Dreisterne

CHAPTER 11

Two days had passed since Dreisterne returned from their latest job, and they were deemed fit for release in the morning of the third day. The sun bathed Trevorton in a warm glow as Dreisterne left the healing temple, their bodies fully mended after their harrowing encounter with the Kingsguard bear. Keith was the first to break the silence as they strolled through the cobblestone streets toward the guild hall.

"I feel like a new man! That Healer lass with thick braids worked miracles on our bones, and she wasn't too shy about calling me reckless either," Keith quipped, swinging his arms dramatically as he walked.

Nathan chuckled lightly. "That last point sounded a bit out of place, don't you think?"

"Not for me," said Keith with a grin. "Women who'd chew me out in a heartbeat for doing something stupid are the best. Bloody hell, I probably should talk to her sometime!"

At the guild hall, the trio recounted their encounter with the bear and presented the dead ranger's pendant. The receptionist, a svelte woman with a steely gaze, listened intently, her expression softened as they recounted their survival and the recovery of the fallen Elven ranger. By the end, she handed them their payment, and Dreisterne's eyes widened at the girth of the silver-filled satchel.

"Payment for the job, plus bonuses for subduing an unprecedented threat in the jurisdiction and...retrieving a fallen freelancer's identification plate," said the woman. She looked somewhat crestfallen when she sighed.

Nathan hesitated before asking, "Did you know him well?"

The woman smiled thinly. She took a moment to look at the identity plate, her eyes filled with bittersweet reminiscence as it danced around her fingers. "Eludor Trevorsson. That was the ranger you saved. For half a century, he was a familiar face here, and most of the staff and local freelancers had known him since childhood. We used to share plenty of conversations whenever he was picking up a job or reporting one."

"The ranger's a respectable character, sounds like," Keith said.

"Indeed he was," answered the woman with a chuckle. "El dedicated his life to patrolling the forests around Trevor's Hill, and he knew them like the back of his hand. The Watchmen sought to recruit him, but he preferred the freedom of a freelancer's life, never tied to one master." The receptionist took another fond look at Eludor's plate before she continued, "He loved Trevor's Hill and its forests, and many times he loudly wished to die walking among the trees when he had one glass of wine too many. So, perhaps, El got his wish in the end."

Harald took off his hat, looking sober as he slightly bowed to the receptionist. "I greatly regret your loss, Frau Receptionist. The passing of the venerable ranger will surely leave a gaping void in the guild."

The receptionist smiled as she nodded at the pyromancer. "Well, I'm going to miss talking to him, that's for certain. Also, thank you for bringing El home." She then pushed Dreisterne's bag of payment slightly forward. "Now, please take this bag and be on your way. You don't want to keep your friends waiting."

Dreisterne did as they were told when they noticed a couple of freelancers lining up behind them, and they went straight to their room to divide their newly acquired pay. The party's slightly sombre mood gradually made way for triumph as Harald held aloft the fruits of their struggle.

"Do you hear that, meine Herren?" said Harald, smiling as he listened intently to the jingle of coins in the bag. "That is the sound of good deeds paying off."

"Makes the trouble in our job and our time in the healing temple worth it, don't you think?" said Nathan, though he looked just as happy as Harald.

Keith nodded as he interjected, "Tell us about it, Nate. Oh, set aside some coins for wine, guvs. Old Eludor deserves a toast even from us strangers."