nods and goes back to her seat. One of her friends pats her on the back.
One of the townsmen stands after a moment. He walks to the girl and rests his hand on her shoulder and she looks up at him, a little disturbed. He says something, but I can’t tell what. She recoils from his hand, but he tightens his grip. One of the other men gets up and approaches another girl similarly. I only tolerate it for another second.
“Hey!” my voice barks out. The men are startled.
“What?” says the first.
“You leave them alone,” I say darkly.
They look at each other. “Why?” he responds.
“Because the last thing they need is a creep like you.”
“We weren’t doing anything,” says the second.
“And even if we were, why would it matter?” adds the first. The girl rips herself from his hand and stands but he snags her arm.
I stand, towering over them both. “You release her,” I command. “Now.”
“Why do you care?” he asks.
“Let me ask you this,” I start as I walk towards him quickly. He cowers as my form looms over his. “Do you care for your life?” He is engulfed in my shadow. He says nothing, but slowly lets go of the girl. His companion does the same. “Good choice,” I seethe. “Now get out.”
He doesn’t waste any time drinking whatever remains in his tankard. There’s an awkward moment where he does nothing. Then he whisks away and out the door.
The girl looks in awe at me, as do her three friends. I merely nod to them and sit back down in my chair to finish my drink.
“I’m so glad you’re my friend,” says James quietly. A smile tugs at my lips as I bring the tankard to my mouth.
“We should get going,” says James. “It’s starting to get dark.”
“As should they,” I respond, referring to the girls sitting at the table. They’re still in shock, trying to figure out what has just happened.
As we stand, they stand to leave as well. On a whim, Percival suddenly asks one of them, “Would you like us to escort you home?”
They’re as shocked as I am. Immediately they agree but the only thought going through my head is, Oh, Percival, what have you gotten us into?
They ask us our names, and we learn theirs. I walk silently in the back the entire way. Luckily they live close by each other, and two of them are sisters. It’s the sisters that we drop off last, and the younger one goes in first. The elder sister is the one that had approached me in the tavern. Her name is Serena.
She and Percival had walked the whole way side-by-side, talking. In fact, each of us, but for me, had been holding our own conversations with one of the young women. I stayed to myself and my thought. Nathaniel had actually been talking to Serena’s younger sister.
“Thanks,” I hear Serena say to Percival. James gives me a look that says, We should leave them. I agree silently and we make our way down the street without Percival. He hardly seems to notice, carrying on a conversation of some sort with Serena. We walk out of earshot, so we cannot hear what they are saying. When I look back, I see Serena pounce on him in a big hug. He’s stunned and stands stiffly until she retreats. Then she walks into the house and he realizes he’s alone on the street. He runs to catch up to us.
“What’d you talk about?” James asks slyly.
“Nothing…” Percival says wistfully.
James shrugs. “Alright then.”
We make it back to the keep just before the drawbridge lifts. We sleep soundly, once we find our room.
The next morning a guard shows us to the kitchens and allows us to take some food for our journey home. I help myself to a few loaves of bread and some fruit. Then we leave the keep.
As we walk across the bridge Percival looks back several times. I say nothing until we are on the road walking back towards Thrak, when he gazes at the city until it disappears behind the mountains.
“It’s that girl,” I say. “Isn’t it?” Percival and I walk behind the other three, who are talking about something or another that I don’t care to listen to.
He nods. “It’s stupid…” he mutters, shaking his head.
“No,” I respond. “It’s not.”
He gives me a puzzled look.
“It’s not stupid at all,” I murmur, looking forward at the road.
An Unpleasant Affair
The journey back is shorter: only a week.