Gawain raised a brow at the witch whom suggested that he offer them shelter. What made her think he would want to do something like that? It was dangerous and foolhardy to harbor magic-users from the knights. He could get himself arrested if someone found out and reported him to the royal family, and he did [i]not[/i] want to be burned at the stake with a bunch of crazy witches. He opened his mouth to explain this to the women, but the white-haired one spoke up first, her words making him pause. She was right in that they had no reason to trust him enough to let him go, so if he didn’t want to be killed, he would have to give them proof.

…But the problem was he [i]would[/i] run to the knights if they let him walk away. Even if he made it back to the farm uninjured, he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night until he knew the witches were captured. He had heard so many stories of men being burned alive by spontaneous flames, or getting mauled by fantastical creatures, or even getting turned into elk during the hunting season. So, of course he would try to find help if he had the chance. He would be lying if he said he didn’t plan to, but unfortunately an honest answer wouldn’t bode well for him in this situation.

[color=fff79a][b]“And if you truly have nothing to do with the ongoing witch hunt and would be willing to give us shelter, how would you like us to return the favor?”[/b][/color] the white-haired witch went on, interrupting Gawain’s musings. He looked up at her curiously. The women must have been more desperate than he first thought if they were so quick to look to a complete stranger for shelter. They were even offering to pay him back for his help. He shifted his weight again, contemplating the proposal. He couldn’t deny that it was tempting, but he didn’t trust the witches any more than they trusted him.

“And how do I know that you’re not lying to me?” Gawain asked, meeting the white-haired witch’s gaze challengingly. “You could just be using me until you feel safe again, and then you’ll just kill me off so there are no witnesses.” He paused, his eyes flicking to the faces of the other women as he tried to think of a way to make himself appear less disposable. “I hope you know that if you kill me, you’ll have the royal family breathing down your necks. I hand deliver their food. They’ll notice if I go missing and send their knights after you. Then you’ll have to deal with both the bounty hunters [i]and[/i] the city guards.” In reality, he doubted that the royal family even knew who he was. They always sent servants out to meet him in front of the palace—but the witches wouldn’t know that. He just hoped his bluff was convincing enough that they would buy it.

“So,” Gawain went on, tilting his chin up slightly with an air of confidence. “It would be in your best interest to let me go now and pretend this meeting never happened.”