I was carefully optimistic about our progress, as Caer'agal, the next noteworthy settlement along the road came into view, as our first day of travel neared its end. Unless we were really unlucky, we would not have to camp out in the open, with the village just ahead. We had not been attacked by any stragglers or bandits either. As far as I was concerned that alone was enough to make this day a good day. Still, I was terribly tired and exhausted. I was really looking forward to a good night's sleep but I couldn't let that show in any of my actions or words. First I would have to negotiate the terms of our stay in the village. Most lords and ladies would be rather wary about admitting a large group like ours within their walls. Not without reason either. And I would have to be wary in return as well. All the iron we were carrying could be rather tempting after all.

I patted Kaele's mount on the shoulder once more and picked up my pace a little. I didn't want to run outright, that wouldn't have been proper and I had no idea if I even could, but I wanted to arrive at the village's gate a little ahead of the rest of the caravan. Neither the wall, which was really only a wooden palisade beyond a shallow moat, nor the gate could compare to Caer'zoth's fortifications but they certainly were good enough. If they didn't want us in we wouldn't get in. A small group had gathered in front of the gate and a few more people awaited our approach atop the palisade. Most of them didn't look like warriors but they were armed nonetheless. They were on edge. Hopefully they would be open to words though.

I signaled the others to stop and approached the armed group on my own. I tried my best to look like I knew what I was doing although I had only ever seen mother negotiate passage and accommodations for the night during such travels. I tried very hard not to look dead tired as well. I did better at that as far as I could tell. I was nervous after all and my heart beat faster, almost as if to match my racing thoughts. The composition of the armed group ahead of me had me on edge. Shouldn't the gate guards be professional or at least semi professional soldiers? Why was there such a mixed group of armed civilians instead? Had this place been attacked as well? No, it didn't look that way. Had they received news of the attack on our home ahead of us? If so, why had they not sent help?

Something was not as it should be but I just couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly. I stepped a few paces from the armed group to look up at the people looking down on me from above the gate. One looked like a seasoned veteran, an old man whose hair had grayed and whose horns bore more than a few nicks. The other two were young, a girl slightly younger than my sister and I and a boy a few years younger again, but judging by their clothes they were the ones who ran the place, at least nominally. The girl jabbed an elbow in the boys side, apparently to get him talking. A sister coaching her brother? Technically we were neighbors but I wasn't sure who they were. It had been more than five years since I had last come through here after all. The boy cleared his throat. “What is your business here at Caer'agal? What brings you here, bearing arms, during this trying times?”

It sounded like he had rehearsed these words plenty of times. His companions nodded as if to lend his words more weight. The words were pretty much what I had been expecting. I wasn't entirely sure what he meant with trying times though. I was almost certain that he was not really aware of the attack we had suffered but what else could he mean? “We hail from Caer'zoth and are on our way to the capital.” They probably had guessed that much already but I didn't let that stop me. In a way I was repeating rehearsed words, just like the young boy atop the gate. “We come bearing grave news as well as steel and iron for the royal treasury and would ask you to let us spend the night within the safety of your walls.” Again I was mostly stating the obvious.

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For the briefest of moments the boy looked like he wanted to launch a barrage of questions my way but a stern look from the girl stopped him dead in his tracks. In the end he just nodded. Good. I didn't exactly feel like discussing everything that happened in the recent past in front of everyone else. He motioned for the gate to be opened. “You can spend the night within our walls. Khor'roth will show your men and women to the inn.” The old veteran nodded in agreement and started to climb from the platform to greet the rest of our group as I motioned them forward. The boy wasn't quite done yet though. “I would like to welcome you in our home. There are things we should talk about. My sister will show you the way.” Ah, so she was indeed his sister and he still wanted answers to all those questions he had not gotten a chance to ask right away.

“I will gladly accept your invitation.” And that was no lie. Sure, I probably would have to answer lots of questions but in turn I would get a chance to learn a little about what was going on in the world. And to be honest, my feet were killing me and I was really looking forward to a meal and the chance to rest in a real bed. My side was aching a little as well, where the ghoul had stabbed me. I grabbed the reins of Kaele's mount, stopping it, as it was about to move past me with the rest of the caravan. She looked at me with curiosity in her eyes while the large ibex snorted in mild annoyance. It probably only wanted to follow all the other beasts of burden in hopes of getting some food, water and rest. I patted its neck once more to calm it down while addressing the boy again. “Would you mind if my sister accompanied me?”

He nodded. “We would be delighted to have you both as our guests.” His sister had already left his side and was approaching me and Kaele on street level already. She didn't protest, not that I expected her to. She didn't look displeased either though, thus I was pretty certain that this development was to her liking. She perked up even more all of a sudden, looking past me. I turned to follow her gaze and was rewarded with the view of Kaele's new familiar sitting atop the ibex's head, in between its horns, as if it owned the world, its tail swishing left and right. The mount endured this with admirable, stoic calm. Mother had it really well trained after all. I could only shake my head and earned myself a tail slap to the back of the head in return. Oh, that little …

Well, the little rascal cheered our hosts up, so I would let it slide. The girl took the reigns of Kaele's mount and led it towards the large wooden halls at the center of the village and I followed them. The motley group of armed men and women that had awaited us came back in as well and the gate was closed behind them once more. One of the great halls at the village square was the inn. Zul'gar, one of our beast handlers, signaled that he would take care of everything on this end, so I headed to the other great hall with the two noble children and my sister. The girl led the ibex to the stables while the boy bowed after crossing the threshold of the hall's great gate. “Welcome to Caer'agal and welcome in my father's hall. Please enter and share your news as we share food and shelter.”