The dinner table was, for once, crowded. Li got the impression that when it had been built, it was ant for a full family. It was a rectangular and sturdily built with oak. There were preservation runes inscribed to prevent mold and rot. It was large enough for a family, but not a crowd, seating only four people, so Li sat away from the table, watching over what was happening.
Li realized that for over a month, it had only been him and Old Thane eating and living together. The old man never had visitors, and for the first ti, he knew why.
"You should have made so new friends!" said Jeanne as she put down her mug. A moustache of beer foam bubbled above her pink lips. The basket that Azhar had carried in was full of cured ats and a pitcher of beer, and Jeanne had decided rather loudly that it was ti to make rry.
Old Thane shook his head and took a small sip of his beer. "The n and won I called friends have long passed into the gates of Valhul. I cannot tarnish their mory with new companions. Besides, any friend at this age seeing with these eyes would have been there to pity , and pity is the last thing I need."
Jeanne frowned. "People are good these days. It's not like how it was when you fought against the demons. There's so much peace and so much prosperity – I'm sure at least so folk would have loved to get to know you and your riveting tales."
"Oh Jeanne, you're kind, but as naïve as ever," said Old Thane as he shook his head with a smile.
"No, no," she protested, a little emboldened by the drink. "It's true. My ntor at the Temple says that ever since the Duchess graced us with her good rule, smiles have never been so plentiful."
"Ya know, that sounds exactly like what I'd say if my livelihood depended on kissin' the crown's arse," muttered Azhar as he chewed on a slice of ham.
"Oh, quiet, you," said Jeanne as she lightly punched his shoulder. "Always so cynical."
"And you're a little too sunshine and flowers," said Azhar. "A whole lotta' the good out there ain't gonna last when sothing like a war cos knocking."
"He's right," said Li. He sat with his arms crossed and seat drawn back, carefully watching the trio interact with Old Thane. They got along well enough. "There's a lot of scum out there. Peaceti is when they're too afraid to show themselves, but co war? You get to see the worst of all of them."
Sylvie pushed her chair forward so that she sat beside Li. She leaned forward, eyes twinkling with interest. "You sound like you've been in a war. Tell , was it in your ho country?"
Li pushed his chair back and said, "You could say that."
He rembered his experiences fighting for the army. Unpleasant, to say the very least. It wasn't the sa as this world, of course, but in many aspects, he figured it was worse. So many more people died in so many more impersonal ways on a modern battlefield.
"Oh, Sylvie, there you go again with your obsession with the East," said Jeanne as she looked at Sylvie with a playful smile.
"Stop it, Jeanne," said Sylvie as she looked at Li once before looking away bashfully. "It's, you know, history. Li might be the only living person in this whole kingdom that knows anything about what few preserved Eastern tales and secrets we have."
"Your gear's Eastern," said Li. "Seems like you already know a decent amount about where I co from."
Sylvie perked up, happy that Li was engaging her. "You could say that, but even so, Soleilian records of the Xia are so sparse. Our last contact was one hundred years ago, can you believe it? My ninja equipnt and training all co from dusty scrolls that were traded over so very long ago."
She put her hands on her knees and leaned forward, her curiosity-addled eyes almost boring holes through Li. "I don't an to impose, but could you tell us about your land? I've dread – I an, I've studied so much about it."
Li shook his head. "Can't help you there. I rember very little about where I ca from."
This was the convenient lie he had settled on to make an excuse about why he knew so little about where he was supposed to be from. The fact that Sylvie confird that there were no others like him here to disprove him ant he was comfortable saying it.
"Mighty convenient, huh?" remarked Azhar. He sat at the very end of the table with his arms crossed like Li.
"Got a problem?" said Li.
Jeanne reached across the table and gave Azhar's head a light karate chop. "Shush. Li is a good man. He's taken care of Thane and he saved our lives. You should be more thankful."
Azhar rubbed his head, his tattooed hand sifting through rough and coarse black hair. "Damn it, Jeanne, learn to hold back a little."
"Now back to our previous little chat," said Jeanne as she ignored Azhar and turned to Sylvie and Li. "Sylvie, are you sure the only thing you're interested in here is history?"
