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Chapter 8: The Crosspaths of Fate

Aldric was sitting in his home, drinking some sort of dark liquid he mixed together from several items that he had in his alchemy laboratory. "Okay, I have found the right combination," he said to himself as he put his notes on the side and went outside into the streets of Scathsolas with a smile.

Fionnbharr already was waiting outside the door and greeted his friend with a hug. "Good evening, Aldric. I hope you slept well."

"A little bit better. It helps that Leofwine and Vidar seem to be getting along rather well again," the shaman replied as he and Fionnbharr walked up the street to the palace. "This Yishai, it is rather uncomfortable to have someone like him watching us while we are trying to seek those gems."

The albino shook his head for a little moment. "Actually, having someone guiding you, who is often considered a god amongst gods, can be rather helpful," he said as they passed by an inn where a drunk wolf was just kicked out by a rather angry looking badger.

"I fear he is only helping us to help ourselves. But he seems to see through the phantasms of the future, so I am not too worried," Aldric said as they walked up the stairs to the palace grounds. "It would be rather nice if things wouldn't be going so out of hand, but it brought Vidar and Leofwine together, so something good came from it."

Now Fionnbharr's eyes widened. "I just realized that we left the wine cellar open and without guards, while Vidar is still in the castle. Maybe we should look into the pantry."

Aldric shrugged as they walked into the massive building and straight into the pantry. "Oh Great Goddess," he said as he clutched his forehead with his right hand.

Vidar and Leofwine were both dancing with each other, looking at each other with a mix of love-drunken and wine-drunken joy. They hit several chairs and objects in the room and giggled as if they didn't notice.

"Well, we came too late to save the wine," Fionnbharr said as he moved his left hand to magically put up the stone ornaments that the two drunken dancers pushed over in their alcohol-induced movements.

The shaman however shook his head as he stepped outside and cried out his rising anger before his calm face returned. "Well, they will be knocked out in a few minutes, so how about we both go to the brawling arena?"

"Also known as the most erotic public place in the city," Fionnbharr joked as he and his brethren left the wolverine and otter for themselves. As they walked out of the palace they went further down into the absolute depths of the city where several entrances were leading into a completely separate sector.

Countless people of all different species were crowded together around a large fenced off area in which two men got ready for combat. The first was a black bear with several scars all across his body, the second a bull with the traditional blue body paint that warriors of Scathsolas used in wars.

Fionnbharr and Aldric were taking place in a special section that was placed on top of seat rows for the other spectators and looking right down at the ring, in which those two men would be fighting.

Two polecats were standing at the side of the ring and looking at the two opponents carefully. One of them now spoke up, "Alright, we are now going into the next round. Our two fighters aren't well-known but that is going to change." He now pointed at the black bear. "He once was member of the army of our beloved friends in Bijulac. Let us welcome Heard to our humble arena!"

The people cheered at the black bear that was smiling softly at the applause and bowing to the crowd.

"And now, his opponent is a rising star in our own army. He might look hardy, but is actually very soft," the polecat said and paused for a second. "We wish you the best of luck, Mochán!"

The bull was showing of his arms as the people cheered just as much as they did for Heard.

Now the other polecat went in between the two and cleared his throat. "This battle is not to the death. The use of weapons, horns, teeth, and tusks is prohibited and leads to disqualification. If one of the opponents should perish it will be judged according to law. With that being set, begin!"

With an ear-shattering cry the bull got into position and rushed towards Heard with a primal fury that his kind was well known for. He stroke right for the head of the bear, but he was hitting nothing but air as the older bear just grabbed his arm and put a foot at his belly to lift him up and throw him hard to the ground.

"I admire your virility and passion, Mochán," the bear said as he now waited for the bull to get up. "But you aren't that heavy as you look."

Mochán wiped the dust off his fur and now looked right at Heard with a friendly smile. "Well, then I have to put some effort into it so the people get their money's worth," he said calmly as he started to move in a circle around Heard.

The bear was shrugging as he went with a low kick for the bull's stomach, just to be grabbed at his ankle and thrown around by his opponent into the soft hay piles that were put around the ring to cushion the impact. "Now, that's the spirit, boy!"

