∼ Hired Trouble ∼

Chapter - 020

Whatever or whoever was traveling down the road, the procession had already gotten quite close to their motley group without their notice because of the rolling hills that cut the horizon short. "You have good eyes, is it a caravan?" Eric asked.

"I'm not sure... I see three wagons and around a dozen people - I believe," responded Aria, a bit distant as she looked to be thinking.

Eric's expression faltered at that, growing serious. "That's too small to be a normal caravan."

Returning to the present, Aria looked at Eric. "What does it mean?"

"Either that is a merchant having struck misfortune - or that is a band of bandits... maybe both."

"Both? How?" Aria asked, surprised.

"I've seen it before, passing through Aemsburg, merchants that have found great misfortune, forced to rely on thugs and crooks to escort their wares from town to town. A desperate man with desperate men - it never spells or ends well."

Aria looked pensive. "They see us too, do you think we should hide in the forest anyway?"

Eric struggled to make a choice. Seeing as how there were wagons and carriages amongst the people coming their way, it was highly likely it was the merchant type of situation, and crossing paths probably wouldn't incur trouble. But you could never truly know when you were not within the walls of civilization. Out here, anything goes, and anything happens.

"Since we both see each other, the worst outcome would be that they give chase if we run, given that they really are bandits."

"Attacking others on the Iron Road is an imperial crime, I think we should pass them... we have nothing of value, we are just two travelers." Aria paused before suggesting hopefully. "They might even help us to whatever town they are traveling."

"I wouldn't bet on the kindness of other people out here," Eric said skeptically. He knew Aria was speaking from a place of reason, but from what he had gathered through their brief time together, he knew she was also an incredibly kind-hearted girl who came all too easy to trust. Quite gullible if he had to be honest. It was almost as if she had a hard time seeing evil in anyone. Even with that impling of hers, as she looked at it as if it had the innocence of a puppy.

"Fine," Eric acquiesced. "but we run directly for the treeline if they try anything."

She bobbed her head in agreement.

"Oh yeah, and hide him," Eric said, pointing to the impling who seemed more excited than nervous like the two.

It took a moment for Aria to register what Eric was getting at. It wasn't preferable to flaunt their little red companion when they wanted to lay low. For all they knew, the baron, Eric's father, had sent his soldiers chasing after them. If word got out of people fitting their descriptions through word of mouth, it probably wouldn't take long before the baron would be on their heels.

"Put him in your bag," Eric said a bit hurriedly as he eyed the oncoming procession which was very close now, close enough for him to hear the noise of men.

Unslinging the rucksack, Aria crouched and grabbed the surprised impling. It flailed about, yammering indignantly as she tried coaxing it into the bag. Failing miserably as the small demon wanted nothing of it, Aria stopped to think of a solution. Struck with a sudden idea, she pulled out and unfolded the cloth containing the treasures of the world - or at least, what the impling perceived as the "treasures of the world". Inside lay only a single remaining piece of dried and seasoned jerky.

She paused, seemingly hesitant to hand over her last tool of absolute demonic persuasion, but finally did so at Eric's urging. The total outrageousness of its situation forgotten, the impling gnawed away at the jerky, completely uncaring as the hooded girl stuffed the demon into her rucksack.

Helping her saddle the rucksack again, Eric nodded as he made sure to strap it so the impling wouldn't stick its head out. "Make sure they don't see your face either, don't want to make it easy for them to recognize you as a woman."

"Why?" Aria asked innocently.

Eric could only glance at her from the corner of his eye incredulously. "Was she serious?"

"Doesn't matter, just do it." He ordered.

Keeping her head down, Aria and Eric made their way down the road.

From initial impressions, it would seem that Eric's guess had been right on the mark. Ten rugged men in a mix mash of poorly maintained leather armor were escorting the wagons of goods and one plump and timid man who rode coach.

The one walking in front was a dark-haired man with a smile of missing teeth. From his finer outfit, in some state of good repair, he looked to be the charge, though fine wasn't truly a word applicable to any of them. If the escorts weren't crooks or some other low-lives, Eric didn't know who was. Even in Aemsburg, he had seen his fair share of the dredges of humanity.

The small and what could barely be considered a caravan came to a halt as they approached, questioning eyes roaming the two. Their unabashed curiosity wasn't surprising, however, as it definitely wasn't often that you'd find two lonesome travelers out in the monster-infested wilderness since that was usually nothing short of a death sentence.

"Hail, good people," The stout man atop the foremost wagon called out, a man looking about in his late thirties but about as bedraggled as a beggar. "what brings you out here, all alone," He spoke with a real countryside Moravian accent, so he must've come from the fringes even farther than they already were.

"Greetings good sir, we're but travelers, no need to pay heed," Eric spoke up, speaking in an unfamiliar tone of voice and manner, very different from his usually voguish personality.

"Whatever do you mean young lad? It's a dangerous affair to be wandering out here all alone, you'll get you and your companion killed."

"No need worrying about us, we're not far from our destination," Eric assured, hoping to make it rather obvious he did not want to continue conversing as they did not stop, continuing to walk past the merchant and his escort.

"Well then, I see..." He lifted his small knit cap to scratch as his balding head, having taken the hint. "Safe journey,"

"You as well, good sir," Eric said from over his shoulder.

Just as he thought they had gotten past the trouble he had been worrying might come, Aria scuttled close to him to whisper in a low voice, "Something is wrong..." She said vaguely.

Not sure what she meant, Eric didn't have time to ponder her words further as a firm hand landed on his shoulder.

"Now, not so fast boy, what's all the haste for?" A hoarse and distinctly unpleasant voice spoke.

Eric had to clamp down on his instinct to grab the offending hand tight and whirl around to deliver a wild elbow that would undoubtedly send the speaker to the ground with a broken jaw, but he managed to restrain himself to only halt in place and stiffen.

It had been a long time since anyone had dared lay a hand on him as he had been quite infamous in Aemsburg for his short temper. Well... calling it short was generous, usually, he didn't have any fuse, to begin with.

Turning around, Eric looked back at the owner of the hand, a man a whole head shorter than himself. It was one of the thugs, an ugly face with a tousle of dirty brown hair, a patchy stubble, and an odor as foul as an outhouse.

"As our good employer said, it be dangerous out here in these parts..." Another of the men said, stepping up behind the first who let go of Eric's shoulder. It was the head crook. "Why not allow our humble benefactor to escort you safely to Vallenhal, it's our next destination, should only be a couple days."

"Jack! What are you doing?" The plumb merchant called out from atop his coach. "I do not pay you to dally," Despite his stern words, there was obvious worry in his voice and no austerity.

"No need for the fuss, boss. We're simply offering these good folk some safety... free of charge." The crook named Jack turned to face the merchant who stiffened at the piercing stare. "I do hope you don't mind, out of the kindness of your heart,"

Choking on his words, the merchant dared not speak.

Jack laughed. "See! Come now,"

"As much as we appreciate the gesture, we will have to humbly decline," said Eric through clenched teeth, fixing the scraggy man with a steely gaze.

"Oh, a fighter? Got some real fire in ya, boy." He laughed again, not even trying to hide the malice in his smile anymore.

A yelp suddenly drew Eric's attention. "No! Ngh-Let go!" Aria cried out, falling to the ground before Eric as she tore herself free from one of the crooks who had grabbed onto her rucksack.

On hand and knees, the hood of her robe had fallen back just enough to reveal a mane of untamed and fiery hair framing that dirt-smeared yet nonetheless beautiful face. But more so than simply that, two pointed ears could be barely glimpsed.

A pair of elven ears...