Kveldulf smoked on a blackwood pipe as he looked up the statue of Allianna, standing victorious over her dreaded foes. He looked around at the now quiet pier with hardly more than a dozen people around him on either side. He wondered if they had a clue who he was? If they knew what brought him to return to this land? Did they judged him already, without a second thought about him as a person, and not an extension of something long since past.

He returned his gaze to her, and the old anger began to return. The loud thumping of his heartbeat growing in intensity. His muscles tensing at the sight of the woman who’s been given such privilege and prestige. Ancient words coming to his mind:

Hot is the heart! Too fierce find peace;

Gone are the days of tranquil songs.

Harken to wrath, and war, and woe;

And bring forth crimson rivers to bear.

He could feel his fists shake with rage as one word crossed his mind: why? Why was he burdened with a centuries old declaration? Why were his kin denied the Golden Halls, after they had earned this rightful glory in sweat and blood and duty-bound service? Now forever cast aside to wonder the mists of oblivion? Why was this their lot in life?

“You seem troubled,” he heard Cid say to him as he walked up, smoking a long wooden pipe himself.

“I’ve had a lot on my mind lately,” Kveldulf said averting his gaze from both the statue and Cid.

“I can imagine,” Cid replied looking up at the statue. “I honestly did not think they would be so flamboyant on this matter.”

“I know, Cid. It’s not even the statue itself,” Kveldulf said. “It’s everything it represents.”

“You mean the decree?”

“Yeah … the decree. Forced to hide my own name, just so people don’t accuse me of crimes innumerable before they get to know me. So parents don’t whisk their children away, thinking I’ll perform an ungodly act of violence on them. So, people don’t think I’m a monster, because he was,” as he finished, Kveldulf looked at the stone effigy of Baeron.

“Perhaps we can sow the seeds to bring about such change,” Cid said, taking a long inhale from his pipe.

Kveldulf lowered his gaze, a saddened frown came over him. “Maybe,” he said weakly.

“Come, we should get some sleep before we ride out,” Cid said to him.

“Yeah,” Kveldulf said looking up at the effigy of the dreaded traitor before turning to follow Cid.

***

The light of the sun struggled to breach the forest canopy above them. Diminutive pillars of illumination lighting the path ahead. Kveldulf closed his eyes while, taking in the sounds of the forest. The rustling of leaves, twigs and pine needles being crushed underneath the hooves of their horses, the creaks and groans of trees swaying back and forth to the wind. Creating a calming melody to them.

Kveldulf smiled as his muscles relaxed. Memories of him riding along with his parents on similar roads, enjoying the symphony of nature around to him. Listening to his parents whispering to themselves as they tried not to wake him, feeling the wind softly touch his face, and the gentle jostling of the cart lulling him to sleep.

He jolted himself upright, shaking away the thoughts suddenly as he returned to the present.

“You all right?” Jeanne asked him.

He nodded. “Was just in my head.”

“Ah, those can be nice.”

“What was that?” asked Cid.

“I was talking to Kel,” Jeanne answered.

“Ah, nothing bad I hope.”

“No no,” said Kveldulf, “Just enjoying the small moments.”

“I see,” said Cid “Well don’t get so invested you fall off your horse.”

Kveldulf looked down at the ground his eyebrows drawn together. “That would be bad.”

“How much farther do you think we have left, Cid?” Jeanne asked.

“We’ve been going for three days, so I think we should be there before the day’s done,” Cid looked around, biting the corner of his lower lip. “I hope so, at least.”

Arriving to the edge of the forest, the trees moved behind them, the three came upon a vast meadow covered in dark crimson grass. The long blades stretched to the bottom of their feet as the sunlight struck the glistening in a morning dew. The wind gently rustled the grass as they passed by the fields.

Kveldulf felt his skin crawl while they moved through the field. Slowly moving his tightened fists closer to him. He saw Cid looking around the area with a keen interest. “Something wrong?” Kel asked him.

“I’m just surprised there’s no birds singing,” Cid said to them.

“You don’t see any animals, either,” Jeanne followed.

“Hasn’t been any of that since the reign of Callanband,” said Kveldulf. “Legend goes when he made a pact with a demon lord, he sacrificed hundreds as a sign of his loyalty. Stainging the ground red in blood. Animals won’t dare to linger here, birds refuse to sing their songs.”

“Let’s not stay longer than needed,” Cid said to them. “This place gives me an ill feeling.”

As the sun rose to its height peak, the three finally left the Crimson Fields. Traveling down the road through the wooded road before Kveldulf spotted a clearing with a farm resting along the edge. The main home was positioned the closet to the forest, a one story home, walls made of dark stone with a chimney letting out a thin pillar of smoke from the top. Kveldulf could imagine the aroma of food cooking in the kitchen as they neared the building. There was a red barn and tool shed were a short distance away. Jeanne spotted a farmer pushing a plough, with a team of two oxen at the head. She turned to the others, “So who wants to be the intelligence one this time?”

