words to it. From what she could tell, it was non threatening and when coupled with his slight apprehension and body language, it was clear enough he was just as leery of her as she was of him. Which was fair. They were strangers after all and randomly stumbling across other people where none should be was suspect anywhere.

“Is there a town nearby?” She asked.

He nodded and gestured upstream, “Ralencia is about eleven miles east of here.”

Her voice cracked, “Eleven?”

A hike of that distance through this sort of terrain would take hours under the best of conditions. Without any supplies or proper footwear to speak of, she’d never make it by nightfall. She was screwed.

“How did you end up here?” He asked.

Liv gave a soft snort, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

What little she could make out of his lips edged into the ghost of a smirk.

“I’ve heard my fair share of outlandish stories.”

She raised an eyebrow.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

After some apparent deliberation, he sighed and jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, “My home isn’t far from here. If you’d like, I could take you in for the night, even give you some proper clothes and a good meal. You could tell me your story over some venison stew?”

It was a tempting offer.

“No funny business?” She asked and when he blinked, she added, “Despite my current dress, I’m not for hire, if you catch my meaning.”

She could have sworn she saw his cheeks darken.

“I assure you, I’ve made no such assumptions.”

Her eyes narrowed, “Good.”

Stepping upon one of the larger stones poking out from the stream, he slung his bow over a broad shoulder and offered her his hand.

“My name’s Kaedric,” he said.

After a moment of consideration, she grabbed her heels and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

“It’s good to meet you,” she said, wobbling a moment.

Kaedric placed a steadying hand upon her shoulder, patient as he helped her across to the opposite bank.

“I wish it were under better circumstances, but not every meeting can be perfect,” he said.

“Apparently not,” she agreed, “Thank you. I guess I’m a bit more shaken up than I thought.”

“Exposure is a nasty thing even in these woods,” he said.

He glanced toward the treeline at his back, placed two fingers to his lips and whistled. Liv gave a start, half expecting to be ambushed by yet more men, but quickly relaxed when she spied a horse trotting toward them. The grey creature gave a soft knicker in reply and tossed its head.

“Yes, yes,” Kaedric drawled, “We can go home now, there’s no need to yell at me.”

The horse gave a snort.

Kaedric gave it a fond pat on the neck before fitting his bow into what appeared to be a specially made leather holster along the side of the saddle. He clipped his quiver to it next, then pulled back his hood. A mop of dirty-blond curls sprung free and he briefly ruffled them with a hand as he turned to her.

He wasn’t some pasty rake, but rather a man shaped by the outdoors and tanned from long hours spent in the sun. He couldn’t have been much older than she was, either. In his late twenties, maybe? However, there was a certain edge to his brown eyes that hinted at an older soul. She wouldn’t call it world wary, exactly, but maybe something like it?

“Here,” he said, removing his cloak, “This should help ward off the chill in the meantime. May I?”

At first, she wasn’t exactly sure what he was asking.

“What? Oh– you may. Sorry,” she said, stepping closer in order to allow him to drape his cloak over her shoulders.

The weight of the fabric was heavier than she’d expected, but she wasn’t about to complain about the warmth. She hadn’t realized how numb her skin had grown to the slight chill in the air. It left her prickly and suddenly cold, so she drew the cloak in close.

“Do you know how to ride?” He asked.

“Not really,” she grimaced.

He humphed.

“Fortunately for you, all you really need to do is sit there while I lead, in this instance.”

Liv spared the saddle and horse and uncertain glance, “What if he doesn’t want me up there?”

“Kelsa might snort and stomp her foot, but I promise she’s all steam,” he said.

She pursed her lips, uncertain if she could even reach the damn foot-thingy anyway. The more she studied the rig, the more she realized how far off the ground the saddle was. This Kelsa of his was ridiculously tall.

“I think I’d rather–”

She gave a particularly indignant squawk as she was suddenly lifted and set upon the horse’s back. Liv stiffened, bracing for some other manner of treachery from Kaedric or his beast. Kelsa shifted her weight and flicked her ears around, but that was all.

