Disclaimer: I own neither Goblin Slayer or Red Dead Redemption.

Chapter 10

"Tch. This isn't good."

Lenny's nose crinkled as he looked at the mess of what was once cow colored the ground. Its insides were missing and it was stripped down to the bone of its meat like it had been torn out viciously. Lenny felt a bit sad at seeing it, as he had grown a bit fond of the cow that was so mercilessly slaughtered.

"Whatcha thinkin', boss? Some kinda wild animal? Maybe some evil creature?" Lenny asked, squatting next to Farmer, Cow Girl's uncle.

"Maybe… it sure was savage enough with her, wasn't it…" He answered, rubbing his chin in worry.

"Uncle!" The two stood straight, watching as Cow Girl came running over with a worried frown. "It looks like several of the chickens are gone, too. I'm not sure if they were eaten or taken, but…"

"Damn it, of all things to happen right now!" Farmer snapped, kicking a bucket nearby on the ground. "This isn't good… I need to have this taken care of before it becomes a bigger problem."

"You want me to go lookin' for whatever it is that did this?" Lenny volunteered.

"What, no. Who knows what it could be."

"Goblin Slayer just left on another quest, too…" Cow Girl said longingly. Lenny batted the small pang of jealousy, focusing on the matter at hand.

"So what are we gonna do then? Who knows when whatever this thing is will be back."

"Hm… guess I don't have a choice but to put a request in at the guild." Farmer sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Well… to do that, we should at least know what it is we're lookin' at." Lenny suggested, following the trail of blood back to the forest lining the farm. "It could be just some crazy hungry animals or somethin' much worse. We don't wanna send the wrong people after somethin'." Farmer looked hesitant, knowing what Lenny was implying. So he pushed further. "Come on, boss. There ain't much choice left in what to do. Let me go follow the trail and figure out what this is. I won't try and fight it or nothin', I'll just get the best idea I can."

"By yourself? But that's…" Cow Girl looked worried, her eyes trailing to her uncle.

"... I hate to say it, but he's right. We can't just put a quest up without some details. But don't go doing anything stupid, okay? You get whatever we need to know and hightail it out of there. Don't stick around." Farmer said, earning a firm nod from Lenny.

"I won't do nothin' rash, trust me." Lenny said, sparing a look around. Nearby in a stump was a two handed wood cutting axe. He dislodged it from the trunk, carrying it in hand. "I won't pick a fight, but it's better than havin' nothin'."

"Right. Just be careful." Farmer nodded.

"Don't stray too far…" Cow Girl said, still concerned. Lenny took some solace in her worry at least, giving them both a nod before following the trail. He certainly wasn't a tracker like Arthur or Charles, but it was an easy enough trail even for a bookworm like Lenny to follow.

He tightened his grip on the axe in hand as he moved past the treeline, the trail becoming less obvious but still enough for Lenny to follow. But as he went a little deeper into the woods, Lenny found himself stopping when the trail led to a tree. "What the…" The blood trail hadn't ended, though. In fact, it went directly up the tree trunk. Following it up, Lenny's eyes trailed to the branches above.

Now, Lenny had never been one to shy away from bugs or spiders. He had always found a few species fascinating, in fact. But when he saw a thickly made web stretching from tree top to tree top, he couldn't help but feel dread fill him. Lenny immediately backpedaled, watching and listening to his surroundings with newfound paranoia.

Don't get caught off guard. Not again. I ain't dyin' like that again. Lenny's pace picked up as perspiration began to build on his brow.

*CRACK*

The distant sound of wood snapping set him off though, causing Lenny to take off in a panic, heading for the light of day he had entered from. Don't look back! Don't look!

Lenny's heart pounded in his ear. His hands gripped the axe in his hands so tight that he could feel the splinters digging in. His fingers started to go numb, but Lenny didn't think about it. JUST GET OUT!

Once Lenny reached the outer edge of the treeline, feeling the direct sunlight beat down on his skin, Lenny came to a rough stop, breathing uncontrollably. He leaned on his knee with one hand while the other massaged his chest, trying to get his wits about him. His heart continued to beat in his ear, and he could barely hear as Farmer and Cow Girl approached.

"Ranch Hand? Ranch Hand! Are you okay?" Farmer called out, reaching a hand out and touching Lenny's shoulder. Lenny recoiled immediately, only now taking notice of the two as he stared at them with owlish eyes.

"R-Ranch Hand? What happened? You look terrified…" Cow Girl asked in worry. It took Lenny a moment to calm himself down, eyes darting between them before he started to slowly steady his breath.

"S-Sorry, I was… I'm okay, I jus'..." Lenny scrambled his words, breathing in and out deeply to try and compose himself.

"What is it you saw out there?" Farmer asked, concern coloring his expression.

"We uh… we got a spider problem." Lenny finally mustered up. "Big ones. I didn't see 'em, but the webs were definitely big enough. Really big webs."

"Giant spiders?" Farmer mumbled, stroking his chin. "Didn't think we'd get a problem like that way out here… usually they'll stick to deep caverns or sewers…"

"Still, this is bad. We don't have a choice to put in a request at the guild." Cow Girl pointed out, earning a nod from her uncle.

"Yeah. Giant spiders wouldn't typically cost too much to deal with, but this is a special circumstance… We don't know how many there are, either." Farmer nodded, rubbing his chin. "Well, I've got quite a bit saved up, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Okay." Cow Girl shifted her attention to Lenny, who was starting to calm down, wiping his head with a rag. "Are you okay, Ranch Hand? Maybe you should rest for the day."

"Yeah. Thanks for investigating for us. You can take the rest of the day off and relax." Farmer offered, concern coloring his face.

Lenny looked between the two tentatively, biting his bottom lip. "N-No, that's alright… I just need to walk it off. I'm good." Lenny shook his head before clearing his throat. "In fact, why don't you give me the coin. I'll ride into town and put in the request."

Farmer raised a brow. "Are you sure? I figured you might want to rest."

