Dark grey clouds roiled above Shattered Tooth Mountain, blocking out the warm glow of the midday sun. The distant, ominous rumble of thunder felt like the precursor of what awaited the young man outside the goblin village. His taxed heart thrummed in his chest, and his legs were pushed to their limits as he tried to keep up with the Archer. His weak body wasn’t up to the task, and he began to resent himself for it. The pair made it to the front gate of the village, and Jor accelerated over the ridge, and out of sight, towards the source of the wail.
Ben followed as fast as he could. The steel chest plate he wore suddenly felt cumbersome, yet he eventually made it to the precipice of the ridge. He saw the Squad Leader stand beside the outcrop, where the party had hidden their supplies, as she stared at who he assumed to be Ainsle. He ran down towards the Archer and confirmed who she was looking at.
Ainsle knelt in the ditch as she clutched the limp, corpse of the boy she had taken from the cage in the goblin village tightly to her breast. The Berserker had gone quiet, slowly rocking back and forth on her knees as the boy’s head bobbed with each movement. Ben dropped his spear. The scene felt surreal as if a nightmare was being painted in grey, black, and pale flesh in front of him.
Ann stood a few paces away from the Berserker, head dipped, eyes closed, and hands clasped together. He heard the faint hum of her healing Aura caress his ears as he was drawn out of his state of shock. The Priestess opened her beautiful blue eyes and met the young man’s gaze before nodding once.
Ben approached the Berserker, knelt behind her, and wrapped his arms around her and the corpse of the boy. She didn’t react other than to cease her rocking. Earlier, he had felt her presence flare and rage, if only for a heartbeat. He didn’t dare speak, as he didn’t know of any words that could heal the pain the old woman must have felt.
He thought about her vocal disdain for the green-skinned creatures and the way she had panicked and frantically searched for the captive upon hearing the cry for help. The relief she expressed when she found the survivor and then the cruel torment of losing him not long after.
Jor approached and put a hand on Ainsle’s shoulder.
"Come, Ain. Let’s put him to rest," the Archer spoke softly.
The Berserker remained silent for a moment before dipping her head. Ben let go of her, and she stood, still holding the lifeless form in her arms. She spoke in a low, coarse whisper.
"Burn it all."
Embers danced into the grey afternoon sky. The remains of the wall gave the impression of charred, gnarled fingers reaching out into the world of the living from the grave. The party sat in silence on the ridge and watched the goblin village of Shattered Tooth Mountain burn. Ben thought that the huts would probably be largely unaffected, as they were predominantly constructed with mud and some sort of clay.
Earlier, the young man had removed his steel breastplate, pauldron, and bracer while he and Ann collected dead wood from the wooded area to aid in the destruction of the village and the cremation of the captives. He wore only the gambeson, unclasped, his chest bared to the heat of the flames.
He looked towards Ainsle and restrained himself from asking about her well-being. As if she could feel his intention, the Berserker spoke.
"Did I ever tell you that I was a mother?" She paused, and Jor frowned as she turned to face her. Ainsle continued. "This was before I met Willy. Long before my days as a Raider. Got knocked up pretty young, you see? I’d guess I was about fifteen or sixteen summers. I don’t know. Didn’t have a mum to sing me happy birthday…" She trailed off as she gazed intently at the plumes of black smoke that rose to meet the clouds.
Ann, who sat between Ben and the Berserker, leaned her head against the latter’s shoulder. Ainsle seemed to rouse from her sudden introspection and she absently patted the Priestess’ knee.
"Me and the little one went to Crook’s Rock, a village about two days from the Capital. The city wasn’t the place to raise Keagan on my own… We found an abandoned house and spent the next few years living there. Just living… in peace." She paused and shut her eye tightly. "She was only nine summers when those fuckers came one night."
Ainsle remained silent; her scarred jaw clenched, and her lips quivered as if she held back the emotions of the recollection. After a few heartbeats, she opened her one eye and stared into the dying flames of the goblin village.
"That’s all," she said, as her expression relaxed into one of impassivity.
