Chương 132: Chapter 130 - Scars and Sprouts

Astra's POV Astra looked backwards over her shoulder as Whittenburg slowly receded into the distance, the final peals of trumpets fading, as their echoes slowly died across the plains. She turned forwards as she found that her cheeks had started to grow sore from smiling, a good problem to have, and a first for her. As her wide grin faded slightly into a wistful smile, her mind drifted back over the events of the previous day.

When the battalion had descended from the forest over the final ridge and into heavily farmed plains that surrounded the town of Whittenburg proper, the silence had been split by a simple triple blast of horns, an all clear that told all who could hear it, the threat had passed and they could finally stand down. She had been surprised to hear the horns, but was even more so at the cheers that had resounded from the walls as the battalion had approached.

A cacophony of raucous cheers, clattering arms, and stamping feet greeted them at every turn, as they were welcomed back like conquering heroes of old. Her eyes grew wide as she had spotted the myriad townsfolk manning the ramparts with improvised weapons, with only a few handfuls of guards and soldiers scattered amongst them. As the gates creaked open to welcome the formation inside, a massive barricade had blocked the entrance, figures swarming over the pile of stacked debris as they swiftly dismantled it.

The look of relief on Baron Grunveldt's face at their safe return, had been a reward in its own way, as he realized he was no longer required to make a final stand holding the wall with nothing but a short company and a bunch of civilians armed with pots, pans, and whatever arms he could gather from the garrison's armory.

Thankfully Mr Dornvald, the leader of the Pathfinder League branch from Emerald Grove, had been able to disrupt the ritual under the fracture yard and halt the monster tides and, at the Baron's direction, had sealed the chamber and placed it under armed guard. The following morning, after resting and resupplying the troops, she had met with the Baron before setting out for Emerald Grove.

Astra glanced around the square at the large number of civilians loading back into the wagons for travel, " It is a shame that more do not want to return to their homes…" Baron Grunveldt gave her a slight smile, " The chance to safely relocate far away from the source of their trauma, especially while protected by the very same people who came to their rescue, should not be understated." Astra grimaced, " Aye. I understand their motivations, still a shame… it will take Whittenburg a long time to recover."

She turned her focus back to the man as she gave him a bright smile, " Moreso, your willingness to stay and help the townsfolk rebuild is no small thing either, especially given that you have your own people to look after. And I will make sure this gets to your captain as soon as we arrive." Astra hefted the small bundle of missives he had given her as she thrust her hand forward, " Well met Baron Grunveldt, your service in this matter has been appreciated."

After shaking his hand Astra had turned to leave, before pausing at a thought. She had given a quarter turn back in his direction for a final word, " Oh and Dietrich… I will put in a good word for you with Father. When the alarm was raised and the situation looked dire, you were willing to support me wholeheartedly without reservation." She gave him a fond smile, " I will always remember that."" … So it's Dietrich eh?"

Darian's voice shook Astra from her reverie as she turned his way, " I may not appreciate that incompetent wet dishcloth of a nephew his wife keeps trying to pawn off on me, but the man came through when it mattered. I will never forget that." She gave him a pointed look, " He could have easily just ignored my orders no matter my station, I am not commissioned yet after all, but he not only followed them but helped every step of the way. He is a good man."

Darian smiled, " Who are you, and what did you do with Astra?" He leaned over, " I distinctly remember you punching your last prospective suitor in the face, at least the last one I was present for." Astra rolled her eyes, " That had less to do with his proposal and more to do with his wandering hands, and I was fifteen… Fifteen! Who even does that at that age?" She gestured dismissively, " That was almost six years ago, I can not be held liable for your terrible memory."

Darian laughed as he held up a placating hand, " Point taken! Now, I know the horns interrupted us yesterday, but you still owe me a story." Astra took in a sharp breath, " … Right. We had just reached the part where I had first met Eli."" After passing out, hours later, I came too next to a campfire…"

" … Wait, you killed how many?" Astra sighed as she pinched the brow of her nose, " Look, the Goblin warband was a little over a couple hundred, but I was only responsible for maybe a dozen." The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. A teasing voice came from behind her, " Try at least thirty! She also totally skipped the part where she ripped the head off of the biggest bastard and tossed it into the air, while screaming, and covered in blood."" No one asked you!"

Astra shouted after Eli as he jogged past again, his pack bouncing and clattering as he ran past her and Darian, today he was apparently carrying more than just rocks as his growing collection of polearms adorned the outside of his pack." … so he just does that?"" Every day… something he picked up from Mira's lessons." Darian grunted as he watched Eli and Tia trot steadily towards the front of the formation, " Huh, she agreed to teach him?"" Aye."

He sat silently for a moment in contemplation, before shaking himself and turning back to Astra with a sly grin, "... So did you really do that? Did you lose control of you know what, or was it just for a show? I mean you have to impress your new patrolmen somehow!" Astra had been eating a ranger wrap as they talked, and with a good natured scowl she tore off a piece and threw it at him, with only a twinge of regret afterwards at missing more of Mr Cooper's cooking.

