Always and forever, I said to him. But apparently he didn’t feel the same way as he left me by that creek, miles away from any civilization. Caring my bag up the hill and wiping my tears away, I spotted an inn and cursed Jake for taking the only transportation. Delightful smells hit me as my mouth watered and I stumbled to the front door, my feet sore and soaked from walking so far. Enveloping warmth surrounded me as I stepped in, hoping people wouldn’t notice I had been crying, I looked at the people sitting at tables and the bar keeper setting drinks on the counter. Fumbling, I managed to sit on a stool and collapsed with exhaustion. Gloating laugher surrounded me with the mix of unwashed bodies as both my legs screamed with pain from walking so far in sandals. Hankering for a nice soft bed, I looked up at the bar keeper and asked if he had any spare rooms. Instead of answering, he bolstered out a laugh that seemed to echo in the room, his big body shaking as people’s attention turned towards us. Jangling a key in front of me, he stopped laughing, and grinned, showing missing teeth as his rank breath filled the space between us.

“Why? I’ve got a room that is just perfect, and I’ll sure enjoy the company from a woman like you.”

Kicking him in the face didn’t seem like such a bad idea at the moment as his laughed bounced around the room again and my anger rose.

I’m sure the lady will be fine on her own.”

Looking behind me, my mouth fell open as I looked at the handsome stranger before me. Maybe he’s an assassin, because he sure looks like it with his lean but strong build, his buckled boots, black pants and his tight leather jacket. Nice-looking knives were strapped to his hips as he flashed a grin at me when he caught me staring but then his grin turned down at the corner as he frowned at me. Ogling at him wasn’t a smart idea, so I turned my attention away from his white tousled hair and green eyes, to focus on the grainy counter top, hoping that he didn’t notice how ragged I looked. Pursing his lips, the disgusting bar keeper glared at the man for a tense second as the man glared back before the bar keeper reluctantly threw a small key at me.

Quickly grabbing it, I thanked him and stood up but my legs collapsed as I stifled a groan and held onto the counter top. Regretting my decision to get up, I gritted my teeth and nodded my thanks to the handsome stranger, as he stood stock still, watching me… curious.

“Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

“I-I’m fine. Just tired.”

Spikes of pain shot through my feet but I wouldn’t let my pain show as I ignored his stare and walked down the hall, using the walls for support. Turning around a corner, I found my room and sighed with relief as I opened it and saw a bed against the wall. Underneath the bed, lay some extra quilts as I shut the door behind me and collapsed onto the bed, the relief immediate.

“Oh, so much better.”

Very tired, sore and heartbroken… I kicked off my shoes and managed to burrow under the covers as I let sleep take me.

When I was still asleep, a noise woke me as I opened my eyes, bit back a scream and I stared at the shadow by my bed.

Xilinous pillows surrounded me as fear pumped through my body and I realized I didn’t have anything around me to defend myself against an attack, so I gripped the pillow and put it between the attacker and me.

“What are you gonna do with that?”

Yelling, I tried alert someone, as he grabbed the pillow from me, and I wondered why his voice sounded so familiar, then I leaped off the bed, but he stood in front of my escape, and dropped the pillow on the floor. Zigzagging to get around him, I made a break for the door but his arms wrapped around my torso and pulled me tight against his leather chest, smelling of something like wood.

“Wait… leather? Are you…”

“Yeah, the guy who helped you last night. Name is Donar and we need to talk.”

The end…