“Who are they?” Adam asked as the group trekked along the King’s Road through the hilly forest. He could see a pair up ahead who had glanced the group’s way before pulling away into the forest.

“Tribesfolk,” Jurot replied. “We will go speak with them.”

“Alright.”

The trio of Iyrmen stepped forward along the King’s Road, while Adam glanced around. He had yet to trek this way previously, for this was the path north from River Hill, which apparently led to a place called South Shire.

‘To the north towards South Shire?’ Adam thought. ‘I’m bad enough at geography without this nonsense.’

“Deathsingers,” the young woman said, no later than in her thirties, while the other was a young man in his late twenties. The pair looked like any other Aldishman, pale skin, with brown hair and brown eyes. They wore thick furs and carried blades at their side, though they did not concern the Iyrmen one bit.

“You are so far from home?” Jurot asked.

“A cub of ours is missing.”

“Missing?”

“Some beasts came upon us suddenly, and our father took her to safety. We found him dead, and our sister nowhere to be seen. We followed her scent this far, but it has faded.”

It didn’t answer Jurot’s question, since they were still at least fifty miles away from their region, but he decided against prodding further. “We have not come across her.”

“Would you be willing to help us?” the young woman asked.

Jurot remained silent for a moment. “I am Jurot.”

“Kanya.”

“I have learned your name, Kanya,” Jurot said.

“I have learned your name, Jurot,” Kanya replied.

“I will speak with my brother,” Jurot stated, making no promises. “Come.”

Adam eyed up the pair as they approached with the Iyrmen. ‘Aldishmen? Just the pair?’

“They are looking for their little sister,” Jurot said.

“How little are we talking?” Adam asked.

“She is nearly one hundred moon cycles,” the woman said.

“About seven, then?” Adam replied, furrowing his brows, annoyed he had to do maths. “Alright, where did you last see her, and which way did she go?”

“She passed through…” the young woman’s eyes slowly passed through the party to Umbra. “Deathsinger?”

“Yes?”

The pair of strangers stared at Umbra, their noses twitching.

“She is with us,” Jurot said.

Kanya’s eyes met Jurot’s for a moment, before they returned back to Umbra. However, Umbra was looking off to one side, further west, through the forest.

“Hello?” Adam called.

Kanya remained frozen still in place, but she visibly relaxed, only for her head to snap to the side, her brother’s head doing the same. They tilted their heads, standing at the ready as they stared into the forest.

“Excuse me,” called a voice from the forest, a familiar voice.

Adam’s head turned to find himself staring at a tall, pencil thin man, with a crow atop his head. “Crowseer?”

Peeking from behind Crowseer’s leg was a young girl, who quickly pounced upon all fours towards her siblings. She hid behind them, her head buried against her sister’s back to hide herself. She was clean, and didn’t seem as though she had been lost in the forest for any length of time.

“Pleasant greetings,” Crowseer said, flashing a smile from behind his light cloth mask. “I hope you have all been well.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Weren’t you heading north?”

“I was heading where I was heading,” Crowseer replied.

“…” Adam looked to Jurot, who was equally as confused.

Crowseer probably walked around the land, meaning it was nigh on impossible for him to be here. Unless he turned and walked directly through the forest and the hills to this area, but then why would he head north along the road?

“It seems Fate has brought us together once more,” Crowseer said, smiling. Cold pierced his heart, a threat unravelling.

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Thank you,” Kanya said, before retreating away with her brother and sister, a swiftness taking their feet that Adam hadn’t ever seen before.

“It was my pleasure,” Crowseer replied towards the retreating Tribesfolk.

“You’re a nice guy, Crowseer,” Adam said.

“Thank you.”

“A little weird, but nice.”

“We have much in common.”

“…” Adam looked back towards his companions, sighing gently. “When you’re right, you’re right.”

Crowseer smiled towards Umbra, before bowing his head. “A pleasure to see you too.”

Umbra slowly nodded towards the Idol who she had last met only recently. “You should scamper away before I change my mind.”

Crowseer flashed another smile, before bowing his head, Maurice pulled back slightly. The Idol stepped around the group, and made his way along the King’s Road.

Jurot kept his thoughts in his mind, and once they reached South Shire, he would need to confirm what he had learnt previously.

“I’m not sure how I feel about seeing him so quickly after the previous time,” Adam admitted.

