The awkward silence carries on for a few beats too long as the finely dressed man glowers at the lot of us, but thankfully, Mama breaks it before it gets any worse.
"My Lord…" She offers a polite bow to him from her position.
As if she had shaken them from a spell, the rest of the villagers offer a polite bow as well to varying degrees of enthusiasm. Thorpe is, understandably, the most official, as he takes a slight step forward and crosses his right arm over his abdomen.
The nobleman observes as everyone gathered in the hall bows to him, before his gaze stops on me. My brow lifts as he seems to frown in my direction. Then, my body jolts as Mr. Wyatt gives me a light slap on the arm.
OH!
I spring to my feet, my cheeks burning as I practically throw myself over in a bow as quickly as possible.
But the awkward silence returns, stretching on for a few more moments. The sound of a snort from off to my left catches my attention. And looking off that way, I see Thorpe still bowed forward, but his face is bright red and his mouth is tightly shut. Another snort escapes from his nose.
Is he trying not to laugh? At what?
I jolt again as Mama and Mr. Wyatt begin to tap on my arms from either side. Leading me to notice that I have them outstretched, raised, and with my palms facing up. And looking down, as I fear, I have one of my feet forward and placed in front of the other. Putting me in a perfectly flamboyant and irritatingly distracting bow fit for any 30-foot-tall monster bird.
I slap my arms down against my sides so fast I swear I feel my blood boil. My face probably hot enough to cook on.
I fear that the silence is returning AGAIN, but thankfully this time not for too long. The relieving sound of footsteps and the thump of the doors closing, locking out the wail of the wind picking up outside. The clinking of armor plating and heavy grieves. A few muffled coughs from amongst the villagers. The footsteps end nearby as the wood flooring creaks on the upraised section when someone steps up.
"I shall admit that was quite the beautifully executed bow, young lady. But a tad too gaudy for such a rural setting, I fear." The nobleman admits. His voice carries the capital's posh accent. Refined and upper-crust. Self-important, as Mama would usually say.
Either way, his amused tone makes me want to melt into the floorboards.
The nobleman clears his throat. "You may all rise!"
Sighs of relief fill the room as everyone raises their heads back up. A few people's backs cracking and popping, along with a few groans amongst the older villagers.
I raise myself and shift out of the awkward bow I had put myself into. Now seeing the trio that has moved up with us more closely. The nobleman isn't as portly as he was from far away. But I think he might just be sucking his gut in, actually…
The male knight appears even more stone-cold than he did before, as if he couldn't care less about anything around him. But the female knight is, to my slight discomfort, beaming at me with the brightest smile I've ever seen. Even giving a little wave down at me, which I nervously return.
Mama goes straight to business as she faces the nobleman, standing up straight as a board. "How can I be of assistance, my Lord?"
The nobleman raises his chin. His styled and darkly painted brows shift around with quite a lot of exaggeration. Giving him very striking expressions. His eyes scan the rest of the room behind him. "You were having a meeting?" He stretches the end of the word 'meeting' for a bit too long with a musical intonation.
But Mama takes it in stride and answers calmly. "Yes, my lord. It was just a simple security meeting for your benefit. Informing the village of your stay and what to expect. But it had just ended before you arrived. So we'll be dismissing the others so we can speak without the spectacle."
I glance at my mother as she blatantly lies to this nobleman's face without even a flinch. And none of the villagers make any effort to correct her. Can she really do that so easily?
The nobleman releases a literal HUMPH, but nods his approval. "You may do so. I have much to discuss with you and your secondary." He states so matter-of-factly.
Mama gives a curt nod and looks out at the villagers gathered. "Remember what we discussed and inform anyone who couldn't attend. You are all dismissed. Rest well, we have a lot of work to do tomorrow."
They all get the memo pretty quickly. Rising from the pews and filing out of the building as quickly as possible. Much more hurried than they had been when entering earlier.
My eyes glance back and forth between the door and Mama. I'm unsure if I should follow them. I mean, I'm not really an essential leader here. But as I start to move off, Mama grabs my shoulder gently and shakes her head. Pulling me closer to her instead. So I guess I'm being included in this as well?
It doesn't take much longer before the rest have left the longhouse and the main doors are closed behind them. Leaving us alone with the Nobleman and his two heavily armed protectors. Which makes me slightly nervous.
Not that I'm overly worried. If they end up being bandits or something, Thorpe can get his spear and shield whenever he wants to. These guys may look tough, but I'm sure he could give them a run for their money.
Probably.
My expectations might be a bit skewed…
The black-haired knight has definitely been eyeing Mr. Thorpe rather intensely while we waited. And the old man obviously noticed, but it seems he's decided to ignore it.
In fact, all three of them have been scanning around us very cautiously.
The Noblesman's eyes shift back and forth between Thorpe and me when he notices that we aren't leaving with the others. One of his brows raises quite high. "Judging by the striking similarities, this young lady must be your daughter?"
Mama pulls me even tighter against her and smiles politely. "Yes, she is. This is Liore. I don't mind her listening in. It'll be a good learning opportunity."
