Page 119 of The Widow and the Orcs

Thecamp.Thecamp.Andwait,wait,LordScallcouldn’t know about the camp,LordScallwas dead, dead, dead.She’dseen the blood, she’d seen the life fading from those beady little eyes, and…

ItwasRikard.FuckingRikard.

Therelief shot throughLouisa’squaking body in a furious careening crash, squeezing her eyes shut, swaying her on her feet.ItwasRikard.OnlyRikard.

“Whatthe hell do you want,” she said, in a faint, wavering voice that didn’t sound at all like hers. “Thisismyproperty,Rikard.”

Butat that,Rikard— laughed.Laughed, loud and uproarious, as he lurched a step closer toward her. “No,Louisa,” he shot back. “Thisproperty ought to be mine.Mostof all now that you’ve thoroughly defiled it with those thieving, bloodthirsty beasts, and marched half the town through it today!You’veturned my uncle’s prized lands into a mockery!Afreak show!”

Afreak show.Itbrought up a bizarre, sudden vision ofKillik, and somehowLouisagripped her knife, found her breath again. “Thisproperty is mine,Rikard,” she replied, a little steadier. “Itismine, by law, andI’lldecide whatIdo with it!Andright now” — she drew in another shaky breath — “you’re trespassing, andIwant you to go the hell away!Now!”

Buther heart was hammering, now, her thoughts flashing back to whatKillikhad told her, only moments ago.Thisman has been hunting you for many days now.Seekingto bring you harm.AndKillikhad sent the patrol away too, leaving her alone here, no…

Louisa’sthroat convulsed, and before her,Rikardonly laughed again, and came a jerky step closer.SocloseLouisacould see the spittle on his lips, the whites around his eyes…

“Youcan’t control me,Louisa,”Rikardsaid, in a light, sing-song voice. “AndIwarned you again and again about those foul orcs.Iwarned you what would happen next, if you didn’t send them away.”

Louisatwitched, her breath stopped in her throat, andRikardkept coming closer, closer.Forcingher to stumble sideways, backwards, away from his wild eyes, his smile, his hot, ale-tainted breath.Smellingso much likeScallhad, too, raising the bile in her throat, no, no, run, escape, forget…

“BecauseIknow,Louisa,”Rikardcrooned at her. “Iknowwhat you did.”

Louisastaggered backwards again, shaking her head, no.Rikardwas manic, he was a weak, vile vermin, he didn’t know, he couldn’t…

“You’reimagining things,Rikard,”Louisasaid, though her voice was trembling. “Ihave no conception what you’re talking about!”

ButRikardjust kept pushing her backwards, off the path, further and further toward the trees.Andtoo late,Louisashot a desperate glance around her, at the near-impenetrable wall of brush to the left, and the deep swampy bog to the right.Thesame bogKillikhad led her through, and it wasn’t safe to walk into,Rikardhad trapped her here, damn it,damnit —

“Oh, you know exactly whatI’mtalking about,”Rikarddrawled, as he drewScall’slongsword from his belt. “Don’tyou,Louisa?Especially” — he gave a wide wave at the forest around them — “especiallyhere.”

Here.Louisa’sheart skipped, her breaths now rapid and shallow, her eyes again darting at the brush, the bog — and then, curse it, atKillik’swhite property marker, fluttering before her in the brush.Becauseno, no, they’d crossed ontoRikard’sland now — and this was the only swampy, impassable section he had left.Butit was still far too familiar, a placeLouisaknew far too well, and…

Thefear trickled upLouisa’sspine, numb and clammy and cold, and she dragged for air, jolted another step backwards.Herhand gripping tighter at her knife, her eyes sweeping over the brush, the ground, the bog, that long gleaming sword inRikard’shand.Atthe way he was holding it out, much too far to the front, leaving his side exposed…

“Iknow you did it,”Rikardhissed, frenzied, triumphant. “Iknow you did it here.Andnow, you’re finally going to face justice for your crimes!”

Louisa’sterror jolted higher, but she forced herself to hold still, to keep watching, keep waiting.Keepbreathing, draw up the earth, remember allKillik’slessons, wait, quiet, listen, breathe…

“Youmurdered my uncle,Louisa,” cameRikard’svoice, deep and terrible. “YoukilledLordScall!”

Itthudded throughLouisalike a drum, like a scream, like a quiet ringing certainty.Likeall her deepest, darkest secrets finally lain bare, hurled out into the open.Facethis, face this, truth, truth…

Truth.Ifear you not.

“Yes,”Louisawhispered, as she clutched her knife close to her chest. “Idid.Andnow” — her mouth pulled into something like a smile — “nowI’mgoing to killyou.”

Andwith one last, desperate breath, she lunged, and struck her knife for his throat.

57

Louisawould have done it.

Hercharge was strong, her aim true.Herknife-blade driving straight toward where she wanted it, into the soft meaty flesh ofRikard’spale, sweaty throat.

BecauseifRikardknew — ifRikardtold — then it would be the end of everything.Herproperty.Herhome.Hersisters’ home.Hercamp.Herorcs.Herlife.

No.Shewouldn’t allow it.Notafter all she’d borne.Shewould face it, and fix it.ShewasSkai.Ifear you not.

Andas she lunged forRikard’sthroat, her blade even — scraped.Brokethe skin.Drewout a sharp, tantalizing line of that sweet red blood.SocloseLouisacould taste it, she almost, almost had it —

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