Once Dri had exited the gates of Cassardis, she turned to Rook. "Rook, if you don't mind, I have a couple of errands to run before we head to the encampment."
"Of course I don't mind Master. What errands are these?"
"I have to kill 10 goblins and bring back their ears. Also I need 5 rabbit feet, and 7 mice tails. I doubt we'll find any mice out here though. Oh, and I need 5 sunbrights and a moonglow for our healer."
Rook nodded, signaling that he understood the jobs I had. Looking around, Dri noticed that there were a few rabbits already running around the village's walls. Dri silently motioned for Rook to stay, while she quickly killed the rabbits. There were three all in total. Smiling to herself, she skinned them, cut them up for cooking later, and cut off their feet. Three down, two to go.
She and Rook went back onto the path, where the quiet was pierced by a yell. "Help me! Please!" Dri took off running, Rook close behind. There was a merchant in the path, being attacked by small, red, gruesome creatures.
"Goblins, Master!" Rook shouted. Dri nodded, drew her daggers, and dove into the fray.
A few minutes later, the goblins lay dead. Dri looked at her daggers, smeared with blood and infused with a fire spell from Rook. That had given her the edge in the battle. Dri wiped off her blades, sheathed them, then began to speak to the merchant.
"Are you alright?" Dri looked at the man, who seemed pretty shaken up by the whole ordeal.
"Those beasts! They took my supplies and some merchandise, but thanks to you, they didn't take me life. Here, to pay off some of the debt I owe you." The man handed her a coin pouch, filled with 500 gold.
"You're welcome." Dri said, storing the money in her pack. "Do you need anything else?"
The man shook his head. "No thanks. I'm making my way to the encampment, and I'll stick to the path."
Dri nodded, and watched him continue his trek. She looked back at Rook, once the man was out of earshot. "Get the goblin's ears. We need 10 sets for proof that we killed them." Rook nodded, and went to work with a small knife that Dri handed him.
After a few minutes, Rook spoke. "Master, I have four sets here."
"Thank you, Rook. Would you mind holding onto them? You can wrap them in a cloth from a goblin's body."
"Of course, Master."
Dri glanced around then, looking for a large tree. She remembered that Heraldo had told her she could find sunbrights there. After a while, she found a tree, large enough to have been there for a few decades. Making sure Rook was following, Dri started to veer off the path, toward the tree.
At dusk, Dri and Rook made camp near the shoreline. As the rabbits she had killed earlier were cooking, Dri thought back to her errands. Let's see, I know have eight pair of goblin ears, all of my rabbit's feet, and five sunbrights. I only need a few more goblins and a moonglow, and I can stop back in Cassardis before heading to the encampment. With this thought, she looked at Rook. He was stirring her stew that was steadily cooking on the fire. Pawns and Arisen, what is the connection? I feel strange asking Rook, but maybe I should.
Just as Dri was about to open her mouth, she heard a battle cry. Sweet! I don't even have to go looking for goblins, they came to me! Dri stood up, lit her lantern, and drew her daggers. Rook casted his Fire Boon, that's what he had called it when she asked, and Dri quickly finished off the small band of goblins. Smiling to herself, she collected the ears and looted the bodies. Rook went back to the stew.
After dinner, Dri caught a few hours of sleep, while Rook did whatever that it was pawns did while humans slept. Another question for another day. Dri was woken up at midnight by Rook, just like she had asked. They broke camp, and set out in search of the moonglow.
"Master, have you any clue to where we can find this flower?"
Dri shook her head. "Not really. I think I remember seeing some on the shore, but they'll be difficult to spot." They continued their search in quiet. Dri was just about getting frustrated when she noticed glowing blue moths hanging around in a group. "Rook, do you see that?"
"Yes, Master."
"Why would the moths be glowing?"
"Sometimes, those moths like to hang around moonglows in the darkest part of the night."
Dri grinned, and went over to where the moths were. Sure enough, there was a moonglow. Dri plucked it and placed in her bag. "That's all the errands I think we can do for now. Let's head back to Cassardis."
"Yes, Master."
"Also, Rook?" He turned, staring at her. "Thank you for your help."
"It was my duty, Master."
Dri nodded and led the way back to Cassardis.
A/N: SO sorry for the long wait! Life took over hardcore this week! To make it up to you, I'm posting 3 chapters.