Behind the Mask | Garroth x Reader

| Part Five | Tensions are High |

There was a looming fear amongst the villagers. I couldn't blame them. After all, there was an attack on a builder who was simply doing a job just outside of town. The person who shot Brendan has yet to be caught. He was still out there, possibly planning another attack.

Despite the people's unease, Kiki and I have been at Brendan's side the entire time. He has been making slow progress, but it was progress nonetheless. We knew the moment he woke up and commented that he thought he was dreaming because he had a beautiful woman at his side and then proceeded to playfully flirt with me. It was a much-needed smile for me and Kiki.

He wasn't strong enough to get back to work after a few days, but with some help, he was up and on his feet again. There was no infection and little to no pain. Thanks to Dr.Doctor's medicine he was given his chance.

Garroth's words echoed in my head. His reassurance that Brendan would pull through. He was right. I don't know if he was confident in his own words, but he sure gave me a spark of hope that I wouldn't have Brendan's blood on my hands. According to Lady Aphmau, he had a very similar effect on her as well. It was thanks to him that she felt more confident in herself and her ability to help Phoenix Drop. 

Even with the encouragement and security that Garroth seemed to be able to give, the people of the village grew more and more restless. The people were on edge when outside in fear that they might be targeted next by the archer. Merchants were refusing to sell and even some people even refused to go to work. The pressure was building up on Garroth to put a plan into action to catch the man responsible for the short-fired at Brendan. 

Once I knew that Brendan was stable and Kiki was settled in for the night with her brother, I took my leave. Compared to a few days ago it felt like a ghost town. Despite the distance, I could hear someone further into the village complaining about the archer.

"Seriously! You have so many people here and guards galore, how have you not even had a second sighting of this man yet?!" Once making my way up the path I could clearly see the frustrated man speaking to Garroth just outside of the guard station. 

"Sir I understand your concer-" Garroth wasn't raising his voice in the slightest, but his choice of words seemed to frustrate the man further. 

"Don't you dare give me an excuse. I moved here to be safe. If you understand then do something about it." The man growled through gritted teeth before laying a hand on Garroth's chest and attempting to shove him backward. He remained where he stood, but his stance shifted to be more defensive. 

The man was blinded by his fear, and possibly having a guard take defensive actions on him would only make things worse. This was Garroth as well, the people needed to have faith in him just as much as Lady Aphmau. 

I step up to Garroth's side and make sure to bring the man's attention to me instead of Garroth. Being up close I could smell the strong scent of alcohol coming from him. No wonder why things were beginning to escalate. 

"Hey, I'm new here too. I worry about this archer just as much as you but try to look at things through their eyes. They have many people to protect and the patrols around the village have increased." A lie. I had no idea what Garroth had the guards doing exactly. "Sending people out to hunt this man would mean he would take away from those here to protect us. We know this man is elusive and can slip away from a singular guard so it has to be a well-trained group who goes out to hunt him down." The man raises a brow and looks back up at Garroth.

"I have heard your concerns. I promise that they have not fallen on deaf ears. I plan to personally scout the area tonight to ensure the safety of the people of Phoenix Drop. I ask that you continue to place your trust in me and the guards." Garroth didn't confirm or deny anything that I said, but hearing that he was going out tonight to look for the archer seemed to put the man a bit at ease. He would let out a grumble and wave his hand.

"You better. If anyone else gets hurt by this archer then you should be prepared for people to lose faith in you." The man wasn't wrong. A repeated attack that might not bode well for the reputation of the guards.

Silence fell between us as we both watched the man leave. We both knew he was right, even if his methods of showing his concern could have been different. Even Garroth couldn't bring himself to say anything.

"Please don't tell me you are going alone..." My voice cracked as I spoke. Images flashed before me of Brendan laying on his bed with the arrow in his chest. My hands shook once again. 

"No." He shifted beside me and kept his eyes on the edge of the village. We were out in the open close to nightfall. He must be worried about another attack. "I plan to take Zenix with me. He saw the archer. If we spot the archer then I won't let him escape again." His gloved hand clenched the hilt of his sword at his hip.

Even with the slight echo in his helmet, I could tell that he was feeling the pressure. That there was a lot on his mind. I could never imagine what he could possibly be going through right now. About how every little thing he says or does could reflect poorly on his entire guard, on Lady Aphmau. What is a guard without the trust that is placed in him to protect?

"You care for the people here." I start as I turn to look up at him. "I trust you. I trust that you will find the man who hurt Brendan in time. And maybe if the people see Brendan then they too will see that it was thanks to Zenix that Brendan got back to the village. That it was thanks to you for requesting the herbs from Dr.Doctor that he was able to recover. The people are scared right now, but once they have seen what I have then things will turn around."

A small laugh caught me by surprise. If I didn't visibly see it come from Garroth and watch his stance relax a bit then I would not have expected it to have come from him. I couldn't help but smile a bit in response.

"You really do know how to lift someone's spirits, don't you." He would turn and look around for a moment. The streets were empty, and things were quiet as the sun was setting in the distance. "Let me walk you home, I want to make sure you'll make it there safely." If he was to leave tonight then Phoenix Drop would be without their head guard and his apprentice until he got back. The thought of him being drawn away from the village and lowering the defenses did make my heart race a bit. 

Without a word, I nodded my head and walked beside Garroth just down the way to my place. I would stop when I got the door open and turned to face him again. 

"Something doesn't feel right... I don't know why, but the thought of you and Zenix leaving together doesn't feel right..." I let my eyes drop down to my hands. If something happened to someone here they were plenty of people to help, but this archer took a shot at an innocent person and shook the guard with ease. We wouldn't have Garroth here to send another message to Dr.Doctor. What if someone asked me to help the victim and I failed?

"Y/N. You said yourself that you trusted me. Give me the chance to prove to you, to the new people in this village that their guard can protect them." It didn't feel right, but I also couldn't bring myself to fight him. I tried to shake my head to clear my thoughts. I was just overthinking things. Guards go through years of training before getting assigned somewhere. Garroth knows what he is doing. This must not have been the first time he has been in a stressful situation like this.

"I trust you." I smile and poke his arm. "Let me in on the secrets tomorrow morning?" A promise, one to at least make it to the morning. Even if there was nothing to be told I wanted to speak with him. He would bow his head slightly and take a step back from my door.

"You know where to find me. Sleep well Y/N." He lifted himself up and made his way to the guard station where Lady Aphmau and Zenix were outside talking now. My eyes lingered on the three of them until Lady Aphmau turned to me and waved to me. With a nervous wave, I slip into my house and make my way downstairs. 

Everything will be fine. Garroth will take care of all of this. The village will be safe. I can still start over here.

I lay on my bed and rest my arm over my eyes as I try to calm myself further. 

Brendan is getting better with each passing day. They know what this archer looks like. He hasn't shown his face in days. Maybe he saw that he was in over his head and backed away from the village. Yeah. I mean who would go after a place like this?

I let out a breath and nod my head.

Everything will work out.