"Nah, I'm okay boss. Besides, I clear my head better when riding." Lenny dismissed his concern.

"Do you want me to get you some water?" Cow Girl offered in concern.

"No thank you, miss. I… I appreciate it, though." Lenny shook his head, giving her a grateful smile.

"Well… if you're sure, I can go grab the money. But don't push yourself when you don't have to." Farmer suggested.

"I'm fine, really boss. Besides… if we're lucky, I can get us the best guy at the guild to help us out."


I musta looked mighty brave back there.

Lenny couldn't stop himself from sighing. He rode into town as promised, heading for the guild by cart. It had taken a little more convincing, but Lenny was able to get Farmer and Cow Girl to let him put in the request. He was glad they did, as the ride there had helped him wind down from his panic attack. But as his heart steadied and thoughts cleared up, Lenny couldn't help but feel some shame at his episode.

One whiff of trouble, and I turn yellow-bellied. What's wrong with me?

Lenny didn't need to ask that question. He knew. Death had left its stain on him. The pain. The fear. It still haunted him. There were nights he'd wake up covered in sweat, recalling the rooftop. Looking at Arthur one moment before turning to see two deputies coming up, one with a shotgun in hand. And the pain. It was brief, but Lenny recalled every agonizing second of pain he felt as darkness took him. He didn't tell Arthur, but he remembered hearing his voice and the vague touch of his hands. But it was as brief as the pain, the light in his eyes having vanished and all feeling leaving his body.

I don't want to feel that way again.

Lenny wasn't dumb. He knew death was inescapable. But that didn't mean he was in a rush to die again.

Lenny wiped his forehead with a rag, composing himself as he slowed the cart to a stop. He parked close to the guild entrance, hopping off and walking through the revolving doors.

"He's still not back?" Lenny couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his lips, feeling relief when he heard Arthur's voice. His oldest friend stood at the front desk, speaking with Guild GIrl.

"No, not yet. It was for a distant village after all. If all goes well, he'll likely be back tonight or in the morning." Guild Girl explained with a somewhat depressed tone.

"Musta been a mess… I was plannin' to make us a bit of money today, too." Arthur sighed, massaging his chin.

"Well, you could always help an old pal if you're available." Lenny called out, drawing Arthur's attention to him.

"Ah, Len-er-Ranch Hand!" Arthur smiled, the two clasping hands and hugging briefly. "Whatchu' doin' here?"

"Just what I said. Lookin' for help." Lenny explained, walking over to the desk so that Guild Girl was part of the conversation. "I'm glad I caught you. I was about to put in a request for the farm I work on."

"What trouble you dealin' with?" Arthur leaned on the desk next to him. Lenny produced the parchment and reward money Farmer had to offer, pushing it to Guild Girl.

"Spiders. Giant ones. I know they're not usually too big of a threat, but we don't know just how many there are or where their nest is."

"I see. Strange to hear that giant spiders would be out by a farmland like that, though…" Guild Girl mumbled, inspecting the request and reward. "Looks like a decent reward for the job, too. Considering the small amount of details, it seems fair. I'm sure it'll be easy to get an adventurer to take the job." She reassured with a smile.

"That's good to hear. We can't afford to let this problem sit for too long, neither." Lenny suggested. "They killed and took some of the livestock already. Gotta be dealt with quick as can be."

"Well, hell. You don't need to put a request in then." Arthur reassured, patting Lenny on the shoulder. "We can handle this ourselves."

"I was plannin' to ask, but I at least thought you could use some pay." Lenny admitted with a laugh. "Only seems fair."

"Ah, forget that. When's the last time we got to really ride together?" Arthur asked with an eager grin. "We'll handle your little spider problem real quick."

Lenny smiled but his face stiffened, eyes falling to the ground. He knew what Arthur was implying. But after the scare in the woods, Lenny knew it wasn't a good idea. "Listen… I-"

"W-Wait!"

Lenny and Arthur drew their attention up, looking at two young kids approaching them, a boy and a girl. They looked to be fifteen or sixteen, just a few years younger than Lenny. The boy had dirty blond hair and wore basic leather armor on his upper body and forearms over a tunic. The girl had long auburn hair and wore a white and maroon mage's robe. A sword dangled at his hip while a chanting staff hung from her back.

"We only heard a bit about giant spiders, but we wanted to know if that quest was still available?" The boy asked, looking somewhat desperate.

Arthur and Lenny spared a look at one another before looking back at the kids. "You serious?"

"Y-Yes! Very!" The boy nodded fervently.

"We've been cleaning the sewers out non-stop. We'd really like a change of scenery…" the girl said this time, sounding tired.

Arthur rubbed the hairs on his chin, looking at Lenny for a moment. "Whatchu' think? Should we bring these little green horns along?" Arthur asked, sounding amused by their plea.

"I mean, hey, if you think we'll need the help. Or the bait, maybe." Lenny smirked, entertaining the idea.

"B-Bait?" The kids repeated.

"Well, sure. We gotta serve up somethin' for those creepy crawlers, don't we?" Arthur grinned as he leaned in and inspected the kids. "Givin' them some fresh meat like you two might just do the trick! What do you say?"

"Gunslinger!" Guild Girl scolded, earning a laugh from Lenny and Arthur, the two kids looking visibly shaken by his words. "You're being mean!"

"I'm just bein' real! Who knows what could happen on a quest like this." Arthur held up his hands.

"True enough. We still don't got much idea on how many either. Could be pretty dangerous for some greenhorns." Lenny, while still amused, spoke honestly. "You sure you're up for that?"

The pair shook a little bit, but soon took a deep breath. Courage seemed to return to them as the boy spoke first; "Y-Yes! We need to start doing more as is, and… this could be our chance!"

"We'll do what we have to! Even if it means being… bait." The mage girl didn't seem too confident at the end, but remained committed.

Arthur hummed, looking at Lenny from the side again. "Whatcha' think, Ranch Hand? Maybe give these ankle biters a fair shake?"