The bull laughed a little bit as he helped the bear out of the hay pile and went back to the other corner of the ring. He was getting ready for another strike, but was caught off guard as Heard started with another kick to his stomach. Acting in expectation of what happened before he wasn't able to react when the bear stopped his initial attack and turned the other way with a kick to the head that made the bull lose equilibrium for a moment, but Mochán swiftly shook it off and countered as he grabbed the bear while he was still recovering from his own attack and suplexed him with the crowd's cheers growing ever louder.

Heard was however still capable to fight back as he quickly got up again and throw himself on the bull to pin him down on the ground and pull on the right leg with all the force he had in his arms.

Twisting his face in pain, Mochán tried to free himself and tried to shake off the bear from him. Eventually he pressed with all his might and turned around the positions as he started to pull on the bear's right leg.

Aldric chuckled at the display and leaned back on his seat. "I admit, they were right about this place. But this will be over soon."

While Mochán was actually at the upper hand with his opponent his stamina was decreasing the more he was struggling to free his leg while grabbling the bears. Eventually he gave a sign that he was giving up and let himself drop to the side as the polecats declared Heard the winner.

The bear however didn't immediately bowed down to the cheering crowd and instead helped up Mochàn to have him bow with him together, which the audience was loving so much that it was still cheering when Heard helped the bull to the rooms that the fighters used to get ready before and recover after the battles.

Now two other fighters came out, the first was a spotted hyena and the other wolf and they both looked rather distant when they entered the ring.

"Alright, the next fight is between a visitor from Altradia in the South of the Urbulchemian Empire," the announcer said with just a little of applause following. "And he is not a member of the nobilis." Now the crowd was cheering much more. "Welcome Apries, welcome in our lovely city."

The hyena smiled as he bowed at the audience and then turned to the announcer. "Certainly, very lovely."

"Thank you so much, Aspries. Now, your opponent will be," the polecat now pointed at the brown-furred wolf who got a stripe of black going over his head fur, and a spot on his chest and tail tip. "Won't tell you from, and I cite, what is it to you?" The crowd laughed at the comment, but the wolf stepped aside the polecat and bowed at his opponent before he went to his corner of the ring.

Fionnbharr was a bit dumbfounded and poked Aldric in the arm. "This guy, I do have seen him before and you do know where, don't you?"

"Well, his name and appearance fit to what you told me. It just appears that he decided for another path here than I initially assumed," Aldric replied as he looked at the canine with some interest.

The wolf however was only waiting for the referee to explain the few rules and announce the battle to begin. He swiftly punched the hyena in the stomach and had him fall to the ground with everyone moaning in disappointment that it was already over.

"Nice punch," Aspries said as he got up from the ground again and massaged his shoulders and went into a boxing stance before he stroke two jabs and an uppercut at the wolf, who could only block the first two strikes before he was knocked to the ground.

Haidon shook his head a little as he got up from the ground and rubbed his chin before he dove under the next punch of the hyena and threw him to the ground.

Aspries cried out in pain as his nose began bleeding and dripping all over his chest fur. He got up and stumbled a little bit to the side as his leg started to fail him, but he was just looking more and more determined as he swipe kicked Haidon to the ground and began to hit with full force on his opponent's chest.

Feeling how his lungs emptied from the impact the wolf's eyes and muzzle were wide open. And as the next punch hit him in the face he could taste his own blood before he was finally able to push the hyena off and stand up again. He spit out some blood and stumbled a bit as he went closer for the hyena.

Aspries wasn't in a better condition as he rushed towards Haidon with a hook that missed and was countered with another hook from the wolf, who now went much faster with his punches on Aspries.

The hyena collapsed as he couldn't take the pain anymore and left Haidon standing as the victor. "I give up."

Haidon wiped the blood off his muzzle and smiled as he helped up Aspries and gave him a look on his now rather crimson teeth. "You aren't bad, first time somebody gave me a bloody face."

Having still some problem standing on his legs Aspries wasn't looking very happy, but he tried to smile anyway before he went off to the fighter lobby to get himself treated.

Now standing in the middle of the ring Haidon was grabbed by the announcer and put into a victor's pose.

