The sun beat down on the courtyard, heat rising off the dirt as I circled around Merek, one of the castle guards, our swords clashing with each strike. My muscles burned with the effort, but it was a good burn—one that reminded me I was still sharp, still quicker than most of the other men in the guard. Merek was grinning behind his helmet, sweat dripping from his chin. I knew he’d try to catch me off guard any moment now, but I wasn’t going to let that happen. I shifted my weight, parrying his next swing easily. 

I nodded, but my attention drifted slightly, catching sight of the maids gathered near the well. They weren’t subtle, not even trying to hide their interest. Ellyn, the boldest of them, caught my eye again, a faint smile playing on her lips before she turned and whispered something to the others. The giggles that followed were unmistakable. It wasn’t the first time they’d lingered while we trained, and I had a suspicion it wasn’t Merek they were watching.

The truth was, with the Baron gone, the routines around the castle had become monotonous. Without his presence, there were no urgent matters, no grand meetings or events to keep the energy high. The guards and servants were all a bit more relaxed, but that left me with little to do beyond the same drills and patrols. It had been a week of this, and I found myself craving something more than just swordplay and idle conversation.

Merek lunged at me, but I stepped aside, knocking his sword out of his grip with a quick twist of my wrist. He stumbled, cursing under his breath. I couldn’t help but let a teasing grin pull at the corners of my lips.

He scowled at me, but there was no real anger in it. Muttering underneath his breath as he bent  down to retrieve his sword, again.

The sun beat down heavily on the castle courtyard, the heat rising from the packed dirt as I squared up with Merek for another round. The clang of steel on steel echoed around us, but my mind was only half-focused on the training. Merek was a strong fighter, but I was faster, slipping past his guard and landing my practice blade against his side. He grunted, stepping back, and I couldn’t help but let a small smile tug at the corner of my mouth.

After a few more rounds, to the dismay of our crowd but the ill-hidden relief of Merek, we called it a day. I could still sense their eyes following my every move as I wiped down the sweat from my neck with a cloth. I could still feel the maids’ eyes on me as I turned to leave the courtyard, but paid them no mind. I needed to get out of the manor for a bit and clear my head.

After training, I cleaned up and dressed in a fresh wool doublet, deciding to head into town. There were a few small matters I needed to tend to, but mostly I just wanted to stretch my legs and get away from the castle for a bit. The market was always busy, and I liked the hum of it—the noise, the bustle of merchants hawking their wares, the townsfolk going about their daily business.

The square was full of people by the time I arrived. Children ran between the stalls, and merchants called out to potential customers, offering everything from fresh bread to bolts of cloth. It was easy to lose myself in the crowd, a welcome change from the quiet of the castle.

As I walked through the market, I spotted a young man sitting under a tree at the edge of the square. He sat with his back against the trunk, a book open in his lap, completely absorbed in whatever he was reading. I paused for a moment, curious. It wasn’t common to see someone reading in public like that—books were expensive, and most people didn’t have the time or education for it. My first thought was that he was probably the son of a merchant, maybe even a scholar.

But the moment I approached and got a better look at the man, my chest tightened the moment I recognized him. It was him—the stranger from the woods. My mind instantly wandered back to that day, a few weeks ago now, but still fresh in my memory. I hadn’t told a soul about what I saw—how I had witnessed this stranger gathering herbs, speaking to fae, surging with energy that pulsed in the air around him, how the plants had sprung back to life after he cut them. This man was most certainly a witch, no doubt about it. Though I could not recall ever hearing about a male witch before, meaning it must be quite rare and likely the reason he was yet to be found.

His head was bent over the pages, dark hair falling over his face as he read. He looked out of place in the busy market, like the noise and the crowd didn’t reach him. For a moment, I stood there, debating whether I should approach. I didn’t know his name, didn’t know where he was from, but I knew what he was. And I knew that if anyone else in this town found out, it would be the end of him.

I couldn’t let that happen.

Before I even made the decision, my feet were already moving towards him. He must’ve sensed me, because his eyes lifted from the book before I could speak, locking onto mine. His expression was coloured with surprise before morphing into something much more guarded.

I tried to keep my tone casual, hoping it didn’t betray the tension that was building inside me. He closed the book slowly, his eyes never leaving mine.

I leaned against the tree, trying to act as if I wasn’t completely aware of the weight of our conversation, not wanting to scare away the man before I even had the chance to know his name. Before I had the chance to arrange my thoughts into a proper response, the young man beat me to it.

He tilted his head slightly, his lips twitching into a ghost of a half-smile. There was something off about his tone—calm, measured, but with a hint of something underneath. He didn’t trust me. And why would he? I was just another man in a town that would have him tied to a stake and burned to keep my own hands warm.

He didn’t reply at first, just studied me with those sharp eyes, as if he were trying to decide if I was a threat. I couldn’t blame him for being wary—after all, any other man in this town would have reported him to the guards if they knew what I did about the young man by my feet. 

I pointed towards the leather-bound book still in the man’s grasp. To my surprise he seemed awfully bothered by my comment, his body visibly tensing. He glanced around the market, as if checking to see if anyone else was paying attention to us. No one was, but I had a feeling he wasn’t very assured by that notion regardless. 

He didn’t offer more, and I didn’t push. I’d learned from my time as a soldier—and now as a guard—that some people needed space before they were willing to talk. I wasn’t here to pry. Just to make sure he understood the risks of being too visible in a place like this.

He studied me again, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I wondered if I’d overstepped, if he would shut down completely and end the conversation. But after a long pause, he gave a slow, almost imperceptible nod, acknowledging the thinly veiled warning for what it was. 

I hesitated for a beat, considering how much I wanted to reveal.

Without another word I gave him a small smile before turning to leave, slipping back into the crowd. As I walked away, I glanced back once, catching sight of him still sitting under the tree, his gaze following me. There was something about him, something that told me this wouldn’t be the last time our paths crossed. But for now, I’d planted the seed, giving him something to think about.

He needed to be careful. This town was no place for someone like him to make enemies—or be discovered for what he truly was. This town didn’t need much of an excuse to turn on someone. But I’d made my decision. I would keep him safe, to the best of my abilities, for as long as I could. If not for my own sense of justice, then as a way to repay the good deeds previous witches had shown me in life.

The witch and stranger, was just a young man trying to survive in a world that wanted him dead. And perhaps it was wistful thinking but I wasn’t about to let him face that alone.