Audery jumped towards the wooden figure that was behind the Adventures Guild, it had surprised her that the figure was still standing. Because it was severely damaged. It has being two months since Madam Ward enlisted her into the guild, and in all that time. Not one job has landed in her lap, not by the lack of her not trying. At first, Terence Mildenhall, better known in her mind as Lord Handsome, didn't think she was up for it. Which was second by Madam Ward, the guild master of the Adventures Guild and Goddess of the kitchen. But after the stern doctor, from which she still didn't know the name, gave her the all clear, that was no longer a solid excuse. And every time she had reached out for a job, it was snatched up by another guild member. Madam Ward, Gods bless her heart, has not charged her anything up to this point. But Audery knew from experience that this wouldn't last forever. So she trained to master her stolen sword in the meantime, she had used a short sword before. But that one was crafted with her, a female, in mind. Her old sword, the one that got stolen, was much lighter. This one, which was just a normal sword, was a bit heavier. Yes, she had killed a duergar with it, but that was pure out of luck, nothing else. She attacked the wooden figure again, and again. Spring was no longer a suggestion here, although there was still a thin layer of snow. But snowdrops, small white flowers, were starting to pop up all over town. And the training grounds of the guild were no exception. The air around the city and forest was also a bit warmer, but not much. There was no longer that crisp smell of winter, instead there was a faint, but sweet smell of the various flowers that lived inside the Faded Cresworth Forest. Better known as Faded Forest, or the Crestworth Forest. It differed from person to person. Audery's gaze snapped up towards the Northern mountains, which were reaching towards the clear blue sky in their all white glory. They were standing proud, behind the Faded Forest. When she was little, her father used to tell her stories about them and the dragon that made his lair in the tallest mountain, better known as Dragon's Thorn. But the other day she had seen a large blue flame coming from the top of the mountain, what mind indicates that her father's stories were not far off. Dragons were usually not a bad thing, yes, they were big creatures with a bad temper. And their favourite weapon was their fiery breath, but they loved to keep be left alone. Something people, and other creatures, love to forget from time to time. And their lack of common sense could be blamed by one thing only. The dragon's treasure trope.
She shook her head, the dragon inside the mountain was the last thing she needed to keep in mind. Training, until a job represented itself, was far more important.
******
Terence looks at the fiery young woman, who was jumping around a wooden dummy on the trainings field. He was impressed, to say the least. He had watched her when she had started to work out with it, and to say that it was not good, was an understatement. Not that he would ever say that out loud to her, Heudin who was he kidding? He would have said it, out loud. He knew from himself that he was blunt, and that was something he needed to remind himself of daily. One of the reasons he has tried to keep his distance from her, the other, was that she made it loud and clear that she didn't want him hovering around. Maybe she was born in a more than well off family, she was not helpless. Which he was now able to see, currently she was handling that sword with precision and balance. Maybe at first she was not totally used to the weapon. She stopped for a moment, probably to catch her breath, and her gaze went up to Dragon's Thorn. The dragon, that lived there, had become restless, and he had often wondered why that was. But at this moment, he would be lying if he said that the mood of the dragon was on his mind. No, this woman, this fierce woman, was. He had asked Lydia to give her some new clothes, her old once were simply not suited for the colder climate. And Lydia clearly had listened to him, Audery was wearing a ruff leather pants, boots that reached her knees inlined with fur. A shirt made of wool, and a corset that stopped right under her ... He could his cheeks burn up, when his eyes landed on that part of her body. He quickly shot his gaze up to her face and her honey hair. That was tight back in a ponytail. She was a beautiful, smart woman, and it angered him to know that someone had treated her so badly. He had learned, from Lydia, that Audery had refused jobs purely because she wanted to work alone. Her trust in others was taken from her, and he couldn't blame her for that. But going into the Faded Forest was suicide, many have tried that before. And only a handful of them, have lived to tell the tale. The forest was home to many creatures and the current goblin group, that terrorized them, were one of the lesser dangerous once. His little brother Emrys thought the same way, when he left. He shook his head, well, this woman occupied a huge chunk of his thoughts. So did his little reckless brother, Emrys had left only a week ago. And he was not back yet, which according to Lydia this was not normal. Audery's short break was over, and she attacked the wooden dummy once again. She was good, but she might even become better once she had an opponent. Maybe Emrys's latest disappearing act, would benefit her as much as it would him. He wondered if this would be a good idea.
