"What happened to balance?" I quip.
A small smile quirks at his lips. "I think this is one of the rare occasions where haste is more important."
Despite the worries flitting through my mind, a small laugh escapes me. "You're full of contradictions, Kit."
His face lights up as I use his name. He understands that it means he's earned my respect. I should have used it earlier.
"Only when it comes to you, Red," he whispers.
A small thrill runs through me at the words. We have something special, I'm becoming more and more certain of it as time goes on.
Chapter Eleven
The sky begins to darken, giving the forest an almost eerie edge, especially as the wind whistles through the trees and waves branches around. It's beautiful, even if a little creepy.
"Do we need to set up camp?" he asks me, a note of hopefulness in his voice. Perhaps he's come to the same conclusion as I have and that a night alone in the forest with one another isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Unfortunately, it's not going to happen this time.
"No. We'll be there once we've passed through the trees there." I point in front of us where the forest starts to thin. Grandmother's cabin is just through them.
"Oh, good. But is there a reason your Grandmother lives in the middle of the woods?" He seems more amused than concerned about it.
I shrug. "I've never asked. But knowing her, she probably thinks it makes her mysterious. Well, that and it stops unwanted visitors from turning up." I can appreciate that motivation. Not seeing people I don't want to would be a reason I'd move to the woods too.
"Sounds like a good reason to me."
I guide him through the trees, having been this way countless times in my life and knowing the best way to get through. Grandmother does a good job at encouraging the world around her to grow wild and protect her from the rest of the world.
The old cabin looks in good shape as far as I can tell, though I don't know enough about buildings to be sure of that. Ivy clings to the stone, making it seem as if it's part of the forest rather than something someone built a long time ago. There's something beautifully romantic, and a little chilling about the spot. I've always been drawn to this place.
The old wooden door creaks open and Grandmother steps out. Despite her age, she stands tall and doesn't have the same stoop a lot of women her age get. Her clothes seem to fit well too, with her plain blue dress cinched around her waist with a woven belt. All in all, she doesn't look ill. She seems to be the same Grandmother I've known my entire life from this distance. I hope that means the illness isn't as serious as I first feared.
Her gaze locks on mine and a broad smile spreads over her face.
"Aredenne," she says warmly, opening her arms to me.
I forget everything I've learned over the past ten years and instantly become an eight-year-old once more. I drop the pack I'm carrying and run towards her, flinging myself into her arms.
She smells like honey and freshly baked bread. No, like more than that. She smells of home. There isn't even a hint of the acrid stench a lot of sick people take on.
"What a lovely surprise. I wasn't expecting you," she says.
I frown. Why would she say that? Surely my parents will have told her I was coming? Otherwise how would she know her medicine would get here when she needs it?
"Father sent me a letter..."
"Ah, say no more. Your Father is worrying again, no doubt. Why don't I go and put the kettle on for you and your friend. Then we can have a little chat about whatever it is your Father thinks I need."
I smile at her and nod. I turn to where Kit is staring at the trees, giving us some privacy to talk. Yet another reason to appreciate him. He understands the need for personal space.
I walk over to him and place a hand on his arm. "Grandmother is going to make us some tea."
"Do you want me to wait out here?"
"No," I blurt out. "I'd like you to meet her."
His eyes light up as the smile spreads over his face. He likes the idea of me introducing him to her. I do too. I think she'll like him.
Before either of us can say anything else, a rustle in the trees catches our attention.
We both freeze and exchange a worried glance.
"I wasn't imagining that, was I?" I whisper.
He shakes his head. "There's definitely something out there."
"What should we do?" I glance back at the cabin, worry for Grandmother and her safety filling me. What if we've brought something with us that will hurt her? She may be formidable, but she's still an old lady.
"You should go inside and keep your Grandmother safe. I'll scout the area and see if there's any traces of something out there."
I bite my bottom lip. I don't like the idea of him out there without any backup. A small part of me wants to tell him not to go searching. Or insist that I go with him. We may only have been training together for a month, but we're already stronger as a team.
But he's right. Grandmother needs protection if there's something out there. He doesn't.
"Be safe," I say, looking up at him.
His gaze meets mine, a hint of longing in his eyes. He lifts a hand as if to touch my face but then drops it down again.
I try not to acknowledge the pang of disappointment within me.
"I'll be back soon," he promises, but doesn't wait for me to acknowledge it before disappearing into the woods.
I watch him go for a moment, my heart aching with worry for him, even if I know he's well trained and heavily armed.
But standing here isn't going to achieve my role in what's going on. I turn back to the cabin to find Grandmother watching through one of the windows, a satisfied smile on her face. I can almost hear the conversation we're about to have, even if I'm not too sure how to deal with it.
I hurry inside, and bustle into the kitchen, which is full of the smells of baking. She's done more than just put tea on, then. That sounds like the Grandmother I know and love.
"Kit will be in soon, he's just doing a check of the area," I say as I take a seat at the table.
Grandmother raises an eyebrow. "And, who is he, Aredenne?"
