The sun gently warmed Felicia's face and she frowned a bit, not wanting to open her eyes. Why did she feel so...sad? Worried? Wait, was yesterday all a dream? Please let it have been a dream. Please!
But even in that groggy state she realized it hadn't been. She forced herself to open her eyes; everyone else was still asleep in a heap of three blankets. She felt Alex's arms around her still, and she turned over to look at him. He was fast asleep and he looked so peaceful, Felicia didn't dare move an inch more for fear of waking him. She just wanted to admire him for as long as she could. A moment stolen before the world woke up. She smiled and lightly touched his cheek; such a worrier. Such a bigger brother to everyone. Always taking on the responsibility. Even when they were young, he had been the one to shoulder this group's entire burden. She slowly inched closer so that he wouldn't feel her moving and wake up, and kissed him on the cheek. She held her lips on his face for a while, just trying to somehow convey everything she felt for him.
After a few minutes she slowly ended the kiss and got up. Alex sleepily moved a bit and murmured something but didn't wake up. Felicia looked around the room. The three others looked like they hadn't moved an inch since last night. Everyone of them peaceful. She smiled again. "Good." she thought.
She shifted her gaze out of the window and gasped. Outside was the most beautiful dawn she'd ever seen in her life. The sun was rising out from the hills. It cast a dazzling red, almost pink glare but it didn't hurt the eyes to look at it. The clouds around the sun were properly pink and they glowed cheerfully. The rays were spreading over everything, gently nudging them awake. Birds chirped away in quiet tones and life was restarting again.
Felicia felt a rejuvenation of hope. This land...this world...was beautiful. If she'd been transported here just to see this dawn, it'd been worth it.
She concentrated on the songbirds; there were a few birds's songs she knew, but some were completely alien to her. Were these some new species native to Decimandria or had she simply not heard them back home? Val would be able to tell her if these birds were on Earth or not. Val? Where was he? How worried must have he been to see all the five gone without a trace? What would he have done? How had he explained to the parents about this? Her face fell a bit when she thought about him; she missed him deeply. But then she looked up at the horizon again; no, Val was a smart kid. Mature for his own age when the needs arise and not emotional. She was sure he'd dealt with the situation properly.
Felicia opened the window and let the gentle breeze wash over her face; this was life. This was so perfect. The air felt so pure it was almost like she could drink it. She took in deep breaths and enjoyed the sensation of just...breathing.
Suddenly, she felt a arm slide off the small of her back and a head came to rest on her shoulders; Evelyn. She kissed her sleepy sister on the head.
"This is...beautiful!" Eve said, groggily.
"Yes. Yes, it is."
Liana woke up. She looked sleepily around and saw Felicia and Eve admiring something out of the window. Instinctively she got up, and walked over to Felicia's other side. Looking at the sun, now having risen quite a bit more, she gave a deep satisfied laugh and just hugged Felicia with one arm.
Felicia looked around her and smiled at the two heads staring out of the window. "Come on." she said. "Let's wake the boys up. We don't wanna give Mr. and Mrs. Fegg any more bother." Reluctantly, the two agreed and the boys were woken up a lot more gently than if the boys had been the ones waking the girls up.
* * *
Soon, the five of them stood all freshened up in the room. Alex took in a deep breath of the fresh air from the window and said, "Ok, let's go see what's going on. I...have no idea what we're gonna do today. But we're gonna deal with whatever comes up together."
The rest of them nodded, and Alex led the way out of the room. He looked to the right and saw Herm sitting on the table talking in a low voice with his wife. He looked at the group and gleamed. "Good mornin'! Come on, come on. Lis were just preparing breakfast."
The five walked in and greeted the couple cordially. "I hope we didn't wake you folk up. We were being extra quiet this morning." said Lis Fegg, a bit apologetically. After politely and a bit intensely reassuring her that that was not the case, the seven people sat about adjusting on the wooden table of four. The men immediately gave their places to the women and insisted they could eat on the porch. Their breakfast was a big glass of warm goat's milk and tart.
"Mrs. Fegg, this is best damn breakfast I've ever had! I mean it." Robin called from outside. "And this scenery...well, that's half the reason."
After a good meal, Herm Fegg ushered Alex and his group into the hall and Lis followed. "Mr. Fegg, I really, really cannot thank you enough for all you've done. Seriously, withou-" Herm waved a handed. "No, no. I'm just doing what's right. Helping someone in need is just common sense."
"You'd be surprised how many don't have that then."
Herm grinned. "Don't worry, son. As long as some still posses it, this world's not too bad a place to live in." Alex nodded, laughing. He was starting to like the blacksmith more and more. "Now listen," Herm said. "Lis and I were going to Lemara today to grab some necessities. If you guys are interested, you're fee to come along. I realize, you folk haven't seen much of Decimandria except the hills and these four walls."
