Lia is directing the preparation of the caravan's journey while under the afternoon sun. Wiping sweat from her forehead while ordering the laborers. Inside the four wagons are the herbs her family's livelihood depends on. All of it her father had given in care to six strange men. Lia still remembers Volkhard's burned face and despite the heat she shivered from the memory.

Lia's eyes searched for the lone host and found them resting in the shops shade. Hiding from the sun's heat like hoodlums hiding from the law, they even look like ones. The dwarf caught her looking and give her an ugly smile. Lia turned away, disgusted. She saw her father inspecting the caravan and went after him. "Father can I ask you why you hired those thugs for the caravan travel?"

Prokopis looks at his daughter, then at the lone host and back to her again "Lia as you well know we need guards for the caravan travel, since the bandits had swell in numbers because of the war with the republic and Nascus"

"Even still, how can you easily trust any of them, I mean just look at them, they would likely steal our goods before the bandits could, I'm sure of it!"Lia objects

"And when a combat broke out how can we expect that they will do their job and protect the caravan? I doubt some of them can even fight, especially the dwarf."

Prokopis looks at the band again, like a beaten mutt to its abusive owner. Eyes filled with cold comprehension, those eyes meet Lia's.

"Those aren't just any thugs or men, Lia" Prokopis said, voice low, "Those men, they're not from here in Osmela or Nascus. They are from Agrug where men lived their whole lives in war"

Lia's worries suddenly turned to dread, "How can you be sure?" she asked with an urge to look at the lone host again, but fear stops her.

"I am sure, the difference are subtle but I recognise the features in their face that betrayed their origin and from what I knew of the Agrug is that they would soon kill a man than betray their words." That's all Prokopis said to his daughter, he turned quickly and went back inside the shop leaving Lia without a glance.

Rocco watches Prokopis go, eager to leave his lass to handle the caravan and their crew. He turned to look at Volkhard, Volkhard looks back. The big man's face is free of shadow in the sunlight, long hair from his left pate drops outside his hood half-covering the good side of his face.

"What're you looking at?" Volkhard asked in Agrug.

"I'm just thinking how our introduction could've been better" Rocco said.

"We got a job that's what matters."

"I know, I know, I'm just surprised that we even got it, with you scaring the shopman and his lass. You know we should really buy a mask for that face of yours."

"A mask would only make me look more suspicious"

"We're already suspicious as we are, have you seen how people look at us, what's a scary mask gonna do?" Arnulf quips.

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"Didn't also help that Hagen smiled at the shopman with an axe in hand" Rocco continues.

Hagen snorts, taking the dwarf's attention "As Volk says we finally got a job, better be grateful of it than bitch like a child. Beside my ma always says the best way to make friends is to smile at 'em" he gives Rocco a wolf's grin.

The dwarf crabs to his side, shielding himself from Hagen with Volkhard's body.

Volkhard just watched. Rocco was right about scaring the shopman and his lass, in fact Volkhard never thought that they're gonna be hired for the job.

For a week now the lone host had found no job in Salia suited for their profession. Sparing the few coins they have, they eat little and sleep in poor lodgings, when they couldn't do that they sleep on the streets, one eye opene for muggers. Then Volkhard found the poster for the caravan job.

*Swords needed, Eight silver marks for each* the words in the poster said. In a fit, more desperate than hopeful, Volkhard picked it up, expecting to be declined. What a leader he is.

"Shouldn't we help 'em?" Till asked, looking at the laborers hefting boxes where the herbs are stored. *The big lad is too eager to help*, Volkhard thought *Too much for his own good*.

"No, where here as sellswords not workers, if we mistake the two we'll be back doing worthless back breaking jobs again" Volkhard replied almost growling.

Till's a slow-thinker but it didn't take him long to understand. The lot of them had gone to Osmela, away from Agrug and its bloodshed to try and make a new life for themselves. But violence seems the only work suited for men like them.

"A new life" Hagen said to no one in particular, "We shouldn't have gone in Osmela"

"That we should" Volkhard agreed.

Prokopis stayed in his shop as the caravan travel began, making his daughter the leader of the journey.

The lone host had arranged themselves around the four wagons. Arnulf and Volkhard in front as lookouts, alert for bandits, while Hagen and Till are in rearguard. Thilo and Rocco on either sides ready to support the front and back. Weapons brandish they're ready to fight.

The caravan will be heading to the town of Phanide, southeast of Salia, taking twelve days to reach, so far the journey have been slow and boring. Osmela's lands are flat and broad, the occasional hills breaking its monotony.

The caravan takes breaks between travel. Laborers take their meals in groups away from the lone host and the lone host away from them. Only Lia eats alone in one of the wagons.

On the fourth day Arnulf, with his keen eyes, had spotted another caravan in the distant.

"It's just over their Volk" Arnulf pointed toward the road.

It took Volkhard longer to spot the caravan, it was where Arnulf had pointed, not moving and no people around it that he could found. "Go report it to the boss lady, after your back we'll go and check on it"

"Do you think it's trouble?"

"I'm not sure, just go tell her and be back quick."

After Arnulf reported to Lia he and Volkhard went to the mysterious caravan. It's made of six wagons, out in the weather for far too long, muck and dust spreads in each one.

The stench of rot is present in the air. Volkhard almost gag when they're near, Arnulf is no better, the kid's face is almost green.

Searching for the smell's source, they found it in a big carriage in front. Volkhard stomach churns, he didn't want to know what's inside. He turn to look at Arnulf, dread written in the kids face.

*Might as well open it after coming this far* Volkhard thought and he reached a hand to the cart's door. The door opens immediately as he turns the knob and pieces of rotting human bodies fell under their legs.

Volkhard and Arnulf jumps back, the smell of decayed flesh rooting through their nose more than before. Arnulf puked and Volkhard barely held his lunch.

"Shit... shit!" Arnulf said after puking, "Why the fuck are they inside?"

A small head of a child rolled near Volkhard's foot, bloated eyes watching him blankly. "We need to go back, we need to warn the others" Volkhard said, voice grave.