She sets a steaming mug on the table in front of me, and I wrap my hands around it, letting the warmth seep in. I didn't realise how cold it is outside, even with my cloak.
"He's my Huntsman partner," I respond.
"Hmm. And other than that?"
"What do you mean?" I ask, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. How can I answer a question like that when I don't know the answer myself?
"I think you know what I mean, Aredenne." She takes a seat opposite me. "Especially with the way he looks at you. Even from a distance, I can tell." She taps her nose.
An uncomfortable chuckle escapes me. "I don't know what you're talking about," I mutter.
Her light laugh fills the room. "Let's pretend you don't. The first time I saw that look it was when your Grandfather asked me to court him for the first time. He was so nervous. He stumbled over his words and only managed to get a few of them out. I didn't know what he was saying at first."
I smile at the image of my stoic Grandfather stumbling for words. Only Grandmother could have brought that out of him. He may have been a serious man, but he had so much love and affection for his family, and he used to light up when Grandmother entered any room he was in. I miss him, as I'm sure she does too.
"Your Mother gave it to your Father too," Grandmother continues. "It normally suggests there's something special going on."
"Oh. Erm. There's nothing like that happening," I say, starting to feel a little flustered. The way I feel about Kit is still confusing to me, I don't have words to describe it, even if I want to.
"Maybe not yet," Grandmother says. "But that can still change in time."
I hope it does.
I don't say the words out loud, but Grandmother's knowing nod makes me think she knows I'm thinking them anyway. A blush rises to my cheeks and I lean fo
rward so my dark hair will swing forward and hide it. I don't want Kit to see my embarrassment when he comes back in. Especially when I can't explain it to him.
My main concern should be Grandmother's attempts to match-make, though. She's notorious for trying to stick her nose in where it doesn't belong.
Then again, what's the worst that can happen if she does this time?
Chapter Twelve
"Red!" Kit's shout is loud enough to ring through the house.
My whole body freezes. It can't be good news for him to shout like that.
Grandmother places a hand on top of mine, the wrinkled skin and raised veins a reminder of how old she really is. "Go," she urges.
"I can't leave you unprotected," I counter, even as my inner voice begs me to go outside and help Kit.
He may not need my protection, but that doesn't mean he can't use my bow. Or my sword. I may not be perfect at the latter, but I'm better than I was, thanks to his teachings.
"I'll be fine," Grandmother promises. "I can lock the door behind you, and if in doubt, I can hit them with a frying pan."
I snort at the image that brings to mind. "A frying pan isn't a weapon."
"You tell that to your Father. His cousin once hit him over the head with a frying pan because he wouldn't clean it properly."
I chuckle at the image. I haven't seen my aunt in years, but I can imagine her doing something like that with relish. Especially if Father annoyed her.
"All right. But we'll be back as soon as whatever is going on outside is dealt with."
"I expect nothing less."
The pride shining through her eyes gives me more strength than she'll ever realise. Knowing my Grandmother is proud of me means the world, and I know I can cope with anything that's thrown my way if that keeps being true.
I grab my weapons from where I dumped them and strap them on, other than one arrow and my bow. I notch the arrow so I'm ready to shoot the moment I leave Grandmother's cabin. I don't know what to expect once I'm outside, but any chance to protect Kit is a good one. I owe him so much.
The moment I'm out of the door, the sharp clang of swords meeting reaches my ears. I raise my bow and point it in the direction of the men attacking Kit. He's a blur of red among black as their cloaks swing around them. I try to get a clear shot, but I don't think I can without potentially hitting Kit. Especially as my hands are shaking. I've never shot an arrow at someone before, and I'm not sure I'm ready to.
But this could mean life or death for him, and I don't want to risk that.
I take a deep breath and raise my bow. I position myself right, spreading my feet so I have a good stance. I line up one of the men in my sight, and gulp down my nerves. I can do this. With three against one, Kit is severely outnumbered unless I intervene.
That's enough to convince me, and I let the arrow fly.
It sails through the air, even as I notch another one. It flies past one of the men, narrowly missing his head. A yelp of pain erupts from him. I must have at least grazed him. My stomach flips as a sick feeling takes over. Huntsmen don't often have to kill, but they need to know-how. Just in case there are situations like this, especially if they're performing bodyguard work.
I don't think I'll be requesting any of that.
The man I grazed breaks away from the others and starts running towards me. His face is covered by a cloth mask, obscuring his identity from us. It's an odd thing to do, especially if we have no idea who they are. Other than the Huntsmen I train with, and some of the girls up at the castle, I don't know anyone who lives around here, even by sight. I'd never be able to identify someone to the authorities.
I let another arrow fly. It zips past him, catching part of the mask and ripping it. The whole covering starts to fall off. He stops in his tracks as he realises what's happening. He touches his hands to his face, then turns and runs back into the forest.
A frown stretches over my face as I watch him leave. What's all that about? It doesn't make any sense.
I don't waste any time thinking about it, and turn to the other two men who are still attacking Kit.
My pulse races as one of their swords travels through the air, coming too close for comfort. Kit is faster than the other man, though, and effortlessly ducks out of the way of the blade.
