Orion left the battlefield with the smell of smoke still clinging to him. He wiped the splattered mud off his face and tossed his hot gun to a subordinate.
He issued a brief order. "Set up camp here. Don't advance any farther. I'll be back in ten minutes. Keep them in line."
"Yes, sir."
The noncommissioned officer saluted and watched Orion vault onto his horse. Horse and rider galloped farther and farther away until only a tiny black speck remained.
The noncommissioned officer put the gun away and returned to camp. Black mist had gathered overhead at some unknown point, like poisonous smoke pouring from a chimney and settling downward.
Orion arrived at the Woodland Cabin, walked up, and knocked on the door. Zuo Shenghang answered. Dreamcatchers filled this cabin too, but this time a cauldron stood in the middle, filled with bubbling green slime.
The witch smashed her crystal ball into pieces, then slowly added them to the cauldron and stirred, as though brewing a Magic Potion.
Seeing him come in, she glanced up. "You almost missed it. Where's what I asked for?"
Orion tossed her the gold coins. "I almost died on the battlefield. How have you been these past few days?"
"Bad."
Orion fiddled with a nearby Dreamcatcher and asked curiously, "Why do you always hang so many of these things?"
"Keep your hands off my things. They're there to keep our pursuers from finding us. Knock one down and I'll fork you into the cauldron."
"Witches aren't exactly popular in this era," Juelu said flatly. "People everywhere want me dead. If I left this house, would you believe a whole bunch of random strangers would pop up and try to kill me?"
Orion shrugged. "I would."
Zuo Shenghang straightened the Dreamcatcher Orion had just messed up.