Chapter 15 Escaping Night

Hala looked at the sky through the trees. "It's getting late." She patted the head of the boar cuddled next to her. "Isn't that right, Vaitape?" He snorted happily and leaned in close as she scratched his ear.

Lou rubbed his hand over his face. "Great. We're naming them now."

The sun was low. They had only a sliver of sunlight left.

Hafoc paced nearby. He felt more on edge than usual. “Right. The farm is the best bet to be paid, yeh? What are we waiting for again?” Blight. Why is this group so slow?

Lou nodded. “You aren’t wrong there. The butcher said he’d buy meat, but the farm would take the live ones off our hands for a bit of coin, I think.The problem is, the only one we have that’s alive is this one here.” He glanced at Vaitape. The boar had insinuated himself under the crook of Hala’s arm and leaned his head in her lap.

Hafoc considered the boar, Vai-whatever, as he played with a dagger. Hm. Maybe it’d be easier to sell them all as meat…

Kylia kept a watchful eye on the darkening woods that surrounded them. “There’s not much daylight left, maybe let’s head to the farm and go back into town tomorrow? I don't want to be caught out at night in the woods or on the streets of the town. I’m not much a fan of vampires.”

“Yeh, I guess they’d be after you all,” Rhalie added. “You tasty lot, you.” She smiled and crossed her arms as if she were superior in some way.

“I can’t believe you can even manage to be smug about being inedible.” Kylia punched the gnome in the shoulder. She had to lean down a little to manage the playful slug.

Autumnus and Tine approached from wherever those fools had been to. Good, Hafoc thought. He looked for Tine’s pack. Ah, very good. She still has her precious goods, whatever they may be. That’s where the real money is, he thought. He could relax a bit now.

Autumnus jumped right in as he and Tine joined the group. “I hate to interrupt, but I couldn’t help but overhear…I agree. As much as I enjoy all this time in the woods, this place is not the safest. I'm sure the farmer will be fine to have us even if we need to stay in the barn.” He reached down and gave Vaitape a pat on the rump.

Demon boy seems awfully interested in the elf, Hafoc noted, as Autumnus gave Hala an inquisitive look. In response to his raised eyebrows, Hala nodded, apparently meaning that she was fine. How’d they get so close so fast? Never matter: don’t know, don’t care.

Tine kicked a rock and busied herself by staring at a tree. I think Kitty cares, though. Mebbe I kin use that.

Hafoc cleared his throat. “So, yeah. There’s a chance we get laughed away by some bumpkins, but I would rather travel in numbers, either way. Let’s go, eh?”

There was no objection, and little time to do so, even if anyone had wanted to quarrel, so it was decided. Hala led them south, towards the farmland. She remembered that much. Vaitape pranced by her side, snout raised. The group gathered their spoils from the Cobra Mutkin’s nest and followed the unlikely pair.

The darkening forest began to twitch and reinvent itself in the thickening darkness. It was definitely time to leave.

As they reached the forest edge, they heard a growing symphony of wings and teeth. The farm sat quietly ahead, as if waiting for them to arrive.

Kylia kept a firm grip on her dagger. “Um, how can something so wholesome looking feel so…creepy?”

Tine’s shoulders arched. “I don’t know. But, somehow, it sure is.”

Autumnus smiled at the others. “Well, I, for one, am hopeful! Appearances aren’t everything, you know…” He glanced at Tine. “I think we should be good guests and introduce ourselves." He smiled brightly, and marched up to the farm to knock on the house door.

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A pencil thin woman answered the door wearing an oven mitt on her hand. Upon seeing the group of bedraggled travelers, she slammed the door shut. They heard hurried footsteps and a clang before she returned to crack open the door again to greet them with a tired, "H-hello?" She nervously wiped some flour from her nose. "How can I help you?”

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She looks pretty shocked by the group of us. I don’t think they get many visitors out here, Tine thought.

Autumnus spoke up first, with a deep bow to the woman. ”Hello miss, we are looking for a place to stay, so that we are not caught out in the dark. We were wondering if it would be all right if we spent the night here?” In response to the increasingly startled look on the farmer woman’s face, he added, “We are fine with the barn as long as it is safe." He gave her an ingratiating smile.

The woman peered out the door, looked each of them over carefully, then nodded. She waved for everyone to enter. Obliging, they came inside. When they were only a few steps past the threshold, they were mobbed by curious children.

The multitude of tykes tugged at their clothing, tried to use their weapons and demanded to know their names. Tine fought the urge to jump on a table to get out of reach. The others looked equally unequipped to handle the adorable onslaught, except Kylia, who mesmerized a few of the kids with her knife-twirling prowess. Hafoc looked like he was deciding to bolt or murder them all.

"Everyone, back!" The woman snapped, pounding a spoon to a large, metal pan.

