WitchHunter ✔️

Understanding

Stable Boy

Velius screams at the Ace, and I want nothing more than to whip an ice blade through him. The Ace is crying. She tries to dip her head low to hide it, but we can all see it and hear it in her voice when she responds to him. She scurries up the hill toward Fortress, her form small and huddled, pulling her hood up as she goes. After another moment of yelling, this time at Graham, Velius storms away after her, leaving the two Hunters both glaring at the ground, just feet from me.

After a moment, when Velius is out of earshot, Graham speaks, venom lacing his words. "You tattled to Velius that she was gone?"

"Of course not. He somehow knew before I was even awake. You're the one at fault here. You took her out of the ridge?" Hale's voice holds the same malice, two children blaming each other.

"She's my friend, Hale. I understand she's your bodyguard, your little protector, but she's also my friend. She deserves to do something for herself for once." Graham ducks down, angrily swiping up the bag of spilled coins, tying the bag shut once more. "Why don't you give her this next time you see her? It shouldn't be too long since you keep her on such a short chain. At this rate, she'll never buy her freedom." Graham shakes his head, tossing the bag of coins to Hale before turning to go.

Hale catches it with ease, his other hand darting out to grab Graham's wrist. "Buy her freedom?"

"Oh come on, Hale. Don't play dumb. You know Velius owns her; how else would he keep someone like her around?"

"No, I know." He shakes his head. "But, do you really think she wants to buy her freedom?"

Graham turns back to face the shorter man, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What kind of question is that, man? Of course she wants her freedom. No one wants their entire life to revolve around Hale arsen." With that, Graham rips his sleeve away from the future Wtichmaster, stalking up the hill back toward Fortress.

Hale stands alone for a moment, the back of his head upturned toward the overcast sky. He looks up suddenly, to the two horses in front of him, as if just remembering that they're standing there, and then whips around to find me.

I duck back into the stable. "Litty, come! Crow, sien!" I call. My heart pounds fast in my chest. Will Hale punish me for eavesdropping? I couldn't help it. Velius had stormed in here, Hale in tow, this morning, looking for the Ace. I needed to know the outcome.

Crow and Litty appear next to me and I peek out, searching for Hale. Gone. Only green pasture, and the town beyond. So I'm not in trouble then. I glance at the deer blood matting down Litty's flank. This should have made it obvious to Velius where they'd been.

Arak'Lahan, the Par'Lok god of chaos and anger, must have briefly possessed him. I send a short prayer up to Par'len and Pak'ti, before leading the horses inside. "Let's get you guys cleaned up."

Water runs clear off of Litty's yellow gold hair as I finish rinsing the brush I had used to clean her. I direct the stream out toward the city. I don't think blood water would harm anything for the horses, but best not to take chances. I let Litty loose in the pasture to graze with the others just as three figures catch my eye up at the top of the hill. Two hunters, Cruor and Liam, escort the Ace down toward town. Her ever present cloak is gone, her hair a mess. As they get closer I am able to see the beginnings of bruises forming on her face, and one of her eyes swelled shut.

The brush I'm holding clatters to the wood floor. What did they do to her? Her eyes find mine for only a second as they pass, the black orbs flitting away again almost instantly. Anger burns in the pit of my stomach, and I shield my eyes in their lids. I know my irises glow. Best to keep them hidden.