Once the group had dispersed, Alfyn took a small breath as he looked around the entrance to Goldshore. His gaze eventually found the ocean nearby, and a smile appeared on his face. "Ah... Nothing quite like a town by the sea!" he exclaimed. Alfyn inhaled the scent of the crashing waves, though he was cut off by a series of coughs that showed just how much he disagreed with the smell. "Even if the air is a bit briny for my liking."

He shook it off to the best of his ability, deciding that he wanted to go and dip his toes into the water for a few minutes. It would be a nice way to decompress after all the traveling they had done that day, and given that they had to fight against Bifelgan along the way, the break would certainly be welcome. Given the fact that there were stone steps leading down to the water, Alfyn could only assume that it was a popular spot for locals to relax as well, and he took that as his cue to start walking to the stairs that would take him to his paradise of relaxation.

"Did you hear? Old Zeke's been stricken too. That's ten in just a week!"

The sound of a young man's voice from nearby was enough to make Alfyn stop, and he turned to see that a trio of men were standing together and talking. All three of them wore expressions of concern, and Alfyn could only imagine that whatever they were talking about was solemn as could be. He paused on the spot and did what he could to pick up on the traces of their conversation. After all, it sounded as if they were in need of an apothecary, and who would be a better man for the job than Alfyn himself?

The oldest man of the three shook his head as he looked toward the ground. "The fever's spreading fast. Whatever are we to do?" he murmured.

The third man, who appeared to be about Cyrus' age, snapped his fingers together in recognition before speaking. "Now that you mention it, I hear there's a traveling apothecary in town," he commented.

Alfyn's eyes went wide at that, and he wondered how they had known that he was there. After all, he hadn't been given the chance to tell anyone about his occupation since arriving. Perhaps it was his satchel that had given him away. Maybe one of the others had mentioned it to the other occupants of the town and news had spread that way. Who was to say? Either way, it seemed as if word had spread fast, and that only made him want to listen in on the conversation at hand more.

"They say she whipped up a tonic that cured one boy's fever overnight!" the third man continued, still completely unaware as to what Alfyn was trying to do a few yards away.

Alfyn's eyes went wide at his words. "'She'...?" he whispered. A smile spread across his face at the realization that the traveling apothecary in question had to be someone else. Either way, it was fine with him. "So I've got a colleague in town. Wonder if she'd be interested in talkin' shop."

Before Alfyn could hear much else from the conversation taking place nearby, a young girl came dashing up the stairs that Alfyn had set his sights on before he decided to listen in on the chat the three men were having. Her hair was a deep auburn color, shining with tints of red in the midday sun. Her dress was a splendid red color at the back and a delicate cream at the front with a few traces of sand along the edges. In other words, she had been playing at the beach before deciding to head out and see the rest of the town.

Unfortunately for her, she wasn't able to get very far. She only made it a few feet away from the steps before she tripped over a snag in the road and was sent sprawling forward. "Ow!" she cried as she hit the ground, her voice squeaking and cracking on the way down. She pushed herself back so she was sitting slowly and carefully before looking down at her knee which now sported a notable red gash across the surface. "Ow... It hurts..." she murmured, her voice wavering like she was on the verge of tears.

Alfyn took that as his cue to approach her, and he walked in her direction quickly yet carefully so she knew that he wasn't here to hurt her. "Are you okay?" he asked gently. Along the way to crouching at her side, he noticed that something had fallen on the cobblestones at his feet. "Here, you dropped something."

Alfyn reached out for the item in question, realizing along the way that it was a seashell. He handed it to the girl gingerly, and she accepted it with a shaky hand before sliding it into her satchel. "Th-Thanks..." she said between her tears, sniffling and letting out a small cry before her eyes fell back to her knee where the skid mark was just as prevalent as ever.

"Looks like you scraped up your knee. Mind if I have a look?" Alfyn questioned. He had more than his fair share of experience with working with younger children thanks to his time in Clearbrook. It had taken a while for Nina to become receptive to his help because of her youthful nature. She always wanted to tough it out when she got hurt and continue to face the world bravely, much to her brother's chagrin. Luckily for them both, Alfyn had been more than capable of stepping in, and it seemed that those skills were slated to serve him well long after his departure from Clearbrook.