Lenny tapped his foot on the ground as he took a moment to think. While he was concerned for the safety of these kids, he was also concerned about sending Arthur in alone. He knew as well as anybody how dependable Arthur was, but it gave him some peace of mind knowing that he would have some support. And after that scare, I'm afraid I'm more than useless…

"Why not. They got the guts to ask, so maybe we should." Lenny shrugged, bringing some hope to the young adventurers.

"Fair enough… Say, Guild Girl. Just how high ranked would this kinda quest be usually?" Arthur asked, turning back to the receptionist.

"Oh, judging from how little we know… likely a steel rank." Guild Girl said, inspecting the parchment. "Giant spiders alone might usually be around porcelain rank, but the special circumstances call for something a bit higher. The pay is 200 silvers as well, so that's considerably high."

"Th-That much?" The boy mumbled as his eyes started to shine.

"Please take us with you!" The girl begged at this point, putting her hands together and bowing.

"You kids are real desperate, ain't ya?" Lenny laughed.

"No kiddin'. Enough beggin' already. It's startin' to be pathetic." Arthur sighed, causing the two young adventurers to slump their shoulders. "Alright… how about we make a deal. If you two come along and carry your own weight well enough, I'll let you split the reward amongst yourselves."

"R-Really?!" They exclaimed almost too quickly.

"But if I end up havin' to take care of you kids like some sorta wet nurse, you ain't gettin' a single silver." Their expressions immediately fell at that.

"Mister Gunslinger, that's a bit harsh…" Guild Girl said, biting her bottom lip.

"I ain't in the business of bein' their babysitter. They wanna come on a dangerous quest, they gotta hold their own." Arthur said, somewhat coldly. He turned back to the two with a firm expression. "What's it gonna be then? That's my only offer. Without me, you wouldn't be able to take this level of quest, after all."

The pair hesitated, silently looking at one another. It took a moment but they both nodded their affirmation. "We'll carry our weight! I promise!"

"We won't hold you back!" The girl said.

Arthur took a moment before shrugging. "Alright. I guess you can come." The pair breathed out in relief. "Now before we go, what're your names?"

"Oh, I'm Rookie Warrior, and this is Apprentice Cleric. Pleased to meet you." The boy introduced them.

"I look forward to working together!" Cleric said, bowing in appreciation. "So you know, I'm capable of using two spells in one day. Holy Smite and Minor Heal."

"Okay. Guess we'll save those for an emergency." Arthur nodded, looking back at Rookie. "That the best armor you got? Don't know if it'll protect much from a giant spider bite."

"Y-Yeah, it's... the best I can afford." Rookie Warrior admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "B-But it's still not bad. It's easy to move around in and sturdy enough for light damage!"

"Maybe… guess that's what you need this quest for then." Arthur chuckled. "Alright, why don't you two go and get whatever you need and we'll leave in twenty. Might as well get ahead of this now."

"Yes sir!" They immediately scrambled off to retrieve their things.

"Think they're ready for this?" Lenny asked curiously.

"Probably. Aside from lookin' ugly, giant spiders ain't that big of a deal." Arthur shrugged. "They probably need the silver more than I do anyway. Let's get some supplies of our own while those two scurry around."

"I'll be sure to put you three down for the quest, then. Do be careful!" Guild Girl smiled as she began to write in her log book.

"We'll see you when it's done." Arthur tipped his hat before walking toward the exit with Lenny. "So Lenny, whatcha' thinkin' of fightin' with?"

"Er, well…" Lenny bit his bottom lip nervously.

"If you want, I can buy whatever weapon you want. Somethin' you're familiar with. All that farmin', I bet you'd do good with a shovel." Arthur joked. "Course, if you want, you can use one of my guns. I know you know how to use one."

"Listen, Arthur…" Lenny sighed, coming to a stop just as they set foot on the dirt path. "I… I don't know if I…"

Arthur raised a brow. "If what?"

"If I… can help." Lenny admitted finally, his head hanging. "I… when I was out there, I… I froze up. Somethin' fierce, too. And I ran soon as I could move. I'm not… I'm afraid, Arthur. Afraid of dying. Again."

Lenny slowly trailed his eyes back up to Arthur. While Arthur was generally kind to him, he was also the type to tell someone to toughen up. He never pushed too hard, but he did give a hard time when he had too.

But as his eyes landed on Arthur's expression, he saw conflicting emotions, disappointment but understanding coloring his face.

"... I see. I understand." Lenny's eyes lit up in surprise.

"You do?" asked Lenny, unsure.

"'Course I do. I'm probably the only person who does. We've both kicked the bucket, remember?" Arthur chuckled. "You got a new life here. I don't wanna take you from it."

Lenny was nonetheless shocked by his words, feeling relief fill him knowing Arthur wasn't upset. "Thank you, Arthur."

"Sure. Now, come on." Arthur slapped his shoulder. "We still gotta get you somethin'. Even if you don't fight now, I'm sure you'll wanna protect that girl at the farm eventually."

Lenny laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean-I guess I'd fight for some things…" The two pressed forward again, heading toward the black smith. Lenny still felt some guilt over his decision, but it brought to light a question of his own:

"Hey, Arthur… if you know what it's like… How'd you get back into fighting so quickly?"

"Well, I didn't really have a choice when I got here." Arthur said with a dry chuckle. "But after that… not sure. Didn't think much about it, honestly. Just felt like the natural thing to do. After all, live or die again, I… I got a lot more to make up for than you, kid."

Lenny came to a stop, but Arthur continued forward. Lenny knew what kind of things Arthur did in the past. Some good, and some not so good. It made him wonder how much Arthur had changed in his last days. The clarity he spoke of that freed him. I guess it did a lot more good for him than I realized.


"This seems kinda excessive, don't it?" Lenny asked.

"Like I said, all that shovelin' and farmin' probably did wonders for your arms. Plus you seemed to like it well enough when we were browsin'." Arthur shrugged. The two former outlaws had departed with the pair of rookies, taking Lenny's carriage back to the farm. Sitting next to him as he drove was a newly bought battle hammer. It had a double-sided head with a cold iron shaft and leather hand wraps.