I stop watching, and notch another arrow. Neither of the other men seem to have noticed me, or the fact their friend has run away. I can use that to my advantage if I can get a good shot in. Though I'm not sure how easy that's going to be through the swirl of cloaks and the swish of swords.
There's only one option left to me that doesn't endanger Kit. I slip the arrow out of position and put it back in my sheath, then place my bow over my shoulders. It's not ideal to fight with it on my back, but I don't want to leave a weapon lying around that the others can use if they want to. I'd rather be a little impaired. Besides, Kit has been holding his own against both men for a good while already. My job is mostly to be a distraction so he can defeat them completely.
Either that, or we can cut off their masks and they may run away like their friend has.
I rush towards them, drawing my sword once I'm close enough and jump in. I'm just in time to block a vicious slash from hitting Kit.
He flashes me a quick smile, but doesn't say anything. Even after a month together, we don't need words to understand what we need to do. There's something which connects us and makes it easy for us to move as one.
I parry with one of the men while Kit focuses on the other one. I need to get close enough to cut the ties on his mask. Then I can focus on getting the same message to Kit.
Taking a risk, I pull out my dagger and hold it in my left hand. I'm not as good with it as I am with my right, but it'll do for what I have planned.
I take a deep breath and then drop my sword arm down instead of parrying. I let the weapon fall to the floor, wanting one of my hands-free for what I want to try next.
I duck under the man's arm, taking him by surprise. I reach out with my dagger and slice at the edges of his mask. Flashes of pale skin beneath it draw my attention, but I don't let it distract me. I reach out with my spare hand and grab hold of his cloak, tugging on it and hoping to keep hold until we can work out who is attacking us.
The man pulls away sharply, causing a loud rip to come from his cloak. Something hard presses into my hand as the piece of fabric comes away. It must be a cloak pin. Perhaps I can use it to try and work out who the man is.
He's gone a moment later, with the man attacking Kit following soon after. They both rush into the forest, in the same direction as the other man went earlier.
I exchange a confused glance with Kit, but he doesn't seem to have any answers either. We're both breathing heavily, the fight having been more intense than I realised.
"Are you all right?" he asks.
I nod. "Fine. Did they hurt you?"
"Just a couple of nicks. Nothing too bad. A little bit of healing balm on them, and they'll be fine. What made them run away?"
"I cut one of their masks off," I explain. "I did it to the first man with arrows, but the others were too close to you for me to use that method. I thought it was worth a try to see if it would scare the other one too."
"Odd. I've never seen that happen before."
"Did you know who they were?" I ask, even though I know the answer already. No one tries to conceal their identity that much if they want to be recognised.
Kit shakes his head. "No idea." He frowns. "We should go check your Grandmother is all right. This may have been some kind of distraction."
My eyes widen. I hadn't even thought of that. And while Grandmother seems certain she can handle herself, I do worry about whether or not that's the case. It's only then that I remember the cloak pin I'm holding. But Grandmother's safety needs to come first. I slip it into my pocket. We'll look at it before we leave. Hopefully, it'll contain some kind of clue for us to find the people who just attacked us.
Chapter Thirteen
&n
bsp; Grandmother bustles around the kitchen, truly in her element now the two of us are here and ready to eat her food.
"Are you sure you don't know anything about the men?" I ask again. "You haven't seen them around before?"
"I'm sure, Aredenne. I think I'd have noticed if there were people milling around here that don't belong," she says. "It's not like we get a lot of visitors here."
"Hmm." I bite my bottom lip as I think about that. I don't like the idea of someone around here without Grandmother's knowledge. She's a force to be reckoned with most of the time, but she lives on her own, and can't be awake the entire time.
"Didn't you say you ripped one of their cloaks?" Grandmother asks. "Does that provide any clues?"
I frown. Why haven't I thought about pulling out the pin and looking at it. I reach into my pocket, then drop the scrap of fabric onto the table between me and Kit. The pin attached to it is heavy enough to make a solid thunk as it hits the wood. I reach out and flip the fabric out of the way.
A gasp escapes me as I stare at the bow and arrow pin in front of me. On reflex, I reach for my own cloak, and check the pin is still firmly in place. Next to me, Kit does the same with his. Both are still in place.
"A Huntsman did this?" I ask, hurt tinging my voice. "Is it some kind of initiation I don't know about?" I turn to Kit, not caring that he'll be able to see the pleading in my eyes.
"Not one I know about. This isn't the kind of thing any of us are allowed to do."
I nod, believing him. And not just because I want to. He seems as horrified by the prospect as I am.
"Do Huntsmen do assassinations?" Grandmother asks.
"No. They've been asked before, but always turn the jobs down," Kit says.
"Could someone be wanting to test the two of you?" Grandmother asks, a serious expression on her face. She hates the idea of someone messing with me.
"Unlikely," Kit says. "The trainees at camp are the kinds who will respect people for the talent they show. Red's done nothing but prove herself ever since she arrived at the academy. All of them would trust her no matter what."
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