Iron Blooded

"This is the read deal” I said, lifting my new coat and examining it in the morning light. An item window popped open.

Troll Hide Coat: Armor + 15. 8% physical damage resistance.

The Crafter, who had worked hard on this piece for most of the night, smiled.

His skill class was high, and I could only assume that the quality was due to his skillset.

“Consider it a gift from Lord Blackthorne,” he said. “He also wished for you to have this.”

He lifted something from wooden box and handed it too me.

Standard issue Kadian helmet: Armor + 7

“Well well well,” Kato strolled up beside me, to drape an arm across my shoulders. “Looks like your hard work has paid off Trollslayer. I suppose we have you to thank for the new boost to funds.”

“It’s a start.” Giller was packing the saddle bags on a mule near by. He kept tightening the straps, grunting when the beast drifted to the side.

“Stay still damn you.”

I thanked the Crafter and walked over to help him steady the animal.

“Just how long will this trip take?” I asked him. “I don’t like the sound of the border being left open, especially with things being the way they are."

“Just about five days there, and another five back,” Said Gills. He stepped back from the saddle bags, dusting his hands on his trouser legs.

"I feel the same. That's why we'll be moving as fast as we safely can."

“Why can’t we take horses,” grumbled Kato as he shouldered his leather pack.

“Because half the horses in the camp were killed in the battle,” snapped Gills. “Besides, do you have a horsemanship trait? I sure don’t.”

We left from the Western Camp Gate. There were ten of us all told, including myself, Gills, Draxus, and Kato. I was wearing my Troll Hide Coat underneath my leather breastplate. It was a dark blue grey and smelled slightly musty, but I was glad for the extra protection.

After seeing what we had to face, I knew any equipment I could pick up along the way from loot or drops, or even anything I could buy from a crafter, might make all the difference.

Our party headed West first. Our plan, as far as I understood it, was to cut inland to avoid encountering any more of the Goblin Horde. Caught out in the open we’d be at serious risk, so it was worth the extra hours to trek inland and away from the Border line.

The sun was hot and sweat beaded my face and neck. Kadian Summers, I was coming to realize, were no joke. We all drank heavily from our canteens and It wasn’t long before we were running low on water.

“We need to find a stream,” said Kato, shielding his eyes with his hands.

There were no objections and we slowed our pace to look for signs of water. After about half an hour I heard the unmistakable trickling of water over flowing over stone.

“It’s here,” I called. The others followed and we knelt next to a small clear creek. I uncorked my canteen and made to dip it in the water but Draxus grabbed my hand.

“Look,” he said, pointing. I followed his gaze upstream and froze. There was a deer lying on it’s side near the waters edge. It’s head was draped across the rocks and it's face was completely submurged.

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“What the-“

Kato stepped over to the carcass and crouched down beside it.

“It must have drowned,” he said uncertainly. “But I don’t see how...”

“Maybe it was injured,” I suggested. Draxus leaned over to examine the corpse then shook his head.

“I don’t see any sign of a predator attack or hunters arrow. The body seems completely untouched.”

“How is that possible?” Draxus scrubbed at his chin in thought. He continued to examine the corpse long after the others lost interest and hiked further upstream to fill their canteens.

I took the opportunity to drop my back and roll the stiffness out of my shoulders.

"You think it's trouble?" I asked. Draxus shrugged and stood.

"I don't see signs of a predator or Monster. It's probably nothing."

In the late afternoon the trees and foliage began to grow denser. We had difficulty giding the mule through the trees, and occasionally had to stop to help it navigate it's path. Kato kept swearing under his breath every time his sword snagged on a bush.

“Bloody things,” he huffed, snatching at his scabbard after it had gotten stuck on a bramble for the third time.

“Ah yes, the bush,” I said. “Your mortal enemy.”

A snigger made us both look around. Jarvis, a young soldier leveled similarly to me was smiling at us. He was red haired and uncharacteristically soft spoken for his choice of profession.

I noticed his smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

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“Sorry,” he said when he noticed me looking. “It’s just your accent. I’ve never heard anything quite like it before.”

My stomach dropped like I was on a carnival ride.

“I’m from the country,” I said evasively.

“Where in the country?”

His tone was conversational but I could sense something else under the words. Something more pointe the mere curiosity.

“Oh you know,” I shrugged. “A small town in the middle of nowhere called Blackbriar. It was a bit of a shit hole to be honest, but at the time I had nothing to compare it to.”

Kato and Draxus snorted but Jarvis’s eyes narrowed slightly. I flicked a tongue across my lips.

“Where are you from?”

“From the country as well. A village to the South of Glomstead. Where exactly is Blackbriar located?”

“What is this an interrogation?” Kato cut in, sounding bored. “I was taken to believing you could play the flute, Jarvis. That is why Gills brought you along I suspect.”

Jarvis eyes lingered on me a moment and I wondered if he would continue to press. Then he seemed to relent, walking ahead to talk to Kato and Draxus. My heart was still pounding in my chest, and a slick film of cold sweat covered my neck.

Until now nobody had really questioned me on where I’d come from. But there was something in Jarvis’s posture and the way his eyes narrowed when I answered, that made me believe he knew I was lying.

Blackbriar had been the first name that had come to mind. It was the street I had grown up on back on earth in a small Carolina town. I gazed at the back of Jarvis’s head as he talked with the others, laughing and sharing jokes.

He might become a problem and if that was the case, I’d need to proceed carefully.

Our first night was mostly uneventful. Jarvis played flute around the fire as we ate dried meat and berries. The music was suprisingly good and the tunes had Gill tapping his foot and Draxus humming. Jarvis father had been a bard, and his talent for music was evident.

