The Huntress (Legend and Lore Book 2)

  Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  About

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by TR Rook

  Fenris Forest

  Desert Fire

  The Huntress

  A Legend & Lore novella

  TR Rook

  The Huntress

  by TR Rook

  Published by Arctic Circle Press

  www.arcticcirclepress.com

  Cover designed by Tina T. Kove

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission, except for in the purpose of reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction and as such all characters and situations are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual people, place, or events is coincidental.

  This book uses British English spelling.

  This book was previously published under a different pen name.

  Second edition June 2016.

  Copyright © 2012-2016 by TR Rook

  About the story

  When you’re looking for your own destiny—it finds you.

  Liv runs away from her spoilt and priviliged life as a princess to find her own destiny in the world. She knows she's made out for something other than prancing around in pretty dresses.

  On her journey she meets a woman like no one she’s ever met before—and by journeying with her, Liv finally discovers her own place in the world, like she’s been longing to find out for so long.

  Chapter One

  The Huntress

  The inn was crowded, the noise level close to unbearable.

  Liv was sitting in her dark corner, enjoying the simple life of peasants. Men drank and boasted amongst each other, women sat in groups of four or five and whispered and giggled. They were all dressed in simple clothing that Liv never would have worn in the castle.

  Since she’d left her privileged life, however, she’d acquired proper wear for a commoner’s life. It was a bit coarse, and it itched, but she could not go around wearing her fancy dresses out in public anymore. Here she did not want to be the princess—she did not ever want to be the princess again. Here no one knew her, and if they had ever seen her, they would not recognise her dressed as she was now.

  Liv took another spoonful of stew, eyes not stopping their roaming.

  The inn was driven by a fierce-looking woman no one seemed to want to provoke even the tiniest bit. Two girls worked the floor, slipping from one table to the next, delivering food or ale and taking empty mugs and plates with them back to the kitchen.

  This was nothing like what Liv was used to at the castle—and she was fascinated by it. She was not meant to live a princess’ privileged life; she was meant to live amongst commoners, live a normal, hard-working life. Not that she was working, she was travelling through the country, but if the opportunity presented itself... she might take it.

  Liv had only stopped at the inn for some hot supper, and when she was done, she would be on her way. She camped out in the open at night, even if she could afford to rent a room; she preferred sleeping under the stars. Her parents and siblings back home would be appalled if they knew, but Liv cared very little about what they would feel. It was a bit uncomfortable, and a bit cold, but the sight of the stars made up for it aplenty.

  The only thing nagging her was leaving Bas, which gnawed on her conscience. She could have perhaps talked him into coming with her, but on the other side... Bas had known about the marriage her parents planned to force her into and had not told her about it. “When you’re a princess, you do not get to decide over your life,” he had snapped. “Duty to family and country comes first, no matter what. It is time for you to learn that, Liv.” And so saying he had stomped out of her rooms in anger.

  So Liv did not feel as bad as she normally would have felt. He had had it coming, the stupid cat. Her familiar or not, sometimes she just had to be on her own. She could not count on Bas for everything—he was not her lover. He was her bonded yes, but he was so holier-than-though that sometimes Liv wanted to smack him upside the head.

  He was older than her and he was her tutor but that did not give him the right to think he was so much better than her. He had been like that for as long as Liv could remember and she was sick of it. So it was good to get away from him too, though she could not stay away forever forever. He was her familiar, after all, and she did care for him. He was more of a brother to her than her real brothers were.

  She just had to make her own life before she went back. She had to find her place in the world, because it was not being a princess and living in the castle all her life, marrying a noble and giving him children. She would be miserable then, she knew it.

  That was why she was here. To find her own destiny.

  The inn fell silent around her, bringing Liv out of her deep reflections. Looking up, she scanned the crowd. Her eyes landed on a woman entering the inn. Everyone was staring at her. She did not look like anyone Liv had ever met—peasant or noble. Her hair was blue-black and braided into at least a hundred thin braids that she kept away from her face by a sash she had bound around her head. As she stepped further into the room, Liv noticed that it was not just the colour that was unfamiliar—tiny beads were braided into it, as were coloured feathers and silk.

  She wore a white linen shirt, quite common for peasants, with a black-leather vest laced over the top. A heavy wool cloak fell over her shoulders, thrown back now as she entered the inn, and a sword hung comfortably at her hip. She was tall, taller than Liv, and slender, but it was also obvious by that sinewy body that she was all muscle.

  This woman was not a normal commoner. No one Liv had ever met held a candle to the exotic beauty. No woman Liv had ever met would dress herself in breeches like that. The custom for women was skirts, though Liv had to admit that she liked what she saw. She let her eyes travel up and down the woman again as she moved through the room towards the counter.

  She was too far away for Liv to hear her voice, but she spoke to the innkeeper and soon seated herself at the last available table in the room. She took off her cloak and threw it across the other chair, and then she leant back and let her eyes roam the room.

