Page 70 of Pawns of Fate
“Werewolves wouldn’t be enough to take her down. Even without magic,” he added, hoping to alleviate some of her fears.
“Are you certain? Besides, did you see Syzman’s face? I’ve never seen him panic like that. Or move that quickly.”
“You just haven’t been around him long. Those two care deeply about each other, even though they’ll never admit it. They have a long, strange history, and they both actively work to hide it from others.” Nicholas tucked a strand of Rose’s hairbehind her ear, then added, “Not that they do a particularly good job of hiding their feelings from anyone but themselves.”
“Rose! Nicholas!” York and Ava’s voices echoed from the top of the cliff.
“Did you dispatch the werewolf?” Nicholas yelled in reply.
“Yes!”
“Join us down here then! We’ll ride back to the village together.”
Ava and York agreed, then disappeared as they searched for the path that would lead them safely down the cliff.
“While we wait, let me check you for injuries, Rose.”
“I’m fine, Nicholas.”
“There’s a cut on your arm. How did you get that?”
“The wolf. Its claws grazed me just before York cut its arm off.”
“We’ll need to dress it properly, then. Wounds caused by werewolves are prone to infection.”
Nicholas rifled through his saddlebags, looking for bandages and alcohol to act as a wound cleanser.
As the shock of the day’s events faded, Rose asked, “How did you get here so quickly?”
He produced a few white cloths and a tiny bottle of alcohol. “Lyla left Syzman with teleportation scrolls modified to respond to lightning and shadow mana. The scrolls didn’t get us all the way to Uddedin, though.” He uncorked the bottle. “This will hurt a little.”
Rose winced as he poured the disinfectant on her arm.
“When we teleported, we ended up almost at the bordervillage that’s ahead. We bought the horses and supplies there,” he said as he wrapped her arm with the bandages.
Rose examined his medical handiwork, and a tiny smile crept across her face. “Thank you for bandaging me up,” she said sweetly.
They shared a quick meal, simple field rations. Nicholas hadn’t eaten in what felt like days, so the dried meats and bread tasted like a feast. From the expression Rose made while she ate, she shared the sentiment.
After the brief meal, Nicholas seated Rose in front of him on his horse. Ava and York, also sharing a horse, joined them shortly after.
“Should we wait for Syzman and Lyla?” Ava asked with knitted brows.
“Or we could go after them,” Rose added.
“No,” York replied. “Two werewolves won’t be any trouble for those two. We’d only get in the way.”
Rose shifted uncomfortably in the saddle. Nicholas gave her a small hug. “Lyla will be okay,” he whispered.
“I trust you,” she said hesitantly.
Nicholas wanted nothing more than to kiss away all her worries, but he knew seeing Lyla safe and sound was the only thing that would truly relieve Rose’s heart. He settled for giving her another light hug as he urged his horse toward the border village.
“For three rooms?”the innkeeper asked.
Nicholas slid a small bag of silver coins across the counter, enough for double the normal rate. “Three of your best rooms.”
“What name?”
