Along a trade road, just outside the Forest of Whispers, sat the village of Woodridge. The village was fairly unremarkable, owing its existence solely to being the last safe haven before entering the forest. The village consisted of little more than crop fields, a town green, a meeting hall, a couple small shops, an inn, and a few dozen houses. Though the town was simple, the people were generally happy, today more so than normal.
It was a cool, overcast day. The sky was so cloudy that barely a shadow was cast on the ground. Though cloudy, there wasn’t even a hint of rain in the air. The villagers had a saying about days like this, “On a day in which your shadows fade, ply your trade. But beware, watch your daughters with extra care.”
For many years, as long as this village has been here, days like this have tended to bring merchants. The town would be extra busy and business would be good. This fortune came at a cost though, every few years one of the young women from the village would vanish without a trace. People assumed they simply ran off with a traveling merchant as they would often return years later without explanation and with plenty of gold.
“This way good Sir!” called the innkeeper’s daughter as she cheerfully pranced down the street. She was leading a particularly well dressed merchant to the inn. He arrived by foot, wearing sturdy yet fine clothing. His cloak had a light shine to it, likely spelled to protect from the elements. His boots were strong and sturdy with fresh soles. He was fairly young, and obviously strong based on the traveling pack he effortlessly carried. Every time the girl glanced over her shoulder to ensure he was still following she quickly turned away with a blush. The fact that he traveled alone without fear spoke volumes of his abilities as well. Though the trade routes are patrolled, they still have plenty of dangers.
“It's really amazing that you are traveling alone! You must have seen so much!”
He smiled as he followed though he didn’t speak. The girl didn’t mind though, she wasn’t sure what she would do if he actually spoke. When they arrived at the inn he finally broke his silence, “Thank you my lady, it was a pleasure being escorted by such a beauty.” He paused and looked into her eyes as he pressed a coin into her hand. “When you come of age in a few years I certainly hope we meet again.”
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Blushing, she ran off to the kitchen to hide her embarrassment. She peeked around the door and watched as he approached her father at the counter to inquire about a room. The innkeeper greeted him gruffly, suspicious after watching his interaction with his child. “Welcome traveler, what brings you here?”
“The sights, the sounds, the girls...” He trailed off as the man openly glared at him. “Forgive me, I jest. I’m simply looking to stay the night. I have an important message to deliver and hope to resume my journey at dawn.” He carefully placed several gold coins on the table, more than enough to cover a night’s stay and dinner. “Will this be enough to cover my stay?”
“Aye, that’s plenty, provided you watch your words around my family. I don’t aim for my daughter to be spirited away!”
“You have my word, your daughter is safe from me.”
“Fine then,” he placed a heavy brass key on the counter. “The room is the first door up the stairs and dinner is at dusk.”
The merchant thanked the man before heading to this room.
The excitement over, the innkeeper's daughter quickly ran back outside. The day was still early and more travelers might arrive. She wandered towards the town common, watching as the villagers set up their shops hopeful about what the day would bring. The girl was quick to tell everyone she saw about the merchant as she showed off the silver coin she’d been given.
The blacksmith took particular interest, looking at it closely. The coin was as long as your thumb and the faces were faded with age. One side was etched with a pair of wings and the other had some sort of star. It was clearly silver, but he had no idea where it came from. He warned her to be extra careful with it, it was likely worth more than she thought.
She ran off excitedly on hearing that. Not looking where she was going, she turned the corner next to the meeting hall and crashed into the person hiding there. “Eep! Sorry! Sorry!” She panicked.
The young woman barely reacted. In a quiet voice she simply said “It's fine, don’t worry...” She brushed off her long white dress, making sure it was ok, and adjusted the ring of flowers in her hair before her sad eyes finally met the girl’s gaze.
“Oh! Wow! You look beautiful!” The girl gushed. “Are you getting married? Is that a wedding dress?”
With a fake smile she replied, “unless I get spirited away before the morning.” Giving a half-hearted wave she walked away and the innkeeper’s daughter resumed her walk through the village with even more news to share.