"It was surprisingly light for how it looks… guess all that farmin' did do me some good." Lenny chuckled, reaching down and taking a better look at it. He lifted it up and down in his hand, feeling the weight once again. "Thanks again."

"Don't mention it. You just let me know if you ever need somethin' else and I'll do what I can." Arthur nodded.

"Th-Thank you for the spare weapons for us as well!" Rookie Warrior shouted from the back of the wagon. Arthur had made the decision to purchase something extra for their rookie pair, buying a mace for Rookie Warrior and a smaller but solid wooden club for Apprentice Cleric. "We'll pay you back when the quest is over!"

"Focus on doin' the quest first. Carry your weight, and I might just forget whatever you owe." Arthur said nonchalantly.

"Still, it means a lot that you were willing to take us on, Mister Gunslinger. Most of the higher rank adventurers, aside from Heavy Swordsman and Female Knight, don't usually give us porcelain ranks the time of day." Cleric said, her voice grateful.

"Well, try not to make me regret doin' it." Arthur shrugged off her thanks. "Just focus on the task at hand. Remember, they're just big bugs. We squash 'em like anything else. Cleric, you'll stay at the back while Warrior and I are killin' them from the front. Warrior, use the mace instead of your sword first. Don't wanna get it stuck in one while we're fightin'."

"Yes sir!" They quickly agreed. Quietly, Cleric took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "It's okay, they're just spiders… nothing to worry about… just big bugs…"

"What are you mumblin' back there?" Arthur didn't miss a beat.

"N-Nothing, sir! Just-um-preparing!"

"Not so loud!" Rookie Warrior hushed her in a panic. Arthur turned back in his seat, eyes seeing right through Apprentice Cleric.

"Please tell me you're not afraid of bugs…"

"W-Well, I…" Cleric crumpled under his gaze, head hanging low.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me-you know we're dealin' with giant spiders, right? Biggest and nastiest bugs you'll ever meet!" Arthur pushed, staring at her in disbelief.

"We won't let that stop us! We'll do what we have to!" Rookie Warrior quickly defended.

"Maybe you will, but what about her?" Arthur demanded. "You really ready to face those things? You hesitate even a moment and it could get ya killed. Or worse."

"I-I'll be fine! I won't let it stop me, I promise!" Cleric summoned her courage, meeting Arthur's gaze. Arthur stared back into her eyes for a long moment, looking for any weakness. While she quivered a bit, she still held his gaze, and eventually he broke it.

"You better hope so," was all he said, turning back in his seat and looking at Lenny with a shake of his head.

Lenny spared a look back at the pair. They had visibly deflated after Arthur's scolding, looking down at their hands and remaining quiet. Lenny couldn't stop a quiet chuckle. "I guess you did always have a soft spot for youngin's, huh?"

"I don't know what you're talkin' about. I may just take their whole reward for that kinda talk." Arthur smirked, shaking his head. "Nah, they… they're just kids. We weren't much older ourselves when we started fightin' for survival. In fact, I think I met you when you were around their age, right?"

"A little older. About when I was seventeen, I think." Lenny recalled, smirking at the memory. "I remember finding the camp up there in the Grizzlies, hungry as a bear and desperate for a meal."

"I remember your face the moment Hosea stuck a gun to your head when he found you by his horse." Arthur laughed, eliciting one from Lenny in return.

"Man~, I nearly wet my trousers when I saw that barrel stick in my face." Lenny grinned as the memory flashed in his mind. "Lucky for me, you all was decent folk."

"Contrary to the shit Bill gave you at first. Took him awhile to forgive you for sneakin' into camp while he was on watch duty. Hosea certainly gave him an earful for that." Arthur recalled, earning another laugh from Lenny.

"Yeah, but Bill came around eventually. Which was a big shock, because I thought he'd never forgive me for that one. Big ol' white fool with a chip on his shoulder. But Dutch sure talked him down good over time." Lenny pointed out. Remembering his former mentor, a wistful feeling passed over him. "I remember… Dutch bringin' me into camp. Hearin' my story. Givin' me a bowl of Pearson's stew. I'll never forget what Dutch did for me that day. Givin' me a new place and people to call home."

Arthur's expression sombered at that, his jaw clenching as he looked to the side. Lenny frowned, looking at Arthur in concern. "What's wrong?"

"... Nothin', it's just…" Arthur gave a sad smile as he tried to put on a facade. "I wish I could remember Dutch the same way you do. For the man he was instead o' the… the man he became." Arthur linked his hands in front of him, releasing a deep breath. "Or maybe… he was always that man. And we just didn't see it."

Lenny didn't know what to say to that. Part of him wished he had been there during the gang's last days. Maybe he could have changed something. Maybe he could have kept that snake Micah from getting into Dutch's ear. But then again, if Arthur couldn't, then how could he have? Still, knowing what he did now… he couldn't help but wonder 'what if'?

It wasn't long after that when they reached the farm. Farmer met them at the border of his land and spoke to Arthur about some of the smaller details they learned after Lenny left, which wasn't much. The webs went further into the forest, but they didn't see how far as they had soon bailed out.

"So, that bothersome man decided now was a great time to go on a goblin hunt, huh?" Farmer scoffed in minor annoyance.

"Uncle!" Cow Girl huffed, crossing his arms. "It's not his fault he didn't know!"

"You know how it goes. Quests can take up quite a bit of time." Arthur defended this time.

"I know, I know. Just picked a bad time to run off is all." Farmer sighed. "We appreciate the help, at least. I hope the spiders aren't too big of a problem."

"Yeah, we'll see. I'd like to just burn 'em out, but don't wanna burn the forest down doin' it." Arthur hummed before looking back at Warrior and Cleric. "Hey! You two ready?"

"Y-Yes sir!" They both answered, straightening up.

