The Huntress (Legend and Lore Book 2) Read Free Page B

you, Tob. That is greatly appreciated.” Amala grabbed her saddlebags and slung them over one shoulder, then made for the inn.  
    Liv grabbed her own saddlebags as well and hurried after her. The inn was small, only one story tall, but it was nice and homey and the fire in the front room was lit. Liv felt instantly at ease.  
    “Lady Amala!” A very small, very round woman appeared in front of them, beaming up at Amala as she dried her hands on a cloth. “I knew you’d be back soon. I have some food boiling on the oven. Are you hungry?” Her eyes slid over to Liv and her smile grew a fraction. “You’ve brought someone with you this time? Hi, my lady, I am Elly.”  
    “Pleased to meet you,” Liv replied with a smile and small curtsy. “I am Liv.”  
    “Come on, ladies, sit down. I’ll bring some food out for you in just a moment.” She ushered both Amala and Liv over to the table closest to the fire, then bustled back into what Liv could only assume was the kitchen.  
    “They seem nice,” Liv told Amala, sitting down with a sigh in the comfortable chair.  
    “They are.” Amala issued a small, wry smile. “This is my favourite village.” She then turned sharp eyes on Liv. “When we get up in the morning, we’re going into the woods and I will teach you some swordsmanship, as per your request.”  
    Liv felt her stomach knot nervously at that. “That is much appreciated,” she said and she meant it. “I really do want to learn, though I expect I will be horrible.”
    “Who isn’t their first time?” Amala grinned. “You’ll do great, Liv. I am an excellent swordswoman, and I believe you’ll take to it quickly.”  
    Liv could only hope so, though she doubted it. She was normally slow at learning. It took relentless studying and training for her to pick things up. She would do her best though. That was all she could do.  

    Wood clashed against wood as Liv parried Amala’s strike. She tried to hold the stick in position, but Amala was much stronger than her. She easily pushed Liv’s hands out of position and held the tip of her own stick to Liv’s throat.  
    Liv stepped back, and instantly collapsed on the ground, letting the sword roll out of her hand onto the grass. “This is exhausting,” she groaned. “I am not made for this.” She had never held a sword in her life—and if she had known just how heavy they were, she never would have agreed to it.  
    “Don’t women in the capital get warrior training?” Amala sat down next to her, crossing her feet under herself.  
    “A woman can choose it at the University, but few do. I did not—I had enough to do taking my magic courses. They might not be hard for the body, but they certainly are hard for the mind.”  
    “Why don’t more women take the warrior path?” Amala questioned.  
    Liv shrugged, though it was awkward, as she was lying flat on the ground. “It is just looked down upon. Women are weaker than men physically, so men should be the fighters, women the nurturers. That is the way it is among the royalty and the concept has spread to the rest of the people. I can say for certain that no noble woman has chosen to fight, at least not in my time. Those that do choose to fight are commoners—people who do not have much else going for them.”  
    “That’s bollocks.” Amala tilted her head back to look up at the sky. They were in a small clearing in the forest that Amala had found the previous day. “Men might be stronger than women physically, but women have other attributes. Like, we’re smaller, faster and more flexible. A woman can get close to an enemy and have him out of commission by using those skills instead of facing the opponent straight on.”  
    Liv tilted her head to the side, looking up at Amala. Her profile contrasted against the trees behind her. Even overcast, the sky shone light on her, making the blue highlights in her hair all the more visible. The braids were still tied back by the sash