A new journey

"Mountain Elves." Maulnar thought to himself. It would explain why they would dare attack, and the way they did. Explosions, fire, destruction. It wasn't quite how Forest Elves would've gone about an assault.

Then the old man chuckled again. "Sharp eyes? Far from it, my dear. At my age, you can be happy to see details. No, just a simple deduction. Hidden-away facial features, dire wolf as a pe.. I mean guardian animal. Quite unlike regular humans." Maulnar explained as he headed back towards his table, then sat down in his chair again. The meal had cooled down a bit, but was still fine to eat. "To be honest, I didn't know. I just guessed, but now you've given that away, haven't you?" He said, gazing at her over the roasted duck whilst looking a little triumphant. It was pretty easy to trick people into admitting certain things.

Another growl came from Maulnar's stomach. A faint blush appeared on his cheek. "Apologies. I haven't eaten in a while." He explained, then continued his meal, taking another bite. After emptying his mouth, the old man continued. "So, what brings you here?"
 
Morywin couldn't help but chuckle as she sat down and she crossed her legs while she folded her arms. "Clever." She admitted with a faint nod and she looked down at the table for a moment before she looked up at Maulnar again. "There is no need to apologize, by all means." She said while she smiled. "I'm travelling the lands with my companions. We have sort of... decided to head out on a journey, so to speak. We haven't gotten very far yet, but humans easily grow tired during the nighttime so we decided to stop here for the night." Morywin said with a gentle nod. "What about you then?" She asked.
 
Maulnar folded up his sleeves so not to stain them as he ate the juicy duck. His arms revealed more burn scars, though he didn't seem to mind showing his old injuries.

"Especially with a child, hmm?" He quickly asked before taking a gulp of his mug. "Myself, I'm doing the same as you. Been wandering all around for a while now. Only I don't have anyone else to slow me down, certainly not a child! Brings me to wonder why you would take her with you. It's not very safe to just go on a journey, I should know. Unless, of course, she is yours?" He assumed. His look was questioning, awaiting a response from Morywin.
 
Morywin looked at Maulnar and then down at the table, her smile quickly faded. "No, she is not mine... but she wasn't safe in Evenloch so we decided to take her with us. With the Mountain Elves rampaging the cities, she is more safe with us then she is in a home in any village at this time." She said and she sighed low as she thought of Illyria but quickly shook away the thought. "I wouldn't say that having someone with you would slow you down, if anything, it makes the whole experience a lot more enjoyable." She then added while she smiled gently. "And you may call me Morywin, I see no reason to why I shouldn't introduce myself."
 
Maulnar smile faded when he heard of the little girl's tragic tale. But Morywin was right, she was safer with them than in any other village. While she could be taken care of by a family, if it really came down to it, she would simply undergo the same tragic fate again.

But then he smiled again, nodding in agreement at what Morywin said about company. "You are right about that, though. It does make the trip more enjoyable. While I do prefer solitude at times, I do need someone to talk to after a while. Oh, but where are my manners! The name's Maulnar. Maulnar Evermead. Doctor, Surgeon, and experimental Alchemist." He said. The introduction sounded practiced, as if he'd told many people that before. Judging by his age, it didn't even seem that strange.

And with a final bite, his meal was finished. He washed down the last bits of food in his mouth with another gulp of ale and gave a satisfied sigh. The same person who brought him his meal quickly came to take it from his table again. Maulnar nodded at the young boy, then stared Morywin in the eyes.
"Would you mind me joining you on your little journey? I have some research to do, and you could help me greatly." He told her, then leaned over the table. "Do you possess healing magic? If any of your comrades falls ill, or becomes injured, could you take care of them? I can." He whispered, then leaned back into his chair, still looking at her. "Think about it. If not for yourself, at least help an old man make his few remaining years worthwhile."
 
"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir Maulnar." She said and inclined her head in a polite manner. She listened intently as he whispered and she smiled gently. "I do not possess the art of healing, so your aid would be most grateful and it would be an honor to have you with us." She said and she smiled softly.
 
