31 Chapter 31: Something About Her (1/2)

SALEM: There's something about her.

Maybe it's the way she talks. Or the way she walks. Something I couldn't define. Maybe it's her smile. Or those eyes. Or maybe the fact that she is the first human woman I've talked to in ages.

I glanced at Elina. She had promised not to stir up trouble here. And she sounded sincere too. And she was right: there's no profit for revealing her true identity to a lone female traveler.

So I relaxed a little. Which felt good.

Anja said that she had never been to Merkelborough. That she'd like to go there sometime. I wanted to say that perhaps we could travel together. In my mind it was a pleasant journey. We'd travel together, hide from the rain together, eat together. And then maybe, just maybe, we'll never be apart again. Settle down. Have a few children. Grow old together.

I stopped myself. Better not let those delusions grow too wild.

Elina stomped on my foot.

”What a shameful display. Is she really that pretty?”

”That's not the point here.”

”Is she really that much prettier than me?”

When you don't know what to say, it's better to say nothing. It's a rule that worked for me in the past. But it doesn't really work with Elina.

Because there's something about her. Her eyes, her intuition. Something allowed her to see through me. She made swift work of my humiliation.

By the evening we reached the forest. Anja offered to take us to her village, where we could seek shelter for the night.

Elina shrugged. No smirk, no smile. Nothing. Like she didn't even care. Which I found suspicious.

I whispered, ”I promise you'll get a warm meal at the village, alright? And a soft bed. Just don't cause trouble in the village.”

Elina shrugged. She seemed perfectly happy with that deal.

So I accepted Anja's offer.

I gave Anja the reins. She lovingly stroked the mane of the horse.

She said, ”You have such a spirited horse!”

Fascination in her eyes. She took a carrot out of her knapsack and fed it to him. The horse neighed. Maybe he liked Anja too. She giggled and patted his snout.

I glanced at Elina. She looked away. She didn't seem too happy. I ignored her.