there for a hot breakfast, and the hustled activity of the night had given way to a quiet, relaxed early day. Kunya arrived first as she thought, and requested a meal of eggs and porridge, and a second when her friend Algan arrived later. Another hulking figure walked in shortly after, requesting much the same. It wasn't Algan, though; this man wore exquisite hide armor and carried a large, beautifully crafted blade across his back. “A tribesman..?” Kunya whispered to herself as the man looked about for a table. Their eyes locked and the man made his way to hers before taking a seat. Cropped black hair stayed well away from his dark eyes, deep and full of suffering.
“Are you the mage?” he asked as his plate rattled on the table's surface. His grammar was strained, as though he wasn't used to speaking properly.“I am Riun. I'm looking for one and you fit her looks.”
Kunya gulped a little, impressed with the man's size. “Yes, I am. Do you have business with me?”
“I do. I was sent here to kill goblins. Told to find a mage and help her. My blade is yours, for the price my master will pay me for these goblins.”
Kunya thought about it for a moment, giving a nod when Riun looked impatient. “Oh, right! I promised a share of any treasure we found would go to the mercenary group if they sent one of their fellows to help us. Presumably a portion of your share, right?” The tribesman nodded. “Very well, you're in. Not that I think you would take 'no' for an answer.”
Riun shook his head. “No, telling me 'no' is not acceptable. Would follow you anyway. You give me equal share and I make sure you are safe. Deal?” He held out a massive, scarred hand. Kunya took it and shook, sealing their contract. “Good. Now we drink to celebrate!” He waved a barmaid over, ordering two mugs of hot cider for them as Algan walked in. Kunya noted it and set the young man's order while they were being tended and called him over.
“Algan, over here! We have company for our next trek, it seems! He looks strong and capable.”
Algan walked over and eyed the tribesman, noting the quality of his equipment and the rippling muscle that was underneath the armor. “I agree. I wasn't aware you had hired someone else, though.”
“I forgot I had put posters up in here prior to my seeking you out. I guess someone finally responded to it, and I should probably take it down now.”
“No need,” Riun grumbled. “I have it here.” He produced a scroll case and in it, rolled up very roughly, was the flier. “I didn't want competition. More money for me, more for my master.”
Kunya shrugged, chuckling softly. “Well, he is thorough at least. Let us gather our supplies and make another trek. I believe our last find was a rather small one, and we could surely make more of an impact on their forces.”
After a few more minutes of finishing meals and gulping chilled ale, the trio set out from the tavern. The morning was crisp, clear, and cold but the wind light and barely enough to rustle the detritus in the street gutters. Snow, tainted by earth and soot, lie pushed into banks along the road's edge as they walked toward the north gate again. About a hundred and fifty meters from it, they all took in an unusual sight approaching from the wild.
Two humanoid figures were approaching the town but humanoid is where the normality ended. Both sported dense, short fur from head to toe, what little that was visible aside from their traveler's clothing. One had a feline face with prominent, round ears and sharp claws on paw-like hands. A long, striped tail followed behind, erect and twitching eagerly. Bright greens eyes and dark gray fur rounded out the face. The other, a bit shorter, looked more like a fox but also seemed to be more of a blend with a human. Its face was relatively clear of hair and its bushy tail considerably shorter. Red-orange fur covered the body and brown eyes darted to and fro, taking in every detail of the town and the humans alike. The ears were less prominent, though noticeable, and the cheeks lacked the whiskers of its traveling partner. The shorter one waved widely as the trio of humans headed their way.
“Hey! You three, come here! I have a few questions!” it asked with a bright female voice, smiling widely. The other looked less enthusiastic but said nothing. The fox-like one hurried up to meet the humans, panting a little as it studied the other group intensely. Nose twitching it spoke again. “My friend and I, Rusga and Kida respectively, are looking for someone! Could you help us?”
“Rusga... and Kida.” Kunya said, pointing to the cat and the fox in turn. “A catfolk and a … kitsu? Wait, no, you can't be one of those. They're much smaller than you are.”
“Ah, hah... funny story about that. Anyway. We're here on orders from his mentor,” Kida replied, pointing to her friend, “To seek out a wizard. Did you catch the name?”
“Kano … Kirk … no, wait... I don't know, I can't remember,” Rusga mumbled as he strained to recall it. “All I know is that she's middle aged and human- wait a minute.”
“Like myself?” Kunya interrupted. “I'm the only wizard for quite a ways. Your mentor must be a druid or ranger, since you are from the wilderness. Am I incorrect?”
“No, you'd be right,” the catfolk answered. “You must know a lot, then. He said you would, and that you'd probably have others of your kind as helpers. Seems he was right about that, too.” He eyed the two warriors, rather impressed with their evident strength and toughness.
“So, you sought me out. You have found me. What is your mission?”
Kida took over from there. “Well, we were told to find you and see if you can help thin out the goblins. Seems like they're overbreeding and straining the local wildlife, and probably making life hard on trade between civilized lands.”
“Then he is quite observant, and one step ahead of us. Yes, that is the truth. Sometimes a cart or two from a train would go missing, along with the occasional person. Only recently have the attacks and raids escalated beyond that. Entire caravans and shipments will disappear, without a scrap left behind when that area is passed again. This cannot continue. Whether for the sake of trade or for balancing nature out, this has to be put to an end.”
The two animalfolk nodded and the five set out together, eyes on the horizon. The travel on the road was met with greetings from other travelers from a caravan of goods. Mostly elves, their wagons were finely crafted and exquisitely carved, with no lack of detailing even down to the wheel spokes. Depictions of forests, grassy plains, and produce of all kinds covered the sides and cloudlike sculpting covered the top, as if the wagons were part of nature itself moving along the highway. They stopped to converse and exchange information with the party.
“Hail humans, beastfolk. What brings you on this route?” one asked, his silvery chain shirt glinting under the sun. He appeared middle-aged for his kind but his piercing green eyes were studying the group’s every movement. He found no objections and bowed very slightly. Kunya returned the gesture and the other four quickly followed her lead.
“We are on an expedition to thin the numbers of the local goblin tribes. It seems they are becoming organized, impeding trade and disturbing the balance of wildlife in the woods to the north of here, and few humans wish to traverse this road anymore. Without an open trade route the village I am from cannot thrive, and may indeed become a shell of its former self,” Kunya explained. “If you have any information about their dens or lairs it would be most appreciated, and I could offer a few coins for that knowledge if need be.”
The elf paused and thought on it for a moment. “No, I’m afraid I don’t know much about these pests. I trade, not fight, and my fellows are much the same as myself. We’ll keep an open ear for anything that would be useful for travelers, and warn those we do see. The last thing we want to see is their numbers getting the upper hand here and then encroaching on our lands. In the meantime, we’re about to make a stop for the midday meal. Would you all care to join us?”
“Certainly. We’re much safer together and watching one another during lunch than separate.”
The caravan pulled to one side of the road and set up a ring formation so that eyes and ears could be kept equally for the entire area while protecting those inside. A small fire warmed the center as pots