Page 142 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
“Thirty-seven.”
Julian choked. “Thirty-seven?”
“Thirty-seven,” she repeated. “And twelve magical spears, nine daggers, six bows, five axes, three shields, two war hammers, and a partridge in a pear tree.”
The list made him reel; the last confused him. “A partridge?”
“There is a song where I come from, and we sing it for winter solstice. It ends with that line after a long countdown list. I know it’s dumb to say it here, but sometimes, I need to say these things to remember where I’m from.” She smiled thinly. “Maybe I’ll sing it for you if I’m still—ifweare still together by darkest day.”
Julian reached out and grabbed her hand. “We will be, unless you’re planning to abandon me already.”
“No.” The look on her face told him she wasn’t sure. It hurt … but he didn’t push the issue.
“Alright, then.” He knewexactlyhow her last relationship had ended, and he could wait until she felt more certain of his affections. He would just have to win her over until she stopped hesitating every time they spoke about the future.
She recovered and said, “Speaking of heading north right away, I was thinking about our travel schedule.”
It was a deliberate change of topic, but Julian didn’t stop her. She had things to work through … and he would be there until she was ready to let him in.
CHAPTER 77
The Rainbow Whales
Gerda
Three Days into the North
“ANYTHING?” Julian yelled at me from behind his Valarian Royal Shield.
Poor timing was forcing us to retreat. After fighting a pair of level forty-seven glacial serpents, our party had been immediately set upon by four snow leopardans; they were like snow leopards, if snow leopards were the size of a school bus and spat venom.
“Do you know how hard it is to put a bridge down in aflat field of ice?” I yelled over the sounds of battle, searching for any spot that my [Bridge Sense] skill told me would work. Usually, I used this skill tofindbridges, but it was proving perfect for finding apt places to lay new ones down as well.
“[Sword Slash],” Jeffry said. He didn’t use his ability to attack the beasts but instead hit the icy floor and cut a line in the terrain. “How about now?!”
“By Battle’s Grace, [Bludgeoning Kiss].” Tully’s war hammer knocked one leopardan into another, sending them both sliding on the ice.
“Not yet!” I couldn’t duck while holding up a half-moon bridge as long as I was tall, so Julian’s [Barrier] took the blow when the fourth leopardan broke their defenses and hit me. Visha jumped onto its back, and it bucked against her hold, rolling while trying to get the elf to let go.
“[Piercing Blade].” Jeffry’s blade sunk straight down into the ice, and there was a great shudder. Everyone, including the leopardans, paused midbattle.
A crack formed in the ice, running between the swordfighter’s legs and splitting into a terrifying crevice. I was a safe distance away, but Jeffry and Pram, as well as the leopardan Julian was battling, all desperately scrambled to not fall in. After an uncomfortable twenty seconds, the rumbling stopped.
“Got it!” I dropped the bridge down where I instinctively knew a bridge could go. And by instinctively, I meant it was my passive skill.
[Bridge Sensehas found a usable bridge.]
I ran across. “Alright, everyone, to me!”
There was a mad dash to get to the bridge, with Julian as the last member fighting his way toward me.
I portaled us out.
“Daddy!” A little girl with honey-brown hair in two long pigtails ran up to us and threw her arms around John’s leg. He swooped down to kiss her on the cheek.
“Let me go clean up, and then we can play,” John told his daughter, Phoebe. She took his offered hand, and they headed for the manor. He wandered off with only a wave over his shoulder goodbye, Phoebe already talking his ear off about the magical bubble maker she wanted to show him.
Lord Johnathon Thomas had decided to install a pond with a bridge on his property so he could go home for meals, and I’d portaled us all here, since it was nearing dinner.
