Sachi continued cackling as Drake searched desperately for a way out of his new predicament. He didn’t want to be a wererat. A wererat wasn’t very lordly at all.
“Oh.” Sachi keeled over. “I can’t.” She rolled and writhed as her ears twitched madly. “No wonder I was so eager to eat you!”
“No one’s eating anyone,” Drake reminded her crossly. “Also, shouldn’t we start back to the manor? They’re probably freaking out about me randomly teleporting somewhere.”
He really needed a second opinion on the identity of his monster form, but he didn’t want to wolf... or rat... out again until he wouldn’t have to worry about eating his own people. All he remembered last night was the hunger, up to the point that he’d have eaten Anna without a second thought. If she hadn’t been locked in a cage, he’d have murdered her.
When he was a... wererat... he didn’t seem to be able to tell friend from foe. That was fine if he wanted to toss himself into enemy camps, berserker style, but it also seemed like a great way to end his run as the Lord Gloomwood in spectacularly bloody fashion.
This was bullshit. Why couldn’t he have gotten a rarity like flashfreeze or chainfire? Or even flutterstep? Any of those would have been easier to control than wererat.
Valentia frowned at Sachi. “Calm yourself. If there’s no more progress to be gained on learning why we were ambushed, we should return to Heart Grove and rent a room. It’s a five day journey to Gloomwood Manor, and I don’t fancy another night on open ground.”
“Oh, but we can’t stay at the inn,” Sachi managed, still chortling. “One of the local mousers may try to eat our new lord!”
Drake pointedly ignored her as he considered Valentia’s words with dismay. “Five days? I was hoping it would be a lot quicker than that.”
“Even with horses, we would only decrease our travel time incrementally. Beyond Redbow country, the state of the roads between here and Gloomwood’s domain is poor. It is largely unsuitable for travel by horseback. Skybreak Manor controls the mountainous territory between here and there, and they simply do not maintain roads.”
“That’s weird. Doesn’t that cripple their commerce as well?”
“Skybreak is a mountain manor. They are intensely territorial and almost entirely self-sufficient. They do not often engage in commerce, which is why they are so difficult to siege.”
Drake nodded to show he’d absorbed this new information. “Makes sense. Guess we’re stuck walking. You’re the expert, Valentia.”
“You may call me Val.”
Another pleasant surprise. “Isn’t that a bit informal?”
“Perhaps, but it is also more efficient. Unless you insist on formality?”
“No, that’s fine. Val it is. But if we’re going casual, when we’re not around people who might use my name for nefarious purposes, you also need to call me Clint.”
“Very well. Clint.”
He silently assessed her again. Once more, the contrast between how Valentia and the other maids had treated him remained stark. She seemed even more comfortable openly challenging him than Lydia had been when they met. This was... great actually.
He needed an ally who didn’t constantly fawn over him even when he begged them not to. If Valentia’s relatively normal interactions with him could rub off on the other maids, maybe they’d all stop calling him lord all the damn time.
He stood. “I suppose we’d better be off. A bed in an inn sounds great.”
Sachi rolled to her feet and twitched her tail. “Oh no, not yet. Before we go anywhere near Heart Grove, you will take a thorough bath.”
“She’s correct,” Valentia said. “From anything other than a distance, your current appearance is unacceptable. You reek of blood and filth. We seized Redbow clothing at the last camp in case we needed disguises, and it will suit you better than the bloody clothing and disheveled armor you wear now. You should abandon it by the stream.”
But he had worked so hard to put this armor together! Still, they both made a good point. And if the armor they had was in better shape, he wouldn’t turn it down.
“Clean yourself,” Valentia said, “and we’ll dress you.”
That made him frown. “To be clear, no one here is dressing me.”
Sachi cackled. “How about if I clean you? You’re covered in my favorite food.” Her long pink tongue danced across her lips.
Valentia remained unflappable. “I did not mean in a physical sense, simply that we would provide you with clean and proper clothing to don in place of what you have now. I also have a small ball of soap.” She paused. “I suggest you use all of it.”
