Head back to Coh

With a bad feeling in his gut, Aron made the decision not to investigate the valley. He left the Pikemen at the overview and instructed them, in the event that the Demon Lord appeared, not to engage but to come and find him at the town at once. The Pikemen agreed to wait a few hours before heading back themselves, so Aron set off by himself, through the forest, back to town.

Travelling by himself was quicker, but not by much. He made the return trip in about 3 hours, and he practically ran towards his home as soon as the farm came into view. He burst through the front door, and his senses were immediately assaulted by the smell of herbs, having been made into various poultices and salves. The aroma was so strong it makes his eyes sting, but he blinked through it and followed another smell that's similar but seems to be coming from a different room.

He tracked the burning smell to the the bedroom, and is momentarily distraught to see what the door is already wide open. Inside is unusually dark, owing to a sheet that has been hung over the window, but he could still see well enough by the light being cast through the open door to see his wife's dress and undergarments that she was wearing from the morning have been neatly folded and left on the bed.

"Hello?"

Aron wheeled around and his hand instinctively went to his sword, though he just palmed the pummel without drawing the blade. The young blonde woman standing behind him immediately backed off as she raised her hands to show that she's not a threat. But Aron knew that as soon as he recognized her. She was a friend of his wife's from the market, who sold homemade trinkets. She had a fuller body than his wife, and larger breasts, though he wouldn't have considered her overweight, just more filled out. Despite being friends, she is actually a couple of years older than Ana, and still unmarried.

"Heather?" He said, his confusion at the whole situation causing him to be curt. "Have you seen Ana at all today?"

She shook her head vigorously and her straw colored hair bounced along.

"No. I heard there was some kind of danger nearby and had gone off to fight it. I came to see your wife, to see if there was anything that she needed. She isn't here?"

"No, and I fear the worst."

Heather gasped. "You think someone or something might have taken her...or worse?"

The blonde woman quickly searched the room for something to tell her that it wasn't true, that her friend hadn't just been captured by a demon lord. Her eyes fell on the clothes, folded and left on the bed, and she hurriedly pointed to them.

"Look her clothes are here, and neatly set upon the bed, meaning she must have removed them herself. Ana must have changed and gone into town, to the market. It does smell like she's been brewing medicine, don't it?" Heather said optimistically.

Aron considered her suggestion but there was an easy way to tell the truth of the matter. He went to the wooden armoire and opened both doors.

"No, her coat is still here. So it's unlikely that she went into town."

Though he didn't say anything to Heather, it disturbed him that he didn't have a good reason for the clothes resting on the bed. Heather was right on that point, that they appeared to have been removed consciously and willingly by his wife. Had it happened before the Demon came, or had it in some way tricked her, he wondered. His heart sank when he thought that the demonic beast might have stolen his wife away while she was naked. He tried instead to focus on the positives. There was no visible blood anywhere, so he had hope that Ana was still alive.

"Quickly, Heather, come with me."