"Tch. Kids," Arthur smirked before looking back at Farmer. "Well, we'll be off. You all take care and put some torches up around the farm. They ain't exactly excited to run by any fires and you'll see 'em comin' if some were able to get past us."

"We'll be sure to do that. Good luck out there." Farmer shook hands with Arthur.

"Be careful. We need you back in top shape so you can keep an eye on Goblin Slayer." Cow girl smiled.

"Well, thankfully, we've got another pair of eyes on him now." Arthur chuckled before tipping his hat to Cow Girl and moving to Lenny. The young man looked ashamed, head dipped and arms crossed. Arthur slapped him on the shoulder, trying to reassure him. "We'll be back soon as we can. Don't worry about nothin' 'cept protectin' the farm."

"Thanks, again. I… I wish I could help out." Lenny sighed, finally looking up at Arthur.

"Don't even worry about it. So long as I can get these kids to pull their weight, shouldn't even be a big problem." Arthur smiled, patting him on the shoulder. He turned away from Lenny and moved to the tree line. "Alright, you two! Let's get goin' before it gets dark! Gotta hit 'em while there's light!"

"Okay!" The rookie pair quickly fell in line next to Arthur, their grip tightening on their weapons. It wasn't long until they were in the forest, the shade of the trees darkening their vision. Arthur followed the same trail Lenny did, going by the dried blood and broken branches and keeping a hand on his revolver's grip.

"So… how many do you think there are?" Warrior asked from Arthur's side.

"Depends on how big. If they're big as horses, probably just five or six. Smaller, we're probably dealin' with about ten or so." Arthur suggested. "Thankfully, we'd know if it were any bigger than that."

"It's still strange that a bunch of giant spiders would be out in the open like this. They're usually hiding in caves and tunnels." Cleric mumbled, her hands wringing around her chanting sword nervously.

"Well, it could mean a few things. First would be that there's a cave nearby and they got desperate for food. Another would be that they were forced outta their old hiding place. And the last-" Arthur said, coming to a stop when he saw the trail of blood go up a tree. "Found our webs. Up above."

Cleric and Warrior looked up, both visibly grimacing at the sight. "They could be anywhere above us…"

"Yeah… worst part is, we can't burn 'em out. Not unless you can cast some water magic to put out a fire." Arthur asked somewhat hopefully.

"Sorry, that's not something I can do…" She sighed, shaking her head.

"Guess we'll have to do it the hard way, then." Arthur sighed, eyes following the webs. "Alright, come on. We'll follow the webs far as we can. If we're lucky, they'll be in a cave we can smoke out. If not, we'll draw them out."

"Okay." Warrior nodded, quickly jogging over to Arthur.

Arthur took a step forward before coming to a complete stop. He felt something loose underneath his foot, looking down to see his boot caught in a web. "... Ah, shit-STAY BACK!" Arthur shouted to the pair, causing them to freeze in place. As they did so, Arthur found himself hoisted upward by the boot, a web jerking him up into the air. Arthur cursed as most of his arsenal save for his offhand revolver fell off of him as he was brought up into the air. He now hung from a high tree, his leg suspended by a web.

"Gunslinger!" Cleric and Warrior ran underneath him, looking up in panic.

"I'm fine! Keep your eyes open!" Arthur snarled, grabbing his one remaining gun from its holster and cocking the hammer. It was hard to see what was going on, hanging upside down. But he had to adjust quick, or it could mean death. "This was a trap!"

"A trap?! But how could giant spiders come up with that?!" Warrior blanched, pulling out his new mace and keeping his head on a swivel.

"It means someone or somethin's controllin' them!" Arthur informed, reaching for the axe on his hip and keeping it in his free hand. "If they set a trap, then that means they're gonna-"

"M-Mister Gunslinger! Above you!" Cleric screeched, pointing past Arthur into the brush above. Arthur looked up and cursed his luck. A giant spider, at least the size of a wolf, was now crawling its way down toward him.

This ain't startin' great.

Arthur steadied his gaze and leveled his revolver at the spider's head.


"Lunch is almost ready, Ranch Hand."

"Gotcha…" Lenny leaned an elbow on the windowsill overlooking the barn, his eyes glued to the treeline bordering it. Try as he might, he couldn't shake the regret gnawing at his gut since Arthur left. He had sent his only remaining friend from his old life to fight for the barn he lived on. Whatever danger was out there, Arthur was facing it with two rookies at his back.

And here Lenny was, sitting around like an anxious dog. What am I doin', sittin' here with my tail tucked between my legs? He rubbed his hand over his lips, his eyes drifting from the treeline to the battle hammer Arthur generously provided him. His foot tapped against the hardwood floor as he felt the urge to pick it up and charge out the front door. That was then batted back by the brief memory of his anxiety attack. It was as if Lenny's heart was waging war over what he should be doing.

"You're making the right choice, kid." Lenny's eyes darted up to Farmer, the older man watching him with his firm scowl.

"Am I?" Lenny asked, not having to ask what he meant.

"You are. Leave it to your friend to handle a few spiders." Farmer said, walking over to a chair against the opposite wall and taking a seat. "No need to get antsy over them."

"It ain't that…" Lenny sighed, leaning his elbows on his knees as he looked at the ground at his feet. "I… I used to be able to fight, you know? I used to go out there and do… stuff like Gunslinger. But here I am, sittin' back and lettin' someone else risk their neck for the place I call home."

"So, you used to be an adventurer, huh?" Farmer ventured, earning a dry chuckle from Lenny.

"Somethin' like that. I would call us more survivors than adventurers," he answered as honestly as he could. Farmer raised a brow at that, but remained silent. "We used to pull off some dumb and crazy stuff together. I used to run in first to danger like any one of those fools out there. I was good at it, too."

"I see. So… what happened?"

"... Let's just say that… I had one close call that was a bit more than just 'close'." Lenny mustered up the best he could think of to describe his death. "I got separated from Gunslinger in the process, and… wound up with you guys in the process. And now, I can barely look at trouble without gettin' shaky!"

