The sun’s golden shine once again rose beyond the horizon. The signaled the begin of a new day on Earth just as they always did.

Iain and Lilly were peacefully eating their breakfast. Although Lilly harshly reprimanded Iain after Josef left yesterday, no bad blood could be felt between the pair of siblings.

After listening to his sister, Iain also admitted that he might have been too hasty in trusting these strangers.

Fortunately, Josef didn’t create any problems for them. He did after all work for a different lord.

In the evening Georg also showed up, insisting on taking Sophia home. The kind old man didn’t want his daughter to burden the siblings.

Now Iain and Lilly were once again alone in their modern home.

However, if they fought that this day would continue to be tranquil, they would quickly realize how wrong they could be.

Just when Iain put their dishes into the sink and began to wash them, a knock sounded from their door.

With a cheerful spring in her steps, Lilly made her way to the door. Her brother always questioned how the young woman could be in such delighted mood every morning.

Opening the door and sticking her head out, Lilly put a smile on their early visitor’s face as soon as she spoke:

“Good morning! Oh, it’s little Kathi! What are you doing here so early?”

“Morning sister Lilly! Mother sent me here. She told me to ask if you have seen David since yesterday?”

Remembering the source of many of her worries, Lilly’s eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly.

“David? Why? I haven’t seen him for a few days I think.”

Guessing that his sister might feel uncomfortable with this topic, Iain made his way over too. The tall smith put his hand on Lilly’s shoulder as he greeted the child opposite them:

“Morning Kathi. Can you tell me what’s going on with David?”

“Morning brother Iain! Mom said that David didn’t come to buy his bread. He would always reserve some and fetch it after work, but he didn’t come yesterday.

Therefore, Mom sent me to deliver it today, but I couldn’t find David. Mom then grew worried and sent me and Tilly to look for him, but we can’t find him. That’s why Mom and Tilly said we should ask around.”

Listening to Kathi’s story, a bad feeling nestled in Iain and Lilly’s minds. Although they disliked David for spying on Lilly, they didn’t really wish anything bad to happen to the old smith.

In their subconscious mind, they might even feel a little bit guilty. After all it couldn’t be denied that they took over most of David’s business.

After mulling over the issue for a second, Iain came to a decision:

“How about we help you searching, Kathi?”

“Is that ok? Aren’t you busy?”

“Our work can wait for now.”

“Ok. As expected from you two, you are good people!”

The two siblings were slightly taken aback by Kathi’s words, before they simultaneously broke into laughter. Looking at the child’s bright eyes took a lot of trouble from Lilly.

Having made up their minds, the pair of brother and sister didn’t delay for much longer. They told Kathi they would start searching from David’s house and meet up with her and Tilly at the village entrance later.

As they watched the young girl running away towards Georg’s house, Lilly and Iain walked down the only road in their village, soon arriving at the old ‘Rosenstall’.

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The young Rottals had a complicated mood as they looked at the old, dilapidated building which had obvious traces of repairs done over the years.

Iain lightly patted his sister’s shoulder before he walked up to the inn’s door.

After a second of hesitation, Iain knocked firmly on the door. His own banging was accompanied by the loud cracking of wood.

The combination of old material and Iain’s high strength even led to a small splinter falling off the doorframe.

Lilly glared angrily at her brother, who stopped his action with an apologetic smile on his face. Before the foolish smith could cause any more damage, his sister opted to try something different:

“David! Hey, David, are you here?

Kathi and Tilly are searching for you.”

After waiting are few seconds, Iain asked:

“Well, we didn’t have much hope in the first place, but what should we do now?”

An eerie silence settled as Lilly seemed to be deep in thought. Iain began to impatiently look through a window before his sister spoke in a quiet voice:

“I don’t have a good feeling about this. David is an old man. Maybe he… hurt himself and needs help.

I think we should go in.”

“You mean as in ‘break in’?”

Lilly angrily rolled her eyes as she urged her brother:

“Just open the door you buffoon!”