"And that concludes the battel between our two mysterious strangers! Let us applaud to Haidon!" the announcer called to the audience as he lead the wolf to the lobby and left the referee to now call that the next battle would start after a short break.

Fionnbharr was looking rather content as he let the show sink into his mind. "So, how do you think he looked? His physical appearance is pretty much the same here as in my visions."

Aldric shrugged. "Not bad, but it is odd to talk about someone you actually don't know from anything but strange visions about another reality." Deciding that there was certainly something interesting about it, the shaman decided to go towards the lobby and wait for the strange wolf to get out.

The full clothing set of Haidon was rather expensive-looking. A black cloak with short sleeves were covering an orange tunic and a pair of rather oddly white pants made from a fine material was put snuggly around the legs of the wolf, who was looking curiously at Aldric and chuckling a little bit. "Yeah, I am aware that I am standing out with my appearance. It's just how I like to dress myself, my friend."

"I actually wanted to comment on your battle with the hyena," Aldric said as he looked at the rather curiously golden eyes of the wolf with a questioning look on his face. "You seem to take physical punishment rather well and also to deal it out. Where are you from?"

"Some small settlement around the lands," The wolf replied as he and Aldric walked towards Fionnbharr. "Wait, you are in company of one of the princes? I didn't know that I would get such an honor, I am pleased to meet you, your majesty."

Fionnbharr was staring at the wolf and then at the shaman as he chuckled into himself. "Just call me Fionnbharr or Fionn. We are in an open society after all, so feel free to be as casual as you like."

The wolf sighed in relief and smiled at the albino badger. "I really would hate to use the third person all the time. So, why are you two talking to me?"

"Just plain interest," Aldric said as he smiled back at The wolf and looked him into the eyes. "For example, where did you learn to fight like that?"

Now the wolf was rubbing the back of his head and going over the bushy, black stripe of fur that was rather standing out on his head. "I am picking stuff up on the way. However, it seems to work out for me."

That statement left Aldric a bit wondering but he shrugged it off and chuckled a little bit. "I have a feeling that you are actually a nice guy for helping up Aspries and waiting for him to be taken care off instead to just let you be proclaimed the victor."

"The two opponents before us were doing it in a similar manner," The wolf said as he laughed with a blush on his face. "Although, they hugged when they got back into the brawlers lobby, so it seems to be more than just friendliness."

"Well, Mochán is one of the guards patrolling around the city." With a wink Aldric held up his right index finger. "And he has been rather welcoming to many people he met from outside the city. But, I do have some questions and would like to talk with you at a quieter setting, is that alright?"

"I do have a good feeling about you guys," the wolf said with a chuckle. "So, yeah sure. Maybe we find out that we grew up in the same village or something along those lines."

Back at the castle Vidar was groaning loudly as he got up from the ground and felt how Leofwine's head was resting on his belly. "How much wine did we take?"

Leofwine mumbled something inaudible as he got up and clutched his forehead as the massive hangover hit him severely. "Enough to make me not go over three cups ever again."

A smug grin went over the wolverine's face as he lifted Leofwine up on his shoulders for a piggyback ride. "Well, at least we had some fun together, Leof."

Heavy movements of the otter's tail were now going over Vidar's back as the two lovers went outside the pantry into the entrance hall and out of the castle. "So, where are we two going?" Leofwine asked as he was rubbing the cheeks of his carrier with a gentle touch.

"I heard you singing, so how about we sing something together?" the wolverine suggested without waiting for a response.

"An old man's treasure lies buried in the sea,"

"The eyes are empty and his body is cold,"

Leofwine was trying to recall the lyrics before he eventually continued:

"Oh gods, what has just happened to me?"

"My reason ceased to be as my mind has been sold,"

"On a ship I was sailing far away, leaving my home behind,"

"And on my journey there is only one, a man with a spirit kind,"

Vidar:

"Oh young man, you need some hand,"

"The world is wide, and the seas are deep,"

"The years will pass, we will see no land,

"Let me help you, and dig out the heap,"

Leofwine:

"And as we opened the fabled chest,"

"Trust me, it was all a jest,"

"Years we took, and now we cried,"

"For the dirty sack at home had lied,"

Vidar:

"We sailed back and grabbed that son of a whore,"

Leofwine:

"Gods may help him, we dragged him off the shore,"

Vidar:

"Deep in the sea he now rests,"

Leofwine:

"Next to an old man's chest."

