The rain was coming down heavily by the time her boat had reached Pelican Town's fishing dock. Hrefna slowly stepped off the boat and onto the dock, looking around to take in her new surroundings. She had seen nothing but open rough waters for the better part of 2 weeks. It was a relief to finally be at her destination. The beach itself was small and quiet. The only thing that stood out was what looked like a small fishing shop.
There was an older gentleman standing outside the shop with what looked like a fishing pole, watching them with curiosity as he slowly approached her and the man that brought her here. Quickly Hrefna reached into her cloak and pulled out a small bag of coins before tossing it to the man as she gave her thanks for the ride. Once he started the motor of his boat, indicating he was about to depart, Hrefna turned to greet the older gentleman that was approaching.
"Well, hello there. It's not everyday that this humble town gets new visitors." The man held out his hand in greeting. "My name is Willy, what may I call you miss?"
Hrefna hesitated as she looked down at Willy's hand. She was about to speak but thought for a moment longer. Her name was foreign to this country, which would make her stand out, and not in a good way. It could cause questions to arise. To be on the safe side, she decided to go by her Adventurer name; Raven. It was what her name translated to in the common tongue. Clearing her throat, she shook Willy's hand and introduced herself. "My name is Raven... Raven Firestone, it is nice to meet you Willy."
Willy gave her a bright smile. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you Raven. What brings you to Pelican Town?"
Hrefna reached into her cloak and pulled out the well worn letter before handing it to Willy. "I'm here because I inherited my grandfather's farm."
Willy looked over the letter before giving a nod of recognition. "Oh, you must be Gideon's granddaughter then."
Hrefna gave a hesitant nod, she never knew her grandfather's name before this, so she hoped that he wouldn't ask anything personal about him. "Yes, I need help finding the farm though, this is my first time being here."
Willy laughed and gave the letter back to Hrefna. "Of course, I'll take you to meet Mayor Lewis. He will be able to help you with anything you may need. It's almost 8pm so he should be at the Stardrop Saloon... Most of the town folk are, there isn't much to do on a Friday night in a small town like this."
Willy turned and started walking towards the beach and Hrefna lifted her bags before she quickly followed. It was dark by this time so she made sure to stick close. Out of habit, Hrefna discreetly pulled out her kunai; making sure to keep her hands hidden beneath her cloak as she quickly looked around her new surroundings... Observing every new thing she came across. Since everything was new, she would be on high alert until she deemed this place safe.
Willy glanced over his shoulder and smiled as he watched her look around curiously. He couldn't help but chuckle as she swiftly walked up and looked over the ledge of the bridge they were crossing.
Hrefna on the other hand tensed and clutched her kunai tightly. She wasn't sure if there were any merpeople around these parts but she needed to be sure. Full grown sirens thrived in the deep ocean but their young was a different story. Usually sirens gave birth in estuaries, leaving the local life surrounding it in terrorized destruction. The nasty little buggers ate everything. All the fish and crustaceans... At least until they get big enough to start feeding on the local villagers. Eventually, when they reach adolescent, they will finally develop their singing voice and migrate to the ocean; joining their brethren in hunting down ships to terrorize sailors.
The good news was, young sirens were easy to spot if you knew what to look for. The destruction they left in their wake made it easy to identify and she knew exactly what to look for... Narth was infested with the little shits. Looking closely, Hrefna carefully scanned the river below her, once she was satisfied that it was safe, she slowly continued to follow Willy.
"It's not often that we get guests by boat, where are you from?" Willy couldn't help himself and had to ask... He was practically vibrating with curiosity.
Hrefna only hesitated slightly as she watched Willy slowly make his way through the quiet street. Not a soul was out wandering around. "... Narth."
Willy gave a low whistle. "You're pretty far from home. I hear Narth is a pretty rough place, definitely not for the soft hearted." He paused and rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmm... I didn't know Michael had visited Narth."
Hrefna tensed slightly as she watched Willy closely.
Willy then chuckled and gave a light shrug. "But then again, he was in the military... So I'm sure he visited all sorts of places."
Hrefna slowly let out the breath she had been holding, only slightly relaxing. "I wouldn't know... To be honest, I never met him."
Willy gave her a sad smile. "That's a shame... He was a nice fella. Gideon raised him well."