"Whatever do you an?" stamred Sylvie.
"I noticed you haven't touched your drink."
"Because we need to start on our ghoul contract tomorrow!"
"Oh really?" Jeanne smirked. "You sure it isn't for so other reason? Last ti you had so drink in you, you went on and on about how handso and wonderful the n of the East in your scrolls seed to be."
Sylvie blushed faintly, but even a little red stood out on her pale face. "Jeanne, you know very well yourself that drink leads the mind astray. And I think we've fallen off too far from why we ca."
She retreated her chair away from Li and back to the table before she turned to face him. She coughed into her hand and said, "So as I was saying. When we parted, I felt that it was too little for to say that we would help. Action would speak volus more. And thus, we decided to co here to extend our aid."
Li stiffened. "With what? There's nothing you can do to help us. We don't need protection and I've got the farm under control. Right, old man?"
"Aye, the berries have never been happier with you around," he agreed. "My old heart is excited to see what you'll make of the herbs."
Sylvie nodded. "And that's what we want to help with. I know that you're excellent working with the earth. I also know that you've a sharp mind about you and do not doubt that you'll pass the herbalist's exam. But there are other ways we could help. Starting your business, for one."
"I don't get it," said Li. "For five years, Old Thane was blind and without his wife. You had five years to help him. I understand that you were away. But you couldn't have visited once in a while? Sent so coin?"
Sylvie shook her head, her eyes downcast. "All three of us entered into guild apprenticeship when we were fourteen. At that ti, Thane was still as healthy as ever and Aine still a ray of sunshine. News of Aine's passing only reached us two years later, and by then, we were split among Soleil's many guilds, scurrying about on assignnts in remote wildernesses far from here."
Li shrugged. "Assignnts? So you were doing work. Work ans coin. Coin that could've co here."
"It's alright, Li," said Old Thane as he sensed the rising tensions. "I understand your concern, young lad, I do. But I know these young ones. They an well."
"Let still explain," said Sylvie. She had regained her composure now, her posture straightening and her tone regaining an almost academic calm. "Guild apprentices cannot earn coin. We live under adventurers that teach us the craft, but little to nothing cos our way. When we did graduate, we reunited and ford a party, and that was the first we heard of Thane's condition.
We tried very hard to make do for ourselves so that we would have enough to help, but even with the four of us, it seed even goblins were insurmountable challenges."
"Everyone thinks adventures are rolling in coin or so shite," said Azhar. "Ain't that the farthest from the truth you can get. Before your first few successful hunts when the guild gives ya a bronze dal and actually starts sponsorin' ya, ya got nothin'. No coin for weapons, repairs, herbs, elixirs. Absolutely fuckin' nothin'."
"Four of you?" said Li. He narrowed his eyes. "Where's the other one?"
Sylvie closed her eyes. "They say one in four adventurers dies in the first year of service. We had another party mber. A warrior from the north. He very much wished to see Thane – they were from neighboring tribes. But alas, the chance was robbed from him."
"Basilisk did him in," said Jeanne. She stared at the dinner table; her hands balled into fists. "But thank the gods I awoke to my heroic gift and beat that damned creature into oblivion."
"And with her gift ca the turn of our fortunes," said Sylvie. "With Jeanne holding the might of heroes, we finally managed to finish contracts and grow stronger. Once we gained our bronze dals, our lives beca much easier."
She folded her hands over her lap as she looked at Li. "That was one month ago. and Azhar received our bronze dals and Jeanne went straight to silver for beating a basilisk to death with her bare hands. With our dals ca enough coin that we didn't scrape our bowls clean every single al just to get by. We headed here as soon as we could to help Thane. And also, we want to help you, the man who saved our lives."
Li looked at the three. Sylvie stared at him with a half-smile, expectant but ready to leave if Li didn't feel satisfied. Jeanne, on the other hand, was all hope and smiles, her blue eyes strikingly wide with eagerness to help. Azhar looked down and had uncrossed his arms in a show of respect.
"Alright, alright, stop giving those puppy-dog eyes," said Li. "I'll hear you all out, but on one condition: the farm is entirely my and Old Thane's domain. We manage it well already and we don't need any more hands on it."
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