Kel lifted his hand. “I’ll do it.”

“Good,” said Jeanne relieved, “I hate talking to people.”

“Add that to the list,” said Cid cheekily.

“Be enough to fill a coliseum,” followed Kel.

“Well, that’s a little rude,” said Jeanne retorted.

“Is it false?” asked Kel.

“I didn’t say it was a lie, just rude.”

Kel chuckled as he nudged his horse over by the fence, waving towards the farmer. “Hello there,” he said to the man.

The farmer stopped to turned to Kel, before setting his plough into the dirt and making his way over. “Afternoon,” said the farmer, “What can I do ya for?”

“Me and my friends were coming through here and were hoping to see if there was any place where we could lay our heads down.”

“Aye, I can imagine how welcomed a nice warm pillow would be after a while,” the farmer said leaning against the fence.

“Being out in nature is fun and all, but a satchel doesn’t really cut it after a while.”

“That’s the truth. Not something I miss from my days in the army.”

“What, no fluffed pillows and warm sheets?”

The farmer let out a loud laugh. “Only for the noblemen. Hell, they weren’t even in tent, compared to what we had.”

Stolen novel; please report.

“Obviously one cannot command armies if they’re inconvenienced by the smallest of nuisances,” Kel said in an overly haughty tone.

“I see you were well versed in such matters?”

“Something I learned early on in my youth.”

“Born into the army then?”

“Almost, my parents were mercenaries.”

“Ah,” said the farmer, nodding his head, “That was something I thought of trying my hand at when the Rebel Kings were brought down a few years back. But honestly, I’m glad I didn’t take that road. No offense meant.”

“None taken,” said Kveldulf. “This life isn’t easy, even when you’re used to it.”

“Well, to answer your question, I know of an inn once you get to town, called The Lucky Lorna. That should tend to your lodgings. For work, I’d probably find our reeve. I know he’s been having some difficulties with brigands as of late.”

“Brigands you say,” Kveldulf said leaning with rapt attention, “Thank you kindly for the information, and the recommendation.”

“Not at all,” said the farmer, “Hopefully the inn’s to your liking.”

“It’ll have to work hard at getting on my bad side,” said Kveldulf, bowing his head forward slightly before returning to the others.

Cid and Jeanne both began riding forward as Kveldulf caught up with them.

“So, what’s the story?” Jeanne asked him.

“I think I found us a place to stay for the night, and possibly our first lead for this bounty.”

“Thank the spirit of order,” said Cid, “I’m tired to using rocks for pillows.”

“You say that every time we’ve been on the march,” said Jeanne.

“I say it, because it’s true,” Cid replied.

“Excuse me,” called out a young woman, quickly making her way to the fence line.

The three turned to her, stopping their horses as she neared.

“Yes,” said Cid cordially, leaning his head forward to her, “Is there something you need?”

The young woman looked down for a moment at her feet, clutching her field dress in her hands.

Jeanne dismounted from her horse and approached the young woman. “Is everything all right?”

Cid and Kveldulf dismounted their steeds and walked up to the fence while the young woman continued speaking with hesitation. “Well … it’s my sister you see. She’s been missing for over a month. My parents have tried to find out what’s happened, but they don’t have enough money to –”

“We’ll take it,” Jeanne said to the girl, her voice deepening. Kveldulf saw her jaw clenched shut, lips pressed together and her fists clenched and shaking.

“But I can’t promise my parents can pay you much,” the young woman asserted.

“We can figure all that out when we find your sister,” Cid said consolingly.

“Do you know anything that could help us?” Kveldulf asked.

“She’s younger than me by a few years, and we share the same chestnut hair and green eyes. She does have a birth mark on her right shoulder that she was always embarrassed about. And our mother gave her a broach made out of blue stone last summer.”

“Any reason why she would leave in the first place?” Cid asked.

“Well, she was spending time with this man who arrived here not too long ago.”

“A traveler?” asked Jeanne, leaning over the fence, her brows pressed tightly together.

The young woman stepped away from the fence as Kveldulf put his hand on Jeanne’s shoulder, Jeanne turned giving him a burning gaze.

“Yes, he arrived to town a few weeks back,” the young woman replied. “He was staying at the inn with a few others, doing some odd jobs and the like?”

“Was he here for any reason?” asked Cid.

“I couldn’t tell you,” the young woman said, “I rarely spoke to the man.”

“Really?” asked Kveldulf.

“I just had an odd feeling about. More so than with most strangers.”

“But your sister didn’t?” Cid asked.

The young woman shook her head. “She was smitten with him. You know how some girls are when their hearts begin courting thoughts of love.”

“Do you think she might’ve gone off with him?” asked Kveldulf.

