Being as tired as it was, the dog's red eyes had lost their malice. They seemed lazy and sleepy instead. When it opened its large whale-like jaws to yawn, the expression it made was almost endearing. Pash might have even found it cute, had the animal been a thousand times smaller.
"That's the best sleep I've had in a long time," Ermos said, stretching over to the side to stretch out his back and shoulders.
"What should we do..? What should we do..?" His master thought to himself aloud, tapping his chin. "You, wait here until I call you," he said, pointing at the dog. "And don't you go running off, do you hear? If you do, I'll definitely find you."
The dog tilted his head. It seemed as close to a nod as an animal was likely to make.
"Good. I'll shout for you once we've found a buyer and then you come running as quickly as you can. Until then, you can rest here, if you like, just make sure to keep those ears open," Ermos said, talking to the animal as if he was human. Pash couldn't blame him for that. Dogs were meant to respond to very specific commands, but this one seemed to easily be able to decipher sentences.
The boulder hound took that as his queue to lie down. He wagged his tail twice, before closing his big eyelids and drifting off to sleep, as easily as that.
"Whoever buys him will be lucky," Ermos said quietly, a little smile on his face, "he's plenty big, but he's clever and obedient. There's definitely more to him than just eating kids."
Pash almost agreed with that, until he remembered the sight of the creature covered in blood when they had first met him. He wasn't sure if he really was so kind-hearted, or whether he simply feared Ermos, as any sane creature likely should.
"Well, no matter, into town we go, young Pash! Stay close and let's make our fortune!" Ermos said with enthusiasm. He turned around and began to march through the grass towards Redrun, his strides swift and confident. Pash had to run a little to catch up with him.
The border of Redrun was marked by a wide and shallow slow-flowing river. It ran at the bottom of the hill, quietly passing by slimy green rocks.
A bridge had been built next to it, of old stone bricks and wooden pillars. Pash eyed it suspiciously, remembering the demonic bridge from the previous day, not entirely trusting that it wouldn't suddenly come to life and try to eat them. But, this bridge was a good deal smaller. One could likely cross it in a matter of seconds if he hurried.
Still, Pash was grateful when Ermos ignored the bridge entirely and splashed through the shallows of the river instead. Another man would certainly call it disgusting, especially since he was wetting his socks and sandals, as most weren't fond of that soggy feeling, but Pash's master was not the sort to care about such things.
Pash entered the water after him, attempting to use some of the larger stones to cross without getting wet. That attempt ended rather quickly, as the slippery rocks sent him straight into the water. He was lucky to land on his feet.
Past the river and up the hill, Redrun seemed to spring up out of nowhere. A vast castle, dominating the horizon a distance away.
Redrun was one of the larger castle towns in the Eastern Isles. It had stood for nearly five hundred years and in the time since it was first built, many additions had been made. A relatively low wall of solid stone connected six high towers together, enveloping the castle town's many buildings and permanent shops.
Right in the centre of it all, there rose up the Earl's keep. Square and plain, but more than large. As raw and gruff as the Earl himself was rumoured to be.
Even from how far away they were, they could see the guards that stood watch upon the walls, marching up and down with bows in hands, the surcoats over their armour red like the colours of the city.
Those that could not afford the protection of the castle walls, they set up residence outside, in shacks of wood and loose material. Such shantytowns were dense, especially towards the southern side of the city. Most travellers tended to stay away from them.
There were fields too, right close up to the castle walls, where some of the more well-off farmers could ensure that their prize livestock wouldn't be stolen. Big black bulls chewed grass in fenced-off fields, while chickens ran around on the open path, squawking angrily at anyone that got too close.
More than any of that though, even more than the castle itself, the market was what travellers came for. On the fourth Friday of every month was when the biggest markets were held, and it just so happened that Ermos and Pash arrived just in time.
"Oh, it really is Friday," Ermos was able to confirm as he looked upon the many market stalls that were set up. He relied on Pash to keep track of the days, but since their luck had been so poor with the loss of the ring, Ermos was sure that they couldn't have possibly arrived so conveniently on a Friday. "You're good at keeping track of the days."
"It isn't too difficult," Pash said, not taking any pride in such minor praise.
The nearer to the city they drew, the shorter the grass became, as it had been munched down by hungry goats and cows.
Already – before they had even entered the true fray of the chaotic marketplace – they could hear a crowd roaring in delight as travelling entertainers put on a show for them. A few hundred people had gathered, farmers and beggars alike, all crowding around for a good look.
Even nearby merchants were keeping a strong eye on the show, distracting them from tending to their own businesses.