JP - Leaving the Village Ruins

As it was getting late, Wulfsen went to get Miyuki. He stepped into the shop, noticed how clean it was. Also that she was sleeping in the corner. He cleared his throat.

Miyuki let out a displeased sound in her sleep, ears twitching as she rolled over and tried to ignore the sound. “Five more minutes…” She grumbled.

“We’re leaving in a few minutes.” Wulfsen said, leaning on the door frame. “You still wanted to sell your herbs?”

“Huh?” She jerked up, tail sweeping across the floor as she did so. Turning, she saw Wulfsen and she was so thankful for her fur hiding the blush that heated her face up. “Oh, yes…sorry! I got tired and took a nap and…yeah.” Getting to her feet, she dusted off and grabbed up her bag, hugging it to her chest. “So, leaving, yes? Leaving. Of course we’re leaving…sorry.”

She shut herself up before the panic made her babble on further.

“It’s okay.” Wulfsen had been around a lot of nervous women since the raid. “Can you ride? There are a few extra horses. Otherwise you can ride in one of the carts.”

“I should probably ride in a cart…horses tend to…dislike me.” Miyuki admitted, ears falling back.

“Okay.” Wulfsen said. “I’ll go see if Rook wants to come along or stay here tonight then we’ll head out.” With that Wulfsen left the seamstress shop and walked over to the forge. “Hello Rook! Some of my men will be staying here but most of us are going back to the Keep. Did you want to come too?”

While Wulfsen went to speak with Rook, Miyuki did a few more checks of what all she had cleaned before slipping out of the shop and going to wait for the others.

Rook nodded and grabbed a barrel swinging over his shoulder as he walked towards the wagon with cooked deer tucked under his other arm.

Wulfsen grinned. With strength like the dwarf had they would rebuild the village in no time. He helped the newcomers into a cart before mounting his own stallion.

Bai had abandoned the Black Raven, after urging the guards to keep an eye on it and to not go inside under any circumstances. He knew he was chickening out, but reasoned he could try to go inside tomorrow after getting some things from the Keep to help. He joined the others that were leaving the village, the little guy scrambled on the back of his own horse.

Hiding in the cart, Miyuki hugged her bag close and tried to make herself seem as small as possible. “Thank you for all your kindness.” She told them all.

“Thanks for your help back there.” Wulfsen said as they took off. “Both of you.”

Bai rode his horse next to the cart Miyuki was riding in. “If it’s not too nosy, how has a kitsune wound up here?” He asked.

Turning to look at Bai, Miyuki contemplated her answer for a moment. “I honestly don’t know…I’ve traveled on foot almost all my life.” She explained as her ears twitched, taking in every tiny sound around them. “I got lost in a forest and suddenly I was here.”

“Interesting.” Bai said, letting his horse shy away from the cart a little, the damned animal appeared to not like kitsunes. “I only ask because as far as I know there aren’t any kitsunes around here.”

"Probably because they're all dead." She replied bluntly.

“Unfortunately that’s likely.” Bai admitted. “Most of my relatives are dead too.”

"I've buried plenty of friends and family too," Rook replied as he leaned against his barrel as the cart moved. "Will probably have to bury a lot more before my long life ends."

“We have had to bury a lot here.” Wulfsen said gloomily, nodding towards the mass grave they happened to be passing just then.

“So…. I try to live healthy.” Bai added weakly.

"Still one thing I'll give about you humans is your resilience. I'll say less than a decade from now this town will be thriving again" Rook replied.

Miyuki watched as they passed the grave and grimaced in discomfort. Flashes of horrible moments in her life crossed her mind and she had to blink it all away. "Yes, humans are…resilient." She murmured absently.

“I hope so.” Wulfsen said. “So many were lost in the raid, and you see what was left of the village.”

“I’m more worried about that damned tavern popping up again.” Bai muttered.

Miyuki just gazed at the men, listening. She wasn’t sure what to do about all of this.

"Have you had anyone look at it from a magical perspective?" Rook asked.

“I’ve been looking at it from a magical perspective.” Bai said unhappily. “It’s bad… A lot of bad energy I can sense and I haven’t even been inside the place yet.”

"Sounds like strong magic then must be some sort of core or circle or something keeping the magic going" Rook thought aloud scratching his chin.

Bai nodded. “It’s been going on for decades. Refugees from the village have talked about it being destroyed in the past, then rebuilt, many times. This time… I don’t think anyone human built it. I’m not talking about dwarves or elves or kitsunes either.”

“Maybe a dark witch or a demon did it.” Miyuki suggested. “Magic isn’t something you should mess with unless you’re ready for what comes with it.”

“Oh, it was at least one demon.” Bai nodded in agreement. “They can’t seem to kill her off either. But she has been defeated before, and the Black Raven destroyed, burned to the ground… They both come back. We’ve already been keeping an eye out for her after what happened in the raid.”