The Huntress (Legend and Lore Book 2) (7 page)

As expected, Amala was sitting cross-legged on the floor, her sword lying across her thighs. She looked up when Liv entered, silver eyes intent. “How did it go?”
 

“Much better than expected.” Liv smiled and sat down on the floor across from her, wanting to be on Amala’s level instead of having to look down at her. “They want to talk to me later, but they will let me make my own choices. Their only condition was that they wanted to give me an estate, so that I would always have a home to go to.”
 

“Where would that estate be?”
 

Liv shrugged. “I do not know. I guess that is a topic of conversation they want to have on a later date.”
 

Amala sheathed her sword and put it to her side, then folded her hands and turned a solemn look on Liv. “I came with you, Liv, but I can’t stay. Not for the time it will take for you to become a certified healer.”
 

Liv bit her lip, knowing it had been coming. “It will only be a few months. I am about to graduate as it is. I’ll have to settle in the healing path, which takes about four months. After that, I’ll be allowed to go on my own, gather my own experience.”
 

“I can’t stay here for four months.” Amala shrugged her shoulders. “Not even four weeks. I am not made to stay in a city—I can’t stand them. I grew up in the wilderness close to the Trollheim.”
 

“Trollheim?” Liv frowned.
 

“You call it the Jotun Mountains. We call it the Trollheim.”
 

“So you are a Jotun?” Liv did not know if any Loreans had ever migrated to the other part of the Jotun Mountains, as there were no active description of Jotuns and their land in Lore.

“That is what your people call us, yes.” Amala nodded. “I was a chieftain’s daughter before I was banished. Now I’m just a lindworm hunter and I’ve got many people depending on me in the Black Mountains. I need to get back—it’s summer and high season for the worms. I can’t leave those people, those villages, to their own fate.”
 

“I know.” Liv did know. It did not, however, mean that she liked it. “I know you have to leave and that I have to stay here. But when I am done with my studying, in about four months time, I want us to meet up, because I do not want to lose you.”
 

“You won’t lose me.” Amala leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to Liv’s lips. “We will meet up when you’ve finished your studies. Then we can work on being a team.”
 

Liv nodded, sniffling just a little bit. “You are willing to wait for me?”
 

“As long as I can go off to do what I do best, yes, I am willing. You go study to become a healer, so that you can help people your way, and I’ll do it mine.” Amala smiled slightly. “For four months, I’ll go back to being by myself, which will be hard because I have grown accustomed to having you around. But I’ll manage, because you’ll be back eventually.”
 

Liv spontaneously reached out and wrapped her arms around Amala, hugging her tightly. “I have come to care a great deal for you. I wish I could leave right away, I have become accustomed to travelling the woods, but I also need to do this if I shall be of any help to anyone.”
 

“I understand that.” Amala hesitantly put her own hands on Liv’s back, and Liv knew by that action that Amala was not used to this kind of affection. “I’m fine with it.”
 

“So when will you leave?” Liv asked, voice light.
 

“In the next few days,” Amala replied.
 

Liv felt a lump form in her throat, and she quickly swallowed it. She smiled, not wanting Amala to see how upset she was by Amala leaving and being left here by herself. She did not even have Bas anymore. Of her many siblings, Jorek was the one she was closest to and he... well, he was not available most of the time.
 

“Then we will make the most of the few days we have left,” she smiled, hoping it looked more positive than she felt. She knew she would be with Amala soon, but spending four months in the capital now, all alone, after all she had experienced... she did not look forward to that.
 

Amala smiled back, her eyes glinting. “Yes, we will.”

Epilogue

Four and a half months later

Liv urged her horse forward, into the little village where she and Amala had stayed after their first encounter with a troll.
 

There were only a handful of little houses, more like huts. The inn stood out right in the middle of them.
 

She has to be here, Liv thought, holding on tightly to the reins. They had agreed to meet in this little village, as this was the one experiencing the most lindworm attacks. Liv was half a month late, but Amala had to be there waiting for her.
 

Being back in the capital, being close to her parents and the court and studying at the university... it had her convinced that she would not miss that life. She would miss some of the luxuries, like her soft bed and always being able to take a hot bath when she wanted, but all in all ,she would not miss it much.
 

Eloy, the husband, was outside when she halted her horse in front of the inn. He peered up at her, hand going up to shield his eyes from the sun.
 

“Miss Liv!” He bustled over to take her horse. “Miss Amala has been waiting for many days now.”
 

Liv could not help but smile at that. “I was delayed. But I am here now.” She jumped down from the horse and took her saddlebags, then let Eloy take the mare away.
 

She heard the door open behind her and she turned slowly, expecting to see Eloy’s wife, but hoping— “Amala!” She promptly dropped her saddlebags and threw her arms around Amala’s shoulder as the woman came toward her.
 

“You’re late,” Amala told her sternly.
 

“I know and I am sorry. I was delayed from leaving by my parents. But I am here now.” She pulled back so that she could look at Amala. She tangled her hands in the tiny braids, loving the feel of them twining in between her fingers. “I am here now,” she repeated, staring into Amala’s silver eyes. Her choice, to leave and to come here, felt absolutely right.
 

“Finally.” So saying, Amala bent down to kiss her, a soft, caring kiss that made Liv’s knees wobbly. When it intensified, and the world narrowed down to just the two of them, Liv felt with a certainty that her life was finally as it should be.
 

About TR Rook

TR lives in Scandinavia and likes to write fantasy stories with elements drawn from Scandinavian mythology. The stories are often sweet, with some drama and action, and sometimes steamy.
 

TR enjoys to read, write books, and listen to music. It's not often TR writes fantasy anymore, but a new story can pop up whenever inspiration strikes.
 

You can find TR Rook on Facebook here:
 

https://www.facebook.com/TR-Rook-698367826970993/

Also by TR Rook

LEGEND & LORE

Fenris Forest

The Huntress

Desert Fire

The forest is dark as filled with monsters.

Fenris Forest

© 2016 TR Rook

In the hopes of gaining approval from his brother, Mihai accepts a challenge: head into Fenris Forest and retrieve a leaf from the rare Dragon’s Tear tree to prove he did what he swore. But the forest is filled with monsters—and everyone’s warned not go in it, because if they do not everyone comes back.
 

But Mihai’s longing for approval trumps his fear of what lives in the forest—and he ventures inside. In there he learns that everyone was right, that Fenris Forest should be avoided—because he’s attacked by one of the most dangerous creatures in there: a warg.
 

Mihai is certain he’ll die, like so many others that have gone into the forest… but then he is unexpectedly saved, and this brings around a motion of events that will change Mihai’s sheltered life forever.
 

When fires don’t burn you, you seek out the hottest flames of all.

Desert Fire

© 2016 TR Rook

Brand is a warg, a wolf-shifter, and a fire mage, outcast and rejected by his people because of his true nature—and because he helped save a former friend.
 

Now, with no home, no family, no friends, and with an ability he doesn’t understand, he doesn’t know where he belongs. With nothing to loose, he heads to the land of the dragons to see if their fires are hot enough to burn him.
 

But once there he’s taken prison and bought to the royal palace. There he meets someone special, someone who isn’t afraid of him or who judges him, and Brand starts to believe that perhaps he can find a place to belong after all.