Bab 35: Hut in the wood

Stephan believed that the stones and knotted roots were there specifically to trip him up. He stumbled upon a lot of them and almost fell on his face. In a few strides, they were surrounded by a thick forest that didn't have an end. As the light faded quickly and the air became moist, they decided to search for a safe place where to spend the night. Goblins usually moved at night, attracted by anything made of gold or a precious stone. One goblin wasn't a problem but a horde would be hard to defend against.

Deeper and deeper inside the forest, they found a big tree that was hollowed from the inside. It had enough space for the three of them to sit or sleep. Gillibrian spent a few hours making spikes with a knife he picked from the clutter in the tower and Agandaur looked for suitable herbs to keep the area where they were safe from monsters; he even picked leaves and made a curtain to hide them from the moonlight. It was always safe to be cautious of everything.

They were warm and cozy inside the tree house.

Stephan put his hand behind his back leaning on the ground. His fingers touched something behind him; they traced the edges and found them hard and the material not like stone but still stone. He grabbed the thing strongly and pulled it in front of his eyes; it was a skeleton leg. His eyes opened widely then snapped behind him. There was a bunch of skeletons and they seemed to be moved there recently. He remembered how Gillibrian said he was confident the tree was safe and relaxed. But it was a skeleton and it usually meant there was a predator nearby.

After everyone was settled on his beg- meaning ground. Stephan pulled a cloth he snatched from the tower. He would bet golds the old man didn't even notice it. It was at that moment when he was searching for something to bargain with and since the mage didn't mind, he took some liberties.

Startled by a beetle that landed on his forehead, he jumped immediately. The cloth almost fell on the campfire but Agandaur grabbed it. The elf turned it between his hands and revealed the drawing of a key.

"What's this? Why do you have the drawing of a key on you?" the elf asked.

"Seriously, you have to ask this obvious question. Why do we keep things like these?"

"Don't focus on him, human apprentice. Elves are dumb sometimes. Do you want to set behind this key while we are on this journey?"

"It's on our way and we can benefit from it greatly. We need to find a bait for it. This key is in somewhere dangerous. We will mainly focus on the quest and I think this drawing of a key will help us in it. I saw the hammer in a chest that had the shape of this key. We will need it to ensure our success."

"I don't understand," Agandaur frowned.

"Okay, let me repeat from scratch. When I was bargaining with the mage, he tried to get where the weapons were. However, he couldn't succeed since the weapons are protected by an enchantment. But the orb showed where the weapons were and one of them was in a chest closed by this key. I took this cloth and I don't care why the mage kept it, for the sole purpose of knowing how it looked like. At least, we have a heading," Stephan pulled the compass from a pocket inside the cape. "And we have this! The mage gave it to me to know the direction where we can go."

"That's great!" the dwarf rejoiced. He laughed tapping his thighs. "I am glad you have a brain. I hope your favor isn't something hard to do."

"Don't worry! It won't be something you cannot do. It's in fact very simple and you will know it at the end of this journey. Let's rest so we can move early! We don't want to fall behind."

The three of them agreed on following the route the compass would show them then slept. The next day, everyone woke up early except for Stephan. They tried to wake him up but he kept telling them to add a minute until it reached an hour. In the end, Agandaur yelled in his ear to wake up. Stephan opened his eyes abruptly startled.

"Where are my shoes? Where is my mouse? My monitor? I can't live without them," he realized he wasn't on Earth anymore and sighed. He thought for a second and because of the dream he was back. The other two, hearing the word mouse, stepped back. Who would keep a mouse with them? "It's already morning. Why does the morning come fast and stays a long time."

They set on their journey again. The narrow path weaved its way through the crowded forest. It wasn't long till they reached a junction then they kept going north. As they kept going, they saw a thick line of smoke rising from a chimney of a wooden hut. Taken by curiosity, Stephan wanted to check it but both his companions stopped him.

"Mostly, huts in the woods like that belong to witches. Don't engage in something you cannot win, mage apprentice."

"I admit I must agree with the stinking dwarf. This one must certainly belong to a witch."

"How strong is a witch?"

"It depends on her life years. Most witches keep their houses simple and tidy from the outside so they could attract travelers. If you want to check it then we will follow you and try to keep you safe. Though we don't have our weapons, mage apprentice, we are good with martial arts."

Stephan sneaked around the house to the window and peaked through it, there was a young woman sitting on her wooden chair, going back and forth with a book in her hands. For a moment, he seemed enchanted by her. If it wasn't for Gillibrian, he would have jumped through the window and tried to hug her… Maybe more.

"I told you to keep your guard up, lad. That's an old hag, don't fall in the trap of beauty. Remember she is a witch."

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