Page 41 of Swordheart
“That’s the truth,” said Halla. “My name’s Halla.”
“I’m Mina.”
They sat while the serving woman brought Mina cider. She wrapped her hands around the mug to warm them.
“Have you been traveling long?” asked Mina finally. She looked over her shoulder again, as if expecting pursuit.
“A few days.” Halla felt suddenly better about the whole thing.Traveling.She’d beentraveling.Not staggering through hedgerows with aching feet, after a man who probably thought she couldn’t find her way out of a paper sack without help.
Traveling. I am a traveler. I will look back on this someday and be worldly and jaded—“Oh, yes, my dears, I was a great traveler when I was middle-aged. I saw many exotic hedgerows and was manhandled into ditches all across this great land.”
Mina smiled uncertainly, and Halla realized that she’d been smirking at her own thoughts. “And you?”
“Oh,” said Mina, her smile fading. “It feels like a long time. Probably longer than it really was.” She stared into her mug.
Halla nodded. Sadly, this reminded her that she, too, had a destination, and she should probably get moving. She started to rise from her chair.
Mina held out a hand. “Ah… Miss Halla? I… ah. Would you mind if we left together?” She glanced over her shoulder again. “I’d rather no one know I was traveling alone. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble.”
Halla’s heart went out to her. “Of course not. Whenever you’re ready.”
She put the mug down. “Now is fine. I just wanted to stop and get warm. I don’t mean to keep you waiting.”
Halla got to her feet, rearranged her cloak, and picked up the enchanted sword.
“Is thatyoursword?” asked Mina, her eyes going round.
“Oh, no!” said Halla, and then, “Well, sort of. I guess it’s mine, but it’s really a friend’s.” She shrugged herself into it, tugging her cloak free of the straps. It did get easier with practice.
“I suppose if you’re waving a big sword around, you’re not so worried about someone attacking you.”
“If I waved this sword around, I’d probably cut my head off,” said Halla cheerfully. “No, I’m just carrying it. It’s a long story.”
They left the inn together, chatting amiably. No one followed them, so far as Halla could tell.
They walked along the side of the road together. Sarkis would have been wary, probably scoping out nearby ditches, but Halla pushed the thought out of her mind.If anyone is looking, it’s for a man and a woman, not two women. Or one woman. Technically, I’ve been kidnapped, I think.
Undoubtedly, Cousin Alver would have spun it that way to the constables, since, “My cousin ran off with a strange man rather than marry me,” would have been an unforgivable blow to his pride.
She didn’t mention any of this to Mina.
After a time, the other woman fell silent. She looked over her shoulder repeatedly, as if she was running away from someone.
“Are you all right?” asked Halla.
“Aye, fine.” She sounded curt.
Frightened,Halla thought, a bit sadly. She wondered if it was a man, then snorted at her own foolishness.Of course it’s a man. It always is.
“Do you need to go your own way?” she asked. “Get off the road a bit, perhaps?”
“Not just yet,” said Mina, glancing over her shoulder again. “But… aye, off the road is not a bad thought.”
They found a break in the hedgerow, on the far side of the ditch. Halla paused, not entirely willing, but the other woman gestured to her to go first.
I don’t know what you’re worried about. You’ve been sleeping in hedgerows. You crapped in one this morning, while Sarkis tried to pretendthat he was bird-watching. It’s not like you don’t know them intimately by now.
Halla shook herself mentally and crossed the ditch.
