The night watchman was taken aback at the sight of a halfling, clutching a rabbit in one hand and a walking stick in the other, accompanied by a little girl of about five years old.
"Halt!" he called out.
"Who goes there? From whence do you come, and where are you headed? I spied you emerging from the grove."
The pair complied. Despite his injury, the halfling summoned a smile and deftly shifted his walking stick to his other hand, waving his empty hand in greeting.
"Good eve to you, town guard. May your watch be uneventful. We were merely out hunting rabbits. I realize it's a tad late, but I am Paliborn Quickand. I arrived in your town only this morning. The little one beside me is the niece of the renowned seer, Widow Black of Harova, a fortune-teller and healer of some repute. You must have heard of her. They are camped at the fairgrounds, just down the road. I was fortunate enough to be invited to dinner, and thought to bring the meat."
"How could you not know the infamous Rabbit Killer, Master Angor?" chided the young girl, affecting a grave expression.
Paliborn could not help but chuckle, while the watchman grimaced.
"The Rabbit Killer? I am not familiar with this. Whatever it may be, I do recognize you, little one. Pray, make your way to your tent and avoid straying too far beyond the grove's borders."
After putting some distance between themselves and the watchman, Paliborn burst into laughter.
"The Rabbit Killer, eh? That's a good one. Only, it was you who slaughtered the poor creature."
"Indeed not. I simply shrieked in terror."
"Alas, the poor beast was likely frightened to death," quipped Paliborn. Then, his demeanor turned serious. A silence fell between them.
"Why are you so frightened, Eli?"
"I do not know. It became very dark, and I felt like I was suffocating."
"Eli, we may have just met, but you can trust me. You do know that, don't you?"
Again, silence. The streets were deserted, illuminated only by rare oil lamps hanging from poles. The main street was the highest point of the town and paved with briquettes. Amidst the creaking of Paliborn's sturdy leather pig-nose boots and the girl's trembling, he had to stop to catch her whispered words.
"I know, Pal. It's just...just...the nightmares. Sometimes they become more frequent."
Paliborn bit his lip, and the girl trembled once more. He tenderly brushed her cheek, feeling its icy chill, and removed his leather vest, enfolding Allendra in its warmth. He was beginning to sense that the girl had a mysterious ailment. She seemed to be attempting to reveal the source, but an invisible force appeared to be holding her back. Paliborn didn't push the issue; solving mystical cases demanded patience, precision, and time.
As they arrived at the tent, Allendra slipped inside quietly, while Pal slowly settled onto a wooden bench outside. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed his cane stick aside and drew out his hunting knife to skin the rabbit. He winced with each movement, his aching body still feeling the impact of the day's events. It was as if he had emerged from a battlefield, battered and bruised. Pal was no stranger to dodging fireballs or lightning bolts and alikes, but the unexpected sonic boom had caught him off guard. He coughed and spat out blood, but breathed a sigh of relief as he realized he was still in one piece and breathing.
"Thank the gods for Zachary, the God of Fortune," he muttered to himself.
With practiced ease, the halfling separated one of the rabbit's legs and set it aside for the black cat, Belize.
CITEȘTI
CRIES OF A MAGE
Fantezie"Behold the origin story of the famed heroes, Allendra Cahosse and Paliborn Quickhand, two of the Seven Harbingers, whose arrival heralded a new age of great impact on the World of Aerkha. Their unique friendship, forged between a halfling and a you...
