When he arrived at the elder's house, Durand had already left.
He seemed to be in a hurry, and every time he had to deal with Soren, it was as if it were a heavy burden on his back that he wanted to cast off as quickly as possible, yet he couldn't do so without complaining.
Soren had grown accustomed to this and, therefore, didn't let the old man's demeanor affect him.
He knocked on the door and soon heard footsteps approaching. When the door opened, a wrinkled, dry but smiling face greeted him.
"Soren, you arrived at a good time. Lunch is ready. Come in!" The elder stepped aside to let him enter. Soren thanked him and stepped into the house.
The environment felt familiar, now permeated with the aroma of food. The elder led Soren to the table, where an open pot rested, releasing a fragrant steam that filled the space.
"Get ready to indulge. I made it myself." The elder's eyes sparkled with satisfaction as he lifted the pot lid, revealing a bubbling stew. Inside, tender pieces of meat mingled with golden, soft potatoes, all enveloped in a thick broth.
"I used potatoes I harvested this morning." The elder said, serving a generous portion on Soren's plate. "These potatoes are special. Durand took good care of them. There's nothing like them anywhere else."
Soren looked at the stew and licked his lips.
"Come on, hurry up before it cools!" The elder sat down across from him.
"Thank you for the meal…" Soren replied.
He was indeed hungry, and the sight of the stew was irresistible. It didn't take long for him to start devouring the food under the elder's satisfied gaze, each bite bringing waves of comfort.
The flavor of the meat and potatoes seemed to melt in his mouth, and he silently thanked the old man for his culinary skills.
After lunch, Soren felt full. His body languidly sprawled in the chair, a sense of contentment washing over him. The elder had served tea to aid digestion, and the two began chatting casually.
"So, what happened to your wagon?" The elder asked, leaning forward, his eyes shining with curiosity.
Soren took a sip of tea, quickly thinking of an excuse. "Oh, well… it's a bit complicated." He forced a smile. "The horses pulling my wagon… well, they… ran away."
"What? They ran away?" The elder raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "How did that happen?"
"Yeah, it's a strange story." Soren continued, adjusting himself in the chair. "When my wagon broke down, they got spooked by some noise. One of the horses was so nervous that it just turned and started running. The others had no choice but to follow."
He fabricated a story without changing his expression. There hadn't been any horses from the start.
If he told the elder this, how would he react?
"Oh, that's a problem… The village doesn't have many horses left. There are only a few used for trips to the city, but we can lend you some. When do you plan to leave?"
"Maybe in… three days? No, two days?" Soren raised two fingers, pretending to think.
The issue was that he didn't know where to go…
The elder nodded.
After a while, as Soren was getting ready to leave the elder's house, the elder handed him a small bundle of cloth tied with a thin string.
Soren looked at the package, furrowing his brow.
"It's herbs." The elder said. "They help to… rest. Use them when sleep becomes a problem."
Soren accepted the bundle, trying to hide his confused expression. "Thank you. What… is this for?"
The elder nodded slightly. "Nights can be difficult, especially for someone from outside." He then placed a hand on Soren's shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "Oh, and remember: don't leave your house after the sun sets. It's a village rule."
'What?'
Soren felt stunned.
The atmosphere shifted abruptly.
"Prohibited?" Trying to mask the unease that was beginning to take hold of him, he couldn't suppress his curiosity. "Why?"
The elder smiled strangely. "Nothing to worry about for an outsider." He said, his voice lowering to almost a whisper. "Just… obey. Tomorrow, there will be another day."
Soren felt a slight chill run down his spine.
'Don't say something like that and then act like nothing happened!' Soren wanted to reprimand the old man but didn't dare.
There was definitely something going on.
He thanked the elder for his hospitality and stepped outside, the bundle of herbs secure in his hands.
As he walked back to the small cabin, the old man's words echoed in his mind, and he couldn't help but cast a sideways glance around, as if the village were hiding something.
'I'm not in one of those horror stories, am I?' Soren let out a bitter laugh, feeling far from confident.