Ben cast his gaze toward the burning wall and nodded to himself. His usually coarse, vulgar, and well-humored companion had shared a very personal aspect of her life and he thought he understood her a bit more. All hesitation and self-doubt regarding his actions earlier evaporated with the black smoke that rolled into the sky. A gentle patter of rain from weeping clouds began to slowly douse the flames and cool the emotions of the party. Jor stood and spoke in an authoritative tone.
"Gear up and be ready to move. There are caverns further up the trail, perhaps we’ll find one big enough to rest and keep dry till the rain passes."
The Berserker stood as raindrops left streaks in the matted blood on her armor. She brushed a few wet strands of grey hair from her brow above her eye and turned to face the Squad Leader with a nod before complying with her instructions. The young man thought that the routine of command and action was perhaps cathartic for the old woman, and Ann and Ben joined the two women in packing for the trek up the trail.
The party began the hike through the smoldering village and onto an overgrown path of the heavily wooded mountain pass. Ben had discarded the pauldron and bracer, as he decided, at Jor’s recommendation, that the light gambeson and dented chest plate were a good compromise between defense and mobility. Ainsle’s usual grin had slowly returned, the start of which was at the moment she inspected the young man’s ‘new’ armor. She seemed satisfied with his choice and had only teased him once about his skinny arms and legs. Ann had taken the dirty linen clothing he and the Squad Leader found and added it to the rolls of fabric that comprised her backpack. Ben carried his sling with food and water, a bundle of dry wood under one arm, and his spear in the other.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
The rain died down, and the late afternoon sky began to peek through the dispersing clouds. The trek was exhausting for the young man, although his body was getting accustomed to physical exertion. He didn’t participate in the sporadic conversations between the two soldiers as his eyes were cast down and the uneven terrain and the chafing of the stitched leather and linen trousers consumed his attention. Jor called out from the front of the group.
"There’s a little waterfall and stream up ahead. We can use the alcove as a shelter for the night."
Ben heard a subtle sigh at the promise of rest from Ann, who followed behind him. The gambeson had caused him to sweat profusely, and the dirt accumulated from the activities earlier made him feel sticky and uncomfortable.
I could use a good rinse, too.
He thought to himself as he guessed at the Priestess’ source of relief.
Ben followed Jor off the path between the trees and up a rise. As he crested the hill, he was greeted by a breathtaking sight. A waterfall about twice his height flowed into a moderately sized pool that ended in a small stream that flowed down a slope into another waterfall. The rocky clearing was surrounded by sheer walls of the mountain, dense trees, and brush.
"Wow…" Ben let out as he stood and surveyed their camp for the evening.
"Beautiful, isn’t it?" The Archer replied with a slight smile as she stood under the dry cover of an angular depression in the stone, next to the waterfall.
Ann and Ainsle walked over to the alcove and placed their supplies on the stone ground. Ben joined the women and did the same before collapsing into an exhausted heap. The party shared waterskins and the young man began to start a fire with the dry deadwood he had brought.
"How much farther until we clear the pass?" An exhausted Ann asked the Squad Leader.
"We should reach the foot of the mountain in a little bit over three days if we maintain the same pace. Then it’s about a day on flat terrain if we push it," Jor said as she stripped off her small, steel breastplate and greaves.
Ben noticed that Ainsle had begun undressing as well.
Must be a military thing, I guess?
The young man thought as he watched both women undress as if he weren’t in their company.
"Do you think we’ll run into any trouble on the way down?" Ben asked while endeavoring to keep his eyes above the neckline.
Ainsle was the one who spoke up. She had her back turned toward the Archer, who helped her remove her pauldrons.
"If we’re lucky, we might find some poor bastards hiding in caves." She wiggled her brow at Ben.
"What, like bandits?" Ben thought as he recalled the group that had attempted to rob them back in the Ancient woods. The Squad Leader said that they seemed to be a band that roamed the wilderness.
"Yeah." She paused and sighed in relief as Jor unfastened her breastplate. "By the way, lover boy, I think you’re gonna have to give up your hottie for the night." She winked and grinned at him.
