"There should be a village up ahead," Dog said, wrinkling his brow as he tried to recall the items on The List. "We can rest there for the night and get some food in us! Any objections? No? Didn't think so! Then that's settled. Now let's pick up the pace. We'll want to get there before nightfall, just in case."
After all, for all his lies about brigands, he had heard news about some trouble out and about in the world. Their Witch had seemed bothered by it, though Dog didn't really understand the details and had never thought to ask. Nothing had really mattered but their Witch and the small village they lived in. Until now, neither of them had been outside it, and Dog had been content to spend his life that way until it all came crashing down.
They had just come to a fork in the road when there was a rustling in the thick trees growing alongside it. Dog's ears perked up and his tail stiffened, nose twitching, but they were upwind of the disturbance and so he didn't know what was coming until two horse-riders trotted out onto the road, blocking their way.
"Ya three are skilled mages, eh?" one of the riders barked, a brawny, bearded man with light hair and a smattering of freckles. One hand was on a sword at his hip and his partner, a younger red-haired man, smirked down at them and rode closer.
And as he did, Dog felt something snap around him like a vice. Not literally, but there was a strange sensation of being bound somewhere deep inside him.
He realized then that he couldn't touch his magic.
