Three Souls, One Quest

For the past five years, I’d been calling Ravenwell home, managing my own small pig farm and orchard of pear and apple trees. Also, I would sell some of my fruit and pigs in the town square and I would hunt with the remaining weapons I managed to keep. Before I was forced into exile, I was a great knight, who protected Westmoor’s royal family. However, a pair of the queen’s favorite emerald and pearl earrings went missing and rumors spread throughout the city that it was some sort of inside job. I set alone to find it, however after a few months, I returned empty-handed and I was promptly arrested and sentenced to exile, for a random servant accused me of selling them to a band of pirates whom were near the port city of Mistral during that time.

During one rather hot and busy evening while, I stumbled into Ravenwell’s tavern, I noticed my elven friend Arden talking to the minotaur bar-keep and I felt like my day got much better. I took a seat right next to him, causing him to glance at me. “Thorne, I didn’t see you there,” he greeted, slapping me on the back.

“Hello, Arden,” I greeted, nestling my dirty fingers amid my hair. “Varik, a round of ale,” I requested, slamming a few silver coins on the wooden bar. All I wanted was to talk to my friend and forget about how difficult that day was, not knowing more difficult days would lay ahead of me sooner than I thought.

He served a tall mug of ale just as the doors swung open then Arden leaned over toward me and whispered, “New people, and they look quite tough.” As we sipped our drinks and talked about our days, glass shattered, and a random minotaur bellowed, which grabbed my attention as well as his. A fight quickly ensued between the two new customers and three random yet rather strong humans who were known ruffians.

After a few minutes, the fight stopped, and the three humans left, one of them being carried out by his friends. Then, I got an idea, which seemed quite unusual yet brazen. I approached them as they were served their own mugs. The female white-haired elf backed away as I stepped forth. “Pardon me. I couldn’t help but notice you dealing with those three,” I greeted as the minotaur glanced at me, revealing his missing horn. I sat across from him. “I’ve been in exile for years because of a crime I never committed and I need your help to regain what was mine,” I explained. The girl sipped her ale as silence fell between us.

“What’s your name?” she asked, seeming uncertain about me.

“Thorne Bardot. I used to work for King Byron II and Queen Iris.”

“From Westmoor,” he grunted.

“Yes, a pair of the queen’s favorite earrings had gone missing and…”

“You need help finding them,” he cut me off mid-sentence.

“I know what you’re talking about and I know where they are,” she revealed. “People call me ‘Vesper’,” she introduced herself.

The minotaur pointed his thumb towards his broad chest. “Kellan.”

“Nice to meet you both. Would you like to stay at my house for the night,” I offered in order to gain their trust.

They glanced at each other, then she asked, “Where do you live?”

I grinned. “On my farm, just outside the village.”

Pulling out one dagger, I planted its sharp tip on the table’s surface. She nodded. It was clear she was the leader.

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We stepped out of my house with a quiver of arrows over one shoulder, my daggers in their hilts and one hand clutching my bow just as my friend was taking care of my pigs after I talked to him about the quest I had been forced into. From my doorstep, I waved at him and he waved back, yelling, “Good luck.”

As I followed Vesper and Kellan away from Ravenwell, I asked, “Where are they?”

“A petty thief’s lair in Ironcrest.”

I stopped rather suddenly, for I’ve heard of Ironcrest; it was a quite rough city close to the size of Westmoor and it wasn’t the best place to raise children, let alone find a good job. Random twigs snapped under our feet while we travelled the old, lonely path and only one horse pulling an empty cart passed us. I briefly glanced at the driver, who wore a hooded cloak with the hood covering his head and most of his face.

Soon, I thought, hoping I would be able to redeem myself and regain everything else I had lost.

Then, something struck me as strange. “Vesper, how do you know where they are?” I slowly reached for one of my daggers, thinking I could lured into a trap.

“We’re assassins,” Kellen answered.

“We’ve been looking for that high elven thief for months,” she then confirmed.

I nodded, feeling a bit more at ease and causing me to drop my free hand.

It was mid-afternoon as we approached an area known for being home to wild griffins. There weren’t too many trees or bushes to behind, however there were massive nests in the distance and we knew we had to be quick and flee before one of them noticed us. Kellen’s ears would twitch when he stopped to listen and it only my heart race faster.

In the distance, we heard a rather loud screech and Kellen grunted, “Run.”

We all sprinted through the open fields as griffins began to chase us and try to attack us. From one side, as one grew close to me, I nocked an arrow and fired it, hearing it screech in sheer pain and tumble to the ground.

They chased us for a mile until they returned to their nesting grounds.

We all stopped and glanced as they retreated. I smiled, then asked, “How far is Ironcrest now?”