"That''s not so bad though, right?" Lenny's attention was drawn to Cow Girl. She leaned on the doorframe of the room, her eyes filled with concern. "You've stayed out of trouble and you work harder than anyone. What's wrong with not throwing yourself into danger anymore?"

Lenny felt his anxiety level out, feeling grateful once again for Cow Girl's concern. Her words brought a stillness to his heart. He truly wished her heart wasn't completely consumed with Goblin Slayer.

"She's right. You're a smart kid, Ranch Hand. You've always had a good head on your shoulders. Better than our farm deserves, I think." Farmer said, giving a small but rare smile. "Whatever survival you fought for before, it's not a concern now. Let others do the fighting so you can live a life without that struggle."

Lenny pursed his lips, looking to the side in contemplation. Maybe they're right. His life since living on the farm had been hard but honest and rewarding. He had made good friends with Farmer and Cow Girl, and life had never been difficult. Hadn't he done enough fighting and surviving in his old life? Didn't I come here for a second chance at somethin' else?

Keep others from suffering the fate you did.

Lenny's body shuddered when those words echoed in his mind. A grim reminder of what he heard after his death echoing in his ear. But… what does that mean?

*boom*

Lenny jumped to his feet as the nostalgic sound of a colt .45 echoed from the forest.

"What the hell was that?" Farmer muttered, standing from his seat.

"Gunslinger…" Lenny answered quietly.

*boom boom boom*

"I didn't think we'd be able to hear that all the way from here. I guess his magic is pretty strong…" Cow Girl hummed, holding her chin in thought.

Lenny, on the other hand, felt a chill run up his spine. It had been some time since hearing the sound of gunfire. But the way Arthur was shooting… it filled him with dread. "I… I think they're in trouble."

"What?" Farmer and Cow Girl turned in wonder. Lenny didn't answer, his eyes immediately falling to the hammer. Without a word, he reached forward and grabbed it, hoisting it up and resting it on his shoulder.

"I'll be back. Make sure to keep an eye on the trees."

"W-Wait, what do you mean?!" Cow Girl asked, following him in concern.

"You idiot, didn't you listen to a word we just said?!" Farmer snapped.

"I did. And y'all are right." Lenny stopped in the doorway, looking back at the two. "But I ain't fightin' to survive right now. I'm fightin' for what I got now instead o' what I don't have."

"Ranch Hand, don't! You don't know if they're in trouble!" Cow Girl said, quickly grabbing his arm to try and stop him.

"I don't. But I won't know unless I see for myself. I… I don't want what happened to me happenin' to Gunslinger or those kids." Lenny pulled his arm from her grip, keeping his eyes away from Cow Girl. He was afraid that if he met her eyes, she might be more successful in stopping him. He pushed forward, ignoring the pleas of Cow Girl and Farmer as he marched out.


I'm really startin' to hate spiders!

Arthur couldn't have cursed his luck any more than he had at the moment. The giant spiders that had attempted to make a snack of him had gathered in a crowd. Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric were fighting with several on the ground. The first spider that tried to take a bite out of Arthur had fallen out of the tree dead after taking four bullets to its eight eyed face.

Unfortunately, it was soon followed by another that had jumped on Arthur's legs. Arthur had shot out two of its eyes, but it proved durable, pushing through the pain and attempting to bite into his legs. Arthur didn't have the time to initiate the reload after that, using both hands to keep the spider from sinking its fangs into him.

"Things aren't looking good!" Warrior grit his teeth as he kept the spiders around them back by swinging his mace

"A-Are you okay, Gunslinger?" Cleric asked, her head darting from the spiders in front of them to the webbed place of Art.

"No! I ain't!" Arthur snarled, using his revolver to press into the gap between the spider's fangs as he reared his axe back. He then swung his hatchet into its head, causing the spider to shriek in pain. That didn't stop Arthur from pulling it back out and chopping into another section of its head, digging deeper this time and killing it. With its body going limp, Arthur tossed its body off of him and onto the ground. That caused several of the surrounding arachnids to take steps back, hissing out as they glared at Warrior and Cleric.

"You might have just… pissed them off…" Warrior mumbled as his face paled.

"Cleric!" Arthur called out, bringing the girl's attention to him. "I need you to toss me one of my guns!"

"Y-Your what?!"

"The stuff I was carryin'! Specifically the shotgun!" Arthur pointed at his model 1897 that sat at her feet. "Toss it to me and I can help!"

"Here they come!" Warrior announced, swinging at the closest spider only for it to hop back. Another came from his left, but he was thankfully able to block with his mace, keeping it from sinking its teeth into his face. But the one on his right was able to do so without issue. "GAAAGH!"

"Warrior!" Cleric cried out, quickly holding her staff out as she prepared to cast Holy Smite.

"No! Toss me the gun!" Arthur demanded. "I can save him!"

"B-But he's-"

*SQUISH*

"SKREE~!" The spider biting into Warrior's arm suddenly found its lower half being smashed hard into the ground, letting out a cry of agony. It was quickly shut up as a hammer slammed down on its head, ending its life with a splat. Arthur looked down with delight to see Lenny standing there, spider guts and blood dripping from his battle hammer.

"Y-You…" Warrior mumbled, falling to his knees as he nursed the arm that was bit.

"Get behind me! Now!" Lenny told them, stepping in front of Warriors as the spiders cautiously backed away after seeing the other killed.

"Cleric, now! Toss me the gun!" Arthur ordered, bringing the girl's attention up to him.

"But I need to-" she reached toward Warrior's side.

"Do as he… says!" Warrior managed, causing Cleric to hesitate. "I'm poisoned, so minor heal won't work… do what Gunslinger says!"

Cleric hesitated a moment longer before looking at Lenny's back and then quickly going to the shotgun on the ground. With an awkward swing up, Arthur caught the shotgun, cocking it and taking aim.

*BOOM!*

With a thunderous explosion, one of the two remaining spiders suddenly lost a portion of its head, the body twitching for a moment as it struggled on its feet for a moment before falling dead to the ground. Lenny swung his hammer at the last one, but the spider quickly hopped back before retreating deeper into the forest.

