Chapter 9
Hans cursed his stubbornness as he stumbled along the dark path with only the flickering light of his lantern to see by. The trees on either side seemed to crowd in close and the lantern’s light made shadows dance all around him. The forest was silent, without a breath of wind to stir the trees, which made things even worse. He jumped each time he heard the slightest sound – something rustling in the undergrowth or an owl softly hooting. Everyone knew better than to travel after dark, yet here he was doing exactly that.
It was his own fault. He could be sat in the inn still, drinking beer and with a warm spot near the fire to look forward to. Able to safely sleep the night away with the rest of the late night drinkers. Even those who lived only a few doors away would sta