  Liv could not muster the strength to look away, until those eyes—silver eyes—met hers, she turned away in embarrassment. She felt her cheeks blush and took another spoonful of stew to try to get her thoughts over to something else. She soon found her eyes going back to the black-haired woman, however, watching as she was given her own bowl of stew by one of the maids.

  Liv wondered what the woman did for a living. She certainly was not a farmer. That much Liv could tell. The way she carried a sword told Liv the woman was used to its weight there, and she was most likely excellent at using it. Which pointed at a violent way of living.

  Liv finished the rest of her stew as she glanced out the window. The sun was slowly sinking, and she had to get moving if she was to find a good place to camp before nightfall.

  She put some money on the table and started reaching for her cloak, only to freeze as a scream pierced through the loud noise of the inn. Everything quieted and Liv could swear she could have heard a pin fall in the sudden silence.

  The scream came again and now people started moving. Liv did too. Forgoing her cloak, she made for the door, pushing her way through the tall men standing in front of her.

  A woman was running towards them, terrified by something Liv could not see.

  Liv walked down the steps to meet her, and the young female practically fell into her arms. “What is the matter?” Liv asked worriedly. �
��Are you hurt?”

  “L-lindworm,” the woman gasped out and turned her head to stare with wide, terrified eyes at something behind her.

  Liv lifted her head, following the woman’s gaze. Now she saw it. Something came towards them, slithering on the ground and making hissing noises. Frowning, Liv held the trembling woman closer.

  “I was just inside the forest, getting water... and suddenly there it was: A nest of small lindworms. I tried to leave them to themselves, but then the mother came...”

  “Shh!” Liv stroked the woman’s hair, eyes trained on what looked like an enormous snake coming towards them in quick speed. It did not seem to mind the rough terrain.

  “Get inside!” someone shouted behind her, but Liv found she could not move. A lindworm... She had read about them, but never seen one in real life. It really did look like an enormous snake, but the illustrations in the books had not been nearly as terrifying as a real-life worm.

  The lindworm reared up, jaw opening wide in a snarl. The woman in Liv’s arms screamed in terror, fighting free of Liv’s embrace, and then stumbled past her, clattering up the steps to the inn.

  Liv stood up slowly, staring at the monster closing in on her. Now it looked more like the illustrations. Still a lot like a snake, but now she could see an equal resemblance to the dragons it was said to be distantly related to. The razor-sharp teeth took up three rows in its mouth, and the fangs were three times as long as the rest. The scales gleamed dark green and black spines went from its forehead all the way down its back to the end of its pointed tail. Spikes also came from atop its nostrils, and bigger ones more resembling horns erupted from above its ears.

  A lindworm only had front legs, with big, razor-sharp claws. Having no hind legs did not seem to bother it as it rose up into the air, balancing on its tail.

  Liv stared up at it, trying to figure out a spell that would work against this creature. Her mind came up blank. Lindworms were no threat in the capital, and so no one had ever mentioned a spell that could defeat one. Liv drew a shaky breath, then took a step back, debating whether to stand perfectly still or run. The lindworm’s eyes were on her; it could see her and it was going to attack any second.

  It threw its head back on another loud hiss, before it dove towards Liv, who was frozen in place. I’m going to die, she thought in a panic. I’m going to die because I don’t know how to defend myself against this creature!

  She could see the white in the lindworm’s eyes, and then her vision was suddenly blocked by hundreds of tiny braids flying through the air as the woman they belonged to drew her sword and slashed it through the air.

  Liv watched in astonished wonder as the sword cut straight through the lindworm’s neck, severing its head from the body. It wailed loudly once before the head finally fell to the ground, closely followed by the rest of the body, which completely splattering Liv in its blood.

  “Here you go.”

  Liv gratefully took the cloth that was held out to her. She ran it over her face, getting the worst off the blood off, but she knew some still stuck to her skin. Not to mention her hair and clothes.

  “I’ll go ask the innkeeper for a room and a bath,” the same voice spoke again. “We’re going to get you cleaned up.”

  Liv looked up in time to watch the exotic woman’s back disappear up the stairs and into the inn. She’s going to help me get cleaned up? she thought, dazed. Bending her head, she stared at her clothes. They were ruined, that much was obvious. She would never get the blood out of them. They were her only proper peasant clothes and now she had to purchase new ones.

  “Come on.”

  Liv gasped in surprise as her arm was grabbed and she was dragged towards the inn. Once the surprise faded though she went quietly with the strange woman, hoping the bath would be ready. She smelled horrible and wanted nothing more than to get out of her ruined clothing.

  “They are going to bring the bath right up,” the woman told her as she pushed Liv into a small room containing a bed, a nightstand, a small wardrobe and a table with two chairs. “Do you have anything else to wear?” She looked Liv up and down, face unreadable.