But that stream is so cold, Val, Drake wanted to protest. He didn’t. Lord Gloomwood should not whine about taking a bath, and she probably was right about the smell.
He’d been gambling on telling anyone they encountered he’d escaped a brutal battle and trust to their pity, but that might not work given how disgusting he was. It looked like he wasn’t getting out of his narrow escape without a freezing scrub in a stream.
At least Emily couldn’t spy on him all the way out here.
One extremely cold bath later, Drake was once again dressed in clean clothing. Still shivering, he called out to Valentia. She had taken up position on one side of the stream with Sachi on the other. Neither wanted the lord of Gloomwood Manor assassinated in the bath.
Valentia gave him a visual once over and nodded. “That will do for the inn. When we return to the manor we should see to your hair, but that can wait for now.”
Drake idly scratched his fingers through the dark, luxurious, healthy hair he’d thoroughly washed. “What’s wrong with my hair?” Lydia had even said he was charming!
“I understand you’ve had a rough time of it out here, but the disorganized mess on your head resembles a bird’s nest. As I said, the matter can wait.”
So not only was his latest battle maid completely comfortable challenging him at every step, she’d just dropped this world’s version of a sick burn on his hair. He briefly pondered ordering her to be more respectful, and inwardly chuckled at the thought.
Valentia was exactly what he needed when surrounded by people who still deferred to his every whim. An ally who gave it to him straight. She could also flashfreeze anyone who challenged him from forty paces, so having her in his forces was a boon.
“Can you at least help me strap into this armor?”
She strode forward. “Of course.”
Once he was clean, dressed, and armored, they finally set out for Heart Grove. It was now well past dark. Fortunately, the winding open road and the open grassland offered little trouble, and with a clear sky and bright moon, they could travel with ease.
Jeremy continued to slow them down considerably. Maybe they could buy a horse in town and stick the old man on it? Valentia had told him the territory between here and Gloomwood wasn’t great for horses, but she likely meant running horses. They could still walk.
Come to think of it, they could stick Anna on the horse too. That poor girl had done enough walking for a lifetime. If he’d managed to loot as much money as he hoped from the dead Redbow mercenaries, maybe they could also finally buy her some new clothes. Anna was already pitiable enough as a waif without wearing threadbare hand-me-downs.
Soon they were regularly passing small houses and large farms. There seemed to be quite a few of those out here, which tracked. The farmers would grow food out in the boonies and then trade it in town or with each other.
When they finally came in sight of Heart Grove, Drake was relieved. It looked to be a sizable town, at least judging from the wall of spiked logs running around it. This was no mere hamlet. He counted twenty decently-sized buildings before he lost count, and there were also many other structures visible in the open fields around the walls. Likely small farms.
He didn’t know about how fantasy games worked, but from his few studies of Earth history, he knew a decently-sized town might have several inns, plenty of spare rooms, and a wide menu of food to eat. Not all fish or all rabbit.
The gates were closed, and there were no guards visible save for shadows in the guard towers on either side. Drake suspected they wore Redbow uniforms and hoped they wouldn’t ask what garrison he was from. If they even had garrisons here.
He let Valentia take the lead since she knew the territory. She knocked politely at a postern door, informed the slit that opened that she intended to pay for two rooms at the local inn despite the late hour, and requested entry for her and her party.
The door opened. Perhaps the fact that Valentia had made it clear she planned to contribute to local commerce had greased things with the guard? Since people couldn’t lie in this world, her words were as good as signing a contract to rent two rooms with coin.
Once inside, Drake found the place largely abandoned. A few soldiers in Redbow uniforms patrolled with torches, but all looked bored. The only soldier that glanced at him didn’t even nod even though they were wearing the same uniform.
So while these men shared a uniform with those who’d abducted him, it was possible they were a local garrison. He didn’t know enough about this world’s politics to be sure. This was good, however. It meant no one here would want revenge for him eating the others.
As a wererat.
Sachi dashed off without a word once they were inside the town walls. When Drake asked Valentia about that, she simply informed him that Sachi did not sleep in inns. She would be nearby for the rest of the night, napping in the shadows or keeping watch outside.
