Tales of Cadence/Chapter II

Just as Raven had thought, that day was just as hot as the previous had been. It was no help that they had started out late, no thanks to him. He was still somewhat embarrassed that Elsynne had ended up waiting patiently for him at the village gates for almost two hours; why hadn’t she just left without him or woken him up earlier?

Raven cast a sideways glance at the quiet girl. She hadn’t spoken a word since they left the inn earlier that morning. Her eyes were focused on the dirt trail ahead, silently admiring the surrounding landscape as if she had never seen it before.

“So...” Raven spoke slowly. He wasn’t used to traveling with a companion, save for clients, and felt uncomfortable walking in complete silence while he was in her presence. “Where are you from?”

Elsynne started, surprised that he had spoken to her. Finally, she lowered her head sadly. “I...can’t tell you that,” she replied.

“You can’t tell me what?”

“Where I’m from.”

“Why not?”

“It’s...very, very complicated. I’m so sorry, Raven.”

He furrowed his brow. “It can’t be that complicated.”

She paused for a moment. “Why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself, then? Why do you and the king of Itona share the same surname?”

“You’re sure nosey,” Raven complained, scowling.

Elsynne shrunk back. “I’m sorry... You just seemed so intent on starting a conversation, I felt that I-“

“Never mind. Damn, do you really feel a need to over-explain everything when I snap at you?”

“...I’m sorry.”

He sighed, folding his arms over his chest. “The king is my father.”

“He is?” she inquired, eyes widening. “That means you’re...royalty, aren’t you?”

“I was,” he corrected curtly. “Not anymore. Not since I left that hellhole.”

“You didn’t like your home?”

“I didn’t like my father, or my brother... It’s very complicated,” he said, stopping himself. He didn’t want to divulge his entire past to a complete stranger, a girl he had only met the day before by happenstance. Elsynne, however, seemed satisfied with his reply and returned her attention to the road.

“I...do have a younger sister,” she admitted after a long silence. “Is your brother older or younger?”

“Older.”

“I see...the heir to the throne.”

Raven clenched his fist. “That’s correct.”

Elsynne surprised him by laughing; it was melodic and light, not like any laugh he had ever heard before. “We’re not so different...” she said under her breath.

“What do you mean by that?” he demanded.

She shook her head quickly, still smiling. “It’s nothing, really. I’m just thinking out loud.”

“...You’re so strange.”

Elsynne didn’t reply. Instead she kept her gaze to the ground, playing with the hem of her shirt again as they walked. Raven quietly busied himself by scanning the open plains for signs of monsters, or perhaps the dragonling pack he had seen the night before. It wasn’t long before he was able to spot a large, catlike beast lounging in the warm afternoon sun. With an excited smirk, he drew his sword and brandished it, eyes locked on the monster.

Elsynne started, and followed his gaze to the cat. “Are those...?”

“Yep! A monster!” Raven said, unable to disguise his growing anticipation. He hadn’t fought a monster in days and was itching to jump into a battle, even if it only turned out to be a brief skirmish.

Elsynne, on the other hand, looked nervous. “I’m not sure if we should stop and fight it... I mean, it’s only sleeping.”

“Who cares? It’s one of Austror’s laws to fight off monsters you see hanging around, if you’re able. They’re dangerous if a lone traveler runs into one...or if they run into a village like Adair,” he replied, then gave her a strange look. “Don’t you know Austror’s laws?”

She frowned apologetically. “I’m new to this continent...”

Raven shrugged and waved a hand dismissively, still keeping a watchful eye on the dozing beast. “You’re a healer, right? Back me up.”

“You’re going to fight that monster by yourself?!”

“Shh! Don’t sound so surprised, I’ll be fine. This guy will be a pushover, look at him!”

“I don’t know, Raven...”

“Just back me up, okay?” he interrupted. Without waiting for a reply, Raven took off towards the beast, taking up his sword in his right hand. Elsynne swallowed uneasily and followed, mentally preparing her body to cast healing spells.

The massive cat lazily raised its head, yawning as Raven charged towards it, unfazed by its rows of sharp, white teeth.

“Raven, he doesn’t want to fight!” Elsynne protested, stopping herself to catch her breath.

He ignored her and lunged for the pale, black-and-white beast. His sword arched through the air, cleaving a clean cut across the beast’s flank. A pained roar rumbled deep in its throat as it staggered to its feet, livid with anger.

