One thing about the cold of the mountains and the northlands is that you can always put on another piece of clothing, toss on a fur from your pack, start a fire, or in extreme cases find a large animal cut it open and sleep the night away inside it... However the last option is a last resort, one does not want to meet a traveler on the road covered in blood and gore. The local law enforcers frown upon that, and usually you will end up in the local jail.
On the other hand, the heat of the deserts and the southlands are a different story. In the heat you can only take off so much until you are standing in just your soaked underclothes. Some go a bit farther but again if your found like that by fellow travelers you again will find yourself at the end of a sword or jailed by local law enforcers.
Which is why Grell liked to usually stay in the forests and the coolness of the lower mountain ranges.
But where Grell liked to be and where Grell was is not the same thing.
Grell found himself in a small village at the foot of a tall mountain. It was summer and the village was far enough south that Grell had kept most of his armor in the pack on his back, walking around in some loose clothes he had purchased on his way there. The merchant that sold them to him looked on him with pity.
He had arrived at her stall with his normal black studded leather armor and leather leggings, sweating and panting from the heat even though he had taken off his wool traveling cloak and his heavier clothing. She had asked him where he was headed and he told her. She laughed at him, telling him it was even warmer at his destination.
" Wearing your armor and clothing, dear Darkone." she smiled almost with deep worry for the man, " you will surely shrivel up and blow away in the wind from loosing you inner water to the heat." She then grabbed some very light clothing from the back of her stall, " I hope these fit." she laughed again.
Grell had waited to change into the clothing until he hit the crossroads to the Three main cities of the southlands. There he put on the clothing the woman had bundled for him and for the first time since walking down onto the plains... he sighed in relief. The cloth felt like he was wearing nothing at all, white with a little design on it in the form of a dragon circling the right sleeve. He enjoyed the ability to walk freely and without worrying about his body, as the woman had so colorfully put " shirvelling up and blowing away".
Now however at the gates to the village of Bena he could still feel the heat pound against his body. He did not know how people survived in this heat let alone need a Merc to do a job for them.
He shouted to a sentry that he requested entrance in which the sentry peered at him and then asked for a note or mark. Grell reached back and took off his pack and then began to rifle through it for the note requesting his services. The sentry watched him while another sentry came up from behind the two.
" What is going on Brother?" the second sentry asked the other.
" Asking for access to the village." the first sentry smiled, " I am asking for his proof."
The second sentry watched Grell and then slapped the first sentry hard behind the head, " Raul, let him in to see the Mayor now."
Raul, the first sentry, looked to the first and then nodded, " Sir it is alright... you may enter." Grell nodded, even though he had just found the message written to him. Tucking it back into the folds of his bag he stood up and followed the second sentry into the village.
" I am sorry about Raul." the second sentry spoke slowly as they walked towards the mountainside at the far side of the village. " He hasn't been on watch for long and he really dislikes Darkbloods."
Grell nodded. He had gotten that alot. He stood close to 6 feet 4 inches tall and had a horn that poked out from his cowl and curved behind his head. His skin had a bluish tint to it and now since he was not wearing his traveling cloak one could see a smallish tail behind the Darkblood. All of which would have been normal among his Darkblood brothers and sisters, but seemed strange to those that had not seen many of his kind.
The others in the village watched the two make their way through the dirt streets. Past homes made of wood and grasses, very different from the wood and stone homes of the mountains, or the canvas and reed huts of the plains. Still he had never been to this village, and he had no idea how the people had known about him. He was not well known... not like the legendary assasin he had heard about. One that could hide under a leaf during mid-day and slay his target with everyone watching without anyone noticing.
Grell winced and then remembered the price on his head from the city of Dalla. " Okay Grell." he thought to himself, " Quit thinking about that... a city like this probably heard about me from a traveler... " then he passed a small boy who ran into his home frightened. Someone knew about him and that sent a chill up his spine.
The Sentry led him to an opening in the side of the mountain, " Enter with me... our Mayor is inside." he smiled and walked into the torch lit darkness. Grell followed close behind.
" Watch yourself." a voice called out in the back of his head, " This is just like that time in Winstra." He shook his head clear, the voice had been his little warning signal for bad situations. Granted Grell had thought this was also another sign that maybe talking to himself was a bad idea.
As for Winstra, Grell had been led into a cave with the story that there was an undead creature inside. Grell went in. Found the creature was not undead but actually dead. He shook his head and began to walk back when his guide to the cave drew his sword. They had fought without a simple explanation but in the end Grell was able to disarm the man and crush his sword. His guide had been a bounty hunter that had the Mayor of Winstra get Grell Grainstaff to come to the city. Then the bounty hunter would kill Grell and collect the price in Dalla.
Grell squinted his good eye in the fading light, trying to focus on what was around him. So far it was just a passageway with doors every twenty to fourty paces. Torches were lit on the stone walls and he could feel a slight breeze comming from the darkness ahead. One that was scented with what was roasted meats and ..... Grell sniffed the air like a bloodhound. Roasted meats and perfumes....women's perfume.
Lucky for Grell his other senses were a little higher than normal. His eyes were weak, especially in the darkness of night. However his sense of touch, hearing, and smell had all enhanced over time... and sometimes he even felt like maybe... just maybe he could understand those around him from impressions of thoughts or energies... He had tested this last sense once before and ended up following a woman into a dark alley and was mugged. Lucky for him he had nothing of value other than Mugen, his short sword, Urd, his long sword, and his shield that was strapped to his back.
Suddenly the torch went out. " We are here." the sentry called out to the darkness.
" Told you." the voice in his head called out again, " Just like Winstra."