“That’s my best guess, and I don’t know if …,” the young woman paused again, Jeanne putting her hand on the woman’s shoulder.

“We’ll find her,” Jeanne told her.

“I know this isn’t an easy thing to ask but –”

“We will find her,” Jeanne repeated, slower and softer this time.

The young woman nodded. “Thank you, I need to get back, I appreciate you taking time to talk with me,” she said before making her way back to the farmhouse.

The three made their way back to the horses, saying nothing as the moved further down the road. Jeanne urged her horse forward to where it outpaced Kel and Cid. Kveldulf, seeing Jeanne’s face unchanged since the conversation, broke the silence. “Jeanne?”

“Hmm,” she said turned to him with a glare that made him recoil.

“Just making sure you’re all right.”

“I’m fine,” she said, through gritted teeth.

Kveldulf turned to Cid who was shaking his head and waved his Kel to come closer. As he neared Cid, he saw his friend use their old signal language back with The Cold Company. Give her some space, I think this is hitting closer to home than I anticipated, Cid gestured.

Kveldulf nodded as Cid turned to Jeanne.

“Jeanne, you want us to see about the bandit contract while you take care of the missing person?” Cid asked.

Jeanne slowed her horse down, letting Kveldulf and Cid catch up, turning to Cid. “You’d be all right with that?”

“Of course,” said Cid, “We know how important these situations are to you.”

Jeanne took a deep breath with a pained expression coming over her face as she rubbed her eyes. She said nothing, her gaze moving down to the road in front of her.

Cid and Kveldulf exchanged glances before looking back to Jeanne. “Jeanne?” Cid said to her.

“Let’s … let’s get a lay of the land and take it from there,” she said with unease.

Reaching the outskirts of the village, the three stopped in front of an open-air smithy. A man, draped in a stained black leather apron, and rapping away with a hammer against a piece of metal. Dirt, sweat, and grime smears marked all over his skin and face. He spotted the trio, lifting a hand to them before setting his tools down and making his way up. “Oi, welcome to Amlin, our little spot of earth. Anything I can help ye with?” he asked them.

“We were looking to find the town reeve,” said Cid, “Thought there might be some work focus.”

“Aye, aye,” said the smith, scratching one side of his head. “I can’t say I know of any thing in particular the reeve might need. But then again, we’re not exactly joined at the hip, are we? Normally he’d be located at the Reeve-House, not too far from the center of town, near The Lucky Lorna.”

“Right,” said Cid, rubbing his chin. “Shouldn’t be too hard to find then.”

“I’d hope not, he still owes me from our last drinking match.”

“Is that a regular occurrence?” asked Kveldulf lightly grimacing.

“We like to enjoy our drinks around these parts,” said the smithy. “Plus, not much else going on round here.”

“We did hear of a brigand problem,” said Kveldulf, “from one of the local farmers.”

The smithy waved his hand back and forth while shaking his head. “That blowhard is making a lot of smoke and noise cause one of his daughters went off with this bloke not too long ago.”

“Really?” asked Jeanne staring at him coldly.

The smithy looked sideways while leaning away from her.

“Yeah, he said something about being a part of a free-lance company. You know how it is. Probably boasting to get himself a lass before she learns he’s just a leech like the rest of his ilk are.”

As Cid asked some more questions, Kveldulf turned to see Jeanne closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths. He lightly tapped her on the shoulder. Jeanne, he gestured, you doing all right?

Jeanne turned around away from the smithy, wrapping her arms around her torso. Would you believe me if I said yes?

I’m not trying to pry, Jeanne. But getting a little worried.

Jeanne took a deep breath. “Just … give me a moment and I’ll be fine.”

Kveldulf placed his hand on her shoulder, both of them turning back to Cid and the smithy.

“Did you see any of these others he was with?” Cid asked the man.

The smithy shook his head. “No, I can say I did. He was supposed to be a guide to another. I did catch a bit of smoke out a distance south of town. But I couldn’t tell ya if they was a part of that or not.”

Cid leaned back to Kveldulf and Jeanne. “We’ll check that out when we’re done with the reeve,” he whispered to them. Both Kel and Jeanne nodding in response.

“Well, I should get back to work, don’t want the fire to get too cold,” the smithy said as he returned to his work.

“Of course, thank you for your time,” said Cid, he gestured Kel and Jeanne to follow him back to their horses. “What do you make of that?” he asked them.

“Nothing struck to me like he was trying to hide something,” said Jeanne.

“Same,” said Kveldulf, “It’s a little odd that the person in charge here is so close to the local inn.”

“Probably owns it,” Cid said, “or has close ties to it.”

“Or they just love a good drink,” said Jeanne.

“Well, why don’t Jeanne and I pay the reeve a visit, Kel, see what you can find out about the brigands, over by the tavern.”

“You want me to get a us a room, too?”

“Let’s see how things go before we cough up the coins.”