Heed My Warnings And Survive

Chapter Nine

Zander

My men had set up camp in a clearing not far from Lake Mitono where I had seen Draven, and Finley, and of course, their new friend. I banged my fist on the table.

“Frooshta I had them,” I muttered angrily.

“No need to get so upset darling,” The witch cooed. I glared at her. Why was she trying to seduce me, when I had come to her asking for the soul of my wife. She smirked at me, going across my tent, and lounging in the bed. I rolled my eyes, and exited, limping from the wound on my calf. The witch followed soon after, and hung on my arm, as I called my hired men to order. They circled me.

“I need trackers,” I said loudly, so they all could hear me. Two men stepped forward, neither of whom I recognized. “Where is my previous tracker?” I asked, looking around the circle of men the weasel called Devin was pushed into the ring by the men on either side. I pointed to him.

“You three, return to the Lake, and track down those three,” I commanded. The men nodded, and ran off toward the woods.

“Sir, are you sure you should be walking?” One of the men asked after I dismissed them. I gritted my teeth. He had been bothering me since the day I got the injury.

“I’m fine,” I said falsely.

“Let me at least examine it, I’m a trained physician, that is why you hired me isn’t it?” He said. I stood up straight.

“Fine, but keep this woman as far away from me as possible,” I relented, gesturing to the witch, who was still hanging on my arm. The man nodded.

“Madam, would you be kind enough to wait out here while I examine him?” The man asked. The witch nodded, and wandered off. I limped inside my tent, and sat on the bed. The physician followed. He carefully unwrapped the bandage I had carelessly wrapped around my leg three days prior. He examined my leg carefully.

“You know, you are very lucky. With careless work like that you could’ve gotten an infection,” he informed me. I rolled my eyes.

“Just shut up and finish your work,” I said, annoyed. The man did continue his work, but he did not shut up, he jabbered away, just like Finley used to. I felt a pang of sorrow, and loneliness, but as it always did, my anger crushed the sympathy out of my head. The physician finished his work quickly, and left me alone. I laid back on my bed, closed my eyes, and sighed. Moments later I heard my tent flap swoosh, and the wait of a woman’s head was placed on my chest. I knew it to be the witch, but for a moment it felt so much like Neireida I couldn’t push her away, but my senses returned quickly.

“Get off,” I said sternly. Her head tilted up, but it remained on my chest. I opened my eyes and looked at her, but it wasn’t the witch who looked back. No indeed, the witch was standing at the mouth of the tent, and the woman staring at me with the most enchanting golden eyes, was my own Neireida.