Ben’s cheeks flushed, and he frowned at himself. He was startled at the fact that he had expected to snuggle up with the Priestess later that evening and that he felt suddenly disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to. He turned his gaze towards Ann, who smiled softly, blue eyes cast down while she too was getting undressed.
Wait. What’s going on here?
His cheeks became a furnace, and he felt his body reacting involuntarily to the thought of seeing the unclothed women. He thought that perhaps his health had improved, as this was the first time since waking up in Moonvale that he had felt his base desires surface in such a manner. He stammered.
"Uh. I mean… Ann can sleep wherever she likes, I suppose."
Ainsle seemed to notice his reaction and her shit-eating grin grew to impossible proportions.
"Well, well, it seems like Benny-boy is becoming Benny-man now," she mocked.
Jor rolled her eyes at the terrible turn of phrase as she loosened her obscenely long, dark braid. The Archer sat on her knees, barefoot in her white tunic and skirt, on top of a roll of fabric that Ann had supplied her with. Ainsle continued, a touch more seriously.
"As much as I’m all for a romantic shag under a waterfall, I’m gonna be pretty firm on this one for tonight. You’ll see what I mean."
"Okay."
Ben replied as he didn’t think that any further questions or protests on the matter would reveal anything other than the old woman’s extensive repertoire of terrible puns and innuendos. Ann came to sit next to him, her modesty wrapped in what appeared to be a long swathe of blue-dyed cloth. She held her dirty tunic and knee-length dress under an arm.
"I’ll be nearby, and Ainsle will keep me safe." She tilted her head and smiled at him as if she expected an affirmation or protest from the young man.
He stuttered. "Of-of course. I didn’t mean that I wanted you to sleep with me. I mean. I want you to sleep with me…"
Dammit, Ben.
Ben took a deep breath. Ann’s expression was as unchanging as a painting during his stumble.
"What I mean to say is, of course, it’s fine. I don’t expect you to be close to me at all times."
"Ahem," Jor interjected. "Ben, if you wouldn’t mind, there’s another pool below that slope that you could use to get yourself cleaned up?" She asked and left the unspoken order to give the women some privacy.
"Right. I’ll head on down." Ben turned to leave before the Squad Leader called out to him.
"Wait. Here, take these." She walked over and handed him a familiar waxy ball and the strange cube she had used to illuminate the goblins hut. "This light stone is almost empty, so you can use it to heat the pool. The water is frigid, and we can’t afford for any of us to get ill. Just submerge it, and the enchantment will begin to break down."
Ainsle spoke up.
"Just be sure to let the magic stone do its thing before you scald your bollocks off." She chuckled.
"She means to say that you should wait until the stone has expended its mana before you get into the pool." Jor translated, helpfully.
"Thanks, but what about you three?" Ben asked.
"Ain will use hers. Oh, and please take your time."
"Of course." Ben nodded.
He began his shaky descent to the smaller, yet cozy, natural rocky pool.
So, I just throw this thing in?
Ben dropped the light stone into the water and watched as it flashed a brilliant light that projected a kaleidoscope of colors onto the surrounding trees and stones. He got undressed and waited, while in awe of the ethereal lights, for the reaction to run its course. After a while, the lights dimmed and eventually went dark. The young man had begun swaying on his feet as the fatigue of the day arrived in full force.
He slipped into the steaming pool, and a wave of bliss cascaded over his tired body, making him roll his eyes back in pleasure. He thought that he should remember to wash his tunic and his recently acquired pair of trousers and gambeson after he cleaned his dirty body with the oily soap Jor had given him. All of that could wait until after a short soak in the divine water.
Just a little soak… Just…
Ben jolted as he suddenly felt himself falling. He refused to open his eyes, as he didn’t want to be cheated out of a well-deserved soak.
I’m just tired, that’s all. Head spinning a bit, you know. Been quite hungry for the past few hours…
The young man squinted, opened his eyes, and saw the mocking grey sky and black clouds hurtle towards him.