The Frontier Hunters

A Walk in the Woods

This ones been in the works for a couple of months, shall we see how it goes?

A heavy fog blanketed the area around the road. Three figures made their way through the fog and down the road. The tallest in the lead, a man wearing a heavy long coat, concealing a vast array of weaponry. On his hip, he wore a flintlock pistol, a cutlass, and a small flask filled with holy water.

Behind him followed the second man. He wore a shorter cut coat than the man in front of him, falling just above his knees, though concealing no less weaponry than the lead man. He carried a brace of pistols, two on his belt and two more on his chest. Accompanying his brace of pistols, on his back he carried a pair of Viking-styled hand axes. This man, though shorter in stature, was no less dangerous than his companions.

The man bringing up the rear wore a metal chest plate, akin to medieval armor. Covering the armor was a thick coat that not only kept him warm but hid a bandolier of silver musket balls. He carried a long rifle with a bolt action on his back, the first of its kind. Next to that hung a poleaxe, and a foldable shotgun to top it all off. This man took pride in his weapons and their condition showed that.

These men were Huntsmen, and that meant something. My name is James Lazarus and I trusted the two that I led with my life.

"Could cut this fog with a knife." Tucker, the man in the rear stated.

"Always one to state the obvious, aren't we Tuck?" Hugh, the man in the middle who rolled a pipe around between his teeth, laughed out.

"Ever the comedian eh, Hugh?" I smiled and raised the torch in my hand higher to further illuminate the area.

"Well, I figure one of us should maybe try and have a laugh since you two sad bastards are frowning all the time."

A quiet laugh swept through our small band and we pressed on further into this fog before us.

"The town should be just up ahead." Tucker commented. "Feels like we've been walking forever though."

The ground ahead of us soon began to turn to cobble, and the town's gate soon came into view.

"Halt! State your business and identify yourselves!" The guard that stood on the top of the gate shouted.

I raised my torch and answered. "Huntsmen! Here to work and rest!" The guard stepped back and waved to someone unseen by us before turning back and shouting. "Welcome to Frontier, lads."

We headed through the gate and Hugh led us into what looked like an inn.

"I could use a drink." Tucker yawned, and Hugh nodded. "I second that!"

We stepped through the door and the inn grew silent, heads swiveled towards us. A roomful of eyes looked us up and down and a voice sounded from behind the bar.

"What can I get ya?" The stocky old woman asked.

"Three pints and three beds if ya don't mind?" I asked and the room came back to life. Chatter returned to the bar and patrons returned to their drinks.

"Rooms ten silver a night, and the beers three a pint." I nodded and fronted the silver for our group. Dropping the required silver coins on the bar, the woman immediately scooped the coins off the bar and into her hand, depositing them into her pocket. She turned around and poured three mugs of beer for us. We took our beers and sat at a corner table.

"So what do you think this town's problem is?" Hugh asked.

"Might be a witch with the fog and all, maybe a necromancer?" Prompted Tucker.