Ori—the result of a command issued by the woman wielding bloodstained knives. The distraction caused by the dog gave Ori the chance to drive his blade into the man facing him. Freeing his sword, Ori turned to ready himself for another attack, only to find the last soldier lying at the woman’s feet.
I tried to comprehend everything that had just happened, but I could not even command my body to stand.
While I struggled with the pain, the dog was growling at the soldier who had first attacked Ori. He was still alive, but was rolling on the ground as he tried to stop his bleeding. The woman was on her knee next to him, one of her knives pressed to his throat. Her rich voice forced my thoughts into focus.
“Do you need to question this man?”
Ori answered as he sheathed his sword. “No.”
Nodding, the woman mercifully ended the wounded soldier’s pain. Turning toward Ori as she slid her daggers back into their place along her thighs, the woman spoke again. “What did you do to make these men attack you?”
Ori ignored the woman, instead running over to help me up. “Aleana, are you well?”
Seeing the blood trickling from a wound above his eye, I tried to hide my pain in an attempt to lessen his worry. “I’m fine.”
My response sounded weak even to me.
Ori led me to the base of a tree and helped me sit. “Just stay here for now.”
He threw a look over his shoulder to the woman, who was examining the sword of a fallen soldier. His gaze seemed far from grateful.
I did as he asked, not because I particularly wanted to, but because I was still trying to tell myself to ignore the pain in my stomach. I was at least thankful I had not felt any of my ribs break. Small blessings were better than none.
Ori returned to the strange woman, and although I could not hear the request he made of her, they soon began clearing the bodies from the road, trying to remove any trace of the fight. I watched the woman as she silently worked alongside Ori. She had obviously been trained to fight, and the pieces of leather armor she wore hinted at the frequency with which her skills were needed. Her ink-black hair fell in a long plait down her back. She helped Ori with the last body, and then used her boot to kick dirt onto the last bloodstain, mixing it in with the mud that still rested in patches on the road.
As Ori walked back toward me, the woman fell into step behind him, the large dog following her as it wagged its tail. The stranger’s eyes connected with mine as Ori helped me to my feet. Her eyes were green, an intense color I had not seen on anyone else. A few seconds went by, and I realized I was staring. Snapping my gaze away from hers, I was able to see her more clearly. She was slightly taller than me, and three small black dots were etched into the skin above her right eyebrow, still prominent even against her dark-olive skin. The pain in my stomach momentarily subsided as I wondered what she could have done to earn such markings.
“I was hoping to catch them before they caused any trouble. They were in the town back there asking questions, claiming to be Enivian soldiers.” She glanced toward the trees now hiding the bodies of our assailants. “And yet, some of them were carrying Dakmoran blades.”
“Very observant of you.” Ori’s words dripped from his lips like poison.
“It’s how I stay alive.” The woman turned her back and started walking toward the trees, her dog still at her heels.
“Wait! You….” I finally found my voice. “You saved our lives. At least let us repay you somehow?”
“We do have food to spare,” Ori added, but his tone was still far from welcoming.
“There’s no need for that.” The stranger had at least stopped walking away. “I have plenty of supplies, but thank you anyway. Two of those men deserve burials, which I must attend to.”
Ignoring her comment, I caught the woman’s eyes again. “Please, will you at least tell us your name?”
A few seconds
I tried to comprehend everything that had just happened, but I could not even command my body to stand.
While I struggled with the pain, the dog was growling at the soldier who had first attacked Ori. He was still alive, but was rolling on the ground as he tried to stop his bleeding. The woman was on her knee next to him, one of her knives pressed to his throat. Her rich voice forced my thoughts into focus.
“Do you need to question this man?”
Ori answered as he sheathed his sword. “No.”
Nodding, the woman mercifully ended the wounded soldier’s pain. Turning toward Ori as she slid her daggers back into their place along her thighs, the woman spoke again. “What did you do to make these men attack you?”
Ori ignored the woman, instead running over to help me up. “Aleana, are you well?”
Seeing the blood trickling from a wound above his eye, I tried to hide my pain in an attempt to lessen his worry. “I’m fine.”
My response sounded weak even to me.
Ori led me to the base of a tree and helped me sit. “Just stay here for now.”
He threw a look over his shoulder to the woman, who was examining the sword of a fallen soldier. His gaze seemed far from grateful.
I did as he asked, not because I particularly wanted to, but because I was still trying to tell myself to ignore the pain in my stomach. I was at least thankful I had not felt any of my ribs break. Small blessings were better than none.
Ori returned to the strange woman, and although I could not hear the request he made of her, they soon began clearing the bodies from the road, trying to remove any trace of the fight. I watched the woman as she silently worked alongside Ori. She had obviously been trained to fight, and the pieces of leather armor she wore hinted at the frequency with which her skills were needed. Her ink-black hair fell in a long plait down her back. She helped Ori with the last body, and then used her boot to kick dirt onto the last bloodstain, mixing it in with the mud that still rested in patches on the road.
As Ori walked back toward me, the woman fell into step behind him, the large dog following her as it wagged its tail. The stranger’s eyes connected with mine as Ori helped me to my feet. Her eyes were green, an intense color I had not seen on anyone else. A few seconds went by, and I realized I was staring. Snapping my gaze away from hers, I was able to see her more clearly. She was slightly taller than me, and three small black dots were etched into the skin above her right eyebrow, still prominent even against her dark-olive skin. The pain in my stomach momentarily subsided as I wondered what she could have done to earn such markings.
“I was hoping to catch them before they caused any trouble. They were in the town back there asking questions, claiming to be Enivian soldiers.” She glanced toward the trees now hiding the bodies of our assailants. “And yet, some of them were carrying Dakmoran blades.”
“Very observant of you.” Ori’s words dripped from his lips like poison.
“It’s how I stay alive.” The woman turned her back and started walking toward the trees, her dog still at her heels.
“Wait! You….” I finally found my voice. “You saved our lives. At least let us repay you somehow?”
“We do have food to spare,” Ori added, but his tone was still far from welcoming.
“There’s no need for that.” The stranger had at least stopped walking away. “I have plenty of supplies, but thank you anyway. Two of those men deserve burials, which I must attend to.”
Ignoring her comment, I caught the woman’s eyes again. “Please, will you at least tell us your name?”
A few seconds
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