4. The Place of Ashes
The rogue comes home to the champion's dinner. The children look up from their homework and smile.
The rope ladder led to the forest clearing where Bobby and Uni awaited. The cloud moved on, sailing the wind.
"Took you long enough, old man," said Bobby.
"It's an old polo injury, okay?" said Eric. "Or maybe a fresh dragon one."
"Don't worry, we're almost there."
"It's not the distance, Bobby. There's no such thing as a random encounter – every trip gets one encounter. That's how it works."
"You're getting grumpy in your old age," said Diana, walking into the woods.
Eric grumbled and followed, slashing at the underbrush with his saber. One of the trees lashed back, sending Eric sprawling.
The humanoid plant uprooted itself and advanced, brandishing vine and thorn.
"Encounter!" Eric screamed.
Diana jabbed with her staff, but the creature dissolved into the vegetation and emerged behind her. She dodged the clawing branches.
"Wait!" said Bobby. "It's not our enemy."
"Wanna try telling that to the tree?" said Eric. "Now we know how Snow White felt."
Uni stepped between Diana and the writhing vines, horn poised. The creature hesitated and let out a howl of crushing leaves.
Bobby spoke in a language Eric did not understand. There was whirlwind of debris and a fey maid stood in its place.
"It is unfit for a creature of the wild to be used as a beast of burden," she told Uni, her voice the whistling of branches. She turned to Bobby. "Your Sylvan is atrocious, fire-wielder. Your shadow is odd, yet you are a friend to the Eladrin, and the Forest."
Bobby bowed. "You honor me, Lady. We apologize for the intrusion."
"We also think you look much better than in monster form," added Eric.
Her eyes flashed green. "And which is the monster, tree-cutter? You trespass my domain to bring violence. By custom it is my right…"
"Mercy, my Lady," said Bobby. "That was also a custom of the fey folk, once. The offender is a fool."
Eric started to protest, but Diana shushed him.
"If foolishness were any defense, all Mankind would be innocent."
"Like children, the drunk and the mad, they are wards of the Moon, and have a claim in your realm."
The Lady smiled. "Dryope was right: your tongue is sharper than your blade, Barbarian. I wonder what else she was right about. Touch nothing and you will be granted safe passage." She melted into the foliage.
Eric looked around. "I think we could have taken her."
"I don't," said Diana.
"And even if we did," said Bobby, "we couldn't take on the whole forest."
"You mean there's more of those…"
"Get moving, Moon-ward," said Diana.
"Hands to myself, got it," said Eric. "So, Bobby, this Dryope chick… what kind of tree was she?"
Bobby grinned. "Shut up."
#
The party traveled unharmed, at all times feeling eyes upon them. Whispers and giggles could be heard just out of sight.
The forest opened into an empty plain. Slivers of smoke indicated a village at the distance, against the backdrop of blue mountains stretching beyond the clouds. Chilling winds howled across the waste.
"Welcome to Ashvale," said Bobby, "the end of the world."
"It can't be that bad," said Eric.
"Trust me."
There were fields and pens around the village, where cabbages and goats wrestled the cold hard earth. Bobby led them to one of the wooden houses as villagers watched from behind windows.
A haggard middle-aged woman opened the door.
"Bobby!" Her face lit up. Eric recognized her then. She embraced Diana and Uni.
"Sheila, I…"
"It's good to see you, Eric." He also got a hug.
She ushered them in. Hank stood by the fireplace. He had aged too, his head prematurely grey. His smile soured when he saw Eric.
"Hank…" Eric started.
"It's not your fault, Eric. It's mine." He greeted the others, then retired with his pipe to the fireplace.
"Give him time," said Sheila. "We'll have cabbage stew. Bobby, would you find some hay and water out back for Uni?" Eric and Diana tried to make themselves useful.
"How's it been, Sheila?" asked Diana.
"Hard." She cleaved a cabbage. "We thought we would be safe from the dragons. Eventually they came here too, of course. Then we lost Bobby to the world."
"Sorry I don't visit more often," said Bobby, walking back in. "Is Eddy out setting traps? He must be huge by now."
Sheila was quiet.
"What is it, sis?"
"A dragon came for the livestock this winter – the little that remained. Edward ran away to join the defenders. He was killed."
"I'm so sorry," said Diana, holding her.
"Is this how you grieve, Hank?" said Bobby, holding back tears. "Doing nothing? Eric came here because he thought you'd have a plan. I knew otherwise."
Hank's face hardened. "You know nothing of how I grieve! I've done enough, even too much. I've failed as a leader and a father. The only thing that hurts more than that is knowing there is nothing I can do about it. So don't try to tell me how to grieve."
"Hank," said Eric, "it takes a big ego to feel responsible for everything. The dragons are not your fault. When Venger left…"
"Eric," said Diana, "Venger didn't leave."
"Fine, somebody smoked him. What I'm saying is…"
"I killed him," said Hank.
Eric took a moment to process. "You what?"
"It was the next portal opportunity after you left. We had already lost you, and had just lost one more chance of going home because of him. Something inside just snapped."
"You went back to the Dragon's Graveyard? Without my shield?"
"Didn't need to. Guess we always had the power, just not the will – probably the reason we were given the power in the first place. Dungeon Master never came to us again. So yes, Eric, I do feel responsible."
"I talked to DM. He told me the six will ride again. He means us, Hank. We need you."
"And we need him! How could he leave us like that? How could he leave me?"
"Get over yourself. If you could kill Venger we can kill Tiamat. Together."
The fire left Hank's eyes. "I'm not killing again, Eric. You don't know what it takes. Now eat, rest and be on your way. I'm done."
Hank sat by the fireplace as the others ate and talked and even laughed. In the morning, Sheila led them to the door.
"I expected DM to have shown up by now," said Eric.
"Maybe he will," said Diana.
"We still need a plan," said Bobby.
"The villagers speak of a powerful witch in a castle on the mountains," said Sheila. "Maybe she can help."
"Do they say whether it's a candy castle?" said Eric. "I feel a little divided about witches."
"It's a plan," said Bobby, heading out the door. "Will you not come with us?"
"He needs me more," said Sheila.
"I understand. I'll try to visit more often."