Vincent knelt before me. His entire being was covered in the dark, grimy blood of the speleothem, yet he examined me with careful eyes. He was worried.

It seemed silly for him to be anxious over my condition. I did not realize how drained I was until I stood and Vincent steadied me.

<<I will help>>.

But I did not accept his offer. He was more tired than I. It was evident by the slump of his shoulders and the increase in the angle of his frown.

I peered beyond those slumped shoulders of his to see how he’d made out. The speleothem had been ripped apart, its innards sprinkled along the muck of the swampland. I took the victorious old pyre’s hand and peeled his fist open. A handful of luminescent mushrooms glowed fiercely against his palm.

Satisfied, I closed his fingers and pushed Vincent’s broad shoulder, willing him to go quickly back to our friend.

But he would not. Instead, he used his free hand to pat mine. <<Not without you>>, he meant.

But riding on his back and slowing him down would only risk the lives of those we loved. I pushed again, hoping he understood.

Reluctantly, he took my hand and brought my fingers to his lips. <<Be safe>>.

And then, clutching the glowing medicine tightly, he disappeared into the fog at a speed I could hardly fathom.

I paused, for even the most adventurous spirit must make assessments at times, and lifted my skirts as I stepped over the scattered entrails of the beast.

Home. To Kendrick Estate. Where my darlings were either perishing or perished.

Episode 29: A Young Woman And An Unexpected Visitor

I did not get lost on the way home to Kendrick Estate. I got tired.

The way was treacherous and long and largely uphill, so my legs revolted beneath me, for they had been gracious under my employ for quite some time. I had forgotten at what great distance from the manor the Hallowed Caves lay and I felt the cool of the heightening moon before I reached the edge of familiar forest.

I stopped and knelt at the feet of some lingonberry shrubs. The red fruit offred itself to me, and I took whole handfuls into my mouth. The snow was slurried and not clean enough for drinking, but I found a few evergreens with melting ice clinging to their needles and quenched a fraction of my thirst. It did worry me that Vincent had not come looking for me after delivering the medicine. I had been gone so long that I’d hoped he would have returned with news of my friend and our newest acquisitions as well as a ride to my destination.