When we reached Stonewall I did as usual and dropped the Hero and her party off at the inn. In the evening I cooked for the other carriage drivers and talked with them. I stayed up during the night to catch Ardent casting magic in the inn's backyard and in the morning I woke up early to prepare a towel and breakfast for the Hero as she did her practice. Due to that and coupled with the nightmares I had of those guards dying over and over again, I was a little sleep deprived. If it weren't for the fact Pina was an amazing bird and practically drove herself we may have went off course.
Today however was the first real hurdle. The bandits near Wester. Considering how well things had gone previously I was intent to repeat what happened. There was just one problem with that. I couldn't get the Hero's crestfallen fallen expression out of my mind. Sure it hadn't lasted long and she was back to her usual self after a few days, but… I had to wonder if I could do something about it.
A few hours past midday I parked the carriage a little ways off the road in view of a small waterfall. It wasn't a well-known spot and I only heard of it due to my interactions with yesterday's drivers. It was nice to see that the Hero appreciated the view as did the others, well at least I think Ronalt kind of smiled.
Just as I began to prepare lunch something poked my side. I turned to find a scary looking hammer in my face. Marley huffed beneath it,
"Why did you only make breakfast for Lara this morning?"
"It wasn't much at all, didn't you have breakfast at the inn?" I asked in return.
Her expression turned sour, "Bah, they call that breakfast. It tasted like stale bread and water. Next time you cook make sure you send me whatever you make!"
"What if the next inn you stay in has a better dinner, wouldn't I just ruin your appetite?"
She rubbed her stomach, "You underestimate my power."
I almost choked from laughter as I forced myself to hold it back. Her expression just now was far too serious, "I'll-I'll keep that in mind."
She nodded, "Good." I stared in odd disbelief as she made her way to where the others sat.
Like the previous day I ate lunch with the Hero and her party. They didn't talk about anything serious and mostly just admired the scenery while comparing it to their own homes. The Hero's rendition of home was especially strange as she described buildings that stretched to the sky and bridges that could span hundreds of metres without magic.
"What was your home like Rain?" the Hero asked me innocently.
"It's a nice place," I smiled softly. "It's actually pretty close to the border and south of here. Not much to compare it to, it's a small town and we make do with what we can."
"What's it called? Maybe we can visit it on the way through."
"Axel," I replied tenderly seeing Ronalt's gaze harden. "But I doubt we'll have time for that and it is pretty far south." I was actually inclined to agree with Ronalt's disdainful look. My last thought was to bring all these dangerous people near home. As close as we were to the border, we had nothing to do with the demons. I wanted my safe haven to stay that way.
"That's a shame," the Hero laughed awkwardly and focused her attention back on her food.
After lunch we left straight for Wester. It was a steady and boring ride but as the town came into view my chest tightened in apprehension. The sun was already setting and as soon as I had the carriage stowed away and Pina settled down, I left to do my investigation. Really I knew exactly where the bandits were hiding but if I didn't go through the motions and someone found me I'd only become suspicious. The signal from the forest wouldn't flash until just before midnight and to bide my time I decided to get a drink at the local bar. It was the same one I had gone to during my initial investigation, it hadn't panned out well for me but the drinks were decent and cheap.
I sat alone and ordered some mead. The sweet alcohol was made from honey and as I drank it a smile split my lips. It reminded me of home. I wasn't much of a drinker but that wasn't to say I couldn't hold my own in a bout. Several of my foster parents had been quite keen once I had become of age. The memory of that day was still vivid to me although for many people it had been blanked by the next morning's headache.
"A drink after a hard day's work?" Taylor sat down opposite me without warning causing me to jump. She sniggered, "No need to be so uptight, it's just me."
"I see that," I replied dryly. "Did you need something?"
She frowned, "A women can't get a drink?"
"That's not what I meant-," I began apologetically.
Her frown broke and she laughed, "Oh you're just as fun to tease as the Hero."
"Tch," I clicked my tongue. Really should have seen that one coming.
"I'm just here to peruse the local market," her eyes shined as she stared at the men and women sitting at the other tables. "Then again a fine young man is right here."
"Please stop," I sighed and sipped at my mead.
Taylor and I drank together for the next hour. Occasionally she'd wonder off to another table but it wouldn't be long till she came back. We didn't talk much other than a few short sentences and her occasional seductive winks. The fact her shirt had somehow become more open during the hour was something that she made painstakingly obvious. As the hour passed I stood up. It was about time.
"You heading off?" Taylor stood as well.
I nodded, "I thought I'd go for a walk to cool my head."
"I see… am I too stimulating for you?" she took a step towards me.
I lightly stepped to the side, "Don't flatter yourself too much." As I reached the door I held it open and looked back, "Are you coming or not?"
To my surprise Taylor just stared at me blankly with her eyes a little wider. Was she taken aback? The moment didn't last as she smirked and purposefully exited the bar,
"Why Rain, and here I thought you were avoiding my advances."
"Still no. I just thought you'd like to walk with me."
She smiled but it wasn't like usual, softer and possibly just maybe actually sincere, "I'd like that." Seeing her expression caused a spike of guilt to bury into my chest. Really I just needed her to witness the signal being sent and help me subdue the bandits.
I said nothing and together we began to walk to the edge of the town. It was a cold night and the wind was blowing gently, chilling where it touched my skin. One thing I did have to thank for was the quality of my uniform. The cloth was light and easy to move in yet blocked the cold incredibly well. Taylor on the other hand let out a slight shiver and buttoned her top back up. I smiled knowing that even she had to be practical.
We reached the west entrance and after a few minutes of walking I checked my pocket watch, it was close to midnight. Any minute now the signal from the forest would go off.
"Where exactly are we heading?" Taylor asked as we stood at the edge of town.
I laughed lightly and lied, "Don't know. I just started walking. Though it is nice to see the route we'll be taking in the morning."
"I know another place we could walk to," she winked at me. "A much warmer place as well."
I ignored her and looked to the forest, "Wait, did you see that?"
She followed my gaze as a series of flashes shone through the trees. Her head quickly flicked to scan the edges of Wester and easily found the returning signal. I stood next to her feigning my confusion as her eyes hardened.
"What is it?" I asked innocently.
"It's a coded message," she scowled.
"You understand it?"
"It's a more obscure one used among thieves, but yes," her eyes darted back and forth as she intercepted the message. Finally as it ended she turned to me, "Rain you should head back."
"Hang on a moment," I stopped her before she could leave. "Just what was that? I heard some rumours about bandits, is that it?"
"What rumours?" her attention focused back on me, thankfully she wasn't suspicious.
I explained what I heard from the drivers back in Stonewall and added a little bit of my own spin.
"Ah this makes things harder," she sighed. "What you just said makes way too much sense. From that message just now they'll be attacking tomorrow."
"Then shouldn't we warn the guards?" I said feigning panic.
"First we need more information, and I know just where to get it." I wasn't sure where she pulled it from but a dagger was suddenly in her hands.