The Life of a Mercenary: Strong of Courage

Two men in leather armor trudged up the side of a mountain, a howling blizzard wrapping them in a cold coat of white flurries. One of the men, who was a little taller than the average person, lit the path in front of them with a small flame that danced upon his hand. The flame kept them from succumbing to the cold of the blizzard around them, but also illuminated a stone path in front of them that somehow barely kept the snow from covering it.

The other man could be called a giant, for he towered over his companion by a good couple of feet, and had a large body of bulging muscles to match. He stared at the path in front of them before grumbling to his companion.

"Are we even close to this mythical village that no one even seems to remember, Frederic?" The giant grumbled. He was hunched over as they walked, trying to bend his massive frame as close to the small flame in the smaller man's hands as he could.

"No, not yet, Gustav." Frederic replied. "We've yet a ways to go." 

As they were walking, Frederic ended up kicking something hard in the snow. He stopped and knelt down. He prodded the snow with his free hand until he felt something hard and square-shaped. He grasped it with his hand and gave it a tug. It barely moved.

"Give me a hand with this Gustav, can't seem to free it." 

"On it boss."

Gustav reached down and grabbed the object with both hands. It gave way after a small effort on the Gustav's part and lurched out of the snow, sending a small eruption of snow and dirt everywhere. It was a sign, crusted over with ice and still had the stone foundation attached to it. No small wonder it was too heavy for Frederic to lift with one hand.

"Oh, a road marker! Let me see what it says!" Frederic brought his flame closer to the ice encrusted sign and increased the intensity of it long enough for the ice to start melting off. He brushed away the remaining ice and the marker became much clearer to read.

"Excellent!" Frederic cried out excitedly. "We're going the right way Gustav! It's a road marker for Two Kingdoms! And even better, it's just up the road a bit more, no more than half a mile I'd say!" 

"Good, then we can get out of the cold. I hope they have an inn and lots of meat." Gustav grumbled again as his belly rumbled, the sound resembling a growling bear of some variety. "Even my belly agrees."

"Come off it, we just ate no more than an hour ago." Frederic rolled his eyes at his companion's insatiable appetite. He reduced the intensity of his flame back to what it was before they both started trudging up the mountain side, their stride renewed after finding the road marker. 

It took them only another hour of trudging through the ongoing blizzard that seemed to want to bury them in a never ending blanket of snow before they began to see faint lights dancing in the distance. 

"Look, Gustav! We're almost there, I can see the fire light of torches!" Frederic exclaimed, he was tired of trudging up a mountain during a blizzard, even though his magic made the danger practically non-existent, save for something extreme like an avalanche. 

"Aye, I can see it Frederic. About damn time too, thought I might die of hunger if we had to walk for another hour." Gustav complained and his belly rumbled too as if to agree with his statement. It took another thirty minutes before they could see the town proper. 

Two guards in chainmail with leather armor covering their calves and shoulders stood to either side of a large gate. A brazier next to both of them was lit with some manner of magical flame as it danced in the wind, but never went out no matter how furious the blizzard blew on it. Neither guard was shivering either, so the flame was also providing them warmth. 

Frederic noticed the gate stretched for a good bit to either side, disappearing from sight at some distance due to both the weather conditions and the fact it was night time. He guessed it wasn't called Two Mountains for nothing, apparently they took full advantage of being located between two mountains and in a relatively flattish spot too. 

"Halt! Who goes there!" The guards shouted as one, peering into the gloom.

"Damn, they have some good eyesight." Frederic remarked, before looking at the flame in his hand. "Or perhaps not. I must be tired, hopefully they have an inn here." 

"And I need a decent meal or three." Gustav said again, as if food was the only thing on his mind, and it pretty much was.

"Alright, alright. First stop is the inn anyways." Frederic replied before marching up to the gates.

"Ho there, we're a pair of weary travelers seeking a rest stop for the night. We found your road marker some ways down the mountain!" Frederic put as much cheer in his voice as possible. 

"I'm sorry travelers, but the village is closed to outsiders. Unless you have a recommendation from a current or former resident, I shall have to ask you to leave." The guard on the left stated as if he'd said that line a thousand times, and perhaps he has, but Frederic didn't think so. It took a lot of effort to even get here. No way they had visitors, even with the snowfall from the blizzard, it was obvious the paths up had not been used recently.

