The demon’s laughter told me I’d guessed wrong again.
The voices grew louder and now I could distinguish words.
“ … with us.”
“Cramped enough in there already,” Hefertus complained.
“You saw how the High Saint was looking at her. And the first victim was a woman. It stands to reason that if her killer strikes again, he might go after the other woman here.”
That was Adalbrand. He sounded thoughtful, though why he was worried about me was a bit of a puzzle. I’d held my own down in that monastery. Against two opponents at once.
The man is a knight. Will you truly deny him the right of chivalry?
I glanced over to Brindle, who looked up from lapping water innocently.
Perhaps you feel like you need to prove yourself, but you really don’t. That’s a desire that can only lead to trouble. People who need to prove how independent or strong they are … well, my girl, those are the weakest people in the room.
“I find it strange that you think whatever killed the Seer might harm the Beggar. Whatever killed her, I would guess it was most likely due to her insight. So what did she know that we don’t?” Hefertus’s voice grew nearer.
“The future.”
“Ha. Yes. But what else?”
Adalbrand shrugged, but he looked thoughtful. I’d pay my last coin to know what he was thinking.
It’s copper. I doubt he’d take it.
“I should also remind you that it’s unseemly for you to invite a lady into your tent,” Hefertus said, but now it sounded like he was teasing. “People will talk.”
“I’m sure you can manage to chaperone.”
“Oh, it’s not you that I’m worried about, my friend. A hot-blooded woman like that? Who knows what she might do in the darkness.”
“I wouldn’t get too excited, Hefertus. If I had to guess, I’d say she will likely sleep, or failing that, she may plant a dagger in one of our throats. As yours is by far the prettier, I will pray for your sake that it remains whole.”
Hefertus was still laughing when they turned the corner around the ruined masonry and saw me there, squatting over the stream, filling my water skins, likely looking as wild as a creature of the forest.
The hitch in Adalbrand’s breath told me I did look like a threat. Good. These two shouldn’t underestimate me. I had two knives. That was enough to put one in each of their throats.
I pushed back my long hair and stood. It had escaped from its braid again. It did that a lot. I was fond of it, though, and I would not cut it. It hid my face nicely when I didn’t want to answer questions and it kept my neck warm in the winter.
Adalbrand’s eyes met mine as I straightened and I froze, searching in them for any glimmer of all his angst from below. He seemed lighter. I wondered if he felt as guilty about that as I did. A woman was dead. What right had I to feel relief?
He smiled warmly. “We have room in our tent for one more if you’d like to share the watch, Lady Paladin. If there really is something prowling about, perhaps there is safety in numbers.”
“The dog sleeps with me,” I said awkwardly. I could have sworn I heard his snicker as Hefertus rolled his eyes and squatted down to fill his own water skin.
Adalbrand swallowed and looked grim for a moment before giving a sharp nod.
“Spare us, Poisoned,” Hefertus said in a way that sounded like a curse.
Adalbrand spread his hands out. “You wanted to be safe. What’s more safe than a killer canine to guard you?”
“Not having a killer canine,” the blond paladin complained. “Look, Lady, I’ll tell you this once, that dog is trouble.”
I nodded. There was really no animal more troublesome.
“He’ll probably bite someone.”
