Meira woke up snuggled in the crook of Bergen's arm, with his rhythmic heartbeat in her ear. His skin was warm from sleep, which felt amazing in contrast to the cold air around them. The old ship that their dorm was a part of shook slightly with every thumping footstep, both above and below them. The sun already shone in through the cracks of the shrinking wood.
"Mornin," rumbled the chest on which she laid. Meira looked up and saw Bergen look at her. His eyes were half-lidded from sleep, but he had this happy smile on his face that made her reach up to kiss him.
"Morning. What time is it?"
"Nowhere near midday, I hope. We've got plenty to do, including going to the smithy to sell those materials." Bergen waved at where he had left the bag of loot. Only the bag was not where he had left it. It was closer to the middle of the room, its contents spilled out over the floor. With a curse, Bergen leapt up from bed, accidentally knocking Meira aside in his haste to get to the back. His bare knees skidded over the ground as he sought the bag of sore and checked out whatever was on the ground. Then he cursed again.
"They're gone! The claws are gone! We've been stolen from!" He screamed his frustration for all in the ship to hear. Behind the bed, where she had fallen, Meira rubbed her sore bum and flexed her injured arm. The skin had bruised under the bandage, but the wounds seemed closed. Still, her left arm was much less nimble than expected. Quietly, Meira got up and headed over to Bergen, who still sat on his knees. His shoulders shook. Without a word, she gathered the disgusting hides, with bits of tissue still attached, back in the bag and counted how many teeth they had left. No more than a handful, which was disappointing but better than nothing. Then she knelt in front of her husband and wrapped her arms around him, burying her forehead against the side of his neck. After a short while, his arms wrapped around her back and he pulled her close. Together, they mourned this setback and wordlessly vowed not to let it happen again.
The roof of the canteen was made of several trees between which nets were tied. The tree leaves gave shade and protection from rain, while the ropes served as extra storage. Several hams hung there, as well as huge bunches of bananas and baskets filled with all kinds of foods, such as the mushrooms from the forest. That morning, the palico chefs had prepared banana pancakes. With some of the jams from last autumn, it was a meal worth every zinny. A bit further, a man stood on one of the tables, boasting loudly about something. Normally, he wouldn't be so interesting, but there was something about that voice.
"Don't look now, but I think that's our fourth roommate. The loud one, with the axe and the stompy boots," Meira whispered to Bergen.
"So?" Came the grouchy reply.
"He has new earrings, he's saying. Jagras fang earrings." This caught Bergen's attention from the way his eyes cleared. He looked at Meira sharply to detect any hint of jest before slowly turning. There the man stood, with his chest bare, shaven and gleaming in the sunlight. His hair was blonde and braided down his head with several metal rings. The sides of his head were shaved closely to his head, allowing a perfect view of his ears, where two wicked-looking Jagras fangs dangled. Meira supposed the intention was to look like he had dodged a swipe of a Jagras, got caught with his earlobe and rather than the flesh tearing, the claw broke off. It looked incredibly over the top, but the onlookers seemed to eat it up. They stared in awe and asked all kinds of questions, or begged to touch his axe.
"He stole from us," Bergen growled under his breath.
"Likely, yet we have no proof. Those fuckers are pretty common in the forest and he could just as easily have killed some himself." Bergen groaned in frustration, stood up abruptly from the table and stalked off with their loot bag, which he kept constantly in sight now. When Meira cast one more glance at the bare-chested boaster, she caught him grinning at her. Meira simply gave him a cool glare and left as well.
Bergen could be found at the Smithy, with their leftover pelts and minor Jagras teeth. The smith himself noticed her first and waved her over.
"Yer his lass who got hurt due to improper gear? Aye, I see the bandage. I have just the thing," he promised her, wandering off deeper into the forge. Upon Meira's slightly bemused look, Bergen explained.
"The pelts can be crafted into bracers for you. We have just enough for one set, which should go to you, obviously. I really don't want you to get hurt again. Additionally, if we sell him the rest of our materials, he'll craft them for free." Meira just managed a worn smile and let the smithy, who had appeared again without her noticing, measure up her arms. She knew she should argue that he uses the pelts on himself, that it was incredibly important to her as well that he wouldn't get hurt, but logic was against her: she had gotten hurt already and she was fighting close combat. It made sense they invested in protective gear for her first. They would have to do more jobs to get the money and materials for more gear, like some good chest armour.