The two mustelids laughed out loud as they finished their mediocre duet and were applauded by some people that were passing them by. Leofwine was smiling as he bend over to look right into Vidar's eyes. "You know Vid, despite your rough appearance and attitude you do have a very nice voice."

"Some people used to make fun of it sounding less like a warrior and more like a bard, but they quickly realized that I still got the right fists for the job," Vidar replied as he cautiously went through the pathway that was leading from the city to the underground lake. "So, how about we both go for a swim together?"

Now the otter's tail was stopping and he was looking a bit nervously around in fear somebody could have heard the suggestion. "Huh? Nobody here," he concluded as he saw that there was in fact nobody around. Being now more confident in the situation he quickly got ready for a swim and dove right in.

Vidar followed right in and tried to get up on speed with the otter, to not much avail as the otter just swam around him in circles without much effort. And as he tried to dive he only saw how the otter's general shape shot through the water. As his head came back to the surface he was chuckling a little bit as he decided to instead float on the lake with his back on the surface.

Leofwine swam up to him and held on to the body of Vidar as he was smiling like a child that got a giant piece of fish. "You are a better runner and jumper than a swimmer, but I must say it is rather nice out here. And it's not too cold for either of us, I guess."

"I have been swimming in much colder waters. It helps that the pelts of our two people never soak full," the wolverine replied as he gently fondled the otter's head and they drifted off on the water's surface. "You know, I do wonder a little bit. Aldric seems to be nice occasionally, even though he is perhaps a bit cold-hearted at times."

Not sure what Vidar was going at, Leofwine gave him a confused look. "I am not sure what that has to do with the cold water."

"Well, I do wonder if we should get him, you know, a person he could love or at least have some good night with," the wolverine suggested with a very suggestive wink.

The otter chuckled softly as he paddled with his feet to get him and Vidar back to the shore to redress. "I doubt he is much into that idea, though. I mean, he is a shaman after all and I never found him to be much of, well, you know."

"I doubt he is totally free of such thoughts, though," Vidar replied as he looked as he realized that the water on his pelt was now soaking into his pair of trousers and green robe. "Um, I should have thought this through."

"Well, you wouldn't be you, if you did that," Leofwine replied as he gave Vidar a quick kiss and run back into the city with the wolverine following slowly behind.

With a very harmonious humming Vidar recalled the song he just song with Leofwine when they went to the lake. Just as he was back in the city he noticed however that Leofwine was frozen in his tracks and shacking. "Leof, is something wrong?" he asked as he put his arms around the otter.

It wasn't possible for the otter to do anything but breathing heavily as he was only standing there and staring into the distance.

"I am here for you," Vidar whispered into Leofwine's ear as he gently got down and let the otter rest on his chest to calm down. "I will protect you."

As his lungs were acting normally again Leofwine turned around and hugged Vidar tightly. "I am sorry, I just saw this guy and he looked, no I was probably just imagining things."

"What guy? What did you see?" the wolverine asked as he put his hand over the back of the otter's head. "You can tell me."

Wiping the tears from his eyes Leofwine now looked into Vidar's face and tried to control his shaking. "The man that killed my mother. He was a boar with black fur around his chin and cheeks. An image that burned into my mind, and I thought I just saw him."

"Where?" Vidar asked now with a hint of anger in his voice. "If it is that man, I am going to make him pay for what he did to you and your family."

"I don't know, my mind went crazy and I can't remember anything," was the otter's response as he got off from Vidar and held on to a rock on the side. "It was only a reaction of my mind, nothing more. It was probably just someone that looked similar to him."

"Still, I guess if he was a boar then I can locate him," Vidar replied as he went past by Leofwine and walked till he found the track of a singular boar further down the street and tracked it down into a tavern.

Leofwine followed slowly as he wasn't very eager to watch whatever the wolverine was going to do this time. He just sat down at a table and waited for Vidar to get it over with.

