The Village

Bard noticed the way Ruegar carried his stick day and night. Even on his horse, which was more like a tall pony, he still had it at the ready.

“What is that stick you carry?” Bard asked as they passed some ruins.

“Stick?” Ruegar asked, aghast. “It be me riffle round I modified.” He had this big sense of pride in his tone. “Holds a few rounds of ammo.”

“Ammo?” Sen asked, and Bard was grateful she was here, so Ruegar didn’t have only one curious individual who would question him.

“Aye, miss Sen. It’s this stuff I throw in to shoot at dem Shades.” Ruegar pulled out a small round object and showed it to them. Sen leaned down from Kai, climbing down the pack to reach it. Kai grumbled about the discomfort.

“Sorry, Kai,” Sen said as she returned to the top with the ball. Bard looked at it curiously. It’s casing reminded him of some of the forest craft he made, but its purpose was wildly different than what he used.

“It be an old practice. Older dan da wars,” Ruegar said.

“Like your instruments, Bard?” Sen asked and Bard shrugged. He knew his gear was from before the wars, but he hadn’t heard of a riffle. Perhaps spending a winter with the short man would be entertaining and insightful after all.

Sen climbed around again as she handed the ammo back to Ruegar. Kai again complained, and Ruegar thanked her for returning it. He stuck one of the balls into the back half of his stick and then clicked a button on the side.

“'Course, dis ammon ain’t not’in like what dey used in days of old. Dey had a metal casin’ and such,” Ruegar grumbled. Bard grew more curious about this riffle as the rode. As they made camp, Ruegar spotted some animals outside of their camp range.

“Well, miss, want to be doin’ a bit of huntin’?”

“Me?” Sen asked. “I don’t have a weapon.” Bard was pleased that she seemed to be understanding Ruegar more with each passing day.

“I thoughts ye was interested in me ‘stick’. Are ye not?” Ruegar said with a pointed look at Bard, who shrugged. He wouldn’t make the mistake of calling it a stick again.

“Can I?” Sen asked, and Bard had a gut feeling that this wasn’t a good idea.

“I’m not-”

“Oh course miss. Comy here and let a me show da way to use it.”

Sen hopped over and Ruegar handed her the stick. She pointed it all over the place as she examined it. Ruegar’s eyes went wide as she clicked the button.

“Now miss! Care-”

He was interrupted as a loud bang reverberated. The rock they had situated themselves against had a nice dent right above Kai’s head. They looked at the mark and then at Sen as she looked a bit horrified.

“Yeesh,” Ruegar let out a sigh. “Don’t ye be doin’ dis on your own, miss. And listen to instructions before clicking buttons,” Ruegar reprimanded. Kai slunk behind the boulder, with Bard following close behind. That’s when Bard noticed that Ruegar’s horse had been tied up here as well.

While Sen figured out the riffle under strict admonishing from Ruegar, Kai and Bard decided to go on a walk before the sun fully set. It would be better to stay away from the direction of the shots.

When they returned, the horse was gone, so were the sunstones, and Sen was gone as well. Bard heard a few bangs out in the distance, and figuring they had gone on the hunt, began prepping for their return. In a short order, Ruegar rode up and asked for Kai to help them bring in their haul. Kai padded out, while Bard hastened his preparations.

They brought in some small birds that Ruegar had shot, and then one large beast that Sen had managed to shoot and Kai had finished off when it tried to run, injured. It was pleasant food, but Bard figured Ruegar would be out of ammo soon. His pack couldn’t carry too many supplies to craft it, and they were unlikely to have much more with how many shots this was.

Sen seemed exhilarated at the riffle. Her words rambled on with how interesting it was. She switched between dryadic to explain her experience. Sometimes with excited, broken human teka, she explained with words Bard had never heard before. Bard did his best to understand her, while Ruegar looked on with amusement. Ruegar offered explanations of the words she used, her explanations for the sounds, the way you held the riffle and so on. It was quite the experience. Somehow, he felt it wasn’t for him, but he was enjoying seeing how much Sen enjoyed it.

Their next journey brought them within sight of the village, but they stayed away as Ruegar went to his home. Bard worried that he would go back on his word and bring people to hunt them down, but was relieved that Ruegar only returned with a taller woman on a tall horse. It looked to be quite the animal, able to work hard and move a lot of things around. It vaguely reminded him of Kai, but Kai was taller still. Her horse was obviously spooked to come nearby, and Bard could hear her words as she spoke harshly to Ruegar, who worked to calm the animal.

“Kai…” Bard said softly, who looked over and then walked away. The horse was still skittish, and Bard had to wonder why the tall pony that Ruegar rode wasn’t frightened by Kai. Perhaps he would ask another time.

“Hello there,” the lady said as she dismounted from the horse.

“Hello,” Bard said, surprised she didn’t have as thick of an accent.

She whistled, just like Ruegar did when her eyes fell on Sen and her floating white hair.

“Now that’s some hair, and we are taking them in?” she looked at Ruegar who nodded meekly. Bard was surprised by the interaction.

“My name is Sen of the silver woods. We’ve traveled far, and Mr Ruegar here invited us to stay through the winter before we continue our journey,” Sen said as she stepped forward.

“Aye, I’ve heard. Your hair is a problem in this place. And the ears,” She said, and Sen moved her hands there.

“Don’t worry, kid, we can get that under control,” she said as she went for her saddlebags. “But we better hurry. Dinner is getting ready, and the little ones will only sleep for so long.”