“Get me down,” she said, scarcely able to breathe.

“Come now, you’re already up there. It can’t be that bad?”

Liv hadn’t realized her cheeks had grown hot.

“Not yet, but who's to say something won’t happen when it starts moving?”

“She won’t toss you, I promise,” he said, gathering the reins in one hand, “If she does, you can curse me later. How’s that?”

“Won’t be much of a curse if my neck is broken,” she muttered, fixing the way the cloak rested around her legs.

Kaedric gave a light chuckle, “You’ll be fine. Hold to the front of the saddle, if it makes you feel better.”

She did so, knuckles turning white when he and the horse stepped off. Liv had seen people ride horses before and knew the general concept, but she’d never been on anything more exciting than a bicycle. Looking back, the actors made it look far easier than it actually was. Was she supposed to wobble around this much? They weren’t even moving all that fast . . .

“Am I doing it right?” She asked.

He spared a glance over his shoulder, “You’re doing well enough. Try to straighten your back, though. You’ll be more comfortable.”

Liv did as instructed and felt some of the awkward tension leave her shoulders and upper back. Well, that certainly helped with the wobbling. She’d have to keep that in mind.

They rode in silence for a time before she asked, “The Rot you were asking about before, how did you know I didn’t have it?”

“We wouldn’t be having this conversation if you did.”

“How so? Is it some sort of disease?”

He sighed softly through his nose, “I suppose in a manner of speaking, it is, but according to the Magisterium, it's of arcane origin. It rots your gemcore from the inside out.”

She couldn’t say she was particularly thrilled by the news of some magical disease, but she nodded and filed the information away.

“And you can see it in the eyes?”

“There’s this black goo that oozes from them. It darkens the veins around the eyes too. It’s hard to miss. Those who are afflicted are usually no more than beasts, depending on the stage of infection.”

“Well, I can safely say I haven’t seen anything like it,” she said.

“Count yourself lucky. Not everyone is so fortunate.”

She frowned at the subtle shift in his tone of voice. Had she struck a chord? She hadn’t meant to.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

“Don’t be. It’s hardly your fault,” he said.

“Is the Rot common around here?”

She assumed it had to be.

“Moreso in the west, but it’s been creeping closer as of late. I’d be wary of any strangers you find wandering around.”

“I see you’re fond of taking your own advice.”

Kaedric gave a sore chuckle, “I did my diligence before offering you my hand. If you were infected, I’d know. And like I said, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

She couldn’t help but ask, “Why take me in at all?”

“Aside from it being common decency? I don’t plan on giving the Rot another vessel.”

“Fair enough. I appreciate it, though. I’m not used to people going out of their way to help someone they barely know. Even if they did, I can’t imagine anyone offering up their own home.”

“It doesn’t sound like you come from a very welcoming place,” he said.

“It has its ups and downs. No more than yours, I’d imagine.”

He shrugged a shoulder, “Every place has its quirks. You just have to decide which ones you’re willing to live with.”

Curiosity got the better of her and she asked, “You said this city was more than ten miles away, right? Does that mean you live on the outskirts?”

“You could call it that. There are a few farms nearby, so I’m not entirely isolated, but I like the quiet. No one really bothers me out here,” Kaedric said.

“Do you live alone, then?”

“Not if you include Kelsa.”

She rolled her eyes, “A horse isn’t exactly a roommate.”

“Roommate?” He asked.

“Someone you live with. You know, like another person?”

“Sounds awful,” he huffed.

“Says the one taking a stranger home.”

“There’s a difference. You’re a guest. As soon as you get on my nerves, I can just throw you out. No need to suck it up and pretend to play nice.”

Liv’s brow rose, “Toss me out? Is that what you’re planning on doing?”

“Insult Kelsa and I may have to,” he hummed.

He was joking, right?