When Auriel arrived, the others had finished their meals.
"That was really quick today!"
Malconte burst into unrestrained laughter to protect Aldric's ego.
"Shut up!" shouted the giant behind Auriel. "You face him too before you mess with me!"
Malconte shook his head. "I'm not stupid enough to let some kid beat me up for no reason, unlike you."
Lyra sighed disapprovingly as she watched the two men bickering.
"Kael, Sirine, Auriel. Let's start packing up. I'll go refill the water supply. The water we drew from the river should be filtered by now. Ma'am, we'll be leaving here in about thirty minutes. Is that alright with you?"
"It's fine. Do as you wish; I don't have your experience in the field of adventure. I'll simply follow your advice; no need to ask," Dolgen breathed modestly.
...
Shortly after, Auriel jumped to the front of the cart where Aldric was already positioned.
"Everyone ready in the back?"
"Yeah, go ahead, we can go."
Without waiting any longer, Aldric gave the two horses a little grunt, and the cart began to move forward. As the green grass began to regain a greyish hue, the mountains behind gradually became smaller.
Despite the desolate scenery, a faint track on the ground indicated the very rare passage of carts here.
Since they had left the main road, there was no longer a road to cushion the impact between wheels and rocks. The cart regularly encountered stones and clattered violently onto the ground each time.
This second part of the journey was likely to be far more arduous than the first.
"Do you know the history of this place, Auriel?" Aldric asked, an hour having passed since their entry into Bonemeal Valley.
The teenager shook his head.
"Not a huge amount. I imagine about the same as the other residents of Ravenspire."
Aldric nodded, without pressing the matter further.
A silence fell between them, a silence born of Aldric's fear and embarrassment. He was afraid, like everyone else in the back.
This place had its share of horror stories, after all.
Auriel gazed at the horizon while Aldric stared at the road. The horses huffed and puffed, and the cart creaked over the rough track.
"You know," Aldric said after a moment, "I have a son."
Auriel turned his head slightly.
"Oh?"
"Yes. He lives with his mother. I don't see him often." He paused. "But I think that if he ever turns out to be like you... I'll be proud."
Auriel didn't answer right away. Then, softly: "Never tell him that."
Aldric burst out laughing. "Why?"
"Because he'd end up killing himself needlessly. Our lives aren't something to be saved for future generations."
Aldric's laughter faded. He looked at Auriel for a moment, as if trying to figure out if he was joking.
Coming from the young teenager, it sounded extremely strange to anyone else, but he wasn't really surprised. He'd been around Auriel long enough to begin to understand his maturity.
Auriel's usual slight smile still hadn't left his face.
"And your teacher?" Aldric finally asked. "Is he really as strong as they say?"
Auriel shrugged, although it was difficult to see as he was wedged between Aldric and the outer wooden edging...
"Stronger."
"Stronger?" Aldric hissed. "But he's one-handed!"
"That doesn't stop him from beating me in five hits, does it? Remember? Now imagine if he had both arms."
Aldric remained silent for a moment.
"Do you think he'd actually agree to train me?"
"I think he'll agree to meet you. The rest is up to you."
"What do you mean, up to me?"
Auriel turned his head toward him. His smile was still there, but his eyes were cold.
"Demons don't give anything away for free. So, for your own good, neither will he. If you want to learn, you'll have to pay with your determination. Do you think he'd like having to go back to your wife to tell her you're dead?"
Aldric swallowed hard.
"And you? Why did he decide to train you so young?"
Auriel's smile faded for a long time. He didn't answer; he looked back at the horizon.
"The answer was obvious, because I had nothing left to lose." he whispered inaudibly after a few minutes under the bear's gaze.
"Sorry, I asked for too much!"
"No, no. It's fine, don't worry. This should be the end of our turn. Let's go swap places with the next group." Auriel subtly changed the subject.
"Okay," Aldric said apologetically and embarrassedly.
"Auriel!"
As the young man moved the fabric canvas aside, Aldric suddenly called out to him, almost shouting.
Turning away without complaining, Auriel quickly assessed the situation by looking into the distance at what Aldric was pointing at.
"Am I dreaming?"
"I see the same thing anyway," Auriel said coldly.
A silhouette was approaching in the distance along the road.
Another cart, made entirely of dark, rotten wood.
As it grew larger, the four horses pulling it slowed gradually before soon coming to a complete stop in front of them.
Standing up and placing his hand on his blade, Aldric's face also turned very cold.
"Go warn the others of the situation. I'll go first, join me after."
Without waiting for a reply, he jumped out of the cart as their two horses began to panic.
Auriel did not question his order.
He yanked the veil back abruptly.
"Is something going on?" Malconte asked seriously. The strange behavior of the two in front hadn't escaped their notice.
Auriel looked at him and the rest of the group, and they unanimously understood the gravity of the situation without any explanation.
Kael opened his bottle without hesitation and poured a blackish substance onto his blade as Sirine drew her bow.
Turning to the two of them, Malconte ordered firmly, "You remain hidden here with Ma'am Dolgen. Be ready to intervene."
Grabbing his single blade, he leaped out from the back of the cart, followed by Lyra and Auriel.
When they arrived, Aldric was already between the two carts.
The second cart was much thicker than theirs, and its four walls were made of wood, not just canvas.
In some places, the wood was cracked, revealing a deep darkness within the structure. Moss had grown extensively on the cart, and the hinges that held it upright were a dark, sinister orange.
An old man climbed down gently from the front of the cart and moved silently toward them.
He was covered in a simple black cloth, and his skin was stained dark green in several places.
When he was a few meters from the group, they all narrowed their eyes. The old man's stench had become unbearable for them.
His voice trembled as his empty eyes fixed on the group, who remained silent.
"Please, help my wife."