The girl nodded, and Alfyn examined her leg carefully, a small frown on his face. "Ouch, I bet that smarts. I know the feeling-I'm always tripping over my own two feet," he told her, trying to keep his tone as casual and conversational as possible to keep her calm. He smiled to her a moment later, and she looked at him through tear-filled eyes once again. "But every time you pick yourself back up, you'll find yourself that much tougher for it."

Alfyn reached into his satchel and pulled out a small bottle with a balm in it. He removed the lid and tapped some of the ointment out onto his fingers before rubbing at the girl's knee. She winced with the expectation of pain when his fingers got close, but she found herself relaxing when she realized that there was no pain to be found at all. Instead, the balm was already doing its job, covering the initial injury and making sure that no blood would manage to seep through. It was a simple yet effective way to keep the wound from getting infected, and it worked like a dream the same way it always had.

Alfyn smiled as he placed the cap back on the bottle and put it in his bag. "That'll do her. That's one of my best healing balms," he explained to the young girl when he realized she was watching him with pure awe and curiosity in her eyes.

"Thanks, stranger. I'm Ellen," the young girl said, pushing herself to her feet to test her weight on her injured knee. She seemed surprised when it didn't hurt, and her previously teary expression shifted to complete surprise and excitement.

"I'm Alfyn," the apothecary replied with a grin of his own. "That almost rhymes, eh?"

Ellen laughed at that. "Neat!" she chirped before her eyes fell to the bag that had healed her injury so quickly. Her eyes went wide with endless wonder as she looked up to him again. "Are you a medicine man?"

"You might say that. I'm what they call an apothecary," Alfyn explained.

Ellen's face immediately lit up. "Wow! I've never met one of you before! It's nice to meet you, Mister Pock-a-therry!" she exclaimed, every part of her so filled with childhood wonder that it melted Alfyn's heart.

Alfyn smiled and chuckled. "Just Alfyn'll do."

Ellen smiled for a moment before her expression started to melt away to something much darker. She took a small step closer before whispering (albeit rather poorly) in Alfyn's direction. "Hey, Alfyn? Can I ask you a favor?"

"Go for it," Alfyn told her with a nod, trying to hide his concern at how quickly her cheery demeanor had evaporated.

"It's my sister, Flynn. She caught a fever, and she's been in bed all week," Ellen began. She looked down sadly, fear starting to gloss over her gaze. "She's always crying. And no matter how much she sleeps, it just gets worse and worse..."

Alfyn put one hand on Ellen's shoulder, and she looked up with tears in her eyes once again. "Say no more. I'll fix her up right as rain!" Alfyn assured her with a beaming grin. "After all, that's what I'm here for!"

"Oh, thank you!" Ellen exclaimed, raising one hand to point to a nearby building. "Our house is right there." She bounded off in the direction of the home, expecting Alfyn to follow.

He nodded his understanding before starting to trail after her. "I'll be right there!" he called after her before looking down to his satchel, trying to reach for what usually helped to break fevers. It wouldn't hurt to be prepared, right?

"Thou art good with children."

Alfyn just about jumped out of his skin at the voice from nearby, and he looked up to see that H'aanit was approaching him from around the corner of Ellen and Flynn's home. Alfyn could only assume that she had already done a quick sweep of the area and decided that there was nothing of note she should hear more about, hence why she had come back to find him.

It took him a moment to recover from his surprise at being spoken to out of the blue that way, and he pressed one hand against his chest as he let out a few heavy breaths to stabilize himself. Alfyn finally managed to sigh as he shot H'aanit a small smile accompanied by a reply. "You think so? Can't say I've ever thought about it much," he admitted. He had spent time with the kids of Clearbrook before, but him learning to interact with them had been more out of a matter of necessity than anything else. He thought about it for a moment before continuing. "Though I've always liked playin' with the young ones back at home."

H'aanit nodded her understanding. "So thou hast experience. That is the best teacher," she remarked as she drew closer to him, Hägen and Linde at her feet. "'Tis a fine gift indeed, to bringen joy to the faces of children."

