The duo walked through the grasslands after they had successfully left the Trollclaws behind them, making good time for being on foot, but Olly was used to traveling fast. Being just a little above five feet, she had learned to keep up with the long strides of her father and brothers. Luckily they had not encountered anyone on their trek, Olly feeling the tightening lessen on her the farther she got away from the beast infested area. Ed made for good conversation, telling Olly of different adventures he had throughout his training as a Cleric. Olly liked that he had about as much to talk about as she did, his life pretty full itself with many deeds done around the countryside.
It wasn't long though until they reached some sort of civilization, a pop up village scattered in the grasslands came ahead of them by the time nightfall came. At first, Olly was scared to stay at the village, for fear it would be a solid lead for Peren to find her, but Ed assured her that it was a rare chance that someone would remember them if they only stayed for a night. Still, Olly hung back when Ed went into the local inn and asked for a room, the building fairly small and goods obviously sold out of it when the marketplace was closed.
Olly had watched from the shadows as the farmers passed by, going to their cottages and shacks while the days grind had ended. She envied them in a way, sometimes she just wanted to sit back and live a plain life, only experiencing a thrill when it came her way, instead of her chasing it. That dream though, was just one of many, Olly frustrated with herself sometimes how much she yearned for a life different than the one she had. She had been fortunate, so why yearn? Something just felt like it was missing...but she couldn't put her finger on it.
Ed had come back, getting them both separate rooms to stay in, if Olly could call it a room. It seemed more like a closet that had a small bed, but it worked for just a night. Olly had changed out of her armor, needing to stretch her sore limbs. She was sure she would slip right into sleep the moment she hit the hay filled bed, but as she lay there, she felt her muscles complain to the point where rest seemed hard to do. She could hear people out in the hallway, other travelers no doubt. Still, she lay and listened to the voices, making sure she couldn't make out anyone distinguishable like a certain Elf. She hated this fear, this fear of him, this fear of doing something wrong. She knew it was right, wasn't it? Her family had been her cornerstone, her foundation, so it was only right to jump at the call from her mother. Maybe Peren couldn't understand family, she had tried to incorporate him into hers, but the Elf had grown up around his kind, so human emotion seemed more tedious than anything.
"Fuck him" she breathed out "I love my family." And she did, she loved them so much and missed them more than she would like to think about. She had been catching herself thinking of better times, which probably meant the times she was in now weren't so good...
Olly tried to slow her brain, tossing and turning in the hay bed, feeling the crunch and crack of the straw beneath the thin sheet of cloth. She probably would have preferred finding a high enough tree and settling in on a branch than a tight closed room with a scratchy bed, but she didn't want to leave Ed high and dry to find her in the morning...
She liked the Cleric. It was hard not to like him, he made her feel comfortable, and didn't ask for anything. She was used to someone always wanting something, whether it be Peren, or whoever she was helping. Olly would get lucky every now and then and meet a really decent person, but most of the time, people didn't surprise her with good intentions.
"The world is full of beasts Olly, never forget that" she heard her father say, remembering the way he had looked when he said it. His gray hair had been flickering in the wind, those hard set eyes of his looking to the horizon, his battle scarred face known to Olly better than her own. She could remember being so small and tracing all the scars on her father's face, him telling her with excitement how he got each one. There were a few he didn't elaborate on, and Olly always figured it was a story she wasn't ready to hear just yet, like her father's leg...
Her father had seen better days, both of his arms broken, his rib cage barely in pieces, and his left leg was gone. Weylyn wouldn't speak of what happened to get him in such a condition. Olly had seen her father get hurt before, but never like that...
"Stop it" Olly tried to tell herself "You aren't getting any sleep thinking about that..."
She needed an ale, or at least something to take the edge off from not only running away from her long time partner, but also so she could stop thinking about the past. Atticus was gone, he had been gone now for years...
Olly shot up out of bed, determined to go to sleep even if she had to drink herself into the darkness. Quickly she hopped into her trousers and slapped on her boots before heading out of her closet sized room and into the small tavern that was hosting the local villagers who had now all joined together for a meal and a drink. She walked towards the bar, her eyes still scanning the crowd just to be sure the Elf didn't make it this far, and to her surprise Ed was sitting there having a conversation with a group of adventurer's. Her heartbeat elevated a bit when she noticed Ed wasn't just talking to some humans, he was talking to a big ass hobgoblin and his grew, the group talking and laughing together as Olly approached. Hobgoblins were generals of battle and destruction, she only hoped this one and his crew weren't at the tiny village to cause trouble...
"And so there we were" Ed said holding up his glass "And just like that she shot into the air and took down the Troll with almost a instant hit! After that, it was smooth sailing boys"
The group laughed and nodded in agreement. Olly couldn't believe that Ed could just make a Hobgoblin laugh so easily, usually they were nothing but sneers and growls...
"How does he do that?" Olly smiled not understanding the sight before her.
"Oh hey! Just the person I was talking about!" Ed said looking over at her "My friends, meet the great Allana Duer."
