the falling rain. He looked back at the young woman.
If it hadn’t been for the dried blood on her face, she would have looked almost peaceful. She certainly was beautiful, even despite her wretched condition.
He sighed and stuck his pistol back in his belt. One thing was sure.
He was through taking shortcuts.
Chapter 2
It didn’t take very long to find Simon. The mule was wandering aimlessly in the bushes a little ways up the trail. He brayed happily when Kendril appeared.
“Faithful as always, huh?” Kendril asked the beast as he grabbed his bridle. “First sign of danger and you bolt like a rabbit.”
Simon gave him a sloppy kiss on the side of his face.
Kendril pushed the mule’s head away. “Come on,” he said. “And stay close this time, okay?”
The mule grunted his acknowledgement.
Kendril had half-hoped the woman would just be gone when he returned. It would certainly have made things easier. He could have searched around for a bit, shrugged his shoulders, and continued on his way. But she was still there, right where he had left her. It didn’t look like she had moved at all.
Simon gave an unhappy snort at the smell of blood.
Kendril gave him a sour look. “Quit whining, you big lout. Here, hold still.”
He removed some items from the pack on the mule’s back, then tied Simon to a branch on one of the nearby trees.
The animal immediately began searching the undergrowth for something to eat.
With a sigh, Kendril pulled his gloves on, then turned to the woman.
He cut her bonds, and then carried her over to one of the logs by the campfire, resting her gently against it. After a quick search for the driest pieces of wood he could find, he started a small fire, warming some water over it while he pulled some clean cloth out of the saddlebag.
Within ten minutes he had cleaned out her wound with the water and tied the white cloth over it as a bandage.
That done, he heated up some more water, made some coffee, and leaned back against one of the trees, drinking the steaming liquid out of a tin cup and watching the rain soundlessly.
About half an hour later, the girl gave a sigh. Her eyes fluttered open. She stared at the fire for a moment, closed her eyes, than opened them again.
With a jerk she sat upright, the blanket falling from her shoulders. She stared quickly at Kendril, her eyes wide with fear. She opened her mouth, but the words seemed to catch in her throat.
Kendril didn’t look at her. “Are you hungry? There’s some bread, if you want. A little bit of dried meat, too.”
She pivoted her head, taking in the small campfire, and Simon tied up a few feet away. She turned her gaze back to Kendril.
“What do you want with me?” she said.
He shrugged. “I don’t want anything with you.”
The woman gave him a confused look. “Where am I?”
Her eyes were blue, Kendril noticed. He had been betting brown.
“Somewhere in the Howling Woods. Don’t ask me exactly where. I’m not quite sure myself. Do you know how you came to be here?”
The woman began to answer, then stopped. Her eyes showed a flash of puzzlement, then fear. “I…I don’t remember,” she said, her voice shaking a bit. She reached up, and gingerly touched the bandage on the side of her head.
Simon snorted, pawing the ground.
Kendril ignored him. “Looks like you took a pretty nasty blow to the head,” he said. “You were probably out for a while. Are you injured?”
The young woman stared at the campfire, then back at Kendril. “No. No, I don’t…I don’t think so. Just this.” She touched her bandage again. She stared at Kendril, her eyes showing her uncertainty.
He glanced up at the cloudy sky. The rain was finally dying down. “I’m not going to hurt you, if that’s what you’re wondering. What’s your name?”
She started, then stared into the fire again. She closed her eyes. “I don’t remember.”
Kendril tilted his head. “You don’t remember your own
If it hadn’t been for the dried blood on her face, she would have looked almost peaceful. She certainly was beautiful, even despite her wretched condition.
He sighed and stuck his pistol back in his belt. One thing was sure.
He was through taking shortcuts.
Chapter 2
It didn’t take very long to find Simon. The mule was wandering aimlessly in the bushes a little ways up the trail. He brayed happily when Kendril appeared.
“Faithful as always, huh?” Kendril asked the beast as he grabbed his bridle. “First sign of danger and you bolt like a rabbit.”
Simon gave him a sloppy kiss on the side of his face.
Kendril pushed the mule’s head away. “Come on,” he said. “And stay close this time, okay?”
The mule grunted his acknowledgement.
Kendril had half-hoped the woman would just be gone when he returned. It would certainly have made things easier. He could have searched around for a bit, shrugged his shoulders, and continued on his way. But she was still there, right where he had left her. It didn’t look like she had moved at all.
Simon gave an unhappy snort at the smell of blood.
Kendril gave him a sour look. “Quit whining, you big lout. Here, hold still.”
He removed some items from the pack on the mule’s back, then tied Simon to a branch on one of the nearby trees.
The animal immediately began searching the undergrowth for something to eat.
With a sigh, Kendril pulled his gloves on, then turned to the woman.
He cut her bonds, and then carried her over to one of the logs by the campfire, resting her gently against it. After a quick search for the driest pieces of wood he could find, he started a small fire, warming some water over it while he pulled some clean cloth out of the saddlebag.
Within ten minutes he had cleaned out her wound with the water and tied the white cloth over it as a bandage.
That done, he heated up some more water, made some coffee, and leaned back against one of the trees, drinking the steaming liquid out of a tin cup and watching the rain soundlessly.
About half an hour later, the girl gave a sigh. Her eyes fluttered open. She stared at the fire for a moment, closed her eyes, than opened them again.
With a jerk she sat upright, the blanket falling from her shoulders. She stared quickly at Kendril, her eyes wide with fear. She opened her mouth, but the words seemed to catch in her throat.
Kendril didn’t look at her. “Are you hungry? There’s some bread, if you want. A little bit of dried meat, too.”
She pivoted her head, taking in the small campfire, and Simon tied up a few feet away. She turned her gaze back to Kendril.
“What do you want with me?” she said.
He shrugged. “I don’t want anything with you.”
The woman gave him a confused look. “Where am I?”
Her eyes were blue, Kendril noticed. He had been betting brown.
“Somewhere in the Howling Woods. Don’t ask me exactly where. I’m not quite sure myself. Do you know how you came to be here?”
The woman began to answer, then stopped. Her eyes showed a flash of puzzlement, then fear. “I…I don’t remember,” she said, her voice shaking a bit. She reached up, and gingerly touched the bandage on the side of her head.
Simon snorted, pawing the ground.
Kendril ignored him. “Looks like you took a pretty nasty blow to the head,” he said. “You were probably out for a while. Are you injured?”
The young woman stared at the campfire, then back at Kendril. “No. No, I don’t…I don’t think so. Just this.” She touched her bandage again. She stared at Kendril, her eyes showing her uncertainty.
He glanced up at the cloudy sky. The rain was finally dying down. “I’m not going to hurt you, if that’s what you’re wondering. What’s your name?”
She started, then stared into the fire again. She closed her eyes. “I don’t remember.”
Kendril tilted his head. “You don’t remember your own
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