He followed the path toward his cabin, his thoughts drifting between the elder's warnings and the bundle of herbs in his hands.
'Oh?'
As he approached his cabin, he noticed a small figure trying to peek inside through one of the side windows, but their height forced them to stand on their tiptoes.
'Another child spying on me again?'
Soren smiled slightly, recognizing the boy as one of the three who had been snooping around with the chubby kid the first time he arrived.
He approached with light steps. Quietly, he placed his hand on the boy's head, causing him to startle and turn around.
"Ah, hey there! What are you doing?"
Soren asked, forcing a casual tone. Before the boy could react too dramatically, Soren grabbed his shoulder, crouching down to meet his gaze and whispering, "Hey, don't shout. I'm just curious."
The boy looked up at him with wide eyes, his face pale with nerves.
Soren knew his approach wasn't the friendliest, but he was tired of the villagers watching him from a distance, as if he were some creature in a zoo.
"Why don't you come inside and chat for a bit? Your big brother here is really nice." He said, still holding the boy's shoulder but trying to smile in a friendly way.
The boy looked at him, clearly intimidated, but under Soren's watchful gaze, he nodded. He glanced around a few times, as if seeking help, but no one was nearby at that moment.
Soren released the boy and pushed the door open, stepping inside. He gestured for him to sit in a chair while he settled on the edge of the bed after closing the door.
"So, what's your name?" he asked directly.
"My name is Luc." The boy replied, his voice still trembling. "We… we just wanted to see the stranger in the village. Don't hurt me…"
For a moment, Soren questioned his own tactic.
Why did he feel like the villain here?
"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you." Soren chuckled softly, crossing his arms as he watched the boy named Luc. "So, I'm the stranger, huh? What did you all think you would find?"
Luc looked away, swallowing hard. "I don't know… something different."
"Well, congratulations, it looks like you found it." Soren said, feigning a dramatic yet playful expression. "And you, Luc, have you lived here long?"
Soren watched Luc nod and decided to take the opportunity to ask something that had been on his mind since arriving in the village.
"You know." He began, trying to keep a casual tone. "I haven't seen many children around here besides you, Jules, and… that other girl. Are there more kids in the village?"
Luc fell silent. His eyes widened slightly, and he stared at the floor, unsure of what to say.
"Uh… there's Anya." He finally admitted, before realizing he might have said too much.
"Anya?" Soren repeated, tilting his head. "So you three are friends?"
Luc nodded again, this time with more nervousness. Soren sensed that the situation was making the boy uncomfortable, and the look of unease on his face suggested there was more to it.
"Luc, it's okay if you don't want to talk." Soren said, trying to sound reassuring. "But… did something happen to the other kids? No offense, but this village seems a little...suspicious."
Luc hesitated, looking away.
He seemed to weigh his words, as if not wanting to say something that might get him into trouble. "My parents told a story… but they said not to spread it to anyone from outside." He murmured, his voice low.
Soren leaned in, curiosity piquing. "Look, I'm just a visitor. I promise not to tell anyone."
Luc glanced at him uncertainly, but under Soren's insistence, he sighed and began to speak quietly, as if fearing he might be overheard. "There were other kids here… but they disappeared. The last one was… our friend."
"Friend? Who was she?" Soren asked, trying not to sound impatient.
"It was Lena." Luc whispered, barely daring to look at Soren. "She… she vanished one night, just like the others."
'A missing child?' Soren frowned.
So that was the problem with the village? This explained some things that had been bothering him since he arrived here.
He had thought the lack of children was natural. They might be at home or playing elsewhere. Soren was a visitor who had arrived quite early, and everyone should have been sleeping at that hour. But even as the village began to stir, he hadn't seen many children.
Thinking of something, he curiously asked. "What did the other villagers do about it? Did the elder or anyone try to find out what happened to her?"
Luc shook his head slowly, looking even more uncomfortable.
"I don't know… my parents just told me not to go out at night. They said it was dangerous and that… we might be next. The other people in the village… no one talks about it. It's like they pretend nothing happened."
A silence settled in the cabin, and Soren felt the fear in the boy's words.
***
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