Chapter 17
Of centaurs and the vanity of the huntress
EARLY THE NEXT MORNING the Slayer awoke and dressed. She roasted some meat on the fire and ate it with a tea of??herbs and spices, then came to Adam and set him up. His back and limbs ached from the hard table and the restraints of the chains, and he had slept little, but now he had purpose. Up to this point he had depended largely on the goodwill of others - the woodcutter, the dwarves - for his care and safety. Now he was on his own, and the possibility of survival was entirely in his own hands.
The Slayer gave him some of the tea and then tried to get him to eat the meat, but he wouldn't open his mouth to do so. It smelled strong and wild.
"It's venison," she said. "You must eat. You will need your strength."
But Adam kept his m
