Chapter 19: On the Road

It had been eight days of travel through the forested path from Bramholt to the Eisenlanze Zitadelle. Their route wound through wetlands, close to the many tributaries feeding the Iskander Rivers. Jenny was riding on the brown Courser whom she had named Chestnut. A simple name for a brown steed. After all, she had no idea how long the steed would last her, and so a simple name was good enough. Dravisha was right behind her, her arms wrapped around Jenny’s torso for support as well as obvious intimacy.

As was typical for Hochwalden, it was pouring rain. Jenny’s wide-brimmed hat and greatcoat managed to keep her dry; the demoness, however, was fully exposed to the rain, though she didn’t seem to mind. Of course, the demon was back in her human form, her skin a nice creamy beige and her eyes glinting a soft orange amber colour.

They rode unperturbed until a wagon pulled alongside. A simple villager, clearly intent on keeping pace, sat on the bench, reins in hand.

“Holla, what be two comely lasses doing about these woods alone?” He asked them.

Jenny turned and looked annoyed at him, until she saw a girl next to the man and understood that he meant no ill will but was simply asking out of concern.

“We are travelling south. What’s it to you?” Jenny replied.

“Forest be a dangerous place for two lasses, I tell ya. Ya wouldn't mind if I keep yer company, now would ya?”

Jenny revealed her steel beneath her greatcoat, “We know how to take care of ourselves. But the forest is dangerous for a father and daughter as well.”

“Aye, that it be. It’s why I brought good old Betzy with me.” He pulled out a big blunderbuss from his wagon. “And if that ain’t enough, I’ve got me pistol and I’ve got me axe.” He pulled aside his jacket to reveal a flint-lock pistol.

Jenny nodded appreciatively at those. At least the villager was not dumb enough to travel with his daughter without packing at least some heat. It was a small comfort to Jenny as she regarded the little girl with her ginger hair and speckled face. The girl had wide, curious green eyes as she stared at Jenny.

“Will you travel with us?” She asked sweetly.

“Umm…” Jenny had no idea how to say no to a cute kid. It was perhaps a major weakness of hers.

“Yes, let us accompany ye, at least till the first sign of civilization. It be hard on me heart to leave two lasses alone in the woods. There be safety in numbers.”

Dravisha giggled. “Oh sure. Why not, Jenny?”

Jenny sighed and slumped her shoulders. “Ah, fine.”

They travelled together until dusk. By then, the rain had lessened to a light trickle in the breeze. Still, most of the wood in the forest had become wet and so making a campfire became difficult. Jenny felt for the dry side of the trunks on the birch trees before cutting off the dry bark to use for kindling. Dravisha, with her night vision, helped gather dry branches. When out of sight of the villager and his daughter, she subtly used her shadow tendrils to rip off dry branches from higher up. This allowed them to build a small fire at least.

The Villager was very grateful for their quick work with the fire. He set a kettle atop the flames and offered them the soup he was preparing. It was simple rabbit stew with vegetables and bread. Jenny wanted to decline, hesitant to impose on a stranger's generosity, but the villager vehemently insisted, and so Jenny accepted.

“Thank you, God, for this feast and fine company. Amen.” The Villager and daughter prayed, much to the Demoness’s visible chagrin; Dravisha gritted her teeth in displeasure.

“Why don’t you two pray, too,” The daughter asked, her head cocked.

"No, ummm… we're fine. We're just so hungry we can't wait to eat,” Dravisha said, immediately biting into the bread to sell her lie. Though she gained no sustenance from mortal food, and it turned to ash in her mouth, she chewed with feigned enthusiasm. “Yummy.”

“Ahh, ok?” The daughter said, confused, and looked to her father, unsure.

The villager shrugged. “Well, it’s ok then, if ya don’t want to pray for whatever reason, then I suppose I can’t force ya. Though it be a bit unusual.”

Jenny gulped down her rabbit stew uncomfortably, laughing nervously. “Heh, yeah, we are just weary from our travels. I think we are just tired and want to retire.”

Jenny got up, yawning deliberately, and pulled Dravisha away from the fire to somewhere more secluded. “I think as soon as they fall asleep, we should ride away from them. Sooner or later, they will realize how unusual we are; we can’t risk it.”

Dravisha rolled her eyes and whispered, “Oh, come now, how much harm can a simple villager and his daughter be?”

“We are wanted fugitives,” Jenny hissed quietly. “If they notice anything unusual about us, they could report us to the nearest Church. Besides, as long as we travel with them, you can’t be so intimate with me, or did you forget that such a thing is illegal?”