A heated situation was going on in Vidar's mind, he was feeling how his anger was already getting the better of him again as he followed the scent towards a table in the corner where he saw the boar siting by himself. "Hey you!"

In a moment of shock the boar jumped up from his chair and had his left hand already on his sword. "What?! Do you want to start a fight in a tavern or something? If so, try it somewhere else or I will call the guards."

"They may as well come," the wolverine replied as he tried to refrain from leashing out. "I do think you may not be such an innocent guy as you try to act like. In fact, I think you are just an outlaw on the run."

"Oh please, on what basis do you make your accusations?" the boar replied with a confident and analytical glare. "Please tell me, maybe we can solve this without making a mess."

Vidar sneered as he gestured for Leofwine to come over. "Leof, is that the guy?" he asked with his fangs already exposed.

"Um, Vid? You do realize that he is around our age. He would have been a child or teenager around the time my village was attacked," the otter explained as he got over while rubbing his forehead. "The man that I remember was certainly in his thirties, although this man here does have very similar fur patterns."

Now the boar shook his head. "By Freya's lap, can't I just have a break for a change? It took me three fucking weeks to get here and I wish to relax rather than to talk to some stinking brute with a tiny brain."

"Sorry, but Vidar is a bit, well, sensitive at times," Leofwine explained with a nervous smile on his face.

The boar's face now turned from anger to surprise and a mild fear. "W-wait, Vidar? As in Prince Vidar, the son of King Bjartr the Beheader? Have I died or something?"

"Well, no, not really," the wolverine said as he sat down on the table and gestured the waiter to get them some drinks. "Fionnbharr wanted to send a letter once I came here, but I asked him not to. Personally, without my father's pressure in my neck things are much nicer now."

"Your father, well," the boar shook his head and now turned to Leofwine. "So, Leof? Could you explain why the prince of Kärmave, who was declared dead a few days ago as no traces could be found, is alive and kicking in your company?"

Wondering why the boar wanted to ask him the otter sat down at the table and sighed. "Well, he survived and we kind of traveled together since we saved him from the guys that killed his comrades."

Now the boar was raising an eyebrow. "Interesting, and who is 'we' in this case? After all, Vidar is the object in this sentence, not the subject."

"I and Aldric, a shaman that is living here," the otter replied as he was scratching his chin. "And honestly it is not important."

Now the boar stood up and smashed on the table with his palms. "Not important? You have no idea how the things are in Kärmave right now, do you? Bjartr has left the crown for the jarls to take and went off to someplace unknown. We don't even know, if he is alive anymore."

"Why should he care about someone that never cared about anyone?" Vidar mumbled as the waiter brought some mugs for them, of which he emptied his in one go. "Kjeld was dying and where was he? Where was he?!" Not realizing how much power was going through his body the wolverine cried those words out as his fist was hitting the table with almost enough impact to break off a part.

A sad smile went over the boar's face. "He was in Diamond Lake in Bijulac, I know. Alright, I am not going to talk about this. At the moment I am more interested in your friend here anyway. Whom am I resembling so much?"

"Someone that took everything from me, when I was a child," Leofwine replied calmly as he averted everyone's eyes. "He murdered my mother before my very eyes. And since that time I have suffered from the memories. I even," he stopped talking and shook his head all of the sudden as he took a deep breath. "It is not important, you are a stranger after all."

"It might however still relate to me in a way," the boar now replied as he looked at Leofwine with an apathic look on his face. "I am a bastard child. My mother was, not consensually pregnant with me and thus I never knew who my father was. Well, till I found out one day, that is."

"So, what about him?" Leofwine said with a horrible feeling in his stomach as he already knew what the answer would be.

With a look at the ceiling the boar was taking in the scents around them and looking down at his hands. "He is a bandit who belonged to a group that disbanded several years ago. And, I guess that same group has attacked your village. So, now that this is solved, I do have to say that I have no idea where he might be either."

"Would have been too much for me anyway," Leofwine said as he took a sip from his mug and stared blankly into the mead. "Do you sometimes wonder why people like that can even exist? People that cause nothing but harm to everyone?"

"Amongst so many people in this world there always have to be some with hearts of evil," the boar replied as he took his mug and drank half of it. "Others may be driven by desperation. In his case it's the former. Such people can't be saved. And should just be executed at the spot."

