The Past is always Near

Near the forest outskirts, the villagers look carefully at the strange group which just came out of the woods. An elder warrior, a teenager and a little girl, all three walking in a line with the child in the middle, letting them wonder about her identity. She can't be a noble, as one would never walk with such little escort, nor walk at all as they see it. The boy's outfit doesn't fit a guard or servant identity either, after all. On the other hand, she can't be an abducted child, taken to the woods by her abductors. The villagers also forget immediately the idea of a family, since none of the three look alike.

Without acknowledgement of the stares directed at them, Garm's group walks without hurry to the village's center. While the kids try to look assured, Garm hopes that an elder will come to see them, as used to be done when he was in his band. As they progress, while most continue to simply watch the new curiosity, some people disappear out of view, going into less crowded streets. Once the outsiders halt near the village's well, most of the curiosity already fades. Rare onlookers stay nearby, watching with various reactions the boy draws water for the girl.

As Garm expected, a lone figure approaches him, eyeing with a soft smile the kids drinking. He sits on a rock and gestures to the warrior. Garm follows the lead, without letting his charges out of his view. Once both are comfortably seated, as can be in this situation, the elderly man lets go of his tension.

— I see that you follow some peculiar customs, ones that I would never have linked to such a, family.

Garm's eyes, still focused on the kids, soften.

— Yeah. Old habits die hard.

With this admission, the elder's face lightens. He looks once again at the kids before sighing and focusing on the man. This one seems like a tough nut to crack, and he never liked to deal with those mercenary types but at least Garms is amiable enough and his company hints at his former retirement.

— You, have an inn, or anything where we could sleep ?

Garms always hated this part of mercenary work. Talks, talks, always talks, shouldn't the elders see, think, and follow the clues instead of forcing him to ask ? They are three, with two kids, coming out of the woods. Of course they would need somewhere to crash and rest but no, this elder has to play the silent game and let Garm himself ask for lodging.

— We have a longhouse, for travelers. You won't have the same privacy but it should still be better than sleeping in the woods. Something else ?

— Weapons and armor for the boy.

For the first time since the beginning, the elder's face sours as his eyes dart to Dorian. He sighs heavily before nodding and pointing at the tannery absentmindedly since the smithy should be easy enough to find. In his mind, memories flashes, memories of his sister, taken to "help" a mercenary band. She never was the same.

— So he's your new recruit, then. And what of the girl, you mercenaries use them from the cradle now ?

Garm blinks, utterly devastated by what he hears. He takes some seconds to digest the venom in the elder's tone, to make sense of the words just told. Then, his whole body contracts, his eyes, now two blocks of ice, home in those of the elder while he approaches his head menacingly, holding it at near contact length. At the time, the warrior doesn't even remember what was told about Dorian, even if it is also a falsehood.

— Retire that. Now.

The order is told, not murmured, not shouted, only told. In the silence, however, it thunders and all gazes converge to the two figures. The few villagers still here take what they can and approach, decided to protect their elder with their lives. Isa, panicked, can only stay still while Dorian puts his body between her and the crowd, his fists clenched, his spirit ready to summon hell on the stupid villagers ready to take everything from him, as ready as his own were to end his parents' legacy. Unbeknownst to him, Isa sees his shadow ripple.

— Better kill me, Mons-ter.

Garm seethes, his body shivers from barely contained rage, but he won't act. He won't give this stain of a human being such joy. Then, he talks, his voice barely a whisper as anything louder would lead him to explode.

— I'll never, ever, do that to my daughter. You fiend.

He abruptly stands, turns and goes to the kids, still reeling, making them look at him nervously.

— We go. Now.

Moving as one, they obey. Dorian, reeling too, takes the rear while Isa jumps to Garms arms, sobbing.

— Wait !

Garm doesn't even react at the elder's plea.

— Please, wait ! I… I apologize!

As the found family continue to walk to the village's exit, they hear the elder's hurried steps. His second plea, his apology, makes Garm halt and turn his head, slowly.

