by Lisa Daniels
The dragon slayer nodded. “You are correct, I’m not an actress. Well, not intentionally.” She remembered the one time Saskia had persuaded them to be in a play as part of a plan she had to get back at a boy that had hurt Bree. It had been brilliant, even if Annora had never felt comfortable. Her part had been pretty simple, she pretty much played herself, but with the weapons on the opposite sides than she was accustomed to using them. It had reinforced the idea that women had no idea how to handle weapons as the change in weight had thrown off her ability to draw them quickly. After the second time the sword clattered on the ground, Annora had opted for looking menacing instead of appearing incompetent. It was the only way to keep her reputation. In the end everything worked out, and Annora got to offer the finishing blow to the man’s ego, a satisfying feeling that more than made up for the humiliation of the play.
Annora shook her head, finally realizing that her mind had wandered again.
“Are you alright?” A barely hidden look of concern fought against the cold demeanor Elian was trying to maintain.
Giving him a faint smile, she replied, “Yes, sorry. I missed what you were saying. Just got a little,” she moved her hand in a twisting motion beside her head, “caught up in some memories.”
Elian was unable to hide his confusion.
She gave a little laugh as she realized he was failing to keep up whatever he was trying to do. It made the young woman feel more at ease to see that even this man could fail at something. She decided to explain a little. “I was in a play once. We were getting back at this guy for breaking my friend’s heart. And-”
“Bree?”
Annora nodded, “Yes. We were quite young then. Life was so much… simpler back then. Anyway, I was terrible, so if I ever had any desire to be an actress, it died with that play.
“And did you?”
Annora cocked her head to the side. “Did I what?”
The corner of his mouth tugged up as he said, “Ever want to be an actress?”
“Oh gods, no! Having that much attention on you, always having to smile and talk to people.” The dragon slayer couldn’t help but shiver at the thought. “I would much rather face a horde of giants than deal with people every day.”
A strange look crossed his face. “A horde of giants? Really? Either you have a serious fear of attention, or you are more reckless than I thought.”
She waved a hand. “I wouldn’t come out alive in either circumstance. Death by giant seems much more appealing. And they never pretend to be on your side. I prefer to know my enemy than have to figure out who is really my friend.”
“Hmmm,” he reflected on what she said. “I can see your point. Although I would prefer to always come out on top. Assuming you will win makes it so much easier to achieve.”
Annora couldn’t tell if he meant it or if he was pulling her leg. She gave a noncommittal shrug. “Anyway, it was a good memory.”
“You must have gotten him in the end, though.”
“Indeed. I had almost entirely forgotten about it. That makes me feel so old.”
Elian opened his mouth as if to say something, but he stopped. The dragon hunter was pretty sure she knew what the question was, and since it kept them away from the subject of her profession, she volunteered the answer. “27.”
His brow furrowed. “What?”
“I’m 27.”
He gave a short laugh. “That’s not even remotely old.”
Annora frowned and looked at him askance. “Well, it’s not old if you aren’t human. It puts me at about middle age. How many people do you know that have reached 60 years old?”
Elian shifted his weight, and the young woman realized he was not looking her in the eye. “I don’t think I’ve ever known a human to reach that age.”
“Exactly.” There was something he wasn’t saying. Since he had not asked her for her age, Annora felt it would be wrong to ask his, but suddenly she was curious.
He pushed away from the wall, his handsome face turned from her as he headed toward the door. As he opened it, Elian said, “I am very glad to see you are doing better. Keep improving and-”
Annora quickly threw her legs over the side of the bed and rose to her feet. “Oh, yes, thank you very much, but I cannot possibly keep abusing your charity. You have done too much already. Just let me know what you need me to do and I will consider it while I finish my current… work.” She silently cursed herself since she had brought the conversation back around to her occupation.
Elian closed the door. “Oh, it’s not a problem at all. It’s my pleasure.”
Annora realized that he was avoiding looking at her. Too late she realized that her clothes were nearly see through. Getting out of there was too important to get distracted now. “No, I mean it. I have been too much of a burden on you. There is no way I can continue to use you like this. I promise I will return and I’ll give you-”
Elian was waving his hands in front of his face as he stammered, his head turned away from her, “No, no! I insist- you stay and get better, and then we will talk about the rest.”
Annora noticed the pink flush on his cheeks. Ah, that made the whole situation that much more uncomfortable. She had never been good with flirting or making men think of her in terms beyond a killer. Her cheeks immediately started to feel hot just looking at his embarrassment. Still, she tried to press her case because the last thing she wanted to do was stay in that place one more day. It was true that the young woman had another way out, but if she could repay him, that seemed like the best path forward. The image of him watching the dragon flitted across her mind, and Annora was quite certain that he was still after it. That meant they were very likely to meet again.
“Unless I am your prisoner, it’s time for me to get moving. My head feels better, my back is pulling, but not painful, and my ankle feels almost as good as new.”
