After being denied at the inn and kicked out of every stable, he sneaked into an old abandoned shack on the edge of town. The light had indeed faded rather early in this part of the land, not to mention the extremely cold weather during the summer. Taking a lantern out of his bag he hung it on a nail and lit it. Looking around him, he saw that it was more dismal than he had imagined.

"Well, I have been in worse." He said as he laid his blanket down. Sitting down with his hands in his lap he closed his eyes. This had become his custom after his training. His master had told him that if ever anything wished to harm him in the night he would be able to hear their hatred. Worngers, Kral, and Lormbogs, all had different levels of hatred each stronger than the last. Knowing what was out to kill you would better help you prepare against it. Slowly the noises began to fade away. He felt the Worngers prowling on the edge of town waiting, just as on the previous night. He searched but could find nothing else. ‘Worngers, that’s it?’ he thought. ‘Is this why everyone is afraid I could save them from this infestation? Maybe they would pay me then.’

Opening his eyes he found the shed’s door open and someone standing with their hands on their hips, as only a bossy woman can perform. Closing his eyes again he sighed out all of the stress and frustration of the day.

“Ma’am if you would be so kind I will do just about any odd task you want of me tomorrow, just let me sleep for one night. It’s all I ask.”

“Well seeing as how you like to presume everything I can take you over to talk to the Cromlin’s in whose shed you are in.” He was taken aback looking at her, he had thought she would be older the way she had seemed to have already judged him from her posture. But hearing her speak and looking at her made him reassess she couldn’t be older than him, maybe a year or two younger, it was always hard to tell a woman’s age. And then there was the name of Cromlin, he remembered that name.

“Before we go over to make their acquaintance, how about you answer some of my questions? I wouldn’t want to come off as rude. Please, I am from out of town and it seems down on my luck.” He said trying out a smile he hoped was charming.

“Depends, what would you like to know?” the girl said with slight hesitation.

“For starters, why is everyone afraid and hostile? Frankly, I am sick and tired of kind words being met with distrust and in some cases spit. Starting to think I am doing something wrong here.”

“Well, most people you would find out and about can’t afford to hand out money. There haven’t been traders in the village for a couple of years now.”

“Yes, I notice you have a rather large Wornger infestation. Surprised you still have any cows or sheep left. Why hasn’t anyone done anything about that?”

“Worngers?” she said with a chuckle, “Aren’t those from the stories?”

Confused, he looked at her to see if she was teasing him, “Um, yes they are in stories because they are real. I am surprised that you don’t believe me, I was chased for two days by them. Had to ditch my food to lay a false trail.”

“Wait, where did you come from? Mekra is the closest town to the East.”

“Off-topic but yes I am from the South where we have normal weather. It took me two weeks from the Center to get here. Half of that was by a river.”

“But what about the darkness? Where do you spend the night?” she asked hurriedly.

“Darkness? You are the second one to tell me with fear about this ‘Darkness’ as though it is something that kills.” He asked.

Her face fell as he said this. “Yes, if you don’t give it an offering it will take someone in the village. Sometimes it just takes them in the night leaving no trace other times it leaves their corpse ripped apart in the streets. It is very real, it took my brother.”

Swallowing what he was about to say about the Worngers being the most likely cause he instead said, “I am sorry to hear that. It is always hard to lose family.”

After a suitable silence had passed he pressed, “So, will you introduce me to the Cromlin’s?”

“Oh, don’t worry I will just go and ask for you. Wait here and I’ll go sort things out. Um, what was your name?”

“Many thanks, my name is Foldrin, what may your name be?”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Karrina.”

“Ah, and what may my payment consist of.”

“Answers.” She said as she took a step out.

“Answers to what?”

“Everything.” She said with a smile.

*****

As the door shut behind her, she started second-guessing herself. It was almost dark and she still had to make it back home or her father would worry. Stepping up to the door she gave a knock.

The door opened to reveal Kallem. “Oh, Karrina, what are you doing here? Isn't it almost dark?”