“Little ones?” Bard said, following her thought process.

“Here, she’s your wife, you help too.”

“She’s n-” Bard started but switched to focus on the object hurling towards his head. He caught it and garnered a chuckle from the new woman. A few more objects came at him, and he caught them as he set the last one down. Sen came over, her hair flowing neatly away from her features.

“It’s probably best to go along with them. It’ll be simpler for them, right?” Sen asked and Bard sighed. She was right, and that was the plan they had set up with Ruegar. If he hadn’t mentioned anything to his wife, it probably was for a reason. When the last bundle made it’s way over, Ruegar pulled out some jugs from his supply.

“That a be everything Elvira dear?” he asked, and she confirmed it. Bard was relieved to learn of her name.

“Elvira? Was it? How can we help?” Bard asked.

“Well, first keep your beast away. I don’t fancy chasing down my horse. Second, have the Dryad of your wife sit over there on the rock. Can’t say it will fully be pleasant, so it’ll be simpler to have her sitting. It’ll be a simple procedure until we can get home and indoors. I’ll do the rest there.” Elvira looked at Ruegar who ducked his head. “Next time you make plans…”

“Yes. I be a consulting ye next time. But ye did say ye wanted company.”

“I… I did.” Elvira said as she began to pull out a bowl and grab one of the jugs. She poured a little of the liquid inside and then added a clump of red dirt into it. It soon became a liquid mud, and she added some herbs and bits of roots and plants Bard was not familiar with. Perhaps she could teach him a bit more on the other uses of plants, besides food and healing.

She soon had a decent supply of the liquid, and she reached for Sen’s hair. It tried to elude her till she touched Sen’s scalp, then it calmed. Bard was convinced it had a mind of its own.

“Come here,” Elvira said as she looked at Bard.

“Me?” her simple nod was all Bard needed. Sen slightly turned to see what was happening, and Elvira returned her head forward. “You child just need to hold still.”

Elvira grabbed Bard’s hand and had him touch Sen’s head. The hair fluttered around his hand until he reached the scalp, just as it had for Elvira. He tried to retreat, but Elvira would have none of that.

“As her husband, you need to learn how to do this. You may be travelers or merchants, but she won’t be welcome around humans, so you will need to help her with this task and know it too.”

Bard was shocked. He had expected her to take care of it, not have to learn it.

Under Elvira’s strict hand, he was forced to comb Sen’s hair. It knotted a few times and Sen shrieked at the tugs. Elvira kept her from throwing her hands into her hair as it would stall them. She had Bard apply the red dirt mixture to Sen’s head. It was a cold liquid and Sen rolled her shoulders as she froze in the chill air and damp hair. Bard felt a bit sorry for her, but his hands were coated with the stuff, and they needed to be quick. Eventually, white turned to a red brown color, and Elvira helped him to separate it out into sections. She, too, joined, when the hairs refused to be tamed. Eventually, Ruegar was roped into holding some sections. With their hands getting dyed, it was quite a gruesome looking scene. He quietly noted it, and didn’t want to cause Sen or her hairs any reason for distress.

They braided several parts under Elvira’s direction. As they worked, the woman seemed a bit worried and looked at the passing sun. No doubt, she worried about the state of her home and kids. When it was set and braided, Elvira hid the tips of Sen’s ears in some of the braids before pulling back. Sen hesitantly, and shiveringly, looked back at Bard. The sides of her face near her hair showed some of the dirt, so they would need to wash it off, but she looked quite good. Except, her eyelashes and brows were still white. He reached out and rubbed what little he had on his hands against her brows, and she closed her eyes as she shivered. Bard was past feeling in his fingers now, and he tried his best to work on her lashes as well. When he was done, she started to reach up to rub her eyes, but Elvira stopped her.

“Best wait till it dries. And with that, we can head back.” She didn’t even attempt to clean up, just got on her horse with the intention of leaving.

“Ruegar? I’ll-”

“Go check on da kids. I be a cleaning up this mess. See ya soon, love,” he said, letting her ride off. Bard helped Sen get a cloak on to keep a bit warmer, while Ruegar repacked the things and set as much as he could on his pony. Bard called Kai over, who curiously sniffed Sen. It was such a drastic change in appearance unlike the gradual change they had witnessed that Bard kept finding himself staring at her. She looked lovely and nearly human now. Elvira had done a good job. Sen seemed to notice and seemed worried about it.

“H…how do I l..l..look,” she stammered, still cold.

“You look lovely,” Bard said with a gentle smile. “Practically human right now.”

“Really?” Sen asked with a hopeful smile. Bard nodded and Ruegar made a groan that was more of a low sigh.

“Da sun be a settin’ soon, ye lovebirds. Best be gettin’ a movin,” he said, and Bard cleared his throat as he moved to help Ruegar situate the gear.

When they had ridden to the village, there was a sound of alarm, but people only gathered at the entrance of the wall that surrounded the place. Ruegar shouted to them and then guided Bard and Sen to the side where a lower wall was, and a home was situated. Ruegar really was a type of outcast, even having his own space outside of where everyone else dwelled. It didn’t bode well, but it also did provide some separation from any prying eyes. Kai was definitely the most alarming thing out of the group. If he wanted, he could easily jump over the wall they had built.

What surprised Bard the most was all the contraptions and things Bard knew from the cities that littered the area, and the sunstone like contraptions that were hung around the edge of the fence. The village instead seemed to light piles or other materials to drive away the shades. Even without wood to burn, the people seemed resourceful and diligent.