Doran grunted when Levi shifted. “They must be the same bandits we fought. They’re gone, and the reason we need a bath.”
Ash grinned. “And dinner!”
She wanted to roll her eyes but someone needed to be professional.
“Please, sir, we mean you and your people no harm. We only need rooms for one night, hot meals, and a healer for Doran. We’ll be on our way in the morning.”
The mayor watched Doran closely, like he was waiting for Doran to betray that he wasn’t really injured.
“And you say you fought the bandits we heard about?”
Levi nodded. “Yes, sir. The ones who survived have left the forest.”
The mayor laughed.
“Then you’ve done us a favour. Come to think of it, my patrols reported a good few people more than your small group. And we don’t turn down or refuse help where it’s needed.” He pointed to the large building behind the growing crowd of curious onlookers. “This is our inn. Tell the owner I sent you and want our healer to take a look at your shoulder. He’ll sort your rooms, but some of you might need to share. We’ve no need for many spare rooms out here.”
She didn’t care at this point. A bed was a bed, she wasn’t going to be picky.
“Thank you,” Levi said.
“I’ll find you in the morning,” she said before Levi could drag Doran off. “I should be recovered enough by then to heal Doran.” She didn’t doubt the town healer’s ability, but most human healers only used herbs and home-brewed potions. While they were effective over time, her magic healed faster and was gentle compared to the sting of a poultice.
Levi smiled his thanks and Doran, half unconscious from the blood loss and pain, grunted his response.
The crowd split down the middle to make room for Levi and Doran, and she turned back to the mayor.
“Thank you. We’ll be gone in the morning, as I said.”
He nodded. “If it’s true what you say and you got rid of those bandits I’d give you a medal, but we don’t have much. We’re poor folk, miss, but we’re kind.” He spread his arms as if to embrace the entire town. “We just don’t have much gold to spare. The innkeeper will give you a discount and a free meal, but that’s all I can do.”
“That’s plenty.” A free meal sounded divine. Her stomach rumbled to acknowledge the promise.
The gathered villagers dispersed when the mayor left her to it. She hadn’t realised Ash had gone, but she couldn’t see him. Exhausted as she was, there was something she needed to ask him. She’d sleep a lot easier when she had an answer. Or, alternatively, she’d be too worried to sleep while Ash was with them. Either way, she needed to find him.
She walked through the centre of the town and ignored the inviting welcome sign on the inn when she passed it. A small market had been set up, but it was nothing compared to Alt Võina. Three stalls were all the town had to offer, and not many people were looking at the wares. She doubted a town hidden away inside a forest like this one got visitors often. Business had to be slow.
Ash was nowhere to be seen. She left the market behind and followed the town wall around until she had almost come full circle. She found Ash sitting on a tree stump behind the inn.
A small, black-and-white cat had jumped onto his lap and curled up. Ash was stroking it, but even from a distance she could tell his thoughts were elsewhere.
“Here you are.” She leaned against a tree next to him. “I was wondering where you’d gone.”
“Sorry.”
“How did you manage to disappear like that with the crowd?”
“It’s a gift.”
She sighed and got to the point. “What you did to that bandit… what was it, Ash? What did you give him?”
He didn’t look up, his eyes focused on the cat’s gentle purring form. “A mistake. I thought I’d given him something to paralyse him for a short moment. Long enough for us to get away. I didn’t—I’m not a murderer, Ora. I’m many things, but I’m not a murderer.”
Relief coursed through her. That was all she’d wanted to know. She couldn’t travel with someone who enjoyed killing people.
“You saved us, Ash. If you hadn’t killed him and told us to find cover, we’d all be dead.”
He nodded, but she doubted he’d heard her. “They’re not that different to us. They probably had families, hopes, plans. And now they have none of that. Because I blew up the trees around them.”
“They’re nothing like you. I heard what he said, their leader was looking forward to turning you in.”
She remembered their cheers and the excitement on their faces when the bandit leader had given the order to kill everyone except Ash. They weren’t people. They were monsters.
“You did what was necessary,” she said. Ash looked up, her own exhaustion mirrored in his eyes. “Sometimes, what’s necessary isn’t easy but it needs to be done regardless. It takes a strong man to do what he has to and regret the need for it.”
Ash frowned. “Have you met me? I’m not strong in any sense.”
“You just saved your friends from certain death even though you hated having to kill for it. You saw what those men were like. You did well.”
Something behind his eyes lit up, but it wasn’t enough to make them shine. “Thanks.”
The cat yawned and stretched its front paws out over Ash’s knees until its head was resting between its legs.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “You came here to be alone, and I interrupted you. I didn’t mean to disturb you, I just wanted to know where you were.”
Ash grinned. “I knew you’d miss me eventually.”
“Don’t get used to it.” It was about time she got some sleep. She couldn’t think straight when she was tired; for a second there, his grin made her heart skip.
“Thank you again for saving our lives.”
He smiled. “Yeah, well, thank you for keeping us all in one piece.”
She was glad Ash was who she thought he was. Their group wouldn’t have been the same without him.
She turned away from him, frowned, and wondered if she’d still feel that way in the morning once she’d had a good night’s rest and felt like herself again.
My greatest shame is that I’ve betrayed the dead as well as the living. We all looked after the living, but the spirits? They were my people.
Chapter 45
Levi
“Hold still,” the healer said for the third time as Doran winced under her touch. “You’re worse than a child.”
“Do you give many children stitches?” Doran gritted his teeth when she drew the needle through his skin again.
She didn’t answer, and Levi smiled. He was used to seeing Doran all tough and strong. It was nice to see a more vulnerable side to him—even if that side wasn’t taking his treatment too well.
The room they’d been given had two beds. The innkeeper had shrugged, said he only had three rooms available, and had set him and Doran up together before either of them could protest. Not that he minded. He just wasn’t used to sharing a room.
He wanted to help see to Doran’s wound, but he didn’t want to get in the healer’s way. She knew what she was doing and would finish her work faster if Levi stayed out of it. Instead, he sat on the bed closest to the door and waited as Doran moaned and complained.