Leofwine's eyes now looked deeper into his mug. "Evil, huh? I have ended the life of someone like that. And, it took me weeks to even look into my own reflection again."

"Leofwine here saved my life from that bastard," Vidar intervened into the conversation with a played cheerfulness. "He is a true hero for me."

Now the boar raised an eyebrow. "How often did you get into life threatening situations in the last few weeks?"

"About five times," the wolverine said as he dropped his joyful mask and put an arm around Leofwine. "And almost lost him forever, because I did so much wrong."

"I am actually surprised that you were able to set down with a single guy or gal in the first place," the boar snickered into himself. "Your nightly adventures have become well-known."

Now Vidar sighed as he pulled Leofwine closer to himself. "As if I didn't know. But it was mostly just sex, not love, as helplessly romantic it may sound."

"Sounds more like the distinction between lust and affection to me." A slight smile was now forming on the boar's face as he looked at the two mustelids. "My name is Völundr, by the way. I am from the bordering region of Bijulac and Kärmave. And I am at your service, my prince."

"Wait, you want to accompany me?" the wolverine asked as he looked at Völundr's rather muscular frame with a soft layer of fat filling out his belly that stuck out from under his clothing. "Well, I guess that more can't hurt. So, welcome to the team."

Völundr chuckled a little bit as he gestured the waiter to get them more drinks. "I am at the service of your father after all, my prince."

Meanwhile at the palace Aldric and The wolf were sitting together across the massive illuminating crystal and chatting with each other.

"So, you were trained in magic combat by shamans? Interesting, so you have experience in magic combat, but also got trained by your father in melee combat," Aldric concluded as he saw over the wolf with a smile. "I must say, you do look the part."

The wolf gave him a coy smile. "Thanks for the compliment, Aldric," now the wolf got up and shook off the stiffness from his limbs. "Alright, I think that we should meet up again someday. Maybe I will return here once I finished my business."

The badger got up and patted the wolf's shoulder. "How about we meet next spring? I will be back by then."

"Spring sounds nice, Aldric," the wolf replied as he gave the badger a hug and went off towards the city's gates. He winked to Aldric and then was getting out of sight.

"Is this your doing, Yishai?" Aldric mumbled into himself as he walked back into the city to his house. He was a bit distracted as he pondered about the words the polar fox said to him, not noticing that he was being followed while he walked down the street.

As he entered his house, he wasn't even able to close the door behind himself as somebody rushed in and pierced into his right shoulder with a sharp knife, causing Aldric to scream in pain. "Where's the gem, little whoreson!" The assailant, a rather dirty-looking rat, was yelling as he pulled out his weapon from Aldric's shoulder and threw the shaman to the ground.

Feeling how his right arm was hurting as he moved Aldric decided put his left hand to the ground and concentrated to let a small pillar raise up right where his opponent's privates were located.

A painful scream filled the entire room as the assailant was shielding himself from any further attack. "You dirty bastard!"

"Says the one who probably hasn't bathed in months," Aldric replied as he got up and grabbed his staff to hit the rat with it on the side of his head.

It send the assailant flying into the kitchen area of the house, where he hit his face on the stove. But he was now getting up again and throwing his knife while aiming for the badger's throat.

Aldric was able to go to the side, but now felt how his left shoulder was hit by the blade of the knife. Holding back a scream of agony the badger went to the now unarmed rat and held him on his throat. With a furious energy going through his arms he smashed the rat's head onto his stove two times before he activated the heating gem. "Now tell me, who are you and who has send you? Else," he now pushed the rat's face dangerously close to the heating stove.

Struggling in the badger's grab the rat was shacking and shedding tears. "The name is Kári, a fella gave me coins for your gem. Please, don't kill me!"

Being in a rather sour mood Aldric stopped the heating crystal and simply smacked the rat into the rocky surface next to it. As he was sure the rodent was knocked out he pulled off his robe and looked for some bandages and a healing potion. As soon as he was finished he saw that two guards already went inside.

