Once the horses were hidden behind the shack, the girl dressed and fed and the bard gagged and bound again, just to be certain, he finally began to feel his strength failing. He needed to sleep. Badly.
He turned to her as they were sitting on a bench near the door (the only functional piece of furniture in the room).
„I will need you to guard me while I sleep."
She looked at him, amused, clearly thinking it was a joke.
„I mean it. I need to rest like everyone else. I don't fight well when exhausted."
„I don't believe that," she said sincerely.
He laughed.
„I hope it will not be necessary to prove it to you."
He unpacked his bedroll.
„If you feel like falling asleep, wake me. If you hear someone coming or the bard wakes up and looks like she is up to something, also wake me. If you are hungry, there is food in your pack."
He loosened the straps on his armor and stretched out on the floor, closing his eyes.
„If you eat everything in your pack, there is food in my pack. If you find you have eaten everything in there too, it is definitely time to wake me."
She grinned.
„Sleep well, my elven hero."
With a smile, he fell asleep.
All was well until dusk. She settled on the bench by the door, with her new Antivan dagger proudly laid ready on her knees. The bard didn't move – most likely because she couldn't – and the elf slept peacefully right next to the bench.
She entertained herself by watching him, his chest slowly rising and falling, his proud face relaxed and his silver hair - not much longer than her own but much better cut – falling around his ears.
She remembered how she cut her own hair with a knife on the shores of the big river before she dove in to swim across. She didn't remember why she cut it, but she knew she'd thrown away the knife because it burnt her hand.
As it went dark, she ate, then returned to her seat with dagger in hand.
A wind rose outside. She shifted nervously as the night was suddenly full of sounds and she couldn't possibly identify them all. She strained her senses, trying to distinguish between the sounds of dust being blown across the road, leaves being torn from the branches, loose planks of wood creaking in the roof, and...
… and something else.
Just as she was ready to scream in panic, the elf opened his eyes and sat up.
He took one look at her and said: „Time to leave."
Swiftly he stood up, adjusted his armor, gathered his things and picked up the bard.
She stood by the door, pack in one hand, dagger in the other.
„Why are we bringing her?"
He couldn't blame her for not liking the woman. He wasn't particularly fond of her either.
„I have some questions for her."
He started for the door.
„Wait!" she almost shouted. He froze in place. „What is it?"
„There's... I think there's something out there."
He looked her in the eyes, then outside into the darkness.
„What?"
„I don't know."
For a moment they stood there in silence, listening to the sounds outside and the wind blowing through the creaking roof.
Then, Fenris heard it. The sound he knew so well.
The faint hum of a deadly trapping spell being cast across the door.
„Get back," he hissed at her, „when I tell you, follow me."
He took a deep breath and hoisted the bard a little higher on his left shoulder. He stared through the door, but didn't draw his sword.
Suddenly, he turned on the spot, jumped and with a powerful crash knocked down the back wall.
„Come!" he shouted. They charged through the splintered wood.
The shack behind them exploded in lightening and shadows scattered across the field.
They ran to the horses, where he threw the bard over his saddle, lifted the girl onto the bard's horse, then mounted the stallion.
„Do you know how to ride a horse?" he shouted through the hiss of the lightening.
The shadows were dancing madly across her face, but he could swear she was laughing.
„No!" she shouted back.
Then, the terrified Orlesian chestnut bolted and all the elf could do was to follow it into the forest.