Come evening that day, the three had long since begun their carriage ride back to Alder, having hired a small two horse carriage only big enough for them to sit huddled together while the coachman sat up front with the reins. He guided them down the compacted dirt road for a few hours until the familiar birch and oak trees that formed the outer rungs of the Aldergreen thickened. They were drawing near, an no longer than thirty minutes of drowsy waiting, did they see the first stone and wooden cottage of the village. The many houses billowing smoke from their chimneys letting out a faint herbaceous scent of the inhabitants preparing their morning meals.
"Aight, at'l be fifty buckles ladies," the coachman brought the horses to a halt and turned back to leacherously eye Liora and Caina. The man was hideous, at least from Noah's viewpoint, he dressed in dirt like it was a fashion trend and he harboured a face that could make even the gods revolt in disgust.
"Here you go," Liora quickly plucked from her satchel a pair of small half sized buckles and dropped them into the mans hand without letting her own touch him. Even she felt a repulsion to the slack jawed and dishevelled man, and she took Noah in when he was covered in grime like he'd decided to become a pig for a week.
The man took the buckles and parted his mouth about to ask something the girls and Noah didn't want to hear. He still uttered them, though by the time they were spoken the three had long since removed themselves from his carriage and carried off their baskets deeper into the village. Leaving the man staring sadly and desiringly at both girls rumps before gagging at the sight of Noah's.
'Fuck you too,' Noah commented just faintly hearing said gag.
As they walked their heads wandered around the village and something unusual became clear to them. The streets were empty, completely devoid of life, but the noise of people scrambling to their windows to slightly push open their shutters and gaze out at the three let them know people were still around.
"Everyone seems… scared." Liora commented.
"Did something happen while we were gone?" Caina furthered, just as concerned for the unusual actions of the people.
"Looks that way," Noah added his part and was quickly followed up by the noise of a crack coming from the banshee's bellow as a man was thrown out of its tavernous confines. The brutish keep marching out with face red and veins bulging screeched at the man.
"Don't you dare come back here you hear me? Else I will make you're life a damn pain!" As the keep bellowed his head tilted to the three passerbys, "oi Caina! I'd advise you three get out of the village and quick. Damn monsters taken Mora and Gracia!"
Caina jostled to a pause, "what? How did that happen?" she questioned urgently.
"Ain't the faintest. They hadn't been seen for a few days, so Gaul went to check on them and found the house in shambles."
"Are you sure it's a monster? they don��t come near the village, not normally."
"Damn sure I am, Jilly saw the monster dragging Gracia off into the forest just last night." the keep clutched at his hip, gripping tight at a curved blade hanging there as his eyes scanned the village for anything out of the ordinary before returning to the leather clad man still hobbled drunkily on the floor, barely capable of lifting himself up. The man was beneath him.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" asked Liora.
The keep's head shook, "fraid not, got a dozen mercs all prepping to sift the forest. And unless you've got yourself a good blade hand, we don't need to risk a lady like you. But you on the other hand," the keep arched his gaze onto Noah with a solid analytical stare. Noah in turn trembled, feeling a fear much like Haggar gave him though less on the terms of wanting to 'do' him and instead for his usage as cannon fodder. "We could do with some more decent eyes if your up to it. You'll be paid in full for your time if that'll get you up to the task."
"Uhhh," Noah hadn't the idea of how to respond to the sudden proclamation.
"Of course he'd be happy to help," Liora reached for his back and pressed him forth with a gentle push. Not giving Noah the decency to answer himself.
The keep's lips curled back to reveal a set of neat pale yellow teeth. He stepped one foot forth and gripped Noah's shoulder and quickly dragged him into the tavern leaving his basket and the girls behind.
Caina blinked at the panicked Noah then turned to Liora who was casting him a short, almost amused wave. "Do you think he knows how to hold a sword?" she asked.
"Oh good gods above no. I'm hoping he'll get some help in that department."
"Then why did you send him to help them out? Wouldn't he just be risking his life if an actual monster appeared."
"Yes, he would. But he'll be fine, I just have that feeling."
***
Tugged into the tavern, Noah's senses were assaulted with a dark and serious aura as well as the faint everpresent scent of meat raising from the half-eaten shanks the many adventurers who huddled around the tables were devouring with fervor.