Hrefna immediately took notice when Willy stopped by a brick building, pausing right next to the small set of steps. "You know, I hear Narth is known for it's Adventure Guild... Practically famous for it. If your interested, we got our own little Adventure Guild located up in the mountains. It ain't as big as Narth's but if your interested in taking out some nasty little vermins in the mine then stop by and talk to Marlon and Gil. They can get you all set up."
Hrefna perked up. Oh she was definitely interested... It was practically her best asset. " Thank you Willy, I think I will."
Willy beamed at her. "Also if your ever interested in doing some fishing, stop by my shop. I'll give ya a good deal on a rod to get ya started."
Hrefna gave him a small smile back. "I will be sure to do that too."
Willy chuckled as he turned to face the door in front of him. "Well, here we are. Welcome to the Stardrop Saloon."
Hrefna hesitated as she watched him open the door. She could hear lively music and a lot of chattering now that the door was open. Following him silently, Willy made his way to the counter.
Looking around, Hrefna took notice of all the patrons. She counted 11 people in the pub... And 3 people, who looked to be around her age, in what looked like a game room. Making a quick assessment and just out of pure habit, she looked everyone over to see if they could be particularly shady or be a possible danger to herself. Willy wasn't wrong in saying that Narth was a rough place, you had to constantly be on your toes when interacting with others. If not, you could get robbed, raped or even killed. Honestly she would rather face the monsters outside in the wild then the monsters lurking behind false masks that roamed the city.
"Mayor Lewis, there you are old friend. I have someone who needs your help." Willy went up and gently clapped the older gentleman on the back in a friendly manner.
The man looked to be in his early to mid 50s. Hrefna observed him carefully before giving him a nod in greeting.
"Well who is your friend Willy?" Mayor Lewis looked over Hrefna, taking notice that she seemed tense. He didn't really know what to make of her since she had a dark hooded cloak hiding her figure. He did noticed her unusual eye coloring though ... He has never seen anyone with one blue eye and one green eye before. She wasn't very tall either ... Probably around 5'1 or 5'2.
Before Willy could answer, Hrefna spoke up as she handed Lewis her letter. "My name is Raven. I received this letter informing me that I inherited my grandfather's farm. I need help in locating the property."
Lewis scanned over the letter before looking over Hrefna again. He was having trouble believing it. He honestly didn't think Rasmodius would be able to find her. Gideon had been looking for his long lost granddaughter for years before he died. He finally asked the local wizard for help out of desperation around 5 years ago. Of course, only he, Gideon, and Rasmodius knew that though. He honestly thought it was a lost cause and that she didn't really exist or had somehow died. "Do you have the deed to the land?"
Hrefna gave another nod before handing the deed over to Lewis. He looked it over carefully, before giving her a nod. It was indeed the correct deed. He will have to pay a visit to Rasmodius and ask him how he had found her. Lewis gave her a forced smile before giving her the deed and letter back. "Well, welcome to Pelican Town Raven. We're a small humble town but everyone here are kind and generous people. We hope you will feel welcomed."
Hrefna noticed the forced smile and gave him one of her own. She will have to be careful of him.
"Well, I was just having dinner..." Mayor Lewis turned to face the counter again but patted the bar stool next to him. "Why don't you and Willy join me?"
Hrefna hesitated for a moment before slowly approaching the seat. She gently set down her large duffle bag and her hiking backpack that she had been carrying around. She really didn't want to stay here longer than necessary, but the smell of food had her mouth watering. She had been eating nothing but bread, jerky and water for the past couple weeks. "Very well, dinner sounds great."
"I would love to old friend but I'm afraid that I have too much to do at the shop and it's already getting late." Willy sighed sadly. "Perhaps another time."
Lewis gave a nod and charming smile. "No problem, my friend. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow."
Willy laughed and nodded before looking over at Hrefna. "You take care young lady... And be sure to stop by for that fishing rod."
"Thank you Willy, and I will." Hrefna gave him another nod. "Probably sooner than you think. I'm due for a new one." Which she was... Her old one was completely worn out and barely working.
"I got just the rod for ya then. Stop by sometime before 5pm tomorrow and we will talk." With that said, Willy gave a wave before leaving the pub.
Turning around to face the counter; Hrefna was startled to see a different man standing before her, but quickly relaxed when he set down a menu.
"Welcome traveler, what can I get you this evening?"
