CHAPTER VIII #9
“Is she the one they warned us about?” Carsen asks, glancing up to the trees as well.
My heart sinks. Someone’s there.
“Can’t get anywhere close to her with that beast on her shoulder,” Carsen spits on the ground as an argent darts overhead. “Or the King and his guard next to her. Ancients. The whole fucking lot of them follows her around like she’s the damn Queen of the Old World.”
Holis takes a step closer to me as Mana reaches for his side, the two of them angling their bodies in a protective stance. I watch as Carsen tilts his head up again, stopping in his walk as his eyes widen.
“Not with her now?” he asks in disbelief, letting his glance fall quickly on the road that leads back to the residence. “Just two?”
He turns around swiftly, eyeing the path that leads back to the village as he shakes his head. “No, I haven’t seen them.”
My full body is tense, feeling Stormfall grip me hard as he also angles his body towards the blonde Discerni.
Carsen grimaces, keeping his gaze on the road in the direction of the village.
“Yes, I can try. Just her and the bird? What of the other two?”
I look at Holis with wide eyes, hoping beyond everything Carsen isn’t speaking of what I think he is.
“Yes, they will have to be distracted. Yes, I know, not to be harmed. That group will not leave Etter if anyone is missing…”
I turn my gaze back around to the hard man, feeling the fire burning deep within me as I reach down slowly for the large dagger in my boot. This would not be happening if Keane was himself. No one would dare to speak like this, nor would they have the gall to.
“I’m heading back to the village now,” Carsen looks up again as the small hum from the argents vibrates under my skin. “I’ll keep an eye out for them.”
We stand silently in the woods until he disappears from view, the three of us eyeing the trees above and not daring to make a sound. Mana slowly, carefully, pulls out his small oak slab, his eyes glancing at us both as he writes on the wood.
I didn’t hear anyone else above, did you?
Holis shakes his head as I narrow my eyes.
That makes no sense. There had to be someone else with him. Who else would the man be speaking to?
We can’t go into the village.
Mana shifts and turns his words at me deliberately.
Of course he’s right. Why would we willingly go into a town knowing that someone is there waiting for me?
But every fiber within my being is telling me to go after him, to confront the blonde Discerni and get some answers.
I look at the road ahead, peering towards both ends as I try to decide what to do. There’s no way I’m going back to the residence. No way I’m going to sit alone in my thoughts and wait for faux Keane and Desmond to come back.
I reach for the oak and write to the brothers, unable to shake the feeling that something is wrong, that we’re not seeing the full truth that lies within this small town.
Something isn’t right about this whole place. Can you write to Alanna? Let’s get her and Cal and the soldiers down here and continue on to the village.
Mana frowns as he looks at his brother, the two of them having a silent conversation as they watch the other. I huff and write quickly into the wood, staring at them with hard eyes as I let them read my words.
He’s just one man to our full group. I’m not leaving Etter until I find out what’s going on.
Mana shakes his head in exasperation as Holis grins, the two of them knowing that I mean what I say. Mana takes the oak wood and pen back from me, scribbling another message into the wood before the writing disappears.
“And now we wait,” Holis nods.
We don’t have to wait long. Our friends’ footsteps come quickly down the road, their eyes alert and searching as we step out from the woods.
“No one will lay a hand on you while we are here, Alexis,” Cal catches my eyes, his face hard and grimacing as he walks towards me.
“I know it,” I give him a determined smile, noticing that all three soldiers have their broadswords fashioned at their hips.
They also have a determined look about them, one that makes me smile in appreciation.
But none of the men look as steadfast in their fire as Alanna does right now.
Her cool grey eyes are colder than I’ve ever seen, as if knowing we would eventually be taking this path.
“Let’s head into town,” I tell the group quietly. “Casually. I aim to speak to the barkeep again.”
Everyone follows my lead, fanning out at the sides in different pairs as we move leisurely down the road.
We pass the small homes and head towards the town square, the dim moonslight flickering behind the wooden shutters with little to no life.
It’s still the early evening, a booming time in any normal Disce city, but this place is dead and quiet, with what little humans walking around still keeping their heads down.
I grimace at the sight of an older human woman carrying a large sack on her back, her footsteps scattered and slow as she’s weighed down by the load, the full of it too heavy for her age.
