The inn looked like it had seen better times just in some dreams. The place where the name plate of the inn was supposed to be, was empty. Just two rusted hooks driven into dry wood above stepped-through stairs. The yellow paint commonly found in this area was flaking off the walls, revealing the naked stone below. Even the entrance looked less than welcome, with its door showing clear signs of being broken down not too long a go and hastily fitted back into the hole it would have otherwise left.

Lodwin glares at the entrance. He didn’t like the aura emitting from this place, yet Veduca wasn’t bothered at all. She was already on the stairs when he followed her. Upon reaching her, he pulled her back and moved ahead to the door. Foregoing knocking at it, he pushed the miserable plank of wood open and looked at a haggard face with brilliant blue eyes full of anger.

The axe-attack came sudden, yet Lodwin managed to not only avoid the blow but disarmed the woman. She stumbled backward, but a heartbeat later she pulled a knife from her belt and lunged again at him. Annoyed, Lodwin disarmed her again and threw her on top of one of the sturdy tables, which creaked dangerously once he pinned her down. The woman threw her hands and feet around but calmed down a few heartbeats later as she seemingly realised she couldn’t do anything anymore.

“What are you waiting for, you despicable monster?!”, she screamed at him. “Kill me already and be done with it!”

Lodwin let her go with a hiss through his teeth and stepped a foot away.

“You damnable bootlicker! What’s it now? Cat got your tongue?”, she continued to shout and sat up.

“He’s mute, ma’am”, said Veduca with an uncertain tone in her voice and stepped next to Lodwin, who glared at his attacker.

“Mute?”, the woman almost spit. “As if this would matter, you bitch! Take me already to Eldebourg! Then I can at least meet my family sooner.”

“But we aren’t with the Knight of Eldebourg or the Divine Lord”, Veduca explained with an open smile, despite the insult. “We, in fact, seek to free this area of their influence.”

At this, the woman let out a cackling laugh, which made Lodwin grab his sword.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but—“, Veduca began.

“I don’t give a fuck about a whore like you, your mute giant or your lies!”, the woman interrupted her and jumped back on her feet. “Just kill me already!”

“But we don’t want to kill you”, Veduca continued, forlorn. “We’re just looking for a place to stay the night. I promise, we don’t mean you any harm and, come morning, we’ll be off again. You don’t even need to offer us breakfast. We even sleep in the stable if you don’t want us in your inn.”

As if she were suddenly a different person, the woman sighed and slumped her shoulders. Embarrassment took over the anger, but Lodwin didn’t trust her. Without removing his hand from his sword, he stepped forward. Veduca made a subtle move and placed her hand on his sword-arm. He glared at her and removed his hand.

“You can stay in one of the rooms”, the woman suddenly said. “The last one on the first floor should still be in usable condition. I’ll even prepare you a late supper, if you like.”

“Thank you so much, Imila”, Veduca replied, smiling brighter than the sun. “And you don’t have to cook for us. We’re happy with leftovers.”

“How do you know my name?”, she asked, her voice again threatening.

“We spoke with the man guarding the entrance of the village, when we arrived”, the sorceress explained with a slight nervous edge to her face. “He also told us about what happened to you. We’re both terrible sorry.”

“Spare me your pity”, Imila replied and calmed down while keeping the angry expression. “I just want the Knight and this so-called Divine Lord dead.”

“That’s what we want as well”, Veduca explained. “That’s why we’re on our way to Eldebourg.”

“Don’t you dare mock me! As if you two could even get close to one of those damnable monsters, they call priests!”

“We killed three already.”

“Out!”, Imila shouted and pointed towards the door.

“But we—“

“I said out! Out!”

Before Veduca could protest once more, Lodwin grabbed her arm and pulled her gently towards the door. He could feel the innkeeper glare at them, but didn’t bother to look around. In front of the inn, he let go of Veduca.

“I’m so sorry, Lod”, she apologised to him with her eyes cast down. “Me and my loose mouth.”

Feeling sorry for her, he placed his hand on her head and patted her.

“Thank you, but we still don’t have a place to stay the night,” she replied with a melancholic smile.

After a short glance around, Lodwin pointed at a run down looking house. While almost all surrounding buildings looking equally abandoned, he was certain that the house he had pointed at was empty. Veduca made a reluctant expression but remained silent. It seemed like the exchange with the innkeeper had rattled her more than she let on.

As she didn’t complain, Lodwin walked ahead to the front door and knocked. By doing so, the door swung open without resistance. Slow, he pulled out his sword and went into the decrepit building. The air smelled slightly musty, but beyond that, he did notice anything unusual.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“What if there is someone living in here?”, Veduca asked concerned right behind him. “I would rather not be chased out of town.”

Won’t happen, he signed her.

“I trust you, but you sometimes seem a bit too confident for my liking.”

Lodwin ignored her remark and moved ahead. The house was nearly empty. Only a few pieces of bigger furniture were still present. Books, pantings, and other decorative elements had been removed, as was apparent by the spots left on the shelves and walls. Despite the relative order of the remaining things, Lodwin felt like this house had been raided.

“I think we can use some of the furniture to light a fire in the fireplace”, suggested Veduca, still with a clear aura of regret around her. “It seems you’ve to suffer my cooking once more.”

I can cook, he signed her.

“Really?”, she asked.

I’m not injured. I will cook. If you like it or not.

“So my cooking really is this terrible…”, she sighed.

Don’t guild-trip me.

“So you noticed!”, Veduca asked, genuinely surprised. “Sorry about that. I guess I just wanted you to praise me.”