Alfyn flushed at that, and one hand came up to rub at the base of his neck as he tried to battle his own awkwardness. "Shucks, I don't reckon it's much of a gift. A big smile's all you need. They're infectious, you know."

H'aanit raised an eyebrow in his direction, and Hägen tilted his head to the side accordingly out of curiosity. "I wondere," H'aanit said simply.

"It's true!" Alfyn exclaimed as he plastered a bright grin on his face. "Come on, why don't you give it a go?"

H'aanit simply stared at him for a long moment before she managed to convince herself to try. It was difficult for her given her generally stoic nature, but when she was finally able to offer him a wide grin, Alfyn felt his heart beginning to warm. "Like this...?" H'aanit questioned uncertainly.

"That's how you do it!" Alfyn confirmed. "I'm feelin' better already!" He glanced over to the door that Ellen had gone through to enter her home, and his expression sobered slightly. "See, if the grown-ups aren't smilin', the kids get worried. They'll figure somethin's up."

H'aanit nodded as her smile started to evaporate in favor of her regular solemn expression. "Verily... Thou art a wiser man than it woulde first appearen."

"Thanks, H'aanit," Alfyn grinned, only barely managing to hold back the raging blush that was starting to rise in his cheeks at the compliment. "I guess we should get in there now, huh? Ellen's bound to start worryin' if we take too long."

"Might I join you?"

The sound of Olberic's voice pulled their attention away from the door briefly, and Alfyn turned to see the warrior approaching them with a small handful of herbs in one hand. "Of course!" Alfyn exclaimed with a grin before his eyes fell to the plants Olberic was holding. "What're those?"

"I noticed you were running short on a few materials you use in your concoctions. I figured I might as well grab some while we were here," Olberic replied. "Here you are."

Alfyn accepted the herbs with a grin and saw that, just like Olberic had said, they were the ones that Alfyn was running out of. He hadn't even realized just how few he had, but he supposed it was a testament to Olberic's skills of observation as well as his care for the other members of the group. Either way, it was sweet, and Alfyn tucked the herbs back into his bag before nodding. "Thanks, Olberic."

Olberic simply nodded. "It was no issue at all. For now, you seem to have somewhere to be." He tilted his head in the direction of the nearby house, and Alfyn nodded his confirmation before turning and walking inside, the huntress and warrior hot on his heels. The door was still ajar from where Ellen had dashed into the building, and Alfyn took the handle between his fingers before opening the door all the way and stepping inside with Olberic and H'aanit behind him.

While Ellen was speaking with Alfyn on the street outside, her home was bustling with quiet activity among its three occupants. Flynn was lying on the bed with her eyes half-lidded. Everything about her posture was tense as could be, like she could barely keep a grip on herself through the unfortunate fog of her sickness.

Marlene, Flynn and Ellen's mother, had been pacing the length of the house with a frown on her face ever since her daughter came down with the malady. Despite her best attempts to stay calm, she couldn't seem to properly soothe her nerves. Even after an apothecary had arrived to help, she was unable to calm herself down.

The apothecary in question was a woman with purple hair tied back into a single ponytail. She crouched beside Flynn's bed and examined the young girl carefully with a small frown on her face. She hadn't moved from that spot since arriving a short while ago, and the silence was starting to grate on Marlene's nerves when combined with her endless concern. The only sound to pierce the air was Flynn's labored breathing, and that only allowed the stress of the home to intensify.

Marlene finally had enough of the tension in the room and looked to the apothecary as she forced herself to stop pacing. "Is there any hope for her, m'lady?" she asked, her voice lined with endless anxiety.

The apothecary rose to her feet before nodding to the older woman. "It's just the fever that's going around. My remedy will have her back on her feet in no time," she assured Marlene with a small but certain smile. She reached into her bag before pulling out the remedy in question and passing it to Marlene. The redheaded woman accepted the medicine with a small yet nervous nod, swallowing back her fears to the best of her ability.

