Stranger in the Night I

The boys trudged lazily into High Town from a creek overshadowed by the edge of the forest, the only place they could sneak in that wasn’t fenced off. As they traversed the fantastic green hills and brick roads that looked neat and orderly even in the dead of night, Cedric admired the numerous large villas that housed the Teuton elites.

“Oy, pick up the pace, you two, we’ve got to get Melly back in time for midnight tea!”

“Cedric, why did you have to tell this ingrate about that? Loose lips sink ships, you know?”

“Not sure what kind of ship I’m sinking, but that was way too funny to pass up and you know it.”

“It’s a good thing, Mel! We’re happy for you, here!”

“I somehow doubt you’re happy about anything here, Quentle. Besides, there’s nothing to be happy about, anyway. Get your minds out of the creek.”

“We were just in the creek, though...”

“Well then, do gladly return to the creek, and be one with it for all eternity.”

“That’s horrible! If Selmy heard you-”

“Heard him what?”

“Hiiiiie!”

Cedric and Quentle grasped each other’s arms in an exasperated gasp. The small girl’s appearance, laying comfortably on the other side of the hill they’d just climbed, scared them half to death. Mel, meanwhile, showed no reaction, but instead continued silently toward the smiling girl.

“Geez, Lady Selmy, you shouldn’t ambush us like that! Since when is it normal for herbalists to practice the art of war in a peaceful uppity village?”
“Seriously woman, that’s bad for our hearts, especially when we’re beat from training all day,” Cedric tacked on with a sigh.

“Hehe, I just wanted to surprise you all a bit, but I’m sorry~.”

“This girl is seriously scary, it’s like she has no presence at all.”

Quentle nodded anxiously at Cedric’s words with wide eyes, before gawking at the frilly yellow night gown the girl wore as she brushed her bare white legs through the smooth grass.

“Heey Cedric, did you say something mean just the-Ow!”

Mel had squatted down, and proceeded to knock on the top of Selmy’s head as if waiting seriously for someone to answer the other side of a door.

“What’s that for, Me-oh, why do you look so scary?” Selmy whined up at him, while Mel’s stern gaze only hardened further to the point Cedric thought he would burn a hole into her forehead.

“Ah, allow me. I do believe Mel here did indeed request that you not leave your residence, if you so happen to recall?”

“But-”

“Thanks so much for the eloquent commentary, Cedric. Now, go home.”

Quentle began chuckling at both of them with a stupid look on his face.

“Quentle too, go home.”

“Ah…well, then, Lady Selmy. As you can see, we noble commoners have successfully returned your esteemed knight to you without incident or bandit, in time for your midnight tea.”

“Band-”

Selmy stopped, flashing a look of shock toward Mel, before quickly recovering to her usual look.

“Thanks, as usual, Quentle!”

Cedric was already walking away, waving shortly with his back to the three.

“Oh, you too Ced-”

“Why aren’t you on your way too, Quentle? Need some incentive?”

Mel’s words were cold as ice, causing Quentle to stumble back down the hill before Mel could finish drawing the arrow he was feeling for.

“Boy, Melly’s in an especially sour mood tonight, isn’t he?” Quentle inquired playfully, walking beside Cedric with his hands on his head.

“So, you did notice, huh?”

“Huh? Of course I did, it was obvious, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it’s oddly suspicious. Especially just now. It was like we saw something we shouldn’t have, ya know?”

Quentle looked upward, scratching his head in response. “Yeah, I wonder…what might be going on with those two.”

Cedric looked down, biting his lip.

It’s like they’re in some kind of trouble…

Had Quentle been awake to hear the whole exchange in the apothecary wing earlier, he might be more worried.

It’s probably better for him not to know…

“Well, I’m sure it’s nothing big, just Mel being weirdly overprotective and cautious.”

“Hmmm…” Quentle eyed him quizzically. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Ah, here’s my detour.”

Quentle’s quickest route home to Market Town required cutting down a road that lead to a guard station, which he would daringly sneak through. This left Cedric to circle around the hidden creek and make his way back through Castle Town.

“Well then, see ya in the mornin’, Wardric. Don’t get lost on the way home!”

“Aye aye, idiot,” Cedric shot back with a sarcastic wave.

Traversing the rocky creek with ease, Cedric hopped onto the dirt that symbolized the small, out of place desert. Just as he turned in the direction of Castle Town, he heard rustling in the forest bordering the desert, sending a shiver down his spine.

He looked back to see nothing out of the ordinary, the eerie, bunched up trees as still as ever. Thinking it was probably just a small animal, he turned his back once more.

-Plop

However, a different sound made him freeze in shock. Turning slowly, he saw it.

A man, dressed in gold uniform with a frayed red sash.

Without a doubt, a Wolverine soldier.

He had dropped to the ground in exhaustion, clearly wounded and worn down, yet still dangerous-looking.

Cedric found himself unable to move. Instead, he stared in utter disbelief as the man, bleeding from his side and hand, among other places, dragged himself across the dirt toward the creek. It seemed the man hadn’t noticed Cedric, and continued crawling along until he reached the edge of the creek where he began splashing dirty water all over himself, even drinking some. His head wore no helmet, showing his wispy long hair and dark facial hair, along with a gruff looking face.

Cedric, still under a spell of absolute anxiety, finally realized he should do something. However, once he thought about what to do, he was unable to send any orders to his confused limbs, and remained still.

It was simply unthinkable for an enemy to make it inside the walls. It had, in fact, only happened one other time. As the man rolled onto his back, sighing in relief, pictures of that certain scene played in Cedric’s head.

The spilled blood. The torn flesh. The defining scent of the battlefield, of death, invaded his head like a sickening nostalgia. Even though it was only one injured enemy soldier laying wide open, this was the first time he would experience actual war since his six-year-old nightmare. All the training in the world could not prepare him to face a situation this real, after so long. As such, the inexperienced boy trembled pitifully before his already downed enemy.

“Ahh, wolves in the forest to protect against Wolverine soldiers, huh? Not even funny-oh…what’s this?”
Cedric’s hesitation allowed the enemy the moment of realization he needed.

“A boy…say, boy, over there is the place you call ‘High Town’, right?”

“Ah….eh-”

“Huh? Speak up when an adult is talking to you, boy.” The man showed no traces of one wounded in enemy territory, instead booming with arrogance. Unfortunately, Cedric’s frozen mental state only seemed to fuel the man’s confidence.

“What, thinking about screaming for help? Not going to do any good. Go on, tell me about this High Town place and I’ll give you a quick death.”