We took turns on watch as the others slept. Late into the night there had been a bit of a scuffle between Kato and a beast. I had leapt from the ground with my sword half drawn when I realized it was only a spider in his pack.

Kato brushed it to the ground and I saw a flash of green legs before he smashed it.

“God King protect me,” he said, making the sign of the saint over his forehead. “I bloody hate spiders.”

“Is he always this dramatic?” I asked Draxus as I shove my sword back home in it's sheath. The giant only nodded, his expression weary.

"Always."

The next day was cooler than the last, what with the thick canopy of trees blocking out much of the direct sunlight. The Auxiliary soldiers seemed to be in a better mood despite last night’s excitement with the spider.

Seth, a tall reedy soldier missing two of his front teeth struck up conversation with me. He was a nice enough guy, if a bit odd. He had a silver dagger tucked into the belt of his waistband and when I asked about it he launched into a story about killing a Frost Giant in the Northern wastes.

“I was lucky to get the drop,” he admitted in the end. “The others did more work back then, I only got the killing blow because it fell on my spear.”

“A kills a kill,” I said. “I suppose we should call you Giant Slayer.”

As the day wore on I tried several times to make conversation with Jarvis. He was brusk with me and kurt in his answers. Whats more, I noticed the way he watched me when he thought I wasn’t looking, A frown twisting his features. I pretended not to notice and kept talk with the other soldiers light and cordial.

Perhaps if I kept my distance Jarvis would loose interest in me. It was worth a try.

“We’ll reach the Ravine soon,” said Gills as we stopped to make camp. “From there it will be almost a straight shot to Castle Basset.”

“If we survive the ravine,” muttered Draxus. “Last I heard it was swarming with level 16 fire Scorpions.”

“Nothing we can’t handle,” said Gills. “Right then, let’s break and make camp. Kato is on cooking duty, God King help us. Draxus, we’ll need fresh water for the pot. His eyes fell on me as I set down my canvas sack.

“Oh good, Will. You can help Jarvis father firewood.”

I saw Jarvis stiffen almost imperceptibly. I opened my mouth to suggest someone else take on this particular task but Gills had already turned away. Cursing my bad luck I dropped the rest of my gear and strode into the trees.

The ground was littered with sticks and fallen branches. It hadn’t rained in some time, and many of the sticks were dry and brittle, perfect for firewood. I had gathered a healthy stack of usable wood when the sound of a foot on dry leaves made me freeze.

“I know what you are.” Said Jarvis from somewhere behind me. My heart leapt into my throat. I hadn't heard him approach until just now. Had he circled around to follow me?

“What’s that?” I asked, straining my ears for the sound of a taught bow string. Was he armed? Had I seen him leave camp with his bow? Why had I left my sword by the fire?

“A liar,” he said at last. “I’m a map collector, it’s a bit of a hobby of mine. I checked my maps of the country for a place called Blackbriar. There was none.”

“Well it’s a Podunk town in the middle of nowehre,” I said, rising slowly to my feet. I could feel the comforting weight of the knife tucked in my boot.

“It wouldn’t be on a map.”

“Horseshit. I knew something was off about you from the moment you came into camp. A strange accent and doesn’t seem familiar with our customs and mannerisms? That’s the first sign of it. There are others.”

I turn to face him, still clutching my stack of usable firewood.

“What are you talking about?” I aske calmly. Inside my heart was hammering but I kept my face blank. Javis eyes were hard as flint. He held a few sticks of firewood, but I was relieved to see his bow slung over one shoulder.

“You ask too many questions,” he said. “Questions that a Kadian would know the answer too. If you were from a foreign Kingdom it might have been plausible, but that’s where you slipped up. Then you took down the Troll on your first day in the 3rd? It’s just too uncanny.”

He paused, and his eyes never left mine.

“You’re an Otherworlder,” he said. “What they call an Imposter. The Inquisition would burn you at the stake if they knew.”

"Sounds like madness," I said. "I don't know what you're talking about, but if you don't mind I-"

A muscle twitched in his jaw.

"Don't lie to me," he hissed. "I know the truth, and if the others did they would turn on you in a second. You'd be a prisoner or a corpse in the mud and good riddance."

An uncomfortable silence stretched between us.

“Are you going to tell them?” I asked finally.

I knew there was no point in further pretenses. Even if Jarvis was wrong, he’d gotten it into his mind that I was an Imposter. I doubted I could desueade him of that notion.

“Perhaps.”

I waited but when nothing else seemed forthcoming I took a step forward.

His eyes turned wary.

There was about ten paces distance between us, and I could probably cross it in a few steps, draw my knife before he could reach for his bow and….

But what then? Was I really prepared to kill a man who might report me? Could I afford not to? I certainly didn’t have any intention of being tortured and burned alive by His Majesty's fucking Inquisition.

After a tense moment of indecision I let out a breath and strode forward and past him. Jarvis watched me, a hand going to the bow on his shoulder but when I strode past him his hand relaxed.

“Maybe you’ll change your mind.” I said. “You don’t know anything about be, not really. We don't have to be enemies.”

My back prickled at the thought of getting struck by an arrow but I forced myself to walk away slowly.

It was a risk, I knew. Part of me was cursing myself for not simply striking first before he could tell the rest of them my secret. Or worse, inform a member of the inquisition once we arrived in Castle Basset. But I didn’t want to kill one of my comrades in cold blood - not if I thought I had any other choice.

I returned first with firewood and after a few minutes Jarvis followed. He was quiet and reserved and when the others asked his to play a tune on his flute he refused.

I was relieved when it was time to sleep and Draxus volunteered to take first watch.