Oathbound by Victoria McCombs

Author:Victoria McCombs
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
Publisher: Enclave Publishing
Published: 2021-10-22T00:00:00+00:00

My senses returned slowly, the first being smell. Cinnamon. I hadn’t smelled such a scent in months. It prompted my eyes to open, while my mind struggled to make sense of what was happening.

A roof made of branches and tall grass and bark woven together stood above my head, and a bed of dirt beneath me. Neither gave off a cinnamon smell, so my eyes moved on. The structure, while obviously lacking for materials, was large—tall enough to stand in, and separating two ways to other rooms.

A figure moved in one of the rooms, and I gradually remembered what had happened. I drew to my feet and felt for my dagger at my waist, but it was gone. As the girl stood with her back to me, I took the opportunity to check my dagger in the back of my pants.

Arn was right, people truly never checked there.

I slid the dagger out and tiptoed toward the girl. She wore tight leather pants with a wool tunic over top and had light blonde hair that swept against the tops of her shoulders. Pieces of twine held together a few small braids on one side. The most interesting part of her appearance was the tattoos that covered almost every inch of her skin. Her elbows, her heels, the side of her neck. Her face was the only thing untouched.

Despite her rough exterior, she didn’t appear terribly strong. I could knock her out and run.

“Not the proper way to thank your host, now is it?” The girl looked over her shoulder with a little smile. “I mean you no harm, you can put that away.” She turned about with rolls in her hands. “Fresh off the fire. Please, come sit.”

“You have a funny way of not meaning harm.” I touched the tender patch by my temple.

“Would you have quieted if I asked?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “I saved you from an unpleasant death. Now sit.” She motioned toward a log rolled against the back wall. A few pillows were tied around the wood to make the seat comfortable, and a vibrant cloth hung behind it. I lowered my dagger without sheathing it as the girl handed me the cinnamon bread. Her eyes stayed firmly on me, and her hands didn’t waver. She wasn’t afraid of me, and she wanted me to know it.

Perhaps she was stronger than I guessed. I put away my weapon. Despite my mixture of frustration and curiosity, I only had one thought on my mind.

“I have to go, if you haven’t ruined things already.” I dug my heel into the soft dirt and made for the door. The Huntress took her time tracking her prey, prone to play tricks on them before capturing them. If I was lucky, she still toyed with the men and hadn’t taken them yet. The Huntress would drag her prey back to her lair where she prepared dinner in front of them before killing them as the main course.

The sun was several hours past where it had been before I’d been knocked out.

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