Lisa wanted so desperately to see those two boys again. Her curiosity mounted every moment and with every breath. "If I could only escape!" she cried into the dark woods through her window the only reply to the deadened plea was the screeching of bats in the night.

"Lisa! Lisa!" her mother suddenly wailed. Hearing her door rattle with the weight of her mother's blows her fear suddenly mounted, she would be in soon, not much could stop her in this drunken state. Lisa quickly packed a few dresses then slid through the window just as her mother broke the door, "Lisa! Don't-!" her cry was lost to the wind hissing in the frightened girl's ears.

She fled into the town, through the streets, blinded by tears that rose in her eyes, stinging and rolling horizontally across her face. When she felt her legs leaden with exhaustion she pulled herself to the front of a tavern and dropped her body on the step, leaning on the doorway, panting. She had almost dozed off when suddenly she found herself rudely pushed into the street from behind; turning in bewilderment her eyes focused on the tavern keeper, wary, for the loss of his rival inn that he should lose his own to some unknown creature. "Sir, I—" begged Lisa for his audience, "I only-"

"Get away, you urchin! We have no need for the likes of ye in the doorways of this good village!"

"Wait!" called a slurred voice from the inn, "That girl! I know her appearance from that morning of the tavern collapse! She was there!" the voice was that of her old sweep partner whom she had worked with that early morning. "She must have done it! she must be a witch!"

"No!" Lisa wept fearfully as the sweep stood in the lighted doorway with the keeper, "It wasn't me! It wasn't me! it was those creatures!" the ruckus began to draw others from the taverns and the houses surrounding.

"She's possessed!" the keeper bawled, "She sees creatures! Perhaps demons!"

"No! No!" she insisted, offering her hands in despair.

"A witch!" people murmured. "In this town? We must be rid of her lest she curse the place!" the crowds gathered as the rumor of the witch spread like a flame suddenly fanned. Lisa stood to escape, but was caught up by the crowds, which were steadily crescendoing into a cacophony of noise. They pressed in on all sides becoming more hostile as the mass grew hissing and spitting was encouraged by cheers from those who could not reach her. Lisa was forced along by the mob to the nearest Law-Taker's position, the surprised officials questioned the crowd to the guilt of this weeping girl, but upon hearing the accusations of her association with witchcraft, they took up arms and prepared the punishment.

By now the whole of the town was awake and buzzing with the thirst for witch's flesh which was to be burned by dawn, small children ran and collected woods while others found coal and fuels for the bonfire. Lisa, weak with fatigue from fleeing and crying gave no effort for defend herself. "I don't want to die…I don't want to die…" she moaned to deaf ears, "I haven't done anything…"

They bound her to a pole in the center of the town; the bellows of the crowd intensifying so that those returning from the earlier affair on the lake could not ignore the display. They stood and watched as she was raised to the pile of wood and fuel, torches were lit and held by many standing at the base, hungrily waiting the moment that they could burn this wretch. Someone threw the first flame as the grey dawn broke through the blackness of night; the bonfire was lit soon it roared, filling the square with heat and smoke. Lisa summoned her strength enough to lean against the pole, "I don't want to die yet…" she whispered into the inferno that roared toward her, her eyes flicked around the crowd, full with the fear of an innocent girl. She glanced up and saw a raven above and despite her terror found no tears with which to cry.

She coughed from the smoke and hung her head from lethargy when she heard someone from the crowd scream. She glanced up to see that black cloaked figure but without his mask and only a rag around his mouth. She felt her hands loosed from the ropes and as she brought them around he forced something cool into her hand. It was a wet rag, similar to what he had around his mouth he glanced almost playfully at her as she realized what she needed to do. She pressed it against her mouth and nose and with a single movement the young man scoped the astonished maiden from amidst the flames and leapt out onto the street. The crowd parted and stared in fear as he swept Lisa away in his arms, dodging everyone with the grace of a deer as he made his escape. The next moment they were out of the town, the fading light from the fire distinguished the outlines of the buildings even as the sun reached higher into the morning.

The man put her down and removed his rag from his mouth and took hers from her hand. "You sure enjoy getting yourself into precarious situations, don't you Lisa?"

"How do you know my name?"

The other smiled which brought the image of sunlight to her mind almost immediately, the grin radiated happiness which she didn't fully understand. "Antea Scientia, is what I like to call it. It's something that I have that lets me know some things about a person even before they speak. I knew your name was Lisa the first time we met because you told me," he gestured to his temple, "in here. You were very pleasant when introducing yourself; it's rare, not many people actually introduce themselves to me. Perhaps you're a little naïve still, even in this harsh world."

Lisa shifted nervously, scuffing her feet in the dirt. "How do you reply to someone who already knows your thoughts?" she wondered. She glanced up and noticed his kind smile as if he had just heard what she said; he blinked slowly then opened his mouth to continue:

"Say, you really shouldn't be out here by yourself. You should return to your home."

"I don't have a home," she said abruptly, then blushed self-consciously. A frown pressed the corners of his lips down and he glanced to either side as if suddenly uneasy.

"Well, you could stay at a tavern and work perhaps? Or work jobs from city to city. You can't stay here obviously; they're pretty fire-tempered here, huh?" He smiled showing pearly-white teeth, this smile warmed Lisa's heart and lifted her spirits even more. She nodded and looked around:

"My things are gone!"

The young man grabbed something that sat on the ground beside them that she hadn't noticed before, "Is this it?"

She nodded happily and he handed her the brown sack full of clothes then as she checked to see that everything was inside, the young man turned and began to leave. She felt a little disenchanted, hoping that, somehow, he could have taken her to some other place-a world without worries or the problems that she had. She turned to journey on down the trail that he had left her on which left the town and vanished around the corner. She glanced back to see if he was there but there wasn't any sign of the stranger. Lisa sighed and walked on praying that she wouldn't have to walk too far to reach the next town.

Duodecim walked beyond the trees and deeper into the forest, knowing that what he did was the best response, but with a knot clenching his stomach as a dragon clutches its treasure, he still hated that he had to do it. He had just found the mare where he left her, carefully taking the grass by its tips and pulling it out when he felt a strong cranial sensation. He blinked in bafflement then the word rang in his head with the liquid sound of a bell, "Help!" Without a second thought he leapt upon the horse and rode back onto the path, the words resonated in his mind leading him to direct his horse up the path as fast as she could gallop and before long he came upon Lisa and on either side was a Law-Taker. Duodecim reigned the mare in so that she just curbed both men and in a smooth motion he pulled Lisa upon the back of the animal then thundered back down the stone path before either realized what had occurred.

Lisa was clasped desperately to his waist, having never ridden an animal such as this before, and buried her face in his back like a small child. She felt a drop on her cheek and only glanced up to see that clouds had obscured the sun and that large drops began to fall soaking them both so their clothes stuck to their skin and slicked their hair down in a matter of seconds. She shivered and clung closer to him for warmth.

Back under the trees the mare slowed to a trot to dodge the inhabitants of the thicket. The leaves shielded the two from a great amount of the rain but even so Lisa shivered. Duodecim noticed this and pulled the horse to a stop; removing his coat with a slight shiver he wrapped it around her shoulders and tucked it around her.

"Won't you be cold?" she chattered though the coat did serve to warm his body slightly. He didn't reply but enticed his horse to move on. She felt sorry for him but grateful likewise and so leaned against him to try and share her warmth in turn. She thought he smiled and was almost certain that she heard him say, "Don't worry, we'll be home soon."

Don't forget to tell me what you think!