8. Walk (Patreon)

He didn’t mean to stumble upon her. This was a common route he took to walk through the woods: there were certain types of wood that he needed for certain flames, and this route happened to wind through the choicest trees. He was examining a fallen bough of Ash when he saw movement in the distance. It was the woman, the one who had been so abused in town. She looked utterly at ease here, no cloak or hunch to be seen. She wandered from shrub to shrub, pruning as she went. He stayed utterly still, watching her. It was curious. He had never laid eyes on her before last week and now he’d seen her twice. For a moment, he wondered if he should make himself known. But no, he didn’t want to shatter her peace. After several minutes she wandered away, and he turned his attention back to gathering wood.