Page 42 of I Ran Away to Evil 2
“I see.” I prepared my skills and switched to the defensive. I had high stats, and anything that messed with Bronwynn would have to go through me.
Then, wedidcome to a bridge. Brownie quickly parked the wagon off to the side and jumped down.
“This is perfect!” She laughed. Her smile was so bright it caught my breath. I got down and walked with her to the bridge.
“What if we don’t know the answer to the riddle?” I asked, unsure. “Should I fight her?”
“She also accepts coin,” Brownie told me. “But I’m sure we’ll befine. You’re in for a treat—literally, if Gerda’s baked anything new today. She’s as good as Henrietta in the kitchen.”
We walked forward, and I steeled myself for the bridge troll to jump out at us … but nothing happened. Brownie looked around the bridge in mixed confusion and disappointment.
“What now?” I asked.
“I guess we cross?” With trepidation, Bronwynn went back to the wagon and took Donna’s reins. The horse butted her head against the bard but let herself be led along. Bronwynn came up beside me and took a deep breath.
“Ready?”
I nodded.
We set off across the bridge.
And nothing happened.
“Does that mean she doesn’t control that bridge?” I wondered.
“I’ll go check.”
Donna nickered and pulled her reins free.
“That’s fine.” Bronwynn nodded. “But we shouldn’t stop longer than half an hour.”
Her horse pulled the wagon off to the side of the road ahead of them, then Donna shook herself lightly, magically divesting herself of the wagon. She wandered off into the woods while Bronwynn went to inspect the bridge. She stuck her head over the side before popping back up a second later. “No, her door is right there. Maybe she’s just busy?”
“She can’t be on every bridge all the time,” I reasoned. “I’m just impressed she can keep the bridge after we crossed it without any penalty …”
The half giantess shrugged. “You’ll have to ask her.”
We stretched our legs, ate a snack, and took the opportunity to step away for a few minutes for a reprieve. Then we just sat around while Donna did whatever a horse did in the dark woods.
Bronwynn was surprisingly quiet during the wait for her horse. She looked like she was distracted by something, and worried.
“Is Donna alright?” I asked, wondering after the horse who’d just traipsed off into the Dark Enchanted Forest.
A forest that sometimes ate people.
“She’s fine.” Bronwynn looked at me, and she must have seen my concern because she sighed and explained, “I’m just not used to going on an adventure without a bridge troll riddle. That means my third encounter could beanything.”
“I’m sure it’ll befine. Maybe we’ll meet some bandits around the next corner?” I tried to cheer her up, and it looked like it was working.
She shot me a forced half smile. “Maybe?”
At that point, I switched to distraction tactics, pointing at her new necklace. “Are you comfortable with the new instrument?”
Her hand came up and gripped the oval pendant. “Wanna hear?”
“I’d love to.”
Bronwynn performed beautifully, and it distracted her until Donna returned. We packed up and set off.