"Sorry that it took so long, we just got notice from someone and weren't able to get here any faster," the first guard, who was a female badger Aldric had seen several times before, said as she pulled up the rat and put him over her shoulders. "We will make sure things are dealt with. Will you be okay?"

"I think so, but I don't think he is the only one. We need to send guards to Vidar and Ninniaw and Fionnbharr," Aldric said as he went out of his house and tried to locate the scents of both the wolverine and otter, following it into a tavern he knew was rather popular by the local folks. He was relieved to see the two unharmed, but then he spotted the boar sitting next to them and was rather suspicious as he approached.

Leofwine spotted Aldric and gasped as he realized the bloody bandages on the badger's shoulders. "Oh no, what happened?"

"Got someone trying to butcher me, nearly fried him on my stove, and now I see you two hanging around with some stranger in a tavern." Aldric took a deep breath as he looked at Völundr. "So, with whom do I have the pleasure?"

"Völundr would be the name, and yours is Aldric, I assume," the boar said with a smile. "Vidar and Leofwine told me about you, after a few mugs of mead, of course."

Aldric now shook his head as he glared at Vidar and Leofwine for a second and put his hand on the table. "You surely understand that I am not so eager to trust someone new, after getting attacked in my own house. Some good liars can even mask their scents, so whom could we still trust."

"I see," Völundr was looking sadly down at the table and then back at Aldric with a weak smile on his face. "What do you propose?"

The badger sighed for a moment as he walked over to the boar and sat down next to him. "I will simply ask you to tell us the truth, while we observe your gestures and scent."

"Alright, I suppose that is fair enough, Smartstripes," the porcine gave back and crossed his arms. "I grew up in a wolverine family, after my mother abandoned me, for being the unwanted seed of someone, who has violated her. Beginning with that, would be a wonderful life with the most heartful mother and father one could wish for, as well as my sister, who supported me in all my decisions." Aldric smiled, and observed the boar's eyes. "I can understand, if you wish to keep the part about your biological parents shut off from here on, as you seem very fond of the people that took you into their family."

"They are the kindest people I know," Völundr remarked, before his eyes glanced at his hand. "However, the other boys, and our instructor for the warrior training were not fond of me, after they found out that I am fond of using magic. I do wish to be a warrior. Hence why I lied to you, my prince. I wanted to feel like this for a long time, and it gave me the opportunity."

The wolverine chuckled a little bit at the boar's reply. "Personally, I don't care, as long as your heart is on the right spot. Plus, I would actually like to practice magic myself."

"My prince," the boar smiled weakly as he got up from his chair and hugged Vidar with almost enough force to make the wolverine yelp.

"Okay, with that being settled, I am checking at the palace to make sure that everything is okay there," Aldric now said as he went off from the table and gestured everyone to follow him, not before putting two gold coins on the desk of the innkeeper, of course.

The four were walking rather fast, leaving the streets behind them. As they reached the giant building, the badger was catching his breath and looked over to the palace.

"Aldric, good to see you," one of the guards, the mole that usually accompanied the female badger guard that helped Aldric earlier, asked as he approached the group. "We have checked the area thoroughly, and it is safe. No shadow cloaks, no good sneakers, nothing. Thank the Goddess for that, but we currently scout through the city to find more clues about the man, who send that rat to steal your possessions."

Vidar now looked at Aldric's shoulder over the spot which was covered in bandages. "If that guy wasn't behind bars, I would tear him apart from ass to neck. Slowly, of course."

"Certainly a nice way to be worried about me," Aldric replied with a soft chuckle as he looked back towards the city. "But this is troublesome. As long as we are in possession of the gem they will target us."

"Well, if the gems are so dangerous, we should just get rid of them in a way that makes them unreachable forever," Leofwine suggested as he pulled out the cyan gem from his bag. "Those things are only making matters worse, so we might just throw it in the ocean, where nobody could reach it."

"Too bad, we are still a week away from the next beach," Aldric intervened as he looked at the gem and thought for it a little bit. "It is a brilliant idea, of course. We should do that later on."

Leofwine smiled at the compliment as he put back the gem into his bag. "I am positive that, once we are on the road, we might be harder to track down. But we still should be careful."