"Ah, but we do have a recommendation. Give me a minute, to fish out of my pack." Frederic knelt down and unslung his pack before rummaging through it. It took him a few minutes before he pulled a small envelope out with a small exultation of victory. He handed it over to the guard who opened it.

"Ah, my apologies." The guard bowed before straightening back up. "It has been a good while since The Seer has recommended anyone. You must have performed a miraculous feat to get her seal of approval."

Frederic could sense there was a "but" somewhere in that statement. It wasn't too long before he was proven right.

"But, and I do apologize," the guard even looked apologetic. "The Seer is neither a former or current resident of our village. I will have to consult with our Elder, and it will be his final approval that you will need. Please wait here."

The guard bowed again and slipped through a small door built into the overly large gate. Frederic mused that it must have been reinforced with magic, because a small wooden door like that could easily be broken through with correctly applied force. He imagined a fireball on one of the hinges might work, or perhaps leveraging a heavy weapon against the frame itself. There were various ways to break a reinforced door. 

It was not long, perhaps ten or fifteen minutes at most before the guard returned with a wizened old man. Frederic looked him over. He was of average height and a small hunch, from age he would guess. What little hair he had was a cloud of wispy strands that sat defiantly on his mostly bald head. Yet it was his eyes that made Frederic wary.

Frederic knew Gustav could not care any less about the people in front of him. He did not carry a two-handed maul for no reason. Yet turning his attention back to the old man, the Elder the guard had called him, he noticed his brown eyes held the sharp gaze of a youth who had experienced many things. 

Anyone observant like Frederic would have noticed three things. The sharpness of his gaze, the fact that his eyes had not clouded even slightly with his apparently advanced age, and the small wisps of power that occasionally glimmered in the depths. This Elder was either very accomplished, or more than likely, a spellcaster of great power. 

Yet he knew not how someone living in what amounted to the middle of nowhere would acquire such a power. There hasn't been any wars on the mainland in nigh on thirty years, so he definitely wouldn't have gained power that way. There were no evil calamities or ancient beasts either. Definitely a head scratcher. 

"Ah, you must be the Elder!" Frederic bowed, low enough to show respect, but not low enough to be seen as deference. "Please, excuse my poor manners. My companion and I simply wish to winter here until the storm is over." 

"You need not apply any falsehoods here, young man. I know why you are here." The Elder gazed at Frederic and his companion. "However, although it is my responsibility to keep unwanted guests out, it appears our benefactor wants to meet you himself. So that being said, I welcome you to our small village here in the lands between. Heh."

The elderly man chuckled at his small joke before devolving into a fit of coughs. The guars moved to help him, but he waved them off. Frederic found it interesting that the Elder was sick, most spellcasters he knew of were mostly free of disease or illness, a small benefit of nurturing the inherent power found in all beings. Even he himself hadn't taken ill in over a decade. 

"Come along, young mercenaries. Yes, yes, even I can recognize the emblem emblazoned upon your shoulders." The old man coughed as he led them into the village. It was much warmer inside the village than outside of it. Ambient temperature magic? Frederic was unsure, it would take a lot of knowledge and power to alter the temperature of even a small area, never mind an entire village. 

"How long has this place existed?" Frederic asked curiously. He hadn't even heard of this place two weeks before, but now it seemed legends and myths surrounded him ever since. 

"Longer than you or I were even a thought lad." The old man chortled as he led them past houses of wood and stone, all of which were unlit with the residents either sleeping or seemingly elsewhere. "I wouldn't worry about where everyone is. It is a special night after all."

"A special night?" Frederic was curious, he'd never heard of an event requiring all of a village before if it wasn't a major festival, never mind how the old man seemingly answered his unspoken question.

"Yes, you wouldn't know because you're not a resident of course, but tonight the Story Teller is gracing us with his presence." The old man tuned and smiled at them. "He comes but once a year, and on this day we throw him a feast and he regales us with stories as old as time!" 

The old man's excitement was adorable and infectious. Frederic and Gustav looked at each other with a mirrored look of interest. This Story Teller was most likely the person they had come all this way to see. They hastened after the old man with renewed vigor in their steps. They were so close to the finish line, all they had to do now was cross it.