The wooden door groaned as Garreth pulled it open. The few people inside turned to look at the knight and squire as they entered. Their footsteps kicked up small amounts of dust as the floor was sod. A few rudimentary tables were scattered about and the lone window on the north wall was dirty. Flecks of grime and dust covered the small panes. A group of old men sat in the corner. Dice and cups were placed at the table in front of them and they slowly got back to their game. There was a counter that ran four feet short of the width of the building. The surface was rough and dark. Splintered wood could be seen at the edges. Small oak barrels sat horizontally on shelves behind. They were tapped, likely the source of the mead the sign outside stated. A lone woman stood in a modest, floor-length copper-colored dress behind the counter.

Garreth walked up to her. He did not lean on the wood but stood firm, his arms at his sides. Mathias stood just behind him but kept his attention on the men in the corner. Their game was getting louder as they diced. Yells and jeers lept periodically from the participants.

“Hail,” Garreth said.

“Hail,” the woman replied.

She was older but still behind Garreth’s age. Her eyes were narrow, and dark lines of beauty could be seen just beneath them. She was slim and vascular. Her veins textured the tops of her hands which gave way to thin fingers. Her olive skin suggested she was no stranger to the sun and the lines of age on her face supported that. She pressed her rose-colored lips together as Garreth continued his query.

“We’re looking for some information,” Garreth said.

“You must be,” she replied. “It has been some time since any of Caelum’s knights have passed through Briar.”

Garreth was prepared for mention of his status. He was still wearing armor that bore the symbol of his king. The plates of the armor would have been unusual for someone not in the royal army. The metal used was tough and expensive. It wasn’t something commoners often had access to. Even if they could smelt it, it took a skilled craftsman to put the set together. The armor of the rural villages tended to be leather reinforced with quilted fabric or cloth.

“If we don’t get the information we are looking for I’m afraid we may be the last of Caelum’s knights you ever see here,” Garreth said.

The woman’s eyes widened in a slight surprise. Garreth knew the openness he displayed only improved their chances of the villagers helping their cause. Some knights did not want the struggles and politics of the kingdom at the mercy of the public. Garreth reasoned it differently. The peasants here had every reason to support the kingdom if it was struggling. While there was resentment from the taxes they paid to Caelum, the kingdom provided support in return. Soldiers to defend the village in times of attack, additional resources if there was a blight or famine, and of course the sporadic offerings of silver from knights and nobles passing through on official kingdom business. It was a relationship that kept both sides in check. Other kingdoms that did not support the towns and villages within them were often subject to uprisings and revolts, something Caelum rarely had to deal with during his rule.

Of course, a simple revolt or uprising might have been the preferred option to the position the kingdom was currently in. It was a simple matter for a king to give a quick tax holiday or to send a small group of soldiers to scare off a group of villagers in rags with sticks and bows. It was anything but a simple matter to deal with what they were dealing with now. For one there was no precedent, in all of Garreth’s years he could not recall a time when the dead were rising from the ground. It was also hard to fight an enemy that one could not see. The one casting this wicked magic was a significant distance away from the castle.

“It’s something dire then?” The woman questioned.

Mathias gave Garreth a curious look. It reassured Garreth. A knight’s squire was not just an assistant, they were also a way of keeping a knight in check. He would reveal enough of the situation to get information but not enough to create panic. Garreth reasoned internally. The villages and farms would be of no interest to whatever was attacking the castle. Garreth did not know for sure but he knew this attack meant something more than to cause death and chaos.

“Dire could describe our situation,” Garreth replied. “But this village has nothing to worry about, we are simply passing through.”

It was a true statement, although there was a slight inaccuracy. The castles, and those that lived inside them like the knights, kings, lords, ladies, and staff were loyal to their kings and queens. A village held that loyalty but only in the form of duty. Did it matter to them if their taxes went to King Caelum or Harvuun of the northern beast men? Did it matter if their crops fed Garreth or a barbarian scout from one of the roving tribes?

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That being said the standard could change. Garreth figured Caelum was a fair ruler; only as cold and calculated as he needed to be to preserve power. He knew his experiences with Caelum were marred by his loyalty and what he was allowed to witness but he wasn’t convinced life for the rural villages would be any better under a different ruler. Caelum left them to their own devices, and villagers could retain wealth, their young men, and the chastity of their women. Other rulers were not so kind.

“We are looking for any lamia,” Garreth said. He chose his words carefully. This village likely had been harmed by the snake women before. The very word made the woman’s face turn from neutral to disgust.

“To kill I hope,” she replied. “They eat our livestock and assault our people on the roads after dark.”