His eyes moved back toward her and the red in his cheeks intensified. “Your arm is still bleeding unpredictably.” Annora looked down and saw that he was right. Small blood stains showed through on her fresh bandage. “Your ankle is only working well because it is tightly bound. One wrong move or sudden side dodge and you are going to be right back where you started. It would be entirely irresponsible to let you go, even if you feel fine.”
“Aren’t I the best judge of my current abilities?”
Finally, he met her eyes and he slowly and deliberately shook his head.
“Are you saying that I’m your prisoner until you decide to release me?” Annora’s face became like stone.
“If that is how you want to look at it, yes. So, you may as well return to your bed and get some rest if you want to get out of here.”
“No.”
Ignoring the way her outfit highlighted her body, Elian focused on what mattered. “Maybe you don’t understand. You don’t have a choice.”
Annora folded her arms across her chest. “What happens if I scream?”
The man shrugged his muscular shoulders. “You get winded and annoy a lot of patrons in this establishment. Also, it’s not a great way to say thank you after everything I’ve done.”
“I’m pretty sure that we already covered my appreciation for what you did.”
“Then why don’t you show it, and go make sure you recover?”
“Because I am fine now.”
Tired of arguing, Elian leaned down and tried to pick her up at a speed that should not have been possible. As soon as she saw what he was about to do, Annora dropped and rolled away from him. He adjusted his movements, but his hand only brushed her body. His cheeks became bright red as he realized that he had run his hand over her lower back and lower.
Trying to keep his composure, he moved forward. Again she moved out of reach. His hands ran around her stomach before she could move again, and he pulled her to him. Annora felt his body against hers and she was again very aware of just how well-built and handsome the man was. As these thoughts floated past, her elbow automatically dug into the ma
n’s stomach. The woman nearly regretted it as she was certain that the muscles were almost as hard as her elbow, and he had definitely been expecting the move. She brought her foot through his legs and pressed against the back of his knee, causing him to drop her as he tried to regain his balance. Seeing her chance to get out, Annora made a break for the door.
The arms were around her waist before she got it open.
“It’s obvious I’ve been underestimating you.” He lifted her up, this time carrying her like he had when she was sick. To his surprise, Annora shaped her body like a V and nearly slipped through his arms. His hands ended up wrapping around her left ankle and left wrist. She swung into him, causing Elian to lose his balance. They fell on the floor. Unfortunately for Annora, Elian maneuvered so that he fell on top of her. She was entirely pinned to the floor with no way out as long as he continued to press down.
Elian couldn’t even look at her as he spoke. “This is ridiculous. You can’t possibly win. Look at your arm.” He was trying to look at the ceiling while keeping an eye on her movements. The woman clearly knew how to fight, and it was not a style that he knew at all.
Annora looked at her arm and saw the blood stains growing. “It’s your fault. If you would just let me go, my arm would-”
“Still be severely injured. You do realize that it is poison keeping it from healing, don’t you?”
“Of course I know that! It isn’t any of your concern.” Her voice was low and threatening, causing him to look down into her eyes. His reflexes kicked in and he immediately let go of her and moved away from her and toward the door. He didn’t even try to stand yet.
“Look, clearly you aren’t in any shape to fight. I really don’t want to keep fighting a woman who is not appropriately dressed…” He looked away, his cheeks nearly as red as his eyes. “I don’t even know your name, so this seems really inappropriate.”
“I agree this is ridiculous. You can’t keep me here!” She was already on her feet.
Elian stood up quickly and moved to the door. “Until you see reason and take the necessary time to recover, this is the only place that is safe for you.”
“Wait, what?” she asked as the door closed behind him. “Arrrrrrggh!” Her scream was from her gut. Taking a few calming breaths, the dragon slayer knew that there was another way to accomplish what she wanted, it would just be much more challenging. A bit disappointed that she was going to have to leave without a proper goodbye, the young woman couldn’t help but feel regret as she went about listening to the soldier protecting her.
First she sat on the bed facing the window opening. Annora knew how to pout, and she knew that was how the soldiers would see her. It didn’t take an hour before the men beneath her window began talking about where their weapons where stored. Trying to figure out based on their descriptions where she was, Annora was able to draw a few conclusions. They weren’t in Defiance. From what she had heard, it sounded like they were in Kildeer. It was a bit closer to the Unforgiving Ridges, so her work would be a bit easier. Retrieving her weapons, however, was going to prove a bit more difficult. Apparently they were stored with the other military equipment, and that was pretty heavily guarded.
The only thing she needed now were decent clothes. That one was easy to fix. When the innkeeper brought in her evening meal, Annora asked for some more appropriate clothes. She emphasized how see-through it was, and the man couldn’t help but cough at what she pointed out.
“Of course. I will bring something that is a little less, uh, revealing.” With that he left the room with a quick glance at her.
For the first time since she had encountered Elian, Annora undid her braid. Using the water in the bathroom, she washed her hair and left it down to dry. When the innkeeper returned after an hour, he couldn’t even look at her as her hair had made the clothing wet and clingy. He simply dropped the clothing on her bed and moved out of the room.
