I woke weary a vague recollection of disturbing dreams. “Your flock is safe.” My spirit’s voice injected into my mind, drenching the word flock in a mocking tone. I rolled my eyes, knowing better than to listen to the voices in my head. I rarely felt like I needed actual sleep, but I actually felt tired, an unusual feeling for me. I dragged myself out of bed, my steps quickening as the smell of coffee hit my nose.

Budor sat at the table sipping his own coffee, a second cup sitting at my place. “I don’t wanna know how you knew I’d be up. I’ll just accept that you are amazing.” Budor set his cup down and looked at me. “It’s gotten kinda late and you started grun’in n groanin. Figured you’d be out soon.” I shook my head. “I said I didn’t wanna know. Now you’ve dispelled my amazement. Secret powers that allow you to divine when I will be up, amazing. Listening in while I sleep is just creepy.” I said plunking down in my seat. Budor rolled his eyes, shrugging “I can’ help if yer loud, lad!” he said as I cupped both sides of the cup with my hands as though it were something precious and a spiritual gift, which is exactly how I felt about it at that moment. “There is essence in this drink. It’s not spirit but it will perk up spiritual energy.” The voice in my head commented making me take a look at it. Usually when it wasn’t busy berating everything in existence it was in its green mood but this morning it was not only purple but said something nice. I should probably mark my calendar or something but I honestly didn’t care about much beyond the next sip of coffee. “Mm.” I groaned as I took a sip. As I set it down “Spirits! I swear this is better than yesterdays.”

Budor only smiled. “So… Amazing again?” I rolled my eyes “Yea. If you can refrain from destroying it with your mouth again.” He chuckled, “At’s na’ in tha card’s for me today. Tha trolls ‘aven’t returned ye’. I’ll check again ‘omorrow.” I nodded. After another sip he spoke again. “No one else ‘as gone missin” he said. I had just taken a sip and so shook my head as I set the cup down. Swallowing I said “Roxie’s missing. Kuer is certain the beast got him.” Just stating that made me feel worn. This thing was simply picking and choosing and we couldn’t keep everyone safe.

Budor sensed my frustration “Wha’s yer plan?” he said. I shrugged. “I get out there and patrol. Keep people safe. Rely on our team.” I sighed, Mays unconscious face crawling up, unbidden in my memory. Budor nodded. “At’s the wise rou’e I spose.” I left feeling desperate and frustrated.

These people deserved to be safe and yet as I wandered around the town I couldn’t help but feel the tension, the fear in the air and I didn’t know what to do about it. It was already nearing evening, but people went about their tasks quietly, starting at every noise nearby, looking over their shoulders at the slightest noise. My wandering feet carried me all over the village. At one point I walked by the Silversmiths house, a sudden harsh sound catching my attention. I walked cautiously around the house. The sound came again and sounded more familiar. It sounded like a shovel striking ground and the grunt of someone moving earth. Stepping past the corner of the house I stopped, leaning until the edge of the building pressed against my shoulder, its solidity holding me up. From this vantage point I watched Evan push a shovel into the ground, pry up a chunk of earth and toss it to the side. A shallow hole about the length of a man lay open in front of him. At one end Ocran sat cross legged. He nodded to me before returning his gaze to Evan. Beside the hole lay a large canvas sack that undoubtedly held Garen’s body. After several more shovels full Ocran got up went over and stood by him. Evan dug a couple more shovels full, struggling more and moving more slowly after each one. He sighed and sniffling handed over the shovel and went and sat where Ocran had sat as Ocran began digging. I turned and walked away to continue my patrol. Rich people were weird. Who buried their own in their back yard?

I dunno, maybe I’d feel different about it if it were my mom. I’d like to think I would be satisfied with the idea that her spirit would be out there, watching over me. Maybe not. Maybe I would want something tangible nearby as well. I shook my head, trying to clear such dark thoughts and headed to Silver Brook inn. Part of it was a quiet restaurant with rooms run by the dwarves, where I knew I could get some quiet and a good meal.