Blushing slightly she faced forwards as she continued her tale, " I might have, but that is hardly the point! Now, after we encountered the goblin horde…"

" … look in the center where the keystone for the seal would be placed, see it?"" Aye, I do… That's a good eye you have there." Darian pulled his head out from under the lowest pane of the fracture in the middle of the Fracture Yard in Emerald Grove. Elias shrugged and gave him a wave as he continued keeping watch with Mr Taylor and Mr Cooper as he and Darian continued their discussion over the previous events.

Her brother still insisted on a personal retelling, but when moving such a large mass of personnel, duties would often interrupt them. Darian had taken their silent assault on the bandit camp in stride, he was well aware of her abilities and proud of her, in the way only a sibling could be, but he was taken with how readily Elias had come to the aid of a stranger.

The questions had come fast and hard as she regaled him with tales of their battles and, while he had clearly been frustrated, he took her unwillingness to discuss Eli's abilities further in stride, accepting her reassurance that they would speak at length later about the topic. A wariness had entered his gaze from that point on whenever he had spotted the man, but, true to form, he still treated Eli with the same warm affability that he approached everyone with.

Although, from the slight twisting of his emotions along the tether the first time it had happened, Astra was well aware that Eli had not missed the change in her brother's appraisal of him. On the ride into town, before they split off to see to their duties, Astra had relayed most of the events of the final leg of the patrol, including the execution of the merchant who had sold the villagers off to the bandits in Springdale and the communication token they had recovered from his possessions.

She had left to relay a report of the recent events to the Captain of the Watch while Darian helped Captain Winterbrook get his men resettled in the garrison. Afterwards, Corporal Brewer, Mr Mason, and the rest of her guards had helped Darian's logistics team see to the needs of the battalion while she took Darian and the others to the fracture yard. She had filled him in on the events leading up to the discovery of the sigil that was on the token in the fracture seal below on the way.

Darian looked grim as he glanced back over at Astra, " So it was not just the token that had the sigil?"" No, so far it has been nearly everyone involved with the cult. We first encountered them…"

" … Ancients above Astra. Well I am glad you made it out of there." They stood on the edge of the town square in Emerald Grove, staring at the site of the Oak and Lantern, the inn that the Hostler's had owned. Or rather where the inn previously had been, right before it had burned down in the fight against the cultists who had first ambushed Astra and Eli, although the new construction had erased much of the evidence from the battle.

Astra had filled Darian in on what had occurred on the walk from the Yard, both the battle in the inn and the investigation afterwards, only reaching their preparations to depart for Whittenburg before they arrived. Most of the debris had been removed, but there were still signs if you knew what to look for.

Scorch marks on the walls of the surrounding buildings, cracks in the stone of the well in the stableyard from the heat of the blaze, and the group watched silently as the last few charred timbers were loaded onto a cart to be taken away. Only the solitary chimney remained in the center of the building, the massive doubled sided hearth that had not only serviced the dining room and the kitchen, but had also sported smaller openings for the rooms above.

Freshly milled lumber did wait in a neat stack nearby, however, and the foundation and cellar had already been repaired. They were still partially uncovered as the last sections of the flooring for the first story was still in the process of being laid. She followed Darian's gaze skyward as he traced over the scarred and barren limbs of the over hanging oaks from above.

While the repairs for the inn were well underway, despite the owners preparing to leave the town and selling the site to a competitor from across the square, the town's titular grove still bore the scars from that fateful night. A soft breeze blew through the square, warm and comforting as it caressed her shoulders and tousled her hair, and a small smile crossed her lips as she spotted a hint of color in the swaying branches above.

They were small, nearly imperceptible from this distance, but small points of bright green dusted the limbs above in a spray of color. It was a simple thing, still mostly hidden from sight, but as the blackened branches reached skyward like skeletal fingers, tiny green buds hinted at the re-emergence of new life. A weight she had never realized she had been carrying was lifted from her shoulders, and Astra stood taller, comforted by the knowledge that life would return.

The group stood in silence for a moment as Darian processed the events he had been told, and after a moment he turned to glance over at Eli with a thoughtful expression before breaking the silence." Thank you Mr Mercer, for looking after my sister." Everyone fell silent for a moment as the attention shifted to Elias.

Astra watched as Eli blushed slightly, her heart twinged for a moment as he reached up to run his fingers through his hair only to grimace as he realized he was using the wrong hand, the stub of his severed left arm falling back down to his side as he switched to his right to comb through his hair. She was beginning to associate the gesture with the subconscious trickle of embarrassment down the tether between them. Eli scoffed, " You have it all wrong, Astra was the one who saved me in there…"

He reached over to smack Mr Cooper on the shoulder, " You should really thank the big guy, it was him and Tia who came in the nick of time to save the day." Astra smirked as she spotted her chance for revenge, " Are you sure about that Eli?" She tapped a finger on her lips in thought, "I seem to remember you cutting down at least half of them on your own, also… She leaned forward, her smirk blossoming into a grin," … I distinctly remember something about, 'All I can smell is fear and dead men'?"

Mr Cooper guffawed as Eli turned bright red, and Tia chittered in amusement.