The World Walkers: Kniroch: Panthea: Back on Kniroch

It was late when Panthea arrived back on Kniroch, well past the time the moon set, and she was tired, but there were still things she needed to do. Yawning, she switched her bag to the other shoulder. Nothing in it was particularly heavy, thankfully, just uncomfortable if it settled wrongly, as it had done during the journey back from Labyrinth. She glanced backwards, thinking about her bed, before forcing herself to walk towards the centre of town, where she’d meet her current employer to give him the things he’d asked for. Being able to travel to all five worlds was both a blessing and a curse, especially when all she wanted to do was sleep.

The walk was normally short, because Panthea had chosen her home and crossing point specifically to make the journey as easy as possible. That night it felt like she had to travel a hundred miles, which was, unfortunately, a feeling she was getting used to. Finally, when she stepped into the tavern she had agreed to meet him in, all she could think about was the journey she had back, and how much she wished right then that she had chosen a different job. He was sat in the same corner he had been when they first met, so she headed over to him, the items in her bag moving into another uncomfortable position.

He watched as Panthea slid into the seat opposite him, taking her bag off her shoulder as she did. “Have you got it?” he asked.

Their eyes met for a moment before Panthea looked down at the table. There had been people she’d worked for that she really hadn’t liked, but he was… If she hadn’t been right in front of him, knowing that he held the money she’d worked for, she would have walked away. On their first meeting he had been impatient, wanting her to go to Labyrinth right at that moment, and had refused to give her a name. However there were plenty of things she was happy to ignore if it meant she earned enough money to feed herself for a week.

“Yes, I have,” she replied, but didn’t put her hand into her bag to get it. “I’d like to see that you have the money before I give you anything.”

There had been times when Panthea had thought seriously about taking a deposit, because she had ended up out of pocket due to someone being unable to pay her. She had always taken whatever she had to the auction, but often it didn’t cover her expenses, and then she had to live off what she could hunt, which wasn’t much fun. When he stared at her, his eyebrow raised, she couldn’t help thinking he was another one. At least until he took a coin purse out from somewhere, probably a well hidden pocket. With one hand he counted out six coins, keeping his eyes on hers.

“Is that sufficient?” Strangely, he sounded slightly amused. “I have kept my side of the bargain and I’m hoping you kept yours.”

Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.