CHAPTER 21 Bronwynn’s Third Encounter

CHAPTER 21

Bronwynn’s Third Encounter

Rufus

I knew that the first thing Knight Commander Havork had done when he’d stepped up as the regent of Drendil was to throw Duke Francis into a dungeon … but that didn’t stop me from wanting to go to Drendil and personally drag the young duke back to my dungeon.

And not the one with the comfy chairs.

Maybe it was my upbringing, but I took freedom and consent very personally. And the lack thereof was a sure way to raise my hackles. Literally. The hairs on my spine stood against my tunic, and only [Natural Poise] kept me from bristling about the edges.

“I’m just glad you were alright in the end,” I told the minstrel after she regaled me with a tale that included her leaping over a table, drinking a tankard of ale, jumping through a window onto the outer stairs, tripping three knights down that flight of stairs, pinning Francis to a wall with five daggers, and then riding off into the sunset on her trusty companion, Donna.

In fact, Donna had come out with a much higher take down number as she broke out of the stable and crossed the castle to get her bard. My respect for the horse, already high, rose even higher.

Bronwynn shrugged. “All in a day’s work for a minstrel.”

“I don’t think escaping out of castle windows is normal for most musicians,” I stated. We’d turned onto the main road a while ago and were happily moseying along.

“If the need arises,” Bronwynn assured me, “I’m very good at throwing myself or others out of windows. If defenestration were a skill, I’d be at expert rank.”

Her enthusiasm worried me, but I was sure that on this trip, there would be no defenestration needed … and if it was, I’d trust her to handle herself .

Bards always landed on their feet.

The sun rose over the Dark Enchanted Forest as we trudged forward. Donna was tireless, though sometimes, she would wander off to the side of the road and inspect something.

The trip was peaceful. We passed three catkin female adventurers on their way to Green Oak, and a giant wild boar the size of the wagon. The boar snarfed and snorted when it saw us, but Donna actually saved us from any confrontation. When she saw the boar wasn’t moving out of her way, the mare raised her head elegantly, chin in the air. She looked down her nose at the creature and whinnied .

She sounded like a princess dressing down the staff for getting dirt on her horseshoe.

The boar’s eyebrows shot up comedically high, and he chuffed. He was making excuses.

Donna stamped her foot and started walking straight for the beast, who promptly got out of her way. The mare didn’t even look at the boar again, simply passing it by and continuing down the road.

Bronwynn didn’t think anything of it, acting like a rabbit had just crossed our path.

She was the same when we rode past a group of tiny mice wearing jackets and wielding swords fighting a hawk in a field later that afternoon. And the time we saw two elves ride by on unicorns, heading back the way we’d come.

Finally, I asked, “How often do you travel the woods?”

Bronwynn opened her eyes; she’d been relaxing in the sun. Her red-tipped hair caught the light beautifully. “Depends on the year. I don’t really like sailing, so if I have the time, I’ll choose the extra few days it takes going through the forest. I prefer encounters here than on the ocean.”

“So it’s not always in the Dark Enchanted Forest? It could happen in Servalt?” I did a Perception check, finding nothing. The forest had its own magic and its own personality. It would probably delight in sending encounters to a bard.

“Anytime, anywhere. From the moment I ‘start the quest’”—she made air quotations around the last part—“which in this case was the second I left Henrietta’s wedding.”

“So we have until you arrive at Heatherfeld?”

“Yep.” She glanced around and sighed. “I think Gerda’s bridge and Kith Bog have moved, so we’ll see what comes our way.”

“The boar didn’t count?” We’d certainly come across a number of things already, and it was barely midafternoon.

“Donna handled that.” The minstrel shrugged.

“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, we did come 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 be fine . 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 be anything .”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine . 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.

She was still on edge when we crossed the border of the Dark Enchanted Forest and into Servalt. The tree line thinned out, and gentle green fields stretched toward a small town close to the border. Our last stop before arriving at the party tomorrow morning.

The minstrel was frowning. “I was sure we’d meet someone in the forest …”

I didn’t know what to say. We’d made great time, and had plenty of opportunities to find an inn, settle in, and grab dinner.

“Maybe whoever was going to approach us saw me and decided otherwise?” I offered.

“I traveled with the Heroine of Justice once. Our boat was attacked by Elder Greg the Kraken, the Dancing Blade pirates, and we rescued a shipwrecked prince of Peldeep,” Bronwynn explained. “I was expecting to meet at least a talking squirrel!”

“Maybe there’ll be a bar fight here before we go to bed?” I looked around the peaceful dining area, grasping at straws, hoping to find something to make her feel better. “Or someone will try and steal Donna tomorrow morning?”

She actually brightened up at that. “You’re probably right. Let’s wait and see.”

There wasn’t anything else I could do, so I bought her a drink and enjoyed listening to more of her adventures while she explained to me some of the different kinds of “encounters” she’d faced on her past adventures. Even as I enjoyed the tales, a small feeling of discomfort crept into my heart. My favorite musician on the continent was out there getting kidnapped or stranded every other adventure. She could use a bodyguard.

I pushed down the sudden, strong, all-consuming desire to be that bodyguard.

There was a perfectly comfy dungeon with a daybed, lurid romance novels, and a full wine cellar waiting for me back home. And an important job.

Somebody had to keep King Keith alive. Although, he did now have a high level, competent wife …

Was my job even necessary anymore ?

Sigh .

As I was lying in the small bed at the inn that evening, I realized something important about Bronwynn’s third encounter.

Bronwynn had said she’d meet someone with ulterior motives, nefarious intent, or something equally unsavory.

I slapped a paw pad against my face.

She had already faced three encounters on this journey.