“Yes,” she said as she tried not to look at him too much, her father’s taunts of romance coming back into her head. “Anyway, I have a friend who won’t make it back to the southern edge of town before dark. Can he stay in your shed for the night?”

“Hm, I don’t see why not?”

“Kallem, who is it?” came his sister’s voice from deeper in the house.

“IT’S JUST KARRINA GONNA HELP HER OUT REAL QUICK!” he shouted back into the house. “If he can clean it up a bit we will call it even. Is it Soziah?” he said with a wink.

“No. No, he is a new friend. Thank you, I will let him know.” She said as she walked back around to the shed.

“Invite him over for breakfast in the morning,” Kallem said as she started walking away.

“Will do.” She responded as she turned around the corner.

“Hey,” she said as she knocked on the door, “They said you can stay the night as long as you clean up a bit.”

“Is that so?” he said as he opened the door and leaned against the door frame.

“Yeah I am going to head home, I will check on you tomorrow.” She said with a twinge of guilt, ‘Should have grabbed him some of the Cromlin’s offering. Hopefully, it will cover the shed as well.’

As she turned to walk away the light went out.

*****

The change was sudden. From confident and oblivious, a horrible combination in his opinion, to primal terror in the dark. Honestly, it caught him off guard as such she knocked him over in her rush to get in. “What was that for!” he said as he jumped to his feet.

“The. The light it’s it’s gone.” She stuttered hyperventilating and crouching beneath the lamp which swung from its perch.

“Yes, that is what nightfall is.” He said as he brushed off his clothes.

“No, the Darkness is here and we have no offering to give it.”

“What! You are telling me that there is an evil spirit going around killing people and you are giving it gifts?”

“Yes, that is the only way it leaves us alone.”

“So you're telling me that if there is a wornger prowling around your house you will throw it a chicken so that it won’t eat the others? NO. It will only bring more of its kind.”

“But it works. If you have an offering you don’t get taken.”

“Oh. I am not afraid of the Darkness.” With that, he strode over and snuffed out the lantern.

Karrina screamed.

*****

He was laughing. In the darkness, this man, Foldrin was laughing. She had screamed, anyone would scream in her place knowing what she did the horrors she had seen, and yet he laughed. It wasn’t a nice laugh it was used when an older child threw a younger one in the mud. It was one of mockery and scorn.

“You see there is no spirit that can harm you. They only have power over that which you give them.” He said as a light sprang up behind her. “Also you can let go now”

Quickly she pushed herself away from him, in her fear she had not realized that she had grabbed him.

“Um uh um.”

“It’s alright you aren’t hurt.” He said in a calming voice.

“No it is not alright!” she said as her temper rose. “You put us both in danger. You, you..” She trailed off as she saw him put his hand into the lantern touching his finger to the wick. There was no match, she saw clearly that his hand was on fire. Looking at his face he seemed perfectly calm.

“You were saying?” he said as he clenched his fist smothering the flames.

“How? How did you do that?” she asked in wonder.

“Oh, just something that my clan and I can do.” He said dismissively. As he sat on his blanket. “Please sit and make yourself comfortable. I doubt with fear like yours you would make it ten steps outdoors.”

Glancing at the door she shivered as she thought about the Darkness and that night oh so long ago. “Can I stay with you?”

Foldrin sighed, “I would rather you not but I don’t see that I have any other choice. I see this going forward two ways either we both stay here and I turn out the light to save my oil, or I leave you with the light as I go look at these offerings that you people leave out for the Worngers.”

“But what if it comes and puts out the light?” she asked hurriedly.

“Don’t let it. I told you, `` Spirits only have the power which you give them.” As he spoke he pulled a long knife from his pack and slid it into his belt. “Be back in a bit, don’t be afraid.”

The door closed behind him and the silence of the night crept into the shed covering everything in its unholy blanket till it was shattered.

“KARRINA!” she sat bolt upright, it was her father’s voice he had come looking for her. Oh, she loved him in that moment and hated herself just as much. She vowed she would listen to whatever he said so long as he lived through this night.