The Nobleman gives me a longer, appraising look, which I am really not too fond of. "So be it. As long as she does not impede our discussion." He states plainly before turning his attention to Old-Guard. "But then, who is this gentleman?"
Mama gestures over to Mr. Thorpe as he offers another brief bow to the Noble. "This is Auguste Thorpe. He's a dear friend and has been the captain of our village guard for over a decade now."
The nobleman's brows pinch together, glaring even harder at the old man. "I see. And why, pray tell, were you not at your post to greet me when I arrived?" He asks with clear indignation. "If anyone, it should have been you who assisted me with my plight on your village's abhorrent road."
Mr. Thorpe doesn't seem to be bothered by the slight against him. Or at least doesn't show it. "My sincerest apologies, milord. When you arrived, I was still hiking back from a training expedition into the Outer Ardennes with one of my trainees."
The noble looks befuddled by the explanation. "An expedition? Why the devil would a simple [Guard] need such training?"
The black-haired knight's eyes narrow. His voice is deep and gravelly, carrying a brogue like Mama and me. "From here, the Outer Ardennes is at least a week's trek away. That's absurdly far from your [Guard Target], don't you think?"
Mama chimes in for that. "It's more necessary than you think, your lordship. Auguste is a Veteran of the demon campaign. He trains the [Guards] like soldiers and we are better off for it. We put a lot of budget into our security due to the increased danger out here."
The nobleman's eyes widen briefly at her before looking back to Thorpe pensively. "You are a [Royal Guard] then? That is certainly surprising..."
The black-haired knight's cold stare softens somewhat. "No wonder you were making me nervous. No offense meant, though."
Mr. Thorpe nods along with her explanation and the nobles' assumption before smirking at the knight. "None taken. But yes, I take a few of my younger ones out on occasional hunting expeditions before harvest season. But it's not just for training." He states more seriously. "The Ardennes might seem far from here, but any territorial disputes out there affect us directly. So we go out there to cull anything that might have gotten pushed out of the Voracious Woods. A few years ago an entire pack of horned wolves got shoved our way. And this year it was a butcher bird. Caught it building a nest in the outers."
Both of the knights shudder. The armored woman chimes in, her accent somewhat posh and with a deep tone that matches her handsome face. "Those horrid things…incredibly invasive." She'd say, giving a glance down at the nobleman who had already looked up to her as if expecting an explanation. "Large predator birds. They lay very few eggs, but they grow like weeds. And once they're adults, they become very solitary. Spreading out into large territories and slaughtering animals by the hundreds for their mating rituals."
I grimace and nod as well, getting some grizzly flashbacks of the Sawtoothes 'ritual'. "It's really gross…"
All of their eyes turn in my direction. The noble's brow rises very high up on his forehead. The two knights suddenly seem more curious about me. The armored woman is smiling brightly again. "You must be the trainee. I knew I recognized that fancy bow from somewhere."
My face starts to burn again, and my heart feels like it's sinking. I shut my lips tight and nervously look over at Thorpe. Because I think I just screwed up. He was obviously trying to avoid putting too much attention on me and I just ruined it.
But Thorpe just chuckles and crosses his arms. "That she is. Our route takes us right through the Dominion woods, so we had to stop to pay our respects. Very dangerous creature, of course, but he's peaceful. And he makes a great deterrent against other monsters that might be heading this way."
I nod slowly, trying my best not to look panicked. "Scary, but he's not so bad."
The female knight chuckles. "They certainly are intimdating. But what class are you, dear? You don't have the stance of a [Guard]."
A lump forms in my throat as she asks the question I was fearing. My mother's grip tightens on my shoulder, signaling she is just as concerned about it. But neither of us has a chance to make an excuse when Thorpe answers casually. "She's a [Knight]."
The armored woman smirks at Old Guard. "I knew it! I can notice the callus from a sword grip anywhere." She remarks before her brows furrow and her lips purse. "She looks pretty rattled though. Did she get into trouble?"
I breathe out quietly in relief, but my mouth tightens up again at her next question. Was it that obvious? She's reading me like a book…
Thorpe frowns at that and reaches up to scratch the goatee he's been growing. "You're pretty sharp." He responds a bit too quietly. The air in the room suddenly feels like it shifts. His eyes focused on the armored woman's face. "She is. We both are. Had to leave the trip early cause we ran into a group of not-so-friendly folk."
The two knights can definitely tell Thorpe's mood has changed as well. He really didn't like that question for some reason. And both of them got noticeably tenser after he mentioned our run-in. The black-haired knight has rested his left hand on the pommel of his longsword. The armored woman's smile has arced down into a frown. But the nobleman between them, who has been oddly quiet, just seems to be observing the conversation calmly. His darkened brows and painted lashes making his exaggerated expressions incredibly distracting.
It's the black-haired knight who speaks up first after a brief, tense silence. "Mercenaries?"
