Mmm, I guess I'm not as good at deflecting as I thought. I thought with my arms folded, sitting on a bench inside one of the guardhouse cells.

Things hadn't turned out the way I wanted them to and just moments after the fight had stopped a group of five armed people wearing the Guard's emblem had made their presence known in the tavern.

I had to admit that they restored order with a speed and precision I had not expected. None of the patrons made any trouble and followed the directions they were given, though perhaps it was less the effect the Guard had and more the intimidation factor of the minotaur lady eyeing everyone with a silent threat in her gaze that if they tried anything they would not like the consequences.

Sadly, as he had already been pointed out as part of the cause of the disturbance he had been apprehended while the accusations were being verified.

Of course, at no time did I think of resisting. Although I did not like the situation, I had nothing to hide, nor did I wish to fall on the wrong side of the law, as it would only end up harming me further.

At least I could be thankful that while the Guard had been firm when arresting us, they had not been antagonistic or abusive at any time. Their manner had been rather detached and professional as we were escorted to their headquarters for processing, after which we were placed in a couple of cells — fortunately the other three in a separate one from mine — while we awaited a ruling or whatever.

Thinking about it, a grimace came over my face.

If I was finding it hard to get a job before because I was an unknown, I was sure that by tomorrow my chances would have diminished even more after the fight.

I didn't know if it worked the same way, people in Arbordale didn't seem to share the same sense of community as in Underhill, but gossip always tended to spread as fast as flames in dry grass no matter where it was.

"It'll be what it's meant to be... There's nothing I can do about it." I grumbled under my breath and decided to try to put my worry aside and try to get some rest, leaning back on the bench and closing my eyes.

I had no idea how long they were going to make me wait, but there was no way I was going to sacrifice my sleep by staying awake for them.

= = = = = = = = = =

The sound of footsteps on the stone floor caused my ears to twitch and my mind to awaken from its drowsy state into full alertness.

I didn't know how long I had dozed and opening my eyes and glancing up at the small barred window from where I could glimpse the night sky didn't help me determine the time much considering it was already late when we were brought in, but from the snoring coming from the cell adjacent I was going to assume it had been at least a few hours.

Meh, not that it mattered much either. At least I'd managed to get some shut-eye for a while and I didn't feel as exhausted and annoyed as before; so, with a slightly more relaxed attitude I turned my gaze to the bars of my cell the moment I heard the footsteps coming closer.

They were caused by a pair of guards wearing light armour and carrying spears who approached and stopped in front of my cell.

"The Custodian will see you now." One declared as his companion unlocked my cell.

I merely nodded and stood up silently, rubbing my trousers to remove some non-existent dust before walking towards them.

"Um, is it too much to ask if I'm in trouble?" I asked in my best friendly tone as I tried to cover the nerves I was beginning to feel.

"You'll sort that out with the Custodian." The guard replied in a serious voice and face and gestured with his head. "Let's go."

"Oh, okay then." I said and started walking in the direction he indicated with one of them taking up position in front while the other behind me.

Leaving the dungeon section, we climbed stairs and passed through corridors, and with every step I took the uneasiness in my chest grew by the second.

I knew it would only make the situation worse, but it was the first time in two lifetimes that I had been arrested and I couldn't stop my overactive mind from conjuring up worst-case scenarios, causing my nerves to increase and my ears to twitch every which way.

By the time we stopped in front of a wooden door with the word 'Custodian' engraved in silver letters the only reason my fur wasn't soaked was because the Bunyar were incapable of sweating.

The guard at the front raised a fist and rapped the door softly twice. "Sir, we bring in the Bunyar as requested."

"Come in." Replied a voice from inside and the guard opened the door and motioned for me to enter.

Gulping, I entered what was clearly a large office with a shelf full of books on one side and a window on the other from which I could see the lights of the city lamps out of the corner of my eye. And in the back a wooden desk with a couple of chairs at its front and sitting behind it a man, apparently human, well-groomed with brown hair and beard and a sturdy build whose stoic gaze was trained on me.

Unnerving!

"Have a seat." He gestured towards the chairs in front of him. "Rogar. Oswen. Dismissed."

The guards thumped their chests in unison and closed the door behind me, leaving me alone with the aforementioned Custodian.

Glancing at the chairs and following the clear command I approached the seat — which was not designed with people of my size in mind — and hopped up to sit down while trying to move as little as possible to accommodate myself in front of the man.

Now that I had him up close I noticed a few things, such as the Custodian wearing blue robes with grey fur trim with the symbol of the Guard embroidered in gold on his chest or the great sword hanging behind him on the wall. However, most of my attention was on the pair of green eyes that stared at me with an intensity that made me feel as if I was facing a predator. It was as if his gaze was silently dissecting me and although I lacked the 'common sense' of the rest of my people I felt my body vibrating with nervous energy. Asking me to do something, anything!

With difficulty I swallowed saliva in my suddenly dry throat and took a breath of air to try to calm my anxiety.

So much could depend on the development of this conversation. I could feel it in my fur; so, I had to measure my words carefully and thoughtfully if I wished to come out of this well.