“Ha!” Raven cried, grinding to a halt as the cat stood to face him, suddenly alert. The beast’s ears were flat against its head as it drew its lips back in a fierce, drawn-out snarl. Claws extended from the cat’s huge, heavy paws.

Raven stood completely still, staring the beast down as it stalked him in a semi-circle. It growled fiercely, debating on which part of his body it wanted to tear apart first. Raven took advantage of its pause and jumped forward, drawing his sword across the cat’s face.

He moved backwards as the cat slammed its paw down, scoring long, crimson marks across Raven’s chest. He grimaced in pain and put a hand to his chest, breathing deeply and praying that the wounds weren’t too deep.

A soft white light began to emanate from the cuts as they healed at an unnatural pace. Elsynne had kept to her words and healed his wounds, just as she had promised the day before. With renewed determination Raven jumped back into the fray, stabbing his sword into the cat’s foreleg. It roared in protest, but lowered its head.

Before Raven could strike the killing blow, something struck him from behind. A massive weight landed on his back, pinning him to the ground.

“E-E-Elsynne!” he gasped, caught completely off-guard by the surprise attack. He twisted his head, trying to see what had landed on him. It was another massive cat; its thick fur was colored a light, creamy white. Two golden eyes stared at him with slight interest.

Elsynne started. “Reo!” she said excitedly, rushing over to meet the cat. Instead she was knocked backwards by the beast Raven had been fighting earlier. It stood over her, paw raised and claws unsheathed.

The cat standing over Raven growled menacingly and lunged forward, sinking its claws into the monster’s body. It growled in protest, but was cut off as Raven finally threw his sword into its side.

He dropped his arms to his side and let himself fall to his knees. “What the hell was all of that about?” he asked.

Elsynne was smiling excitedly, petting the thick muzzle of the white cat. To Raven’s surprise it suddenly morphed into a much smaller, more compact and domesticated cat that almost fit into the palm of Elsynne’s hand.

“What kind of monster is that?” he breathed. “How did you tame it?”

“Reo isn’t a monster, but he was exposed to the black magic when he was very young,” Elsynne replied, letting the small cat run up her arm and perch itself on her shoulder. “That’s why he’s able to change into the form of that huge cat.”

“Oh...” Raven replied, still staring at the small cat. It purred and twitched its ears, staring at him with an almost questioning gaze. “How did it stay sane?”

“I don’t know, to be honest. I guess Reo got lucky.”

“But monsters are born because they’re really animals that are exposed from the black magic seeping through the cracks in the earth,” Raven argued, “so why isn’t that thing a huge monster?”

Elsynne scowled. “Reo must have been fortunate. I’m well aware of the effects of black magic on animals.”

“Fine, fine. Don’t get mad.”

“I’m not,” she replied, sounding somewhat calmer. “I’m happy I found Reo...she went missing after I was attacked by the bandits the other day.”

“Well, I’m glad you found your cat,” Raven said, emphasizing the word with disgust. “We’re wasting time hanging around here like this. I want to get to Birchmoor before the end of the day.”

“All right!”

This time, they didn’t walk in silence for long. Elsynne was the first to speak up. “What do you know about the black magic?”

“I know that it’s some kind of malevolent force that comes from the earth’s core. It started infecting the land some time after the god Baldur separated the land and accidentally created the cracks in the earth,” he responded curtly. “The black magic only hurts you if you come directly in contact with it; it mutates both humans and animals and causes them to go insane.” He turned to her, “Why do you ask?”

“I’m just curious if your customs are similar to my own,” Elsynne replied. “You know about the taming of black magic, right?”

“Necromancers can ‘tame’ black magic and use it for their own devices, but it’s forbidden in Austror.”

“As it is on every other continent.”

“Have you used the black magic before?” he ventured carefully.

She shook her head. “No, no, no. I’ve never tried to tame it before because I’ve heard it’s incredibly risky.”

“...Yeah,” he replied flatly, unable to think of ways to continue their brief conversation. He hadn’t spent much time thinking about the black magic that infiltrated their land through the numerous fissures in the earth; he only cared that it turned normal animals into fearsome beasts, much like the catlike monster he had encountered earlier.

“When will you ever tell me where you’re from?” Raven finally questioned.

Elsynne turned and gave him a sorrowful smile. “I can’t tell you. Besides, you said we weren’t going to be together that long.”

He nodded in agreement. “That’s right.”

Her mysterious air oddly intrigued Raven. He had told her a few facts about his personal life, albeit vague. Why did she continue to refuse to reveal even a tiny hint about her homeland? What was so difficult about that?