Looking at his annoyed little sister, Iain couldn’t help but laugh lightly.

Nevertheless, he did as he was told.

Iain positioned himself in front of the door. He took a deep breath.

Suddenly he raised his leg and slammed it with all his strength at the door’s center.

The old iron lock, which David forged himself, couldn’t defend against Iain’s power. Dust stirred up, wood cracked and even some cups inside rattled as the door sprang open with a loud rumble.

A few villagers passing by looked in confusion at Lilly and Iain entering David’s house.

Once inside the inn, Lilly’s uncomfortable feeling grew stronger as she quickly checked out the room.

The young woman easily noticed that everything appeared like one would expect from an abandoned inn, expect for one table.

“Look, Iain. Someone ate at the table over there.”

Iain turned his head towards the direction Lilly pointed.

“You’re right. Did David have any guests recently?”

“Hmm… Have we seen him the last few days?”

“I don’t think so. We were occupied with Sophia’s situation though.”

Hearing her brother’s last sentence, a chill ran down Lilly’s spine. Sophia’s situation reminded her of the two people who also vanished from their sight the day before yesterday.

However, if they had eaten here…

Lilly didn’t dare to continue this thought.

“Let’s split up. Go look in the kitchen, I go upstairs.”

“Sure.”

Separating from her brother the young redhead slowly made her way up the stairs. She knew that the ‘Rosenstall’ had a few simple guestrooms here.

Lilly cautiously began to shout David’s name again, before she knocked on the first door.

Not receiving any answer, the young woman grew increasingly concerned. Lilly opened the first of three doors and superficially inspected the room.

She couldn’t find any traces of the old smith.

Shaking her head Lilly hastily walked towards the next room.

Having not seen or heard anyone until now, the young woman didn’t care to be careful anymore.

With rather hasty actions she opened the next door, let her eyes roam around the room and walked away again shortly after.

Her thoughts fraught with worry Lilly simply pushed the last door open not expecting to see anything.

However, the young woman could tell at a glance that someone had cleaned this room. It was absolutely spotless. The young Rottal couldn’t even tell how it was possible to clean a room to such a degree.

Now that she thought about it, Lilly also felt something was off about the second room.

Although the first and second room also both seemed rather tidy, one could still guess that the first room had been collecting dust for a few days.

However, the second room looked like it had been prepared for someone’s use recently. Weirdly enough it appeared that this someone never slept there.

Lilly forced her agitated mind to calm down as she made her way down the steps. Always having been proud of her intelligence, she objectively tried to analyze the situation.

Unfortunately, she could only come to one conclusion. But she didn’t like this one at all.

Back downstairs, Lilly turned towards her brother, who was done with inspecting the kitchen since a while ago.

“Anything interesting?”

“Somone made food, but we already know this. So no, not really.”

At this point through Tilly’s search and their forceful entry into the old inn, David’s disappearance had already spread throughout the village.

Quite a few nosy and/or helpful people had gathered at David’s home.

As Lilly sunk into her own thoughts a blond, rather muscular woman opened the inn’s backdoor.

Attracted by the noise of an opening door, Lilly and Iain subconsciously turned their heads around.

Suddenly Iain saw something from the corner of his eyes. The young smith turned his head back and threw his sister a questioning look.

He just missed her body shuddering, before Lilly had herself back under control.

The young woman right now didn’t display any of her usual cheerfulness, as she signaled Iain to follow her.

With a puzzled look on his face Iain walked behind his sister into David’s small garden. A few steps later they arrived at Rosi’s grave.

Everyone in their village knew that David buried his beloved wife here. Although this didn’t conform to their Christian customs, but that’s what David wanted.

Since their village was rather isolated anyways, everyone simple complied with the old smith.

Noticing the troubled look on Lilly’s face, Iain put an arm around her shoulder.

“It wasn’t your fault. You did your best.”

“Thank you.”

Lilly knew that her brother had misunderstood her, but she still appreciated his kindness. However, her worry stemmed from a different source right now.

The grave in front of her had obviously been dug up recently…