The Huntress (Legend and Lore Book 2) (2 page)

“Come on.”
 

Liv gasped in surprise as her arm was grabbed and she was dragged towards the inn. Once the surprise faded though she went quietly with the strange woman, hoping the bath would be ready. She smelled horrible and wanted nothing more than to get out of her ruined clothing.
 

“They are going to bring the bath right up,” the woman told her as she pushed Liv into a small room containing a bed, a nightstand, a small wardrobe and a table with two chairs. “Do you have anything else to wear?” She looked Liv up and down, face unreadable.
 

“In my saddlebags,” Liv replied. “They might not be of common stock, but they ought to do until I can purchase new ones.” Amala looked at her at that so Liv hurried to tell her the rest. “I left the saddlebags in the stable with my horse. She is a chestnut mare. And I left my cloak at a table downstairs.”
 

“I’ll get it for you. You just hold tight and wait for the bath.” So saying, she was gone.
 

Liv did not have time to dwell on the mysterious woman, as the innkeeper herself and a very big, muscular man came up with the bath, accompanied by two of her maidens, both carrying buckets with hot water. One had a cloth and a towel tucked under her arm as well.
 

“Here you go, miss,” the woman said gruffly as the two maidens emptied the buckets into the already half-full bath. “You get cleaned up quickly. Lindworms are nasty stuff.”
 

Liv thanked them heartily, and then wasted no time stripping out of her clothes as they left the room. She slipped down into the warm water and sighed in pleasure. Her skin, though it smelled like it, had not received a splatter of blood, but her hair was still full of it.
 

She scrubbed her body with the soap the maid had brought with her until she was sure the smell was gone. Once her body was clean, it was time to do her hair, and she could not do that while still staying in the water. The bathtub was too small and tight for her to be able to dip her head into it while sitting, so she stood up and reached for the towel left on the table.
 

The door opened and the black-haired woman entered, carrying Liv’s saddlebags over one shoulder and holding Liv’s cloak in the other. She stopped, one hand still on the handle of the door, as she caught sight of Liv.
 

Liv felt the warmth spread up her neck and cheeks, and she quickly grabbed the towel and wrapped it around herself, turning her back on the other woman in embarrassment. Opting for ignoring her at the moment, Liv knelt next to the bath and bent over, pushing her long, blonde hair down into the water. She used the soap on her hair as well, scrubbing away at it. The blood tinged the clear water a light red.
 

“It’s dangerous facing a lindworm, like you just did,” the woman told her curtly as she moved into the room, closing the door after herself. “If I hadn’t been there, it would’ve killed you and no one else would’ve lifted a finger. Lindworms scare people here; they are their greatest fear.”
 

“I can defend myself,” Liv replied, somewhat snappishly. “I have just never seen one of those creatures before and it baffled me.”
 

“You haven’t seen a lindworm?” It sounded almost like an offense that Liv had not. “You are obviously not from around here then if you’ve never seen one. Where are you from?”
 

“The capital,” Liv replied. She grabbed the cloth and used it to dry her hair. “Born and raised.”
 

“A city girl.” The woman rested with one hip against the table, arms crossed underneath her breasts. “And what’s a city girl doing so close to the Black Mountains?”
 

“Travelling.” Liv stood, trying to use her fingers to comb through the tangle of her hair, with no apparent success.
 

“With no weapons, no escort?” The woman raised one dark eyebrow. “I find it hard to believe that a young woman like yourself would put herself in such danger. If it’s not lindworms you have to look out for, it’s robbers and bandits. A lindworm would be kinder, trust me.”
 

“Contrary to what you seem to believe,” Liv replied tartly, “I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I am a witch, just graduated from the University.” That was a small lie, she had not actually graduated yet, but this woman did not need to know that. “Yes, the lindworm had me paralysed, but that will not be the case next time. I do not want to experience that again, thank you very much.”
 

Liv went over to her saddlebags and rummaged in them for her comb. The other woman was standing entirely too close for comfort. As soon as she had the comb she went over to sit on the bed. Guilt for snapping at the woman tore at her, and she sighed softly. “Thank you for saving me,” she told her, voice low, but carrying in the small room. “I really appreciate it.” She swallowed, not quite sure if she was using the right words.
 

“This is what I do. I save people and villages from lindworms,” the woman replied. “They are nasty creatures, destroying not just crops but the herds as well. The most usual way of dying around here is by a lindworm attack. Or a bite. It has a deadly poison in its fangs.”
 

Liv struggled with her hair as she listened to the woman talk. It was all so strange. In the capital it was not animals they had to worry about. The usual way of dying back home was of age or sickness, or from the after-effects of a fight, if one obtained a knife wound or a head injury.
 

“Move over.”
 

Liv startled to find the woman suddenly standing beside her, but she did as ordered. The comb was taken out of her hand and her hair brushed back over her shoulder to hang heavily down her back. Liv dared barely breathe as the woman started combing through her hair.
 

“I’m Amala,” the woman said then, voice soft. “Huntress of lindworms and protector of the small villages in and around the Black Mountains.”

“I am Liv,” Liv introduced herself. “Just a witch.”
 

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Amala replied. “As I’ve heard, witches can be quite powerful.”
 

“We are.” Liv closed her eyes and bent her head slightly back, enjoying having someone other than herself doing her hair for a change. “If you know the right spells and the correct incantations.”
 

“And that is something you all are required to learn by heart? The spells and the incantations?”
 

“It is hard to learn them all,” Liv chuckled, her mood improving vastly now that she was clean and having her hair combed. “We learn the most basic, but the more complicated spells we keep written down. Most witches always carry a book containing spells with them. It is the most important thing a witch owns. Nothing can ever replace it if it is lost.” Liv kept her own safely secured in her saddlebags, spelled so that only she could touch it and open it.
 

