Soul pulled his coat tighter around his frame as he continued to trudge forward towards the town.
Winter had hit harder than he had expected and as the day's light continued to fade his tattered travel coat and threadbare scarf were far from sufficient to keep out the bitter bite of the cold.
He reached the edge of the town just as the lamps began to light, bathing the road in a soft orange light and stretching out his shadow against the cobblestone. As he walked, Soul lifted his hand from his pocket and played with the shadow, amusing himself with the slight distraction until he finally reached the tavern.
Warmth hit him immediately as he opened the door with a slight grunt, forced to use his shoulder to get the heavy wood to move enough to allow him to slip in. Slipping into the nearest seat he let out a tired sigh.
"Hello! We'll be with you in a moment." A sweet voice called from beyond the bar. "Black*Star! Customer!"
"Ah it's too late for a customer," a much harsher voice replied from somewhere in the kitchen. A moment later Soul heard, more than he saw, a rather muscular young man stomp his way into the main hall. "You better have money."
Soul found himself smiling. Slowly he reached back and pulled back his hood before running his hand through his hair. "Now, is that any way to treat a repeat customer? And why is your hair blue now?"
Black*Star stared at him for almost a full minute before letting out a bark of laughter and launching himself across the room. Soul had only just managed to get out of his chair when Black*Star slammed into him, wrapping him up in a back-breakingly tight bear hug and lifting him off the ground.
"I missed you too," Soul wheezed as he tapped at Black*Star's side. Just when his vision was beginning to go black he was finally released. He took a moment to catch his breath before aiming a smile at the woman behind the bar. "Tsubaki."
"Soul!" Tsubaki beamed. "It's been so long. Last time you were here must have been…"
"Ten years," Soul said. He reached up and absentmindedly scratched at his chest. "It was ten years ago."
"Too long!" Black*Star slapped him on the back, hard enough to stagger him forward a few steps.
"Yeah, too long," Soul said. "You still learning to cook up the same old slop, or did Tsubaki finally get you making real food?"
Black*Star thumbed his nose. "Sit your ass down and give me a minute, I'll show you cooking that would even make God bow down and weep at his inadequacy."
With a sniff he marched back into the kitchen. In a matter of seconds the clatter of pots and pans being thrown around filled the air. Tsubaki only shook her head and closed the door before taking a seat across the table from Soul.
"How have you been? You look…" Tsubaki faulted as she took in his rather ragged appearance.
"Exhausted?" Soul grinned. "My carriage broke down about halfway here, wheels got stuck in the mud. Rainy season looks like it is going to start sooner rather than later."
"So you walked?"
"I walked," Soul nodded. "Didn't feel like waiting another month for the season to pass."
"You should have sent a letter before hand. We could have sent you one of our carriers. They know the roads better," Tsubaki tutted.
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry," Soul said, holding up his hands.
The door to the kitchen burst open and Black*Star thundered to the table, slapping down a large bowl of stew in front of Soul along with a half a loaf of bread, the other half he was busy chewing on.
"I'wou'ha'go'ou," Black*Star mumbled around his food.
"Black*Star says he would have gotten you," Tsubaki translated with a slight wrinkle of her nose. "Black*Star, chew before you speak. We've been over this."
"It came up suddenly, otherwise I would have," Soul said before beginning to eat. The stew was shockingly good and his ravenous hunger led him to finish eating the entire bowl before speaking again. "I'm heading into the forest."
Black*Star's eyes widened and he tried to speak but only succeeded on sucking a large portion of unchewed bread down his throat. He clawed pathetically at his throat a few times before Tsubaki sighed. With a practiced hand she reached out and slapped him hard on the back, dislodging the mismanaged food and allowing Black*Star to suck in a gasp of air that he promptly wasted calling Soul an idiot.
Tsubaki agreed, but voiced her opinion in a more tactful way. "Soul, you know that is not a good idea. You remember what happened… then…"
Soul caught his hand drifting towards his chest and he forced his fingers into a fist that he placed firmly against the table. "Actually, I don't."
"Well you know enough that you shouldn't go," Tsubaki said.
"Don't really have a choice. If I don't get to it, others are on their way." Soul said, leaning back in his chair.
"Get what?" Black*Star said, looking at Tsubaki who gave him a small shake of her head. Both turned their eyes back on Soul.
Soul leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. "The treasure."
Tsubaki and Black*Star shared a blank expression before returning their eyes to Soul.
"Uh, what treasure?" Black*Star asked, breaking the silence.
"You ever wonder why no one can go into that forest?" Soul said, bringing his head back down to look at the pair. "Why it's so well guarded?"
"Not really," Black*Star answered honestly. "It's a spooky forest and if you enter it, you die!"
"Not always," Soul said softly.
"So you really became a treasure hunter?" Black*Star said. "Parents can't be pleased. That why you look like shit? You get cut off or did you run away?"
Soul smiled. "Both?"
Black*Star laughed. "You are really dumb."
"That means a lot coming from you," Soul replied without missing a beat before going silent as Tsubaki stood, drawing both boy's attention.
She hesitated for a moment before standing up and heading behind the counter. She plucked a key from the board. "You'll be needing a room, then."