"Great beard, ten out of ten, I approve."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Mouth, why hast thou forsaken me!

After uttering that I remained still in my place. It was more appropriate to say that my body had frozen with dread. How could I have thought of starting with that?! Brain! Where are you when you are needed?! At this point I couldn't trust either of them so I opted to keep quiet, lest I put my foot in my mouth any deeper than it already was.

The Custodian and I stood staring at each other in silence for what seemed like an eternity, but surely was no more than a few seconds, when the man blinked slowly and let out a grunt from deep in his throat before turning his gaze to some papers on his desk which he proceeded to arrange in his hands.

"Your name is Noah Howlite, of the town of Underhill Correct?"

"Um, that's correct, sir." I nodded.

"Five days ago you entered Arbordale, after which you have been seen touring the town, visiting various establishments until culminating in your entry into the tavern ‘the Horn of Plenty’, where you ordered and I quote 'a glass of water and a vegetable stew', after which you were part of an altercation that resulted in a violent confrontation and property damage." The man raised his gaze in my direction. "Correct?"

I frowned slightly and nodded slowly. "In short? That's correct; however, I want to state for the record that I didn't start the fight." I crossed my arms and, despite still feeling nervous, I wasn't going to let that stop me from giving my side of the story. "I accept that I threw the first punch, I won't deny it; but it was in response to verbal attacks and threats from one of the men who were brought in with me if I didn't hand over my place to them."

The Custodian observed me silently for a few seconds and I returned his gaze until the man nodded.

"Your words have been noted and are consistent with the testimony of several witnesses as to what happened. As such, this altercation falls under the act of self-defence."

I blinked and, feeling my anxiety diminish considerably at those words, I allowed myself to relax a touch and lean my back against the back of the seat. "What exactly does that mean, sir?"

The Custodian lowered the papers onto the table as he separated one from the pile. "It means that aside from your brief stay in the dungeon there will be no imprisonment or other reprisal under the charge of 'Disturbing the Peace'," I let out a sigh upon hearing that, "however, there is still the matter of 'Damage to Private Property', which amounts to monetary compensation — reduced for not being the instigator — to the owner of the establishment." The man slid the paper in my direction and I leaned forward to take a good look at it.

My eyes widened, my ears straightened and my jaw dropped when I saw the amount.

This is small!!! IT'S PRACTICALLY HALF THE MONEY I HAVE LEFT!

"By your expression, am I correct in saying that the amount is still considerable?" I looked up from the Paper of Doom and found the Custodian with his hands clasped on top of his desk.

"Ah, yes. I mean, I can cover it, but..." I glanced at the number again and winced. "It's going to hurt a bit."

"This is a good segue, then, to my next question. What's a Bunyar doing in Arbordale? From what I understand, they're not the type to visit the city often, much less interested in getting jobs like you seem to be."

I pressed my lips together and thought about how much I could say. If the title and the respect he seemed to command was any indication the man in front of me was an important law-enforcement figure so I couldn't just keep quiet.

In the end I opted to reveal just enough. "It's a personal matter. Let's just say I'm more adventurous than the rest of my people and wished to try life outside the burrow-town and leave it at that."

Again, we just stared at each other. This time I could see that the Custodian was trying to see if he could get more from me, but on this point I wasn't going to waver. I think he picked up on my feelings and accepted them as he resumed talking soon after.

"I understand. Your reasons will be your own and, apart from the incident at the tavern, we have received no complaints or inconveniences related to you so there is nothing preventing you from staying in the city." And, at last, I felt my body lose the rest of its tension and if I wasn't sitting and facing the man I was sure I would have fallen face first to the ground. I could feel the adrenaline receding and the tiredness I hadn't recovered with my unplanned nap slowly creeping in. "However, it's important for you to know that after today your employment prospects are likely to be even slimmer." Only to send the tiredness flying with a mental kick after comprehending the Custodian's words.

A grimace came over my face as I realised that my fears were going to be actualised. "Damn it..." I muttered between my teeth.

"I see you understand the situation. The best thing would be for you to return to Underhill," my grimace became more pronounced, "but if you wish so much to remain above ground your best alternative would be to try your luck outside the city."

"Outside as in another city?" The man nodded slowly and narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Tell me, how much do you know about the rest of the Basin?"

"Um..." I fidgeted in my seat and scratched the back of my neck. "To be honest with you, sir, not much. Beyond knowing that Arbordale was close to the burrow-town and that we live in some hills within a mountain range, well... that." I shrugged. "Oh! And that the surface is dangerous," I crossed my arms again, "but the truth is that for my people anything that lives outside of Underhill is considered dangerous so I don't know how true that is."

"Very." Said the Custodian earnestly in a tone that gave no room for doubt and drew the attention of my eyes and ears. "Make no mistake, the Basin is a place of abundant danger where monsters and bandits lurk outside the city-states' areas of influence, making travel from one to the other both risky and expensive."

"How much is expensive?" I was already dreading the answer and I was correct when the Custodian told me the usual fare for caravans leaving for the nearest city. "That much?!"

