A Matter of Faith

"I hate goblins!" the nine year old says "Some of them tried sneaking into the village last week. In the middle of the night! They were going to attack people, but Father and the men caught them and killed them all"

"Aye. Nasty, hideous creatures. Breed like rats and crawl out of their holes whenever they smell weakness"

But then he caught Halia’s glance from across the table, the subtle tilt of her head toward little Ursula, who now clung to her mother’s arm and looked up with wide, frightened eyes. He clears his throat, and leans closer to his children "But you’ve nothing to fear here, in this castle. These walls are strong, and we keep watch every night. No goblin is ever getting past the gates of Verge"

The first courses soon arrive, carried by the Traladaran servants. Hans wasn't kidding when he said they prepared a feast worthy of a king. There are platters of grilled river fish, caught fresh this morning, prepared in the Thyatian style; lightly charred, seasoned only with local herbs and a squeeze of lemon. Roasted chicken, root vegetables, freshly baked bread, bowls of forest berries, and warm sweet cherry pie for dessert, all served together with imported red Thyatian wine. Unfortunately for Will though, he can't savor any of the dishes. It all tastes the same to him - like licking the remains of a bonfire.

Someone who DID enjoy the dinner, however, was the great hound at Hans feat. Boudica catches the way one of the older Traladaran women glances as Hans tore a whole leg from the chicken, and without hesitation leaned down to offer it to his black dog lying at his feet. No one in the fishing village was starving (they were right on the banks of the mighty Windrush river), but preparing the meal still required a great deal of effort, and there was no reason to feed a perfectly good chicken to the dog. The hound, however, was obviously overjoyed. He was old, and a big softy, despite his great size, blinking with his soft brown eyes toward you, head tilting sideways, almost comically, every time one of you looked in his direction.

As the meal wound down and the remnants of the pie were cleared away, Lady Halia rose, calling to her children to bed. They all left after a final nod, and saying a warm 'goodnight', walking behind her like ducklings after their mother. Once they were gone, Hans reached for the wine jug and filled his own cup again, then motioned silently to offer a refill to any of you whose glass had grown light.

He leaned back in his seat, the mood now more serious.

"So then" he began "what’s the situation in Threshold? There was a man here last night. A fellow of the Church. Said he was riding south to Kelvin to summon aid from the Crystal Order."

"What do you mean...'Chaos'?"he looked over to Boudica, who was whispering something to the rest of them. He didn't like that they kept secrets from him, especially not when they were all seated at his table. "Where are you headed from here?" he sipped from his goblet again "I don't intend to pry into your business. Just a little curious, that's all..."

It looked like they weren't the chattiest lot, or maybe they just preferred to play it close to their chest. He realized there was nothing much he could get out of them, so instead he leaned back in his chair, his large frame creaking slightly against the wood:

"Anyways; I know it’s still a few months away, but when the snows come down, and you know how it gets in this land, you’ll find these roads heavy with snow and half the passes closed, and blizzards so strong they would freeze the moisture in your eyes. You're welcome to spend the winter here, at Verge. There's room for you, and your companions. You’ll be among friends, and the Champions know how I could use some good company when the days turn dark and cold"

Hans smiled genuinely before rising to his feet "Think on it. You would all be most welcome."

With dinner concluded, you are shown back to your guest quarters, where you get a good night’s sleep, better than you had in days. Your rest is broken sometimes before dawn by howls from the forest. Long sounds of wolves calling in the distance. Whichever place they prowled, you could at least be grateful to be behind stone walls and iron gates.

Your bags were already waiting for you by the time you rose in the morning, packed with fresh bread, soft white cheese, dried meats, apples and pears, and even a generous helping of leftover cherry pie from last night. Your cloaks has been taken and dried, boots cleaned, and even your water flasks filled.

Lady Halia herself meet you in the courtyard to see you off, with her children peeking behind the upstairs windows.

"May the road be kind to you, and may the Champions guide your path. You’re welcome to come back here, if you ever pass this way again"