She brought her arm down and picked up something behind the counter, dropping it on the bar. It was a hatchet. The handle was surrounded with thin leather strips, providing a textured grip for the person who wielded it. It was simple, and no inscription could be seen on the blade or the metal that made up the uncovered part of the handle. The blade itself contained a wicked curve on both ends of the wedge. It was sharpened.

“I keep this here in case one ever gets bold enough to come through these tavern doors,” she said.

“You’re smart to do that,” Garreth said. “They are deceitful creatures.”

“If you want to find a lamia,” the woman continued, “Take the main road out of the village after dark, try to look like travelers.”

She took the hatchet and put it back down on the floor.

“Send the squire, I do not think they would try to attack a knight.”

Garreth stole a look at Mathias out of the corner of his eye. While his expression was still somewhat neutral, Garreth noted the lack of color in his complexion and his upturned eyes. This would be yet another test for Mathias.

Garreth thanked the woman for her information and procured a few coins. He set them on the counter as the woman thanked him and the pair walked back outside to Garreth’s horse.

“Take these coins,” Garreth said. Mathias held out his hand and Garreth transferred a few from one of the pouches on the horse to the squire’s outstretched palm.

“This is too much for clothing,” Mathias said. “Am I to buy weapons too?”

“We will overpay,” Garreth replied. “I see it as an extension of our duty, and of the kingdom’s duty to these people.”

“What do you mean?” Mathias asked.

Garreth smiled. It was clear to him but he understood that this could be a teaching moment for Mathias.

“Look around, Mathias, would you say this is an impressive village?”

Mathias looked suspiciously at Garreth. It was clear he chose his words carefully.

“Well, to be honest, no,” Mathias said. “My home village was small but it was bigger than this one.”

Garreth nodded. “These people are poor, that is true,” he said. “To Caelum, a village like this is nothing more than the silver they give to his coffers.”

“So why give them more money than they deserve?” Mathias asked.

“It isn’t that simple, imagine if they refused to help us. How would we find the sorcerer? In a way, this village will be responsible for saving the kingdom,” Garreth replied. “Without their clothing and information about the lamia, we will not find the spellcaster.”

Mathias looked at the ground.

“Do not be ashamed for thinking differently, Mathias,” Garreth said. “Just know that everything works together, a piece of armor is only as strong as its weakest link.”

Mathias said nothing but raised his gaze to meet Garreth’s eyes. The squire appeared youthful, but Garreth could tell the experience of the last few days had already aged his mind.

“Go, find some clothing,” Garreth said. “I need to prepare some things here.”

Mathias nodded and walked up the main path of the village. There were sheep and cattle raised nearby so Garreth knew clothing could be procured easily. He stepped towards the saddle bags. If they were going to negotiate with the lamia, they would need to have a different appearance. Garreth had fought Lamia before. They weren’t skilled fighters but they could be tricky, using their hypnotic reptilian eyes to charm foes into inaction. Some of them spit venom too. Garreth knew of rumors that claimed some species of lamia were so poisonous they could bring down ten men at a time.

The disguises were somewhat of a necessity. The Lamia were primitive creatures but appeared to understand the nature of human organization. As such, they did not prefer to do business with the human kingdoms of the world. Instead what business they had was solely with local powers like villages and passing garrisons.

He was not sure the mountain lamia were like that but it was something that had to be anticipated. There was another issue. Garreth wasn’t sure if they would be able to understand her. Observed groups of lamia appeared to communicate primarily through body language, although they did appear to know rudimentary English, at least enough to tempt humans with the allure of secrets. They also secreted musks and odors to communicate dangers and warnings. Pheromones. That was the term Garreth learned as a boy when he was studying. Knights had to prepare for any dangers they could face thus they received a comprehensive education on the beasts and monsters of the land.

Garreth grabbed a small piece of leather that surrounded one of the flasks. It acted as a grip or protective cover but he figured they would get a better use out of it. He took a roll of twine and cut a length that measured about twice the width of the leather strip. Garreth procured a needle and thread from another pocket of the saddle bag and sat, holding the materials still in his lap.

They needed something to account for the lamia’s poison in case the simple negotiation went south. Garreth put the piece of twine up against the leather strip, in the center, and rolled the leather back over itself trapping the twine within. Keeping it bent backward, he used the needle and thread to stitch the leather to itself, permanently sealing the twine in the leather strip.

The result of his handiwork was a crude bit. They would use this to secure the lamia’s fangs in the leather. The attached rope could be tied around the back of her head to secure it in place. The excess rope would bind the creature’s limbs to prevent any swipes from its sharp claws or a fistful of gravel thrown into Garreth or Mathias’s eyes.

He took some time to sharpen his sword and would have Mathias do the same upon his return. If negotiations failed, they would do whatever it took to get the sorcerer’s location from the lamia. Failure was not an option.