The man nodded in commiseration. "Indeed. You must bear in mind that it takes weeks of travel where the chances of encountering a beast are not few so a protective detail is more than necessary. It is your best option. That or go back to your town." And the truth was that it was. If I wasn't going to be able to get a job in the city it was best to try my chances in another one that hadn't had contact with the Bunyar, which was all the others. The problem was the price.

With what I had left I couldn't even make it to half the fare....

I bit my lip and frowned in deep contemplation. If I stayed here there was no way I'd get the funds, on the contrary, they would diminish with each passing day until I was left without a copper!

As for going back to Underhill? Not a chance! What, so I keep getting wary looks from all sides? No, I'd had enough with the last five years, thank you very much.

"What will you do then?" The Custodian's voice snapped me out of my reverie and I saw that he was watching me curiously.

I snorted with laughter, what else could I do?

"Well, haggle." The Custodian raised an eyebrow. "I'll see if I can get a deal to lower the fare. Maybe as a helper or a cleaner or something like that? Maybe I'll get lucky, eh? No harm in asking, and the worst they can say to me is no."

The man hummed consideringly. "And if not?"

At that I let out a sigh and shrugged my shoulders. "Well, I don't know, sir." I frowned. "I'll have no choice but to go on my own." I let out a snort. "Not that I'm too excited about travelling alone if it's as dangerous as you say it is, but at this point I don't have much of a choice. If I have to risk it then I'm going to." I stated with conviction, my eyes narrowing and back firm as I was already making a list in my head of the things I was sure I was going to need. Knowing my luck, I had little doubt that I was going to have to make the journey alone.

Maybe it won't be so bad, I mean, I can be pretty fast when I need to be so escaping danger isn't out of the question.

Nodding to myself I focused on the Custodian, who had leaned back in his seat and was looking contemplative.

I opened my mouth to ask if there was anything else to discuss or if I could go and rest when the man spoke. "Perhaps there is another option." And I closed it, cocked my head to one side with my ears perked and my nose wiggled, "To the northwest there is a settlement about a week's wagon ride away, in the Elderpine Forest. The place is no more than a year old and is always ready to welcome people who wish to settle and make a new life. The town is relatively close and maintains active trade with Arbordale so you shouldn't find it difficult to make a living."

"Um, I see." I commented and ran my hand through the fur on my chin. "What's the catch?" Because it sounded like the place fit my needs perfectly, but the man hadn't mentioned it right off the bat until this moment.

"'Good." The Custodian said and I noticed a hint of approval in his tone. Huh? "Though low, unlike Arbordale, the people in Elderpine Forest are at risk of attack at any time and so it is assumed that all inhabitants should be ready to offer their support in its defence." The Custodian's gaze fixed on mine with increased intensity. "Are you willing to fight to protect the town if needed?"

"Just that?" I couldn't help but let out a snort as I raised my nose and crossed my arms. "Bah, you know I'm willing to defend myself, I'm here for a reason. You think I'm not going to do my part to defend my home? I'm not a coward.” I said vehemently. In my head I had already decided that this was my best option. So, I was going to try my luck, save money and buy books to become a wizard!

The man said nothing for a few moments until he finally nodded.

"Very well. In two days the next caravan will leave for the settlement and you will be able to join without charge. With that said, it is time to close our conversation." The Custodian rested his hands on the desk and rose from his seat; and I blinked as I saw that the man with the dangerous aura was quite a bit shorter than normal for a human. Not that it diminished at all how intimidating his presence still was, I was still confident in my assessment that he could break me in two if he wanted to.

The Custodian rounded his desk and headed towards the entrance to his office, and I hurried to slide out of my seat and follow him. "Um, if it's not too much trouble, sir. What about my things?"

"They'll be waiting for you in the entrance hall." He said without turning around, opened the door and let me through, to which I continued walking until I was out and then turned back to him.

"Thank you, sir, for the good treatment and your suggestions. I hope you have a good night and that all goes well for you." I extended an open hand in his direction and smiled, "As we say in my land, may the Lady of the Seasons guide your steps and provide you with good lands."

The man glanced at my hand and after a second extended his own and reciprocated the gesture. A single firm handshake after which we parted.

"Have a good journey and a good life, Noah Howlite. And try to stay out of trouble while you're here." To which I laughed and scratched the back of my neck unable to really make any promise, but the Custodian didn't seem to expect a response as he simply stepped back inside his office and closed the door.

And I immediately let out a sigh and bent forward. "Hah~ what a day..." I turned around and started my way to the entrance hall. "Man, all I want right now is to get my stuff and go to the inn and sleep until the next day... That mattress looked really comfy~."

And with that thought in my head it didn't take me too long to get my backpack — the guards on duty very kindly returning everything to me after corroborating that nothing was missing, but not before paying my share for the damage to the tavern — and leaving the guardhouse to make my way through the well-lit streets of Arbordale until I reached the inn where I was staying, where I gave a half-salute to the innkeeper on duty and went straight to the room I was renting where I finally fell asleep in less than an instant.