Valentia led them directly to an inn she had likely chosen before they arrived. As she approached, she paused and raised her hands to halt their small party. The street was all but empty this late, so he had no concerns about talking privately.
“When we enter, allow me to negotiate for our rooms. Do not speak with anyone who may be up at this hour. If you remain hungry, I will arrange to have food sent up.”
Drake smiled at Anna. “Looks like you’re sleeping with the ice lady, squirt.”
“No,” Valentia corrected coolly. “Anna and Jeremy will sleep in one room. You and I will sleep in the other room. If there is one bed, you will take it.”
That sounded like the start of a story that ended in one massive HR violation. “You sure that’s uh... wise, Val?”
“You will not be sleeping in any room unless I have eyes on you. I am comfortable sleeping on a chair or even on the floor, and I cannot protect you from the second room.”
She made a fair point. She might be willing to treat him as an equal, but she was still as suffocatingly protective as the rest of his battle maids. He should have expected this.
“If you think that’s best,” he agreed.
Jeremy offered a vaguely inquisitive grunt.
Drake glanced at the old man in surprise. It was the first sound of communication the man had managed all day. “You have a problem with this arrangement?”
“Oh no, lord!” Anna gripped her father’s hand and beamed up at him, then turned her bright smile to Drake. “He says thank you!”
“Really?” That had been a grunt.
“For the protection. For the rooms and food. For your offer to take us in. We are both so grateful for your generosity, lord, and Daddy wanted to let you know.”
That was an awful lot of words to stuff in the mouth of a guy who couldn’t talk. Also, wasn’t Anna ten? She must have had to grow up fast.
“Do not call him by his title here,” Valentia said firmly. “In fact, do not say his name at all.”
Anna nodded vigorously. As for Jeremy, he managed a rather distant smile at last. A good sign. Regardless, warm food and soft beds beckoned.
Tomorrow, they’d see about getting Anna some clothes and buying some horses.
Sachi continued cackling as Drake searched desperately for a way out of his new predicament. He didn’t want to be a wererat. A wererat wasn’t very lordly at all.
“Oh.” Sachi keeled over. “I can’t.” She rolled and writhed as her ears twitched madly. “No wonder I was so eager to eat you!”
“No one’s eating anyone,” Drake reminded her crossly. “Also, shouldn’t we start back to the manor? They’re probably freaking out about me randomly teleporting somewhere.”
He really needed a second opinion on the identity of his monster form, but he didn’t want to wolf... or rat... out again until he wouldn’t have to worry about eating his own people. All he remembered last night was the hunger, up to the point that he’d have eaten Anna without a second thought. If she hadn’t been locked in a cage, he’d have murdered her.
When he was a... wererat... he didn’t seem to be able to tell friend from foe. That was fine if he wanted to toss himself into enemy camps, berserker style, but it also seemed like a great way to end his run as the Lord Gloomwood in spectacularly bloody fashion.
This was bullshit. Why couldn’t he have gotten a rarity like flashfreeze or chainfire? Or even flutterstep? Any of those would have been easier to control than wererat.
Valentia frowned at Sachi. “Calm yourself. If there’s no more progress to be gained on learning why we were ambushed, we should return to Heart Grove and rent a room. It’s a five day journey to Gloomwood Manor, and I don’t fancy another night on open ground.”
“Oh, but we can’t stay at the inn,” Sachi managed, still chortling. “One of the local mousers may try to eat our new lord!”
Drake pointedly ignored her as he considered Valentia’s words with dismay. “Five days? I was hoping it would be a lot quicker than that.”
“Even with horses, we would only decrease our travel time incrementally. Beyond Redbow country, the state of the roads between here and Gloomwood’s domain is poor. It is largely unsuitable for travel by horseback. Skybreak Manor controls the mountainous territory between here and there, and they simply do not maintain roads.”
“That’s weird. Doesn’t that cripple their commerce as well?”
