Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 3)

"Perhaps so." Rickard sounded like he didn't dare hope.
"If there are two beds in one room I'm sleeping on the downstairs hearth," Ada said firmly. "You two can have the beds."

Pratik glanced over at her. "I can't protect you if you're not in the room with me."

"I don't need your protection. I'm not sleeping in the same room as two men. I'll sleep with the horses if I have to."

"Right. It's much better to sleep where any man in the world could happen upon you as you sleep, rather than with two who are in the same boat as you," Pratik said flatly. "Solid logic."

"I'll hide under the straw." Ada hunkered down on the horse, glaring ahead of her.
"I could sleep outside if it would make it easier," Rickard suggested.
"Don't bother," she huffed.

"This is the last bit of rest we get for two weeks," Pratik said. "We all need to be smart about this."

"Let's decide when we see our lodgings." Rickard shifted on the horse again and grunted in pain. "Aren, will I be able to walk when I get off this thing? My legs have forgotten how."

Pratik laughed a bit. "Yeah. You guys can go up to the room when we get there and get settled in. I'll get things squared around before I come up."

"Shouldn't be too difficult, considering we've nothing to settle but ourselves," Rickard said. "But what do we do about our collars? Won't they give us away?"

"We've got to keep our coats up as best as we can to hide them. Maybe you could wrap a blanket around your shoulders like you're trying to keep warm and hide yours that way?" He sent another annoyed glance at Ada. "And then we can get to our room. Where we'll have privacy. And safety."

Rickard nodded. "Makes sense." He, too, looked at Ada but with only a mild curiosity and pity.

Pratik took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He felt so old. So tired and stiff and cold. He reached up to rub his face -- fingers even colder against his skin than it already was itself. "Hopefully we're not far, now."

The road was becoming more worn, so he figured that meant they were approaching the town.

Ada had ridden up ahead again, scouting. A few branches snapped off to the left and behind them, and Rickard turned.

Pratik was in action in an instant, ripping his sword free of the scabbard as he whirled towards the noise, keying in on where it'd come from.

Rickard ducked, clinging close to Pratik. There was silence from the woods for a moment, and then Rickard pointed up into the trees. Almost directly above them, mandibles clicking busily, sat an Iron-spider the size of a large pony. Its many eyes were fixed on them and the fine metal hairs on its abdomen bristled slightly, but it was in the midst of rolling the carcass of what appeared to be a struggling deer up into its webbing. It didn't move, staring Pratik and Rickard down.