As the crowd around the hut began to disperse, the elders began to follow suit.
"Make yourselves comfortable in my home," The chief said as he walked towards the door, "Well, as if you have a choice in the matter. Not unless you wish to rest outside."
The adventurers thanked their benefactor as he went out the door, followed closely by the other elders of the village. I found myself sitting alone on the table as the adventurers went about their business.
Tov decided to go help outside, insisting on using his new spear to help with the hay. Gred followed as well, claiming he was well versed in fixing things though I doubted it was a substantial skill. Redtail went out as well.
Dalinah was the only person left behind. She was a healer, but nobody was in immediate need of her skills. That wasn't the reason she stayed, however. She still looked distant, looking past an open window, gazing at scenes unseen.
She still needed time. Lots of time.
I tried my best to make myself comfortable. There was only so much I could do without exposing myself as a magic user. The adventurers and I agreed that revealing to the village that I was a magic user would have been... problematic. They already didn't like Dalinah to begin with, or so they told me.
A ward of cooling would have been nice though.
The air was a bit thick and the sun was shining bright. A perfect combination for a sweaty summer day.
But it wasn't summer. It was the middle of the rainy season.
However, there was another pressing issue.
Now that I was back in the outside world, I needed to bring back most of my instincts and honed reflexes back to acceptable levels. No matter how faint the risk, dangers still lurked around every corner, nook, and cranny. If I was careless again, I would never succeed. Not this time.
I leaned back against my chair and, with my keen senses, took in the world around me.
I looked past the chief's home, across the dirt paths, and around the many huts that sprawled within the confines of the palisades. The adults, both young and old, went about their business, carrying materials, handling tools, and fixing their homes. They spoke in hushed tones, speaking about those lost to the goblins. Many were dismayed, a few were furious. Although most blamed the goblins, many accused the adventurers of incompetence. Some floated the idea of sabotage, of exploitation.
I frowned as I listened. None of these accusations were true. The adventurers did their best. They lacked skills, but the motivation was there. I saw no lousy attempt, no intention to trick. They went in with what they had, and almost lost their lives trying.
I blinked. Why was I getting worked up about their opinions on the adventurers? That was the least of my concerns and none of my business.
I sighed. There were still other things to see.
Tov was a dwarf, so it didn't come as a surprise that he was a skilled handyman. My gaze saw him fixing a few wagons that had lost their wheels. He did this after helping with the hay. He was a grumpy drunkard, yet he was as focused as any dwarf was expected to be.
Gred surprised me. He was an elf, but an extremely young one. Barely in his twenties. From what I could remember, elves would devote their early centuries pursuing knowledge, attaining scholarship, and mastering themselves. Yet here he was, an adventuring warrior elf. I found him pushing wagons of hay alongside some of the rough looking beastkin. They wore large sedge hats and were covered in grass and dirt. Farmers. It seemed like the handiwork didn't work out for him.
As I continued to gaze around the village, I couldn't help but notice the stench.
The village reeked of rot, that became apparent as soon as we walked through the ruined fields. The smell of waste and excess also permeated the air, mixing to form a smell that would drive a normal dweller insane.
Despite the misfortunes of the village, the children played merrily. They ran. They laughed. They mingled. Most of all, they seemed to like Redtail, following her around as she went hut to hut.
Redtail proved to be quite skilled in sewing. She was visiting families one by one, insisting on sewing some of the ragged, torn clothing of the children. A few denied her help. Many didn't care all that much.
Despite this, and the fact that she looked like a walking alligator, the village children flocked around her. They watched her sew with clawed hands, looking on with wide eyes and open mouths. Soon, the children were wearing better rags than before.
It wasn't amounting to much, but it was charming work.
For a brief moment, I wondered how exactly they were going to hold this feast. The cattle I could sense were too few, sheltered inside cramped barns. Some were even sick. The early harvest was no better it seemed, less than bountiful, maybe even lacking for the coming winter. Their stores were only a quarter full.
Things weren't looking up.
And yet they started preparing. Tables were arranged. Chairs brought out. Plates and spoons laid.
As all of this was happening though, something felt off. I had this urge to help, to do something for this village. But for what?
My keen senses retreated, settling me back to where I was. There was an argument in my mind, an argument I've been having more often now.
To act or not to act? Which was better? Which was worse? None could be answered. To do nothing meant to let things happen as they would, even if it led to dark outcomes. Yet If I did something, then there would be change, change I was unsure of.
This debate didn't last long, however.
"Enjoying yourself, Mr...?" The village chief trailed off as he entered through the open door of the hut. Sweat drenched his furry skin.
"Viduri. Lance Viduri." I replied.
"Mr. Viduri. Apologies. Well, if it isn't a bother, some of the hunters are going out for some meat. I wanted to ask if you could help with that." The village chief asked, to my surprise.
"What makes you think I'm a hunter?" I said, rather drier than intended.
"I don't know. Your eyes? They seem acquainted with the wild. Or other things."
"Other things?"
The chief smiled, "Apologies again for my blabber, Mr. Viduri. The years seem to be weighing on me. Speaking nonsense and all that."
Liar. He was still vigorous for someone so old.
"But are you interested?"
It didn't seem like denying his request was the correct choice, and so, reluctantly, I gave in.
Hunting shouldn't be that hard to do.