Author's note: Aha! You all probably thought I was dead, didn't you?! Actually a bunch of stuff just happened: new job, natural disaster and a bunch of personal affairs that took out all my time and motivation to write. Rest assured, this is a story I intend to tell, it just can't be my fulltime job. Next update will be as soon as I'm done writing it.
End note.
Alanna awoke, though today not in her suite at the Guild, instead having rented a much cheaper cot. Nywen slept on the cot next to hers, still snoring as the sunlight started to creep in. Other adventurers in the same dorm as them were doing their best to quietly gather their gear and get ready for the day.
Her new accommodations were definitely a downgrade, but after getting that sword she had to cut back on her expenses... At least until the next big haul.
They've been doing little quests together until then, mainly scouting missions, a few foraging missions and a quest where a trader had to abandon their cart due to being attacked by monsters and needed someone to pick up the abandoned goods. They didn't pay nearly as well as monster hunting, but going outside the outer walls of any settlement was dangerous, so it was still much better pay than toiling the fields.
Even so, Alanna had found that despite Wildbrook having lots of accommodations for adventurers, it all came at a serious cost of gold. Everyone knew adventurers were on the fast track to become wealthy, so even basics like shelter and food came at a premium here.
Today, however, it was time for another big quest, and she was giddy with excitement. There was a nearby village that claimed that a horde of goblins had been harassing their hunters and were closer to their town. A handful of goblins weren't a big issue to deal with, even a town with no adventurers could deal with those, but an entire horde was an entirely different story.
This was gonna be a tough quest, so she and Nywen had decided to find some other adventurers to team up with. She had gotten some good replies to the note she left with Renestrae, so she and Nywen went down to the guild hall to meet their top candidates.
"My name's Reizertoli, of clan Toli," said the black-haired dwarf sitting across from Alanna. He wore a suit of plate and carried a heavy shield on his back emblazoned with the emblem of a pickaxe. His beard, though short, was braided and decorated with copper bands. "Though you can just call me Reizer. And this beauty right here," he said, taking the hand of the dwarven woman sitting next to him. She too had black hair, tied in a bun, and wore a lighter suit of mail, as well as a warhammer, clearly meant to be wielded with both hands, on her back. "Is Yudeatrudi, though she goes by Yudi."
"Pleased to meet both of you," she said, nodding her head in greeting.
"Great to meet you," Nywen said. Alanna had opted to let Nywen handle introductions, as she was the more experienced adventurer between the two of them. "So you two are a Fighter and Cleric duo?"
"Aye, and a good one too," Reizer replied, beaming with pride. Alanna figured that pride was warranted. Fighters were a pretty common Class, but Clerics were not, since every adventuring group needed support to make the team shine and Clerics were the foremost choice for that role. He then raised an eyebrow as he seemingly studied Alanna. "You're that Peasant-adventurer, aren't you?"
Alanna knew that question was coming. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves before giving her answer. "Yes, I am."
Reizer broke into a wide smile. "I knew it! You're the one who gave Jarnam his first big win in years. He's been down on his luck for Thun knows how long, that is, until you showed up with that alraune's head. Treated all of us to drinks the next day." He then put his elbows on the table and leaned in conspiratorially close. "So, I've heard you've gone on a few quests already. You must have some skill, otherwise there's no way you would have survived this long. What's your specialty?"
"Alanna is a phenomenal tracker," Nywen answered. "I'm a Rogue myself, and she's at least my equal in a straightforward fight."
Alanna felt shame burn in her chest at the fact that Nywen had to stand up for her, but the Rogue's praise went a long way to boost her confidence.
"I suppose that makes two of us that came from humble beginnings then," Reizer started with a nod, seeming to approve of what he heard. "Are you familiar with Clan Toli?"
"No, I fear I haven't heard of it," Nywen replied, and Alanna shook her head to confirm she hadn't either.
"Ours is a sad tale," Reizer stated with a grim expression. "We used to own a large sapphire mine in the north of the Great Plains... Before the calamity occurred and they became the Badlands."
"The Badlands were created when the Great Dragon Gehenna invaded, right?" Alanna asked, feeling almost like she was back in one of Headmistress Sonya's classes.
"Aye... Cursed be the beast's name," Reizer stated, then took a swig from his tankard. "We went from one of the most prosperous clans in Varghast to one of the most impoverished. But I have a dream!" he said with a grand gesture. "One day we will return and reclaim what's ours from the foul dragonkin that nest there now, and our banners will fly off of the walls of Varghast's keeps as one of the foremost amongst Dwarves once more!"
Reizer beamed with pride as he delivered his speech, as though his success was already assured. His wife watched him with admiration, smiling sweetly as though she had heard this speech a dozen times before and still hadn't had enough.
Alanna thought it was an admirable goal, though the Badlands were notoriously dangerous. An adventurer's paradise if you were strong enough, but only then, and only for adventurers.
"With the four of us we should be able to deal with those goblins with no issues," Reizer stated, taking out a handful of small, smooth pebbles and placing them on the table. "We'll visit the village first to get some intel about our foes. Should we engage them before then I will lead from the front," he explained, arranging a single black pebble on the table to indicate his position, then moving several others to indicate what their formation would look like. "Do not worry about me, unless they have a shaman or some kind of strong, tamed beast in tow, those weaklings will not be able to pierce my armor. Both of you will watch our flanks and take care of any stragglers or wolf-riders. Yudi will remain in the center of our formation to cast spells as needed and provide support if any goblins get between us. A goblin horde can be tenacious, but kill enough of them and they'll turn tail to run. Once we reach that stage we can rely on our tracker to follow them to their lair, free any captives and finish the job."
Alanna watched Nywen nod along and make a few suggestions, such as what spells they expected Yudi to prepare, how many potions everyone had and what they did, backup plans in case things went sour, and other details. She hadn't considered that not only would their quest get harder as they got stronger, but that having a bigger party also demanded they had to spend more time on their coordination as well. She did her best to pay attention, despite how her heart fluttered with excitement, so she could learn as much as she could.
