Page 49 of A Tale of Mirth & Magic

One of them stared hard at me, utterly unselfconscious. A slow grin stole over his face.

I didn’t say a word.

They passed by. When they thought they were out of earshot, they bent their heads together. “Yeah, I reckon that must’ve been him. She’s probably close by.”

My back stiffened. No. No no no.

They were after Elikki.

What was I supposed to do? Turn back and play the valiant rescuer? She would hate that. However much I knew she could handle herself though, I kept seeing Elikki as I’d left her. By the lake, still tired even after her nap. She might have tapped out her magic during the last encounter. I didn’t know exactly how it worked. She barely seemed to understand how her magic worked.

I reasoned with myself. Even if that was true, and she couldn’t use her metal magic, she certainly wasn’t helpless. Elikki had daggers hidden all over her body. I’d seen them.

But—I couldn’t help thinking of buts—what if she’d fallen back asleep again? What if she’d decided to take a dip in the lake? What if those thugs took her by surprise, pouncing like Maerryl had in the woods?

There was nothing for it. I had to turn back.

I swung Pebble around by the reins, forcing myself not to go galloping after the men immediately. It wouldn’t help to draw attention to myself. And though I knew I had an advantage—my massive size, sword, and Pebble’s bulk usually dissuaded anyone from attacking—I didn’t love the odds of two against one on an empty road in the woods. Better to track them at a distance and see if they made a move against Elikki.

Up the road, I could see the pair approaching the point where a path split off to the lake. They were snickering over something, one of them reaching out to punch the other in the arm with a guffaw. Spotting the side trail, they looked at each other and shrugged.

I held my breath.

They turned their horses to the right and headed down to the lake.

My stomach dropped. If she had resumed her nap, Elikki was in real danger. They’d find her, catch her by surprise, and tie up her hands so she couldn’t magic her way out. And then what? She’d be dragged back to Felsith for his revenge?

I couldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t.

Drawing my sword—I remembered, this time—I urged Pebble faster. We reached the side trail and turned. There—they were just about to exit the last wooded area of the path before it opened out into a grassy field that led down to the little lake. I couldn’t see Elikki from my viewpoint. Maybe she’d already left and was farther down the main road. Or maybe she was lying down among the tall grass, asleep and unaware.

Taking a big huff of air into my chest, I channeled Ma Reese and attempted an intimidating tone. “You two! What is your business here?”

The bounty hunters swung around. They eyed me up and down, taking in my height and bulk. Pebble, though she was gentle at heart, made quite an alarming first impression. Paired with a fierce half-giant wielding a massive sword, we could cut quite a figure together. Wariness crept into their faces, and they stiffened.

Good. Now I just needed to keep up the act.

Gripping my sword firmly, I pointed it straight toward the one on the right, who was string-bean thin and hungry-looking. He froze.

“I said—” I shifted my sword arm toward the other man. He was trying to play it cool, but I saw his eyes widen. “What is your business here?”

“We’re on a stroll for some fresh air, en’t we? Is that a crime?” he said.

I rested my blade on my shoulder. Thinking about the look Ma Reese would give someone when she caught them making trouble, I fixed him with a stern stare. His eyes wavered, shifting away from mine.

“Get out of here before I run you both through,” I said in my lowest, deepest rumble.

“Why?” Shifty Eyes shot back. “Got something you don’t want us to see? Someone?”

“Look,” String Bean cut in with a placating gesture. “Why don’t we just share the bounty? It’ll be one silver coin for each of us. That’s fair, en’t it?”

“Felsith is only offering three silver?” I shook my head in disgust. “What a cheapskate. How is it even worth it for you, to do all this?”

“Easy for you to say, Mr. Fancy Man,” String Bean sneered. Mr. Fancy Man? “For some of us, that’s enough to live off for weeks.”

A squirm of embarrassment wriggled into my stomach. Was I really feeling sorry for these greasy men trying to attack and kidnap someone I cared about?

Then Shifty Eyes pulled a knife out.