******
"Well, well. You are improving with each day," Audery closed her eyes. And there he was, Lord Handsome himself. She needed to give it to him, he was tenacious. But he had given her a bit more space, when she asked him to stop with that overprotective stance.
"Thank you," she replied. It was nothing special, but she was grateful for the compliment. So a simple thank you, was a reasonable reply, short and to the point. She turned away from him and attacked the dummy once again.
"You know what you need?" he said, and she stopped in the middle of her attack. She wanted to reply that she needed the peace and quiet. But that would be rude. But the last thing was for a man to tell her what to do. "A challenge." She lowered her sword, and looked at him in utter disbelieve. From all the things he could say, was that the last thing on her list.
"Are you challenging me, my Lord.," she teased. She was not sure if she could take him, but she would currently try her best. He shock his head, but he had a huge smirk on his face.
"No, my Lady. I am not, but there is something you can help me with. My little brother, Emrys, has left home a week ago. And he is not back yet," Terence said. She didn't know that he had a brother.
"Maybe he has run away from home, a lot of young rich children do." She knew that better than anybody., she did. But Terence shock his head.
"No, Emrys is not the running away from home type. He is an Adventure, like yourself, and he took a job. That would put him on the path with the cities latest goblin problem. I am simply afraid that something has happened to him." Terence looked at her. This sounded a lot like a job, one she wouldn't think twice of taking it. And there was also the factor that she owned the man. She owned him more, than she would ever be able to repay.
"Okay, I will go and look for him. You only need to point me in the right direction," she said. She placed the sword in the scabbard, and made her way to the entrance of the building. She needed supplies, some healing potions and her new bow and arrow. All of that was being supplied by the guild, at least the supplies and healing potions were. The new bow and arrows were a mystery, one day she woke up, and they were standing in her room. She suspected that Lord Handsome was behind that little surprise, like he was with her clothes. But he had said nothing about is, and she wouldn't do it either.
"Are you serious?" He asked, he had followed her in here. "I only told you a bit of information, and you jump up to go to action." She nodded, there was nothing more to it. He had a job for her, and she would be a fool if she didn't take it. She put on the chestnut brows cape, she got it from Madam Ward, just like her other new clothing. Her new clothing was more suited to the coldness a bit more than her old once did. "Alright, you know the road that leads up to town." She nodded, that was the excite same road, she herself used while she came here. "Well, take that, until you see a very old oak. It is there that you enter the forest, and where the goblins are spotted the most." She nodded, once again. Those were clear instructions, she couldn't go wrong there. Goblins were not the most, secretive creatures. Leaving a trail that could be followed by a blind person. Not that a blind person should follow their trail, but that was not the point. If there were goblins near that tree, she knew for a fact that she would be able to find them. The only thing she hoped was that they were not led by a hobgoblin. Goblins, were not that difficult, and she was sure that she was able to take them on her own. A hobgoblin, on the other hand, not so much. But she was not willing to admit that out loud, at least not to him. She hung her backpack over her shoulder and left. Left him, left the Adventures Guild building, and it took a little while. But then she left the town as well.
*****
There was something about the road, that she just noticed. Now that she travelled over it for the second time, the trees were a mixture of pine trees and trees with leaves on them. The first time around everything was covered in snow, now there was still some snow on the ground. But it was not as thick, and she was able to see the various colours that the Faded forest had to offer. There were little humblebees, hopping from one flower to the next. Multiple were singing their song, butterflies were fladdering all around. It made the senery beautiful, something she had always had known about forests in general. They were the source of all the magic inside this kingdom, and with magic, more often then not came also danger. In this case, there were goblins. The large old oak tree was imposble to miss, and so was the trail the often goblins had left behind. Now it was up to her to follow it and to see where it leads.