Dravisha scoffed. “Oh fine.”

“What are you two whispering?” The girl had somehow silently sneaked up on them.

“Ummm… nothing,” Jenny said and bent down to be eye level with her. “We were just about to sleep. You should sleep too.”

“Why are you sleeping out here so far away? Don’t you like us? And where is your bed stuff?” She asked while swaying nervously.

Jenny didn’t have any satisfactory answers. “Uhh… we do like you, we just prefer a little privacy.”

"Ohh, ok.” She pouted, displeased. “Daddy said if you two need bedrolls, we have a spare one. You can also sleep in the wagon if you want. It’s more comfortable than out in the cold.”

Jenny smiled. “That’s very kind of your father, but we couldn’t possibly impose.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why can’t you impose? Are you two not wet and cold?”

Dravisha laughed. “She got you there, Jenny.”

Jenny slumped her shoulders and sighed. She didn’t want to be impolite to the girl, nor appear more suspicious. “Alright, fine,” she said, following the girl to the wagon.

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The Father smiled warmly as he led them inside the wagon. They all curled up together for the night, and for Jenny, it was a far greater comfort than sleeping exposed in the forest, as they had for the past eight days.

As the first rays of dawn filtered through the wagon, Jenny woke. She had a terrible nightmare, her mother’s screams echoing through her mind. Cold sweat soaked her clothes, and her chest heaved. She turned to the snoozing Demoness, her head resting peacefully on Jenny’s shoulders, her arms and legs wrapped tightly around her body.

“Dravisha, wake up,” Jenny whispered as she carefully shook the Demoness.

The Demoness groaned and murmured incoherently as she stirred, but didn’t wake. Jenny shook her again, this time a bit rougher.

“Dravisha, we need to go.”

Dravisha’s eyes fluttered open. She took a moment to adjust, still groggy with sleep. “Mngh, what the hell, Jenny? It’s so early,” she murmured, half-asleep.

“Get up, we have to go before they wake up,” Jenny whispered as she pushed the Demoness off her and carefully rolled over her to get out of the wagon. She made sure to be as quiet as possible not to disturb the father and daughter pair. As she emerged from the Wagon, the chill morning air gnawed at her. It was misty, and the morning dew was visible on all the plants. Dravisha emerged from the wagon a moment later, her hair dishevelled and eyes puffy.

Together, they mounted Chestnut. Jenny sat in the front, Dravisha taking up the rear. They rode forth without the villager or his daughter being the wiser. Dravisha took the opportunity of the ride to rest her eyes while leaning her head on Jenny’s shoulder.

By late afternoon, they arrived at an Inn. It was a building made of rough-hewn wood and stone. Its roof was dilapidated but still sturdy, having weathered countless storms, probably. The windows were all foggy and grimy, letting through only the warm orange tone of light from inside. The heavy scent of ale and sweat wafted through the air. The door was sturdy, made with iron studs and closed, and above a sign read, ‘Der Alte Esel Gasthof.’

Jenny tied Chestnut to a nearby tree, and together they approached the inn's sturdy door.

“Looks inviting,” Dravisha commented sarcastically.

“It’s only for sleeping and eating, and it beats sleeping in the cold.”

“Or we could’ve been with the nice villager and his daughter and slept in the nice wagon.”

“Too risky, and it could have gotten messy. Let’s just go in,” Jenny said and rapped at the door.

The door swung slowly open, eerily creaking, and a tall, lean man peered out at them.

“Yes?” He grunted in a soft, rumbly baritone.

“We seek food and shelter for the night, good sir,” Jenny responded politely.

"It’s not a common sight to see two ladies wander the dark forest alone, so far from any village or town. Most unusual, no? But who am I to turn away two ladies in need? Come in, come in, and sit over there,” he said, stepping aside and gesturing to a table. “I will bring food and mead.”

Jenny walked in warily. A small fire crackled in the hearth, and flickering candles cast strange shadows over the hardened faces of patrons, who eyed them like a delicious prize. Jenny shuddered, her restless eyes shifting from place to place, taking in all the men staring at her. Dravisha strided in confidently as always, as though she owned the place, not letting the attention get to her in the slightest.

The two of them sat down, the stifling, oppressive air unnerving Jenny. Her fingers twitched towards her Dussack, reminding her that she was not defenceless. A moment later, the innkeeper arrived with food and mead as promised and set their table before fading back into the shadows.