  “In my saddlebags,” Liv replied. “They might not be of common stock, but they ought to do until I can purchase new ones.” Amala looked at her at that so Liv hurried to tell her the rest. “I left the saddlebags in the stable with my horse. She is a chestnut mare. And I left my cloak at a table downstairs.”

  “I’ll get it for you. You just hold tight and wait for the bath.” So saying, she was gone.

  Liv did not have time to dwell on the mysterious woman, as the innkeeper herself and a very big, muscular man came up with the bath, accompanied by two of her maidens, both carrying buckets with hot water. One had a cloth and a towel tucked under her arm as well.

  “Here you go, miss,” the woman said gruffly as the two maidens emptied the buckets into the already half-full bath. “You get cleaned up quickly. Lindworms are nasty stuff.”

  Liv thanked them heartily, and then wasted no time stripping out of her clothes as they left the room. She slipped down into the warm water and sighed in pleasure. Her skin, though it smelled like it, had not received a splatter of blood, but her hair was still full of it.

  She scrubbed her body with the soap the maid had brought with her until she was sure the smell was gone. Once her body was clean, it was time to do her hair, and she could not do that while still staying in the water. The bathtub was too small and tight for her to be able to dip her head into it while sitting, so she stood up and reached for the towel left on the table.

  The door opened and the black-haired woman entered, carrying Liv’s saddlebags over one shoulder and holding Liv’s cloak in the other. She stopped, one hand still on the handle of the door, as she caught sight of Liv.

  Liv felt the warmth spread up her neck and cheeks, and she quickly grabbed the towel and wrapped it around herself, turning her back on the other woman in embarrassment. Opting for ignoring her at the moment, Liv knelt next to the bath and bent over, pushing her long, blonde hair down into the water. She used the soap on her hair as well, scrubbing away at it. The blood tinged the clear water a light red.

  “It’s dangerous facing a lindworm, like you just did,” the woman told her curtly as she moved into the room, closing the door after herself. “If I hadn’t been there, it would’ve killed you and no one else would’ve lifted a finger. Lindworms scare people here; they are their greatest fear.”

  “I can defend myself,” Liv replied, somewhat snappishly. “I have just never seen one of those creatures before and it baffled me.”

  “You haven’t seen a lindworm?” It sounded almost like an offense that Liv had not. “You are obviously not from around here then if you’ve never seen one. Where are you from?”

  “The capital,” Liv replied. She grabbed the cloth and used it to dry her hair. “Born and raised.”

  “A city girl.” The woman rested with one hip against the table, arms crossed underneath her breasts. “And what’s a city girl doing so close to the Black Mountains?”

  “Travelling.” Liv stood, trying to use her fingers to comb through the tangle of her hair, with no apparent success.

  “With no weapons, no escort?” The woman raised one dark eyebrow. “I find it hard to believe that a young woman like yourself would put herself in such danger. If it’s not lindworms you have to look out for, it’s robbers and bandits. A lindworm would be kinder, trust me.”

  “Contrary to what you seem to believe,” Liv replied tartly, “I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I am a witch, just graduated from the University.” That was a small lie, she had not actually graduated yet, but this woman did not need to know that. “Yes, the lindworm had me paralysed, but that will not be the case next time. I do not want to experience that again, thank you very much.”

  Liv went over to her saddlebags and rummaged in them for her comb. The other woman was standing entirely too close for comfort. As soon as she had the com
b she went over to sit on the bed. Guilt for snapping at the woman tore at her, and she sighed softly. “Thank you for saving me,” she told her, voice low, but carrying in the small room. “I really appreciate it.” She swallowed, not quite sure if she was using the right words.

  “This is what I do. I save people and villages from lindworms,” the woman replied. “They are nasty creatures, destroying not just crops but the herds as well. The most usual way of dying around here is by a lindworm attack. Or a bite. It has a deadly poison in its fangs.”

  Liv struggled with her hair as she listened to the woman talk. It was all so strange. In the capital it was not animals they had to worry about. The usual way of dying back home was of age or sickness, or from the after-effects of a fight, if one obtained a knife wound or a head injury.

  “Move over.”

  Liv startled to find the woman suddenly standing beside her, but she did as ordered. The comb was taken out of her hand and her hair brushed back over her shoulder to hang heavily down her back. Liv dared barely breathe as the woman started combing through her hair.

  “I’m Amala,” the woman said then, voice soft. “Huntress of lindworms and protector of the small villages in and around the Black Mountains.”

  “I am Liv,” Liv introduced herself. “Just a witch.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with that,” Amala replied. “As I’ve heard, witches can be quite powerful.”

  “We are.” Liv closed her eyes and bent her head slightly back, enjoying having someone other than herself doing her hair for a change. “If you know the right spells and the correct incantations.”