Valic & Lachlan

Arrival in Fjögur

They see the smoke rising in the distance before the town comes into view.

"Finally," Valic says, squinting. Lachlan opens her mouth but looks to her side into the trees. She thought she saw something moving quickly through the trees.

What the hell was that?

She dismisses it and they continue forward. After a few more steps, they hear a distant horn. They all stop and listen

"Must be Fjögur saying they see us?" Garrick says and shrugs his shoulders.

They walk for a few more minutes then hear the horn again, only this time much closer.

Lachlan stops and turns around.

"That sounded like it came from behind us."

Valic turns, "Wanna take a quick look?"

She nods and moves toward the sound. After about thirty paces, she squints to see a bit further and her eyes go wide.

Valic was looking toward Fjögur when Lachlan runs past him.

"What's going on?" He yells after her, starting to run himself.

"Goblins are coming." She responds.

"How many this time?"

"All of the goblins." She yells putting more distance between her and the slower members. Valic puts on as much speed as he can.

Garrick, still standing back where they started, looks back and sees the horde coming for them.

As far as he can see, there are figures running or riding toward him.

"Oh." slips from his mouth and he turns sprinting for the gate. Lachlan reaches the gate and the guards stop her.

"What is your business he--Holy Shit!" He looks behind her and sees the army of goblins coming for them and yells to the others. "Open the gate! Open the gate!"

Lachlan runs in and watches. Valic runs in behind her huffing and puffing followed afterward by Garrick in much the same condition.

"Archers, take aim!" Captain Bralok shouts from atop the the rafters. Archers come from either side nocking arrows and line up along the front of the gate. They draw back and as they do, another horn sounds from within the horde. Valic, Lachlan, and Garrick watch the army disperse into the trees as the gate finishes closing.

"What the hell did you do?" Bralok asks then jumps down to the ground from the upper gate and looks them over.

"They attacked us and we killed some of them." Valic responds.

Bralok's eyes pause on their rings and his relaxed posture stiffens.

"Fixers." He says, spitting out the word like it was poison, "I should have known. What're you growing on trees now?"

They all look a little confused but Bralok continues.

"What is your business here."

"Just a message for someone, nothing to worry about." Valic says and holds up the message with Helgrym's seal.

Bralok snorts, "With you people, it's always something to worry about.

He recites the rules of the town that Lachlan and Valic know all too well and once they swear to cause no trouble, they are allowed into the front gate.

They pass through into the busy city. The group is amazed by the fact that they were just chased by an army of goblins and, inside this town, it is business as usual. The crowded street is loud with people yelling out orders, smith's hammering away and barkers trying to get people inside their shops.

Deciding to tend to Lachlan's wounds before anything else, they try to get directions.

Valic walks up to the closest structure and it turns out to be a smith hard at work. He pounds away at a rod of orange superheated metal and dips it into a barrel of water with a loud hiss.

"Hey," Valic says but the smith doesn't respond and continues pounding.

"Excuse m-"

"Back'a the line." He says and kneels down, shoving the metal back into the fires of the forge.

Valic leans down and taps him on the shoulder openly displaying his signet ring.

"Aw, come on. I'm busy here. What do you want?"

"I just want to know where a healer is," he looks at Lachlan and shrugs pulling the looted arms and armor out of his backpack, "And sell some stuff." Lachlan stares at him, but he can't read the look on her face.

"You're about one hundredth in line, pal."

Valic sighs, "The faster you buy this stuff from us, the faster we'll leave you to your work."

"Fine, this stuff is garbage. Might not even make good scrap. Three copper." The smithy says.

Valic shrugs, "Fine. Where is the healer?"

"Down the street."

"Which street?"

"That street." He points his thumb behind him.

"Which direction?"

"By the Gods, go that way!" He says pointing his thumb again.

Valic furrows his brow and can feel anger bubbling up, but takes a deep breath and, with all the warmth of an icicle, says, "Thank you," through gritted teeth.

They walk in the direction given and find what they seek easily. As they enter, a woman greets them and after telling and showing her what they need, she takes them to a room.

A few minutes later a man walks in with some bandages and a nurse follows with other instruments. He sits down and starts cleaning and dressing the wound.

"What happened?" He asks.

"Goblin." Lachlan says and gives him a weak smile.

"Nasty buggers, they've raided a couple of shipments to the city that have had some of my goods on them. . . Oh." He says slowing his wrapping of the wound. Lachlan notices his eyes are locked on her hand.

"I-I don't want any trouble." He says, and the nurse sucks in her breath and covers her mouth.

"You'll get none, finish up." Lachlan says and smiles genuinely this time.

He does and she holds out a gold piece. She knows this is much much more than it would ever cost, but the man did a good job, it already feels better.

"No, please. No charge. Just please, leave." She nods and Valic smirks. They exit the building and head toward the Magistrate's office building. Having delivered messages to the city before, they knew where her office was, but had never had use for healers. They are met by Kal-Diss's snooty assistant. He makes a short bowing motion with his hands behind his back.

"Welcome to the office of the revered Magistrate Kal-Diss. What can I do for you?"

Valic looks the thin man up and down and snickers.

"We've got a message from Helgrym."

At the mention of the name, the assistant curls his lips in revulsion.

"Yes, yes of course. I will take it right away." He tries to grab it, but Valic pulls away.

"We would much rather deliver it ourselves."

The assistant puts on a pompous smile, "I'm sorry, it either goes through me or not at all."

Valic looks back at Lachlan and she nods, "It's normal."

He begrudgingly hands over the letter and the assistant grabs it.

"I'll be right back." He says and bows again disappearing into a side room.

Once inside they hear a muffled voice then a woman yelling.

"They're here?! What the hell for?" The assistant replies but it is too muffled.

They hear the woman's voice again but it is unintelligible then they hear loud footfalls coming their way.

She stomps into the room and walks up to Valic. She is much shorter than him but attempts to get right in his face.

"What the hell is this?" She asks. Valic shrugs and looks at Garrick and Lachlan who also shrug.

"It is not for us to know, we are just to secure an answer."
"Secure an answer? SECURE AN ANSWER?! That arrogant prick!" She stews as she reads the letter again and looks up at them, her face red with rage. Then her expression changes. She slowly breathes in and out closing her eyes. She opens them after a few more breaths and smiles. 
"Secure an answer, huh? I've got the perfect one for him."