Marlene crouched next to Flynn, propping her daughter up gently with one arm so that she could tip the contents of the bottle into her mouth. Flynn swallowed it carefully, almost afraid of what it was going to mean for her despite the apothecary's insistence that it would help.

"And down it goes!" Marlene said as she set the bottle on the floor beside her. "Well, Flynn? Did it help?"

Flynn's eyes finally managed to open fully for what felt like the first time in at least a week, and color began to return to her cheeks. "Wow...! I feel better already!"

Marlene pressed the back of her hand against Flynn's forehead, and she let out a gasp. "Just feel her forehead! The fever's all but gone!" she exclaimed. She got to her feet, tears starting to well up in her eyes from pure relief. "Oh, how can we ever repay you?" Marlene looked down at the floor with muted shame written on her features. "Ever since their father died, I've raised my two girls on my own. I fear I have little in the way of coin..."

The apothecary simply shook her head. "You have my sympathies. Worry not-your kind words are payment enough," she assured Marlene.

The woman seemed surprised at the apothecary's kindness, and another warm yet relieved smile appeared on her face. "T-Truly? You are too kind, m'lady..."

The apothecary shook her head once again. "Just doing my job. And with that, I should be on my way," she said, turning her attention towards the door. Marlene went to help her out, and the apothecary stopped halfway. "Oh, and of course. Should the symptoms return, don't hesitate to call me."

Marlene nodded and watched as the apothecary left, her eyes falling shut in contemplation. She stood that way for a few moments before the door opened once again to show Ellen bounding inside, Alfyn hot on her heels. "Here I am!" Alfyn exclaimed. Behind him, Olberic and H'aanit stood with their two animal companions just outside the door.

Alfyn started to walk inside, the rest of his companions following him, as he looked around the area. "Where's my patient? I heard a poor girl was suffering from a terrible fever..."

Ellen pointed to the bed where Flynn was resting. "She's right there, Alfyn!"

Alfyn snapped his fingers together at the sight, already knowing exactly what to do. "Just sit tight. I'll have you feeling better in no time!" he proclaimed firmly.

Marlene was left watching in confusion as Alfyn and Ellen both approached Flynn's bedside, glancing over to H'aanit and Olberic with shock written all over her features at the strange visitors her oldest daughter had brought home. Linde and Hägen remained close to H'aanit the whole way into the home, staring at the world around them with muted animalistic curiosity. Marlene couldn't find the words to explain the situation, instead simply staring with her jaw agape at the new arrivals.

Alfyn had been examining Flynn for a few moments when a frown appeared on his face. "She looks just fine to me," he murmured under his breath in confusion.

Marlene finally snapped, and she stamped one foot against the ground as she gestured grandly to the newcomers. "Ellen! What are you thinking, bringing these scruffy-looking strangers into our home?!" she exclaimed, glancing back and forth between where Olberic and H'aanit stood against the wall and where Alfyn was crouching at Flynn's side.

Alfyn rose to his full height slowly, sensing that this was a situation he needed to handle as delicately as possible. "Pardon, madam, but I'm an apothecary. I only meant to-"

Marlene examined him carefully before placing her hands on her hips. "Oh, are you now?" she asked, each word laced with doubt. She closed the distance between herself and Alfyn soon afterwards, and the taller man took a step back with uncertainty at her sudden glare in his direction. He had the advantage in height, but she was still most certainly intimidating enough to give him pause. "My daughter's already been treated by a professional, so I'm afraid we won't be needing your services. Good day, sir."

Alfyn stared down at her for a long moment before looking to Flynn and seeing her slumbering form. He glanced to Ellen next, and the young girl's eyes were filled to the brim with concern. Alfyn nodded his understanding and walked to the door, his companions hot on his heels. He could tell that he wasn't wanted, and it was enough to make his stomach churn. The professional Marlene spoke of must have come and gone while Alfyn was busy speaking to Ellen, H'aanit, and Olberic outside, and he hadn't even noticed. He wished that he could have spared himself the embarrassment, but he felt even worse for Ellen. She had only wanted to help her sister, after all.

It wasn't until after H'aanit shut the door behind them that Alfyn allowed himself to sigh. "Tough crowd," he muttered. "She made it sound like I'm some kind of quacksalver..."

