The Duelist 3 by Eric Vall

Author:Eric Vall [Vall, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Published: 2021-02-19T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

“Stay where you are and don’t move.” I leveled my blade at the person in the brown hooded cloak while I moved Rylan behind me.

The person flared their arms out on either side as they kept their head down toward the ground.

“I mean you no harm,” came a voice that reminded me of the breeze through the willow branches. “I only meant to gather these.”

One of the person’s hands opened, and in their palm were a couple of weird acorn-looking things.

I frowned and used the tip of my sword to remove the figure’s hood.

A pair of smallish horns greeted me first as they poked through a shaggy blonde mop of hair that only came down past the stranger’s fawn-like ears.

Finally, the person-- a young woman-- raised her head and fixed me with a gaze so silvery-gray, I couldn’t help but think of rain.

Her face was a pale oval with a smattering of charming freckles, and she had a unique tan square marking right over the bridge of her nose. These characteristics combined with her silvery horns, which curved back ever so slightly, all made her look like some sort of oryx.

“See?” the oryx-woman said and took a step forward to show me the acorns, and I lowered my sword slightly.

“Isn’t there a better place to go foraging for… um, whatever those things are?” I asked, and I figured she was harmless, especially since it didn’t seem like she was armed.

I still kept my blade out, though, because if Zoie had taught me anything, it was that looks could be deceiving, and to rule out the possibility this girl was dangerous would be plain stupid.

Even if she was kinda cute.

“There are several places to forage for the goba nuts,” she said and broke the cap off the yellowish acorn so she could hold the round part up between her thumb and finger. “But these are the ones I was meant to pick.”

“Oh… um… ” I faltered, not really sure what to say to that weirdness. “That seems a bit inconvenient.”

“For me, perhaps,” she said as she looked up at the blue sky. “But not for him.”

She then pointed her finger at Rylan, and I could see more tan markings on the back of her hand.

My sword came up again in warning, and I moved Rylan and I back a step.

“What do--?” I started, but she interrupted me by holding up a palm.

Maybe it was the light, but her eyes shimmered an opaque silver for just a flash, and when they turned back to their normal rain-like color, she smiled as if she recognized me.

“Oh,” she breathed and then walked closer even though my sword was raised.

“Hey--” I said, but before I could act, she moved the blade aside and cupped my face with her hand not holding the acorns.

A feeling of incredible warmth and safety flooded through me, and I lowered my sword back to my side. It felt like this mysterious woman gazed into my soul, and for some reason, I knew deep down she wasn’t dangerous.

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