“Skybreak is a mountain manor. They are intensely territorial and almost entirely self-sufficient. They do not often engage in commerce, which is why they are so difficult to siege.”
Drake nodded to show he’d absorbed this new information. “Makes sense. Guess we’re stuck walking. You’re the expert, Valentia.”
“You may call me Val.”
Another pleasant surprise. “Isn’t that a bit informal?”
“Perhaps, but it is also more efficient. Unless you insist on formality?”
“No, that’s fine. Val it is. But if we’re going casual, when we’re not around people who might use my name for nefarious purposes, you also need to call me Clint.”
“Very well. Clint.”
He silently assessed her again. Once more, the contrast between how Valentia and the other maids had treated him remained stark. She seemed even more comfortable openly challenging him than Lydia had been when they met. This was... great actually.
He needed an ally who didn’t constantly fawn over him even when he begged them not to. If Valentia’s relatively normal interactions with him could rub off on the other maids, maybe they’d all stop calling him lord all the damn time.
He stood. “I suppose we’d better be off. A bed in an inn sounds great.”
Sachi rolled to her feet and twitched her tail. “Oh no, not yet. Before we go anywhere near Heart Grove, you will take a thorough bath.”
“She’s correct,” Valentia said. “From anything other than a distance, your current appearance is unacceptable. You reek of blood and filth. We seized Redbow clothing at the last camp in case we needed disguises, and it will suit you better than the bloody clothing and disheveled armor you wear now. You should abandon it by the stream.”
But he had worked so hard to put this armor together! Still, they both made a good point. And if the armor they had was in better shape, he wouldn’t turn it down.
“Clean yourself,” Valentia said, “and we’ll dress you.”
That made him frown. “To be clear, no one here is dressing me.”
Sachi cackled. “How about if I clean you? You’re covered in my favorite food.” Her long pink tongue danced across her lips.
Valentia remained unflappable. “I did not mean in a physical sense, simply that we would provide you with clean and proper clothing to don in place of what you have now. I also have a small ball of soap.” She paused. “I suggest you use all of it.”
But that stream is so cold, Val, Drake wanted to protest. He didn’t. Lord Gloomwood should not whine about taking a bath, and she probably was right about the smell.
He’d been gambling on telling anyone they encountered he’d escaped a brutal battle and trust to their pity, but that might not work given how disgusting he was. It looked like he wasn’t getting out of his narrow escape without a freezing scrub in a stream.
At least Emily couldn’t spy on him all the way out here.
One extremely cold bath later, Drake was once again dressed in clean clothing. Still shivering, he called out to Valentia. She had taken up position on one side of the stream with Sachi on the other. Neither wanted the lord of Gloomwood Manor assassinated in the bath.
Valentia gave him a visual once over and nodded. “That will do for the inn. When we return to the manor we should see to your hair, but that can wait for now.”
Drake idly scratched his fingers through the dark, luxurious, healthy hair he’d thoroughly washed. “What’s wrong with my hair?” Lydia had even said he was charming!
“I understand you’ve had a rough time of it out here, but the disorganized mess on your head resembles a bird’s nest. As I said, the matter can wait.”
So not only was his latest battle maid completely comfortable challenging him at every step, she’d just dropped this world’s version of a sick burn on his hair. He briefly pondered ordering her to be more respectful, and inwardly chuckled at the thought.
Valentia was exactly what he needed when surrounded by people who still deferred to his every whim. An ally who gave it to him straight. She could also flashfreeze anyone who challenged him from forty paces, so having her in his forces was a boon.
“Can you at least help me strap into this armor?”
She strode forward. “Of course.”
Once he was clean, dressed, and armored, they finally set out for Heart Grove. It was now well past dark. Fortunately, the winding open road and the open grassland offered little trouble, and with a clear sky and bright moon, they could travel with ease.
Jeremy continued to slow them down considerably. Maybe they could buy a horse in town and stick the old man on it? Valentia had told him the territory between here and Gloomwood wasn’t great for horses, but she likely meant running horses. They could still walk.
