Elina

Maybe Salem thought I forgot about the honeypot village. Forgot about Anja. The way Salem blushed in front of her. How he scratched the back of his head. How he was shamefully smitten by her third-rate act.

So I reminded him. Stopped short of mentioning the fact that I had to rescue him. Because then he would ask again why I saved him. And it wasn't a question I wanted to answer. Not yet. Not now.

When should I tell him? When I implicitly have his trust.

I glanced at him. Hmm…But when can I guarantee that…

He sat there, reins in his hands, eyes ahead. Trying not to look at me. Pretending he was paying attention to the road. Like there might be some kind of danger. But there was flat nothingness for miles. A tree here. A rock there. Wind and sun and blue sky.

He was acting as though the grass were more interesting. But I was sure I'm more interesting than grass. Or maybe he feared my tongue after I mentioned Anja.

I said, "Who do you usually talk to?"

"What do you mean?"

"During your other witch hunts. Who do you talk to while on the road?"

He shrugged. "It's just the road."

"You talk to the road?"

"I don't talk to anyone."

"So you just sit here, day after day until you reach the city?"

"Yes."

"And you don't feel lonely?"

"Every man feels lonely. Why do you think taverns were invented."

Heh-heh~ That was a good answer. Something unexpected. I liked it.

I said, "And do you still feel lonely?"

He said nothing. Just looked ahead. But the pace of his breathing changed.

I nudged him with my elbow. Kept nudging him. Kept my eyes on him. Made sure that he could feel the glow of magic. The power he feared most.

I said, "Don't you feel grateful to have a beautiful witch to talk to?"

He glanced at me. Raised an eyebrow. "You think rather highly of yourself."

"I do have the greatest magic. Eons of wisdom flows in my vei — "

He interrupted me. Poked my forehead.

He said, "Then let those eons of wisdom show a little."

"What do you mean?"

"Eons of wisdom should allow you to camp outside without complaint."

A twitch at the corner of his lips, a little smile in his eyes.

Ahh...he thinks he has cornered me. I suppose I will give him this moment of satisfaction. But only for a moment.

…

And that moment has ended.

I said, "Eons of wisdom have taught me that life is short and hence one must indulge in life's greatest pleasures."

"A full stomach is better than an empty one."

He said nothing. Maybe he was hoping that this was the end of this conversation. But I wasn't done with him just yet.

I said, "That also goes for the pleasures of the flesh."

He said nothing.

I said, "But of course just that will leave you empty and cold. Every man needs affection too, or else his heart will wither."

He said nothing.

"Which makes me wonder whom that strand of long wavy brown hair belonged to."

"I do not recall any hair. You must've imagined it when you were drunk that night."

Heh-heh~ He thinks he can take me for a fool.

I changed my hair to a wavy cascade of chestnut brown. Changed my eyes to match the hair.

I said, "Did she look something like this?"

He glanced at me. Then looked away. He swallowed.

"Hmmmmm? Don't want to tell me?"

He swallowed. Breathed in. Breathed out.

He said, "I just went to see an old friend."

"Only a friend?"

"Something like that."

He was sweating under his armor. His heart was racing. The road was long.