Tom almost missed the side path leading to the Carver house. For a would-be inn, they are really pretty well-hidden. I wonder how much of that is by design? They seem to like their privacy.

He guided the ox down the path, and it was a few minutes before they reached the house and yard in the middle of the forest. It was getting on towards late morning, and Tom didn't know whether they would be home. He felt responsible for warning them about the demons, however.

The Lord of the City told me to be quiet on pain of death, but he can't have meant that to last very long. He has to warn his people, and probably just didn't want me giving a garbled version, and starting rumors and panic before he could make a proper announcement.

Besides, Mark Carver took an entire ox in exchange for his silence. I think I'm going to tell him that that deal extends to keeping this quiet as well. I can't just pass them by and leave them ignorant, with demons in the woods!

“Master, where are we going?” Eubexa called, once they were bumping on the path crowded closely by trees.

Right, she wasn't with us last time. “We're stopping to visit with friends briefly, then we'll be on our way. If they're feeling generous, we might get a meal out of it, but I won't assume.”

“Understood, Master.”

“My name is Tom, Eubexa,” Tom tried again.

“Yes, Master.”

Tom sighed and rolled his eyes, then pulled up the wagon a short distance from the house. It was a large, rambling building that resembled a large inn. Varga stopped the other one behind them. Tom got down, and by the time he was approaching the front door, it was already opening.

Mark Carver stood in the entryway, looking curiously and warily at Tom while he walked up.

“Good morning, Mr. Carver.”

“Tom Walker, right?” Tom nodded and the man looked over Tom's clothes, the elves, and the wagons. “Life seems to be treating you well.”

“It is, indeed. We're headed south to Oak Mill, and I thought we would stop by for a quick visit. I have a bit of important news, if you're willing to keep it to yourselves.”

Mark raised an eyebrow. “That's easy enough, as we rarely get any visitors.”

“Who is it, Mark?” The familiar voice came from inside the house. Winnie Carver peered past Mark and got a big smile. “Orvan! Orvan, my love! You have returned to me!”

Mark turned to his wife. “You are insane, woman, have I told you that yet today?”

“Only twice, I must be slipping. Orvan!”

On their last visit, the very large human woman had taken a liking to Orvan, and had teased the taciturn elf endlessly. For his part, Orvan's faint smiles at her antics were the most humor Tom had yet seen from the man. The old elf was still grieving deeply for his wife, who died in the slaver raid on Kilder Vald nearly four months previously. Any sign of life from him was a positive, in Tom's soul.

That was exactly why the woman chose to harangue the old elf with her wild passionate declarations, despite Orvan not knowing enough Western to have much idea what she was saying.

“Greetings, Winnie,” Tom called. “We're not staying, but we come with news and a small gift.”

“A gift? Did Orvan get me a ring? Did...?” Winnie trailed off as she looked at Diavla, who had followed Tom to the door and was now showing off the ring on her finger, beaming. “Oh my goodness! Diavla! Darling! Did Tom make an honest woman out of you?”

“Started to, at any rate,” Tom told Winnie.

“Eubexa?” Diavla called. Eubexa shouted a translation in Elvish. Diavla listened to it, then smiled at Winnie. “Yes. Tom is a very good man. I am very happy.” Tom couldn't help but grin upon hearing that.

“Who is Eubexa?” Winnie asked.

“Another elf. She's fluent in Western, so she's been translating for us.” Tom tried to get himself back on track. “Is Joan around?”

“She's out herb-gathering, as usual,” Mark informed him.

That's right, the day we met was an exception, because of the heavy rain. Tom nodded. “Then I think the gift is probably best for her.” He turned to Diavla. “Amulet, please?” She pulled out the one she had filled and handed it over.

Tom held it out to the Carvers. “Do you know what this is?”

Mark frowned and took the offering. “Is this a magic amulet? For protection or something?”

“First try,” Tom conceded.

“What's it protect against?”

Tom took a long, deep breath, and both Carvers got serious expressions on their faces as they waited. He hesitated, trying and failing to think of any way to soften the blow, so he said it straight out:

“Demonic possession.”

Winnie looked horrified and took a couple of steps back. Mark Carver suddenly looked years older. “That's a pretty sick joke, Tom Walker,” he muttered angrily.

