Stranger part 3

The attendant had an almost watery look in his eyes, I interrupted him for a moment, I didn't want to disturb his sweet memories but that wasn't what I was looking for there.

"It's a nice romance story, but what does that have to do with what happened to the village?"

The attendant wiped his eyes with the edge of his apron.

"Friends... Yes, we were a group of four friends. Me, Riff, Sarah, and..."

He swallows hard. But before he can speak again, the pot starts bubbling loudly, splashing whatever is in it on the floor.

He gets up and walks over to a pile of dishes piled up on the counter, which I really hoped were clean.

Grab one of them, go back to the cauldron, take the spoon (yes, THAT spoon) and fill the plate with what appears to be a thin broth. He sets the plate on my table and goes back to the counter, turning on one of the rusty faucets and filling a mug of beer until the foam overflows.

"The soup isn't the best boy, but the beer, I guarantee it!"

He leaves the mug on my desk and smiles as he goes back to the old armchair.

"You know boy, those two really were born for each other. It was pure love, you know, worthy of the most beautiful songs sung by the greatest bards in existence...

But you know, no matter how clean a towel is, the stain will always stand out, showing what shouldn't be seen."

***

Yes, there was another guy keeping an eye on her, and he was just one of their best friends. Noah, as he was known in the village, was the fourth member of this group of friends.

We grew up together and for that reason, no one even imagined the envy that spread in that being.

Noah was a 5ft 11in tallboy. Short curly hair, dark as night, almond green eyes. With dark skin and a well-shaped body. Always adorned with rings, earrings, necklaces, and other accessories.

He used to wear colorful, tight pants. Loose shirts and embroidered vests.

Some rumors said he was descended from fairies, due to his beauty, but he didn't really listen to that, or so we thought.

He spent a lot of time helping out in the fields, so it was natural for him to be strong. I would even say that many girls in the village would give anything to get his attention.

But he only had eyes for one.

I don't remember exactly when I realized it, but I began to notice that Noah seemed increasingly resentful of Riff and Sarah's relationship.

"Fuh! It's not going to come to anything like that... There's no way for a nobody to marry the village chief's daughter. Hahaha.."

He always sounded somber when he said that.

When Riff asked Sarah to date, everyone was happy, except Noah, who looked at him from afar, bitter.

Gradually, he moved away from everyone and I wasn't the only one who noticed that our friend had walked away.

Riff also noticed and asked me if there was something wrong and even without the courage to tell, I ended up with my tongue in my teeth.

"I think... h-he... likes... her."

"What?!"

Riff was helpless for a moment. Wasn't that possible because he had never commented on anything?

I couldn't stop him from running after Noah to get his satisfaction.

I should have held him. By the way, why the hell did I open my mouth?

***

I tried to eat the thin broth with bits of vegetables that tasted unrecognizable, but each spoonful was a blow to the stomach, I had never tasted soup so bad in my life, I could have sworn it was made with spoiled ingredients.

But I felt relieved with every sip of the hot beer the bartender had served. I've had better drinks, but at least tomorrow I can continue on my way and maybe hunt for something better to eat. Oh, I would love freshly baked bread with butter, cheese, and good wine.

However, the story piqued my curiosity. Drama always attracts audiences, I could use that part in my songs and gain something from it.

"So… did the two of you fight over the girl?"

I looked closely at the attendant, did he look like he was in a cold sweat, or was it just me?

Maybe it was a heavy subject. Friendships lost because of love interests are not uncommon. But the subject seemed to make him uneasy.

He grabbed a mug of beer for himself and, between sips, seemed to be trying to get his head in order.

"If it was just a fight between friends in love with the same girl... It would be easy to solve right?"

His closed expression contrasted with the fire that flickered agitatedly.

"Did I mention that Noah was a cleric's apprentice? Surprised? I was, too, when I heard. And do you know the irony of fate? He took over as cleric just before Sarah's birthday, since the former had fallen ill."

"But that doesn't mean that..."

"Yes. It was common for clerics to bless the festivities, so he would."

I was a little surprised yes. It didn't make sense. And the attendant gave a bitter smile.

"You must be wondering if they had a fight because the hell would he want to celebrate her birthday, wouldn't you?"

He took another sip of beer and ran his fingers through his whiskers to get rid of the excess foam.

"Revenge!"

***

After the fight, I started to notice that Noah was becoming more and more isolated, including from the community. Almost no longer fulfilling its clerical functions.

And it was the night before the birthday that I ended up witnessing what I shouldn't.

I was very happy that I finished the necklace on time. The birthday was tomorrow, so I went to give them to Riff.

But on the way, I saw Noah talking to strangers passing through the village wearing hoods.

I was apprehensive because I couldn't identify their shape and for some reason, it was distressing me.

Everything felt strangely so cold for a summer day, I could have sworn it was going to start snowing.

My body moved by itself to a cart from where I watched almost breathlessly as strangers were talking to him.

I didn't even care about the smoke coming out of my mouth anymore, indicating that maybe I needed to warm up.

That's when those glowing red eyes met mine.

It was as if he could smell the breath of death. I just froze in fear.

It was then that I heard a terrifying scream.

***