Page 56 of The Demon of the Wood

“He will be tried fairly. I will do everything I can to make certain it is fair. I can see he didn’t harm you, so that will help his case, but—”

“You can’t truly believe they will be fair to him?”

“I… I’m a Hunter. I have my own vows of justice and defense; we all take the same ones… I have to believe that will be enough.”

“You will let a male’s life depend on the justice of men who think taking turns on me is fair and good?”

Jackson grimaced, then placed the dagger in her hands, earnestness in his eyes. “Not all are like that. Many believe in true fairness and justice as I do. You must hope for it as I do. Now flee this place, Melina. Flee and don’t look back. If your demon loves you as much as you do him, he will want you to flee.”

Jackson removed his hands, then left the tent, giving her one last, rueful glance before leaving. She peeked back out through the tent flap carefully. There was a line of many tents, a fire in the middle where men were gathered. Far off, past the last tents was a cage and her heart constricted. That’s where Kaemon was. Back in a cage because of her. The horses were tied up a little way out from that.

She hung back for the hour like Jackson told her, knowing the men still awake were drinking, and she paced nervously. Their voices got louder for a time, all singing, and she could hear glasses clanking. She peeked outside to see their movements slower and the merriment from the drink in their eyes.

Holding her breath, she slipped out of the tent and padded out of their line of sight behind the other tents. Soft and careful, each step felt painstakingly slow to avoid anything that might snap or pop and alert their captors. The fire provided flickering ambient light along her way.

When she came to the cage, she held back a gasp. There was Kaemon, chained to the post like an animal, the single arrow still sticking out of him, the surrounding blood caked and drying. His head hung on his chest, that mass of beautiful black curls matted from sweat and grime covering his face.

“Kaemon,” she whispered, though she doubted the men could hear her normal voice from the distance and the sounds of the singing.

His head snapped up, eyes wide, brow furrowed painfully. “Melina.” His voice was like gravel, and she wondered when he'd last had water. “You have to get out of here.”

“You have to come with me,” she said.

He shook his head. “I can’t. You can’t get me out of these chains without the key. Flee. They will do terrible things to you for being with me. Find Aife. She will protect you, like I couldn’t.”

She battled the emotion that threatened to overwhelm her. “I can’t leave you.”

He blinked and gave a mirthless smile. “I’ll get out of here. I’m just biding my time and I’ll find you, no matter where you are.”

A sob escaped her throat. “You’re lying to me.”

His voice cracked. “Let’s just pretend, for now. Let’s just say it’s true.”

They stared at each other for a long moment, tears streaming silently down her cheeks, for she knew it was true. She was not strong enough or clever enough to help him. She would die, or worse, in the effort to get him out. But Aife and Jorah were strong, and so was Enid.

“Do you know where we are?” she asked him.

“Yes, we are about twenty miles from Orc Haven. Keep going west, and you will reach it.”

She nodded, standing. “I love you, Kaemon.”

She thought she saw tears in his eyes as he smiled. “And I love you, Melina.”

She took a long look at him, then turned and snuck around again, going towards the horses this time. Her foot stepped on a twig, the crack seeming impossibly loud in the night, and she held her breath as footsteps approached.

I’ve been found out.

She stood still as a deer, waiting. A man stepped around the tent, paying no attention, whistling to himself, then he opened his trousers and began peeing. He hadn’t heard her. He didn’t know she was there. Relief washed over her like a crashing wave, and she exhaled a soft breath. The man turned and left, and she continued to the horses.

They lifted their heads but kept quiet. She found the one she had been slung over and it nudged her affectionately as she carefully untied the other horses. They would have no easy way of pursuing her without them. She slapped their rumps, frightening them, and they kicked and neighed, running off into the night.

There was commotion at the campfire, and she unwound her own horse, scrambling clumsily into the saddle. Apple pranced uncomfortably, grunting, and she shushed her. Several of the Hunters appeared a few feet away, crying out at her, but she kicked her mare, and they galloped off at a fast pace. She heard them pursuing, and a few arrows shot past her, but they missed. Their shouts followed her for a long while until it faded to only the sounds of the forest. Still, she rode on, hard and fast, through the night. She could not stop; she could not fail.

The moon was high when Melina saw the arches of Orc Haven ahead of her. She was tired, as was her horse, but the sight brought her more energy and she spurred Apple, making her speed up. She trotted into the town, only a few drunks stumbling about in the darkness. Winding through the roads, the hooves clopping loudly in the quiet streets, she finally came to the Tipsy Tavern. She dismounted, almost falling as she did, and ran to the door. It was locked, naturally, and she didn’t know if Aife and Jorah would hear her. She started banging on the door; the sound ringing clear in the night.

“Aife! Aife!” she cried out. “Enid! Aife! Jorah!”

Someone yelled at her to quiet down from a window near her, but she continued anyway. For how long she wasn’t certain, long enough that she gave up hope. Sliding down against the door and sobbing. Then, the door opened, and she fell backwards on the ground, hitting her head. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of a huge orc male looming over her. She scrambled to her feet.

---