After the battle was over and the small company returned, the neighboring hunters,chiefs and the adventurers decided to stay the night as eveyone was tired.
Come morning they all gathered again and took a moment of silence for the few fallen hunters, they were going to honor their deaths whith a feast this evening.
Brahm was in the center of the group standing on a small podium, his voice was also enhanced with wind magic.
"Today, for our fallen comrades and for the extermination of the kobolds we will have a feast! So spread the message to the rest of the village ,prepare the food, alcohol and music. Today is a rest day ,nobody has to work in the fields or gather herbs. A few hunters should go to the forest again to bring back some meat incase our supplies aren't enough."
With the early birds already awake and hearing the message they walked back home to wake up their loved ones and neighbors.
A few hunters also returned to their villages to call over their families for the feast, and with news spreading fast throughout the rest of the village, the preperations were on the way with everyone waking up and starting to help out.
Hearing a loud knock Saldia went to open the door, it was Kosak. With a greeting he told her what happened briefly and then turned around to go home.
She walked in to the bedroom to inform Talmir who was still sleeping, after she woke him up she picked up a basket, some bread, herbs, honey and exited the house to help everyone.
Talmir now wide awake made himself some tea and a small breakfast and after the short meal he picked up Teclos to go and look at the festive atmosphere.
Still half asleep on Talmirs shoulder they left the house.
The village changed from a boring everyday one to a colorfull and happy place, some were happy just for the "rest day", some were happy because of the alcohol and food and some were happy the threat was dealt with.
All the houses were being decorated with ribbons, all the villagers changed in to more colorfull and better made chlothes.
It wasn't really grand or noble but it still amazed Teclos.
Once he saw the food he started Salivating over it.
'Hmm am i finnaly gonna eat more meat or something even better? Maybe if im lucky i'll get pops to give me some mead haha, afterall im a growing boy and thats a healthy drink....i guess something good happened to the village ,there is also alot more peopple in our village than i thought.'
After about an hour of walking around and looking at the preperations, a hand stoped Talmir.
"Hey tiny man, why aren't you helping out? Still feeling under the weather? Haven't you had enough pampering from Saldia?"
Turning around and seeing Tom ,one of the guards, he smiled. Tom was about 170 cm tall with blond hair and quite well built,
"Hey "Big Man" atleast im being pampered while your wife just shouts at you haha... and yes im still drained from the healing but its already getting better."
Still smiling but somehow looking annoyed Tom replied.
"Yea sometimes i wonder why i married her, always stoping me from drinking...well it's not all bad i guess, glad we have Father Pella in this village or there would be alot less hunting. Anyways just know that you're a wuss, that can barely stand after one measly fight with a kobold haha, but im glad you're ok."
Taping Talmir on the shoulder, he walked back to the butcher to prepare the meat.
"Thanks "Big Man" i'll keep that in mind! Atleast i'll be able to drink freely today and tomorow too, want to join me? Oh wait your wife."
Not turning around and still walking away Tom just gave him the middle finger, chuckling Talmir also walked away.
'Ah that reminds me of the good old times...wonder what that oldtimer John is up to these days?'
After a bit more of sightseeing they stoped at the stall Saldia was working at, there were quite a few women there making sweets filled or glazed with honey, making bread, preparing big pots of soup and so on.
They went to say hello to Saldia and Teclos had some fun with Talmir as he casually said "mommy" infront of them both.
And with that the show of her rubbing it in his face began, which made Teclos laugh.
The mood even while preparing everything which is usually tedious was festive, there were some crying faces of the lost hunters families but in general even they were mostly smiling. It was a custom in this kingdom to send the dead off happily and in a good mood as the belief was that they returned to god, to a better place.
In the evening the everyone was merely dancing,drinking, laughing and eating. Teclos was in Saldias arms holding on to a chicken leg for dear life, as he was chowing down on it.
In a seperate table where the chiefs and Pella sat, Talmir was called over and Brahm started speaking.
"You did well on the scouting and will be handsomely rewarded, this was the first time we ever saw a kobold show such intellect."
Talmir graciously bowed and thanked him.
"Boy come sit with us, i'll tell you of my excelent leading and my glorious victory!"
Pella already had a few cups of mead and beckoned Talmir to join, which he happily obliged.
The story he told shocked Talmir quite alot, from the kobolds restraining themselfs, the traps, employing a simple strategy with devastating effect and to the arrival of the wyverns. At first he didn't believe half of it because of the mead speaking Pella but with the confirmation of all the chiefs he had to believe it. Altho some of it was indeed exaggerated, most of it was true.
"Incredible! That was simply incredible...its a shame i couldn't help out, maybe some of our comrades wouldn't have to die then."
Pella put down the cup and looked at Talmir seriously,
"Youngling...you did your best in informing us and making it back alive, that in itself is worthy of praise....if we didn't have your information things could have made a turn for the worse."
With the confirming nodds of all the chiefs and Brahm chiming in, saying some similar and encouraging words, Talmir felt a bit relieved and made a toast.
"Well i'm not going to bring down the mood anylonger, so lets toast to our fallen comrades and overall victory!"
And with that he raised the cup and downed the mead in one go.
Then they started drinking in earnest and after a few hours Brahm and Pella brought Talmir to Saldia wasted and hanging around their shoulders.
She sat him down for about an half an hour, pouring some water in to him and then proceeded to summon a moving water bed of sorts, laying him down on it. His clothes would get wet but she wasn't willing to carry him on her shoulders as he was heavy, so that would have to do.
"See how hopeless your daddy is? Lets go home."