A'nallia skipped after her master as he walked down the street heading out of the village. Suddenly, a waterskin was in her face, pulled from his belt.

“Drink something," he both offered and instructed. "You ran from the tavern before the order came.”

“Ah. I completely forgot.” Grabbing the bag of liquid, she took multiple gulps before handing it back.

In no time, the silence grew awkward again. She wanted to apologize for the incident in the village but wasn’t sure how, so she just spit the words out.

“I’m sorry. For before. I didn’t think before acting.”

“Mm.”

After a few moments he paused, stopping on the road. “I don’t think I know your name. What name was given to you?”

“A’nallia.”

“A’nallia.” He nodded, as he had when he purchased her, and started walking again. After a few steps, he let out a quick sigh. “Anyway, it is taken care of. In the future, don’t call me master.”

“What should I call you?”

“Just don’t call me master.”

“Yes, sir.”

The short exchange ended and they returned to walking, her master leading them to some secret, far away destination. After a few hours, her boots still wearing in and the excitement over her new dress fading, she couldn’t suppress her curiosity anymore. She had so many questions and they had spent the greater part of the day traveling in silence. Certainly at this point he wouldn’t do anything to her for simply speaking. She sucked in a deep breath of determination and rushed to walk beside him. He didn’t move, his gaze fixed ahead, so she spoke.

“Can I ask a question?”

There was no response, which she took as an affirmation.

“Not that I am complaining, of course, but why are we walking to-" Her eyes darted between the endless fields and forests. "-wherever it is we’re going? Do you not have transportation and other servants? It can’t only be me.”

“It is not only you," he replied, cold and succinct as always.

“Then why didn’t you bring anyone along with you?”

“Why would I bring someone with me? To help bring you back?”

That makes sense, I guess.

“Well, that is true. But do you not have a cart? Or a horse?" How can you be so frustrating? "With the distance we have already walked, you must have traveled through the night to reach the marketplace in time for auction.”

“Why would I bring a horse and cart when I am able to walk? I was not purchasing anything that needed transportation.”

Yes, that is also accurate, in the sense that I have legs. But I’m not a magical forest creature. How far are we even going? How do you know I am able to walk the distance?

“Are you tired? Do you need to stop and rest?” His head tilted her way, checking her stride and pace.

“No, I’m alright.” It came out automatically, but she quickly reconsidered her answer. “I mean, I don’t know. Maybe? I don’t actually know where we’re going, so I don’t know how much further we need to walk.”

She was tired and getting irritable. He was so quiet and unfriendly, so she had hesitated to say anything, but her feet were sore and her stomach was beginning to fold in on itself. Perhaps he regularly wandered the wilderness, but she had spent the last four years locked in a tower, relegated to a single wing of a single floor. Her lifestyle had been far from active.

“It is not much further. At this pace, we will be there in another two hours.” His tone didn’t indicate he took any offense to her comments or that he was concerned much by her troubles. “Can you make it?”

“Yes, I can make it.”

“Then we will keep walking.”

She nodded and trudged along a few steps behind, keeping an even pace with him as they continued down the road.

Finally, after what she swore must have been longer than two hours, A’nallia saw a break in the trees and sighed in relief. The sun was beginning to set and the last thing she wanted was to wander through a dense forest at night. The road split through the clearing, forming a loop that led to a large stone manor. It was surprisingly simple, just grey stone and some basic windows, with a single, solid wooden door for an entrance. The space around the building had some shrubs, a few flowering bushes, but was otherwise devoid of landscaping. Beside the main building was a small shed and stable, and as they came closer, she could make out the edge of a garden in the back. Everything, like the road, was surrounded by a thick wall of trees.

Good protection from unwanted guests, I suppose.

When they were only a few steps away from the entrance, the large door opened and an older woman, her hair grey and face wrinkled, stood in the archway. She bowed low with her eyes to the ground. Her hair was pulled back and the branding that ran from lower cheek to collarbone was the mark of a powerful elemental witch. The image was somehow harsh and comforting at the same time, like she would be equally skilled at soothing your troubles and killing your enemies. A’nallia wondered how she had come to be a servant instead of staying in the Tower.

“Sir. You are back later than expected. Did everything go alright?”