Usually, the disorder of Deathly Delight's kitchen would bother me. The dirty plates that were stacked near ceiling-high and the ingredients scattered over every counter would constantly poke me with the sharp end of a newly forged sword. Now, with the latest request casting a cloud over me, the mess was nothing but a small insect biting me in the back of my neck.

What was I meant to bring? Whenever I gathered poison to restock our collection, I always brought a pair of gloves and an enchanted jar to keep the poison in. But that wouldn't be enough for this trip. How long would we be gone for? We needed food, water, clothes, the bare basics for us to get by.

I reached into one of the higher kitchen cupboards to grab an empty container when footsteps sounded to my left. My hand snatched the nearest knife I could find and held it out toward the perpetrator, spinning around without thought. When I realised the silent intruder was only Oryal, I lowered the utensil back down.

I hadn't even heard the bell sound above the front door. How had he snuck up on me so easily?

Standing in the doorway of the kitchen was the bounty hunter I had requested to help me with my task of harvesting some Noxol. Oryal still had his axe strapped to his back, the bindings tight as if he never removed the weapon, even in his sleep. In the sun, there was a strange, rough beauty to his sharp features. His horns had a slight glimmer when he tilted his head to the side.

"Some warning or a greeting would have been nice!" I dropped the knife into the sink with a sigh. "There is a closed sign on the door too, so you could have knocked. Or, I don't know, at least let the bell ring."

"What were you planning to do with a butter knife? Graze me if you were lucky? Coat me in butter?" A smile found its way to his mouth, bringing warmth to his face. His lips pressed together to stifle a laugh.

"You're laughing now, but you won't be when you're covered in poisonous frosting." Shutting the cupboard, I placed the container in front of me. Whatever I had planned to put in it had slipped my mind entirely, stolen away by the bounty hunter's arrival. "How did you do it? Enter without me noticing?"

I always noticed when a new customer entered, especially because of the dread that settled over me.

Oryal merely shrugged. "It's a practised skill."

"Wait here for a moment," I replied with a roll of my eyes.

Rushing into the back of Deathly Delights, I entered my bedroom to pull a bag out from under my bed. My room was only a small box compared to the rest of the bakery, but I never spent much time in it anyway. On one side of the room, my bed was shoved into the corner. Thick, woollen blankets and pillows in various shapes and sizes were piled mountain-high for maximum comfort, making it the best place to curl up and get a good night's rest. A desk with a few books stacked on top, a window, and a wardrobe lined the other side.

This room was a peaceful sanctuary when I had to deal with nuisances for customers all day. After gathering the Noxol in the Ivory Forest, I hoped I would be able to see it again.

Swinging open the doors to my wardrobe, I stuffed a few random sets of clothes into the bag and returned to the kitchen. When I came back, Oryal watched me curiously, as if I were the prey he was stalking and hunting down. His attentive gaze made me nervous.

"Have you packed everything you need?" I asked to cure the silence that encased us.

The bounty hunter looked over his shoulder at his axe and nodded. "I have everything I'll ever need."

My umber eyes scanned him from head to toe, making me take a mental note to bring more food for both of us. I grabbed the container I had retrieved before Oryal had arrived and made my way to the front of the bakery. Pulling back the glass door that kept the heat trapped for the baked goods inside, I picked up a pair of tongs to place some swirled pastries inside.

The confectionery on display was always made without poison in case the wrong people inspected our business or an unsuspecting customer didn't realise what establishment they had walked into, so these ones were very much safe to eat. I would have to bring other food too, and a flask of water, but it would be nice to have something appetising to consume if my death could be looming on the other end of this journey.

"So the rumours are true," Oryal began. "You do sell poisonous food here?"

I raised a brow in surprise. "Are you only coming to this conclusion now?"

"No." Another butterfly fluttered down from seemingly nowhere and landed on the window sill behind the bounty hunter. In the morning light, its wings shimmered in a faint lilac shade. "I'm only trying to make conversation."

Brushing the excess crumbs away from the container, I stifled my surprise. "I see." Oryal didn't give me the impression that he was a talkative person. If he wanted a conversation, that was what he would get. "Have you decided what you want in return for helping me yet?"

A deep chuckle left his lips. "I decided what I wanted back in the tavern."

"So you're just not telling me?" I scowled, sealing the container shut. "If it's something horrible, you'll need food testers for the rest of your life."

"You'll learn soon enough, I promise." Oryal hid his smile by turning his face, pretending to observe the world beyond the bakery and outside the window — a smile that I couldn't tell whether or not meant something sinister. "It's nothing unpleasant, in my opinion."

I returned to the kitchen and Oryal followed suit, trailing me like an animal with its owner. As I searched the cupboards for some other non-poisoned food, I continued my questioning. "What is it like in the Ivory Forest? I've been in before, but only to the outskirts."

The bounty hunter leant against a counter, crossing his arms over his chest. The blade of his axe knocked against one of the enchanted poison jars, causing it to wobble before it settled again. "It's different every time. The wood of the trees holds a magic that can change a person's perception of what lies inside. Sometimes it's quite pleasant and it lets me get my jobs done easily, but other times it isn't as nice."

That was exactly what I had feared. My mother had always seemed to have welcoming experiences with the forest, being cherished in the enchanted woods' open embrace. However, my father had witnessed horrors that had left him speechless. No amount of interrogation or prodding him for information would get answers out of him about what he saw. What were the odds that the Ivory Forest would be kind to us now?

Twisting the cap on the flask of water shut, I buckled up my bag and slung it over my shoulder. "Okay. I'm all ready to go."

When Oryal pushed himself off the counter to make his way to the entrance, I patted my pockets down and a surge of panic seized my chest. There was one important thing I was missing.

Racing past the bounty hunter, I grabbed the keys to Deathly Delights off of the wall and breathed a sigh of relief. It would have been a nightmare to return to if I forgot to lock up. If I returned.

"Is there anything else you might suddenly remember you'll need? Once we start heading out, I'm not turning back." He stopped in his tracks, giving me a moment to think.

I racked my mind for anything else I could potentially need in the Ivory Forest, but I couldn't think of anything. Perhaps I could bring a weapon in case we encountered a dangerous creature? But, I had no clue had to wield even the most basic of daggers and Oryal had his own with him. I would only be a burden in any sort of fight.

With a confident smile, I replied, "There's nothing else. I'm ready for the Ivory Forest."

Chapter Word Count: 1,405
Total Word Count: 5,477