Chapter 39

Ellery

The sun washigh in the sky, indicating it was nearly noon before Ryker and I came across a stream and decided to stop for lunch. I removed my bow from my back and pulled an arrow from my quiver while Ryker moved to the stream.

Kneeling at its side, he cupped his hand and used it to drink the water. I hadn't purposely kept him away from water; I wasn't cruel, but he'd chosen our direction as he'd decided to head toward The Hollows. He said he had something to show me; I suspected it was a pixie door.

I'd warned him there wasn't much water between here and there, but he'd said he'd be fine. After a couple of hours of crossing some rugged terrain, climbing hills, and rocks, I'd offered him some of my water; it was his choice to refuse it.

While he drank, I hunted our lunch. I returned with a buxon, a creature the size of a large cat, and with plenty of delicious meat.

While I was away, Ryker had finished drinking and gathered wood for a fire. He already had it lit and the flames high by the time I returned.

"I'll skin it," he offered.

"I know how to skin an animal."

"I have no doubt, but you caught the meal; the least I can do is prepare it."

I wasn't going to argue with him. I'd skinned countless animals over the years, but still didn't like doing it.

I handed our meal to him and settled against a thick tree trunk. Above me, the birds flitted between the branches, singing and calling to each other as animals scurried through the woods and clambered across tree limbs.

The sounds of the forest, the dance of shadows as the trees swayed with the breeze, and the crisp scents of the fire and earth helped calm some of the anxiety clawing at my chest since Ryker's message arrived yesterday.

It was a perfect spring day, not too hot or cold; a slight breeze carried the scent of flowers. The peace of the forest had a miraculous way of making things better.

The crackle of the fire grew louder while Ryker worked. Occasionally, he tossed more kindling onto the flames to ensure they didn't go out. Then, he settled our lunch onto a stick and held it over them.

"How far are we from Nottingshire?" he asked while rotating lunch.

When my stomach rumbled, it took all I had not to lick my lips. "About a mile. We'll be there soon."

"We haven't encountered anything dangerous today."

"You suggested going to The Hollows. It wouldn't make sense to go deeper into the woods to get there; most of the things that would prefer to eat us thrive in the interior of the Revenant Woods. If we stay near the forest's edge, we probably won't encounter anything deadly today."

He nodded, and my stomach rumbled again. I'd nibbled on some jerky a couple of hours ago, but we'd done a lot of walking today; my empty stomach and sore feet reminded me of this.

When Ryker finished cooking our meal, he used his knife to cut off two pieces of meat. He handed them to me before slicing away more for himself.

I surreptitiously watched him as we ate. While I didn't particularly like the man, or any aristocrat, and I certainly didn't trust him—I was as good as dead if he ever found out I was the one who robbed him—it was a strangely companionable silence.

When he looked up at me, I didn't glance away but met his eyes. I hadn't been doing anything wrong and refused to feel like I had, although it took a bit to suppress the heat creeping up my neck.

"I remember you," he said.