The forest trail once again stretched before Helbram, but as opposed to the solitary journey he was expecting, he now found himself within the company of others. He had assumed that the wagon he saw in Silverglen was singular, but it was only part of a larger caravan. It was composed of both the traditional wheeled vehicles and the amalgamated platforms similar to the one that he’d rode upon earlier that day. Most of the gathered men and women marched towards the front of the caravan, but Helbram elected to take a seat on the bed of the back wagon, which possessed the dual benefit of its more modern magitech construction and the addition of a roof over its bed. He watched Silverglen fade from his sight in the distance, swallowed once again by the sea of trees that surrounded him. The soft hum of the magitech engine drowned out the forest ambience and Helbram closed his eyes, allowing himself to slip into a light trance as the caravan trudged forward. For a brief moment, he felt at peace.
“Hello there, whatcha doing alone?”
He opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of a wide face bordered by blonde hair. Her purple eyes were too large, pointed ears too big to belong to a halfling, placing the small woman as a gnome. Her skin was soft and pale, and there was a lightness to her voice that suggested she was cityfolk. She grinned at him with a mix of mischief and curiosity, though that quickly faded to a frown as Helbram rewarded her with muted regard.
“I could ask you the same thing,” he said through his helmet, “I imagine all the excitement would be towards the front of the caravan.”
She shrugged and sat down next to him with a sigh, “There’s only so much entertainment such an inexperienced crowd can give, I’m afraid,” she started to rock her feet as they hung off the edge of the wagon, “you hear the ambitions of one young adventurer you’ve heard them all. Glory, riches, women, men, and whatnot,” she made a flippant gesture and sighed, “This, however,” she knocked on his armor, “has history.”
The gnome beamed up at him, “Care to share?”
Helbram snorted, “I am afraid there is not much to tell. Man seeks adventure, man goes to find it.”
“Ah but you see it is the details that matter,” she said, “what calls said man to adventure? Or more importantly, keeps him seeking it? Were you with the fresh faced crowd at the front, mail free of rust and finely polished, then my interest would not be so piqued. But here you are, solitary at the back, armor weathered, secrets veiled under a helmet that hides your eyes from the world. How could I not be intrigued by such promise?”
Helbram laughed, “Promise? You are one of few to suggest such a thing about one such as I. Does our interested party have a name?”
She grinned once again and stood up, her height only reaching up to his head in his seated position. Her short ponytail bobbed as she righted herself up and adjusted her black robes.
“Jahora Starweaver,” she announced with a bow. With a flourish of her hand she produced a small tongue of flame at its palm, “Mage.”
The armored man nodded at her, “Helbam, a pleasure. Though if you must know we are hardly alone,” he waved towards the inside of the wagon, “Our silent friend has been privy to your questions.”
Confusion flashed across Jahora’s face, soon replaced by surprise as she peered into the wagon. The gnome quickly regained composure and waved.
“Hello there, forgive my rudeness for not seeing you earlier.”
“I hardly think they mind,” Helbram said, “they have said nary a word to me since our journey began.”
He called out to the person nestled within the wagon’s depths, “Does our mysterious figure have a name?”
A slight shift of the figure’s hood revealed the barest amount of olive skin, “Leaf.” Their voice held a deep tone, placing them as a man.
“Leaf? Quite a name, I’m sure there is a story to that,” Jahora said, eyes alight with curiosity.
Leaf snorted, “My father is shite with names, there’s your story.” his accent was thick and harsh. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m trying to sleep off this blasted headache. All Father’s balls I’m never drinking again…”
“Ah, we had best leave the man alone then,” Helbram said, “but since we are in the mood of exchanging stories, what brings one such as yourself to the outskirts of society? You are certainly no native to these parts.”
Jahora smiled meekly, “Am I that obvious?”
“Very much so.”
She laughed and once again took her place at Helbram’s side, “I’m afraid I too don’t have much to say,” she said coyly, “But since neither of you two will reveal anything I suppose I should be the one to break the ice.”
