Tuck and apologize

I tucked myself away, apologized to the girls, and explained the message I'd gotten.

Ami was still embarrassed about this morning.

I was embarrassed that the girls had found me with my dick out.

But Valentia seemed strangely optimistic. “It’s a change. Maybe the Sage will be able to figure it out. Any new information we get has to help, right?”

Her smile almost made me believe her.

Almost.

By noon, the rain had stopped, though the sky remained overcast.

Ahead of us were three wagons. One had been overturned, while another had a broken axle. A variety of goods lay scattered across the road. Tools. Crates. Rough sacks. Rope. Three horses milled around the overturned wagon.

Ami and I drew our weapons as we slowly approached.

“Is anyone there?” she called.

One of the horses whinnied and tried to move away, but its reins held it in place.

Ami and I shared a look, and I circled to the left.

The road was relatively straight, but it still cut through a forest. The trees on either side were thick enough that an ambush could have been waiting just beyond them, and we'd never know until it was too late.

I could see movement behind the overturned wagon. Then I heard whispering.

“I know you're there,” Ami called. “You might as well come out. We have no intention of robbin’ ye.”

There was more whispering.

An older dwarf emerged from behind the wagon, both hands raised to show he was unarmed. “Aye, lass. We’re here.” He glanced toward the forest. “Our horses spooked an’ caused us no end ‘a trouble. An’ now one of our own is missin’.”

Ami squeaked as the notification appeared in front of me.

I assumed she saw it too. I continued circling around and found three other dwarves huddled behind the overturned wagon, holding the horses' reins as they cowered against the wreckage.

“Yer lad, what’s ‘is name?” Ami asked, finally recovering from her shock.

“Roland,” the older dwarf said. “Ran off north, did ‘e. Ye’ll know ‘im when ye see ‘im. ‘E’s Deepborn.”

The dwarves looked frightened rather than aggressive. Each had an axe, and two had crossbows readied as they pressed themselves tightly against the wagon.

One was cradling his arm. All of them had bruises and scrapes.

A window popped up.

That was definitely interesting.

“We’ll take a look for ye, but we’re in a rush. If we donna find ‘im in an hour, we’ll let ye know,” Ami told him.

I thought about stepping out of the woods and offering to heal them, but figured that would probably just startle them. Instead, I slipped back to the girls.

“There are four over there,” I told Valentia. “One has a broken arm.”

“Ye need a healer?” Ami called.

“Aye, could use one,” the old dwarf, Claude, called back. “Fabien’s got a broken arm.”

“I don’t think I can fix that,” Valentia whispered.

I shrugged. “Can’t hurt to try. You want me to give it a go? I could use the practice.”

She gave me an incredulous look, then extended her arm toward the dwarves.

“I’m coming over. No shooting, please,” I called. With any luck, I was right and they were just scared we were bandits or something.

“Yer the healer?” Claude asked when he saw me.

I shrugged. “I’m in training. The real healer’s back there, but she’s shy.” I gave him a grin.

“Alright. Fab, git over here and let the lad look at yer arm.”

Fabien reluctantly stepped forward.

I took a look. As far as I could tell, the bones were still in the right place. Having to set the arm wasn't something I was particularly comfortable with. Luckily, it didn't seem necessary.

I figured increasing the intensity of Restore was what would be needed. I wasn't sure if I'd need to alter the spell further, but I tried to tailor it to bone rather than flesh.

I was willing to pay that.

The familiar green glow of Restore suffused the dwarf's arm, growing brighter around the places where the bones were actually broken.

Fabien sucked in a breath, then his shoulders relaxed. He sighed with relief as the pain receded and the bones knitted themselves back together.

“I'd still be careful with it,” I told him. “It might be a bit weak for a few weeks. But the worst should be gone.” I had no idea if that was actually true, but it couldn't hurt.

Fabien grinned at me, white teeth gleaming through his thick black beard. “Thank ye, lad! I donna have much ta reward ye…”

“No reward needed.” I smiled back. “We’ll look for your man and see if we can find him.”

Claude gave a grateful nod. “Thank ye, lad. We’ll try ta get the wagons righted while yer gone.”

I returned his nod and went back to the girls. “Ready?” I asked.

Ami nodded, a grin tugging at her lips despite her best efforts to hide it.

Valentia nodded as well, smiling as she watched Ami.

Between Ami and me, we were able to follow what we assumed was Roland's trail. Whoever we were following hadn't made any real attempt to hide his passing. Which was a good thing. Because I was having enough trouble following the scuffed moss, broken branches, and trampled grass.

That worked right up until the trail vanished.

Ami and I looked around.

Nothing.

We widened our search.

“Ami,” Valentia whispered.

We both stopped.

She pointed.

Ami found him first. She drew her blade.

“Don't come any closer,” came a hushed voice.

“Roland?” Ami called.

“Keep yer voice down,” came the reply.

I finally found the source. A short, squat structure made of wood, covered in leaves and vines, sat a little way off the trail. Inside were a pair of pale eyes. And the tip of a crossbow trained directly on me.

“Git down,” he hissed.

“Why?” Ami asked.

“It watches from the trees.”

I turned and scanned the area. Trees. Branches. Little beads of old rain dripping from leaves. A bird flitting from branch to branch. Insects buzzing somewhere nearby.

Nothing looked wrong. The forest wasn't still like a predator was near. It just seemed… normal.

“Don’t look for it,” he said.

“What’s out here?” Ami crouched low.

“Dunno,” he replied. “It’s wearin’ someone else’s skin.”

A branch snapped somewhere behind us.

I turned.

“Don.” His voice was low and urgent.

“Don what?” Ami asked.

“Donna look at it.”

We waited.

I strained my eyes and ears, trying to sense anything amiss. I didn't know enough about this place to know if there really was something out there or if this guy was simply terrified and imagining things. All I knew was that he seemed genuinely scared.

He hushed us every time anyone tried to speak. He kept his crossbow trained on something only he seemed able to see.

I couldn't see much of him. Just pale gray eyes. Ash-gray skin. And sweat dripping down his face.

After ten minutes, he finally relaxed. “It’s gone.”

“Ye sure?” Ami asked, her voice tense.

“No.” His answer was simple. Flat.

We all chuckled.

Except Roland.

“Come on. We’re not leaving without you,” I told him.

He looked at me like I was crazy. “You don’t understand. It knows I’m here!”

I gave him a flat look. “Then we should go somewhere that’s not here, so when it gets back, it doesn't know where you are.”

He glanced out at the forest. Then back at me. “Alright,” he grumbled.