Lenesa walked beside her would-be assassin, casting furtive glances his way every so often and trying to get a better sense of the man.

He had determination. That was good. She could see it in the way his eyes burned, scorching her skin whenever his gaze—or his glare, rather—landed on her. The fire was fueled more by rage than anything else, but he would need it. It would keep him alive in these mountains.

With the light of the full moon and the wisp at her side, Lenesa could see the resemblance to Theiden's daughter. His hair was as thick and dark as the young girl's had been, and the shape of their faces were similar as well, with the same strong jawline. But perhaps the girl's mother had given Em her cute button nose—Theiden's was longer and narrower.

"What are you looking at?" Theiden growled then, catching Lenesa watching him. "Sizing up your next meal, are you?"

Lenesa barely held back a scoff. "I don't eat people," she replied, appalled at the thought. "Besides, that old jacket of yours is enough to put off anyone's appetite." Though it didn't smell, the thick brown coat was worn, stained, and patched in places, and looked rather like something that might have been salvaged from a rubbish pile.

Theiden shrugged, still glowering. "Why are you taking me with you, then?"

"If you were concerned about not returning to your home, you should never have left the city to begin with," she answered.

Theiden gave a short, humorless laugh. "And watch helplessly as my daughter lives her life as a recluse? You're the one to blame for all of this, witch."

The last word came out like a snake spitting venom, and Lenesa felt a twinge of annoyance.

"I do have a name," she said irritably. "Though if Lenesa is too difficult to remember, you may address me as Lena instead." Perhaps he was the simple sort. After all, he did come from the city, and that place was overrun with half-wits.

The man did not answer, but Lenesa could feel his stare boring into her back as she moved forward to take the lead. The path was growing narrower here, and she didn't feel much like talking anymore, anyway.

"Where are we going?" Theiden called out a moment later.

"Home," she replied, stepping over a root illuminated by her wisp. Behind her, there was a muffled thump as Theiden stumbled over it. "We're taking a shortcut." She didn't want to tell him just yet, but they would have to use magic—otherwise, they would never get to the top of Nagamora before dawn broke.

She continued on through the forest, and the only indication that Theiden followed was the sound of his heavy boots crunching loudly on the ground. Sometimes, there was a dull thud and muttered curse as he stumbled, since he clung to the farthest reaches of the wisp's light. The man was really fighting the bond with all he had, and Lenesa might have admired his tenacity if she hadn't been so tired.

Finally, a flat vertical slab of rock emerged from the gloom, with a ring of mushrooms sprouting from the ground before it. Lenesa knew the moment Theiden caught sight of it when he inhaled sharply behind her.

"A faerie ring," he whispered, and Lenesa imagined there was a hint of horror in his tone. "I thought the Fae had been driven away centuries ago."

"Nonetheless, their creations remain," Lenesa told him, stepping into the circle and indicating that Theiden should do the same. Coerced by the bonding spell, he joined her.

The circle was small, and she and Theiden had to stand nearly nose-to-nose in order to fit. This close to him, Lenesa was acutely aware of the way his eyes cut into her, ever-vigilant of her actions, and she could practically feel the red-hot anger radiating from him. She took in a breath and turned her attention to her wisp.

"Shwei," she called. The wisp zoomed into her outstretched palm, and then Lenesa began the incantation. At some point she closed her eyes, but she knew that Theiden would see the scenery around them fade away and the stars blur into a pool of color and light overhead.

She knew the spell had worked when the scent of wet leaves and mildew faded and they were suddenly immersed in the smell of pine and rich loam. At the higher altitude, the temperature had dropped, too, and Lenesa quickly opened her eyes and stepped away from Theiden, resisting the urge to rub her arms for warmth.

They were in another faerie ring, but this one was on Nagamora Mountain and only a short walk from her home. Theiden was looking around with wide eyes.

"Where are we?" he demanded.

"Closer to our destination than we had been before," Lenesa replied. "It's this way. Come."

She didn't look back to see if he followed—the stumbling and soft swearing alone was enough to clue her in as to Theiden's whereabouts.

Finally, the trees thinned out and they came into view of an old stone cottage built in a small clearing up ahead.

"There it is," Lenesa said. The man didn't reply, of course, so she merely headed up the path to the front door of her home. The door unlocked with a heavy clunk, and Lenesa pushed it open and stepped inside.

