Hooligans: Adventures Recounted

Four: Things Go Surprisingly Better Than Expected but Still Bad.

The party huddled down in a forested area not far from the main road. They were nearly to their destination, but the sun was beginning to set and they had been walking for the better portion of the day. They began to set up camp, gathering wood for a fire and unrolling their bedrolls. They were able to take a few rabbits and a buck, which they roasted over the flames with simple spices and some ale. They sat for a while eating their dinner and conversing about the job ahead, getting to know each other a bit better.

"So, this Malcolm character... you seemed like you knew him?" Oswin interjected, looking at Aylin.

She shrugged, "I've had my dealings with the Thieves' Guild in the past."

"Oh? In what aspect?" Oswin pressed.

Aylin licked her fingers, looking up at the stars thoughtfully, "Oh... I guess you could say I was in the shipping business. The Guild needed special undercover shipments to be made."

"So you are a merchant?" Corus asked, tossing a bone into the fire. It crackled in the flames, breaking apart with the heat.

"Well," Aylin answered, "sort of, yes. And I was one. I don't run any sort of mercantile operations anymore."

"Why not?" Corus asked.

"Reasons," Aylin murmured vaguely, "What about you, fish man? Where did you come from?"

"The sea," Corus said, staring off into the middle distance dramatically, his voice taking on a wistful quality, "I served in the Royal Guard with my brother."

"And you two?" Aylin looked at the others, "Any special sentiments?"

"I was trained by monks in a monastery fa-a-ar away," Aera said, sarcastically.

"Same, but as a paladin," Oswin said, his expression remaining deadpan.

"Fine then," Aylin said, downing the last of her ale, "If you don't feel like sharing, then I won't add."

"You were a pirate, weren't you?" Oswin asked, "I recognize your surname."

Aylin lay down on her bedroll, putting her hands behind her head, "Bingo."

"A pirate!" Corus cried, "You defiled the oceans with your strange warfare and your thievery?"

Aylin rolled over, "Goodnight."

"I am astounded at you," Corus seethed.

"Good. Night," Aylin said through gritted teeth. With that, the conversation came to an end, and the party drifted into sleep.

In the early hours, they were roused by a horrible screeching sound. Aera rocketed out of bed, taking up his defensive stance as the others rolled out groggily. Each party member stood in silence, their bedheads still evident, as they waited for a repeat of the sound. After a while, they heard nothing still, and settled back into camp. They were all loathe to get up and moving, but now each of them were wide awake and couldn't bring themselves to get back to sleep.

The forest around them was waking up, little rays of sunlight flitting through the trees and dancing over the grassy land. The forest was dense here, and sweet birdsong flitted between the branches. The party made a hasty pot of coffee, packed their belongings, and continued on their journey. It had been about half an hour since they heard the screech, and nobody was paying much mind to it now.

After a while, they strayed from the main road and crossed through the land. They emerged into a clearing, pushing through some overgrown brush to find the skeleton of an old house. Trees were scattered about the clearing, shadowing a couple of little ponds that were jumping with life. Warm morning light flooded the clearing, making it appear quite inviting. It appeared, however, that this was a dead end and they would need to return to the main road.