"In that case," Vidar now put his hand into Leofwine's bag and took the gem out of it. "You shouldn't be the one carrying it around," he said and put the little stone into a pocket of his robe.

The otter wasn't sure, if he should feel offended or thankful about that gesture, but he decided to just smile and then let the topic drop for now. "So, how about we interrogate that rat to learn more about whoever send him?"

"Certainly, I guess right now he should be in the dungeons," the badger said with an odd smile on his face as he and the mole got away from the group and off towards a building in the lower layers of the city. Going inside and through several hallways and staircases, they finally stopped at one of the doors, which the mole opened to let Aldric go inside.

Kári was sitting at the wooden bench and looking in fright at the badger, knowing just too well how well he could stand in an unarmed battle.

Not caring about the rat however, Aldric grabbed the prisoner at his throat and pressed him against the wall. "I want you to answer every question I have truthfully. If you dare telling a lie, I cannot guarantee for your well-being," he demanded with his teeth clearly exposed before he let off the rat and sat down next to him. "Talk!"

"Some lion hired me, wanted a gem, paid me enough to pay of my depts," the rat replied as he avoided the stern gaze of Aldric. "I tracked you down after finding out about that wolverine from that she-wolf. Your friend told her about the gem, after he got drunk."

Aldric now sighed as he got up from the bench and stood with his arms crossed at the rat. "So, why did you agree to this job? And what was this lion like?"

Kári shook his head a bit. "Desperation. I had to pay some people a lot of money, which I didn't have," he said and began to shed some tears. "And the things they would demand as compensation, I am so sorry, but I couldn't do this any longer. The lion had a black mane, but I don't know much else."

"I see," Aldric now closed his eyes and patted the rat on the shoulder. "If I am going to talk with Fionnbharr or Ninniaw about this, I could let them help you out with your problems, while also protecting you from the one who send you," he suggested and opened his eyes again.

"You serious?" the rat asked with a weak voice. "After all, I was attacking you with a knife and all."

The badger shrugged at that remark. "Clean up your act, and we will be alright. You may be relocated in the open floors and have access to a nice bed and a communal bathroom, and once I am back, I may see, if I can just get you out of here."

"Well, I think for now a nicer cell and safety is quite enough," Kári replied as he laid down in the bench and closed his eyes. "There might be more mercenaries that were hired, so be careful."

"I will keep that in mind, thanks," Aldric said as he turned around and left the prisoner to himself.

Later that evening, Völundr was sitting in his room at the inn. He was sitting in his loincloth and staring into his reflection in a mirror at the wall. "Does my face really look so much like his?"

Before the boar could give it more thought however, someone was knocking at his door. "Hey, Völundr. Maybe you want a chamber at the palace?"

Without much talk the boar got up from his bed and opened the door to see that Vidar was standing right outside his room. "I already paid for this room, though. Plus, I am only a servant, not a prince or the friend of one."

"In that case still come and act as a guard for me," the wolverine suggested with a wink, followed by him watching over the boar's rather scar-covered body. "Seems like you are experienced, actually."

Völundr sighed at that statement. "Those scars aren't remnants of battle, my prince. Only of my own inability to defend myself. In any case, if you wish for me to come with you, just let me grab my things and we will be off."

"Great," Vidar replied as he waited for the boar to put on his trousers and leather armor before they went down the stairs and out of the inn. "You might get the room opposite to the one I and Leofwine are sleeping in. But, please don't enter before knocking."

Völundr now raised an eyebrow. "You should lock the door, if you are planning to have some private time, my prince," he stated with a grin on his face. "Say, how did you and the otter become so close anyway?"

"Maybe sheer luck," the wolverine replied with a tone that was hard to determine. "We got along pretty well for the first few days, then I screwed up as we got into a fight and I snapped. I am not sure how strong his feelings must have been, if he was willing to forgive me in the end and become perhaps one of the few people, where I am not just, well you know."

"Certainly, I know. I am not entirely innocent either, my prince," Völundr joked as he glanced over to a bypassing vixen. "But, it would be nice, if there was more to it, if I might be honest."

Vidar chuckled at that remark, right when they were passing through the gates of the palace and entered the enormous building. "Well, love is a wonderful experience, isn't it?"