Page 23 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

Around noon, I head off the road a bit and into the trees for some privacy. I empty my bladder, as does Shadow, before sittingdown in a small clearing in the woods and pulling out the food Marah packed for me. Shadow grazes quietly as I devour the bread and cheese, grateful for the innkeeper’s thoughtfulness. Based on the map in the temple, it looked like the next town is about a two-day walk, so tonight will unfortunately be spent camping. My feet are still sore from all the walking I’ve done over the last few days, but I can already tell that I’m gaining some endurance. I finish my meal and stand up, dusting off the dirt from my pants and taking a quick swig of water from my canteen.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Shadow lift her head abruptly and her ears twist back.

We’re no longer alone.

Whether it be man or beast, something is close by. I make my way over to her and draw my bow, nocking an arrow with familiar precision. I turn in a slow circle, listening to my surroundings. The snap of a twig has me turning quickly to my left to find a male emerging from the trees, flanked by two others; all of them look to be about the same age as my godfather but are much more haggard and thin. Hunger and desperation cloud their dark eyes, and I instantly know that they’re not here to make a new friend.

I aim my bow at the first man’s chest, and he smiles savagely, the sight of his stained yellow teeth making my stomach churn.“I wouldn’t step any closer,” I shout, trying to sound confident.

“Is that so?” the man asks, continuing to step toward me with that same crazed expression.

I take aim and loose the arrow, grazing his right arm rightbelow the shoulder. He gasps and reaches up, clutching the scratch.“Next time, I won’t miss,” I promise, as I nock another arrow, quick as lightning.

All three men stop in their tracks, considering me carefully, as if they might actually believe that I’m not just a helpless female they can take advantage of.

The closest man holds his hands up as a gesture of good faith, showing me he’s unarmed, at least that I can see from my vantage point.“We only wish to talk.”

I keep my bow drawn, and my arm starts to burn from the strain put on my muscles, but I don’t let down my guard.“So talk,” I say coldly, Shadow still as a tree behind me.

“We are but tired, old men. We heard that you are… generous. We had hoped that we would receive the same charity that you so kindly bestowed upon others.” He takes another step toward me, and Shadow snorts disapprovingly, pawing the ground.

“I have nothing to offer you,” I say, my heart thundering in my chest. Maybe these men were in the tavern when I paid Marah for the room last night, or when I left her an extra silver piece this morning. Either way, the weight of the coin purse in my pocket is a heavy reminder that I do indeed have a good amount of money, but I don’t back down.

The front man clicks his tongue patronizingly.“Don’t lie to me, girl. I know you carry a considerable sum.” One of the men behind him hocks a thick wad of spit in the grass, never taking his eyes off me. I move my bow so I’m taking aim at him now, and his eyes go wide briefly with surprise, and maybe even a little fear.

“Leave now, or you won’t like how this ends,” I say, shockedthat my voice comes out firm and steady, especially considering I’ve never shot an arrow at a person before. The repercussions of that, of taking someone’s life or seriously injuring them, make me want to vomit. But I also know that if they get close enough, they’ll probably beat me senseless and take everything I have, maybe even killing me in the process.

“You’re a fiery little thing, aren’t you?” The third man snickers.“Maybe she has more to offer us than money…” His eyes travel over my body as his face breaks into a wicked grin, giving me a pretty good idea of the filthy thoughts that are now occupying his mind.

His comment makes my blood boil, and without much thought, I loose my arrow, and it lands in his left shoulder, precisely where I meant it to go.

His eyes go wide in surprise as he cries out.“You little bitch!”

I nock another arrow, aiming again at the front man.“I won’t tell you again. Leave.”

The two uninjured men exchange a look as the man with the arrow now protruding from his shoulder starts to turn pale. A steady trickle of blood is oozing through his filthy shirt, but it’s a clean wound. If I hit an artery or a bone, he would either be bleeding much more or screaming in agony.

My pulse is thrumming loudly in my ears as adrenaline pumps through my veins, heightening my senses. The three men start to back away, grumbling, but I keep my aim locked on them, watching as they retreat back into the trees.

Shadow nudges me in the back, and I relax my stance, my muscles singing with joy at the reprieve from being held in the same position for so long. I put the arrow back in my quiver and string my bow back across my body. Shadow pushes me with her head toward her back, bowing slightly with her front legs and inviting me to get on. Still reeling from the encounter with the would-be thieves, I gladly hop up onto her back, swinging my leg over her body swiftly. I grab onto her mane as she hurries into a canter, taking us back to the main road. My knees grip her sides tightly, my whole body tense from the last few minutes.

Slowly, my heart returns to its normal rhythm and my body relaxes as the cortisol exits my system, leaving me exhausted. I’m unnerved to say the least, knowing that word of my presence and my so-called wealth has traveled so much that I have become a target to those desperate enough. I can only hope that the next town is far enough from Ockchester that this encounter will be a thing of the past, and that the men who just attacked me won’t try to follow. I mentally kick myself for being so naive and make a point to be more discreet about how I handle my money in front of others since I apparently wasn’t discreet enough at the tavern.

After about ten minutes, Shadow slows her steps to a steady walk, confident that we put enough space between us and the men who tried to rob me. I stroke her neck appreciatively, just now realizing that this is the first time I’ve ridden her, grateful for her invitation. It doesn’t feel much different from riding a horse, aside from the general awareness of her wings lying over my legs. We ride at a steady pace for the rest of the afternoon, but by the time the sun is setting, we still haven’t reached the next town, so we find a spot to camp for the night.

We make our way into the trees off the main road, and I find a small hollow in a wall of earth and stone that offers more shelter than the trees. I lay my pack down and build a meager fire before venturing over to a little pond several yards away to see if there’s any fish I could catch for supper. Sure enough, there are a few herring, and I stick my open hand in the water, waiting patiently.

A few minutes later, I’ve managed to catch two fish with my bare hands, a skill that Killian and I practiced for hours at a time most summers, often competing to see who could catch more. I quickly clean and gut them with my dagger before roasting them over the fire, grateful for the sustenance after my eventful day.

Shadow munches away lazily as the sun finally disappears, and I lay down, using my knapsack as a pillow and covering myself with my cloak to keep out the chill. My muscles are aching from riding bareback, and I relax into the earth, confident that Shadow will sense a threat and wake me if there's any trouble nearby.

I process the events of the day, coming to terms with the fact that while people here are generally the same as those in Staghorn Forest, the world is so much bigger than I realized. Today, I learned that desperation will drive people to dark places and that I shouldn’t let my guard down, even if I feel safe.

I sleep restlessly, startling at every little sound among the trees, and wake the next morning feeling so homesick it hurts.

Chapter Twelve

We arrive in the next town by midday since Shadow let me ride her again, and I can instantly tell it’s bigger than Ockchester. There are the typical buildings and countless angular, tightly-packed townhomes that spread out for several blocks beyond the town square. It’s probably comparable in size to Staghorn Village, if not slightly bigger, which is a bit overwhelming if I’m completely honest.

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