Jurot slowly bowed his head. It was one thing for them to meet him once, and then once every few years, but to meet him twice within roughly a month? Jurot and Adam exchanged a knowing look.

“Alright, let’s keep on keeping on.” Adam chuckled nervously, hoping it didn’t mean anything too serious. ‘Me and my luck.’

Omen: 2, 14

Large fences surrounded the fields around South Shire, which started a mile away from the city, and continued past the city, along the rolling hills in the distance. The city’s outermost walls were shorter than the other towns and cities he had visited, but there were several walls within the city which were slightly larger.

“The breadbasket of Aldland,” Jurot said, nodding his head towards the fields.

“They say every Aldishman eats bread with South Shire’s wheat before they turn ten,” Rick said, looking out across the land to the thousands of farmers working hard on the fields.

“Have you?”

“I have. We can spend weeks adventuring because our families won’t starve immediately, but if we spend too long, we will fall behind in our tax payments.”

“Right, tax,” Adam said. “Speaking of taxes, I don’t think I’ve paid any taxes?”

“Every time you receive your rewards you’re taxed,” Rick said.

“Ah.”

“Adventurers can pay the most and the least in taxes,” Rick said. “The gate fees also strike adventurers the worst. It’s usually one copper per head for most people, and for most adventurers. Sometimes it’s a silver, like during war time, but for adventurers? During war time it’s a gold per head.”

“Fair enough. How much do you usually pay in taxes?”

“One gold per head for each adult in the household, but we also have to pay for the land we work, and the land we live on. All the land within Aldland belongs to the royal family of Blackwater, so everyone has to pay the land tax to them.”

“Sounds like a lot of tax.”

“Roughly half our income,” Rick said, nodding his head. “Still, we can eat our fill, and can spend a few days drinking without much worry.”

“And saving for school?”

“If you’re lucky.”

Adam eyed up the five riders who made their way towards the group. Each wore chain, like their steeds, though they also wore plate armour over it, though their legs were also covered in steel. They wielded long spears in one hand, holding the reins of their mighty steeds in the other, and each carried more weapons at their side.

“Halt!” came a shout from one of the riders, while they slowed down in front of the group. The heavily armoured riders wore a tabard over their armour which was bronze in colour, with two S’s, though they were staggered in a way that each was in the centre, but the left S was higher, and the right lower. “State your names and your business.”

“Adam, of Fate’s Golden,” Adam replied, motioning a hand to his companions. “We’ve come to pass through.”

“Where are you headed to?”

“West Fort.”

“What is your business in West Fort?”

Adam looked to Jurot, unsure if this was an appropriate amount of questioning. “First of all, who are you?”

“What?”

“Who are you? You’re asking a lot of questions, but you haven’t introduced yourselves.”

The heavily armoured riders glanced between one another, while Jurot spoke up. “They are guards of South Shire.”

“Oh.” Adam blinked. “Just making sure. Uh, we have friends in West Fort that we’re meeting.”

“How long do you plan to stay in South Shire.”

“A night, I think?” Adam looked to his companions. “I don’t want to take too long getting to West Fort, we’re in a bit of a rush.”

“Why are you in such a rush.”

“Well…” Adam looked to his companions, wondering if he should say it. “What’s with all these questions.”

“Just making sure you’re above board. If you have nothing to hide, then you should be able to answer my questions. If you’re hesitant, it means you have something to hide, and we might not be willing to let you inside the walls of South Shire.”

“Alright, fair, I suppose. We’re in a rush to help a friend of ours with a missing friend of his. Magic can’t seem to reach her, but we’re not sure if she’s dead. I’d like to do it quickly, so I can eventually return back to the Iyr.”

“Back to the Iyr?” the guard asked, eyeing up all the Iyrmen. “What business do you have with the Iyr?”

“My children are in the Iyr and they’ll be turning one.”

“Excuse me?”

“This here is Jurot. He’s my brother. I’m not an Iyrman. I have children in the Iyr being looked after by his family. Their first birthday is soon. I’d like to be there on that day. Jurot’s grandfather is fighting the war. He won’t be there for their birthday. He adores the twins a lot, they’re adorable after all. When he comes back from the war, after missing their birthday, I’m going to bully him. I can only do that if I manage to get there on time.”

“…”