She flicked her hands across her robes, producing a pattern of stars that trailed across the dark cloth, evoking the night sky for a moment before fading back to their ordinary make, “I hail from Helios. My family tries their hand at a small bit of Artificery, but before I took up the trade full time I thought it wise to travel the land a bit, see if there was anything out there I could learn, to produce better products of course.”
“Or to shirk responsibility for sometime,” Helbram said in a light tone, “You are not going to find much in the way of magical items out here aside from magitech and self heating kettles.”
A sheepish smile tugged at her lips, “What? Of course not, don’t be silly. Reliable and responsible, that’s what they call me.”
“You did not tell your family.”
“I’ve sent letters.”
Helbram chuckled, “I have no right to judge. I am quite a bit aways from home myself.”
“Are you now? Where does our knight hail from, pray tell?”
“Please, I am no knight,” he went silent for a moment, “Caershire.”
“Caershire? I cannot say I’ve ever heard of such a place.”
“No one has, and that is how they prefer it,” He adjusted himself and stared at the sky “Just imagine the smallest most quaint village possible. Then cut that in half. That is Caershire.”
“The nostalgia is clear in your voice… do you miss it?”
“Sometimes,” he directed his attention to the forest, “but I know if I stayed in such a place my heart would grow restless. I would wonder at what lay beyond the forests they had nestled themselves so deeply within, questioning what I was truly capable of in such an unknown world.”
“And? Did you find out the answer?”
“...yes, yes I did.”
___
Traveling to Goldshire remained relatively uneventful for the rest of the day. The odd cheer or laugh from the crowd at the front filled the silence of the forest trail occasionally, but as evening crested the horizon many - usually the greener of the adventurers - had retreated to the wagons to rest their feet. Those with more experience under their hats stayed on the road, keeping a watchful eye towards the forest around them. Helbram remained at his spot, his gaze fixed to the gradually darkening sky. The twin moons were just barely visible under the fading light of the sun. The lesser moon, Meton, shimmered with the barest red in the empty sky just above its sister Eidolos, a faded ruby rested upon a tarnished crown.
“Red moon is out tonight, eh? That’s not good.”
Leaf emerged from the wagon and took a seat next to Helbram. He pulled back his hood, revealing hazel locks in a wolfish mane.
“What was the saying again? Red moon at night…” Helbram started.
“Stay out of sight.” Leaf finished. He turned to Helbam, regarding him with eyes as green as the forest around them. His face held the angular features of an elf, but softer, just like the slightly pointed tips to his ears.
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“A half elf? That is quite a surprise, usually your kind are not likely to venture far from the Glasswood,” Helbram remarked.
“I wouldn’t know. Never been to the Glasswood myself,” Leaf tapped the side of his head, “Still wearing the helmet, ey?”
“I would rather be on guard at a time like this.”
Leaf peered around the wagon and glanced over the rest of the caravan, “Smart, there’s hardly enough hair to cover this goat’s arse of a show.”
“...what?”
Leaf sighed, “Not enough guards.”
“Oh I figured, I just did not expect it to be described in such a… unique way.”
Leaf snorted and reached back into the wagon, retrieving an unstrung bow from the bed, “My interesting words aside, we should stay alert. There’s only tragedy in lackadaisical moments like this.”
“Agreed. Has your mind been cleared from your midday nap?”
“Aye,” Leaf said with a grin, “I could tank a pint or two right now I reckon,” he stood up on the wagon bed and started to string his bow, “Where’s the gnome?”
“Up here,” Jahora peeked her head from the top of the wagon, “It’s Jahora by the way.”
“Noted,” he gave an experimental tug of his bow, “keep an eye out on the forest will you?”
“Only if you ask nicely.”
Leaf stared at her, expression blank as he met her eyes.
Jahora frowned, “Fine, but don’t think you’re off the hook,” she waved a hand over her eyes, producing a bright sheen over her irises like a cat in the dark.
