Philip gawked at Grace, stunned into silence as the man gurgled, and fell with his hands clutching his neck. She looked back at him and blinked. “What? We’ve just murdered seven people, but he was the last straw?”

Philip shook his head. “I just thought you’d rather bring him back alive; you said he was talking sense.”

“Have you gone soft in the head?” Grace demanded, looking incredulous. “He would have told everyone you were alive.”

“I suppose I wasn’t thinking straight,” Philip remarked, shaking his head. He felt a little guilty about doubting her.

A hurt look crossed Grace’s face as she realised what Philip was thinking. “You thought I would betray you, didn’t you?”

“It did cross my mind,” Philip admitted sheepishly.

“I owe you my life,” Grace said. “I wouldn’t betray you like that. I will tell everyone that Philip of Rickton is dead when I return, if that is your wish.”

Philip’s guilt grew and a thought occurred to him. He prised Devan’s jewelled sword from the dead noble’s hand and hefted it before handing it to Grace. “Then let’s get your story straight. You followed me here, and after you killed me, Morovians who were also tracking me ambushed you. You were able to defeat them, but the rest of your band was killed.”

Grace looked at the sword. Precious gems sparkled in the hilt and its base was carved into the shape of a lion She hefted it in his hand and looked back up at Philip. “I’ll have to work on the finer details, but I think I can sell them that story.”

“Good, that’s sorted then,” Philip declared, as he looked around. The thicket fire had mostly burned itself out by now. He shifted his gaze to the burnt Morovian corpses and felt a little queasy.

“What will you do now?” Grace asked and Philip gratefully tore his eyes off them and looked back to her.

“I suppose I’ll wander off and start a life somewhere quiet,” Philip replied. He then looked to the mountains to the south. “Probably in Morovin.”

Grace raised an eyebrow.

“It’ll be a problem for you as well if I’m caught in Celethir,” Philip pointed out.

“I suppose that’s true,” Grace conceded.

Together, they began making their way back to the glade, leaving the Morovians where they fell.

“Where did you learn to fight like that?” Grace asked as they crossed the brook. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“My master taught me,” Philip replied and then his face fell.

“What is it?” Grace asked, noticing the change in him.

“There’s something important I need to do,” Philip said softly.

They continued walking in silence until they arrived at where he had left Penelope’s body.

“Who was she?” Grace asked as Philip muttered a silent apology before gently picking the body up off the ground.

“Penelope the Red,” Philip said. Grace’s eyes went wide as Philip continued. “She faked her death when she could no longer take the killing and ran off here.”

“And Frederick knew this?” Grace gasped.

Philip nodded. “She found me at Gelt’s Pass and took me in… she sheltered me, trained me, then she gave her life up for me…”

His voice trailed off as the emotions he had been putting aside came rushing back at once. “The least I can do is give her a proper burial,” Philip said through the tears.

“I’m sorry,” Grace murmured, placing a hand on Philip’s arm.

Carefully, Philip bore her back to the glade with Grace by his side. The goats watched silently as they walked past them and into the ruined cabin. He set her down carefully on her bed and brushed a tear from his cheek.

He stared at her remains as they lay on her bed. Then, finally feeling safe and in familiar surroundings, the sadness welled up and overwhelmed him. Grace stood silently by his side until at length, he sank to his knees, and she cradled his head while he wept openly, holding him until he fell asleep, completely drained.

It was dark when he opened his eyes. The insects were chirping outside, and Philip felt a warm hand on his head. He looked up to see that Grace, sitting upright, fast asleep and realised that he had been sleeping on her lap. Red faced, he got up, and her eyes fluttered open.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, looking concerned. The moonlight shone down into the roofless cabin, bathing in its pale light. It made her pale skin seem almost ethereal and her eyes look a radiant blue. Involuntarily, Philip drew himself nearer.

“Wha,” Grace’s question was cut short as Philip planted his lips on hers.

Taken off guard, Grace hesitated briefly, before returning the kiss. They embraced each other passionately, and Philip moved to remove Grace’s tunic. She caught his hand, and he pulled away, thinking he had gone too far.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“Not in front of her,” Grace whispered, looking up at the bed. Philip nodded and together, they went into the next room where they spent a night of passion together.

The warmth of the sun’s rays on his face and the bleating of goats outside the window woke Philip up and he wondered if what had happened the day before had all been a dream. He looked up at the sky from within the roofless cabin and knew it was not. Then, he felt something warm pressed against his bare skin and looked down to see a head of blonde hair nestled against his chest. It was a bittersweet feeling, the loss of his master, and then what had happened last night…

Grace stirred and looked up at him. An embarrassed smile spread across her face. “Good morning,” she cooed.

“Good morning,” Philip replied, equally embarrassed.

Grace nuzzled her head deeper into Philip’s chest. He squeezed her tight, glad for her warmth, and they lay on the floor, enjoying the feeling of each other’s bodies. The events of the day before seemed like a distant memory until, at length, Grace tapped Philip on the chest.

“We should get going,” she said, and just like that, the illusion was dispelled.

Philip remembered where he was, he remembered his master’s body lying in the next room, and the ten other bodies lying in the woods around them. Yesterday and the night that had come before had both been bloody. Gelt’s Pass had been bloodier, but the difference was, Gelt’s Pass had been an accident, out of his control, while last night… would have weighed heavier on his mind had it not been for the death of his friends at Gelt’s Pass.

