We reached Hilltop before evening, and I thanked him for the ride as I made a move to dismount. My hunter, however, grabbed my wrist and stopped me from leaving.

Confused, I tried to take my arm back, but his grip simply tightened. I tried harder, panicking slightly when he pulled me closer to him to settle my frantic flailing. I used my other arm to beat against his back, trying to push away from his shoulders, but he was much stronger than me. 

"Ma'am, I don't think it is a good idea for a young woman like yourself to be by yourself in this place," he said, and I calmed my attempts at escape as I looked around and noticed that there were no women carrying out daily tasks, that the windows seemed to watch us with strange interest.

I pulled closer to him as I felt the eyes of every inhabitant in this town staring me down.

We kept riding through Hilltop until we had nearly passed through its entirety, for it was a small village. We stopped only when we were in front of a large building with smoke pouring out the chimney despite it being winter, where he let me go and turned to face where I sat behind him on the horse. Loud sounds of laughter and eating ware shattering rang out from the smoky interior of the foreboding structure.

"Listen, lady, I think it might be a good idea if you told me what you want to do in this neighborhood. Do you have a party of merry people awaiting your arrival inside, or are you here alone?" He seemed somewhat concerned that he was to leave me, half dressed after I discarded my clothes, in such a place.

"I'm here alone, and I am simply looking for supplies to bring back to my...cottage in the forest. But sir," I dared to ask, apprehensive and alert now that there was apparently danger in my quest. "What is there to fear? Certainly this town has a manor house and a lord to keep order amongst his tenants."

He scoffed at the idea, urging his horse forward and out of that town, drowning out my protests with conversation. "Ma'am, this is a mining village. There is no manor house, there is no lord, and there are no women in that little 'town.' In fact," he said, chuckling as the little village faded from sight and my heart sank. "I dare say you would be the first woman they've seen in months, and what is more, you're a half-dressed damsel with..." He paused, considering his choice of words. "...favorable form."

I blushed a little, using my arms to cover my front, sheepish in front of the rider.

"But my question is, if you do not mind my asking," he began, turning his head to look at me, "how do you not know any of this?"

"Well, I..." I stopped, suddenly embarrassed. My lack of planning was incredible in hindsight, and I didn't want to share my stupidity. I sighed and continued. "I have only ever seen Hilltop on a map. I never heard of the nature of it, nor the lack of supervision over those presiding there."

"Hmm..." was all he said, turning his attention to focus on our next course of action. Suddenly, he turned to go backwards, towards the menacing village we just left.

"Excuse me, sir? What are you doing? Didn't you just say that there were men there with no lord? Why are we going towards the danger? Wha- oof!" My words were cut short when our stallion jumped over a trunk that I had not noticed before, pushing me towards the hunter upon landing.

"Riverside is the next closest town, and they have some supplies you might be able to use. In fact, in hindsight," he muttered to himself, thinking I couldn't hear him, "it might have been a better idea to take you there instead. It's much closer to where I found you than this dreadful place."

I hid my face in his tunic with shame and dread as we rode faster than the wind itself towards the community that makes its living off the water.