"Ed!" Olly hissed at him but the leader came up to her with a tusked smile.
"Do not fear small one" the Hobgoblin said handing her a pitcher "The Cleric has told us of a Elf that has been bothering you two. We will not speak your name if we should cross paths with him."
Olly looked over at Ed, who although was a tiny bit intoxicated, but nodded at her that the hobgoblin was speaking truth.
"My thanks" she said steadily "and thank you" holding up the pitcher. The leader seemed to like her response, his red skin and dark long hair the biggest and scariest thing in the room as the villagers noticeably shrunk at his presence as he moved back to his spot at the bar. Olly sat next to Ed, continuing to listen to the conversation he was having with a Half-Elf and her partner, sipping on the ale and enjoying the hustle around her. Moments where she was quiet and everything else around her was moving sometimes felt so surreal to her, but it wasn't until Ed nudged her did she come out of her thoughts and back to the now.
"These guys say that the Trollbark Forest may be a quicker way up to Triboar" Ed said, his speech slurring a little. Olly only smiled at the Cleric who was trying to help, her own long sips starting to take effect.
"Do you think it's a safe plan?" she said talking quieter as she looked over at the other group.
"I think we will be alright" Ed said nodding "I mean, we've got you after all."
"Thanks" Olly murmured, her eyes being cast down.
"Why does that bother you?" Ed spoke plainly.
"I'm always the muscle" Olly sighed "But I don't mind us going into the forest. It may be better cover for us anyways..."
"You aren't the muscle" Ed said a little taken aback with a look from Olly "I mean, you aren't just muscle, you are the brains and everything else... I'm the one that's just support. But I can be more for you if you trust me."
"I trust you" Olly said nodding a little "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just so used being ordered around on what I'm supposed to do I didn't think there was a different option."
"The elf isn't here Angel" he said taking a sip as Olly whipped her head at him with the nickname he had so bodly gave her "I'm not here to order you to do anything. This is your quest, you are the one leading. If you think going through the forest isn't a good idea, then we won't go, if you want to stick to the road, we will stick to it. Everything is your choice here."
Olly was quiet after that, hearing Ed's words. It was her choice, it was her choice to be here, to be with Ed, to go save Nole. She could have chose to follow what Peren wanted to do, she could have chosen anything, but she chose this. The feeling of being in control again was something Olly hadn't felt in what seemed like years, and it frightened her.
"What if I make the wrong choice?" Olly said into her drink.
"Then that's where I come in" Ed beamed at her "I'll take care of it if you can't. I'll pick you up when you need it, but I think it might be the other way around if I'm being honest." Olly could tell by his speech and the fact that he was one his sixth ale that he was. Drunks were always honest, if only for that moment.
"Thank you" Olly said again "I think I'm going to head to bed."
"Did I upset you?" Ed asked getting a little close to her so that nobody would over hear "I don't want to upset you."
"You didn't upset me" Olly smiled at him "Just gave me a lot to think about..."
"Hey priest! Are you and the lady going to join us for one more round?!" the group beside them called out.
"My lady is going to rest" Ed yelled back but Olly grabbed his arm quickly.
"I can stay" she said looking up at him, her own bravery getting the best of her "I don't mind having one more drink, then we can go to bed."
Ed nodded, moving with her back to the group although Olly caught Ed's balance once or twice. The group introduced themselves, the hobgoblin calling himself "Orip", the half elf said her name was Lita, and the other three were lesser hobgoblins named "Terf, Hukk, and Simash. They all talked joyfully about places they had been, things they had seen, all of them wanting to know a little bit about Olly's adventures, what Hukk called "the stuffs of legends." Olly didn't feel like storytelling tonight, but she couldn't resist them asking about the giants...
"Please?" Lita said with a cute pout that made Olly blush a bit, that half-elf face of her's pointed and perfect.
"Alright" Olly said sheepishly "What do you want to know?"
"What was the castle like!" Lita interjected before the others.
"It was enormous, but that's all giant dwellings" Olly said "Except Cloud Giants have castles instead of fortresses or mountains."
"What happened? Did your father really kill Ulrich the Unbalanced?" Orip asked wanting to know the bloody details.
"Yes he did, but it was for a good reason" Olly said as the group came around her "See we had seen the castle when we had gone scouting near the Storm Horns, my father spotted it first, but my brother was the one that was able to track it until it settled along a cliff side. We had no clue going in who Ulrich the Unbalanced was or what kind of terrors he had wrought."
Olly looked at all their faces, listening to her every word. In retrospect, this must be like meeting a legend in person, hearing the tale of the Duers vs. the Giants from the mouth of a Duer themselves. She wished in another life she could have been a Bard, then she could make a living just telling stories.
"Maybe for retirement" Olly mused, but she knew like most Monster Hunters, retirement usually didn't mean a nice quiet living in a cabin. Usually, retirement was met at the end of a sword or the end of a tooth.
"So did the giants greet you or did you sneak in?" Hukk butted in trying to get a good spot to listen to Olly. Ed scooched in closer to her, Olly realizing that they were almost touching shoulder to shoulder.
