The walk out of the forest was silent. Violet could tell that Kenrich was still mentally recovering from his first of what would end up being many bloody battles and decided to give him some space. She remembers her first time being covered in blood and guts and how she didn’t fare much better even though it didn’t really phase her now. She was only 16 at the time of her first expedition into enemy territory. She remembered how it felt like she lost a part of herself the second her blade had pierced the neck of a boy who looked not much older than herself. Violet felt that she was better off without that part of her, especially if this mission was going to be successful, but somewhere deep inside her, she also wonders what would happen if she never joined the military at all and refused to follow her parents' wishes. It was pointless to think about this now, but she was doing her best to try and relate to Kenrich and the internal struggle he was dealing with now.
They made their way to the gate and immediately, Leonard and Lenfil could tell something had happened but seeing that they were both in one piece, they assumed rightfully that it was good news.
“How’d it go?” Lenfil asked. “We ‘eard a large crash, so can we assume that something was out there?”
“It was an ogre, you useless lout,” Violet said without stopping.
“Is-is it done for?!” Leonard said nervously.
Violet held out a large, dismembered finger without turning around. She heard a sigh of relief from behind her as they continued walking towards the guild hall.
The sun was starting to set, but Violet figured that there would be no problem collecting the bounty now that there was still light. They had to make sure and strike a deal for a horse as soon as possible after all. Kenrich was still silently following behind as they opened the door to the guild seeing the two familiar faces they hoped would still be around.
“Nice to see you both in one piece!” Geralt said. “Did you end up fulfilling the request, or did you have a question for us?”
“The request has been fulfilled,” Violet said. “Here’s the proof-”
Violet laid down several goblin spears as well as the ogre finger that dwarfed them.
“I see…” Geralt said. “An ogre commander?”
“Correct,” Violet responded. “It and the goblins are no longer a threat to the city.”
“I’m very impressed. I didn’t take you two for such adept warriors, but I’m very happy to be wrong. We greatly appreciate your service. Let me get you that reward.”
Geralt went to the backroom after picking up the proof that Violet had laid out. While they were waiting, Seriph, who was sitting in a chair pulled up to the outside of the reception desk, broke the silence between Violet and Kenrich.
“It was your first real fight, huh?” Seriph said to Kenrich. Violet looked upset by Seriph’s tone and decided to answer for him.
“People aren’t usually surrounded by blood and guts,” she said. “Leave the guy alone.”
“Hey, I was just asking. He seems pretty down is all. Was it gross?”
“I said to leave him al-”
“It’s okay,” Kenrich said. “Yeah, it was my first time fighting something that wanted me dead. I’m just not used to the blood and gore, yet I guess. Sorry if I worried you. I should act a little tougher.”
“It’s not that, Kenrich,” Violet said. “The first time is always hard. You definitely pulled your weight out there, so I don’t have any complaints.”
“I barely did anything. You’re the one who took out the horde of goblins single-handedly while also saving me from the ogre. You’re amazing.”
“It was nothing…” Violet said, blushing. Compliments to her skills in battle have always been her weakness. “It would have been a lot to handle on my own, so I’m glad that you were there as my backup. It was a lot to ask of a simple village boy.”
“I’m just glad it all worked out for the best,” Kenrich said. “How did you manage to get out of the horde of goblins to save me though? You hurdled over them easily!”
“Thank my jump stone,” she said, holding up a small green stone. “Having the right stones in your arsenal is very important in battle. Gemstones are what evens the playing field against opponents with more strength and larger numbers.”
“I always thought jump stones were useless…” Kenrich said.
“Not if you use them correctly! Here-” Violet placed the green stone in Kenrich’s hand. “I have extra jump stones, so it’s fine if you keep hold of one. It might get us out of trouble someday.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Don’t worry about it. Just keep making yourself useful.”
The back door opened, and Geralt came out holding a small bag along with some papers.
“The reward is yours as soon as you fill out this sheet right here,” Geralt said, humorously.
“Of course. More paperwork,” Violet said lightheartedly.
Violet quickly filled out the paper at the counter, received the reward from Geralt, and after receiving a recommendation for a stable in the city and explaining that they would prefer for the credit to go to Leonard and Lenfil. The latter request being begrudgingly accepted by Geralt, they said their goodbyes and left the guild.
“This city truly doesn’t have much to offer,” Violet said. “Can’t believe there’s only one stable in the whole city. They can basically charge whatever they want!”
“I’m sure 800 gez will still be enough to buy at least one horse. They’d have no business if they charged too much. There isn’t nearly enough commerce here to make any sales if the common folk couldn’t afford it.”
“Even so, I wish we had some options.”
“It’ll work out. Just remember we have to save enough to stitch that hole in your head shut, so don’t fall in love with some purebred.”
“Look who’s trying to play the leader now.”
“As far as I’m concerned, we’re an equal partnership.”
“You’re becoming more useful by the hour, but you’re still not leadership material yet.”
“Me getting you to admit that much is enough for right now.”
“Still got a way to go,” Violet said.