“There. Your hair is done.” Amala handed her comb back, then stood up from the bed. “It was nice meeting you, Liv, but it’s getting dark and I better be on my way.”
 

“What?” Liv turned around, surprised at the sudden talk of leaving.
 

“Don’t worry,” Amala smiled briefly. “I paid for the room tonight. You relax and get on your way in the morning.”
 

“But...” Liv searched for words, but couldn’t come up with something intelligent to say. “Let me come with you!”
 

Amala turned around, regarding her curiously. “You were stalled by one lindworm. Why would you want to come with someone like me, who hunts them?”
 

Yes, why do I want to go with her?
Liv asked herself drily, but she already knew the answer. “Because I think what you do for people—common, defenceless people—is good and noble. I want to be a part of it. I know defensive and offensive spells. I shan’t freeze like that again, I swear to it.”
 

Amala still looked reluctant.
 

“Just give me a chance. If I do slow you down, or mess up, I will gladly go on my way.” Liv held the towel closed as she turned around to face Amala completely. “I just want to do something that matters and this does. You help people. You make them feel safe. I want to be a part of that too.”
 

Amala tilted her head up, staring up at the ceiling for a long moment. She sighed and looked back down at Liv. “Alright, you can come with me. It would be nice to have company for a change. But you should still sleep here tonight.”
 

Liv frowned. “What about you?”
 

“Don’t worry about me.” Amala made for the door. “Sleep well, Liv. We leave at dawn.” She closed the door after her, leaving Liv to her solitude.
 

Liv sighed and lay down on the bed.
What have I got myself into now?
she thought, playing with a lock of her hair. She did not regret it though. She wanted this. Wanted to be a part of something good, something that helped people, and this was it. Nothing was going to stop her.

Liv watched the mountain range looming ahead in wonder. The mountains were the tallest she had ever seen, and the entire mountain range was covered in forest, except for the peaks.
 

Not even two days into her time spent journeying with Amala, they had reached her destination: the Black Mountains. Only the mountain range shielded the land from dangerous territories. Not a lot was known of the land beyond the mountains, but it was said to be a great wasteland where people rode dragons and breathed fire just like the marvellous beasts themselves.
 

Of course, all of that was just hearsay. It sounded too incredulous to be true, but those were the stories. Liv could not argue with them.
 

“There’s a small village further up the mountain that is continuously plagued by lindworms,” Amala told to her. “It has been three months since I was there last. Let us hope it is still standing.”
 

Liv had not yet seen another lindworm and she felt her stomach churning at the thought that she soon would. At every stop they had made the past two days, she had been continuously going through her book, trying to learn both defensive and offensive spells that she thought would help against the reptilian creatures.
 

They were closing in on the mountains fast. The Black Mountains loomed high into the sky, the angle of the sun causing them to cast the land in front of them into shadow.
 

Amala urged her horse into a faster gallop and Liv followed. Liv had always snuck off for a ride whenever she had free time, but she had certainly travelled slower when she had been on her own. Even still, she was glad she was used to riding, because Amala was relentless with the speed.
 

Not that she was complaining. She liked that they were on their way to actually help people from a very real danger. She was with a beautiful woman, whose company she enjoyed more every day.

Amala was like no one Liv had ever met before. Not just because of her exotic look, but because she did not treat Liv any better than others—they were on common ground. She was not a peasant and Liv was not the princess. They were equals, and that was something Liv had never felt before.
 

Back home everyone was so formal, so phony with their friendliness, wanting to get closer to the princess. Out here she was liked for the person she was, not because of her higher status. No one here knew who she really was and she preferred to keep it that way.
 

She did not like the lie, but she did not regard herself as a princess now. She was a witch, first and foremost, and she was helping Amala on her mission to keep people safe. Why did anyone need to know she was a princess? They would regard her differently. They would not be able to trust her as their equal. It was better to keep quiet about it. Even to Amala, no matter how much it bothered her.

The day was slowly turning into evening, darkness seeping over the landscape. It made their road even darker as they had reached the mountain shadows and were riding into the little village a bit up the mountainside. The village lay on a flat expanse, trees cleared back around it, yet still surrounding the village all the same.
 

“See why this village attracts the lindworms?” Amala nodded to the trees as they let their horses walk slowly up the road and into the village. “Surrounded by forest on all sides. Lindworms thrive in the woods, especially when there’s people and food right in the middle of it.”
 

“But they seem to be all right,” Liv offered, looking out over the quiet houses. “Nothing is broken. All looks calm.”
 

“I have taught them a manner of protecting themselves,” Amala replied. “They do not carry swords here, but I taught them to use what they have. Knives and pitchforks, mostly. But it can be enough if you’re swift and strong.”
 

Liv glanced over at her. “Maybe you could teach me some of that fighting? I might be a witch, but being able to physically defend myself would be nice.”
 

“Sure, I can do that. Even have an extra sword.” Amala patted her saddle gently, but the sword she was talking about was wrapped in a blanket and strapped to the back of the saddle. “Now, this village actually has an inn. It only has three rooms, but they don’t have many visitors here, so nothing else can be expected. We’ll have somewhere to stay and food to eat. The woman living there makes marvellous stew.”
 

Liv smiled at that, her stomach rumbling in agreement. Chuckling, she stopped her horse when Amala did and jumped down.
 

“Hi, there!” A man came towards them, greeting Amala warmly. “Let me get your horses settled, ladies. You two go in and my wife will have food on the table for you.”
 

“Thank you, Tob. That is greatly appreciated.” Amala grabbed her saddlebags and slung them over one shoulder, then made for the inn.