The Shadow Assassin

Chapter 9

Rowan rode until day break and made it to the edge of the Wildwood. She went into the forest a ways, leading Daisy, until she found a suitable place near a small stream to camp for the day. She unpacked a strip of meat, tore off a hunk of the bread, and grabbed her water skin before sitting on a log to eat. Rowan let Daisy wander over to the stream to drink and watched as she grazed on the lush grass. After Rowan had eaten her fill she took a few swigs out of her water skin and then walked over to the stream to top it back off.

She walked over to where Daisy eating up sweet-grass and unpacked her bedroll out of the saddle bag. Rowan laid out her bedroll on the ground, shrugged off her quiver, wrapped herself in her cloak, and fell asleep.

Rowan awoke as the sun was ending its decent into the horizon. She'd slept soundly, in fact she'd gotten more rest than she had for some time.

She sat up, stretched, then put her quiver back on before re-rolling her bedding. As she finished packing it into her saddle bag Rowan heard a faint rustle in the underbrush nearby.

She slowly turned, drawing an arrow as she did and right when she'd knocked it a fat rabbit jumped out of the bushes nearby and before it could even blink Rowan had shot it right through the eye.

Happy with her impromptu hunt Rowan made a small fire, skinned, and gutted her prey before putting it on a stick to cook.

That evening Rowan had a hearty "breakfast" of rabbit meat, bread, and water before saddling up and aiming Daisy back out of the forest, then locating the road, she continued her journey Northward to the town of Warwick.

The forest was quiet in the late evening. The only things stirring were the nocturnal animals coming out of their burrows to hunt, occasionally Rowan would see a pair of yellow eyes staring at her from behind a tree. She wasn't worried, she'd been on many a night ride around the castle grounds and through the trees. She wasn't worried that Daisy might throw her because of the fact that she wasn't a common horse that would simply bolt or rear at the slightest disturbance.

Rowan kept Daisy at a brisk walk, she wasn't in a hurry to kill for Salln yet again. But even though she had to, she didn't have to right away.

Rowan rode through the night again and slept through the next day far enough off the road so that any random passersby wouldn't happen to spot her. She woke up again as night was falling, repacked, ate, and kept moving. By the fourth night she could see the lights of Warwick not far off. She camped at the edge of the forest that morning and after a brief reprise she continued on into the town.

Warwick was fair sized town. It had a 15 foot stone wall encasing it like a fortress, Rowan thought the wall had to be at least 6 foot thick. As she rode Daisy into the town all she could see was the towering arch and gates and then bright sunlight and shabby houses as she entered the outskirts of Warwick. Rowan was slightly surprised at the lack of guards at the gate but she was sure that'd change after her stay there.

The houses were crammed together tightly as she guided Daisy through the narrow streets. She encountered a few people and as the streets got wider more people were milling around going about their business. The streets widened further still and Rowan noticed the houses got progressively nicer, a sign of wealthier inhabitants.

Rowan had to dismount when she came to the Main Street of Warwick. It was extremely crowded. People were milling about everywhere buying and selling their wares. There were stalls lining the street on both sides selling everything from jewelry to iron-forged tools.

Rowan was searching for a stall to buy some oats for Daisy. She walked around through the sea of crowding bodies until she finally heard the bellow of man selling horses. Rowan made her way over to the man's stall.