They arrived at a small stable that looked largely abandoned. They were facing the back of the building, but even so, they could see through it with the many holes in the thin wall. There didn’t seem to be any horses at all within the building at first glance. This worried Violet as she thought that they might have been too late. Geralt had told them that they would be open as long as there was an ounce of daylight, but the place seemed deserted. After around 20 seconds of taking in the sight of the place, they heard a crash from inside the stable and saw a small wooden brush roll out of the side of the small building. Chasing after it was an old man who seemed to have quite the pep in his step contrary to his ancient appearance. His gray hair was sticking straight up, and he was quite skinny which made him appear like a paintbrush with a very short handle. This amused Kenrich, but he managed to keep a smile off of his face as he did not want to make a bad first impression. He looked up at Violet and Kenrich while adjusting his small circular glasses.
“Hello, sir. Are you the owne-”
“QUIET BOY!” the old man said, cutting off Kenrich before rushing straight into Violet’s personal space. “Now, what is your name?”
“V-Violet?”
She was obviously unprepared for this close encounter. The old man then took her hand before placing a small, wet smooch on her dirty hand which was still foul from their battle in the forest. The old man tried and failed to retain his composure as the taste of her hand was almost certainly filled with dried goblin blood and a hint of dirt.
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“A b-beautiful name for a classy w-woman!” It seems he could not get the taste out of his mouth.
He then took a few steps back and without acknowledging Kenrich for a second, asked Violet what brought her out here.
“We need to purchase a horse, and we need one today,” she said.
“Of course, of course! Not a problem at all!”
The old man then ran into the stable and brought out a single solid brown horse that was both undersized and seemingly underfed.
“This one right here is a bargain! Normally, I’d charge 700 gez for a striking stallion such as this, but for you, young lady, 600 and he’s yours!”
Violet had a puzzled look on her face. Business negotiation wasn’t her strong suit, but she knew that the old man would most likely not listen to Kenrich at the moment.
“Do you have any other horses available? This one seems a little…unwell.”
“I promise you lass that this horse is fit as a fiddle, and I can get the sale done in no time at all! All you gotta do is sign this contract! It’s a steal at this price!”
Violet looked back at Kenrich who just shook his head. Turning back towards the old man, she tried to put on a tough expression.
“I don’t want this horse. Show me what else you have, or we’ll take our business somewhere else.”
“Oh-ho!” The old man said, pushing his thumbs under his discolored suspenders. “Sorry, but there are two things wrong with that. One, I’m the only stable you’re gonna find in at least the next fifty miles, and second, this is the only horse I have for sale at the moment. I apologize for the inconvenience, but these are the facts, miss.”
She looked back at Kenrich once again, who this time just shrugged his shoulders. They both understood that they had no leverage in this situation and were at the mercy of this old con artist.
“May I take it for a test ride at least?” Violet asked.
“By all means!”
“Hop on up with me, Kenrich. We need to make sure that it can support both of our weights.”
The old man looked nervous when she proposed this, but he had no grounds to object. Kenrich was also nervous. He approached the horse slowly and after getting a better look at it, became even more nervous and slightly disgruntled. Violet had no fear however and hopped onto the horse's back without issue. Even though the quality of the horse was suspect, the saddle itself looked quite nice. The leather had no chips, and the foothold did not have an ounce of dirt on it before Violet changed that with her first step. The horse seemed to be supporting Violet’s weight just fine which was a good sign due to the armor she was wearing. It was not the same plated armor she had worn when Kenrich saw her for the first time in Gaen’s shop, but the light armor she wore still weighed a good 10-20 lbs.
“So far, so good,” Violet said. “C’mon up, Kenrich.” She put out her hand, and Kenrich reluctantly accepted.
Kenrich made his way on top of the horse and took his place behind Violet who took the reins and started them on a slow trot. The horse seemed to be supporting their weight just fine, and Kenrich noticed that the horse actually seemed a little sturdier from on top. He put his arms around Violet’s waist to stay balanced which she took as a sign to start going quite a bit faster. Since it was nearly dark and they were near the exit of the village, there was a large amount of space to gallop without having to wonder if Violet was actually good at driving a horse. Kenrich had a mix of anxiety and excitement filling his body as the horse galloped through the street. This is the first time he had ridden a horse in at least a decade. The last time being during a petting zoo in Millin that took place during the harvest festival. This memory replaced his excitement with a wave of sadness that he tried to suppress, but it was difficult given how fresh a lot of his psychological wounds were. Violet, on the other hand, was having a wonderful time. She was pleasantly surprised with the giddy-up the horse had and was starting to grow quite attached. It listened to every direction she gave it and showed no signs that it needed any form of training which was perfect given that their timetable had no room for such a thing. Violet brought them back to a slow trot and jumped off the horse with an obvious smile on her face that betrayed the very little bargaining power that they still had. Kenrich made his way down as well and stood back as he was sure that the old man would not change his gender preference when it came to business.
“So, I take it he was a good ride, miss?”
“Y-yeah, it wasn’t bad…” Violet was now petting the horse’s black main lightly.
“Does that mean we have a deal?”
Violet nodded her head. Violet then proceeded to fill out even more paperwork to make everything official. They shook hands, the old man wiped his hand on his pants which were not much cleaner, and Violet and Kenrich were on their way back towards the heart of the city.