She banged until the children formed a line. Then, she introduced herself to her guests. "I am Marlynn. And these..." she gestured to the children, "Well, we can get to names for them when they act like humans, not animals. Everyone, give these travelers some space.” Marlynn clapped her hands, and the children scattered.

Tine didn't count how many there were, but it seemed like a lot of children for one household, even by Cat Mutkin standards.

Marlynn continued to organize them all with a strict confidence she didn’t show them at the door. ”As soon as the bread is done, you lot,” She nodded to Tine and the group, “you all can share a loaf with some honey, if need be, and, yes, you can stay in the barn tonight. Instead of gold, you can herd the flock for me after they've been out in the field for the morning in exchange. Got me hands full here.”

Tine saw Autumnus take a small step back when Marlynn asked them to take care of her flock, but he followed it up with a quick smile. “Thank you. We will make sure the flock is well seen after." He glanced to Hala, who nodded and excused herself to join Viatape outside.

What is with it with those two? Tine wondered.

“Thank you Marlynn, your hospitality is most appreciated," Kylia said as she waved to one of the children who watched them from a doorway.

Soon the bread was ready. It smelled wonderful. Mut, bless this woman and her oven for all eternity! Tine thought with relief.

Hafoc nodded thanks and pocketed a bit of bread. He headed to the barn mumbling something about “finding a spot to roost.” The others enjoyed the freshly baked loafs and honey immensely before slipping out as well. It was good to be warm, fed and somewhere safe for the night. Or so Tine hoped.

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Hala and Lou said their thanks and went to the barn. Lou eyed the rafters uneasily, but Hala, unconcerned, wandered in as she licked the honey off of her fingers with a rapturous smile on her face and her eyes closed.

Viatape followed. He was determined to stay close to Hala. She was well into the barn when she tripped over something.

Sprawled on a pile of straw on the floor of the barn, a young teen snored loudly as he hugged a staff and a small, tightly-packed travel bag in his sleep. His face was covered in soot, except for two rings of unmarked skin around his eyes. This was easily explained by the goggles he wore on his forehead. The young man’s hair looked a lot like the straw he slept on. He rolled over, undisturbed.

Hala bent over to rouse him gently.

Oho, I’ve got a better idea, the boar thought. Viatape pushed himself between her and the stranger. Then he squealed a warning and jumped on top of the sleeping traveler. There. That woke him up. He smiled smugly at the boy.

The teen woke up loudly. “He yelled, and flailed his arms. “Ow! Why—“ Spotting Viatape, he added, “And who? …or what?” He pushed Viatape away, sat up and rubbed his ribs. “But mostly…why?” The boy grabbed his staff and scuttled to the far edge of the barn. “Marlynn said I could be here—I swear!” He pointed the staff at Vaitape as if to ward him off. He acted like the boar was an evil spirit.

Lou laughed. ”It seems even we guests here have guests, eh? He pointed to the boy’s staff. “Mind you watch that staff in here. Looks like you’ve been playing with fire. Don’t think the kind lady who owns this barn would like it much if you set it ablaze, now would she?” Lou waved a dismissive hand toward it and climbed up into a hammock he had fashioned out of his cloak.

Hala bowed at the waist, face red in response to the boy’s outcry. "I apologize in the name of my parents, and my parent's parents, and everyone they've met. I did not see you there!” She looked around. “Do you live here?"

Hala’s apology seemed to put him at ease. “No,” he said, leaning nonchalantly against the barn wall, now. “I don’t live anywhere.” He cocked a thumb at his chest. “I'm an adventurer.”

Lou sniggered from the corner of the barn, but Hala’s eyes remained serious. “Oh, I see. Then we have something in common, my Bhen Zair friend. We are travelers, too.” Her eyes grew wider for a moment. “You don’t mind if we sleep here, do you, um…?”

“Ilius. The name’s Ilius,” Looking into Hala’s deep eyes, he blushed. “N—no. Of course I don’t mind if a beautiful lady like you were to sleep here,” he bowed now.

“Watch yourself, Hala, I think this one might just be a bard-in-training!” Lou added, laughing.

“No, I’m not! I’m a mage. Or—a scientist. O—or both. Or something…” He rubbed the back of his neck.

Lou called down from the loft, “Just kidding—stop ogling the elf lady and go back to sleep, welp!”

Bored, Vaitape trotted off to explore the barn as the hoomans continued their introductions and found places to sleep. He loved looking in corners and under things. You never knew what you could find, or how edible it might be. Maybe there are some tasty bits of mushrooms back here…

Nose down, he ran headfirst into big, cushy creature that was lurking in the back of the barn. It was big. It wasn’t alone. Uh-oh. That’s definitely not the tasty, edible treat. Viatape backed up in alarm.