"You're from Grayfall village?" Liam asked, his brown eyes widening just a fraction, but Kyva did not respond.
Across the small stretch of firelight between them, the flames crackled and shifted, painting amber light over their faces and throwing long shadows against the canvas walls of the hunting tent.
They were camped in a small clearing ringed by towering pines. Two bedrolls lay near the fire, and beyond them stood a rough lean-to fashioned from canvas and saplings, with dry strips of venison hanging from a line.
A pair of bows rested against a fallen log beside Liam, and their quivers were propped neatly within reach.
Across the fire, Liam shifted when he realized she had gone quiet. "You're… not answering."
Kyva lifted her eyes at last.
For a moment, she only looked at him. Then her gaze dropped back to the cup of tea in her hands, watching the faint ripple tremble across its surface.
"Yes," she said quietly.
Liam blinked. "But that's in the northern passes." He let out a small breath, almost disbelieving. "That's a long way from here. Most people don't travel that far unless they have a reason."
He hesitated, studying her carefully, but not unkindly. "If you don't mind me asking… what brought you all this way? And how did you end up hurt? After a fall like that, it's a miracle you're sitting here like this. Most people would be bedridden for weeks, even months… that's if they survived it at all."
He tossed a small lump of resin into the fire before noticing she was staring at him, wide-eyed. He lifted both hands slightly. "Hey– I wasn't trying to scare you or anything. You should drink the tea before it gets cold. We mixed in some medicinal roots from the forest to help your system relax. There's plenty of it around here. You should feel a bit better by morning."
A pause stretched between them, filled only by the crackle of burning wood and the whisper of wind beyond the tent.
To Liam's quiet relief, the tension in her expression eased somewhat. He watched as she sniffed the content cautiously before taking a small sip, then another.
It had taken time to convince her that he and his uncle meant no harm.
When they first found her sprawled near the riverbank, Liam had thought she was dead.
He and his uncle were only seasonal huntsmen and nothing more. They came every autumn when the deer had fattened and the hares were plentiful, setting up camps and staying in the woods for at least four days before going back. That morning, they had simply been on their way to check their traps when they spotted a shape by the water's edge.
Thankfully, his uncle hadn't hesitated. Most men would have, and he was no exception. Trouble in the woods rarely came alone, and with the rumors of wild beasts being spotted around lately, anything could go wrong.
Despite everything, Liam shouldn't have been thinking about her beauty.
Not now.
Not when she still looked as though the world had only just stopped spinning beneath her feet.
But he couldn't deny it.
Even pale from exhaustion, she looked effortlessly striking. She didn't look like someone who belonged in the dirt by a riverbank. Someone like her needed the kind of protection he could offer.
He was sure that once she reached the main road, other men would notice her. They would try to court her.
But still.
He had found her first.
He had been the first face she saw when she woke. He was most likely a savior in her eyes now, right? Women tend to fall in love with their heroes, don't they?
Liam's brows creased slightly, and he glanced at Kyva who was staring blankly into the distance. Since regaining consciousness, she had only spoken little. She answered everything that was asked except for how she ended up in her current state. Most times when she thought he wasn't looking, he'd catch her gaze drifting toward the dark edges of the clearing,
Was she expecting someone?
It didn't seem like it.
Perhaps she was hiding from someone?
The thoughts had barely formed when branches suddenly snapped under steady boots, and a moment later Liam's uncle emerged from the dark tree line. He was carrying a bundle of hunting traps slung over one shoulder.
"The beasts in this forest are super intelligent," his uncle grumbled as he stepped into the firelight. He dropped the traps beside the lean-to with a clatter. "I set half a dozen snares, and not a single one sprung.They skirted around every trap like they could smell the iron from a mile away. It's like they're mocking me. Tch! All that work for nothing."
"Beasts?" Kyva repeated.
His uncle snorted. "Yes, beasts. You're lucky we found you before they did. Those things still exist in this world. I've listened to the reports myself. A couple were spotted in these very woods not long ago."
He began inspecting one of the traps, checking the tension in the wire. "That's part of why I came out this season. Not just for the deer. A proper beast animal out here would earn us a fortune."
Kyva offered no comment.
Liam shook his head and said, "my uncle strongly believes he can get his hands on a beast animal. He says they still exist. But I doubt it. They've been wiped out for generations."
That was the story Kyva knew too.
If there were truly 'beasts' animals in this side of the forest, or whatever rumor the people have cooked up, then it worked in her favor. That means the warden and his men would have heard the same rumor. If they believed something dangerous lurked in these woods, they wouldn't waste their strength hunting one injured girl.
She was not that important.
Maybe… just maybe, she could finally allow herself to relax a bit.
After finishing the rest of her tea, she pushed herself up to her feet. The motion cost her more than she showed.
"Thank you for the meal, and the tea," she said softly, bowing her head to both men. "Good night."
"Rest well!" Liam responded enthusiastically, watching her as she slipped into the small canvas tent they had made for her.
As the fabric fell close behind her, Liam's uncle caught sight of something just beneath the back of her collar.
At first, he couldn't bring himself to believe it until he looked at it properly this time, catching it before she could slip inside her tent.
It was a mark.
The brand of a slave.
He stiffened the moment he saw it, but said nothing.
Meanwhile, Liam crouched beside him, counting through the traps.
"One's missing," he murmured under his breath. "We set seven, didn't we?"
"Liam."
His uncle's voice cut through the thought. He wasn't even looking at the traps.
"Did that girl ever mention how she got lost out here?"
"Uhm… no," Liam shrugged it off. "Said it was a long story. Why?"
When he looked up at his uncle, he noticed there was something different about his uncle's expression. Something calculating in a way that made Liam frown slightly in confusion.
Then, his uncle's mouth curved into a slow, knowing smile.
"Forget about the beast animal. I may have just found us a far more profitable opportunity."