Shwei zoomed ahead of her and flew up to the wooden rafters, circling once before bursting into several smaller lights that floated down to land on the wicks of the candles and the logs in the fireplace. Once the objects had been set alight, the original wisp, now much smaller, drifted down to land on the seat of the armchair, where he changed shape to a kitten and curled up to rest.

Lenesa snuck a look back to the man again. He was standing just outside the door, trying his best to reject the bond. She could feel the strain of it in her blood, and it wearied her. Now was not the time to be fighting.

She beckoned once, willing Theiden to step inside. As soon as he was through the doorway, the door shut behind him, and they were left in silence.

"You must be tired," Lenesa finally said. Her voice cut through the stillness as abruptly as the pop of a log from the fireplace.

Theiden merely glowered in reply.

Lenesa bit back a sigh and set her basket down on the kitchen table. "Take your shoes off at the entryway, please, and then follow me—I'll make a space for you in the loft."

She snapped her fingers, but the wisp merely twitched an ear and continued to ignore her. Apparently everyone was tired.

Well, that was all right, then. Lenesa took up one of the candles from the small dining table instead and headed over to the ladder that led up to the loft. Holding the candlestick in one hand, Lenesa ascended, skirt swishing softly behind her.

She chanced a glance below, only to find Theiden staring warily at the cat form of the wisp. The light from the fireplace was sending shadows dancing across his face, and to Lenesa he seemed both vulnerable and dangerous in that moment—two different sides to the same coin. She had taken him from all he knew, and he hated her for it, surely. It was only to be expected that conflicting emotions were warring within him.

"Sometime soon, if you please," Lenesa called. Theiden tore his gaze from Shwei and looked up. As soon as he had locked eyes with her, Lenesa almost wished she had stayed silent. She was unprepared for the fierceness in his gaze, and it made her breath hitch.

Lenesa hastily turned around and waited for Theiden to ascend to the loft, pretending not to hear as he ascended the ladder behind her. Once she felt his presence at her side, she continued wordlessly forward.

The cottage was not big, and neither was the loft. But Lenesa had accumulated an enormous collection of books—all of which were stored on the second floor—and it took several twists and turns through the stacks until they reached the far side.

A chest of drawers, laden with several more stacks of books, rested against the wall. Lenesa opened the second drawer and pulled out two thick blankets that had, with a little help from some spells, avoided any moth damage. While Theiden waited, Lenesa cleared some books from beside the chest and rolled out the first blanket against the wall.

"It's not quite a bedroll, but it should do for now," Lenesa said softly, finally turning to her guest. She held out the second blanket for him to take, and he looked down at it as though it were coated in fleas. "Use it as a pillow, or for warmth," she said. "At least until I'm able to arrange something better for you."

Theiden slowly took the blanket and then looked up at her. "And where are you sleeping, witch?" His gaze didn't quite meet her eyes this time, and Lenesa realized with growing dread that he was examining her scar again, instead. She could only imagine how garish it must look in the weak candlelight.

In a swift move, Lenesa brushed her hair to cover the left side of her face and pointed downstairs. Her bed was situated in an alcove near the warmth of the fireplace. Away from him, as he surely wished, though didn't dare voice aloud.

The tightening of the muscles in his jaw was the only indication that Theiden acknowledged her response. Lenesa took that as her cue to leave, but paused just as she was about to pass him. His left hand still dripped blood that ran down his fingers, painting cranberry-colored trails in its wake. Unthinkingly, she reached out as the power of her magic tingled in her palm.

Theiden's right hand crossed over to grab her wrist.

"Don't touch me," he growled, tightening his grip. "That was not part of our agreement."

Lenesa drew back and twisted out of his grasp, matching his scowl with a glare of her own.

"Good night to you, then," she said crisply, and turned to leave.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lenesa noticed Theiden's shoulders slump a fraction of an inch—relief, perhaps. Yes, since he viewed her as nothing but evil incarnate, it would make sense that perhaps he had been expecting this whole experience to be more...sinister. Had he thought she would throw him in a dungeon for the night? In all likelihood, he had come barging into the mountains without even realizing the true danger—something far more menacing than dungeons and enchantment.

Lenesa retreated to the ladder and downstairs, leaving her new guest in the darkness of the loft. Perhaps he would see her differently in the light of a new day.

~*~

All right, and now a chapter from the witch's point of view.  What do you think so far?  Please let me know in the comments below!  Thanks!