Annora smiled as she walked over to the clothing. Men were so easy, it was pathetic. Even though he seemed like a nice guy, the dragon hunter did not feel guilty about his discomfort, especially since he was clearly helping to keep her there.
Her heart sank as she held up the clothing. While it wasn’t bed wear, it was the kind of stuff women wore. Skirts, petty coats, and shirts that were going to be impossible to move in. As she went through what John had brought her, Annora smiled – he had brought her a few options. Laying them out, she looked them over while she ate her meal, the smile never leaving her face.
There was still some noise as she pulled the second, frilly blouse over the one she had modified. Having done the best she could to convert a skirt into something resembling pants, Annora knew she was going to have to find pants before she made it too far away. A modified skirt would never look right.
It was just after 10 as she slipped through the loose board and into the room beside her.
“Excuse me,” she whispered to the surprised couple who turned to look at her as she slipped through the wall. They were each holding an article of clothing, and she couldn’t help but smile at the way they were frozen at her entrance. “I’m just looking for a working bathroom. Mine’s backed up from the last guy. Mind if I use yours?”
Without waiting for a response, she slipped into their bathroom. She was on the second floor, so Annora would have to determine if the distance was enough for a safe drop, if there was anything she could add to make it a comfortable drop, or if she would need to climb up. The bathroom faced a different direction than the one in her room, so the coast was clear as far as the soldiers went. But the distance was too far and there was nothing readily available for her to safely land on. Up it was.
There was a knock at the door as she slipped out the window. It wouldn’t not take long before the couple came to their senses and went to report the intruder. But they will have to finish dressing again first, a smirk crossed her face. Her luck appeared to be improving. With a little more difficulty than she expected, Annora made it up to the roof. Peering over the edges of each side, the dragon hunter found that the one between the inn and the establishment next to it was the best way down. Best of all, it was opposite the side with the soldiers. Being more careful not to reinjure herself, Annora took longer than she felt she would have if she had been in a better condition. Still, she did not hear any commotion inside. Raising her eyebrows, the young woman realized that the couple may not raise the alarm at all. Once they realized she was gone, there was no need for further investigation, and they clearly had higher priorities than trying to track her down.
Things were suddenly looking much better as she headed toward Killdeer’s tailor. He was one of the few people that she knew in the town, but he was the only person she needed. The thought of being back in more comfortable clothing caused her to move a little faster.
Chapter 7
The Freedom in Work
After a cheerful hello, Isaac had brought her inside and immediately started working – she didn’t need to say anything because he loved working on clothing for her. For a man in his mid-forties, he never seemed to keep a regular schedule and was up for much more than a standard work day. According to him, when it came to clothing, men were so boring and dresses were too cumbersome. He always said that making outfits for Annora was a challenge that would make any real tailor feel thrilled because she needed something sturdy like a man, but with the dips and curves that went into dresses. The man’s greyish eyes gleamed as he looked at her over his work. “I’ve got several other things I’ve been working on for you. You know, Saffron’s been helping me lately, and despite what she said over the years, she seems to be enjoying it.”
Annora gave him a big smile. His daughter was about 23 years old and had fought going into the business for a long time. The change of heart was unexpected but welcome. “Really?” She couldn’t hide the smile that spread over her face, “And where is she now?”
Isaac laughed and turned his eyes back to the work. “You know her, out doing stuff without tel
ling me a thing.”
The dragon slayer shook her head. “Yes, that sounds about right. All you have to do is ask and I will find out what it is she is up to.”
“There’s no need for that. I remember being young, and if my parents had found out what I was up to, it probably would have killed them. Best to let her have her way. She’s coming around now, so it’s only a matter of time before she finishes growing up.”
They chatted a while longer as he finished up a couple of outfits. Once they were ready, he handed her a new bag to carry her clothing. “Now try to be careful this time. I don’t even want to know how you lost your last set of outfits.” There was a twinkle in his eyes as he looked at her.
He was the only man that could joke with her like that. Annora gave him a gentle slap on the arm. “If I tell you what happened, you will likely forbid me from going out again.”
The tailor’s salt and pepper hair waved in the night breeze. “You know, if you were any other woman I would know what you meant. But considering who you are, I think ignorance is bliss.” His smile was forced as his eyes shifted to her arm. “It looks like a fresh wound. Are you taking care of it properly?”
Annora smiled at him. “I’ve had a good bit of help.” His eyebrows shot up, and she laughed, “Against my will. You know I would never ask for assistance.”
Isaac gave her a playful punch on the shoulder. “As long as you are being treated well. Unfortunately, it isn’t the only fresh wound I can see.”
The dragon slayer’s hand went to her head. “How can you even see it?”
Isaac’s eyes followed her hand. “Well, that wasn’t what I was talking about.” He nodded toward her hands which still had small bandages from the vase. “If you are getting that reckless, perhaps it is time to retire.”
Annora’s smile faded. “I promise to do better. Just a few days of really terrible judgment.”
His frown was obvious and the disappointment in his eyes was like that of a father. “Yes, it sounds like you should be retiring.”