He stared at them unblinkingly and asked, “What brings you here, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“What’s it to you?” Jenny asked with narrowed eyes.

“Oh no, I mean no offence. I am just curious,” He said while making a placating gesture.

Jenny scowled. “Your curiosity is noted, good sir, but I am disinclined to answer.”

“As you will,” He nodded. “Call me if you need anything.”

They finished their feast and mead, Dravisha forcing down her portion purely for the sake of blending in. They stood up together.

“Let’s head to bed,” Jenny whispered, to which Dravisha nodded.

They made their way to the bar, but before they could make it there, men blocked their path, their eyes openly leering, toothy grins stretching across their faces.

"Ho ho! Look at here, lads! Mine eyes have ne'er perceived such comely lasses as these. A rare sight, aye! Why don't ya two share a drink wi' us?" The front man said. He was rather well-dressed for a scoundrel, wearing a plumed hat and fine, though travel-stained, clothes. Jenny spotted a faint tattoo on his hand, a mark that likely signified his membership in some outlaw band.

“I’d rather not,” Jenny replied, disgusted, attempting to step around them. But the man wouldn’t let her. His arm shot out to grab her wrist, only for Jenny’s honed skills to prove quicker; she easily dodged before drawing her steel. The blade gleamed in the low light.

“Don’t touch me,” She hissed.

The front man drew his fine sidesword, and his men their backswords; one went so far as to pull out his pistol.

"Whoa there, prissy! Art ye sure ye know how to handle that?" The front man mocked while twirling his sidesword.

Dravisha nearly summoned her magic powers before remembering that they were trying to keep their powers hidden and blend in. Instead, her fingers twitched with anticipation, ready to unleash violence with her bare hands. She couldn’t use her sword either, since it would give her away as the one who killed Sebastian.

“Enough,” the innkeeper thundered before pulling out his blunderbuss. “No bloodshed in my Inn. That goes for all of you.”

“Me good host, begging yer pardon fer the ruckus. Ha ha! No need ta trouble yerself.” The front man laughed jovially and sheathed his sword before glowering at Jenny and whispering. “This ain’t o’er, lass.”

The men retreated with narrowed eyes, and Jenny passed by them to the bar. She looked up at the innkeeper and said, “One room, please.”

She still had a lot of gold left over from gambling at the Crimson Paradise. Too much gold in fact. She could easily set up her own merchant enterprise once she reached Aldreath, which sounded like a good idea to her. If she can’t get scrolls and artifacts from the coven, why not buy them as part of her business?

The innkeeper nodded and passed her a key as he received the gold coin. His eyebrow shot up.

“You really aren’t a normal customer, are you?” He couldn’t help but comment. He quickly pocketed the gold piece, then produced a handful of silver and copper in exchange. “If you flaunt that kind of wealth, you best watch your back, missy.”

Jenny agreed, but with no time to exchange her gold for smaller currency, she was left with no recourse but to use her vast fortune. She already had a target on her back for being pretty; now she had another one for being rich. ‘Woe is me,’ she thought. She was way too fortunate.

“Let me show you to your room,” he said, emerging from behind the bar, still clutching the blunderbuss. With his other hand, he picked up a candle and led them up a creaky old staircase. Shadows flickered on the wall as they advanced up the stairs and through the hall. He paused by a crooked old door.

“This is it,” He said and stood aside.

Jenny took out the key and unlocked the door. The innkeeper went inside and lit all the candles. The chamber was sparse, furnished only with a master bed, a heavy table, and a couple of chairs.

“I’ll leave you to it,” the Innkeeper said and left.

Jenny locked the door immediately and turned to Dravisha.

“This place gives me the creeps. Help me put the table in front of the door. I don’t want any unwelcome visitors at night.”

Dravisha nodded in agreement for once, seeming serious. “All the people here are sinners bound for hell, I can tell you that.”

They slid the table across the room and set it against the door. Jenny’s worries were somewhat assuaged, and she dropped onto the bed, relieved. Dravisha immediately followed suit and jumped into bed beside her.

“Ahh, finally a bed,” The Demoness groaned before wrapping her arms around Jenny. Her hands immediately began to roam across Jenny's body, quickly peeling off the Witch's outerwear. “Now let's enjoy this night properly,” She purred.

Jenny sighed before rolling over to face Dravisha. “Sure,” Jenny said while pulling Dravisha closer. She enjoyed the Demoness’ warmth, and before long, their lips met.