The Huntress (Legend and Lore Book 2) Read Free

heavily down her back. Liv dared barely breathe as the woman started combing through her hair.  
    “I’m Amala,” the woman said then, voice soft. “Huntress of lindworms and protector of the small villages in and around the Black Mountains.”
    “I am Liv,” Liv introduced herself. “Just a witch.”  
    “There’s nothing wrong with that,” Amala replied. “As I’ve heard, witches can be quite powerful.”  
    “We are.” Liv closed her eyes and bent her head slightly back, enjoying having someone other than herself doing her hair for a change. “If you know the right spells and the correct incantations.”  
    “And that is something you all are required to learn by heart? The spells and the incantations?”  
    “It is hard to learn them all,” Liv chuckled, her mood improving vastly now that she was clean and having her hair combed. “We learn the most basic, but the more complicated spells we keep written down. Most witches always carry a book containing spells with them. It is the most important thing a witch owns. Nothing can ever replace it if it is lost.” Liv kept her own safely secured in her saddlebags, spelled so that only she could touch it and open it.  
    “There. Your hair is done.” Amala handed her comb back, then stood up from the bed. “It was nice meeting you, Liv, but it’s getting dark and I better be on my way.”  
    “What?” Liv turned around, surprised at the sudden talk of leaving.  
    “Don’t worry,” Amala smiled briefly. “I paid for the room tonight. You relax and get on your way in the morning.”  
    “But...” Liv searched for words, but couldn’t come up with something intelligent to say. “Let me come with you!”  
    Amala turned around, regarding her curiously. “You were stalled by one lindworm. Why would you want to come with someone like me, who hunts them?”  
    Yes, why do I want to go with her? Liv asked herself drily, but she already knew the answer. “Because I think what you do for people—common, defenceless people—is good and noble. I want to be a part of it. I know defensive and offensive spells. I shan’t freeze like that again, I swear to it.”  
    Amala still looked reluctant.  
    “Just give me a chance. If I do slow you down, or mess up, I will gladly go on my way.” Liv held the towel closed as she turned around to face Amala completely. “I just want to do something that matters and this does. You help people. You make them feel safe. I want to be a part of that too.”  
    Amala tilted her head up, staring up at the ceiling for a long moment. She sighed and looked back down at Liv. “Alright, you can come with me. It would be nice to have company for a change. But you should still sleep here tonight.”  
    Liv frowned. “What about you?”  
    “Don’t worry about me.” Amala made for the door. “Sleep well, Liv. We leave at dawn.” She closed the door after her, leaving Liv to her solitude.  
    Liv sighed and lay down on the bed. What have I got myself into now? she thought, playing with a lock of her hair. She did not regret it though. She wanted this. Wanted to be a part of something good, something that helped people, and this was it. Nothing was going to stop her.

    Liv watched the mountain range looming ahead in wonder. The mountains were the tallest she had ever seen, and the entire mountain range was covered in forest, except for the peaks.  
    Not even two days into her time spent journeying with Amala, they had reached her destination: the Black Mountains. Only the mountain range shielded the land from dangerous territories. Not a lot was known of the land beyond the mountains, but it was said to be a great wasteland where people rode dragons and breathed fire just like the marvellous beasts themselves.  
    Of course, all of that was just hearsay. It sounded too incredulous to be true, but those were the stories. Liv could not argue with them.  
    “There’s a small village further up the mountain