The Path of the Adventurer

Chapter 4

            The trees thinned until the party was traveling through seemingly endless plains and grasslands. These were the green fields of Briarbeth, filled with small forests, ponds, valleys, vales, and hills. The summer breeze filled the air with peace, a silence between the company and their surroundings.

The vast plains were beautiful with little to no danger. If you explored it enough; you could find farms, mills, and even a few villages. What Erion noticed about these settlements was that not one of them seemed to be affected by the orcs at all. It was either that the orcs had yet to reach this side of the kingdom, or that the villages' defenses were stronger than he had initially thought them to be. They came across several ruined castles and fortresses, and whenever they crossed one Magon usually explained its history.

They spent many an hour walking through vast forests and hills. Soon, as the sun was setting over the fields in a golden dusk sky, they were near. At this moment they were on a hill overlooking a forested expanse, where the tall spire of Castle Briarbeth barely peeked out in the distance.

"The moon will rise shortly, Magon. We should find a place to camp before it gets dark." Suggested Norder, looking up at the sky.

"I agree! I'm beat!" Tikana added, carelessly dropping her satchel.

"We've had a long walk. Perhaps we should set up camp somewhere." Magon replied.

"But where?" Huffey asked.

"Hmm... that's a good question."

"Around the woods doesn't seem too bad." Suggested Erion. "You may hear stories about goblins lurking there, but trust me, their territory is a long walk from the area around the capital."

"Are you sure?" Replied Norder.

"I've been in that part of the woods many times since I first arrived at the capital, and I never encounter goblins." Said Erion confidently.

"Then that's precisely where we'll camp." Confirmed Magon, looking toward their destination.

"Phew! Finally, my legs were killing me!" Tikana exclaimed in relief. "Why didn't you suggest that like three hours ago!!"

"Teenagers these days..." Norder mumbled.

"Huh? Hey, what's your problem, numbskull! You were a teenager once too, ya' know! Erion's a teenager, and you don't talk smack about him!" Belted Tikana, exasperated.

"I have no ill will against teenagers, but there are many like YOU these days that don't know when to be quiet!"

"It may seem that way because you don't seem to talk all that much, do you?!" Tikana defiantly snapped.

Norder grimaced. "Most of us would do well without your INSOLENCE!" He shouted intensely.

Tikana stepped back, staying fearless and unwavering.

"Tikana, I really think it would be best if you let him be," Erion said. "Things aren't looking good here at all."

"He's right, you know," Huffey said. He approached with a serious look on his face. "Scoffing among ourselves will only bring forth chaos. We don't want to become the rag-tag band of misfits, now, do we?!"

"Rag-tag whatnow?" Reacted Tikana, befuddled. "You don't know a damn thing about me or Norder!"

Huffey gulped. "Calm down, lassie. It was all just a joke. W-Well, it was kind of true in a sense. Ye' see, Tikana, sometimes you can be rather... impulsive, and Norder has no sense of humor at all. I'd rather we have some merriness during our travels. We have four entire tasks to complete after all, so I don't want to travel all over the kingdom hearing nothing but bickering. H-Hey, where are you going, lassie?"