Paladin of the Peaceful Lady

Chapter Five Raven Wing

It was a short trek to the town of Raven Wing, a village of maybe one hundred and fifty inhabitants. It had a mostly ten-foot-high palisade surrounding the town, the uneven wall was always brought up as needing repair at all the council meetings. The tall, pointed logs stuck into the ground had three gates, two main ones north and south large enough for two wagons to pass side by side without worry of hitting each other and then a smaller gate on the western side that opened to the river that flowed nearby. There wasn't much trade on the river but what few traders that did come usually stopped at the town's few docks and came into town for supplies and a hot meal.

Drake went in through the south gate, waving to the people he recognized as he made his way to almost the center of town. There just off the packed dirt of the street was The Rusty Nail, a general goods store selling everything from farming tools and harnesses to picture frames and cloth. The large store was operated by Ricard and Olivia, though they had mostly passed the day to day to their twin sons Stuart and Steven.

Drake left Daisy and the wagon outside, knowing that the mare wouldn't move from the spot until he came back. He nodded to Ricard, the old man was sitting in a chair to one side of the door, as he went into the store with Jack following close behind.

"Why it's Drake!" called Stuart from behind the wide counter at the back of the shop. Poking out from a room behind him Steven gave a quick "hello" before going back to whatever he had been doing.

"Hello Stu" Drake said as he walked up to the counter "I have a list here from Mae that needs filling, nothing too big, some thread, few yards of your good linen, both light and dark colored." At a nudge from Jack standing shyly at his side he added "oh, and I think young Jack here has a few things he would like to purchase himself."

Jack made his selections of the hard candies on the counter quickly and made sure to get some for his older siblings as well, he even had enough to get a bright yellow ribbon for Daria's hair that he knew she would like. After getting his sweet tooth seen too, Jack went back to work on one of the candy sticks on the wagon seat while Stuart filled his mother's order.

Drake and Stuart exchanged small talk, Drake talking about his crops and animals, and Stuart filling him in on the local gossip.

"Several farmers around have reported their barn dogs barking in the middle of the night, and seeing figures in the woods but when they go to investigate, they don't see anything. The further out from town the more the reports come in, say you're about the furthest out from anyone, you haven't seen anything have you?" Stuart asked with curiosity.

"I haven't seen anything no, but Greenie has been hearing things outside the wall, prowling as he would describe it."

Stuart glanced over at him with a strange look, "I don't know why you don't just get a dog like a normal farmer and insist on keeping that scheming goblin as a pet."

"Greenie isn't a pet, you know that. He is a friend and is a great help around the farm."

"I know, I know, so you say, ok I think I have it all here. Ten-pound bag of sugar, five yards each of dark and light colored linen, four spools of like colored thread for each. Fifty pounds of salt, a bag of buttons, three sticks of beeswax, and a jar of honey. Would there be anything else for you Drake?"

"No, that should do it, thanks Stu." Drake took his bundle, paid and headed back out to the wagon. "Ready to go son?"

"Ready." said Jack smiling with his lips stained blue from the candy stick he was eating.

Drake put the things in the back and climbed up into the seat beside Jack. With a heavy sigh, Daisy turned the cart around and started back the way they came unbidden. They went out the gate and soon passed the mill and were on the track towards home.