Departure

Chapter 170

Ban wasn’t surprised when the mayor turned up. She’d mentioned she might come to see them off. Everyone else though was caught off guard. He’d told them she was giants kin, but seeing was a whole other matter.

She supplied them a map and the water stone she’d insisted on. A grace he had no means of repaying, but didn’t further attempt to deny. She clearly wouldn’t relent. She’d already talked him into a wagon with a pair of mules to pull it.

The only real surprise had been the human man showing up, Elim. Their temporary guide to the post town. He brought his own supplies and a pretty white horse with intelligent eyes.

“Fair fortunes,” Deux offered when they were ready to depart.

“Thank you, mistress,” Ban offered as he and his companions all bowed to her. It was what the townsfolk often called her rather than mayor.

“I’ll try to keep Bess from hunting your chickens,” Deux added to Elim. He chuckled.

“If she catches one, good on her,” Elim said with a grin. On that odd note, they departed.

“Who’s Bess?” Joss asked, sullying what little solemnity remained. Ban had meant to keep a polite distance from the man. He seemed to be some kind of retainer of the mayors. Asking personal questions wasn’t how you treated such a person.

“My daughter. She’s got a taste for chicken and isn’t content to wait on her grandmother to decide to butcher one,” Elim explained easily.

“And you don’t mind?” Joss asked. Chickens were valuable.

“Nah, we’ve got some older ones that don’t lay. I’m just waiting on her to ask for my help before I teach her to make proper snares. Till then, they aren't in much danger. Not unless one of those rascals in town decides to teach her,” Elim explained. He laughed in amusement at the end rather than seeming upset by the prospect.

“The people from that assessment place are rather odd. If you're not careful, you might end up with a little Rogue on your hands,” Ewen said, chuckling. He’d taken the tests and gotten a copper tag like most did.

“Class is a class,” Elim said with a shrug.

“True enough, you're a fighter?” Ban asked. He’d seen Elim’s entry on the guild board but felt it polite to bring it up rather than simply asserting. That the man carried a sword and wore light armor under a good leather coat was reason enough to warrant it even without having seen the board.

“Yeah, my da’ trained me in the basics and I did some time soldiering for the Earl. Can’t say I’m exceptional though,” Elim fished a copper tag out of his shirt with a rueful look.

“I think that's got more to do with the standard than your skill. They expect a lot of adventurers around here,” Ewen offered.

“They didn’t even let me test! Said I wasn’t old enough to join,” Joss grumbled none too quietly.

“Deux is particular about ages. Her kind don’t even drink until they're twenty-one,” Elim explained. There was a very brief but profound pause among Ban and his men at that revelation. One followed by laughter.

“God’s be good, none of us are old enough then!” Ban wheezed.

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“Well probably be half into our graves before she thinks we're old enough to wed then,” Ewen offered once he caught his breath. The jests and laughter kept up until they were all sore.

The journey wasn’t a difficult one and nothing dangerous appeared to attack, so they made good time. Elim turned out to be pleasant company throughout, full of stories from his days soldiering as much as working his family farm. The only real delay was one they made by choice, camping outside the post town rather than pressing to reach it by nightfall on the last day.

They chose to arrive early in the morning instead. They were fully supplied after all and the idea was more for them to become familiar than actually needing to stop. A choice that proved fortunate quickly.

Elim made a point of checking the message board on the guild's behalf. It was how he spotted a posting placing a bounty on all ‘demi-human beasts’ as it put it. A posting claiming to be from the church of Strom.

They’d all left the town immediately after it was found and were hiding out in a rock formation outside of it while they discussed the matter. Elim was silent but his expression remained pensive as he turned over the posting for them to inspect.

Ban took in the crude block print caricature of bestial creatures on it and wondered if the artist had ever actually seen a demi human. They looked like deformed animals, not proper La’Durin. The bounty was also insultingly low at only ten silver a head.

“Well, this is shit,” Joss offered with a sigh.

“This isn’t the Earl’s territory, they can likely do as they please,” Ban said.

“It's not the Earl’s territory, but he had the post town built and appointed its mayor,” Elim said. His tone was odd, quiet but cold as he stared at the drawing.

“What are you going to do about it then? Write him a letter?” Joss asked with a scoff.

“Yeah, later,” Elim said as he folded up the posting. “In the meantime, I’ll continue on with you lot.”

“What?” Ewen asked, caught off guard.

“Deux asked I make sure you and yours can get back safe. I can hardly do that if I leave you now, not with Stromholt moving in the area,” Elim explained.

“Even if she said that, why go so far?” Ban asked.

“That she asked is enough. I owe her my mothers life and a sight more besides,” Elim replied flatly.

“That's not a small thing,” Ban agreed, surprised.

“But it means leaving your family, so why?” Ewen cut in. He was openly suspicious, which wasn’t helpful. Putting someone on guard immediately wasn’t a good way to get information.

“I’m part of the guild but it's not my job. I work for Deux, she calls me her knight of errands as a joke because I’m supposed to go out and get things for her. Books, rare herbs, things like that,” Elim explained. “So staying with you isn’t an inconvenience, though if it's just that you don’t trust me to have your back, say so. I can respect that.”

Ban held up a hand to forestall Joss saying something stupid. He didn’t particularly trust Elim, but there wasn’t any real reason not to take him up on the offer. Having a human around if things got complicated might be the difference between life and death.

“Right then, glad to have you along,” Ban said. Joss didn’t look happy but didn’t disagree either. Ewen accepted with a shrug.

“Don’t imagine your ladies at home are going to be pleased with you,” Ewen said with a scoff. It wasn’t mean spirited though and Ban realized he had a point. Elim wasn’t supposed to stay with them so his family would be missing him in a few days.

“Ah, don’t worry about that. I talked it over with them before I left. I was always going to go and look around for things for Deux so I wasn’t heading right back anyway. My ma’ isn’t too happy with us not repaying her, what with her giving us so much,” Elim explained.

“If you say so,” Ban said with a shrug. It wasn’t truly his business in the first place and it was already arranged for. Really, even if it wasn’t, that wasn’t his problem. Still, he was going to stay clear of the man and his farm when they got back. A doe in a fret could kick down a tree and he didn’t imagine human females were any less formidable, even if they didn’t have the same kick strength.

“Though I will let them know before we get much further on about the change in plans,” Elim added, glancing at the sky. Above them a black hawk was circling lazily.

“Your mates got a nice talent, but it is soul shivering to be watched like that,” Joss said. Ewen discreetly socked him in the arm for being rude.

“Tiller really is something,” Elim said with a chuckle. “But she’s not my mate, still courting her.”

Ban looked at the fondness on Elims face as he looked up at the abomination hawk above them. It was kind of sweet, if a bit confusing. Lepusan courting was more or less just declaring you fancied each other and moving in together. Or sharing fires while they were on the run.

Not that Ban was sure that was how it had always been. He’d have to think about it and maybe ask around once they brought the elders back.