*BOOM*

The Spider screeched as part of its lower back was shot, now leaking with blood but quickening its pace to escape. Lenny watched it go for a moment longer before turning back to Warrior and Cleric.

"It's gone for now, but keep an eye out!" Lenny told them, quickly snatching up the cattleman revolver on the ground and keeping it cocked. "Arthu-er-Gunslinger! Shoot the web! I'll catch you!"

Seeing that it was now out of range, Arthur lowered his shotgun's aim to the webbing holding him up. With another blast, he destroyed the webbing suspending him in the air. He fell with a not so gracefully, but thankfully Lenny broke his fall the best he could underneath him. The two fell to the ground, but it was rather harmless aside from knocking the wind out of them.

"You got no idea how glad I am to see you…" Arthur breathed out, smirking as the two pushed off the ground.

"Yeah, I bet you were." Lenny smiled back, helping him up. "Seems like a lotta trouble came quick."

"Gunslinger, help! He's been poisoned!" Cleric announced, the two quickly jogging over to her and Warrior. He was still gripping his arm and was pale in the face, the bite in his right arm deep.

"Here, I got an antidote." Arthur handed it to Cleric. "Heal him up soon as he takes it and he'll be fine."

"Right. Chief of Justice, Lord of the Sword, ward of the scale, please grunt us healing!" Cleric chanted, a light illuminating around Rookie Warrior. The bite marks on his arm faded and the color returned to his face.

"Th-thanks. Those miracles sure come handy…" Rookie Warrior shakily laughed, slowly standing up with her help.

"Idiot! I can only use two miracles! If you do something reckless like that again, who knows what will happen?" Cleric scolded, concern coloring her face.

"You two good?" Arthur asked, picking up his sniper rifle from the ground and slinging it over his shoulder. "I know that was pretty rough, even for someone experienced."

"W-We're okay… that all just happened so quickly…" Warrior breathed out, leaning down and picking up his mace.

"That was certainly a scene to come onto. What happened?" Lenny asked, resting his hammer on his shoulder.

"We walked into a trap. Or, more pathetically, I did." Arthur sighed, shaking his head. "We ain't just dealin' with some spiders. Somethin' else is orderin' them around."

"Shit. Guess it ain't over then." Lenny cursed, rubbing his chin. His nerves were on end, but he was pushing through the fear this time and keeping a level head.

"S-So what do we do?" Cleric asked.

"I shot that thing's ass on purpose. Wanted it to leave us a blood trail." Arthur pointed toward where the last spider ran off, a small puddle of spider blood splattered on the ground. "I'm gonna give chase and make sure anything left is dealt with. If you kids want to head back, you can. Lenny, you can guide 'em back."

"N-No! We can keep going!" Warrior quickly disagreed, shaking his head. "We've come this far, I know we can do this! We were just caught off guard!"

"Look, if this is about the reward, I-"

"N-No! It's more than that!" Warrior shook his head. "We want to be adventurers, and this is just a taste of what something bigger is like. If we can't keep going here, then what's the point?"

"Warrior…" Cleric mumbled before looking at Arthur. "H-He's right. We're both willing to keep pushing on."

Arthur raised a brow, looking at both kids for a moment, feeling mildly impressed. "Well, alright then. Just don't say I didn't give you a chance before." He then looked at Lenny. "Thanks for your help again, partner. You can head back if you want. Me and the kids should be able to handle the rest from here."

Lenny clenched his jaw, taking a moment to think. "Naw, that's alright. I'm here now, so might as well see it through. I got your back."

Arthur smirked, feeling relief to know Lenny would be joining them. "You know I'm always up to ride with you, kid." Arthur slapped his shoulder. "Hold onto that gun while you're here. I know you can use it."

"Been a while, but shouldn't take long to adjust." Lenny smirked, doing a quick spin of the gun on his finger.

"Good. 'Cause whatever's controllin' these things, we're gonna need to kill it quick as we can." Arthur cocked the lever-action shotgun, taking the lead ahead of the group. He spied out the blood trail, slowly tracking the giant spider through the foliage. This time he wouldn't be caught off guard, eyes peeled for any traps. "Keep your eyes up on the trees. They could try and jump us from above."

"Yes sir!" Warrior and Cleric tighened their grips on their weapons, eyes scanning their surroundings. Lenny kept the revolver in his hand cocked as he trailed behind Cleric, taking up the rear to make sure their mage was guarded from both sides. It wasn't long until they came to a small opening in the ground like a tunnel, wide enough that one of the spiders could burrow through easily enough.

"Looks like we found where they've been campin'. Well, if they're down there…" Arthur drew a fire bottle from his bag. "We don't gotta worry about settin' the trees on fire. Cover me." Arthur made sure to step back far enough that the spider couldn't attack him from the tunnel mouth. "Fire in the hole!" He announced, underhand tossing the fire bottle into the tunnel mouth.

But just as it was about to enter, a two pronged claw reached up and caught it.

Arthur's eyes widened when the claw split it in half, the fire harmlessly falling away from the alcohol before the rest of the body came out. A large, deformed purple creature climbed out, standing at least at six feet. It had lanky arms and legs, with a body of a hunchback and the face of a spider.

"I-It's an Ettercap!" Cleric announced to the others.

"Then that's what's controllin' the spiders." Arthur grabbed the shotgun from his shoulder, but the Ettercap acted quick, shooting a web from its mouth and latching onto it. With a quick tug of its head, the gun flew from Arthur's hand. "Aw-shit!" It then launched at Arthur, jumping on top of him with a claw raised.

But Arthur had been tackled by larger. He quickly smashed his fist into the Ettercap's head, grabbing its two long fangs and keeping it from gaining total control on the ground.

"Around us!" Warrior cried out, several spiders coming out of hiding and dropping down at the four. He ran at the first spider to drop, swinging his mace down and quickly knocking it off balance. Lenny was quick to follow up, going to the other side and slamming his hammer into the fangs of another spider.