Before Hrefna could answer, Lewis spoke up again. "Gus, this is our new resident." Lewis paused to take a swig of his beer. "This is Raven, she is Gideon's granddaughter."
"Really? You mean, he finally found her." The man named 'Gus' looked her over. "He has been looking for you for years little lady. It's a shame that he has already passed."
Hrefna shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, it is. It would have been nice to meet him."
Lewis side eyed Hrefna, taking note of how uncomfortable she was of the topic. He grew slightly more suspicious but kept it to himself for now. "What will you have to eat Raven?"
Hrefna quickly scanned over the menu before making her choice. "I'll take a plate of sashimi with a side of pepper poppers please."
"Coming right up little lady... And welcome to Pelican Town." Gus shot her a grin as he quickly wrote down her order before leaving to go make it.
The silence grew to be uncomfortable. It was then that Hrefna realized that the once lively chatter that she had heard when coming in had stopped. Taking a quick glance around, she noticed how most of the patrons were looking her over curiously and whispering amongst themselves. She quickly looked back in front of her and kept her head slightly down. She hated being the center of attention. It never ended well for her.
"Don't mind them, they're just curious... Would you like some introductions?" Lewis asked as he dug into his plate of food.
Hrefna gave a quick shake of her head. "No, that's not necessary."
Lewis looked over at her with a small frown, but Hrefna further explained before he could say anything. "It's been a long journey and I'm a little overwhelmed. I'm sure I will get a chance to meet everyone once I'm settled in."
Lewis gave a nod in understanding. "Where are you coming from?"
"...Narth."
Lewis raised an eyebrow. "Your English is really good, there's no hint of an accent. Have you lived there your whole life?" He knew for a fact that Michael had never been to Narth before, so why was she coming from there?
Hrefna tensed slightly but kept her cool. "Yes, but Narth is a melting pot of different cultures. I'm fluent in 4 languages but english is commonly spoken there so that's why I have no accent."
Lewis gave a small nod and continued to side eye her. "Michael never went to Narth, did your mother take you there after she had you?"
And there it was... That question told Hrefna that Lewis was close to her father's family... And it also told her that he was suspicious of her. She would have to be very careful around him. Hrefna waited for Gus to set down her food before giving him a nod in thanks, then finally looked over at Lewis... Making sure to make eye contact with him as she spoke. "No... My mother died when she gave birth to me. One of her best friends took me in and she was from Narth." A partial lie, but mostly true. Her mother did die and her friends did take her in, though it wasn't out of the kindness of their heart... But no one was from Narth.
Lewis's hard stare slightly softened. "I'm sorry to hear that your mother passed, that must have been hard on you."
Hrefna shrugged. He had no idea how right he was but he was right for a completely different reason. Her mother had destroyed her life in more ways than one. Hrefna sighed. "It's hard to miss someone you never knew to begin with."
Lewis's brows crinkled in confusion, he didn't think that was true but kept that to himself. "Do you know how your parents met?"
Hrefna popped a pepper into her mouth before looking over at Lewis again. "My mother was a medic, she healed my father's leg injury..." Hrefna began to eat her fish before continuing. "At least that's what she wrote in her diary. I don't know much about her or father except for what she wrote. As far as father goes, all I know is that he was from here, his name was Michael, and that he had brown hair and green eyes."
Lewis visibly relaxed. He remembered Gideon telling him of Michael's leg injury. Gideon had been so worried about him and wanted him to come home. Of course Michael couldn't, considering he was in the military. Michael had often wrote to Gideon while he was away at war. He had told Gideon all about the pretty medic that was taking care of him, which Gideon had told him all about.
Lewis looked over at Hrefna again and gave a small smile. Her appearance had been sudden and unexpected but there was no way she could have known those details if she wasn't Michael's daughter... Rasmodius really did find her. Looking back down at his plate, Lewis began to eat again. "Hmmm, well, we better hurry and eat up so we can get you to the farm. The hour is growing late and you will have a big day tomorrow. The farm is in need of a lot of work. It's been abandoned for about 4 years now."
Hrefna paused in chewing her food to look Lewis over. His posture was much more relaxed and his mood seemed to brighten. She must of said something right because he seemed far less suspicious of her now. Giving a small shrug, she nodded in agreement before finishing the rest of her plate in peaceful silence... Just how she liked it.
