Leon awakens before anyone else the next morning. He makes his way over to the unwatched wagon. The witch is awake, sitting in the corner, rocking back and forth. She is speaking under her breath, out of Leon’s earshot.
“Is everything all right?” he asks her.
The witch does not regard him. She keeps her head down; her long hair hides her face.
“Je t'ai posé une question. I asked you a question.” Leon says.
The witch lifts her head a bit, but not enough to face him. She is still silent.
“Are you too afraid to answer me?” he questions.
“I do not have the will to answer you.” the witch responds, in a quiet voice.
Leon can understand this. He doesn’t want to push the issue with her, so he changes the subject.
“You did not answer my question from before,” he comes forth. “Are you or are you not a witch?”
“Believe what you will,” the witch tells him, “no matter how this ends, it will not turn out well for you.”
“What does that mean?” Leon wonders.
But the witch does not answer. He stands there for a few moments; the witch no longer acknowledges his presence. At a loss, Leon goes back to the other men. Now, Valere and Antoine are awake as well. Etienne is lying against a tree, snoring. Leon pushes on his shoulder. Etienne’s eyes open, and he looks up at Leon.
“Let’s get going.” Leon orders.
In a matter of minutes they had taken off again. The path is visible again. Carefully, Antoine leads them halfway through.
“Wait, stop.” Valere calls up to Etienne, who stops the horses.
“What’s wrong?” Antoine questions, obviously annoyed.
“What’s wrong is that we’ve already passed through here!” Valere inclines.
“Impossible. I know where I’m going.”
“This forest is immense. There’s no way you could have memorized the whole way!”
Antoine gets in Valere’s face.
“Don’t question me.” he threatens.
“I am. And you can’t do—” but Valere is cut off by Leon’s harsh tone.
“Enough. Both of you.” he barks, “We have no choice, Valere, but to trust Antoine’s sense of direction.”
Valere scowls. He rides up near the front of the wagon. Then Leon turns to Antoine.
“Lead the way.” he tells him.
Antoine regards him, and goes to the front of the wagon. Etienne whips the horses, and they take off again.
Everyone is silent now. Antoine feels uncomfortable, and turns around to converse with Etienne. What stops him is Etienne’s angry expression. He gives his idea a second thought and shifts his head around. Inside the cage, the witch watches Leon intently. A faint smile forms on her lips.
“Leon.” she mutters.
“How do you know my name, girl?” Leon asks.
“I know many things.” she answers.
She seems to gaze at him with admiration.
“Forgive me about earlier,” she sighs. “I didn’t mean to seem rude. But I don’t feel comfortable talking about witchcraft.”
Leon is surprised by this. He nods to her unhappily. How can a witch not talk of her innocence or not? Then she lays against the steel bars, her back to him. From the side, Valere leans toward the witch.
“I meant not to frighten you.” he says, smiling.
The witch rolls her eyes. She looks away from him.
“Don’t be that way.” he remarks, pretending to act hurt.
“Je ne veux pasà vous parler, I do not wish to speak to you,” the witch informs Valere. “Be quiet.”
“Say please first.”
The witch gives him a look of disbelief.
“You’re treating me like a child.” she scoffs.
“You are quite young.”
The witch lets out an annoyed groan. She stops talking. Valere continues to stare at her, waiting for her answer. At a loss, she has no choice.
“Please be quiet.” she says at last.
Valere smiles in satisfaction and goes about his own business. The witch glances at him, squinting her eyes in a glare.
Hours pass. It seems like an eternity, riding endlessly along the rocky path. Etienne begins to lost patience in this long travel. It is three days travel, and they are only on day two. Valere and Leon don’t seem to mind much, except Leon occasionally lets out a groan. Antoine is quite patient, as he already knows the way. But he fears he will be contradicted again. As for the witch, she fears nothing; at least, she shows no fear. And she is stoical with everything. This coolness strikes curiosity in Leon.
She is very calm when I am not around, why? he says to himself.
Though his mind is stuck on this thought, he does not question her.
YOU ARE READING
Deliver Me Safely
Historical FictionA witch is accused of witchcraft... Leon de Mace must take her to a monastery far from town. But the girl has a dark secret which she hopes she can keep hidden...