“I wish to the gods that I were joking.”

“Are you saying there's a demon on the loose? There's going to be another demon war?”

“It gets worse,” Tom warned.

Mark's eyes bugged out. “How, by all the gods, can it possibly get worse than that!?”

“There are three of them.”

“Three of what?” Mark looked confused.

Gods, it is hard to get the words out. Tom took another deep breath. “Three demons.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Mark stared at him, uncomprehending. Behind him, Winnie shook her head. “How could you possibly know that? Where did you hear this? Where did you get that amulet?”

“I got the amulet from the Rivermarch Guard. They dug it up out of storage for me. It's been filled. I'd give you three amulets, but I don't have that many to spare.”

“Winnie,” Mark said quietly. He held out the amulet to her. “Put this on. Now.” His tone said he would brook no argument. The large woman reached up and slipped the loop over her head, letting the amulet hang down into her enormous cleavage. Once he saw that was done, he turned to Tom with a glare. “Get in here and explain yourself.”

∘ ⛥ ⛯ ⛥ ∘

It only took Tom a few minutes to share what little he knew. Everyone except Eubexa was seated around the huge table in the main room. Tom wasn't sure whether to bring their translator inside; fear of her illness was a complication he was avoiding at the moment.

Mark was livid. “You brought demons through my land? Let them loose in my forest?”

Tom was quick to fight back. “I was a little busy almost dying at the time! Those idiot bandits are the ones that broke the seal! Two of them are probably paying for it by hosting demons.”

“And where did the third demon go!?”

“Not into us! We got tested at the Rivermarch Temple. Maybe it possessed a wolf or something until it could find better.”

“Why didn't it just take another bandit, then?”

“I don't know!” Tom yelled back. “Maybe it did! It's been driving me crazy trying to figure it out!”

Mark shook his head, got up, and started pacing. “A demon war. A demon war, here. Three demon wars!” Abruptly, he stopped and turned to face the table. “I'm going to go find Joan.”

“She went southwest today. She mentioned checking on the mushroom cave,” Winnie told him. “Go. I'll entertain our guests until you get back.”

“We can help search for her,” Tom offered.

“No, thank you,” Mark said a bit coldly. “This won't take me long.”

Tom sighed and nodded. Mark grabbed his cloak, put on his boots and stomped out, cautioning Winnie to bar the door behind him. The woman did so, then turned and faced the group.

“Who's hungry?”

∘ ⛥ ⛯ ⛥ ∘

Winnie set about cooking, pulling Orvan by the hand into the kitchen with her. Tom followed and stood in the doorway where he could see and talk to everyone. Varga chose to go back outside and keep Eubexa company, as well as saying hello to the Carvers' domestic beasts (including the ox the elves had traded to Mark Carver in exchange for his silence.)

When Tom explained Eubexa's condition, Winnie hesitated, then nodded. “If it was up to me, I'd say to bring her inside, but Mark and Joan are touchy about sickness. Normally I'd badger them about getting checked at a Temple, but with demons around, we're not going out on many errands.” She sighed. “I'll make up a plate she can keep.”

“Thank you.”

“So what is the story with Eubexa? How did you meet?”

Tom grimaced. “I think I'd rather wait and tell it all just once.”

“That bad, huh?” Tom nodded. “Well, what's her favorite food?”

“A lot of it.” Winnie snorted at his flippant answer. “I don't actually know, I'll go ask. But she really is packing it away, since she's gotten a lot of healing recently.”

“Oh, say no more—I know how hungry someone gets after magical healing. Find out what she likes and I'll see what I can do. Human food only, sorry.”

“Thank you.”

Tom went outside to the wagons, and found Eubexa lying down. Not sure whether she was napping or just resting her muscles, he cleared his throat softly.

“Yes, Master?”

“Ah. Winnie Carver is making food for us, and asked what your favorite human food is. Her soul feels very strongly about feeding people.”

Eubexa paused. “I don't know what would be rude to ask.”

“Well, what would you want if you could have anything humans cook?”

“Meat,” Eubexa responded at once. “Any kind of meat. But that's expensive to get a lot of, so something simple and cheap that she can make three portions of. Just about anything, so long as I can eat a lot of it.”