She was right in the end; they would separate in Birchmoor and he would probably never hear from her again.

But that didn’t stop him from wanting to know just a little bit more.

-

By the time they reached the small, bustling town it was already past sunset. The sky was a mix of deep blue and light orange, just barely light enough to signify twilight. Raven tried to separate from Elsynne the minute they got to the tiny room at the inn.

“Thank you for escorting me this far,” she said once they stopped.

Raven only gave her a quick nod and left, hoping he could find the client he was supposed to meet with before the sun had completely set. He almost ran up the cobblestone streets, clumsily tripping over his feet in his haste. Luckily, he found the small farm on the outskirts of town without trouble.

The farm – somewhat larger than most in Adair, but still fairly small – was surrounded by a picturesque white picket fence. Several fields of long, wavy stalks of corn grew out on the fields, bending and swaying in the cool breeze. A one-story house sat on the half of the property that was closest to the main road.

A man was outside a small storage hut on the edge of the field, putting away farming tools for the evening. He set aside a dirt-encrusted shovel and turned to admire the carriage set up nearby; it was full of corn and other various vegetables that he had probably harvested over the past season.

Raven leaned against the fence. “Uh...” he paused, realizing he had forgotten the client’s surname. ‘And Elsynne ruined the papers...’ he thought with a groan.

The man turned around at the sound of Raven’s muttering. “Can I help you...?” he asked carefully, wary of Raven’s sullen glare.

“I was sent here by Joseph Vardoll to act as a bodyguard on the trail to Estershore,” Raven replied.

The farmer breathed a sigh of relief and approached Raven, extending his hand. “Name’s Grenville. Art Grenville.”

Raven took his hand hesitantly; it was covered in dirt. “You can call me Raven.”

“Joseph said he was going to send out one of his best mercenaries. Even though there’s been a lack of monsters lately, the bandits and dragonlings still worry me. It’s the harvest season for the summer, and they might be looking to take some of my stock while I head down to Estershore,” Grenville told him, “I’ll be counting on you to protect the carriage if something like that happens.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Great! I’ll be ready to leave tomorrow after sunrise. Estershore’s about a day and a half’s travel from here if we start out early. I’d like to get there ahead of the other farmers bringing in their harvest.”

“That sounds like a decent plan,” Raven was already growing bored of the farmer’s chatter; he had a feeling it would be this way on the walk as well. “I’ll meet you here tomorrow morning, then.”

He  nodded readily and returned to his storage shed. Raven hid his scowl and returned to the inn, hoping he wouldn’t have to face Elsynne.

Several citizens were already lighting the lampposts stationed along the town’s narrow streets. The sky was a dark, calming shade of indigo and a few bright stars were already beginning to shine as twilight faded into nighttime. Birchmoor seemed to be much more lively than Adair at nightfall, as many of its residents were business owners or merchants rather than laboring farmers. Lights from houses and storefronts flooded the streets, casting dancing shadows across the cobblestones.

Raven walked quietly up the road, debating on whether he had enough money to eat or not. He pulled out the pouch in his pocket and opened it. There was only about fifteen gald left inside, not nearly enough to pay for a meal. He groaned a put a hand to his growling stomach. It was even emptier than his gald pouch.

He realized he didn’t have much of a choice, and perhaps getting to sleep a little earlier would help him wake up at the right time. He didn’t want to have a repeat of that morning when he overslept and kept Elsynne waiting. The situation would have been even worse if it had been a client.

And the strange nightmare he had experienced...

‘It’s been so long since I last had that dream...’ Raven thought, putting a hand to his head as he pushed a few strands of dark hair from his blue eyes. ''‘Why is it coming back? I thought I promised to keep the past behind me...’''

-

To his relief, Raven woke up before the sun and was at Grenville’s farm as it began to rise. He folded his arms and leaned back against the white fence, waiting for the farmer to finish packing his supplies for the short journey.

“That should do it!” Grenville said as he secured the last of the vegetables to the carriage. “Ready to leave?”

Raven nodded quietly. Grenville harnessed a huge, gray-and-white workhorse to the carriage.

“W-Wait!”

Raven felt his stomach drop. He could recognize that soft, hesitant voice anywhere by now. He turned slowly, already expecting to see Elsynne running down the street.

“Raven, before you left, I wanted to give you something,” she said, pausing to catch her breath. Grenville watched the exchange with mild interest.