A woman entered the smithy through the heavy main doors. She had waist-long hair that reminded Meira of quicksilver with the lightness of silk. Her eyes were strikingly light, though the exact colour was hard to determine from this distance. Light blue or grey, would be her guess. Rather than padded armour, she wore an outfit in several shades of the forest for camouflage, including a sash tied as a belt and harem pants for ease of movement.
The lady noticed Meira checking her out and gave the redhead a brilliant smile.
"Blessed be!"
"Ehm, same to you," Meira replied, quite unsure what the answer to that greeting was.
"It's wonderful to finally meet you. I'm Kaltain! I'm so glad we're roommates, and I'm not just stuck with Vulir."
"Woa woa. Not so fast, please. You're our fourth roommate? We've … met the axe-wielding guy, in a way. Vulir, you called him? Good to finally have a name. He did not give me his," Meira mumbled. She cast a look over her shoulder to watch Bergen talk to the smithy about future projects.
"He sadly keeps his heart closed and very close to him," Kaltain agreed. "Where are you going today?"
"We haven't quite decided yet. Haven't had the chance to look at the board yet."
"Do you wish to join me? I'm hunting Kestodon as they've grown too numerous. The contract says they're getting too close to Astera and we should take them down before they destroy something."
"Sure? I'll check it with Bergen but it shouldn't be a problem."
"That's him over there? Your soulmate, talking to the smithy? That reminds me, I came here to pick up a commission." She headed over to the smith himself and handed over a proof of payment. The smith nodded and headed to the back. After a short while, he returned with a long weapon that reminded Meira of a spear. Kaltain thanked the smith with a little bow and turned back to Meira with a flourish. "How do you like my new bladed staff?"
It was a gorgeous thing. The wood of the staff itself was polished and varnished, giving it a solid sheen. There were several ridges carved into it for better grip. The blade itself was as long as Meira's forearm, simple but sharp.
"It's beautiful. Midrange fighter, eh?" Kaltain nodded with a smile.
"I am not suited for the super close combat. I prefer to stab and slash from a little distance, or to mount my targets."
Bergen came to join them again and wrapped an arm around Meira's waist. "Hey honey. I have an idea what I'd like to gather next for us. I need a strong femur to strengthen my bow, allowing me to shoot arrows with more force. For you, we need to find some ore, to recoat your blades and get them sharp again. Your bracers will be done tomorrow, by the way." Meira smiled and kissed his jawline. Due to their size difference, that was the closest thing she could kiss. Kaltain gave them a bright smile, which unnerved Meira a bit.
"Love is a beautiful and natural thing," Kaltain reminded them. "Without it, the world is a dark place. Please, do not withhold the world your love." Then in a flurry of green fabrics, she left to prepare for the expedition.
Bergen chuckled and whispered in Meira's ear: "Just like we did in the baths last night, only in our dorm when she's nearby?" His wife blushed and gave him a bashful shove.
Getting ready with three hunters felt different than with two. Less intimate, but more secure. The addition of a mid-combat fighter allowed them not only to attack more creatures at the same time, as well as watch each other's backs. The Kestodon that endangered Astera were easy to find. They were near one of the outer gates, bashing their heads against the wooden spikes that were erected to keep creatures like these out. Kaltain seemed focussed, while a black palico darted in between her legs. It was a small thing without a tail. With a leather cap and goggles, and a vest with pockets, it was protected from much harm. It carried a large flask on its back with vigorwasp spray. With a fond smile, Meira watched it hop around, hoping she'd be able to have a palico of her own one day. Spot, the housekeeper, didn't quite count as it wasn't theirs in any way.
From a distance, at a height advantage, Bergen began shooting arrows at the Kestodon, trying to get those beautiful headshots he had managed against the Jagras. Kaltain and Meira advanced for close combat. It took a small while to get used to each other, but Kaltain adapted effortlessly to Meira and Bergen's dynamic, like a river following wherever the riverbed lead it. The two ladies took turns distracting and damaging, while Bergen covered their backs and held those who tried to gang up on them at a distance.
Kaltain fought elegantly, using the staff to leap over the beasts to strike from behind. Her blade was sharp and cut true, piercing the heart after knocking down a Kestodon. Meira had a slightly rougher time. Her blades, second-hand and worn, did not have the necessary strength to cut cleanly. It took a lot of force to cause cuts deep enough in throats to kill. Her injured arm stung as she overexerted the damaged tissue.
In less than ten minutes, the group of six Kestodon were down. The grass had gone red with their blood, but Astera was safe.
As Kaltain whispered an old-world prayer quietly for those slain, Meira cleaned her blades off blood. Bergen came to stand next to her, checking on her for pain with a concerned look. Meira shook her head, showing she was fine.
