Chapter four – The Warmth of the Heath
Back in the village the people gathered around them, but somehow the tale of the dragonlings demise did not really help the mood. Who knew if it was the scaleborn that had killed the villagers and not the werewolf? And even though it seemed to have protected Karl and Banosh did thst really indicate anything?
The guard of the village remained intense, but at least the search parties were allowed a good nights rest.
What worried Karl was not as much the new monster as why they had found the girl out there. Did she follow them? And why did she turn up at the same time as the monster? And even more importantly, why would she not talk a word to him neither on the trek home or now? She was basically a damsel in distress that he had saved, couldn’t she at least show some gratitude and a little of her wiles?
The troll had similar speculations although with a slightly different angle. It could be no coincidence that the girl and the wolfbeast suddenly were out there, close to them and the monster. Her lack of explanation to them and outright refuse to talk further increased his suspicions, were she in reality working together with the monsters from inside the village? If so they were truly all doomed. But why would a human girl want to help monsters destroy her home?
Unsatsfied with his thoughts giving him no answers he grunted, blew out the candle in his quarter and went to bed. He defintely had deserved a good nights sleep with no interruption from drunken braggerts.
The braggert did not want to sleep yet though, he enjoyed the bar and was already spinning a heroic tale of how he singlehandedly not only killed the first monster but also the second. He was eying several of the local younger women, most of them a bit too coarse and bulky for his taste, but there were not any other options out here. His mind drifted to the wandring girl, now she was a much better piece of work, she really stuck out here, but he was not going to go begging her for attention.
After a few hours and several downed glasses of ale, he began considering if his instance on quality and acceptance was too high. He looked around the room, but even when drunk the local women did not look appealing, just pudgy and kinda woman-shaped. The only option for a good tumble seemed to be tbe young, aggressive woman after all.
Now, he did really prefer women who right away saw his attractiveness and brilliance, but it was not the first time he would have to be more persuasive. Usually an extra tale or two or an valuable trinket with an amazing origin would do the trick, but a few times he had been forced to show a lttle of his strength, then they all fell for his charms.
He got off his chair, but apparently the chair could not stand without him sitting on it. The room had begun to sway too, apparently all the people here had had a bit too much to drink. They had even changed the door while he looked away, but the cold night air sent a shudder down his back and now he most certainly was sober.
Now his idea did not seem so good, but what was a man worth if he did not stick to his plans??He had a vague idea of where the girl lived, so he hurried over there, or as much hurry as one could when there was a layer of snow and one had one too many drinks.
The house was not more than an improved hut, thick wooden walls holding the cold out and small, almost non-existant windows providing only a fraction of light to enter. That did not bother Kar much, the less he could use his eyes the more reason he had to use his hands. He grinned.?The womenfolk sure liked it when he used his hands.
He knocked the door and said his name in his most sultry voice but no response. Maybe she was asleep, so he knocked once more. She was only playing hard to get after all, secretly she had to be dying to get a nightly visit from him.
This time he got a response, but it was not exactly what he expected. She yelled that ”the drunken sod who only thinks with his pants and not his head” should leave, whoever that was he wondered. Maybe she had a bit too much to drink herself or was just a bit crazy. Oh well, craziness or not, her body certainly did not have any faults and that was what he was after, women should leave the thinking to the men anyway.
As she did not seem inclined to let him in he began to try and force the door open, and as expected of such a cheap house – she should be honored to be visited by a man like him – there was no lock.
The door began to turn inwards and he caught a glimpse of the girl standing the furthest away possible looking frightened but otherwise being naked and just holding a blanket in front of her. Apparently she had been sleeping, but he was about to show her something better.
The sight of her naked tigh, that was trying to hide behind the fabric curved entrancingly in a white sheen reflected from the small window, was about to drive him mad with lust. Her shabby clothing had done their best to hide her excuisite body, but as he had expected she sure was a fine girl, he had seen none more beautiful in the southern lands, where the girls did tend to be a lot more fair than here up north.
He lunged to grab her and hold her ind his arms and let his finges do their magic to persuade her. He did not reach her though, something tore though the thick wooden side of the house and he was thrown out into the snow several metres away from the house with a bestial snarl. Just as he heard the village alarm bell he blacked out.