"Wait, so you're willing to leave four complete strangers alone in your house? What if we rob the place?" asked Robin.
The couple laughed. "We don't have much to steal in the first place." said Herm. "And if this was all just a big robbery attempt, then you deserve whatever you take from us."
"No...I was just asking." said Robin a bit guiltily. "I was just saying it's...amazing...you trust us all this much."
Lis put a hand on his shoulder. "I know what you meant, sweetheart." Robin grinned.
"Anyway, back to the question: Do you guys wanna come along, or would you rather just stay? Or would the girls wanna stay while me and the boys go?" asked Herm.
"No, no, we'll come along too!" said Eve. "Is that okay?" she asked Alex. He nodded. "We'll all go if you guys will take us." he said to Herm.
"Oh, it's no trouble" said Herm, absently. "However, you guys might wanna change into different clothes. Wouldn't want to draw too much attention to yourselves. Especially the girls."
"That's okay. I've got some old clothes from my younger days that would fit you three fine. Alex, I'll lend you some of Herm's clothes. Robin...I..."
"Give him the clothes from the room." said Herm, coldly. Lis raised her eyebrows slightly, and Herm nodded. "It's about time." Alex detected a sense of anger from the blacksmith and decided against protesting anything.
* * *
In an hour, the Alex, Felicia, Robin, Eve, and Liana were walking out of the cabin doors. The five of them had put on clothes appropriate to this time. The girls had gowns on, and even though they looked a bit worn, they were still very neat and very clean. Alex had a pair of tan goat hide pants and white cotton shirt that was a bit too big for him. He fixed this by tucking the shirt in his pant's waist. Robin meanwhile had the most pristine clothes. A blue shirt and some black pants, he looked rather normal. Alex wondered once again why the clothes that came from the room were so pristine, but he didn't say anything. The couple had also insisted on them changing their footwear, and the five had obliged. The result was that the group didn't look out of place anymore; at least in a passing glance.
Herm and Lis already stood outside gleaming at them. "Hahahaha, you people look like you were born here." Herm said laughing. He had brought out the horse cart that was supposed to be their means of transport today. It was a fairly long wooden cart. The driver's bench was raised a bit more than normal. At the rear, there were two benches facing each other; presumably, the cargo would go in the footwell. It had no roof so the entire thing looked rather bereft. Two horses had been attached to the cart's front. Robin, who knew a thing or two about horses, made a beeline straight for them.
The horses weren't anything special he realized; just work horses. Although, in excellent health. The mare had a light gray coat on her while the male was a combination of light brown and white. He slowly reached out and gently patted the horse. It neighed a little, and Robin calmed it with a low "Shhh".
"You've got a way with horses." said Herm a bit admiringly. "He doesn't usually take to strangers."
"Ah, our ol' Rob has always had a way with animals." said Alex coming up, laughing.
Robin grinned. "What're their names?" he asked.
"This one's Duke." said Herm touching the horse Robin was petting. "And that's Duchess" he said pointing at the light gray horse."
"Very...creative." said Robin, half sarcastically.
"Oh, we're simple country folk, sir, we don't name our horses grandly" said Herm, smiling. "Come on, let's go." he said to the group.
Alex got a footing on the axle of the wheel and heaved himself into the driver's bench at the front with Herm, while Robin, Felicia, Eve, Liana, and Lis climbed in the back. "How long is it to Lemara?" asked Alex.
"Not much. We should be there sometime after midday." replied Herm. "Giddy up!" he said, gently whipping the reins. The horses responded directly, and started a slow trot down the path leading away from the cabin.
It was a long ride. There wasn't much to see except the green hills, and when they ended, they gave way to more greenery. Robin's eyes kept drooping but the bouncing of the cart on the rough roads combined with no suspension and a wooden bench made it impossible for him to sleep. However, as the blacksmith had said, a bit later than twelve, the town of Lemara came into view as the cart reached the summit of a small incline.
Every one of the five was curious about this. This was something totally alien to them. Something they'd only seen in movies about or read about. To see it physically was something surreal to them. As they approached the town, more and more details became apparent.
Lemara was a medium sized settlement. All it's buildings were primarily constructed out of wood. There was a small main road that cut straight through the the entire village with several smaller branches leading to different places. The place was buzzing with activity. Vendors shouted for their wares. There was a butcher, a fisherman, someone selling clay tableware, and then a woman selling a valuables in the form of jade or pearls and silver. People walked along; some busy, some laughing. A few washer women were drying out clothes by the side of the road.
The Feggs looked on in light amusement at the five so impressed by such a small town. A few guards sat on the tavern's outside table, their weapons resting by the side of their chairs. A few of them nodded at Herm when they saw him pass and he responded with a slight bow too.