He was gone. Garaeth was certain that the stranger had a change of heart about whatever he had planned, as he continued to wander down the streets.
Yet, despite this, the uneasy sensation that someone were following him remained. He made a turn and arrived at a dead end. Good. It had gone as he had planned,
as when he turned around, someone stood there in the middle of the alley - a hooded person, male by the appearance of physique, clad in leather armor.
''I see. So you are the one who has been following me truly.'' He called out to the new stranger, but this one gave no reply, except that the stranger reached for a dagger,
hidden underneath his cloak. It was a clear message to Garaeth, and not an unfamiliar one. ''Very well. Let us see if you fare better than the others.'' The half-elf stated,
just as he reached for his own sword. Even in the shadows in the alley, his blade gleamed as it were released from its scabbard. It were like it responded to the invitation to combat.

A moment later, the sound of steel clashing with steel echoed throughout the alley and the streets beyond.
 
Ophelia looked down at Darby and she scratched the side of her head as she was sitting up in the bed, having woken up. She tilted her head a bit to the side before she tried to sit down on top of Darby, on his stomach. "Darbyyy! The others aren't asleep at all! I heard Morywin leave her room!" Ophelia whined while she pouted.

Altherus perked his ears as he heard the sound of steel clashing and he skid to a halt, he looked around a bit and followed the source of the sound, only to find Garaeth fighting a hooded person and Altherus began to growl while he raised his fur.
 
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Darby was dreaming about something about the salty sea breeze spray on his face with a bandana wrapped around his brown hair, when suddenly the captain called him over with a very high-pitched voice that almost broke his ear-drums. Quickly, Darby woke up with a loud snort and a wheeze when Ophelia sat on top of him with the most scariest looking pout. She could pass off as Morywin with that for every time he lied. "Hang on - they're not there?" he asked innocently. "Th-then maybe Morywin went to get something to eat? And you know Garaeth.." Actually no, they didn't, not much at least. Garaeth so far has been silent and cold, but he seems like a very kind-hearted person inside.

Not wanting to be under a bad light to Ophelia, Darby rubbed the sand out of his eyes to wake himself up. "How about we go check on them?" he suggested, scratching at his right cheek that was lightly covered with his stubble.
 
Ophelia tilted her head and jumped a bit in surprise as Darby snorted, she moved so she was sitting next to him instead and she tried to take his hand to make him sit up. "Come on! Come on! Something might be going on!" Ophelia whined as she then slid off of the bed and she ran up to the door, she had to stand on her toes in order to reach the doorknob and she held one hand against the door for support, but she wasn't able to open it.
 
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Darby pretended that he was much too heavy to pull up when Ophelia gave him a few tugs, flopping all over the bed dramatically every time she failed and tried his best to hide his cheeky grin. On the third time though, he finally got up and slipped on his traveling boots. Darby chuckled as he watched Ophelia try to reach for the door knob on her tippy toes, then opened it for her. He pulled the door gently so he won't hit her with it by accident and poked his head out. "Morywin?" he called, knocking on the elf's room. Like Ophelia said, there was no answer - she was definitely out. He scratched the back of his head, then looked around. There was no sign of them, besides I few people who leaned on the windows, their noses glued to the glass.

"Gee, they're really not around," Darby muttered. "But what's going on outside?"
 
Ophelia backed away slightly from the door when Darby opened it and she then looked up at him as they got no answer. "See! I told you!" She said and she then blinked as she saw the people by the windows and she tilted her head a bit in curiosity before she walked up to one of them and she tried to tug lightly on the man's shirt. "Excuse me, mister. But what is it that's so interesting outside?" She asked curiously.

Morywin raised an eyebrow as she saw the people by the windows and she stood up from the chair. "What is going on?" She thought to herself, but before she was able to reach one of the windows to look outside, she heard Altherus' howl, he was calling for her and she looked at Maulnar. "Excuse me, sir Evermead." She said and bowed deeply before she rushed outside and then ran until she found Altherus and her eyes widened as she saw Garaeth fighting with a hooded man, she drew her bow along with an arrow and notched it on the string before she took aim, or at least she tried to, from where she was standing, she wasn't able to shoot without possibly harming Garaeth.
 
The man looked down in shock to find a little girl tugging at the rim of his shirt. "What's a little booger like you awake at this hour?" he asked her before gluing his eyes at the window. "Well, there's a fight outside."

Then Darby found Morywin. "Oh hey, there you are! Ophelia was worried about-" His words trailed away like smoke as he watched the elf rushed out the tavern. Darby put down his hands before scratching his hip. "You.." he sighed, finishing his sentence even if she wasn't there anymore.

