Disciple of Fire

Chapter 7: The Village

I peer over Joffrey's shoulder as he stares through a bush we've taken cover behind. Making sure to stay low, I look forward and see a small building, no more than a room or two big with a small plot of crops growing in front. It's been a few hours since I first spotted the smoke, and we took a little time to gear up before heading to check it out. Joffrey throws a hand signal up and Silven nods, slinking up into a nearby tree, and scoping out further into the landscape. I shift uncomfortably in place while we wait. Why do we have to do all this? It seems unnecessary. After a minute, he slides back down.

"I see more buildings in the distance, and there are... people?" He crouches down next to us.

"It's probably a village. I've heard rumors there are a few of them outside the kingdom, but there aren't any records that I've seen in the Archives..." Joffrey scrunches his brow, tossing ideas back and forth in his head, and I hear him mumble under his breath, "Why wouldn't they have any records of this...?"

"Do you think they're friendly?" I give Joffrey a nudge to break his trance and point through the shrubs, his eyes follow my finger, and we see that a middle-aged man has stepped outside. He's wearing tattered clothing and a beat up hat, a harsh line on his once-light skin tone darkened by hours upon hours of being under the hot sun. He makes his way over to his plants and begins to water them. "He doesn't seem too violent."

"Yeah, you may be right. But we should probably lay low for a while, see if anything stands out." Joffrey hunkers down, getting ready to spend most of the day here, but something in me feels as though I'm being physically dragged toward the village. My body, almost of its own will, steps forward through the bush. Wait, why can't I stop myself? Stop moving. Stop. Joffrey and Silven try calling my name in hushed tones and quietly grabbing at me to pull me back, but their voice falls on deaf ears.

My body moves toward the man, and I glance over my shoulder to see Silven and Joffrey waiting anxiously for something bad to happen. The man notices me and gives me a pleasant smile.

"Hello young man, I haven't seen you around here before. Are you traveling from one of the nearby villages?" His voice was gentle and warm, and his body was very relaxed, easing my mind just a bit. So, I guess it isn't unusual for strangers to pass through here? How many villages are out here?

"Uhm... Well... Not exactly? I..." The drive that pushed me to walk out here rapidly dissipated, and my thoughts began crashing into each other, stopping me from getting out a complete sentence. I assume that Joffrey and Silven realized there wasn't a threat because the man's focus shifts over my shoulder, and turning back I see them making their way over.

"I suppose these two are your underlings?" The man jokes quietly to me, his face straight before cracking into a smile in such a way I can't help but chuckle back and nod. He adjusts himself and speaks loudly, "You must be with this fine young man right here."

"Hello, yes. I apologize for Salem, he likes to wander sometimes," Joffrey answers as he plants himself next to me, "My name is Joffrey and he is Silven." Joffrey gestures toward Silven, who leisurely raises his hand with a nod.

"Well then, Salem, Joffrey, and Silven. Welcome to the village, my name is Odel, have you lived around here for long?" His smile grows, and he begins motioning us to walk with him as we talk. The three of us follow beside him, and Joffrey takes hold of responding for the group.

"We've just settled down a couple of days ago, really. Found a nice plot to build." Joffrey stretches upward, groaning before continuing, "Took a couple of days of work, but we've got an adequate place."

"That's wonderful, we love meeting new people here," Odel continues, "This village is home to around 130 individuals, and we see a lot of travelers coming through. Though we don't often have new folks settling down here."