Fae

A Man And A King

She spent the next nights in the bar, talking to any who were friendly enough to come over to her table. Eventually a rose-cheeked man approached, he looked around 19 or 20 years old. He should be around the same age as this Garrat person, surely he will have some information.

He approached with a drink in hand, "Hello newcomer!"

She returned his friendly smile and gestured to an empty seat, "Hello old goer!"

They talked for a while and she supplied her chosen reasons for being in the village, choosing carefully her chance to bring Garrat up. "So, I've heard there's a man here who is somewhat legendary."

The man who had introduced himself earlier as Cain rose his eyebrows, "Where'd you hear something like that? Is Jakob still telling that old tale?"

Eris covered her interest with an easy smile, "oh he wouldn't stop telling it after drinking ale with the blacksmith last night. Got up on a table and everything!" She gave Cain a searching look. "I think he mentioned the name Garrat..."

Cain picked up on the unspoken question, despite his tipsy state. "Oh he's real. Though I can't promise the stories weren't... embellished somewhat" he stole a glance at the innkeeper. He was once again shirking his duties and drinking with his friends by the fire, yelling something about goblins. "Garret is certainly a character. You can ask him about the stories yourself. His house is just out of town, you can't miss it."

The conversation turned back to town gossip and casual flirting for the rest of the night. Eris was happier now, she hadn't expected it to be that easy. Though she did suppose it was a small town after all.

The moon was full that night, it leaked into her window once she was in her room. She slipped out of her dress and into a nightgown, sighing happily as she flopped onto her bed. It was surprisingly comfortable for such a small place. She fell asleep quickly.

Garret's house was easy enough to spot, just as Cain had said. The other buildings in the village had been typical, they were a mix of brick, clay, wood and straw. All fairly modest and cottage-like. Garret's house was more like a small castle, made all of stone. It was separated from the village by a rowan tree, larger than any Eris had seen before. In fact she was more entranced by the tree than the structure built behind it. Its long branches spread out wildly and green leaves burst from them. The trunk of it was so thick and tall that Eris felt as though she'd suddenly become a bug. The morning light was filtering through it's branches while she stood beneath it. She forgot for a while what she was even there for. The tree had a pull that had her transfixed. There was magic here.

"It's beautiful isn't it, traveler?"

She would have flinched but Eris felt so safe in this place that Garret's sudden appearance didn't even startle her. She didn't take her eyes from the tree. "I don't think I've ever felt this calm before."

"It does that." Garret looked at her, his smile somewhere between curious and amused. There was a small silence between them before Garret spoke up again, "So are you especially interested in that tree or should I introduce myself?"

Eris finally took her eyes off the tree. Garret was standing next to her. He was a little taller than her, with tanned skin and brown eyes. The mischievous twinkle in them told her they would most likely get along well. He didn't look like a man who could slay a monster though.

The house was surprisingly warm in it's interior. Garret had obviously traveled a great deal for a man so young. This was not what Eris had expected to find in this village, that was clear to Garret. He made them both tea and sat with her amongst the books. "Alright, now we're all settled in. What was it you needed to ask of me?" He blew on the hot drink and took a cautious sip while Eris tried to think of the best way to start.

"The truth is I am not human, I am of the fae." She paused and waited for a reaction of any kind but Garret was still struggling to sip his tea without burning himself.

He quickly noticed that her pause was an expectant one and looked up from his cup. "Hm? Oh yes I am aware you aren't human, continue."

Eris frowned, "What do you mean you're 'aware'?" she was a little annoyed that he hadn't been blown away by this shocking revelation like every other human she'd met had been.

"Well ok, I didn't know for certain, just guessed as much." He admitted, "I saw the way you were staring at the rowan. You know that it has magic to it. No ordinary human sees that."

Eris decided to accept this answer for now and continued- "Alright well in that case, I'll keep it short and sweet. I'm on a quest that I've been handed by the gods themselves and they tell me you will accompany me on said quest-" she paused as she realised suddenly that unlike her, this man was not marked and so, had a right to refuse. "-I mean, I'm here to ask you. To ask if you would accompany me. You do have a choice." So much for that silver tongue.

Garret sat back in his chair, leaning into a bookcase. He tried to keep his face carefully blank but she could see his excitement plain as day. "Well... tempting though it sounds, what does this quest entail?"

"We kill the king."