I didn't sleep well. Closer to midnight, I decided to go to the kitchen for a glass of water. A figure in a black cloak, glimpsing behind the window, disrupted my plans. I had to follow this person, no matter what they were doing here at this time.
He proceeded deeper into the forest, which began behind the house. Wrapped in the cloak borrowed from the elder, I stealthily followed him. In a spacious clearing in the woods, he was met by a second figure, shorter and stouter. I couldn't see their faces without risking being discovered, but I could hear their conversation.
"You saw them, only two. What are their chances?" The man's voice revealed poorly concealed excitement.
"Don't worry, they're not the only ones. There are others. Someone will kill that creature; just be ready when the time comes," the voice belonged to a young lad. It seemed like he was threatening the other person. "All you need to do is follow my instructions, or do you want to rot in this hole forever?"
Sure, I'll do everything, but don't expose us unnecessarily. If it doesn't work out, they shouldn't find out about our activities.
With that, the men dispersed. I wanted to follow one of them, but I fear my sneaking skills are not as well-developed. If their business is related to the dragon, they will undoubtedly reveal themselves after our return. I need to be more cautious.
In the morning, as promised, the elder led us to the guide.
"She's a bit of an odd girl, but don't pay attention to that. She's our herbalist; she used to be an apprentice to our old healer, who passed away three years ago. Ribi decided to stay in the village until she learns all the recipes from her book. She's a good girl, but it's best not to anger her – she's frightening when she's mad."
"Oh, dear elder, is it okay to send one of them to the lair of the dragon that kidnaps young girls?"
"Don't worry about Ribi; even if the dragon attacks you on the road, she knows every corner of the forest and can always hide," he either reads minds or has a genius intuition.
"Thanks for reassuring us. But will she be able to find hiding spots for me too along the way?"
The herbalist's house stood a little way off from the village, on the edge of the forest. It was a low one-story building, partially covered with ivy. Its mossy walls blended perfectly with the peaceful atmosphere of the forest.
As we approached the house, a dazzling flash burst from its windows. Reflexively, Katrina and I dropped to the ground, but the elder seemed unsurprised.
"Don't worry so much; it's probably Ribi playing with her potions again. Mostly harmless concoctions, although in her first year, she managed to turn a common cold remedy into an explosive. But trust me, she's doing fine with her potions now."
Those words didn't inspire much confidence, but we had no choice. As we neared the house, we could hear quiet mumbling behind the door: "Frog's paws, triton's tail, hippogriff's wing, bear's heart, and shepherd's purse seeds for taste. Hehehehehe."
Oh, I don't like that wicked laughter. A knock on the door interrupted the mumbling, and we heard hurried and uncertain footsteps.
The door opened, revealing a figure clad in white garments, presumably protection against toxic potions. She wore a white dress with long sleeves, an apron with a few burn marks, a white headscarf under which strands of silky black hair peeked flirtatiously, and an apothecary mask through which we could only see slightly narrowed black eyes and thin black eyebrows. One of her eyebrows was slightly raised, evidently not too pleased with our visit.
"Mmm, the elder and... future tourist's breakfast. Come in," she said with these words, making a gesture inviting us into the room, which was filled to the brim with shelves of suspicious substances in jars. In the center of the room stood a large cauldron, where the concoction we heard about was boiling, standing by the door.
"Experimenting again?" the elder inquired. "And what potion are you preparing this time?"
Raising an eyebrow slightly in surprise, the girl said in a monotone voice, "Breakfast."
I'm afraid such a breakfast would make me bid farewell to last night's dinner.
"As always, you're original. Well, let me introduce our guests. This young lady is Katrina, a lightning mage, and her companion is called Krito, and they..."
"Dragon hunters, no need to specify. Their arrival has caused a stir in the village. But, elder, I told you that the dragon won't attack people without reason. Either they entered its territory or attacked it when it came to the village."
Ribi, we discussed this! Even if that's true, people have disappeared, and for two years, we've been living in fear of this monster. We cannot let some beast dictate our way of life!
"These BEASTS are much smarter than many humans; otherwise, they wouldn't have ruled the world for so long," she emphasized the word "beasts," apparently being the only one in the village who cared about the dragon's safety.
"Anyway, it's the village's decision. I understand your feelings, but the safety of the villagers is more important. Please, lead these brave people to the dragon's lair."
"Well, except for the size of that cave, you have no evidence that the dragon lives there. If you insist, I will guide these brave souls to the cave, but their deaths will be on your conscience."
When Ribi removed her mask, it turned out she was rather attractive. At a glance, she seemed to be our contemporary. Her skin had an unusual, for these parts, tanned shade, making it impossible to tell if it was natural or due to a tan. She had a well-defined mouth, with surprisingly light-colored thin lips, thin cheeks with dimples, slightly protruding cheekbones, a neat nose with a slight bump, and piercing black eyes. Although she wanted to feed us to the dragon, she was so beautiful that it didn't matter. With a somewhat displeased expression, the herbalist addressed me and Katrina:
"My name is Ribi," she smirked and continued, "If you want to live until tomorrow, run back to your academy; if not, follow me."