Stranger - part 2

"Good evening..."

I noticed a gentleman who appeared to be the local attendant. He was stout, a little bald, with long grayish-brown mustaches, if not for the height of 5ft 7in I could tell he was a dwarf master. Maybe he was close to 50-year-old? He wore an apron of dubious cleanliness as he fiddled with the cauldron, pulling out the spoon and tasting whatever was cooking there.

Well, there didn't seem to be any other place in town to stay besides this one, either here or in the stable.

While he took off his coat, to sit at one of the tables, he observed everything around me, details are always important and make adventures richer and more true.

The inn was small inside too, even giving the feeling that the walls were going to crush you at any moment, maybe because it was dark or because of the stains on the walls. But at the same time, it had a cozy air, like a grandmother's house.

On the counter, there were many dishes, glasses and dishes in general, a tub to wash them, and several bottles of drinks in what appeared to be a wine cellar, in addition to barrels stacked beside it. Probably drinks too.

There was a fireplace in the backlit with a boiling cauldron. The smell wasn't all that pleasant, but what to expect from a town that didn't seem to be used to outsiders?

The people who drank at the inn looked at me out of the corner of their eye, perhaps because of my clothes - very well chosen, by the way - or perhaps because of my stunning beauty...

The attendant was heading to my table.

"Boy, I've never seen you around these parts... What brought you to this end of the world fancy-dressed like this?"

Fancy-dressed? I took a deep breath, I wasn't there to start a fight, I wanted a good meal and prepared for the next day. Since I would need to enter the forest on foot, as there are no roads or trails from here, where I want to go.

But maybe...he could be helpful in passing me some information? Tavern and inn attendants talk to all sorts of people.

"Good evening sir, you're right. I come from far away, looking for knowledge. I'm looking for information about an old village that was around 20 or 30-years-ago... You may have heard of it, it was known for Gerd. If I'm not mistaken, it used to exist near what is now known as the Forest of Gunnison."

An awkward silence took over the place for a moment until the spoon that had been in the attendant's hand fell and echoed throughout the room. He hurries to gather it and, while rubbing her on his apron, he sits down in the worn yellow armchair nearby.

"Gerd is... It's been a while since I heard that name..."

He was looking at me but seemed a little distant, with a vacant look in his eyes.

"You know boy, many like you used to appear after treasures, holy relics, or whatever it was that could be exchanged for a handful of coins... Most of them didn't come back."

A loud thunderclap resounds throughout the inn making me shiver.

Because I'm a half-elf I have a sharper hearing, so loud noises are usually VERY unpleasant.

I notice that the few people present there seem not to breathe well while listening attentively. He looks at the spoon that glows a little, reflecting the flames that would look very welcoming compared to the storm outside.

"I must have been around 20-year-old when it all happened... I was an apprentice goldsmith, and I was very excited to do my first job all by myself: a necklace with a crystal pendant in the shape of a drop, surrounded by small metal details, ordered by an old friend who wanted to present to his girlfriend who had a birthday next week... His name was... Riff."

***

We were approaching the summer solstice and the days were getting hotter. The Lonberry harvest was about to start, which was already a cause for festivities, as it would be one of the biggest harvests of recent years.

But there was one more reason to celebrate, the 16th birthday of Sarah, the youngest daughter of the village chief and Riff's girlfriend.

He was a 16-year-old boy who lived in the village. His parents had an accident during a hunt when he was still a child. My parents have taken care of him since then. We were closer than if we were blood brothers.

He was 5ft 9in tall but skinny, but what he lacked in strength, he was smart, he learned fast and soon grew, he became interested in the position of lantern keeper in the village, a role before my father's responsibility, but he already he couldn't keep up because of the age that had left him weak.

What does a lantern man do? Basically, it feeds the lumines (small creatures of magical essence) that live in flame lanterns.

Riff was always grateful to everyone for having welcomed him. I don't think I ever saw him complaining or saddened by his situation, he claimed to be someone lucky. Lucky that earned him the love of one of the most charming girls in the village.

Sarah was a good girl, she was going to be 16-years-old, 5ft 2in tall. Beautiful curves and very gentle. Even though she was the village chief's daughter, she was never arrogant. On the contrary, she grew up with us, sometimes being more tomboy than all of us together. The thing I remember most was her long hair golden as the sun, tied in a braid with a red ribbon. This tape had also been a gift from Riff.

She used to wear colorful dresses, with floral prints, long boots, as she used to walk around the pasture watching the cattle.

Every now and then she saw the two of them going out for a walk. She was watching them from afar, so happy. They were a couple destined to be together.