"We know better than that," Olberic assured Alfyn with a hand on the apothecary's shoulder. "You do a fine job with your work, and if she can't see that, then it's her loss."

Alfyn nodded at Olberic's words. "Thanks, Olb," he said half-heartedly, though he still felt awful for how that interaction had ended. He stared down at the ground, wishing there was a way for him to forget about all that had just happened. He had only wanted to help, but it seemed as if that was too much to ask for.

The door to the house opened once again, and Alfyn glanced up to see Ellen walking outside, her expression painted with guilt and shame. "I... I'm sorry, Alfyn. I didn't know there was another pock-a-therry in time."

Alfyn shoved his tempestuous emotions aside and turned to face her, Olberic's hand falling off his shoulder. Alfyn may have been feeling down himself about it, but he couldn't let Ellen know that. After all, once the adults stopped smiling, the kids would begin to notice that something was wrong, and it wasn't worth worrying Ellen over his petty problems. "Don't worry about it. Your sister's feeling better, and that's what matters, right?" he pointed out.

Ellen nodded, a smile spreading across her features. "Yeah! Thanks anyway, Alfyn," she told him.

Alfyn smiled to her as well and gave her a small wave. "Take care, Ellen. And try not to catch cold!"

"You too!" Ellen returned. She waved to him as well before dashing through the door of her home and vanishing from view.

It wasn't until after she was gone that Alfyn allowed himself to sigh, that smile of his fading. He took a few steps away from the home, not wanting to bother Marlene by daring to exist in her general vicinity, and looked out over the water. "That must have been the apothecary that everyone was buzzing about," he murmured to himself. "The girl's forehead wasn't even warm. Whoever this rival of mine is, she sure knows her stuff. What I wouldn't give to be able to pick her brain..."

"Thou couldst attempten to finden her," H'aanit suggested. "I am sure that she remaineth somewhere in Goldshore. If we beginnen our search, we may finden her soone."

Alfyn nodded at that. "Alright... Yeah," he agreed. "I mean, there's no reason to get set back by something like this. I'm going to try and make the most of it, startin' with findin' that apothecary. Let's get to it!" He pumped one fist in the air before starting to walk towards the back end of town where most of the activity was centered.

Olberic fell into pace with Alfyn once they had started walking, a small smile on his face. "Your skill in brewing salves is most admirable, even if that woman did not see it," he told Alfyn.

The apothecary simply shrugged. "Well, you've got your swordplay to boast of. Me? I've got my medicine," Alfyn replied.

Olberic nodded. "Just so, my friend. Neither fighting, nor curing, is a contest as such, but we all hope to triumph in our own field. And indeed, meeting fellows in the same trade can inspire a man. Make him strive a little higher." He paused before continuing. "At least, so it is among men of the sword."

That was all it took for Alfyn to figure out what Olberic was trying to do, and he had to admit that he appreciated it. Olberic could tell that despite his optimistic words, Alfyn was still a bit upset about being beat to the punch by the other mercenary back at Ellen's house. Not many people were able to see beneath the mask that Alfyn put up when facing the rest of the world, and he had to admit that he was impressed with Olberic's resolve to find the truth.

Still, that didn't mean Alfyn was in the mood for particular emotional vulnerability or saying how much it hurt to be diminished as an irritation by Marlene, so he chose to grin and nudge Olberic in the side. "I guess you've had your run-ins with rivals who you hated losin' to too, huh?"

Olberic frowned at that, and Alfyn couldn't tell if he was upset with him for clamming up on him or if the apothecary had inadvertently poked at a sore spot by accident. "That would be all of them," he began, though he recovered from the light jab quickly. "But unlike swordsmen, the world can never have too many gifted healers."

"My thinkin' exactly," Alfyn nodded. "That's why I need to keep getting better, so I can help as many folks as I can."

"A noble ambition," Olberic said as he focused his attention straight ahead. "And that's why you want to meet with this other apothecary before we leave town."

