“There they are.” Edwin said, waving at the two people who had just opened the door, letting cold winter air gust into the Pig and Scroll.

It was completely unnecessary, as the tavern was almost empty except for the table he and Bordan shared. The newcomers spotted them immediately and made their way towards them.

Edwin couldn’t help but smile as he grasped first Leodin’s arm, then Salissa’s.

“So, how was the capital?” Bordan asked after everyone was seated, signaling the server to bring them their drinks. The two younger party members shared a look, and Salissa answered with a smile that had been so rare the last time they had seen her.

“It was good. You were right, seeing my family was exactly what I needed.”

“I hope they’re doing well?” Bordan asked.

Salissa hesitated. “They were doing okay, but with the reward money I gave them they will be better. When the second wave of recruitment started, my father joined the army, so I didn’t get to see him. If it’s true that us adventurers will have a hard time getting jobs after the wave is over, I’ll go back for longer.”

Bordan nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. I’m sure you’re all worried about your father, and you being there will surely help.”

Salissa sighed. “I never knew, but Mom said that Dad had always liked the idea of becoming a soldier. Apparently there had been several officers among his ancestors, and he had always looked up to them. Mom forbid it though, because she was worried he wouldn’t come home.”

She shot Bordan an embarrassed look, but the former soldier just nodded.

“That’s a realistic worry. I loved being a soldier, but once you have children, your perspective shifts. I’m the last person who could fault another for putting their family first, seeing as I did the same eventually.”

“Well, when the whole thing with the draft started, dad put his foot down, saying he couldn’t sit back while other people’s sons got killed, and mom finally let him go. I’m sure the bonus he got for signing up voluntarily didn’t hurt either. Thankfully my brothers didn’t get drafted at least, I don’t think my mother would’ve taken that well.”

“It’s not as dangerous as she probably thinks.” Bordan said. “Third division is chock full of veterans; they won’t deploy the recruits to where it’s most dangerous. If I were in charge, I’d have them do things like sentry duty and flank protection, so the experienced men are free to go where it’s important.”

“I hope so.” Salissa sighed, looking down.

“So, what have you been up to while we were gone?” Leodin asked cheerily, clearly trying to change the topic.

“Not a whole lot.” Edwin said. “For me it was mostly training, and Bordan was locked up at home.”

“I wanted to spend some time with my family.” The former soldier clarified. “When I joined the Guild, my wife and I thought I wouldn’t be gone for months at a time anymore, so she was understandably annoyed when the Chaptermaster whisked us away without warning.”

“We did go on an assignment,” Edwin continued “but we barely got to fight. Another group were a man down because he lost a leg to a Rift crab and was waiting for regrowth, so they asked us if we could join them temporarily so they could finish a job nearby.”

Bordan nodded. “A handful of mammoth ants, left over from when another group destroyed their nest a little while back. We let the other group do most of the work, because it’s always risky to fight in close quarters alongside people you don’t know.”

“I didn’t even get to hit anything.” Edwin complained. “We just made sure they weren’t flanked, and that was it. At least I got to wear in my new armor.”

“Oh right, how is it?” Leodin asked, leaning forward. “How does it look?”

Edwin sighed. “Well, it fits pretty great, which is unsurprising considering it’s a custom suit made by a master armorsmith, but it’s a little… obvious for my taste.”

Bordan snickered. “It’s made of direshields, all spiky boneplates – he looks like a villain from a children’s story.”

“Yeah, yeah, go ahead and laugh.” Edwin sighed. “It’s really good protection, and lighter than I had feared, it just feels like Master Quinnick is getting a little carried away on the artistic side of his prototype.”

“Can we see it?” Salissa asked eagerly.

“Actually, you might get an opportunity.” Bordan said. “I know you just got back yesterday, but if you’re up for it, there’s a job we could grab. We would have to leave tomorrow, though.”

“A single request?” Leodin asked.

“Things have calmed down considerably since the goblin nest, especially once the snow came.” Edwin said. “There are still a few groups out there on long trips, but mostly the Guild has gone back to one or two requests per party. I’ve heard talk that the Guild is just waiting to see if monster sightings go back up now that the snow is melting, and if they don’t, they’ll declare the wave over and go back to normal operations. Might be as soon as a few weeks.”

“The good times are over.” Leodin said with a sigh.

“And that from the one person here without massive bills to pay or a family to support.” Edwin laughed. “What are you even spending your reward on, drink and girls?”

Leodin’s cheeks reddened, but he didn’t back down. “Should I have also bought a suit of overpriced clown armor? I’m saving up for the future. Who knows what will come, especially with the war on. If I want to settle down one day, I’ll need all the money I can get.”

“Peace.” Edwin laughed, raising his hands in mock surrender. “If you want the position of responsible adult, you’ll have to fight Bordan for it, not me.”

“So, what do you guys say?” Bordan asked, trying to get the conversation back on track. “Ready to jump back in? It shouldn’t be too long, a week or two at most.”

Leodin and Salissa shared a look, then nodded. “The trip back was pretty boring.” The mage admitted. “I never thought that I would miss fighting, but by the end we were hoping for something to attack the caravan, just to break the monotony.”

Bordan chuckled darkly. “Combat is terrible and gruesome, but once you’ve got a taste it doesn’t let you go, does it?”

“Human nature, I think.” Edwin said, idly spinning his empty mug on the table. “I mean, if we really hated fighting each other as much as we should, we probably would’ve stopped doing it centuries ago.”

“If you’re going to start with philosophy, at least wait a few more ales.” Leodin said with an eyeroll.

“Alright, then it’s settled.” Bordan said, slapping the table. “We’ll meet up tomorrow bright and early at the guild house to grab the request, and we can get back to hunting monsters! For now I’ll order another round and then you guys can tell us what you did in the capital. I hope you took some time to see the sights! Did you get to see the Cavernport? I still remember the first time I saw it…”

As Leodin and Salissa began a detailed retelling of their stay in Pel Harvand, Edwin leaned back and smiled. Since Walter had struggled to find friends all his life, he hadn’t expected that it would be so easy once he started anew. Did he just get lucky, or was it an inevitable consequence that followed from the difference between fighting monsters together instead of being rivals for positions and funding? Maybe the Guild was just better overall because there were fewer stuck-up nobles. Either way, Edwin was off to a much better start than his predecessor. And all that without magic.

Well, almost.