My nose twitched from the surrounding greenery and dirt as we continued to bypass lush trees and laden bushes, a verdant explosion. I didn’t often venture into forests since my commune was on more open fields for tilling, but I appreciated the change of scenery as well as the companionship right now. Maybe the vacation was still offering what I’d been searching for, even if it wasn’t restful.
We turned a corner, and an open copse lay in front of us, a forest bedding of leaves, dirt, and twigs in the center. Perfect timing too, as the light had waned even more. While I had planned on sleeping under the stars at the campsite at Everend Market, this worked just as well, protected by the thick branches and woodland cover. Plus, I had a companion, which I already preferred to camping by my lonesome.
“I’ll collect wood,” I offered, dumping my back onto the ground. Kali hummed to herself, checking the trees, as if she expected a critter to come leaping out. Granted, in her line of work, maybe she was used to murderous critters.
The task of collecting sticks and branches was a meditative one, similar to plucking berries in the field. I loved jobs like this, where I could shut off the worries and focus on the present. Socks was out there, but she was scrappy and resourceful, probably terrorizing others more than being terrorized, and Kali’s mark was running, so it didn’t seem like they would actively attack us.
I accumulated a hefty stack in no time, and this was one of the instances where I appreciated my strength and size, as I could carry the load all over in one trip. When I returned to the clearing, Kali had moved some of the debris to make a space for a fire. She had pulled out a few dried provisions from her pack as well as a small pot that somehow fit in her sack.
Relief flooded through me. As much as the zingerberries were fortifying, we needed a bit more for sustenance, but it seemed like she’d planned ahead. I hadn’t anticipated woodland frolics in my trip to Everend Market, so I’d needed to pivot. My original plan was to sample from the market stalls, which I regretted missing a little bit. Aisling sold the best jewelberry cakes that I couldn’t replicate, no matter how hard I tried, and I was endlessly jealous as much as I craved them. Maybe I’d be able to swing back there before heading home.
“Here,” I said, dropping the bundle of sticks and branches down. I crouched and started arranging them to prepare for a fire. I’d made many in my day, as the commune liked to regularly congregate around a bonfire. I missed my community whenever I left the farm, but I also appreciated the chance to see beyond the land I tended to day in and day out.
I’d barely sat back when Kali launched in with a tinder to set the twigs ablaze. We worked together well, which added to my constantly growing attraction to her. While she might not have been kidnapping me for a marriage proposal, I wasn’t ready to walk away from this curious mercenary.
Within a few minutes, the flame caught and spread, licking up the twigs and branches. We kept a stack in reserve to feed the fire, though I’d definitely need to make another trip or two tonight. Not like I minded an excuse to stretch my legs.
“Hungry?” she asked, her voice husky and low.
Heat flared through me, and I shifted in my seat.
A sharp laugh exploded from her. “Not like that, but I’m not opposed. You’re stunning.”
I preened. Folks didn’t often notice me for looks, and I was so used to being more background, a cog in the machine, that Kali’s attention lit me up inside. “Careful with the praise. I might get attached.”
“Getting attached to a mercenary is folly,” Kali said, her expression darkening somewhat. “We’re always on the move, never settling down.” She pulled out what looked like dried meat and her flagon of water and splashed some onto it in the pot, then placed it in the corner of our blaze.
“Do you just roam?” I asked. “Or do you have a home base of sorts?” I’d never had a reason to deal with mercenaries, and her life fascinated me. Truthfully, everything about her fascinated me.
“Had,” she mentioned, then licked her lips. “Casualty of coming from a family of mercenaries. My parents’ place ended up torched by an Emberleigh mage. Revenge for an earlier mark.”
My stomach curdled at the thought. That sounded terrible, yet Kali was putting on such a brave face. If my home had gotten torched, I’d be devastated. My parents had raised me there, and I’d grown up around so many people with too many good memories. “Where are your parents now?”
“Roaming between jobs,” she said. “They’re still trying to figure out where to settle and lay low. Don’t want to place another large target on themselves, not yet.”
Quiet settled between us, one I was hesitant to break. She’d shared more of herself in the past few minutes than she had in hours, and I didn’t want to ruin the gift by saying the wrong thing. “Do you want a place to settle, a home base of sorts?”
She glanced up at me, her eyes sharp and accusatory, as if she expected me to be taunting her. Then her gaze softened.“I wouldn’t mind not roaming from city to city between marks. The inns get rather same-ish in each location. I’m used to this lifestyle though.”
Behind her words, I sensed a desire there that stirred my own longing. I had a home, but I’d wanted to share something deeper with someone for a long time now. Yet the opportunity to date rarely emerged, and my attempts usually ended in disaster. Some other members of the commune had either started seeing each other or had met future spouses that joined them, and envy snaked through me when I thought of their happiness. I wanted that too.
“If you wanted to amble up north with me…” I started, then hesitated. Was offering this to someone I’d just met a good idea? Yet, her expression was open, honest in a way I liked, and while I missed a lot of cues, my gut never steered me wrong. “The commune where I live always has space. We’re mostly a bunch of farmers, but we have some travelers who come and go as they need to as well.”
“Is this how elves end up in cults?” she teased, a spark returning to her dark eyes. “Because this sure feels like the introduction to a cult.”
“If it’s a cult, then we’re missing the charismatic leader,” I responded. “It’s a bunch of us bumbling around, helping each other out. We just share harvests and the majority of the farming work.”
“Let’s make it through this job first and finding Socks,” she said. “Before I start considering where I’m wandering next.”
A slight pang of disappointment filtered through me, but what had I expected? For a stranger to jump into traipsing up north with me?
“What do you do when you’re not berry farming?” she asked.
I hunched forward, picking at the dried dirt at the base of my boots. “Truthfully, my life is a bit consumed by it. Farmer hoursare early, but I love the work. Watching something grow, seeing it to fruition. My parents raised me in that life, but they’re too old to remain on the fields. They live in a small cabin a short distance away.”
Kali’s expression twisted. “I’m pretty sure my parents will die in the field as mercenaries, even if they’re getting sloppy in their old age.”
I wrinkled my nose. “No hanging up the towel?”