Come to think of it, they could stick Anna on the horse too. That poor girl had done enough walking for a lifetime. If he’d managed to loot as much money as he hoped from the dead Redbow mercenaries, maybe they could also finally buy her some new clothes. Anna was already pitiable enough as a waif without wearing threadbare hand-me-downs.
Soon they were regularly passing small houses and large farms. There seemed to be quite a few of those out here, which tracked. The farmers would grow food out in the boonies and then trade it in town or with each other.
When they finally came in sight of Heart Grove, Drake was relieved. It looked to be a sizable town, at least judging from the wall of spiked logs running around it. This was no mere hamlet. He counted twenty decently-sized buildings before he lost count, and there were also many other structures visible in the open fields around the walls. Likely small farms.
He didn’t know about how fantasy games worked, but from his few studies of Earth history, he knew a decently-sized town might have several inns, plenty of spare rooms, and a wide menu of food to eat. Not all fish or all rabbit.
The gates were closed, and there were no guards visible save for shadows in the guard towers on either side. Drake suspected they wore Redbow uniforms and hoped they wouldn’t ask what garrison he was from. If they even had garrisons here.
He let Valentia take the lead since she knew the territory. She knocked politely at a postern door, informed the slit that opened that she intended to pay for two rooms at the local inn despite the late hour, and requested entry for her and her party.
The door opened. Perhaps the fact that Valentia had made it clear she planned to contribute to local commerce had greased things with the guard? Since people couldn’t lie in this world, her words were as good as signing a contract to rent two rooms with coin.
Once inside, Drake found the place largely abandoned. A few soldiers in Redbow uniforms patrolled with torches, but all looked bored. The only soldier that glanced at him didn’t even nod even though they were wearing the same uniform.
So while these men shared a uniform with those who’d abducted him, it was possible they were a local garrison. He didn’t know enough about this world’s politics to be sure. This was good, however. It meant no one here would want revenge for him eating the others.
As a wererat.
Sachi dashed off without a word once they were inside the town walls. When Drake asked Valentia about that, she simply informed him that Sachi did not sleep in inns. She would be nearby for the rest of the night, napping in the shadows or keeping watch outside.
Valentia led them directly to an inn she had likely chosen before they arrived. As she approached, she paused and raised her hands to halt their small party. The street was all but empty this late, so he had no concerns about talking privately.
“When we enter, allow me to negotiate for our rooms. Do not speak with anyone who may be up at this hour. If you remain hungry, I will arrange to have food sent up.”
Drake smiled at Anna. “Looks like you’re sleeping with the ice lady, squirt.”
“No,” Valentia corrected coolly. “Anna and Jeremy will sleep in one room. You and I will sleep in the other room. If there is one bed, you will take it.”
That sounded like the start of a story that ended in one massive HR violation. “You sure that’s uh... wise, Val?”
“You will not be sleeping in any room unless I have eyes on you. I am comfortable sleeping on a chair or even on the floor, and I cannot protect you from the second room.”
She made a fair point. She might be willing to treat him as an equal, but she was still as suffocatingly protective as the rest of his battle maids. He should have expected this.
“If you think that’s best,” he agreed.
Jeremy offered a vaguely inquisitive grunt.
Drake glanced at the old man in surprise. It was the first sound of communication the man had managed all day. “You have a problem with this arrangement?”
“Oh no, lord!” Anna gripped her father’s hand and beamed up at him, then turned her bright smile to Drake. “He says thank you!”
“Really?” That had been a grunt.
“For the protection. For the rooms and food. For your offer to take us in. We are both so grateful for your generosity, lord, and Daddy wanted to let you know.”
That was an awful lot of words to stuff in the mouth of a guy who couldn’t talk. Also, wasn’t Anna ten? She must have had to grow up fast.
“Do not call him by his title here,” Valentia said firmly. “In fact, do not say his name at all.”
Anna nodded vigorously. As for Jeremy, he managed a rather distant smile at last. A good sign. Regardless, warm food and soft beds beckoned.
Tomorrow, they’d see about getting Anna some clothes and buying some horses.