Abigail and Sam were talking in hushed whispers as they watched Lewis and the stranger pay for their dinner before taking their leave.
"Did you see what they looked like? Did you over hear anything?" Sam whispered excitedly as he tried to peak around Abigail's shoulder.
Abigail sighed as she tried to gently push Sam back. "No, Sam. How could I hear anything with you constantly talking." Abigail rolled her beautiful blue eyes as she brushed her bright purple hair over her shoulder. "I'm going to go ask Gus. He was talking with them earlier so he might know something."
Sam gave a quick nod and was just about to follow her when Sebastian called out to him.
"Sam ... Your shot."
Sam looked over at his best friend. Sebastian's tall frame was leaning back against the back wall as he lit his cigarette. He watched as Sebastian flicked his head to the side to move his long black bangs from the lighter's flame. The light illuminated his snake bite piercings and slightly glinted off his left ear piercing. He was dressed in dark black jeans and wore a black heavy metal band hoodie. He was looking very much like the town's number one outcast.
Of course, he sported a similar tellum hairstyle as his best friend with the exception that his hair was blond. His wardrobe wasn't as dark though. He was dressed in blue jeans and a red band T-shirt. Abigail, who was the third and final member of their little band of misfits, liked to dress in a more gothic lolita style.
"Are you going to take your shot... Or are you just gonna admire my beauty?"
Sam shook his head; just now realizing he got lost in thought and finally noticing that Sebastian's had raised a dark brow at him. Sebastian's sarcastic question finally registered. "Yeah, yeah, I heard ya."
Sam bent over the pool table and aimed his pool stick. Taking a deep breath, he slowly let it out to try and calm his overly excited nerves. Of course it did him no good... He hit the que ball too hard, causing the striped 13 ball to zip around the pool table. Sighing in defeat, Sam slumped dramatically over the pool table.
"I can't focus on this right now..." Sam excitedly brushed his fingers through his hair as his gaze zeroed in on Sebastian. "Seb, how can you not be curious about the new stranger?!"
Sebastian shrugged as he leaned over the pool table to take his turn. "Why would I care?" Sebastian's dark violet eyes narrowed and his lips slightly parted, causing his cigarette to almost fall out of his mouth. He focused on his last solid ball and took the shot. They both watched as he expertly sunk the ball in before he walked around the table to sink the 8 ball in... Which won him the game. "I'm sure we will hear all about the new stranger in a day or two. This town gossips like a bunch of school girls."
Sam shook his head dramatically in disappointment, but before he could say anything, Abigail came bouncing back in.
"So, I got the scoop!" She squealed excitedly, which caused Sam to grin widely and made Sebastian roll his eyes in annoyance.
Abigail quickly leaned over the pool table and talked in a hushed whisper. "So apparently this new stranger is old man Gideon's long lost granddaughter!"
Sam raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I didn't know the old man had a granddaughter."
Abigail rolled her eyes this time. " What part of 'long lost' confused you Sam?!" Abigail gave him a playful swat. "Anyways ... So her name is Raven and apparently she is from Narth."
"ohhhhh, Narth!" Sam hopped from foot to foot. "Wait, where is that at?"
Abigail laughed, Sam was such a dork. "I don't know, but I've never met someone from a different country before."
"Damn ... That means we lost our smoking spot. We will have to smoke our pot somewhere else." Sam sighed disappointedly.
"Not if we befriend her..." Abigail said with a giggle.
"Well of course were going to befriend her, that was a given." Sam gave an excited fist pump. "It will be so cool to have a foreign friend! I bet she has all sorts of crazy stories to tell... Right Seb!?"
Sebastian huffed and, not for the first time, really contemplated on how the hell he became friends with these two baffoons!? Turning around, Sebastian put away his pool stick and gathered his things. "Whatever ... I got some work to get done. I'll see you guys tomorrow." With that said, he gave them a wave and headed towards the door. He could hear them both give their goodbyes before going back to gossipping about the new girl.
When Sebastian stepped outside the Saloon, he paused to lit up another cigarette. There was one thing that Sam might be right about. From what he has heard, Narth was dangerous. You were either very, very rich and it was not because you made it in the proper way, or you were extremely poor. 'I'm sure she would have some crazy ass stories.'
With that last thought, Sebastian pushed all other thoughts about the new girl out of his head and headed home.