Careful to avoid the loose gravel, Deirdre descended the slope and finally reached the path that crossed the mountain pass higher up. For a long moment she just stood there, listening, her eyes straining in the darkness. She didn't hear anything and by now it was really dark - she could see no more than a few feet ahead. With a sigh she started walking again. She had to take her chances, as it was far too cold to stay out on the mountain.
She didn't know how long it took her to reach the branch that lead back to the village, but she was glad she could stand still for a minute. It was dead quiet. Maybe her luck was coming back and those soldiers had moved on. Deirdre was still cautious as she slipped into the village, creeping from shadow to shadow till she reached the other side. Duncan's place was dark and to her dismay she found it empty. Apparently the daughter had already left for her own place in the next village.
Gnawing on her knuckles Deirdre stood in the dark house. She could stay here. Nobody would come looking here and it was dry and sheltered from the wind. She would not be able to warm herself with fire, but she would survive that. Something felt not right about this idea however, she could not exactly say why, but it made her feel uneasy, as if she took advantage of the death of the old man.
"Damn", she muttered under her breath as she made her way back to the center of the village. Most houses were already dark for the night, but not all and she had to be careful. The only other safe place she had been able to come up with, was the merchant's house. That was also the house that received a lot of attention from the rest of the village, which made it also very unsafe. Even so, the merchant was the only one possibly willing to give her shelter for the night.
She had already decided to go back in the morning to collect the bare necessities from the cave. She didn't know yet where she would go, but she had come to the conclusion that she had to leave the area. It was too much of a risk to stay now that the cave was no longer a secret. She snorted at her own thoughts.
Hell, the priest would want to find her, if it was only to save her soul if not his own.
The merchant's house showed a faint light through a crack in the blinds, but Deirdre circled to the back of the house. She felt safer in the shadows and tapped lightly at the backdoor. She hoped Conn would come to the door himself; his wife was not as broadminded and would have liked her husband to cease all dealings with Deirdre.
With a sigh of relief Deirdre saw the door open a crack to show the grey eyes of Conn. The stout merchant raised his eyebrows in surprise and opened the door wide to let her in. A quick look outside convinced him no one saw the herb lady enter his home and he quietly closed the door again, bolted it and only then turned to have a look at his unusual visitor.
"What's wrong?"
He gestured towards the bench near the big hearth; the fire already banked for the night. He waited for her to sit down, then lifted a jug of ale from the table and held it up with a questioning look on his face. When she nodded he poured two mugs and settled himself at the table. He observed her taking a sip of the cool liquid and noticed the shiver that went through her.
"Come on, out with it. What happened? You look exhausted."
Deirdre took another sip and tried to come up with a simple explanation. She failed and looked a bit helpless at the grey-eyed, grey-haired man opposite. He had always treated her with respect; she shouldn't be involving him. It could be dangerous. She almost stood up to leave again but it seemed as if Conn had read her mind.
"No." He reached out and took hold of her wrist. "Stay, talk."
"I need a place to stay, only for tonight. I'll leave again in the morning." She took a deep breath to steady herself. Scared to see a denial she bent her head and studied the grains of the tabletop.
"You know I will help you if I can. You have served the people of this village more times than they will ever say out loud." He let go of her wrist and took a swallow of his drink. "Care to tell me why?"
He watched the woman in front of him with something of alarm. He could not remember ever having seen her this upset, so uncertain. She was a tall woman with an aura of competence but right now she looked more like a girl that wanted to cry or twist her hands.
"Conn, it could be dangerous to help me." She laughed a little, as that was nothing new. "I mean, more than normal. I did something real stupid." She sighed before she continued. "I found a wounded man about a week ago, near the ravine on the east slope. I was soft-headed enough to take care of him."
Conn said nothing; he merely raised his eyebrows.
"He is a priest, the one they are searching. They are still searching aren't they?"
"I see." Conn whistled softly between his teeth. "Yes, they want to find him real bad. Seems he's sorely missed by that fanatic inspector general. For the Inquisition. Father Edward I believe."
The moment the words left his mouth, the merchant looked sharply towards his visitor. "I seeee..." This time he almost sighed the words.