"Might have been. Didn't get to ask their profession much in between trying to kill us." Thorpe answers bluntly. Which is not exactly true, but it does get the point across.
The two knights tense up even more, exchanging glances with each other as well as with the noble between them. The armored woman speaks up next. "Sorry to hear about that. We've been having issues with mercenaries from the guild in Llanercost turning to brigandry. The plague has truly hit a vital point back home and people are getting desperate." She explains, but notably she says it in a way that makes me think she's not really convinced of that.
Nothing they're saying seems like a lie, but something just feels really off about these people. Like they're trying to test us for something. Too cautious for this to feel routine.
Mr. Thorpe grimaces. "Cowards. The lot of them." He sighs, shaking his head. "Between the plague and the bad soil, Brigands is just what we need."
The black-haired knight nods in agreement. "A large group of them raided a caravan of emergency supplies that was being sent to us from the Alder region. Weapons, food, medicinals. Burned anything they couldn't carry in one wagon."
Wait.
My brows knit together at the knight's description of the event.
Could that have been…
The noble reaches up to twiddle with the curl of his mustache. "That was the worst of the incidents. Several more have occurred since then on a smaller scale." His very expressive brows angled inward at the center in frustration. "And with famine now setting in, the entire barony is truly in dire straits."
Mama gasps behind me. "Famine? Has it already gotten that bad?" She states, looking bewildered. "Last year's harvest wasn't up to quota, but it should have still been enough even with the other villages suffering the soil issues."
The nobleman tugs at the tip of one of his mustache curls. "You are correct, Mrs. Perro. In ordinary circumstances, we would still have enough. The quota is merely for stockpiling in case of emergencies." He agrees, but then furrows his brows quite fiercely. "An emergency that we have not only HIT, but completely toppled over a few months ago."
His piercing green eyes scan over us as he folds his arms behind him again. "Whatever strange disease has beset upon our dear city has begun infecting our food supplies. The number of people infected has more than tripled."
Mr. Wyatt flinches. "What!? How is that possible, my Lord?"
The nobleman's attention flickers to the massive farmer. "A master [Apothecary] I brought with me from Berxley is investigating as we speak. But so far, his current hypothesis is that the sickness may have evolved somehow. Like a microscopic monster. He has been testing all of our food stores for the illness and has found the majority of our stockpile is indeed infected and has been spreading the sickness outside of quarantine areas." He explains with a grim expression setting in. "So our food supply for the entire town has gone from manageable to destitute blindingly fast."
Mama has a deep-set frown on her face. Arms folded over her chest now. "Could…could it be that the food caused it? Perhaps the soil issues have something to do with it?" She asks tentatively.
It sounds like she's trying to test the waters now. See what they know. We still aren't sure if these guys are legit or not. We know the Urka are replacing kingdom officials, and these ones just show up out of the blue? Not to mention how shifty they are acting.
The nobleman scoffs at the question. "That was considered briefly. But as you know, we inspect every morsel that the villages provide. No such infection would have made it through the gates to begin with." He rebuts so matter-of-factly. "Therefore, it would have to have been infected while IN the storehouse. A finding that was heavily criticized by the Baron and his advisors, but you don't argue with an [Apothecary] of Sir Gilders' reputation."
Mr. Thorpe groans, grimacing at the mention. "Ormund Gilder? His bedside manner is downright awful, but you truly can't ask for a better healer. All my old Draughts were mixed by him."
The Nobleman raises a brow at the old man curiously, his eyes holding on Old Guard for a bit too long. "You certainly get around, don't you, Mr. Thorpe?" He remarks rhetorically before returning his attention to Mother and Mr. Wyatt. "I digress, that leads to the reason why I am here so unannounced. Apart from where Brigands are concerned, which with what your Captain and his protege have expressed they encountered, my guards will have words with them about that on the morrow."
I aim a short hopeful glance towards Thorpe and receive a nod back in return. The Nobleman reaches into his coat and produces an envelope that he hands to Mother.
She takes it from him with a light bow of her head and peels it open. Sliding out and unfolding the crisp, folded parchment within. The nobleman gives her a quiet moment to read through the document. Her brows pinch inward as her eyes scan through the writing.
"Our crops...they weren't infected like the rest?" She asks, lowering the letter slightly to peer down at the Nobleman.
The regal man offers a curt nod, keeping his hands formally folded behind him. "Indeed. Even after rigorous testing by Sir Gilder, your crops have held strong against the infection, even when it was packed in with other crops that hadn't." His gaze focuses on Mother. "And we intend to find out how. For if we can replicate it, it might just save our next harvest before a brutal early winter."
All of us stare in astonishment at the Nobleman. And I can tell by the looks on Mr. Wyatt, Mama, and Thorpe's faces that they are all trying to rack their brains to figure out what we had done differently. Because, as far as I know, we don't do anything different than the other villages.
The Nobleman clears his throat. "And so, Mrs. Perro. Your village's contribution to the Region is the only thing currently sustaining it."
Mother's eyes widen. Her next breath catches in her throat.
"Whatever you have done...might be our only hope."