Huntress [REWRITE] - NaNoWriMo 2023

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Lucilia took almost half an hour creeping up towards the fire. She saw halfway there that the man next to it was fast asleep. It wasn't an obvious fire, but it was also not constructed with hiding in mind. It was small but visible. The man must be confident enough in his skills if he were to be jumped.

Lucilia stood over the man and his fire for a long time before she nudged him with her foot.

She immediately regretted waking him up as he sat straight up with wild eyes and glanced around until he spotted her. He looked at her for a long moment and then glanced around again, then he was confused.

"Your fire is too bright," Lucilia found herself saying. Why did she say that? She had no idea. She didn't even know why she came over here to do this. She should have just kept walking as far as she could and made her own camp.

"What?" The man was just as startled by her comment as she was. He looked towards the fire and she got a good look at him. He had dark brown hair and it looked like it hadn't been cut in a while. Especially on his face. She guessed he has been travelling for a while because he looked very dirty. So dirty in fact that Lucilia noticed the blood splatters on the cuffs of his shirt.

Lucilia suddenly realized how bad the situation was. She put herself in the worst spot. Her face was dirty and her hair was up, but she hadn't used a lower tone. Did this man know she was a woman? Probably, and that was the worst thing that could happen.

"Your fire is too bright," Lucilia said again. She couldn't help herself, manners were drilled into her and he asked her a question. She made sure her voice was down a couple notes first this time. "I saw you miles off. If you don't want to be spotted, you should try harder."

He sucked in a breath and turned away. It was time to leave and get as far as she could so this man doesn't discover her.

"Wait!"

Her mothers manners made her freeze to see what this guy would say. She cursed herself before starting again to walk away, but before she took two steps he spoke again. "Why do you think I'm hiding?"

Lucilia turned back towards him, "you have blood on your cuffs that are splattered, which shows a fight recently."

With that she sped walk away. Stupid. She was so stupid. She could have died, she could still die! She had to get far away and fast.

"Wait!" The man tried again, and this time Lucilia heard him getting up.

She drew her sword from her back and turned around, holding it up as she noted him. He was coming towards her. He stopped and noted the sword, then held up his hands.

"Why don't we help each other? We could travel together, you know more about survival it seems and I could help protect you. We could take watches and both get even more sleep!"

Lucilia watched his face light up with this plan. It was a good plan, if they knew each other. She held the sword a little higher, "how do I know you won't murder me while I sleep?"

The man frowned, as if this hadn't actually occurred to him.

"I will swear not to murder you if you swear not to murder me."

Touché, Lucilia thought. It could go both ways. "How do I know you are true to your word?"

"How do I know your true to your word? You haven't even said you promise yet."

Lucilia thought and then sighed rather loudly, if this went horribly she could out-fight him. She was trained by the best warrior in the world. "Fine. I swear not to murder you."