“I don’t have time to waste. I’m on an assignment right now,” Raven snapped, narrowing his eyes.

Elsynne pulled something from her pocket and took Raven’s hand; he felt his hand warm from her sudden touch and pulled it away.

“There! Now I’ve paid you back for escorting me here yesterday. I managed to get a quick job at the restaurant yesterday after we got here and managed to earn enough to pay you back,” she said, taking her hands away. Raven looked in his palm and saw one hundred gald...the price she had offered to pay the evening before.

“Elsynne...”

“Now, there’s one last thing I’d like to ask of you,” she said, looking sheepish again. “You’re headed for Estershore, aren’t you?”

Raven frowned. “Listen, I don’t have the time to take you all over the continent. You don’t need my constant protection.”

“Oh, but I just need to get to the city-“

“And let me guess. You’ll need me to take you back here after that, won’t you?”

She recoiled at his harsh tone. “N-No...”

“Then why do you keep following me all over the damn continent?” he demanded, quickly losing his patience.

“Now,” Grenville cleared his throat loudly, interrupting their argument. He turned to Elsynne, “Do you need to get to Estershore by tomorrow?”

She nodded. “Yes, that was my plan...”

“This is a silly question, but do you fight? Or can you use magic...?” he clearly thought she was an elf or half-elf because of her odd appearance.

“Well, I can heal.”

The farmer smiled. “Excellent! You can come along with us just in case something happens during the journey. I’m afraid I won’t be able to pay you if we need your healing, but...”

Elsynne grinned as well. “It doesn’t matter, I just need passage to Estershore. Thank you!”

Raven clenched his fist, biting back a string of profanities. Did she really need to get to Estershore, or was she just following him? If she had the intention of getting to the city, wouldn’t she have told him beforehand when they were walking to Birchmoor?

“Let’s get going. We’ve spent enough time hanging around here!” Grenville said, pulling at the horse’s reins. The carriage shuddered and jolted forward. Raven followed reluctantly, trying to ignore Elsynne and she walked beside him.

-

The sun was already midway through the clear blue sky; Raven could hardly believe that it had been two full days since he first met Elsynne on that empty road on the way to Adair. He didn’t remember that much before then; he often tried to erase any and all memories of what happened in his past, no matter how insignificant they seemed.

“Are you going to tell me why you’re traveling all over Austror?” he questioned, turning to Elsynne.

She paused for a moment, biting her lip as she motioned towards Grenville. The farmer seemed to take her hint; he began whistling loudly and pretended to be interested in the road ahead.

“Well?” Raven pressed.

“I...I’m sorry, I still can’t tell you.”

“Is it because of...?” he nodded his head in Grenville’s direction.

Elsynne shook her head and lowered her eyes. “It’s...very complicated. I’m sorry, Raven. I’d tell you if I could, but I just can’t right now.”

The conversation lapsed into another uncomfortable silence. Raven sighed, realizing these awkward moments would be plentiful as long as he asked Elsynne about her reasons for traveling – or rather, as he saw it, following him – all over the continent.

“So...” he began roughly. He wasn’t the conversational type, but something about Elsynne’s presence kept him on pins and needles. He hated knowing that she was walking beside him, utterly silent...planning something. What she was planning, he had no idea.

“Yes?” she turned to him, her navy-blue eyes still warm.

“Where do you keep your cat when you’re traveling?” Raven asked, suddenly noticing that the small, cream-colored feline was nowhere in sight.

“I keep Reo in my sack,” she said, gently patting the open pouch hanging around her slim waist. There was a small mewling and Reo poked her head out, twitching her whiskers with amusement. “I can’t always keep her on my shoulders, it gets tiring.”

“Oh, c’mon. The stupid cat can’t be that heavy, can it?”

“If she suddenly transforms, I’ll be crushed by her weight.” Elsynne’s voice was suddenly heavy and grave.

“O-Oh,” Raven said, feeling that he had accidentally touched upon a sensitive subject. But he was curious, wondering if he could squeeze some kind of information out of her besides her name. “Did something happen?”

Elsynne was quiet for a long time. “...Nothing.” she finally said.

‘Better just leave it alone,’ Raven decided, furrowing his brow with frustration. But would it kill her to tell him anything about herself?

“H-Hey!” Grenville suddenly shouted, pulling at the horse’s reins. The carriage skidded to a halt, sending a few of the vegetables tumbling out onto the dirt road. “Those...!”