Herm pulled the cart into the space by the tavern and got off. "No point in taking this thing around. We'd just get it stuck. We can walk from here, right?"
"Oh, yeah, yeah, no problem." said Alex.
Lis and five unloaded from the cart, and then proceeded to walk along the main road. The air was so fresh there, that somehow, Liana found herself more at home here than she'd ever felt walking down a street on Earth.
"I need to get ore and some other materials. Lis is heading off to buy some necessities. You guys can either roam about or accompany one of us." said Herm.
"I think we'll just explore the town a bit, if that's ok." answered Alex.
"No problem. Just holler for the guards if some trouble comes up, but I doubt you'll need to. This town is very civilized. Meet us back at the cart in an hour or so."
The couple walked away, and the five were left standing on the main road. "Let's not be so conspicuous." said Alex to the group. "Move along now."
"This place is...amazing!" said Felicia. "It feels so...homely. So old fashioned. Innocent? Unpretentious."
"I think you forgot a few more adjectives." said Robin laughing. "But I do agree. It just feels so...village-y."
There was so much life around them, they had to keep spinning their heads to keep processing what was going on. A few dogs roamed about chasing geese, and there were children playing with some sticks. There was a beat up looking stall which had a big line of people but everyone in it seemed too poor to afford anything. The five of them walked along the inner branches of the road. There saw a few houses with women in them cooking lunch or washing dishes. The people of the town themselves didn't seem to think there was anything odd with the group, or if they did, nobody said anything.
As the five walked along, amused and engrossed in the activities of the town, a man suddenly stepped in front of them. He was carrying a wooden case that acted like a table on his chest which was kept in place by a strap around his neck. "Pretty lady, a necklace for you? It keeps you looking pretty and keeps off the evil spirits." he said, half dancing in front of Eve. "Or for you two, missuses?" he asked the other two girls. "Or you, kind sir, do you want a locket that can give you the strength of ten men when you need it most?" he asked Alex.
"Ah, no...we-" began Alex, but Robin interrupted him. "Does it really?" he asked the salesman.
"Yessir, it does. Gives you the power of ten men. Wear this and nobody would even dare fight you just by looking at this locket." the man answered holding out what appeared to be a strange symbol created by tying some animal claws together and and a thick string to hang it around one's neck.
"No." said Alex firmly, glaring at Robin. "I'm sorry, but we're in no need of such thing."
"Just ten copper, good sir."
Alex signaled the group and they started moving away. "Seven copper, sir. Bargain of the day! Six!" To Alex's dismay it looked like the man would follow them, but then suddenly there was a loud thud and a big commotion. A crowd gathered around, and some screaming could be heard from behind them.
It got the salesman's attention, and he rushed to go see what the issue was. Even the five got curious as a few people could be heard laughing loudly while the screaming continued from ahead of the gathered crowd.
The five reached the crowd and after a bit of tussle. pushed through to the front. What Eve saw froze her in shock. A small eleven year old boy was lying on the ground while a man was stepping on his face and rubbing his shoe on his cheek while the boy cried with pain. And for some reason there were oranges all over the ground. Alex looked around; there were three other men, all armed. One of them had a crossbow. All of them were laughing as their boss abused the street kid.
The kid screamed even more with pain, and the man stepping on him, his skin badly blemished and sunburnt, howled with glee again. Alex felt a strong desire to punch the man into oblivion, but he was armed with a sword and so were his accomplices. He hesitated thinking about what would happen to Felicia, Robin, Eve and Liana.
The people around him stood in disgusted murmurs, but none dare to stop the group. "And all for the crime of selling oranges?" one woman whispered to a man. The man nodded. "Fucking bounty hunters..." he said.
Alex couldn't take it anymore. The kid was wailing, and there was no way he was just gonna stand there and let the kid have his face kicked in. He was about to dash forward from the crowd, when a very familiar figure beat him to it. It walked over to the man, and before he even realized anything, he was grabbed from his back collar and pushed aside.
Herm Fegg stood there fuming. "You fuckers are so tough beating up a helpless child, huh?" he asked. The leader of the group, his shock now gone, grinned. "We're also good at carving up old men." he sneered.
There was the sound of a sword being unsheathed, and Herm stood there, facing the bounty hunter. The bounty hunter grinned, slowly unsheated his sword, and put up a hand to signal his group to stand down. Herm and him just stared at each other for a second. Suddenly, the bounty hunter lunged at Herm. But he was expecting it. There was a loud sound of metal clanging on metal, and Herm reflected the attack. The bounty hunter attacked again, but again he was deflected, but this time, before he could gain his footing again, Herm brought down the hilt of his two handed sword straight at his face.
The bounty hunter screamed in pain, and grabbed his nose. Alex could see blood dribbling out from in between his fingers and realized Herm had very badly broken the man's nose.