All eyes turned to the keep and Noah who was quickly dragged to the front of the hall where a plate of food was slammed down before him. "Eat up quickly, we're planning to start in but a few minutes. Listen as you eat." The keep's voice was low as he said this. He stepped away and turned to face the dozen or so men with a sharpened eye.
"Alright! As you all heard, Mora and Gracia, two beautiful lasses of the village have been taken by a monster. I haven't a clue what it is, but whatever it is, is sneaky, we hadn't a clue they were gone for days and they were taken without much noise, so when you all run out into the forest you best be keep on guard for whatever it is could lunge out of nothing."
"What do we get in return?" one of the mercenaries, a thinly built man clad in a light set of dark armour and a mask covering his lower face asked.
"Hundred buckles for finding the lair, five hundred to bringing them back safe and sound." the keep was quick to answer.
The room went silent bar the confused munching of Noah until another mercenary a man dressed in a thick brown cuirass spoke up, "what if don't find them alive?"
"Then you better be bringing me that monster bastards head."
"Any clue to where we should be looking," a short, almost dwarflike man spoe with a rumble so brutal the floor vibrated.
"None. All we know is the monster ran into the western parts of the forest, apart from that I haven't the faintest where it could have nestled."
A harsh and irritated grumble echoed from the side, "you're joking right? that's what, like, five hundred kilos of unmapped land? It could be anywhere. What's to say it ain't already taken the girls to its lair and is brutally converting them." the man who spoke was a dark eyed and well-built man with short black hair and a scar over his right eye.
The keep gripped his fingers tight around the counter and growled, "I don't. But I can hope. And what does it matter? Either way you're all being paid a good seventy five for each day you're out. Now no more questions. We're wasting daylight." he cast a look to Noah who was half way through his meal then to Caina and Liora who'd taken perch off against the wall besides the doorway. "Form up teams! I don't want a single one of you going about it alone."
"Eat up quick now and get yourself a partner, it dangerous to go it alone out there." The keep dug a hand beneath the counter, gripped taught leather and placed an arm length, leather sheathed blade besides Noah, "I saw you hadn't a weapon, you can use this."
Noah stared down at its brown leather shell with a blankened look. He'd never touched a sword that wasn't made of foam and yet now he was presented one of metal. If that wasn't a wake up call he wasn't sure what was.
As he stuffed a mouth full of meat into his mouth and chewed, he wiped his hands dry over his shirt like he'd seen done at the tavern in Redle and reached for the blade. He felt its weight that made his arm shake, it was even heavier than he had imagined, but not so much that it was unwieldy.
"You got a partner yet, bud?"
As Noah was pulling the sword from the sheath to see its shimmering and polished metal, a low voice echoed besides him, drawing him to see a golden haired and well featured man with sharpened eyes looking down at him. He wore a set of hybrid armour with leather making up the majority but metal taking the places of his essentials and in places where it wouldn't affect his movement. From his waist hung a thin scabbard with a red wrapping. The handle that protruded from it wrapped in a bumpy black leather that would fix any issues with sliding and finally pommeled with a golden pummel. The man held a friendly smile to his chiseled and handsome features.
"No, not yet at least." Noah responded with narrowed eyes.
"Great, neither do I. Name's Jaafa, knight extraordinaire." he held his hand glove clad hand out. Noah took it and with trepidation and shook, doubting that the boy man was much of a knight, even less of an extraordinaire.
"Noah."
Jaafa took a seat, "you look out of your depth, you know how to wield that?" Jaafa nodded to Noah's sword.
"Not a bit," Noah laid the blade down and sighed, "never held a sword in my life."
"I know how that is, gods do I know," Jaffa chuckled and tipped back a waterskin into his mouth, dowsing his thirst. "Listen, I'll toss you a few tips if you help me find the ladies alright?" he spoke in a whisper.
Noah arched a brow, wasn't that the whole point of this excursion? To find the girls? But this boy, Jaafa seemed to have an alternative motive.
"Any reason you're whispering?"
Jaafa nodded quickly and leaned closer, "listen, those ladies, I was in the process of courting them and bringing them to my regal estate where I have everything they could ever want in life. This monster has stolen them from me and my wives and I want to get them back to bring them to the place they belong."
In but one fell stroke, Noah's vision went blank as he realized exactly what type of man this Jaafa was. 'why do I have to be stuck with the pervert?'