When morning came, Aalis was nowhere to be seen. Judd’s brown eyes surveyed the village eagerly upon emerging from Klin’s, thankfully undestroyed, house. The corpse of the ogre had already been dragged out of the village’s perimeter, its revolting bulk, a semblance of life, already beginning to decay. To keep the children safe, who wanted to creep closer and closer to its terrible form and poke it with sticks, the ogre had been lashed with ropes and every able bodied villager had helped to remove it. Even Aalis had lent her strength to the cause but when Judd looked for her afterwards, she had disappeared into the forest she called home without a goodbye.

And no matter how he searched the broken village, he couldn’t see her face.

Unwilling to face the disappointment of not having a pleasant, and rather pretty, travelling companion, Judd slung his swag on his back and walked over to Klin who greeted him warmly, shaking his hand.

“I cannot tell you how relieved we are that you were here, Judd LaMogre, when that ogre attacked.” Klin gushed then paused. “I…I hope there are no hard feelings…”

“What? That you deceived me, delayed me and set me up for a heaping of horror?” Judd asked sternly then broke out into a smile. “After meeting Aalis and hearing her tale…I can hardly blame you.”

“She’s been a real blessing to us and no mistake,” Klin sighed, “we sure are going to miss her around here.”

“Miss her?” Judd raised an eyebrow before a mellow voice spoke behind him.

“I am ready when you are.”

He turned and saw Aalis, dressed in travelling clothing and carrying a pack on her back that seemed to hold most of her life in it. Her dreadlocks were tied back from her face and her eyes were lavender blue and bright.

“You’re…coming?”

She nodded. “However, I have a condition. When you have fulfilled the requirements of your knighthood quest, I am to be returned to this village. Then I will give you the evidence you require for slaying a witch.”

“You…you…”

Aalis eyed him cautiously. “You still want me to come with you…do you not?”

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Judd nodded vigorously while he waited for his brain to produce words. “Yes,” he blurted after he nearly shook himself silly, “but…why?”

She smiled. “I thought about what you said, about being an old man and not looking back on your life with regret…and I want that too.”

Judd stared at her. “You…want to be an old man without regret?”

“No.”

“You want to live without regret?”

“No,” Aalis laughed softly, “I want you to be an old man, having lived your life without regret…and your chances of reaching a ripe old age will greatly increase if you have a healer on hand.”

Judd’s cheeks broke into a grin so large he thought his head might snap in two. He wanted to take her hand and hold it firmly, the thrill of adventure he’d been infected with upon being sent out from Astaril on his quest returning to him.

“Aalis…”

“I am packed,” Caste announced, ruining the moment, “and we’re burning daylight.”

“Caste, before we head out…”

“Oh very well,” Caste turned to Klin, “thank you for your hospitality. It was very…it was bearable.” He looked back at Judd. “Now can we go?”

Judd cleared his throat. “Caste, we have a new travelling companion…you remember Aalis?”

Caste glanced at Aalis then grasped Judd’s arm. “Would you excuse us?” He half dragged Judd aside and in a voice he had no intention of softening he hissed, “Are you insane? She’s a witch!”

“She’s a healer.”

“That’s what she wants you to think!”

“Caste,” Judd removed his hand from his arm, “trust me.”

“Trust you!”

Judd ignored his protestation and returned to Aalis and Klin. “Well, shall we go? Oh,” he clicked his fingers, “do you know of a weaponsmith anywhere near here? I can’t fight monsters without a sword.”

“The closest is Fort Faine, a two and a half day walk directly south of here.” Klin advised.

“Perfect. Thank you.”

“No, thank you.” Klin said sincerely as his son, Anto, ran over to them. “We are truly grateful.”

Judd nodded and looked at Aalis. “Ready?”

“Yes.”

He glanced at Caste who was looking rather put out but Judd was starting to sense that was his resting face and squared his shoulders. “Then on to Fort Faine!”

They strode out of the village, children waving and farewelling them in the manner befitting a hero’s departure. Judd paused at the turn of the path and gave them a jaunty final wave. He could see himself in his mind’s eye, a heroic figure departing a village, inspiring children to follow in his masterful footsteps…

Anto put his hand to his mouth and cried, “Try not to become dead!”

“Ah…sure!” Judd coughed and hurried after Aalis, passing Caste who was already grunting with the effort of carrying his pack. She gave him a smile as he chuckled. “You ever notice that real life sometimes doesn’t live up to fantasy?”

“Actually I think that is more true than not.” Aalis confessed. “But for what it is worth, while you went to slay a witch and free a village, you killed an ogre and saved many lives. Perhaps your fantasy was unrealistic but the reality was not too shabby.”

Judd chuckled. “Not too shabby…I like that.” He took a deep breath. “Well…on to Fort Faine!”