"You got it," Alfyn confirmed. "I'm sure it'll be a nice way to get better. After all, learnin' more about the trade is the best way to make progress aside from hard practice. It's a good thing to have. After all, you don't want to wish for anybody to get bad so that you can have the practice you need, right?"

Olberic and H'aanit both nodded their agreement, and the huntress spoke as she looked down to Linde where the snow leopard was standing at her side. "Practice is crucial to any creed," she said softly, rubbing one hand across the top of the snow leopard's head. Linde nuzzled against her gently, and H'aanit couldn't hold back the smile that spread across her features at the sight.

Olberic and H'aanit stopped walking soon afterwards, and Alfyn took another step forward before he followed suit. Ahead of them, a large crowd could be seen, and the chatter was enough to make Linde curl against H'aanit as if she was desperate for defense from the noise. Alfyn couldn't help but wince at just how loud the area was. He was more than happy to be in jubilant places such as taverns, but when everyone was talking at once in such a confined space, it was much harder for him to keep his composure.

Alfyn got on his toes to try and see what was going on at the heart of the cluster of people that marked the center of Goldshore's blended residential and merchant district, but there were just too many people for him to make out what was happening. He let out a sigh before falling back onto his heels. "What's all the hubbub?" he asked as he glanced over to Olberic and H'aanit.

"We mighte as well finden out," H'aanit replied simply as she started to step towards the center of the crowd. She made it a few feet before a voice called out her name, and that was enough to turn her attention away from what was happening, and Cyrus could be seen making his way closer to the group. He was coming down a back alley that would have been too small for Alfyn to navigate easily thanks to his broad frame, but Cyrus' general slenderness gave him the perfect silhouette to slip through.

"The crowds are making navigation of town quite difficult," Cyrus admitted as he came to stand beside H'aanit. He brushed off the edge of his robes with a small sigh. "At the very least, I was able to ascertain how to get a discount at the inn. We should be able to drop our things off there as soon as we can find Ophilia, Tressa, Primrose, and Therion. I believe Ophilia and Tressa went to try and find a few more weapons for us, but I'm unsure as to where the other two could have gotten off to."

"We can searchen for them once this crowde has been cleared," H'aanit suggested. "Right now, it is almost impossible for us to navigaten the area."

"Then let's go and see what's going on," Alfyn said certainly, taking a few steps towards the outskirts of the crowd. It wasn't going to be easy to navigate all the people to see what was going on, but Alfyn was going to do what he could to try for the time being. Besides, they would probably have to get through the crowd in order to find Ophilia and Tressa sooner or later, so they might as well save some time and take care of it then.

The others followed Alfyn closer to the heart of the crowd, though it became apparent after a few moments that it was much harder than they would have liked. Alfyn didn't know what was going on, but whatever it is, it seemed that the one at the heart of the crowd had captured the attention of almost the entirety of Goldshore. It was impressive, he had to admit, but he would have been lying if he said that he wasn't at least a little bit frustrated.

Complaining wasn't going to get him anywhere though, so he chose to focus on simply putting one foot in front of the other as he drew nearer to his destination. Everything surrounding this small mystery would come into focus soon enough... Or so he hoped.

Alfyn's chapter two is here!

Since this chapter is less of a dedicated mission for the group and more of them stumbling into what took place, I thought it would make sense for everyone to be split up and going about their own business before they come back together at the end to handle the final parts of the chapter. It's a different structure from what we saw back in Primrose and Therion's chapter twos, but I think it works well given how Goldshore is a somewhat sleepy town and the initial events that led up to Alfyn's chapter beginning are a bit more laidback. I think the division of the party for the time being is going to lead to some interesting character moments, and to say the least, I'm already looking forward to it.

This chapter generally speaks for itself. There's not much to say about it quite yet, but the odd combination of Olberic, Alfyn, and H'aanit interacting is nice for the sake of character development. I want to flesh out the dynamics among each of the characters throughout this story, and that means breaking things up from routine every once in a while. I think it worked out rather well, and I'm looking forward to seeing where our funky little group of three (now four) goes next.

In next week's chapter, we'll continue with Alfyn's chapter two by properly introducing this mystery apothecary of ours. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!

-Digital