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As I stepped in I noticed it was a bit busier than usual. I headed up and nodded to Gundle as I sat down at the bar. Gundle was one of the apparently three dwarves and usually manned the counter. He was at ease around humans and did a great job of listening. Aggie was a bit more reticent and usually did the cooking for which he admittedly was skillful.

Gundle smiled and wandered over while polishing a glass. “You all are busy tonight.” I noted tipping my head toward the tables. “Yep.” He replied nodding. “Grim’s not been in for a while.” He said gesturing to an empty table on the far end of the room. I shook my head in frustration at how people treated one another. “Yea, he was in jail for a bit. Tonight I saw him out burying his pa. Maybe he’ll be by tomorrow.” I said sweeping the room with my gaze. Gundle responded “I’d heard about the issues and that he was in jail while they figured some things out. Wasn’t sure when he’d be back out.” I laid a coin on the table and Gundle stepped away to grab me a drink. As he placed the drink on the bar in front of me he said “You know he used to come in here with a girl.” He scratched at his beard “Emily” he said as he recalled her name. Nodding to himself he added. “She was nice. She seemed able to make him smile.” “Oh?” I responded somewhat surprised. I put a few more coins on the bar “Can you get me a plate?” Gundle smiled and ran back to the kitchen. They usually served about three different dishes a night dependent on what they had and what Aggie wanted to cook that night. I always let them pick the dish and have to say I have never had a bad dish. Admittedly I also recognized some of the cooking since we shared a lot of recipes from the time we both worked to feed the poor sector. I mentioned that they ate well, didn’t I?

Gundle set a plate in front of me which surprisingly had a sandwich on it with pulled meat hanging out of it. It looked like a mix of slow smoked venison and smoked boar meat with small strips of fried boar pork belly and different seasonings. After taking a bite I shook my head. Gundle watched me wondering if that was a bad sign. “This is amazing and really frustrating.” I said with a smile. “Now I have to come up with something better and this is going to be pretty hard to beat. Tell Aggie he’s outdone himself” With an excited nod and a grin Grundle ran back to Aggie’s kitchen.

He returned with a grin and started wiping the counter nearby. You hear anything interesting recently? I asked Gundle between bites. As a bartender he tended to have drinkers who often wanted to unload. Being a dwarf he tended to listen and nod rather than speaking which made him a favorite among people needing to unload. “No’ really. People are jus' scared, Baz. They dunno what to do an they hate waitin fer the next bad thing to 'appen.” I nodded understanding the feeling all too well. Finishing up my sandwich I got up. “Thanks Gundle. Give Aggie my thanks for the meal.” I said as I took one last sip of my ale and headed out the door into the night.

I headed back to the poor quarter, heading toward the mountain. From there I followed the roads along the edge of the mountain and around to the forest side listening for any disturbance. I had gone into the poor quarter and made my first turn as I heard it. A careful step struck in time with mine then another. I kept my breathing and movements the same and focused on it with both my normal senses and opened up my spirit senses. I didn’t see any stretched spirit monstrosity.

Another step struck as mine did. I took a few more steps which took me to the end of the lane against the mountain. Ahead of me was the hill that we chased the beast up and directly across that hill from me was the forest. I took that corner turning left as I initially planned, but instead of continuing forward I spun careful to silently press myself against the building. I got my hands on my sword pommels and popped them up a thumbnail width out of their sheaths for a quick draw. “Hey boss! I'ma come around that corner and would really like it if you don’t cut me to ribbons, eh?” Jimmy’s voice called out.

Sighing I sheathed my swords as Jimmy stepped around the corner. “Darn elf ears.” He said grinning. “I was just planning on shadowing ya in case the beast showed its ugly mug." I leaned my back against the building a chuckle born of tension and nervous energy escaped and I shook my head. “Jimmy, you are a nut. It’s crazy late and a killer monster could literally be out here in the darkness, I looked up at him across from me, the forest behind him.

Silent movement close by in the forest caught my attention. I turned toward it, hands going to sword pommels. Jimmy leapt forward diving into a roll just around the corner and out of view to my right.