Lodwin glared at her.

“I know, fishing for compliments is a bad habit”, she admitted.

I prepare the fire, he signed and turned to one of the last remaining chairs.

As he chopped the chair into pieces, an unbidden memory surfaced.

—

It had been around the beginning of their apprenticeship when he and Rosomil were about eight years old and had to survive their first night of seven alone in the forest. It was an initiation rite, but it also served the elders to sort them into a fitting position once their apprenticeship was in full swing. Lodwin had prepared himself for this test by asking around the older apprentices. While not all had been forthcoming with information, some had been quite talkative. So, he knew that this test wasn’t as tough as their instructors had repeated over and over. The worst thing that could happen to them in the forest was a sudden change in weather, but they were more than prepared for such a case.

Rosomil, on the other hand, had just prepared by reading and practicing what their instructors had taught them. Although the adults didn’t notice, even as they left them in the forest with just the most basic equipment, Lodwin had realised immediately that his companion was afraid. He remarked on it once they were alone but…

“I’m not afraid”, Rosomil had answered, his voice firm but his eyes betraying the lie.

“You say one thing but mean another”, Lodwin had replied, laughing.

At this, Rosomil looked at him with shock, but immediately turned away. Lodwin didn’t force it and went ahead.

They went further into the woods, searching for a place they could light a fire and set up camp for the night. It was already dark when they found a good spot, yet not too dark as to make it impossible today and still move on, as the moon shone bright and full. As they settled, Lodwin couldn’t help but notice his companion walking closer to him and looking around as if expecting to be ambushed any moment.

“Do you need rest?”, Lodwin had asked him.

“No”, he had answered, tight-lipped. “Go and look for firewood while I’ll stand guard.”

“But if you help me, we’ll be faster and can eat sooner”, he had replied with a warm smile.

“I know… but our instructors always emphasised that at least one person has to stand guard. You never know when you will be ambushed.”

“But we haven’t run into anything dangerous.”

“The greatest danger is the foe unseen.”

Lodwin had sighed and left Rosomil to his self-appointed guard duties. In the two years they were already in the Order, he had learned that once Rosomil started to quote their instructors, he was set on his track.

Once he had found and chopped enough firewood, he had pilled it up and lit a few dry clippings as well as some dry leaves and gras with a flint. It took a while until the fire took, but once it did, they had a nice campfire going. But the every moment the fire illuminated their campsite, Rosomil had fallen to his knees.

“Hey! You’re alright?”, Lodwin had asked and kneeled next to him.

For a few moments, Rosomil had just breathed heavy and stared into nothingness.

“Rosomil, you need to breathe in deeply”, Lodwin had instructed him while rubbing his back. “And hold the air a few moments before breathing out slow again. Can you do that?”

Despite the empty look on his face, Rosomil had nodded and followed his instructions. After he had done so a few times, he had become visibly calmer.

“I’m sorry”, he had mumbled once Lodwin had pulled him towards the fire.

“You don’t need to apologise, my friend”, he had replied, smiling while starting to prepare their supper.

“I was always locked in the dark…”, Rosomil had begun to explain after a few tense moments. “I…”

“I understand”, Lodwin had replied quietly. “You don’t need to explain yourself.”

“I need to overcome this fear if I want to become a knight and not just one of the monks”, he had continued after a few quiet moments with strong resolve in his voice.

“I’m certain you will overcome it soon”, Lodwin had replied after a moment. “And remember, I’ll always have your back!”

“Thank you”, Rosomil had replied and appeared from then on more at ease, even during the other six nights they had to stay in the forest.

—

“Lodwin?”, asked Veduca and made him look up.

They had just eaten a supper made from some gruel mixed in with the few spices they had.

What is it?, he asked her with a few precise gestures.

“You looked so sad since we prepared the fire”, she began, uncertain. “I’m sorry, I made us sleep here. You need a better rest than this.”

It’s not about you or this place, he replied. Just an old memory.

“Oh”, she replied and smiled, embarrassed. “About Rosomil?”

Yes.

“What’s it about, if you don’t mind me asking?”

At this, he frowned for a moment, then he asked Veduca for a piece of paper as well as the inkwell and feather she owned. She conjured those things out of her staff and handed them to him. A moment later, she also conjured a magical glowing sphere for him. Lodwin forced himself from complaining, although he still didn’t like to be dependent on her magic, and started to write.

Once he was done, he handed her the paper. At the same time, the glowing orb moved above her head while she read his words. To get his mind away from the memory and Veduca’s magic, he looked after the fire and pulled their bedrolls from the bag he kept his belongings in.

“Thank you for sharing this with me”, Veduca said in a low voice after she had read it.

Slow, Lodwin turned towards her. She looked sorrowful and threw the paper in the fireplace. For a few moments, he was certain she would ask him again if he still saw a chance to save Rosomil instead of killing him. She didn’t but in the end he asked himself this question.

Again, he was certain that there was nothing else he could do but to kill Rosomil. He had taken everything Lodwin had loved in his life. He had killed him and their friends. He had destroyed the Order. He had made a deal with a demon and betrayed everything. There was no salvation. No forgiveness. But…

“You need to rest”, Veduca remarked with a sad smile.

Lodwin looked at her without any particular expression. For a moment, she seemed uncertain. He could almost feel her still mulling over the very question he had made himself contemplate mere moments ago. Still, she remained silent, and he would rather not force the matter.

Without further ado, he warped himself into the bedroll and turned his back to her and the fire.