“Dragonlings!” Elsynne clenched her fists as her eyes grew wide with fear. “They’re coming this way!”

The group on the horizon moved silently and efficiently, although they were only distant silhouettes on the horizon. Raven drew his sword, quickly counting the number of dragonlings in the pack. There were three. “I bet that’s the group I saw the other day,” he muttered.

Elsynne turned. “You’ve seen them before?”

“Yeah. The day I met you, I saw a group running past the village. I didn’t think much about it because they didn’t stop!”

The pack approached them quickly, their agile bodies moving in an almost distinct rhythm. Raven gripped the hilt of his sword tighter, gritting his teeth as he threw himself in front of the carriage.

“Be careful, kid!” Grenville exclaimed, trying to get the frightened horse to move. “Do you know how dangerous those dragonlings are?”

“I know damn well how strong those hybrids can be!” Raven replied angrily, steadying himself. He knew he might stand a chance against one dragonling, but three? That was clearly out of the question.

He felt Elsynne take her place behind him. “I can use healing, remember? I’ll do my best.”

“What about your cat?” he demanded. The dragonlings were growing closer with every passing second. “Can’t you make him grow big again?”

Elsynne shook her head and whispered, “I’m not stupid. I know about the rules against black magic in this area!” she motioned towards Grenville again. “Even though I never used black magic on Reo, he won’t know that!”

“If you explain-“

“Get ready, here they come!” the farmer called. He had successfully moved the carriage a safe distance away, but was still counting on Raven to keep the dragonlings from attacking.

The pack was close enough that Raven could distinctly see their features. Their skin was a dark shade of brown, and each had a defining marking on their bodies – green, red, and purple symbols were etched into the russet-colored skin of their arms, the exposed parts of their legs, and their faces. They all wore tattered, ripped clothing.

“Damn hybrids!” Raven said fiercely, hoping his tone would disguise his increasing doubt. He knew he was fairly strong, but he wasn’t stupid. If he didn’t die during the fight, he would barely walk away with serious or fatal injuries.

“Filthy human!” one of the dragonlings – a female, judging by the depth of its voice – cried, throwing her fist into the ground. Raven ducked and rolled, just barely avoiding a plume of fire that exploded from the earth beneath him.

One of the other dragonlings in the group lunged and grabbed Raven by the wrist before he could stand up again. The dragonling gripped his arm with almost enough force to break the bone and threw him aside. Raven crashed into the side of the carriage, cracking the tough wood.

Elsynne was cornered by the other dragonling with dark purple markings on its skin. She threw back her hand and shouted something in a language Raven couldn’t understand. A sphere of light materialized on the dragonling’s chest and exploded, sending the beast flying backwards.

Raven pushed himself up and picked up his sword. He stabbed at the nearest dragonling – the one with crimson-red markings – drawing his sword upwards to catch it off-guard. The dragonling shrugged to the side, barely missing the blade. Raven stepped backwards and stabbed again, this time cutting into the beast’s upper arm.

“You’ll pay for that, human!” it hissed, grabbing its arm as blood began to drip from its wound. Raven smirked and moved to the side, easily dodging its punch. But to his surprise, the dragonling was smiling cruelly.

“Aqua Edge!” The female called out from behind him. Raven braced himself as globules of water struck him in the back, throwing him against the ground. The dragonling he had hurt stepped on his back, pinning him to the ground.

Elsynne, relying on her healing techniques, was trying to cast a spell as the purple-marked dragonling attacked her again. She tripped and fell, wincing with pain as the dragonling’s sharp claws bit into her arms.

“D-Dammit!” Raven stammered, grimacing as the three dragonlings laughed in unison. Their laughs – with the exception of the female – were rough and hoarse.

“Excellent! Ophelia...she’ll be pleased,” the female said, her voice suddenly growing pleasant.

Raven gaped, instantly recognizing the name. “Ophelia?!”

The dragonling pinning him down responded by pressing his heavy boot into Raven’s back. “That’s enough!”

“I’m sorry, Raven...” he could barely hear Elsynne’s faint voice as she apologized. “I wasn’t able to help you this time.”

“Two foolish humans against three dragonlings. It was doomed from the start,” the female was saying, ignoring Elsynne. “If you hadn’t fought back-“

A loud, terrifying roar cut her off. Raven tilted his head to the side and saw the dragonlings staring at the sky, their faces suddenly etched with fear. Before he could shift his head a massive, ice blue monster landed nearby. Its magnificent, paper-thin wings were spread at its side as it steadied itself uneasily.