They luxuriated in one another’s warmth for a little longer before Philip reluctantly moved his arm. Grace nuzzled Philip’s chest once more before tossing their blanket aside and getting to her feet.

“We should have breakfast and gather some supplies before we part ways,” Grace said as she got dressed.

“Will you be able to get to Wood Edge by yourself?” Philip asked, loath to part ways with her.

“I’ll manage,” Grace said, seeing straight through his intentions. “It’s probably best for both of us if you stay away from there.”

Philip nodded and got to his feet. He showed Grace where the food was before setting off for the river to fetch water for breakfast. As he walked out of the cabin, he noted the burned body of the first Morovian he had killed yesterday still lay yards away from the cabin. A burnt out circle in the grass told him where the other body was, and he gave it a wide berth as he walked out of the glade and through the large swathe of forest he and Penelope had burned down.

He suppressed a shudder as he imagined the destruction a talented pyromancer with an aeromancer by his side could wreak on a battlefield. The battle at Gelt’s Pass would have turned into a one sided slaughter from the get-go. He also understood Frederick’s limitations and why he was stationed on the Eastern Marches, content to glare at the Galataens. Idly, he wondered if the other kingdoms knew of his limitations too.

Philip arrived at the river and recalled the first time Penelope had attempted to have him conjure fire just a few feet in front of him. On a whim, he dropped the bucket and waded out to the middle of the water. He raised his hand and focused his power. He conjured a flame in his hand and held it upright over his head as he faced upstream towards the cave where his master had died.

“You kept your promise,” he said, blinking back tears as he looked at the cabin.

He held the flame for a few seconds before dismissing it and returned to the cabin with the water in hand, feeling strangely at peace. He and Grace ate a simple breakfast of boiled vegetables, salted meat, and fried bread before packing supplies for their respective trips in silence.

“Are you sure you’ll be able to find your way back?” Philip asked as they stood outside the cabin.

“Yes,” Grace said. They both stared at the cabin, neither wanting to say goodbye.

He sighed. Grace was a smart and resourceful woman and he had told her how to use the mountains and the landmarks to look for to get to Wood Edge, but he still worried about her. It was more that he didn’t want to part with her.

“You can still come back you know,” Grace offered. “I’m sure all would be forgiven if you pledged to use your powers in the king’s service.”

Then they would probably never have to part again, Philip thought to himself. Part of him was tempted, but with a great effort, he resisted the temptation and shook his head. “You saw what we did yesterday,” Philip remarked. “I don’t think I could live with myself if I continued to do that intentionally… what I did accidentally at Gelt’s Pass still haunts me.”

Grace sighed wistfully. “I suppose I can understand that,” she allowed, though she did not sound convinced.

Philip stole a look at her from the corner of his eye and shook his head as he re-examined the prospect of a relationship with her under the light of day. She was an ambitious one. Ruthlessly so, in stark contrast to his carefree nature. Perhaps it was for the best their relationship was nipped in the bud. He remembered the constant fights at the Academy. Perhaps that would be their future if they stuck together. Then what about last night? He asked himself. Yesterday had been stressful, perhaps that was all last night was. Two youngsters finding comfort in one another after an emotional day.

“Besides,” Philip said at length, shaking his head to clear the confusing thoughts, “I made a promise to my master that I would live my life on my own terms.”

Grace looked like she had a sharp retort to that but swallowed it. Instead, she leaned over and pecked Philip on the cheek. “I’ll miss you.”

“And I’ll miss you,” Philip said. He looked at his hand and focused his power there.

“Need help?” Grace asked.

Philip shook his head and pointed his hand at the cabin and channelled a flame at it until the walls caught fire. He then circled the cabin, igniting the other walls as he went and soon, all four walls were ablaze. He completed his circuit around the cabin and returned to where Grace was waiting.

“Goodbye, master,” he said sadly. “Thank you for everything.”

“Well, I suppose this is it,” Grace remarked after a long silence.

Philip looked at the flames for a minute before turning to her. “I suppose it is.”

“Remember, don’t get caught or it’ll be my neck as well,” she warned.

They embraced and kissed one last time before reluctantly going their separate ways. Philip began walking south towards the mountains but only walked a few paces before stopping to watch Grace leave. She made her way swiftly to the north. She disappeared into the trees without looking back and Philip was left feeling disappointed but not surprised.

He looked at the goats who were staring at him and smiled wryly. “Laugh all you want, but you lot are on your own from now on.”

If they understood, they showed no sign and soon, they made for the vegetable garden to start on their lunch.

“Enjoy it while you can,” Philip called out after them and he briefly wondered if they would survive the winter. He considered bringing them with him but thought better of it. They’d have a better chance here than with him.

He shifted the weight of his backpack and took a last look at the burning cabin before turning his back on it for the last time. He plodded out of the glade and fingered the coins in the pouch at his waist. Grace had declined to take any. She would likely be searched upon her return, and it would be no good to have a suspicious amount of coin on her. He then looked up at the mountains that loomed to the south and steeled his resolve. A new life awaited him on the other side of those mountains.