“Can I help you, grandmother?” I ask kindly.
I place a soft hand on her shoulder and lean down to catch her eyes.
The older woman startles, raising her head from her hunched back as her gaze darts to me and then quickly around us.
I give her a friendly smile, one that truly wants to help her in any way that I can, and offer my hand to the pack on her back.
The old woman shakes her head quickly, looking back down to the road as she continues in her slow steps.
I frown again, watching her walk away as the sound of weighted stones clanks softly from the bag.
“Come, Alexis,” Holis approaches me as a human couple eyes us from behind their storefront. “The pub awaits.”
I sigh and let him lead me away, walking at his side as Cal and Alanna lead our group to the pub.
We all walk in quietly, not knowing what is going to greet us, and I’m surprised, then, when we enter to the sounds of small chatter.
It’s not lively or animated, but the pub is definitely louder and fuller than earlier today, with a good grip of humans all scattered around the different tables.
My eyes catch Stefan’s, watching as he immediately frowns at the sight of our group.
“You’ve come back,” the barkeep says quietly as Cal and I approach the counter. His glance darts behind us to the two tables now being pushed together by Alanna and Mana.
“Don’t much care for the sparkling drink they serve up the road,” I shrug, tilting my head to Cal. “I didn’t introduce my friend before. This is Cal. Cal, this is Stefan.”
My big friend extends his hand as Stefan’s eyes dart again to the room around him. I follow his glance, not spotting any Woodlands Discerni inside.
“Ale again?” he asks quietly, shaking Cal’s hand before he turns around to the barrels.
“Please,” I reply, catching Cal’s glance on me.
I look at my friend, then at Stefan’s back, letting him know that I want to speak to the man on my own. Cal grimaces and brings a large hand up to his auburn beard, tugging it in thought. Stefan turns around with a few tankards of ale, placing them on the counter before he turns to fill the rest.
“There’s more people in here than earlier,” I say in friendly conversation as Cal takes the drinks back to the table.
“Yes,” Stefan nods without turning around, “everyone is back from work.”
“Of course,” I chuckle, reaching into my bag for some coins. “I was actually hoping you could help me in search of someone. Someone who has also spent their life here in Etter, though I haven’t heard from them in some time.”
Stefan turns and looks at me curiously, dropping the rest of the ales on the counter as I push far more cinerin towards him than what is due. His eyes glance down, frowning again, always frowning, but he looks back up at me with a small nod, quickly grabbing the coin.
“She goes by the name of Maude,” I smile, watching as the man’s eyes go round. “Fairly old.”
“No one by the name here, Lady,” Stefan shakes his head.
“Are you sure?” I feign a small sadness. “I hesitate to think the worse. She was a dear friend to my father and I’m certain she still resides here.”
Stefan eyes the counter between us, his brows furrowed as he starts wiping it down.
“Unfortunate,” I sigh after a long moment and reach for the rest of the mugs.
“There was a woman here by that name once,” the barkeeps says quietly, “but she has since passed.”
“That’s troubling news,” I grimace. “But what of her great niece?”
Stefan’s hand on the counter stills completely.
“I wouldn’t know.”
I nod to the lying man but don’t press further, situating the mugs in my hands. I’m about to head to the tables until I recall that same wide look in his eyes when he turned to me from the road yesterday.
“Call me crazy,” I chuckle, “but I swear I feel something in the air here. Is it just me?”
Stefan’s gaze stays lowered to the counter, shaking his head in response.
“I feel nothing, Lady.”
“You do that well...” I say in small sadness. “Lie…”
Stefan’s eyes dart up quickly with a slight fear behind them. I turn back to my friends, giving him a nod in goodbye.
My own gaze lands on the table, smiling at the sight of the two older human men from earlier, Jens and Morrow, already sitting between Cal and Nathaniel.
The two look tipsy, as if they haven’t left the pub since we departed.
Their slightly slurred voices and glazed eyes confirm my suspicions as I laugh at them, introducing myself again to their broad grins and loving the rare sight.
Dice are brought out again shortly after, though I notice that everyone, including myself, sips their ales casually. We’re wary, especially with Carsen still roaming somewhere around the village.