Meanwhile the man widened his eyes again as he saw Morywin fire an arrow. "Looks like another one joined them," Then he spared a glance at Ophelia again. "Kids wake up at such early hours.."

"What's happening?" Darby asked, rushing next to the little girl and the man. He watched with horror when he saw Morywin outside with her bow out. Amidst the darkness, the sound of steel clashed together, and the only person Darby could think of was Garaeth. Now Darby was in a pickle - he wasn't sure whether to go out and help, or stay and watch over the kid.
 
Ophelia squeezed her way between some tavern guests to get a peek out the window and she stood up on her toes with her hands on the windowsill as she then looked down and she looked at Morywin who stood with her bow drawn and with an arrow attached to the string and she then looked towards Garaeth and the hooded man.

Morywin snarled low as she pulled back the string on her bow, yet she wasn't able to fire her arrow since she didn't want to harm Garaeth, after all. She frowned deeply and waited for an opportunity where Garaeth wouldn't be in her line of shot, before she could possibly even think about firing the arrow.
 
Garaeth side-stepped aside from one of the assassin's strikes. It was at that point he noticed Morywin,
prepared to release the arrow she had notched to the string of her bow. Despite the ready assistance,
the half-elf shook his head and swung his sword at the assassin, gaining necessary distance between them.
Thus far, the assassin had refused to answer his questions, but really, Garaeth needed none. He were fully aware why he were here.
It was not the first assassin that had appeared before him, but this one would come to the same result as each and every one before him. Just as the assassin avoided Garaeth's blade and leaped back, the moment the stranger gained footing, Garaeth was there.
In the blink of an eye, he had closed the distance between them, the blade gleaming blood red like it responded to what were just about to happen. And then it was over, with the sound of steel pressing into flesh, tearing open tissue and then the spray of blood.
Turning limp over Garaeth's blade, the assassin soon dropped off the steel edge and fell to the ground. Casting off the blood by a swing of his blade through the air, Garaeth sheathed his weapon but a moment after as he regarded the assassin on the ground.
 
Morywin looked at Garaeth and she narrowed her eyes as she lowered her bow and put back the arrow in its quiver as she saw the assassin falling limp over Garaeth's blade. She let out a heavy sigh and then walked closer to him and the dead assassin. She muttered something in elven, most likely a prayer and she then looked at Garaeth as she holstered the bow in the quiver on her back. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Ophelia's eyes widened and her face turned pale as she saw the assassin being impaled, she quickly turned around and ran to Darby to hug his leg tightly and her body was trembling heavily in fright. What she just witnessed reminded her of when her parents were killed and she whimpered in a terrified manner.
 
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''Of course.'' He stated. His eyes fell upon the assassin for a moment before he looked to Morywin.
''I had planned to return to warn you. It seems we are being followed by someone.'' He added,
then went on to explain what happened before: the stranger that bumped into him and asking for directions to the tavern,
and then the scare that was put in him later on and how he had acted.
 
Morywin listened intently as she looked at Garaeth and she then folded her arms. "I see... In any case, seeing as that has been dealt with, let us go back inside, I need to introduce you, Darby and Ophelia to someone." Said Morywin as she then turned around and she went into the tavern again. She appeared thoughtful as she walked and she shook her head slightly, Altherus was by her side and walked with her back to the tavern.
 
Maulnar hadn't been interested in what was going on. By the way the others reacted, and by the silent mumbling and internal discussin, he could conclude there was a fight going on outside. In his lifetime, he's seen many deaths, innocent and not. Many battles, just and unjust. Many bloodshed, necessary, and unnecessary. To this old man, it didn't matter who was fighting, or what for. He simply didn't care.

Leaning back in his chair, the pipe kept creating large amounts of smoke which gently rose to the ceiling. Like strokes on a painting, the streams of smoke climbed upwards, disrupted only by the occasional cough coming from Maulnar.
He looked up at Morywin when she re-entered the tavern, but didn't say anything.
 
Poor Darby. He tried to cover the little girl's eyes as much as possible, but she already saw too much. Guess I have to stay, he thought to himself as he picked up Ophelia once more into his arms and gave her a comforting squeeze. The tavern's doorbell rang as Morywin came back inside, which made Darby flinch as if it was an alarm instead of a welcoming tinkle. When he saw it was just Morywin though, he rushed towards her. "Morywin! Are you alright? How about Garaeth?" They had just arrived in this place and there was already danger? "Is it those mountain elves again?"
 
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