“A dragon!” Raven exclaimed. This time the surprise was evident in his voice; he hadn’t seen a dragon before in his life, but had heard numerous stories about them and their power.

The dragon bellowed again, but this time Raven could feel it’s hot breath against his face. It snapped at the female dragon and lunged for the other two, flashing rows of sharp teeth as it growled. Elsynne was finally freed of the dragonling’s grasp and jumped to her feet, moving out of the way just as the dragon’s spiked tail swung around, barely missing her head.

Raven struggled to free himself as the dragon moved around, preparing to attack the dragonling that restrained him. He finally managed to roll away as his captor dodged the dragon’s snapping, razor-sharp fangs.

When Raven stood he could see a man standing nearby the dragon, holding a bow in one hand as observed the display with amusement. Two pointed ears protruded from his long, dark green tresses. His hair was tied back and kept out of his bright, serious eyes.

The blue dragon was already chasing the three dragonlings away as they tried to flee. The man put his fingers to his lips and whistled loudly; the dragon stopped and turned.

“That’s enough!” the man called, putting his hand to his side. The dragon lumbered back, her movements clumsy and ungraceful.

“Thank you...” Elsynne said tiredly as they approached the elven man. “Thank you so much...”

The man smiled, flicking a strand of hair from his eyes. “There’s no need to thank me, I’m happy I could be of service! There isn’t much to do around here, so I look for action wherever I can.”

Raven frowned. He already didn’t like the elven stranger’s attitude, but if he and his dragon hadn’t come...

“My name’s Skylar Marridor. I’m a Keeper from an elven clan to the south,” the man said, introducing himself. When he turned to face them, Raven could see a long white scar extending from the corner of his eye to his lower lip. “I was on my way back to Estershore after a quick training session with my dragon and saw that the two of you were having a bit of trouble.”

“Well...thanks, I guess,” Raven muttered.

Skylar ignored his veiled sarcasm. “Those dragonlings are horrible beasts – to think they were only created a couple hundred years ago! Glacier – that’s the name of the dragon I train, you see – was the one who wanted to help.”

“Your...dragon wanted to help us?” Elsynne repeated, casting a cautious glance in Glacier’s direction. The dragon was watching her with careful eyes.

“The dragonlings are hybrids of human and dragon genetics. They were created by humans a very, very long time ago,” Skylar explained.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Raven replied, waving his hand dismissively. “I’ve heard that dozens of times before.”

“The elves really hate dragonlings, but dragons hate them even more because they share the same blood,” Skylar continued, ignoring Raven again. “Glacier wanted to stop and pick them off herself. Didn’t you?” He turned to the massive dragon.

She only gave them an impassive glance; then her jaw moved slowly, emitting a low, guttural growl.

“I thought dragons hated working with humans. So is that the only reason why she saved us?” he questioned.

Skylar nodded. “That’s correct. She wasn’t thinking about it as saving you, per se, but rather killing off a few more dragonlings.”

Elsynne smiled and clasped her hands together. “We still really appreciate it that you helped us out. Right, Raven?”

Raven shrugged noncommittally. “Yeah, sure.”

Skylar grinned and turned back to Glacier. “It’s about time we got going. Perhaps our paths will cross again.”

“Oh, that’s such a cliche line-“ Raven started, rolling his eyes. He was cut off as Elsynne gently jabbed him in the ribs, giving him a reproachful look.

Once Skylar had left with Glacier, Raven and Elsynne returned to Grenville and the carriage. Raven was surprised the man was still there after all that had happened to them.

“Thank goodness that dragon came,” Grenville said, sighing. “Baldur’s blessings must be on our side today.”

Raven shrugged again. “I’d say it was more of luck.”

“You don’t believe in Baldur?”

“I don’t like thinking that some higher power is up their governing my every move and debating on what day I’m going to die,” Raven replied coldly. Grenville looked surprised and somewhat offended, but nodded nonetheless. To their surprise, Elsynne looked almost elated...but the expression disappeared rather quickly when she realized that both Raven and Grenville were staring at her.

“Well, let’s get going, shall we? This was a long enough delay,” the farmer suggested, tugging on his horse’s reins again. The carriage started forward and they returned to the dirt road.

Raven looked at Elsynne out of the corner of his eye. She was still smiling pleasantly, just as she had when he declared his disbelief in the god that so many people in Austror believed in and worshipped religiously.

Why would something so simple make her so happy?