"The third's coming out of the cave!" Cleric announced, drawing her chanting sword and taking aim.

Arthur pushed the Ettercap back enough to kick it in the stomach, knocking it off the top of him. He quickly scrambled to his feet, hand drawing his revolver and taking aim. But the Ettercap quickly hopped back, allowing the spider behind it to take the lead. Arthur cursed as he fired on the spider as it got close, wounding it but not killing it as it clambered on top of him. "Son of a bitch!"

"Turn it towards me!" Cleric said, causing Arthur to look back. Electricity began to crackle around her chanting blade. "Chief of Justice, Lord of the Sword, ward of the scale, may your forces manifest before me…"

Arthur quickly shifted the spider around so that its back was toward Apprentice Cleric.

"Holy Smite!" A bolt of magical electricity shot from her chanting staff, crisping the spider in one shot. It died almost instantly, falling to the ground limp. Arthur didn't waste a moment, quickly spinning around and taking aim. The Ettercap was already jumping toward him, but not fast enough.

Time slowed down, and Arthur was fast on the draw. But just as he was about to plug the Ettercap full of holes, Arthur saw its head torn through by a single bullet. He looked to the side to see Lenny with his revolver raised, having taken the first shot. The Ettercap staggered in place, still bearing some life. Arthur, not wanting to chance it, quickly fanned the hammer of his gun, plugging its head and body full of holes to finish it off. It fell forward at its feet, going limp.

Arthur spat on the Ettercap's corpse, stuffing his revolver back into its holster. He spared a look back at Warrior and Lenny the latter leaning on the handle of his battle hammer and lowering his gun. Meanwhile, Rookie Warrior was mauling what was left of its body, striking what was already a dead spider.

"Hey! It's dead! You can stop now," Apprentice Cleric called out, causing Warrior to flinch as he finally stopped.

"S-Sorry, guess I got carried away…" He breathed out, wiping his head of sweat.

"No kiddin', kid. Still angry about that nasty bite?" Lenny asked with a humorous grin.

"Who wouldn't be?! That thing hurt like hell…" Warrior complained, rubbing the spot he was previously bit on.

"Don't whine. You're doin' just fine now." Arthur laughed, having retrieved his shotgun from where the Ettercap had tossed it.

"Still, I've gotta say, you looked way better using that mace than you do using a sword." Cleric teased.

"S-Shut up, I still like my sword…" Warrior mumbled but smiled at the mace. "But this did work really well…"

The girl laughed, causing Lenny and Rookie Warrior to join in. Their nerves were still shot, but they were joking enough to ease the tension that built up. Arthur smiled, glad to see that their party had come out fine. He slung the shotgun onto his shoulder, turning back to the Ettercap.

"Nasty thing, wasn't it?" Lenny asked, walking up to his side and looking at the dead beast. "Pretty smart for how it looks."

"That seems to be a theme with these animals." Arthur huffed, kicking its body for good measure. "Yup, it's dead. Alright, you three. Let's get goin'."

"Right!" Warrior and Cleric quickly fell in line with Arthur and Lenny, the four heading back out of the forest.

"S-So, um… Mister Gunslinger?" Warrior coughed out.

"What?"

"How did we… do?" Warrior asked, he and Cleric looking up at him hopefully. Arthur gave them a cold sideways glance before shrugging.

"I guess you did alright. You carried your weight. Albeit barely." Warrior and Cleric crumbled at what was barely a passing grade. That was until Arthur laughed. "Nah, I'm kiddin'. You kids did pretty good. You kept your heads when things went south for the most part. I'd say you earned your reward plenty."

Warrior and Cleric glowed at his words, both bowing their heads. "Thank you, sir!"

"You'll still need to work on keepin' cool heads under pressure, though. But… that's somethin' you'll learn over time." Arthur shrugged before looking at Lenny. "As for you… damn, was it good to see you in action. Good shot, by the way."

"Heh. I had some good teachers." Lenny grinned, throwing his arm over Arthur's shoulder. His expression became softer, his eyes drifting to the ground. "I was… I was still shakin' a bit, but… didn't stop me at least."

"That's what matters most. Bein' able to keep goin' even when you're afraid." Arthur smacked his shoulder before the two unhooked from one another. "I'm real proud of you."

It wasn't long before the four made their way out of the forest. They soon spoke with Farmer and Cow Girl, the two relieved as well as mad at Lenny for his sudden departure. Still, they were more than happy to know that Lenny and the others made it out safe. And in the end, after seeing Arthur and the rookie pair off…

Lenny picked up a porcelain tag for himself.

To be continued…

WOOO finally done! Man, that turned out much longer than I was expecting lol. I was expecting it to be average 6k words, but I ended up writing way more to explore Lenny quite a bit this chapter. It also helped, during the battle, to have the Bank Robbery Theme playing as I wrote haha

I also wanted to make sure Rookie Warrior and Apprentice Cleric got their fair share of action. It was tough working them in, but it seemed like a decent enough showing of the two in a different setting than their typical poop patrol (lol). Plus, it sort of goes into what my original plan for Lenny will be throughout the story! You'll see what that porcelain tag means for his future, but I will say it's more of a 'part time' gig for him. Still, it gives him a lot of options in the future and Arthur will be more than happy to call on him for help.

There is one thing I've been having trouble deciding on though… honestly I was planning on having Lenny *cough cough* possibly garnering interest from either Guild Girl or High Elf Archer. Honestly, sad as it is, I doubt Cow Girl would go anywhere but to GS, but the other two I'd say are more possible imo. So, what do you guys think? Which one should Lenny get some screen-time with to make it happen? I have ideas for how both could work and want to do it as naturally as possible. Let me know your thoughts!

Anyways, that's it for this chapter. I thought I'd give you guys a nice little New Years gift. Happy 2020 everyone, hope you're all enjoying yourselves and not too drunk! XD be sure to leave a review, a follow and a favorite, and maybe even give the TVTropes page a look! It needs some love haha