— You better. She may not be my blood, but she's my daughter. Never talk about her like that again, or I won't react calmly.

With an audible gulp, the elder nods slowly. Of course, he doesn't believe this warrior, who knows if this brute is not just playing good with the child in order to be her pillar, to have her obediently obey everything in some years. But if he can have them stay here, in this village, he'll be able to monitor the group's activities. Now, he has to find a way to sound sincere, even if some villagers might misunderstand and think that the warrior is really a good man.

— As… As an apology… I… You can lodge… In my house ? For your stay I mean…

Dorian blinks twice, unable to understand how someone who was threatened by Garm would be able to make such an offer. He then looks at his mentor, ready to act according to his actions, only to freeze while seeing a smirk. Even Isa, when he sees her, seems to find the offer more amusing than anything. After this, with a mental sigh, he simply awaits and turns his attention back to the elder and villagers.

— As you wish.

None can miss the irony in Garm's tone, certainly not Isa who has to reign in her giggles with less than optimal success.

*He rea~ly thinks that he can trap Him ? With… This !?*

Her giggles attract everyone's attention, safe for Garm's who stays fixated on the elder. The warrior waits patiently for the elder to return to focus before lifting an eyebrow, his smirk still openly visible. He won't ask, he won't talk as he already spent more than enough effort on this guy.

This time, the elder gestures for his retinue to disperse and turns back, walking to his home at a slow pace. Now that the brute can't see him anymore, he let his face contort in disgust. Since his sister's death, no one ever entered his house and now, a mercenary of all things has to be the first one to come. He doesn't tell the trio to follow him, they can make their own choices after all and the monster seems to hate talking, so he'll simply follow his ways and talk as little as possible.

Once they enter the elder's house, the three outsiders feel how little the man lives. His house is as dead as a haunted one, even with the guy still here. Dorian shivers while Isa turtles up. Garm, on the other hand, assesses the house in one glance and, immediately, lets go of his wariness.

— Thank you. For the hospitality.

Both kids look dumbfounded at the warrior. His tone was nothing but sincere and apologetic. When they then look at the elder, they can only see him nod without even looking back.

— You too. Thank him.

While they do, the warrior sighs. He'll need to sleep on the floor, as well as Dorian, while Isa will stay in the room with feminine clothing and one single person bed and the Elder will keep sleeping in his own single bed.

— Dorian, you cook for everyone.

Garm goes out after this, leaving the kids alone with the elder, to sit on the rock where everything began. As still as a statue, while his battered frame blends naturally in the scenery, he attracts attention. The very same people who went to other roads earlier watch him from the shadows of different buildings. Aware of being watched, but not able to pinpoint from where or by who, the warrior doesn't put weight on this, he instead prefers to think about what he knows of this elder. The same elder who will never stop seeing him as a monster if what he deduced is true.

Back in the house, the man whose attitude fills Garm's thoughts stays stunned. In front of him, the girl which he believed was used chats merrily with the teenager while this one is cooking like a housewife. This clashes with his worldview in such ways that he can't think of any reason, until he remembers the monster outside. This should be an act, orchestrated by the mercenary, in order for him to let his guard down. Of course the boy has to know how to cook, how would they be able to eat if the girl ends up too exhausted after they finish with her ? And the poor thing doesn't know best, she may have developed genuine feelings for her abusers because they are good with her outside of their unsavory activities.

While not unaware of the judgemental stare sent by the elder, Dorian ignores it while cooking for everyone, their host included, as he was ordered to do so. If this meal wasn't to be eaten by Isa and Garm too, he would gladly add disgusting ingredients in order to take his petty revenge against the guy, even if that would mean that he needs to eat the same meal. In order to keep his calm, he indulges Isa's chatter as much as he can while still keeping some concentration on his task. At least, that keeps his mood from souring too much until Garm comes back. After the meal, once again silent but with as much tension as when Garm was fretting over Dorian's shadows when he couldn't understand what was happening, everyone goes to sleep.