Tom furrowed his brow. “Didn't we get you three or four servings of breakfast?”

“Yes, Master. I'm sorry for being so greedy...”

“None of that. You're healing. Of course you need lots of food. Besides, I'm hardly one to talk, since I eat double meals just on normal days.”

Tom explained how Mark was going out to find Joan, and that he was giving the Carvers a filled Amulet of Protection. “Oh, Master, I've been reading about those. They only protect those not yet infected, and they temporarily halt the progress of the possession in those who are. If someone is already possessed, an amulet will have no effect.”

“Dark gods.” Tom scowled. “I was hoping that the amulets did more than that. I'll need you to read me that book soon.”

“Yes, Master.”

Tom thought hard. “Hopefully the Carvers will be fine. The demons started out days south of here, and the one I saw was headed east.”

“Do you think any of the demons headed for Rivermarch?”

Tom blanched at the question. I should have thought of that already. Why didn't I put myself in the shoes of the demons and try to guess what they would do?

He turned over the idea in his head. If I were a demon, and wanted to get myself established, where would I go? A big city? Maybe...but maybe not. He shook his head. “I just don't know enough to guess. If one of the demons did head to Rivermarch, it would have gotten there ahead of us, about a week ago. That would be a nightmare.”

A memory rose up from the bloody night of the bandit attack. Tom had followed the bandits, and hid when one left. The man was shaking his head and muttering something like, “no, no, got to get away, got to get away.” The bandit had also chosen not to take the road but rather to cross into the woods, heading east.

Was that the demon talking, or the poor devil possessed by it?

∘ ⛥ ⛯ ⛥ ∘

Winnie served up a rich, meaty stew, and everyone was grateful. Apparently, she and Orvan had gotten into a heated argument over the amounts of a couple of spices to use. “Our first lovers' quarrel,” she recited dramatically, as if she were in a play.

So as not to exclude Eubexa, the group moved outside and sat around the supply wagon, with the cover drawn back so the sickly elf could see everyone. She explained a bare minimum of her situation to Winnie, and everyone concentrated on eating, though Eubexa still did some translating between mouthfuls of stew. Tom finished two servings, and noted that when Eubexa also did soon after, Winnie immediately offered another bowlful.

“We really appreciate the meal, Winnie,” Tom told her, echoed immediately by the elves. He explained about their evening in Copper Road and leaving without a hot breakfast.

“Think nothing of it,” Winnie told him. “I don't get to cook for a group nearly so often as I would like. Plus, any time with my beloved Orvan is time well spent.”

Even Eubexa pronounced herself full eventually, and everyone else brought the dishes inside. Tom stepped out again and offered to cut firewood, but Winnie declined.

“I'm sorry, but Mark can be so fussy over a simple log. You never know when he's going to declare that there's something inside the wood that 'needs to be carved free.'” Winnie said the last in a false deep voice, mimicking her husband. “I do appreciate the offer.”

Diavla tapped him on the shoulder. “Tom. Mark and Joan come now.”

“You have good ears,” Tom told her, and Diavla promptly turned scarlet. He blinked. Oh. She's remembering this morning, when I...ahem. Tom felt his face heat as well. Varga made some kind of joke in Elvish, and Diavla told her to shut up. At this point, Tom was very familiar with that particular phrase in Elvish.

Mark and Joan emerged from the woods. Mark was carrying Joan's basket full of picked herbs and other plants. As they walked up, Tom beckoned them over to the wagons. He introduced the Carvers to Eubexa, and she told them a bit of her story with almost official detachment. She refused to lift her veil in response to Joan's curiosity. “Not before you've eaten,” she said flatly. Tom noted that none of the Carvers got too close to Eubexa.

Tom recounted what little they knew about the demons, and he could tell that Mark was getting angry with him. He is scared and wants to lash out at someone. There's a reason “don't shoot the messenger” is a rule thousands of years old.

So, once he had passed on all the information he could, he told the elves to get ready to leave. Winnie and Joan both quietly told Tom that they were very grateful for the warning, and for the amulet. Eubexa added a bit more information that she had apparently gained from Sir Kurt's book.

Finally, they said their goodbyes and got back on the road. Tom looked at the sky and considered how far they would be able to travel in the rest of the day. It's a long way to Oak Mill, yet.