Inn of the Forsaken II
On high alert, I raised my sword again and looked around. A rustle came from the bushes near by. A boy emerged; bow in hand. He was barely old enough to wield it and was visibly shaking. I lowered my weapon and approached, slowly. From the corner of my eye I saw Kirseth; her bow still trained.
"Your first kill?", I asked. The boy nodded, and dropped his weapon. At this, Kirseth lowered her own, and made her approach up the hill. I tried to reassure the boy, "You did the right thing. You've helped save lives today. Besides us, he would have ambushed other travelers if left alive."
The words seemed to sink in at first, until he suddenly turned to expel the contents of his stomach. Kirseth approached. "Drink?", she said, offering her water skin. He accepted, tentatively.
After some discussion, we learned the boy's name was "Tanner" and learned of his people, those who call themselves "The Eglain" - wanderers who often settle in the Lone Lands, making a living off the land. He told us of the troubles in the area; of strange, pale-skinned men harassing their folk and taking over their land by force. We traversed to the bottom of the hill once more, checking on the corpses of the wolf-like creatures. They were much bigger than any dog or wolf, and far more fierce. Their teeth alone were the size of fingers. "Wargs", the boy called them - and apparently they are numerous. He talked of them working with the strange men and mauling many of his folk from the shadows.
Tanner eventually left for the road heading West. When asked if he required an escort, he politely refused. Kirseth and I bid him farewell. I began to skin the large beasts for their fur. Once I was finished, Kirseth removed the fur and treated the skin. We refilled our water skins and decided to head back to the inn.
The journey back was uneventful, though the number of watchful birds seemed to have increased. Eventually we spotted the familiar building and walked inside. We were met again by familiar faces, but with less familiar looks. There were expressions of shock, and others of relief. Though there were others, still, of suspicion and hushed whispers. In the corner was Tanner, drinking at the bar and still looking visibly shaken. We made our approach. The inkeep's eyes glanced in our direction. "These the two?", he said; looking to Tanner. The boy nodded in response.
During a long discussion, the inkeep opened up somewhat. He went in to detail regarding spies who had caused issues in the past; sallow-faced men who acted like travelers, only to relay overheard details to their master. He went on to explain how they must stay vigilant and wary, especially of those who look to be from afar. We offered the furs and leather from the beasts as a token of good faith. The man accepted, but I still sensed suspicion in him.
As we were to pay for another night at the inn, the man shook his head. "It's on the house, consider it payment for the furs." It came across more as a man being too proud - or too suspicious - to accept charity, rather than a gesture of gratitude, but we accepted nonetheless.