"Fuggen ge 'im!" he screamed at the two swordsmen. They obeyed, and bound forward their swords raised. Herm, deflected the nearer man's sword, and before the second one realized he was there, he kicked him straight in the knee. The joint broke with a sick cracking sound, and the man howled with pain, dropping on the floor. The first assailant turned around, and tried to stab Herm this time, but he sidestepped, punched him in the stomach knocking the air out of him, and bought down the the sword hilt on the small of his head as he doubled over, laying him out instantly.
The boss, seeing his opportunity rushed Herm with a small knife in one hand, and the other still holding his bleeding nose. Herm did a swift slashing motion with his sword, and the bounty hunter lay on the floor, his shirt torn and his chest bleeding. He got on all fours to get up, but Herm walked over and brought down his knee straight at his temple. As the man fell on his back, completely dazed, Herm lowered his sword point to his throat.
Something made Alex look up, and he saw the man with the crossbow, aiming his weapon at Herm. Now that the blacksmith had stopped moving around so much, this was his opportunity. "No, you fucking don't!" screamed Alex and lunged at the crossbowman. It was as if in slow motion. He saw the man's hand start squeezing the trigger just as he reached him. He stretched out his hand and knocked the weapon off balance just as the projectile left the crossbow. The bolt missed Herm's head by about a foott and buried itself on the nearby log cabin's wall.
Whether it was his karate and boxing instinct or whether it was rage at how they had been treating the boy or what they had tried to do to Herm; whether it was adrenaline, or whether it was the fact that Alex saw the man reaching for his knife, he didn't know. He didn't care. His mind kicked into fight mode, and Alex slammed his left fist into the crossbowman's liver. The man doubled over, and Alex bought down his right hand square across his chin, knocking him out before he even hit the ground.
Alex turned around to see Herm staring curiously at such a smooth knockout. Then he turned around and saw the the bolt buried four inches deep in hard wood. "Thanks, son." he said, half grinning. He turned back around to face the man at his feet.
"Not so tough, are you?" asked Herm in a low voice. "Anyone can beat up a helpless child, but it takes a man to fight a man."
"Alright, alright! What the hell is going on here!" asked a loud voice from behind. The gathered crowd moved apart to give way to a group of guards. They wore white armor with what appeared to be a golden lion etched into the chests.
The company of guards, led by a bald man walked up to Herm. The commander was a young man, maybe a few years older than Alex.
"Herm?" asked the bald man, with mild curiosity, looking at the four unconscious, deeply injured men and the small boy with the dirty face. "What happened?"
"Lieutenant!" greeted Herm sheathing his sword. He shook hands with the young man warmly, as if greeting an old friend. "Didn't realize the Captain would let you leave the garrison this easily." he said.
"Ah, he wanted me to take a patrol through town." said the Lieutenant, matter-of-factly. "Apparently for good reason. What did these sorry sacks of shit do?"
"Bounty hunters. You know how they are. They knocked this young boy's orange crate from his hands, then proceeded to beat him for no reason. So, I stepped in, and this is the result."
The young boy got up. His clothes were more rag than actual cloth, and his face was now covered with dried mud and tears. He wiped his face, and ran over to Herm. "Thank you, sir. Thank you, thank you."
Herm placed a hand on the boy's head. "Saving someone in trouble is just common sense, kid." he grinned.
"Sorry we couldn't be there to stop this, boy." the Lieutenant added. "However, there's not gonna be any argument here." He walked over to the bounty hunter leader who'd been dragged to his feet by the guards, reached for his waist belt and unbuckled the coin purse. The man, bleeding from his broke nose, and slashed across his chest, still felt the money leaving him and tried to resist, but the strong guards barely let him flinch. The lieutenant walked back to the boy, and tossed him the purse. "Here," he said. "This'll cover your troubles." After that, Herm and the Lieutenant helped the boy pick up whatever oranges were left unsquashed, put them in his wooden crate, and sent him back home, almost bursting to tell his parents about this tale.
"You should be more careful. Master Fegg. Wouldn't want one of these fuckers to stick a knife in you one of these days." said a guard as he stood by his lieutenant.
The bald superior laughed. "It'd take an entire battalion of these sorry shits to do in Cap- I mean, Master Fegg." he said, laughing.
"You're too kind, lieutenant." said Fegg. "But I do agree." he added with a wink. The soldiers burst out laughing and Herm joined in heartily.
Soon, the crowd started dispersing as the sun started to set. The Lieutenant took his leave of the blacksmith and he too walked away with his detail. As everyone went their way, Herm walked over to his waiting wife and the five people he'd taken in.
"You saved my life, son." he said to Alex. "I am forever indebted to you."
Alex grinned. "Saving someone in trouble is just common sense, Master Fegg."