“Ready for a checkup?” Kenrich asked as they walked down the quiet street with Violet leading the horse beside her.
“I am just gonna get some stitches and we’ll be on our way. We can’t afford much now anyway, and we need to grab some food and water before we head out. Not that I’m complaining as ol’ Reliable here was worth every gez,” Violet said while resting her head on the horse with a cute smile on her face.
“We’ve barely had him for ten minutes and you’re already attached, huh?”
“So what?! He’s an integral part of the team!”
“So am I, but you never fawn over me like that.”
“You’re not even remotely as cute as he is.”
“Ouch!” Kenrich laughed. “Anyway, have you thought of a name for him?”
“I’m trying to think of something that’s both strong and cute…”
“Hmmm…” Kenrich thought for a bit. “How about…Atlas?”
“Atlas, huh…” Violet mumbled. “I like it! Atlas it is! I think that’s a wonderful name for such a handsome horse.”
“Glad you like it,” Kenrich said. “Good timing, too, cause it looks like this is the place.”
“That dirty old man may have been a pervert but at least he was able to give us clear directions,” Violet said. “Now let’s get this over with so we can start making our way towards Fril before Tinsen and his cronies gut us.”
Violet tied Atlas to the hitch outside and then they walked into the small wooden building that was labeled Local Clinic - Dr. Reeds. Inside the building, the walls were bright white with the floors being light gray. It felt very blinding to Kenrich after walking the dim streets of Lampeer as the room was also very well lit. The lanterns that were hung from the ceiling seemed to have been refueled recently. There was not a lot in the building other than a few cabinets that took up the wall furthest away from the door along with a reclining chair that seemed to be where the patients were supposed to occupy. There was one man in the room with them who wore a white lab coat that was just as white and clean as the walls surrounding them. He looked up at Kenrich and Violet and welcomed them into the clinic calling himself Dr. Reeds. He was a tall man with black hair that was styled handsomely to one side. He had the skin of someone who had spent a lot of time in the sun but without suffering a single blemish because of it. That is all to say that he was very handsome and looked both sturdy and trustworthy.
“What brings you both here tod- Actually I think I have a good idea now. Need a head wound dressed, miss…?” Dr. Reeds asked.
“Violet, and yes,” Violet said. “I just need some stitches then we’ll be on our way. Normally, I’d rub some dirt in it and call it a day, but my traveling companion here won't stop complaining.”
“Sounds like he has a good head on his shoulders which is very important inside and out. Please take a seat right here and I’ll take a look.”
Dr. Reeds took off the makeshift headwrap that Kenrich had made and looked closely at the wound. The blood on the wound had dried but it looked like it would open back with any slight pressure exerted on it. He had Violet lie back in the chair and started getting to work. He cleaned the wound and started using a needle and thread to close it. The whole process took about thirty minutes which was enough to lose the little bit of daylight that they still had.
“Alright, you should be good to go, miss Violet,” Dr. Reeds said.
“Thanks, doc,” Violet said.
“Don’t mention it. Make sure to keep the area clean and it should heal within a couple weeks. You don’t need to worry about having them removed as they should disappear on their own.”
“That’s some nifty technology,” Kenrich said.
“The threads are from a fiber stone, so the process is a lot less difficult than it was before they started being used for medical purposes. Threads of pure magic can materialize for whatever amount of time the producer wishes. I set them to three weeks just to be safe, but two weeks should be plenty for the wound to close. Where would we be without gemstones, huh?”
“Things would certainly be different…” Kenrich said while twiddling with the ring in his pocket.
“One more thing before I let you go,” Dr. Rands started. “You lost a lot of blood, and your body hasn’t fully recovered yet so you should take it easy for at least the next couple days. If you push yourself too hard, you might end up passing out due to lack of blood flow to the brain.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, doc,” Violet said.
Violet paid Dr. Reeds then her and Kenrich left the clinic having accomplished all they had set out to do in Lampeer. All that was left was to gather some rations which they were able to do at a small general store that they were happy was still open since the sun had set. After that last stop, they finally had run out of funds. They made their way to the end of town and stopped outside of the gate to make sure they were on the same page.
“Should we really travel in the dark?” Kenrich asked.
“There’s no time to worry about that. We can’t stay somewhere so close to Millin for more than half a day. With Atlas, we can finally cross some real distance, so we need to start as soon as possible,” Violet said.
“Yeah, but what if there are bandits, or wolves, or something else dangerous?”
“Then, I’ll take ‘em out.”
“Dr. Reeds said to take it easy.”
“It was just a doctor’s suggestion. Doctors are all quacks anyway.”
“In one ear, right out the other…”
“I’m fine. I was fine before he sewed magic threads in my head, so now I’m definitely fine.”
“If you say so. I’m just glad we don’t have to walk to Fril.”
“That makes two of us. Now, let’s move. We’ve already wasted enough time.”
Violet mounted Atlas and drug Kenrich up right after. He took his place right behind her and put his arms around her waist to keep himself stable. Off they went towards Fril. Which would end up being the place where they finally learn of the Ring of Life’s power in the worst possible way.