No, it was too dangerous. He did the right thing leaving her behind. As much as he might long for her—and she for him—, how much more painful would it be if something were to happen to her?

Complicating matters further, the Witch continued to display a growing attachment to Tobias. It seemed mostly innocent, but it was still awkward the way she would cuddle up to him at night or lean into him while they were riding and fall asleep. She was rather like a kitten, he thought, but Tobias could not ignore the fact that she was a young woman of the age many families would be marrying her off. Too young in Tobias' eyes, but he only had eyes for one woman.

Turning his thoughts to the task at hand, Tobias did not relish the idea of going to Utica even just to pass through. It was where his father lost his life and it was widely hated among the Queen's men. The Barklai Mountains were rich in gems and ore, but there was no lack of competition for these riches. Just as there were Forest Devils, there were Mountain Devils and that was not considering the Sons of the Mountain. The three sides were in frequent conflict, making Utica one of the most dangerous cities in the kingdom. Many of the Queen's men believed that the assignment to Utica was a death sentence, and for many it was.

As they came closer to the city, Tobias saw a great noisy mob gathered on the outskirts. Prudence would dictate that he keep his distance, but curiosity got the better of him and he went closer to investigate. The crowd was angrily shouting, but they had not broken out into an open riot. The garrison would likely have been marched out to quell them if they had. No, their anger was controlled, directed, but controlled by whom, directed at whom?

Tobias waded into the ranks of the mob. Even as worked up as the crowd was, they were not so lost to the world that they could ignore a knight on his charger working his way forward. The crowd parted to let Tobias pass, with some of them pulling their less attentive fellows out of the way. As Tobias got closer to the center, he saw a priest of Baal exhorting the crowd while a pair of acolytes were holding a young woman bound in ropes and a couple others were standing by a cart loaded with straw. The woman appeared to have been beaten and her clothes were torn and stained from being pelted with rotten fruits and vegetables and other filth.

The crowd responded by shouting assorted curses against the Yehudim in general and the woman in particular. Tobias could not help but think bitterly that these were the people his father died to protect.

One of the acolytes began driving a stake into the ground while others unloaded bundles of kindling from the cart. Tobias looked around uncomfortably. He did not know what this woman had done, but he could not easily leave her to be burned alive. However, if he tried to intervene, he could very well be torn to pieces by the mob.

The Witch looked up to him. Her eyes told hm everything he needed to know.

This was, of course, poor reasoning, but no one could accuse Tobias of letting reason dictate his actions. Adopting the same authoritative persona he used to bluff his way though the Hanno gaol, he approached the priest and demanded, "What's the meaning of this?"

Tobias had to stop himself from disputing who the Most High was. It would only add fuel to the fire, as it were.

The priest waved for his acolytes to bring the woman forward. She resisted, digging in her heels as she was dragged over to the stake, but she did not scream or cry out for help, perhaps because she knew how little it would avail her with the crowd baying for her blood.

Tobias would have liked to cut down the priest where he stood, or hit him at the very least, but he knew that if he struck a priest of Baal, he would throw the crowd into a frenzy. Rather, he spurred his horse and went straight for the woman. The acolytes dove out of the way as he snatched her up. The Witch helped pull her up up onto the horse's back so Tobias could focus on driving forward.

Fortunately, the mob was not so zealous as to bar the way with their bodies. Like the acolytes, they cleared the way rather than risk being trampled. There were those who believed a horse will not step on a man, but it was not so simple as that, especially with the training given to Hannibal warhorses. As much as Tobias condemned the mob's behavior, he did not want any of them to pay for it with their lives.

As soon as he was clear of the crowd, the priest was shouting for them to stop him. Of course, none of them would catch up to him on foot, but he was sure to put a goodly distance between him and them before he stopped to check on the woman. He dismounted, then pulled the woman off his horse. As he was setting her on her feet, he asked her, "Are you alright?"

The woman had an empty sort of look in her eyes. Tobias was not sure if she was just dazed from the ordeal or if it was something else. He gently shook her by the shoulders and asked again, "Are you alright?"

The woman nodded weakly.

She stood there limply while he cut the ropes and continued to stand practically motionless even after the ropes fell to the ground. Tobias looked at her for a moment, not certain what to do next. Before he could say anything, though, she opened her mouth to speak, wordlessly mouthing something. When her voice did rise, it was scarcely more than a whisper.

Tobias recalled the priest denouncing the Yehudim for somehow being at fault for the woman. Surely not because she was a witch, if she was that, for a witch would have no place among them. That she was not given over to the tophet of Tanith was no surprise. Any Yehudi who practiced such an abomination would not be counted among the Yehudim for long.

The woman pulled back her hair to reveal one of her ears. It was pointed, like the ears of the Children of the Forest, though not nearly as long. Tobias had heard stories of men and women being seduced by the Children of the Forest, but he had never seen a mixed blood child before.

Rather than let her dwell on this, Tobias decided to change the subject and asked her, "What's your name?"

Tobias recognized the expression from the Song of Songs, but he would have never imagined anyone taking the entire thing for a name.

Tobias felt a chill run his spine and his stomach sink.

Her words were cut off when the Witch took hold of her hand. At first, Shoshanna trembled from her touch, but then she calmed as the Witch began to lead her away. Tobias, not knowing what was happening, followed after them.

The Witch guided Shoshanna a short distance off to a small spring bubbling out of the ground. She stepped into the water as if to encourage Shoshanna to do so as well. Shoshanna dipped herself into the pool to clean off much the grime that clung to her. When she emerged, her clothes were still stained, but she was cleaner than before.

Still dripping wet, she caressed the Witch's head and said, "Thank you, Tellus. That was thoughtful of you."

Shoshanna just gave him a look.

Tobias began to put more of the pieces together, then asked her, "So you can communicate with her?"

Tobias was hesitant, but what other choice was there?

Shoshanna managed a weak smile and said, "My chances are better with you than anywhere else."

It was a testament to the dire straits she found herself in. Still, she had made her choice.

After a brief silence, Shoshanna then said, "I never did thank you for before, for saving me."

Tobias was silent.

Shoshanna nodded gravely.

Once again, Tobias tried to redirect her from such dark thoughts.

Shoshanna smiled again and shook her head.

The Witch looked at him and before he could ask, Shoshanna interpreted, saying, "She is wondering if the three of us are too much of a burden for your horse."

Tobias rested his hand on the Witch's head and told her, "Not at all. Our warhorses are bred to carry two grown men in full kit and the two of you combined are still far lighter than that. If I end up saving anyone else, though, I will need a second horse."

Tobias laughed.

This gave Tobias fresh pause.

Curiosity got the better of him once again, prompting Tobias to ask Shoshanna, "Can you see our future, what awaits us in the mountains?"

Rather shamefaced at his lapse, Tobias said, "You're right. I'm sorry."

Tobias did not ask her any further questions after that. He set the women on his horse, then mounted and went on his way.

It was thoughtful of Shoshanna to warn him before he transgressed against the Law, but there was more to it than that, he was certain. Soothsaying was prohibited by the Law either because it was false and therefore meaningless or because it was true yet dangerous. At least so far as Shoshanna's abilities were concerned, it seemed to be the latter. Perhaps it was best not the delve any deeper than that, but he could not help but feel a sense of dread with the idea that knowing the future was the more treacherous course than walking blindly into the unknown.

Tobias had no faith in his ability to sing, so instead he opted to follow Shoshanna's suggestion telling a story, even if she did not seem particularly enthusiastic at the prospect.