When a life changing event threatens to uncover Aoifa's (pronounced Eefa) mysterious past her whole world turns upside down. Will Owen decide to leave her? Will he feel betrayed? Will she be banished from Hunter's Order because of who her parents ar...
The following morning we sit huddled around a table in the downstairs pub.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
We examine the map in silence for a couple of minutes before I speak up.
"Either these guys are stupid and just randomly attack different places or they're really smart and are trying to make us believe they're really stupid." I say.
Griffin snorts. "Or maybe they're really smart and are trying to make us thing that they're really smart and just pretending to be really stupid but they're actually just really stupid."
I roll my eyes. "That doesn't even make sense." I say, annoyed.
"Janey, it's a joke. You have about as much humor as a rock."
"Well it's not the time to be joking." I snap. "There's innocent people being harmed while we're sitting around joking."
"Okay, okay, relax." He says putting up his hands defensly, "Where was the group last spotted?"
"Right here." I point out a village in Carroway closest to Stonedale. "Village attacked. Town square and a bakery burnt. Four children stolen. Half the forest burned down. What doesn't make sense is that the previous attack before that was on the other side of the country with only two days in between attacks. It was like that for all of the attacks. All of them on the other side of the country as the previous one with only a small amount of time in between. I suggested that maybe they were different groups. Or different people from the same group. But in every attack there are reports of a dark hooded figure with a scar across his right eye, a long narrow face, and a limp in his walk. It just doesn't add up."
Griffin lowers his voice to a whisper and asks me, "Do you think it could be one of the"
"No." I cut him off. We dont know what kinds of people are listening in on our conversation. Best not to go there. "I've never heard of any of one with the ability to transport that quickly and there would have been reports of other kinds if they were one." At the mention of them the ache between my shoulders becomes almost unbearable and I wince in pain.
Griffin bolts to my side with incredible speed. "O'Lord Aoife. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have"
"Don't worry about it. It's just with the winter solstice getting closer and all its getting harder." I assure him. The fact that he called me by my first name and not my last showed how sorry he was. "Maybe we should take a break." I suggest.
He nods his head furiously. "Yes, yes, of course." He frantically roles up the map, rushes over to the bar to pay for the drinks, and then quickly helps me up and guides me back to my room. But as soon as we get to the room I feel in dire need to feel the sensation of cold water on my skin.
"I think I'll just go for a quick freshening up." I tell him.
The only response I get is a distracted nod of the head. Fine be me, I prefer when we don't talk.
I'm out at the well when I spot a glint of torchlight out of the corner of my eye. This would not have surprise me it wasn't for the fact that it was the middle of the morn. I walk back inside, deciding that I will inquire the inn keeper of the matter. She seems to think carefully about her words before speaking, as if if she answered incorrectly I would chop off her head. I like this women.
"I wish I could give you an answer, miss. But if I do I could lose my inn. 'Tis all I have, miss." She gulps.
I narrow my eyes at her but don't press her for answers. With a huff I turn around and lean against the counter. At a table near the back of the pub, I notice three men staring at me with lust in their eyes. At first I am exasperated and am about ready to shoot them down with my bow (thankfully I left in my room or I would have three dead men on my hands right now) when I am struck with an idea. Eyeing the men, I lean over and whisper to the inn keeper.
"Would you happen to have a small private room? A storage perhaps?"
Her eyes widen and she nods her head. "Right by the stairs." She says handing me a set of keys.
I take them from her, making the movement obvious as to catch the eyes of the men. They notice and one of them licks their lips eagerly. I have to fight the urge to gag in disgust. I slowly hike my skirt up seductively showing a patch of perfect skin in doing so. One of the three men gets up, the other two patting him on the back and cheering him on. He starts to walk towards me and I teasingly start to make my way away from the bar and to the store room skirt in hand. He takes the hint and follows me. We reach the store room and I unlock it and motion him inside. Thankfully, the gas lantern is already lit. Once both of us are inside I lock the door and make my way towards him. I back him up against the wall, all the while discretely taking out one of the daggers that hangs on my belt. With him pressed against the wall I press my body up against his and put my face so that its almost touching his. Then, in one fluid motion. I push head back and bring my dagger to his throat. He gasps in surprise at the unexpected attack.
"I have one question for you." I stay through gritted teeth. "Just answer this one question and I'll let you go. What does the lit lantern on the building beside the pub mean?"
His eyes shine in fear as he answers. "It's the storyteller. He lights the lantern when a meeting is in session."
When he doesn't offer more information I press the knife closer to his neck. It's so close that if he were to take too big of a breath it would cut him.
"Why the lantern? Why not a public announcement or a sign or something? Why so secretive?" I question.
"He can't announce it publicly because the information shared is top secret. If the monsters where to find out they would hunt everyone down and kill them. That's what happened to the children. They told others and so they were stolen and killed."
"What kind of information?"
"I don't know! I've only heard rumors!" He cries, voice panicked.
I feel there's more he could tell me but I have a feeling I've gotten as much information out of him as I can without torturing him.
"Tell anyone about this encounter," I warn "and I will personally hunt you down and make sure that you die a slow and painful death."
I give him an evil grin showing that I'd make good on my promise. As soon as I release him he scrambles away and fumbles with the door. I laugh and walk over. When he sees me standing next to him he hastily stumbles away. I unlock the door, open it, and step away so he can leave. He bolts out the door and runs to his friends. While I was interrogating him I noticed a wedding band on his ring finger. That'll teach him to cheat on his wife.
