“You should head back into the carriage.” Hadrian suggest. It was night time. Usually they’d stop to camp, but that wasn’t much of an option right now. 

 

“Why? I can see fine, and I’m not sleepy.” Faye stifled a yawn. She rose in the seat to the front of the carriage to get some fresh air. It was cold air, too. She was already drowsing off because she was wrapped up snugly in a thick fur coat stolen from her mother. It was so big on her that it acted as a blanket. There was something different about being warmly wrapped in a blanket with the air was cold. It made you want to nap all day.

 

“This area is different.” He replied. “Ghosts make this road their haunt.” 

 

Her heart stopped. “Ghosts?”

 

A nod. “This road was used to move slaves from this lands local populace a century back. They were expelled once settlers arrived and took over their land. Thousands of them died along the way due to disease, famine or starvation. Sometimes they cause mischief.”

 

Ghosts! 

 

“Don’t play with me, Blackwater! T-There’s no such thing as ghosts!” Faye shivered, and it had nothing at all to do with the cold

 

He shrugged. “Ghosts, spirits, undead. The name doesn’t matter.” A pause. “No, undead would be different. But we probably won’t run into any. Thats why we didn’t light fires tonight.”

 

“You’re serious.” He means it. He isn’t lying! Faye swallowed. 

 

“I won’t lie about potential danger.” The man spoke drily. 

 

Faye wasn’t even listening. “Everyone stop!” She cried, a piercing wail. The entire group ground to a halt. 

 

A commotion broke out. “What’s wrong?!” Some shouted. Swords had already been drawn. 

 

“Enemies?!” 

 

Hadrian cursed. “Calm down!” He ordered, then whipped his head around and caught sight of a trail of black hair.  “Where are you going?” He demanded.

 

“Salt!” She shouted back. 

 

His brow furrowed. “What?”

 

Weird girl. He shook his head and readdressed his company. “Alright, alright, enough!” He yelled. “Settle down already, there’s nothing!”

 

He’d have criticized them for being too  jumpy on other occasions, but considering this was part of the Trail of Woe he held his tongue. It lived up to it’s name many times in the past. Being careful was a requirement here. You could never be too jumpy on this road. Sadly this was the only road that would take them to their next destination from where they were last.

 

“Fallon, get us moving!” He shouted down the line to where one of his subordinates were leading the foremost caravan.

 

But before he could receive an acknowledgment from the woman he heard another shout. “GHASTS!” Hadrian turned his eyes to the trees, thinking, Seriously?

 

“Fuck.” He muttered, acting quickly. “Water your blades! Archers, cover fire!” Their caravans always held a few bowmen atop their roofs for exactly this kind of situation.  

 

Sounds of battle instantly broke out. Having given the orders he drew his sword and took a leather flash from inside his coat. He applied a few drops to his weapon and spread it across the fuller with a finger. 

 

He and his men often faced creatures like Ghasts and so their entire water supply would be blessed by a priest before any journey. They each kept some on their body for blessing their weapons. Ghasts were silent, deadly spirits that often came upon you before you even knew they were close. He lost more than a few good men to their quiet ambushes.

 

He found it quite a nice coincidence the girl’s fear had alarmed his company enough to where they’d spotted the blighted bastards before they could do any damage. 

 

But he had other concerns right now. Such as protecting his wallet. As such, he left the battle to his company while he ran off after his employer.

 

When he finally caught up to her she was at the back of one of the caravans rifling through bags of spices.

 

“What are you doing?” He frowned. “Nevermind, just stay down. There’s Ghasts about.”

 

“Ghosts?!”

 

“Ghasts. Worse.” 

 

Faye's teeth were chattering nonstop. “Then what are you doing, man? Help me!” 

 

“What nonsense are you on about? Help with what?” 

 

“Salt, dammit! Where’s the ever-loving salt?!” She was hysterical. “Ah-ha!” She cried in jubilation as she found a jar full of the stuff. “Jackpot!” The girl started stuffing her pockets.

 

Hadrian had no time for her. “Shut up.” His tone broke no argument. He held out an arm. “Jump down and stay close.”

 

He felt a cold wind at his neck. 

 

Faye shrieked like a girl. Which she was. “Ghost!” 

 

Hadrian was already whirling around. His sword was a flash of silvery light as he struck the lonesome spirit from hip to chin. There was no physical contact, but that was expected. The screech was all he needed to know he’d hurt it. 

 

The Ghast was, as expected of it’s name, a ghastly creature. Human, but with sunken eyes and black veins running along pale dead flesh. It had no feet, it’s legs nonexistent and simply ending in smoke-like tendrils as it hovered over the ground. 

 

Hadrian had fought these things many times before and knew it’d take more than a single cut to--

 

“Pocket salt!” Faye screamed. It was like pocket sand, but salt! 

 

Hadrian stood there in stunned silence as the white grains landed on the Ghast’s face and started burning. Within seconds it had made it cower on the floor in pain.

 

Faye spat on her knuckles and rubbed salt onto her fists, making it stick. Then she got to work. Shouting in complete and utter madness, she dove towards the Ghast and began beating the ever-loving hell out it.

 

“DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!!!!!” The Ghast gave a pitiful and inhuman cry like it were being bullied.

 

Hadrian had never seen anything like it.

 

Just as he was about to intervene he saw her take out a ladle—where had she gotten it, anyway?—and sunk it into the Ghast, causing it to explode in particles of light.

 

He was speechless. Finally, he asked, “How the hell did you do that?”

 

Faye ignored him. She was breathing hard, her tiny chest heaving up and down. Sheer fear had kicked in her fight or flight response and drove her towards insanity. But in that moment, she remembered Sam and Dean.

 

Now, after the battle, fear-induced bravery left her, causing her to quake in her boots. She acted fast, hurtling herself towards the big, strong, meatshiel—ahem. The big, strong, Hadrian. She spread the salt in a sizable circle around him, then grabbed hold of the warrior like he were her only lifeline. And then she climbed.

 

The man was caught off-guard as she launched herself to his waist and crawled like a monkey up and around his body, firmly attaching herself to his back.

 

“We’re staying here.” She said. “They can’t pass the circle. We’re safe.”

 

“I have to go help my men.” Hadrian shook his head. “Show me how you did that.”

 

“What?! No, we’re staying!”

 

“You can stay. I’ll go.”

 

“Absolutely not!” She hissed. 

 

“What if they get overrun while we hide? We’d be surrounded till daybreak.”

 

“It was their fate to die.” Faye replied stubbornly, clinging to him even tighter. “Besides, they can’t pass through the circle! We’re safe.” Probably. Maybe. She hoped.

 

“And your friend...Ruri?”

 

“Every loli for herself.”

 

He didn't know the word, but he could guess her meaning. Hadrian couldn’t believe the girl was so merciless even towards her friend. Well, people were like that, he supposed. But he had a duty to his company. So he extracted himself from her grip and placed her down on the circle’s center.

 

“Do you have any more salt?” He’s seen all her actions. It didn’t take him long to figure out how things worked.

 

“Can’t have.” She shivered. It was her’s! “Take this.” She handed him the ladle.

 

Hadrian stared at it and sighed. “I know I saw what you did, but do you mind explaining why it worked?”
 
 “Iron hurts ghosts.”

 

“Iron, huh...” Hadrian took the thing reluctantly.

 

That night, tales of him hacking apart Ghasts with nothing but an iron ladle will probably become a story told in his company for years to come.

 

He was starting to regret taking on this girl’s contract.