"I do regret taking out an entire herd," Meira sighed.
"It should be fine," Bergen replied. "Two males and four females. They breed easily so their population isn't in danger. What I am concerned about is why they would come here. What's driving them out?" Meira made a thoughtful noise and headed over to Kaltain to check on her. She had just finished her prayer. When she noticed Meira approach, she immediately wrapped her arms around Meira for a tight hug. Her own leather armour felt uncomfortably hard against Kaltain's cloth fabric.
"Wonderful work, Meira. That was splendid!"
"You too," the redhead replied shakily. The black palico rushed over and offered Meira the vigorwasp spray, to numb the pain in her arm. Meira did have to kneel down for the palico to be able to reach her
"Thank you, Nyabi," Kaltain said when the black cat was done with its task. Meira echoed the statement as she stood up. Nyabi meowed at them and dashed off. Its owner didn't seem too concerned where it went, so Meira wouldn't either. Meanwhile, Bergen had begun cutting off the hard shielded bone of the Kestodon heads, which would be turned into armour. It was disgusting work, but it paid for meals and a roof over their heads.
A tug on her trousers drew Meira's attention downwards. Nyabi held a clump of iron ore. The palico offered it to Meira, meowing excitedly. When she did take it, the palico darted away a bit and meowed at Meira again, asking her to follow. Meira squeezed Bergen's shoulder and ran after the cat, curious to see where it had gotten the ore from. Not far along the fortified wall of Astera, a damaged iron vein was visible. The Kestodon must have revealed it when bashing their heads against rocks. With a pickaxe from her pack, Meira stuck to loosen more ore. This could be valuable. By the time Meira had finally finished gathering what was available, Bergen had finished his job as well and even had a bottle of water for her. Meira took it gratefully, feeling gross and sweaty but pretty satisfied. The vigorwasp spray was unfortunately wearing off and the pain returned with vengeance.
"How about you go lie down?" Bergen suggested, seeing the pain on his wife's face. "I'll bring this to the smithy and negotiate an upgrade for both of us." With a sigh, Meira agreed. She kissed her husband lightly and headed back alone, without her blades. After a quick bath, she laid down on her cot and fell asleep to recover. When she woke up, it was dark out, but candles in their dorm provided a cosy light. With a sleepy groan, Meira sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"Ah, she wakes," Bergen's voice said, as he strode into view with a brilliant smile on his face. "We have a surprise for you: a little celebration party." He stepped aside to reveal a picnic blanket spread out in the middle of the dorm. There was a basket with breads, little bowls of fruit, sliced meats, and various spreads. There even was a pitcher of wine. Kaltain was present too, and sat with her back against her cot, dressed in a different outfit with shades of purple. She held out a shawl of a rich green colour, not unlike the forest nearby. With a pleased smile, Bergen sat near his cot, with a plaid in rich amber. Only Vulir was not present. A large candle shone where he would have sat.
"The shawl is a gift, Meira. To new friendships," Kaltain explained. Her silvery hair looked dark-grey in the reduced light. With a grateful smile, Meira accepted the gift. It was the finest item she owned.
"Thank you. I'm afraid I have nothing for you." Their new friend shook her head and waved the worries away.
"I am grateful you have accepted me among yourselves. All I need is a community. Your companionship is the best gift I could ask for. And now, let us eat."
Meira looked at Vulir's cot. "What about him? Is he not invited?"
"He is not available tonight. He is sharing love with another." Kaltain said casually, putting a spread on a slice of bread. Meira and Bergen made eye contact, shrugged, and dug in. As they ate and drank, they told stories of their lives before coming here. Meira spoke of her studies and life as a nobleman's fifth daughter. There had been no money for her tuition, so she worked during the day as a librarian. Kaltain had come from a rural village, tending the land and defending against raids. She came here to escape a forced marriage, as it was not her way. Bergen spoke of the slums, of learning how to make scraps edible and nourishing. He could make a bow from almost nothing and use it to hunt birds or could track a rabbit all the way to its den. He spoke of meeting some rich girl at night, whom he taught how to fight. They fell in love and eloped, as her father would never approve of the match. Here they were.
Somewhere that night, they decided to work together and look out for each other. Just maybe, with the three of them, they could take some of the bigger quests and make some decent zenny. Bergen told Meira that their weapons were currently with the smithy for a bone hilt for sturdiness for his bow, and an iron edge on her own blades for sharpness. They would be able to pick them up that next morning, when they would go for the Great Jagras.