Tales of the Red Rogue - A Heroes Arrival

Prologue

The snow is thick and deep here, it's nothing like Keryn, but I guess Keryn is the capital city, too many people jammed in one place heating everything up for snow to sit. Gods I wish I had some warmth right now or shoes without holes in them, or at least someone to talk to... I should have stole that man's coat or his boots.

I wonder how long ago it was when I was living in Keryn, it feels like a lifetime ago, but meeting the man in the woods feels like it happened a lifetime ago too... it's hard to keep track of time when the only thing around you are these bastard trees! It's weird that not too long ago they changed from boring brown to white but just because they are pretty and pale like me does not make me hate them any less!

Thinking back on it, the man in the woods was really nice compared to most of the people I'd met in my life, you could tell he was kind from his face, when you're into the job I used to be you learn to read peoples faces.

He was obviously quite a bit stronger than me, not that it takes a lot to be stronger than me, half the kids in Keryn could beat the crap out of me, if he'd caught me pickpocketing it probably wouldn't have worked out in my favour, though catching me is the hard thing.

At least he taught me how to track and make a snare before he ran off.

I bumped into him in the woods before the trees turned white, he was tall and strong, and had a string of rabbits and squirrels on his back, he was wearing simple tanned leathers, a short sword at his hip, a soft and friendly voice that matched his face and a head of scruffy red hair and beard to match.

He had spent the full day teaching me how to track whilst talking about his family, showing me how footprints lay in dirt or snow and what different animal droppings look like.

It's nice to think about now... having someone to talk to.

"When I first saw you I thought you were a girl walking around in the forest alone, my heart almost stopped."

He laughed a friendly and caring laugh.

"I've been told before don't worry..."

"If you're going to be out here on your own you should be able to find food yourself, look see these tracks, they're from a deer which is a lot of meat, but they're old so you'd waste your energy tracking for hours trying to hunt it down."

"But that would be enough food to last months"

"Maybe days, unless you take tiny bites, but see those little droppings, they belong to rabbits nearby, not as much meat but less effort to get, always go for the path of least resistance."

The way this knowledge just rolled off tongue made me feel safe.

"You're really good at this."

"Gotta be good at hunting when you've got a whole family to feed kid, go try catch a squirrel whilst I set traps near these rabbit holes."

It wasn't so hard for me to catch a squirrel, they were no match for me inhuman speed, that is to say slightly faster than most people.

After an exhausting day of working we sat down around a campfire, I already knew how to make one but I let him lecture me on the right sort of moss to use and the correct way to blow on an ember, and he set on showing how to set a snare.

"Here if you loop the string like this it will be easier to make the snare."

The strong red haired man handed me some string.

"I don't have any money to pay you for this..."

"String is cheap and frankly I'm due a good deed about this time of year, how about you just tell me how you ended up all the way up here."

"Thank you, but I have no Idea where I am, I was just dropping a friend off somewhere... and then I got lost and I've been wandering around for what feels like years"

"It's not up to me to tell a man where he is, it's up to man to find out where he is on his own, otherwise what sort of man is he, you look of age, and light on your feet at that, I'm sure you won't have too much trouble getting around from now on."

He was right, I knew my way around a dagger and I had a rapier that I found on my travels but it was rusted beyond saving and bordering on useless, dexterity had always been my strong suit, when you're only 5'3 and skinny as a twig you aren't going to beat anyone in wrestling, best chance is to stab them in the back, or pick their pocket.

"I was quick enough to survived in Keryn."

The man whistled in amusement.

"Oooooh a city boy, as pretty as you out in the woods, I'm surprised you've got this far up nor... never mind, as I said It's up to you to find out where you are."

"That doesn't seem too fair."

"Life's not fair kid, get a compass."

He took a bite of rabbit and stood up.

"I'm going to get on my way kid, I've got a family to get back to and feed, you look after yourself, there are dark times coming, I feel it in my bones."

"You still didn't tell me where I am!"

That man looked so cocky when he walked off, he definitely knew where I was, probably had a map to a nearby town too, I bet he had a full purse... I do have a soft spot for kind people.

Come to think of it a family to go home to doesn't sound too bad.

The surrounding had become so dark it was impossible to see the bramble that tangled across the ground.

I caught a rabbit yesterday but don't have much left and I haven't seen wildlife at all today, must be the snow, and who knows if I can eat any of these berries, great now I can't stop thinking of fresh berry cider, and a conversation with bar staff, the smell of beef and veg being cooked in the back.

I could feel the drool gathering at the sides of my mouth.

"INSTEAD I'M JUST STUCK OUT HERE BY MYSELF!"

A solid strutting seeming appeared out of nowhere just past the tree line, alienated by a hanging lantern.

"OH MY GODS PEOPLE, FRIENDS, CONVERSATION."

Quickly I approached and I saw a large town wall that was made from the same bleached white wood as the surrounding forest.

I looked around the perimeter of the town first, there seemed to be a large wooden gateway that was currently closed, guards in white armour were posted atop the gateway, to the left the doorway was a stable, with horses running around in a large fenced off area, it think this is the first time I've seen a horse not attached to a kart.

I made sure to keep myself hidden in the trees, I was good at that, if you want to keep both your hands and be a pickpocket in the capital city you get pretty good at keeping hidden.

I snuck through the bushes towards the entrance keeping as low as I could.

"wait!, no I should make myself more presentable first, it would look weird coming into town this late at night, and you never know who I might run into, I'll just make camp in the woods for tonight and clean up... I should stop talking to myself too..."

After I finished setting up the small camp that I called home and cooked up the little amount of rabbit I had left from yesterdays catch, I settled down to relax for the night and tried prepare for tomorrow or calm myself as much as I could with 4ft of snow on the ground.

Maybe I should make my hair shorter, or use a new face, it had been a while since I had changed face, I've been using this one since I left Keryn.

Being a Doppler is handy, if not for the fact most people don't know we exist but if you don't keep up practice you might get stuck in one face, this one is cute as a button though, light blond hair, soft round features, big earthy blue eyes, yeah the boy I took this from was quite the looker...

I stared at the dark sky as the stars sparkled in a display similar to how street performers used magic to dazzle onlookers, the cold winter air made goosebumps appear on my skin, I snuggled into my sad excuse for a blanket, my fire started to die down and fell asleep before the true bitter bite of the cold sunk its teeth into me.