Leaf shrugged and retrieved his quiver from the wagon, stringing it to his hip and giving it a quick tug to make sure it was secure. He looked back at Helbram, who remained seated and staring at the sky.
“You know, you don’t strike me as very on guard for a knight,” he remarked.
“That is because I am no knight,” Helbram said with a sigh, “but unlike our magically inclined friend above I have no talent for seeing in the dark,” he tapped the side of his helmet, “Ears though? I possess a trick for that.”
Leaf shot him a skeptical look, “What, through that helmet of yours?”
Helbram didn’t answer. Instead, he closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and grabbed a hold over the small amount of Ether that sat at his Core. He directed it towards his ears, and as the energy arrived at its destination the sounds once muffled by his helmet regained their clarity. More than that, the noises of the forest that lay some distance away now sounded as if they were right next to him. The rustling of leaves, the chirping of insects, the once faint calls of an owl, and the steady steps of men as they sifted through the trees.
He opened his eyes, “They are here.”
Leaf knocked an arrow, “Which direction?”
“East,” Helbram stood up and drew his sword and shield, “Hard to tell a number. Jahora, are you seeing anything up there?”
“Not that I… wait a second, I see movement. East, like you said. Five… Ten… Gods there are so many of them.”
“Shite,” Leaf spat.
“Signal the others,” Helbram said.
“Already working on it,” as Jahora spoke, a bright flare of light filled the sky, washing away the shadows of the trees and revealing the men getting into position behind them. “Eyes up everyone! It’s an ambush!” her voice boomed with the magic of Aether behind it.
Then, chaos.
Screams filled the caravan, some from the enemies that rushed from the trees, most from those that scrambled to get their weapons in their hands. Arrows flew from raiders and adventurers alike, silencing screams on both sides. With Jahora’s warning, the men were able to rally quickly. The younger adventurers fell in behind the more seasoned warriors as orders were barked amidst the chaos. The clashing of steel filled the air in an instant, and though the battle just started at the front of the caravan it was quickly moving towards the back.
Arrows loosed from the trees towards Helbram’s wagon, scattering as they were unable to penetrate its metallic cover. The driver was not so fortunate and an arrow found its way through his neck before he could take cover within. He fell from the wagon, landing still in the dirt below.
“Of all the blasted-” Leaf cursed. He peeked from cover, shooting two arrows into the dark. Cries spilled from the forest, but that did not stem the tide of those that now rushed at them from the trees.
“Jahora! Take cover!” Helbram barked as he leapt from the carriage. He kept his shield up, facing the men that rushed towards them.
More arrows flew from the trees, most aimed at the gnome that sat atop the wagon. In a near instant, blue light flowed forth from Jahora’s hands as she gathered the ambient Aether around her, molding it into the shape of a barrier. The arrows splintered against her shield as it formed in front of her, triggering flares of light from the barrier but leaving it otherwise unfazed. Jahora scrambled to retreat into the wagon before another volley could be fired, but before she could make any headway a singular arrow flew from the forest. It was enshrouded in a blood red light, and when it struck Jahora’s barrier it exploded, destroying the shield and knocking her from the wagon with the resulting shockwave. She landed on her back, a wheeze escaping from her lips as the wind left her lungs.
“Leaf!” he yelled, keeping his sights focused on the oncoming men.
“I got it! Just keep them off of us.”
The half elf leapt from the wagon, shooting two more arrows into the approaching men as he moved towards Jahora. The charging bandits were not armored, and two of their number fell as Leaf’s shots found their mark. Three remained, their charge undeterred as their comrades fell by their side.