"We went up to the doors and were greeted actually" Olly sipped into her drink again "Ulrich and his mate Otilia were pleased to have visitors, and showed us around the place. I was pretty young, I think no older than eleven or twelve, and all I remember is trying to keep up with not only the giants's strides, but also my families. The castle felt like it was made of air, but it was solid. It's hard to describe without sounding too poetic" Olly blushed and Lita giggled at her, nudging her to continue.
"It wasn't until we met the children did all the trouble really start" Olly shook her head "The Cloud Giants have a reputation. Most of them only care about material things, looking good to others to advance their status in their community, wealth and riches and all of that stuff. Well, these Giants had one of the largest and most elegant castles that actually moved through the air itself, so they were high up in status. When my father and brother went to talk to Ulrich alone, I was taken to the children. There was the oldest boy, Caspar, who decided I was boring and left soon after meeting me. Then there was Iridessa the middle girl, and the baby Symon who was about the size of a young dragon. Iridessa liked me, so she took me around the castle to all the places her parents wouldn't show us. That's when I saw what Ulrich the Unbalanced had kept away from prying eyes so high up in the sky."
"What was it?" Ed asked beside her, entranced as the others were with the story.
"Cages, cages and cages full of things. I saw cages of wild animals, to actual people. Twelve Drows were caged together, their limbs reaching out for me for help, but I was so afraid, so unsure of what to do. I knew it was wrong, and knew I had to tell my father as soon as I was alone with him. Then the mother Otilia found Iridessa and I and quickly hustled us out of the rooms with the cages, threatening she would squish me if I told a single soul of their "presents.""
"Presents? What scum" Lita said sticking out her tongue.
"Exactly" Olly nodded "So when the time came, I did a secret code to my brother that meant something was wrong, and instantly my brother and father knew that they had to look into the Giant's castle further. It wasn't long until my brother found the cages, and the people inside."
"I heard about that! A great fight broke out between Weylyn Duer and Ulrich the Unbalanced" Orip bellowed slamming his mug down. Olly couldn't help but like the jovial Hobgoblin, it was a nice turn around from the usual one she met with a axe ready at her throat.
"It's true" Olly smiled "while my brother and I released all the captives, along with the help of the young Iridessa, my father faced off against Ulrich the Unbalanced. The other Giants argued between each other of whether they should help the daughter or the father, but either way, we were able to free everyone the Giant had enslaved. Ulrich was defeated, and in a truce my father didn't come after the rest of the family and told them to leave the Sword Coast until the next millennium."
"Ha! A merciful truce in my opinion" Orip grinned at his comrades who nodded but thanked Olly for telling the story.
"We better get going Orip" Lita said snagging his collar "We need to get up at dawn to be able to make the road."
"Why not just go through the forest Lita?" Ed asked curious since that was going to be their plan.
"Some villager came to us from the forest, saying all sorts of things about a wicked black beast, and the whole village was in trouble. We don't need that kind of hassle, and there's no pay as far as I'm concerned" the Half-Elf said pushing her bigger comrade up and to the rooms of the tavern. Olly bid them all goodnight as they thanked her again for the tale, heading to bed with stumbled footsteps after many pints of ale.
"A wicked black beast eh?" Ed said turning to Olly.
"Probably just a soot sprite having a little fun" Olly shook her head.
"Not likely" the bartender said taking the empty ale mugs away to the back "Two or three people have come out of the forest talking about people made of stone. Nobody has heard from the local Ranger so we thought it might be taken care of. It would be nice though to have someone check, though I doubt many of these farmers are willing to leave their crops to go on a wild goose chase."
"We might be up for a wild goose chase" Ed slurred, his eyes blinking in and out as sleep tried to grip him in his state.
"What?" Olly said turning to him.
"I mean, we are going through there anyways right?" Ed motioned with his cup, ale spilling a bit on the ground. Olly decided it was time for her companion to hit the sack as she nodded in agreement to get him to put the cup down as the Cleric continued on "I mean, we might as well? People might be hurt, or in trouble and it's- hic- it's my duty" he said looking at her "So we are going to help. You can-hic- count on us."
Olly nearly groaned as she thanked the bartender and dragged her friend away, the villagers around already talking of the two going into the forest. She could hear their frantic whispers, the talk of excitement and hope.
"Maybe there is something out there..."Olly thought to herself, but it wasn't until she heard the snoring of Ed hanging off of her shoulder that she got back to the task at hand. The human man was heavy in this state, but thankfully she was able to tug him into his room and let him collapse on his bed. She looked down with a bemused smile, the Cleric looking like a little boy as he flopped into a comfy position and went straight to sleep. Surely he would no doubt be dreaming of the Giants in the sky, much like she had done after hearing tales of them from her father.
"Lucky you" Olly breathed out "Least someone will get some rest tonight."
As for her, she was going to go back to her own room, and try and prepare for whatever trouble Ed had gotten them into in the morning.
