Arthur was getting worried when Els kept stopping and looking around at the scenery.

"Looking for a signpost," asked Arthur.

Els glared at him it wasn't the first time he'd asked her if she was lost. "I'm not lost, I'm just making sure we are going the right way."

"Sure you are," said Arthur walking past her to look round the corner.

He didn't know how anyone could find there way around here, all the over decorated buildings looked the same to him. Arthur hated cities, he spent most of his life marching through fields and forests, the stone country he found himself in now was jarring. Els nodded to herself and set off down a different street.

"Arthur come on," grunted Els as she passed him.

Once they had come to the end of the street it led to the bank of the river Maws, Arthur looked down the river and saw the open ocean. "Are we supposed to be so close to the sea," he asked.

"Stop asking so many question," said Els.

She squinted off into the distance and turned to look back into the city.

"What's that," Els said.

Arthur turned around, "Looks like they found us."

Six men were bounding down the cobbled bank of the river, they were the Baron's guards who had been looking for them earlier.

"Let's move," said Arthur turning to run toward the sea.

"That's the wrong way," shouted Els after him.

Arthur heard her footsteps when the possessed got too close, they would run out of the river soon enough and Arthur looked around furiously for somewhere else to go. The scenery around them had changed, they had entered the dockyards. Small cranes stood along the banks ready to unload boats, Arthur kept his eyes open for a boat as they ran but it seemed like when the city was evacuated the boats were the first thing to go. Els was shouting at Arthur, he turned around and saw her standing by the bank of the river pointing down. He ran to join her and followed her finger down to a small boat tied to the bottom of a set of ladders. Arthur swung himself over the iron railing and despite his full harness he manged to descend the slippery bars quickly. Once in the boat he readied the oars and watched as Els slowly came after him.

"Hurry," said Arthur as he watched the guards catch up to them and lower their pole axes at Els. The guards stabbed at Els, she let go of the ladder when a pole axe hit close to her fingers.

"ARTHUR!" screamed Els as she fell.

Arthur stood up and dropped the oars; he opened his arms to catch her and she landed roughly into his chest. The impact knocked Arthur off his feet and he nearly flew into the water.

"By the dove you're heavy," said Arthur as they lay in a pile on the bottom of the boat.

"By the dove were you raised by an insensitive pig," replied Els.

Her fall had knocked the small boat free of its mooring and they began to slowly drift away from the ladder. Arthur pushed Els off him and stood to fish the oars out of the water, the guards had moved back out of sight.

"Arthur look out," shouted Els Arthur looked up to the bank and saw a guard throw his pole axe down at Arthur. The top heavy halberd dropped low and fell into the water with a splash. He placed the oars back in the correct place and began to row them quickly away from the bank.

Soon Arthur's arms burned from the effort of rowing, "Want to take over," asked Arthur.

Els scoffed from her comfortable position curled up at the front of the boat. "Why, we are nearly at the shore," said Els, Arthur turned to look over Els and sure enough they were approaching a large winding beach. Arthur spat into the salt water and put extra effort into rowing the last leg. He was glad that they were finally ashore the boat was pinpricked with holes and had been slowly taking on water. The boat slumped ungracefully into the soft sand, Els quickly hopped out of the boat onto land and hurled watery vomit onto the shore.

"Not much of a sailor are we," laughed Arthur landing in the sand next to her, she only groaned and continued to heave. Arthur scanned the horizon, eyes open for anything moving. Els stood up beside him brushing the sand of her pants.

"I hate boats," she said quietly.

"Lots of people do, nothing to be ashamed of," replied Arthur recalling numerous veteran fighters rendered useless as the thought of a river crossing.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Arthur set off toward the nearest building, he could tell immediately it was a fisherman's hut from the smell.

"Lovely," said Els as she nudged a crate of rotting fish with her foot.

Arthur ignored her and kicked the door to the hut open. The flimsy door fell in immediately, nobody was in the hut and a quick glance told Arthur anything of value had been taken. The previous squatter had ransacked the place.

"What are you looking for," Els called from outside the hut.

"Water, I've run out" he replied. He sniffed at a few clay pots and cringed away when he realised he was smelling chamber pots.

"Anything?" Asked Els when he stumbled out.

"No,"

Els looked over at the city.

"Do you have any idea where we are" asked Arthur.

She sighed "I have no clue" she said after a moment's pause.

The boat ride must have taken the fight out of her, thought Arthur.

"We need to find a place to rest for the night," said Arthur.

Els looked dead on her feet when they walked back toward the city, Arthur pressed forward the day's toil not affecting his composure.

"What does the bank look like, is it tall, any spires" asked Arthur, Els groaned as she sat on a nearby wall.

"Four spires one at each corner, low square building," she said head hung, Arthur could feel the sun drop behind the horizon.

"Stay here," he said to Els, "I'll find us somewhere to sleep".