Helbram grit his teeth and let the men approach him, holding his shield at his head and sword pointed to the ground. In their charge the bandits had unintentionally formed a line, and the longer they took to get to him the more the divide between them grew. The quickest of the group rushed at him, a single ax in his hand. When the bandit was in range Helbram charged forwards, striking the man mid swing with his shield. Helbram pushed the bandit’s arm aside and followed his shield with his sword, driving it into the man’s exposed chest. He pulled his blade out and stepped back, allowing the bandit to fall to the ground in a heap.
The second bandit let out a battle cry at the sight of his fallen comrade and sped up his charge. This one wielded a shield and mace, and though he was driven by rage his shield remained up as he bore down on Helbram. Helbram stepped forward, driving the edge of his shield into the bandit’s. The force drove the bandit’s shield to the side, striking him in the jaw and leaving his abdomen open. Helbram’s blade flicked across the defenseless midsection and the second bandit fell.
He did not have time to get into position as the third bandit made contact. The burly assailant announced his arrival with a sweep of his claymore, aimed at the Helbram’s torso. He caught the blow with his shield, twisting it so the blade glanced off of it and away from him. He followed the block with a blow of his own, but the bandit retreated out of range before it could land. The two men circled each other briefly before the bandit charged again, sword held over his head. He brought his blade down, but Helbram caught the sword with his own. He let the claymore slide off his blade and spun his sword around, catching the bandit in the face. Before the yelp fully left the bandit’s lips Helbram flicked his blade across the burly man’s throat, drowning the cry as he kicked his opponent to the ground.
Helbram stepped back into his stance, eyes darting across the treelines for any signs of immediate conflict. Red light flashed out of the corner of his eye and he ducked as another light infused arrow emerged from the darkness. It struck a tree behind him, shattering the bark and cracking the trunk with raw force.
“I’ve got her!” Leaf yelled from behind him.
Helbram snatched the fallen bandit’s claymore and sprinted toward the wagon, keeping his shield raised as more arrows loosed from the trees. Some bounced off his shield’s metal plating while another glanced off of his helmet as he leapt into the wagon for cover.
“This whole thing’s gone to shite,” Leaf said, “We need to get out of here.”
Helbram turned to the caravan ahead. The ranks were thinned considerably, with only the more experienced troops that had formed a thin line remaining. At a glance he saw that the men and women that lay on the ground were either unconscious or slightly wounded. Those that were wounded scrambled against the wagons as the bandits approached, only able to tremble in fear as they were bludgeoned over the head by clubs, knocking them unconscious. Those that were still fighting were quickly surrounded and subdued, and in the case of those particularly stubborn, struck down by another hail of arrows. He saw no trace of the halfling spellcaster that had gathered them.
“Helbram!” Leaf yelled.
Helbram grit his teeth. There was nothing he could do for them, not now.
“Jahora, have you recovered enough to create another barrier?”
The gnome coughed, “Yes, just give me a moment to gather the Aether…” she held her hands together, gathering the blue light between them once again.
“Leaf, cover me, we’re going to break towards the forest.”
He nodded and notched an arrow, “Just tell me you’ve driven a wagon before.”
Helbram hopped into the driver’s seat and grabbed the reins, “Never in my life”
“Well shi-”
Helbram cracked the reins, urging the panicking Auroc at the head of the wagon forward. A burly beast only in appearance, it took off with surprising speed as Jahora’s barrier enveloped the wagon in a burst of blue light. Arrows once again faltered against the Aetheric shield, the failed volley a precursor to a final empowered shot that struck the barrier at its center. This shot did not pierce the barrier, but left a large crack that quickly sealed itself as Jahora fed more Aether into the shield. A fatigued, almost maniacal laugh rang from the wagon as it rushed into the forest.
“Take that you cheeky bastard!” Jahora yelled into the night.
Her barrier served twofold as protection against the arrows and against the branches that snapped against it as the Auroc barreled deeper into the trees. Helbram urged the beast forward, counting his blessings as they pressed on without running into any large trees. The cries of battle and clashing of steel dissipated in the distance. The light of battle faded, and in time Jahora’s barrier dissipated into nothing, leaving them in darkness.