Chapter 31: Stealing into Town

Saffron pulled back from his kiss, her heart hammering. “I was worried about you as well, which is why I left.”
Elric chuckled and shook his head. “Only you would follow me into a snow storm. I was angry about Kingsley. It took everything I had to not hunt him down and rip answers from him. Instead, I took it out on the axe. Which we might now need a new one,” he said.
“Wonderful. I will grab one when I head into town,” she replied slyly. His eyes narrowed.
“I need to go into town, Elric. We need food if we are to survive. Also, there is my grandmother’s journal. I would really like to have it.” She said, toying with the front of his shirt. He softened.
“Alright then. As long as you swear to me that you’ll be safe,” he said gently and ran a strand of her hair through his fingers.
“I promise. I’ll leave as soon as the storm passes,” she said with a sigh and laid her head against his chest. His arms wound around her and held her close.
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She left as dawn crested over the tops of the trees. Elric leaned heavily in the doorway and watched as she hitched Huxley to the cart. She gave him a wave and clicked her tongue, beginning the journey back to Gilramore.
What she didn’t know was that he planned to follow. His side still ached fiercely from the battle but he did not believe for a moment that no harm would come to her. Harm lurked in her shadow, dogging her every step. He would rest easier if he could keep her in his sights.
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The familiar tingle of the Wood’s magic washed over Saffron as she crossed into its trees. It welcomed her as if she were an old friend. The scents and sounds of this perilous forest were a comfort despite the danger lurking within its depths. Huxley’s ears were alert and he snorted nervously. Saffron bent down and patted his neck.
“We will be fine, Hux. The scariest thing in here I have faced was a dragon,” she said with a smile and continued on. Soon the edge of her village, Gilramore, appeared through the trees. The streets were quiet due to the early hour. She hoped that she would be able to slip into the apothecary and back out before anyone noticed.
The only sound disturbing the peaceful morning was the clopping of Huxley’s hooves against the dirt road, echoing off of the buildings. The windows of the homes and stores were dark. She spurred Huxley on faster. They didn’t have time to dally. Soon the town would be awake, and she would be in danger of being recognized.
She tied Hux behind the small building on the edge of town. The windows were dark. She pulled her key from the pocket of her dress and let herself into the back door. The air smelled stale. She didn’t believe that anyone had been in here since she had left. Her grandmother’s journal would be in the storeroom with the other supplies that she needed.
The storeroom was cool and dark. The shelves were exactly as she had left them. She had a feeling that Wassa hadn’t bothered looking in here for anything to sell.
Saffron quickly gathered what she would need. Once the supplies were collected inside of her bag, she looked for the journal. It wasn’t in its usual place, atop the shelf. She ran her hand along the edge but only came back with dust.
She must have used it the last day that she was here. It felt like a lifetime ago. She wiped her hand on her apron and headed towards the front of the store. She saw the journal lying near the box where she had kept her money. She was sure it would be empty. Wassa would have seen it as her due since Saffron didn’t hold up her end of the bargain and marry the Baron.
Saffron held the journal to her chest for a moment before adding it to the bag with the other things. Now she just needed to make it to the market for supplies and she would be gone.
She gave the apothecary one last sad look. While her life before Elric was not glamorous or necessarily happy, it was still one she had lived. She supposed she would always feel a twinge of nostalgia of working behind the long counter, mixing tinctures and drying herbs. She smiled sadly and turned to leave.
Wassa was standing in the doorway staring at her, her arms crossed over her chest, and an evil smile on her face. “Oh, hello Saffron, it’s been a while.”