The Maiden's Moon

4

It was nearing dusk, and Sterling had yet to return from his afternoon hunt. Nightfall came earlier this time of year, and Rusalka feared the savage predators outside the walls. She often cautioned Sterling to return to the safety of the city and their home well before the sun set, leaving them vulnerable.

She looked around the small home and tried to think of a reason to leave the city gate. The watchers always demanded to know where she would go and how long she would be gone, but this time she hadn't a clue. All she knew was that she needed to get into the pine and search for Sterling to bring him home, and she needed to do it quickly so she could return through the gate before it was locked for the night.

Rusalka noticed her gathering basket and pitcher sitting on the floor near the door and decided she would carry them along. If they asked her a reason, she would say she was going for berries and sap. She did enjoy making a berry syrup in the spring, and even though she knew it was too early for the small, sweet, red berries to be ripe, the watchers wouldn't know, and it would give her a reasonable excuse to be gone for a bit of time.

She grabbed the pitcher and basket after swinging her cloak around her shoulders and headed for the gate. It was difficult to keep the one-handled basket on her arm with her disability, but she managed just fine. The guards hassled her about heading out so late, but she assured them she would be back before the sun was one finger from the horizon. She even promised one of them whose name was Ailith a sample of her sweet berry syrup if he held the gate for her return. He had smiled at her mischievously, even though she knew he had a wife and three children at home waiting for him.

As she marched off toward the pine and the location of Sterling's hunting grounds, she thought of how the men in the town treated her differently, as if she were an animal. Even the

Abbé of the shrine to Gorvenal eyed her when she walked, looking at her as a man eyes a steak just before he plunges his knife into it. Why they thought they could take the liberty to let their eyes roam across her body she wasn't sure, but they did.

The shadows of the pine trees made it more difficult for her to see as she searched, and she dare not call out Sterling's name for fear of attracting the attention of less amicable company in the wild. She shuffled here and there, searching from the best vantage points she could until she was tired and the sun neared the horizon. She had already been longer than she promised the watchers, but Sterling was nowhere to be found. One last-ditch effort led her back toward the hole in the wall on the north side of the city where Sterling entered the domicile. She turned down the path headed that way and slammed hard into someone.

After her eyes regained focus, she realized she was staring up at Heinrich. He had a way of sneaking up on her every time she went out. She was actually surprised that she still expected to venture out without being followed. As usual, his stench made her hold her breath, but this time it wasn't just his normal wretched odor. This time he smelled of the foulest ale and stumbled as he walked toward her.

"You leave the city gate without asking my permission?" he asked.

Rusalka cowered behind a tree, not sure what to do. She had never encountered him without Sterling nearby—or at least townsfolk. And never once had he followed her outside the city gate. Her eyes burned as they dried in the breeze, but she refused to even blink. She wouldn't take her eyes off of him for one second. She feared her life may depend on it.

He stalked them, crouching down low, hiding in the shadows. He knew the moment Rusalka had left the gate. He had seen her from the top of the hill and watched her cross the meadow to reach the pine. Only a moment later, he had seen Heinrich follow, stumbling along, dragging a leg, obviously intoxicated.