He moved to the first building in sight, a small thatched-roof townhouse. The door hadn't been locked and Arthur easily pushed it open. The inside was a familiar sight for Arthur, it was a common design for poor farmer's houses, a single-roomed building with a central hearth. It seemed whoever lived here hadn't bothered to take anything with them thought Arthur, the hearth still had pots and pans surrounding it and hung from the ceiling were rows of moulding vegetables. It would work he thought, he could see a stockpile of firewood

Perfect, he nodded to himself and stepped outside.

"Els, get up," he said. She was still slumped over in the same position he left her in.

Els looked up at him and slowly got to her feet, Arthur led her back to the townhouse.

She stopped when she saw the state of the house, "Does it have to be here" said Els.

"You don't have to be" replied Arthur as he gathered up some firewood.

Els let out a moan as she lay down on the floor, "Why are you starting a fire, won't the smoke give us away."

"Maybe, but I'm cold and thirsty," said Arthur, he had filled the small pot with water from a rain barrel outside the house.

Using his tinderbox he lit the small pile of dry firewood, once the fire was crackling nicely Arthur sat back and began to loosen his armour.

"Is there any food," asked Els, he nodded to the row of moulding vegetables.

"That's inedible, I'm starving," she replied, Arthur stood up and carefully poured some of the boiled water into his waterskin.

"You have a waterskin?" asked Arthur.

"No," said Els.

"Well that's perfect, were you at all prepared for this."

"What's that's supposed to mean."

"When you decided to stay in this hellhole of a city to become the hero of your own saga did you not think you might need some basic supplies," spat Arthur his frustration at Els boiling over. "No map, no waterskin, no practical skills" listed Arthur, Els's glare bored into Arthurs's skull.

She lay back on and turned away from Arthur, he reached up and pulled the vegetables off the ceiling and began to cut them up.

Els had nodded off as Arthur stirred the bubbling pot of vegetables, it was beginning to smell very pleasant in the single room. Arthur had prepared stews like this a thousands times whilst campaigning and he thought he made excellent stew. While rooting around the house for a bowl Arthur bumped into Els, he watched her stir and slowly open her eyes.

"What's that smell," she asked rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Food," said Arthur grabbing two wooden bowls, he quickly filled them with thin stew.

"Here, eat." said Arthur holding out the slopping bowl.

"Where'd you get the ingredients from?" asked Els.

Arthur nodded to the roof.

"Those rotting veggies, I am not eating this," she said.

Her stomach grumbled in protest.

"I cut off the mould don't worry it won't kill you," replied Arthur between slurps of his stew.

She took cautious sips of the gruel and before long she was gulping it down. She must be a lot hungrier the me, thought Arthur, because it doesn't taste that good. He sniffed at his stew.

Els tried to hand the bowl back to Arthur, "The pots right there" said Arthur softly batting her hand away.

"Sorry," she said as she dipped the bowl into the yellow soup.

"Enjoying the stew?" asked Arthur.

Els nodded vigorously tucking into her second bowl, "Slow down, you don't want to be sick," exclaimed Arthur blowing chunks of stew out of his nose.

Els started laughing at Arthur, it was his turn to glare at her. Once she had stopped laughing she set down an empty bowl and turned to face Arthur.

"Where did you learn to make that," she asked.

"Campaigning, you learn fast when hundreds of hungry armed men are waiting for you to finish chopping vegetables," replied Arthur looking down at the empty pot.

He remembered for the first few years of his career in his mercenary company were spent making stew and running the older soldiers errands. He was just a boy then, younger than Pyp, but he had still wanted to fight; it was all he ever wanted to do.

Els leaned back against the wall of the cottage, "Oh yes you were a mercenary, see much action did you," asked Els.

Arthur could see she was eager to know despite her relaxed pose. It was her eyes that gave it away studying him intensely trying to pierce his armour with her gaze.

"Yes," he replied, knowing his brief answer would annoy her.

"You don't like me do you," said Els, he saw no point in denying the truth.

"No I don't," replied Arthur laying down on the ground hoping that would end the conversation.

"Well why not," asked Els, her voice going high with impatience, "I have been cordial enough with you."

Arthur snorted at the absurdity of her last remark, "Is having me arrested and thrown in a dungeon considered cordial" he shot back.

"I offered you your freedom, it's not my fault you turned it down" she replied.

That does it! thought Arthur.

He rolled around "You offered me nothing but mindless servitude, you nobles are all the same all you think of is what you can take from the likes of me" he spat and immediately rolled back down picturing her stunned expression with some satisfaction.

"So that's it, you don't like me because I am a noble," sighed Els, "Well you came back for me, at the Baron's keep, so you can't dislike me as much as you think you do."

Arthur wouldn't even dignify that with a response.

"I only came back because I needed a guide," he said.

"Goodnight Arthur."

That women was infuriating.