We arrived at Ravensguard quite early the next day. It was a small town surrounded by a palisade wall. To say that there was something strange going on in the town would be to understate the weird atmosphere that we encountered. It's not that we saw anything like a scene of poverty. The people we encountered, most of them probably peasants, wore simple but relatively well kept clothes. We didn't see any disorderly conduct, nor any violence. However, we also didn't see any of the usual things one would see in a small town. People weren't talking openly, instead staring at each other and at us with suspicion, sometimes whispering to each other. There was a clear sense of unease in the air.

“Huh, that's not the kind of atmosphere that I saw in my travels through Meridia. Do you think this Lord Ravenscall is a particularly oppressive lord, or something? I've heard stories of places where large gatherings of people are prohibited and people can't even voice any kind of opposition to the local lord.”

I try to think of what might have brought about such a tense atmosphere in such a small town. Alexius shakes his head and sighs, looking conflicted.

“I hope that's not the case. Or that at the very least, whatever help he wants from us will be beneficial to everyone involved. Trampling on commoners is not a very virtuous thing to do.”

There are some things that are just not done, because in the end they benefit nobody. Due to the small size of the town, we quickly reached the keep in the town's center, but were confused to see absolutely nobody guarding it. It was the single stone building in the entire place and was likely to be the house of the local lord, yet it looked extremely run down and like nobody lived there.

“That's strange, it's almost like there is no one living here...”

Helena was the first to say it, but before any of us could even begin to consider what might be going on a man seated on the ground nearby called to us.

“Well, little girl, that's because there is no one living there. Unfortunately, the lord cannot keep up with the keep's upkeep, heh.”

He then turned his back on us, looking extremely smug, like someone who had finally delivered that one joke that they've been thinking for a long time.

Helena went pale. Oh, she looked really pissed. She whispered furiously to Alexius.

“He... He called me a little girl. A fucking peasant called me a little girl!”

Yeah... We are definitely in the middle of nowhere and there is something strange going on. It's not exactly normal for a commoners to be rude in such a way to someone who is so clearly a noble, or at the very least the daughter of a rich merchant. Alexius tried his best to placate her.

“Now, now, we don't know exactly what is going on, so we should probably just let this slide, okay? It is just words, after all.”

Helena was still fuming, but settled down somewhat.

“Unbelievable! Lord Ravenscall better have a very good explanation for this. If he really is as controlling of the people as it seems, then he is doing a terrible job at educating them in minimal etiquette!”

Alexius turned to the rude man.

“Excuse me, can you point us to the local lord's residence then? We have business with him.”

The man seemed slightly surprised at being asked that.

“Oh, uh. Business, eh? Not sure if the lord will have any money to do business with you, but it is the biggest building in the town, after the keep of course, not that easy to miss. It's the one building with guards. Better tell them quickly you have business with the lord, they are really jumpy nowadays.”

I think I saw Alexius tense up for a moment, almost as if he was ready to do something, but then he merely replied to the man.

“Thank you kindly.”

Wow, his eyes are really angry. Well, that is to be expected. I don't think he has ever been treated so rudely by anyone his entire life. When I first met him, I thought I'd never see Alexius angry, now it seems to be quite the possibility before we leave the city.

Eventually we found the building that man was talking about. I was very surprised. It would barely pass for a tavern in most places, though it was the single two story building in the town. Does a noble really live here? The guards really were quite jumpy, but let us in easily enough. Inside, it was surprisingly dusty and unkempt. The three of us stood awkwardly in the entrance, expecting some kind of reaction from the people standing around, who were likely to be servants. Eventually one of them sighed and asked us rudely.

“So, what are you waiting for? Got some kind of business with the lord?”

Alexius took a deep breath before replying. Helena looked like she might explode at any moment.

“We do, could you guide us to him?”

The man gave a bored expression in response.

“Well, it's on the second floor, door to your right after you walk up the stairs, not really all that hard to find, I think.”

That stunned Alexius for a moment, who seemed to not be quite sure how t respond to that. Unruly people really are hard to deal with... I take the front and put a considerable amount of strength behind a slap to the man's back. He stumbles a few paces forward and glares at me.

“Thanks for the help buddy. Hey, Alexius, come on.”

The man was grumbling when Alexius and Helena started following me. I suppose I am much more accustomed to go around completely unattended in a social setting, since I spent quite a few years pretty much by myself in university. I walked up the stairs and knocked at the corresponding door to the man's instructions. A tired voice came from inside.

“Yes? Please, come inside.” We entered to see a man clearly dressed like a noble, but who didn't take much care with his appearance. “I am lord Ravenscall, what brings the three of you to my... humble abode?”