Vesper glanced down the path in front of us. “Another twenty miles from here.”

Briefly, I nodded, then followed them down the dirt road.

*************************

Just after sunset, we entered Ironcrest and as I glanced around, I saw nothing more than old buildings worn down by time with the help of ruffians and simple dirt roads. To call it a far-cry from Westmoor would be a rather polite of describing it to anyone who’s never been there. Vesper glanced at me, softly instructing, “This way.”

The small city seemed quite calm yet eerie and it would send chills up my back a times. As we neared an old house, which appeared as though nobody was living in it, Kellen grunted, stretching out his massive arm as if to stop me. “Too easy,” he softly grumbled, then grabbed a dagger that was strapped to his muscular thigh. I quickly grabbed my own pair of daggers, knowing there would be a battle on our hands. Slowly, we stepped forth and Vesper turned into a fox, which stunned me.

He tail swished back and forth, and her ears were down as she stayed close to the ground. Kellen then kicked open the door and waited with all of us ready for him. Where is he? I thought, growing confused, but staying alert.

He then sniffed the air, then shook his head and glanced at her. “He’s dead,” he grunted.

“What?” I whispered, feeling my hopes being dashed. “Are the earrings still inside?”

It’s worth searching for them, she softly reassured, taking the first steps into the dark house. Him and I followed her and we even used what little sunlight was left to quickly search through the house.

While I searched a small random room in the back of it, my foot kicked a wooden box and I picked it up. Then, I opened it and gently touched the contents, realizing they were small and smooth. “The earrings,” I whispered, breathing a sigh of relief. I grabbed them, tossing it to the floor, hearing them run to the open doorway.

“Well?” Vesper whispered.

“I found them,” I softly answered.

“Good. Now let’s get out of this place.” They both started to walk out and I hastily followed them.

As we were leaving, we all heard a distant female voice shouting, “Hey, you.”

“Shit,” Vesper muttered, then began to run. We started following her, then I asked, “Do you know her?”

At first, she didn’t answer.

“We killed her lover last month after he stole from a noble family.”

Mid-stride, she turned back into a fox, which made her run faster.

We ran though the night, fearing she was still after us and close to dawn, we stopped short of an inn in Westmoor. I glanced around at the familiar sights, faintly seeing Dannamore Palace in the distance. While panting, I grinned, knowing I was so close to redeeming myself and gaining everything I once had.

We all chose to check into the inn, for exhaustion hastily caught up to us.

As we walked in, an elf asked, “How can I help you? Sir Thorne?”

I nodded, not having heard that in years.

“What are you doing here, sir? I thought you were in exile.”

“I’m hoping to change that soon with the help of these fine people.” I gave him a few coins to pay for the rooms.

“Did you find the…?”

“Yes, and I never stole them. It was a random thief from Ironcrest,” he cut off the innkeeper mid-question.

We headed to our rooms and I fell onto the bed, quickly falling asleep. We had been sleeping deeply for a few hours, then as I woke up, I noticed Vesper and Kellen standing in my room near the doorway.

“Good afternoon, Thorne,” he grunted.

Afternoon? I thought, sitting up and realizing I had slept past morning.

“Come on, those earrings aren’t going to deliver themselves,” Vesper reminded, turning to leave, as did the minotaur.

I jumped out of the bed and began to lead the way. While we stepped out of it, I told them, “I remember the way.” I could walk to it in my sleep, I jokingly thought, smiling as we neared the massive estate.

Stepping up to the doors in front of us, they suddenly opened on their own and a pair of guards stood on the other side. “Thorne?” a satyr guard recognized me.

I nodded, showing him the earrings.

He gasped, then glanced at Kellen and Vesper.

“They helped me and it was a skilled thief who did it,” I explained.

They both stepped aside, and as we entered, I asked, “Where are they?”

“Drawing room, Sir Thorne.”

We made our way through the palace as I struggled to remember where it was. Glancing around, I heard Kellen grumble, “I can hear violin music.” Then, I glanced at him pointing in a different direction, and I continued leading them. As we grew closer, I could soon hear it growing louder and it sounded like a skilled musician was playing. Stopping short of it, I took a deep breath and even briefly enjoyed the tune while clutching the delicate earrings.

As it ended, we entered and bowed to the king and queen as they rose to their feet. “Thorne, what are you doing here?” the king asked, stretching his arms to protect his wife and daughter, who was playing the violin.

“Your Majesty, I’ve come before you to clear my name,” I greeted. “The earrings were taken by a clever thief from Ironcrest.” I then showed them to him.

She gasped and glanced at him as he lowered his arms and allowed her to receive them. “Thank you, Sir Thorne.”

I grinned and nodded, knowing I’d been granted everything back in that moment.