The cool night breeze swelled through the small clearing as Sonhu and Ketra walked down the path. The moon's soft glow barely lit the way. The field was quiet, with only the sound of the tall grass shifting in the wind.

  Sonhu's eyes fought a tiring battle against sleep, heavy lids weighing heavily as his head bobbed slightly… but he had to trek on. They had no equipment to set up a camp. No tent, no sleeping bags, no flint, food, nothing worth taking the risk of resting out in the open. The idea of running into bandits or crusaeders already had Sonhu wary, so he had no intention of leaving himself any more vulnerable.

  Ketra seemed perfectly fine, however. Sonhu had been noting how she only slowed her pace when he started dragging. It was as if she never tired. Another reason Sonhu was hesitant to stop was that someone else was on the trail, not too far behind them.

  He had heard the cart almost an hour ago now. The slow trotting hooves of horses. The heave and groans of the wooden cart. Initially, it had been very distant, but had slowly been gaining on them, now only about twenty paces behind. The driver seemed in no rush.

  Ketra had even noticed it by now. He caught her glancing back every once in a while. It was probably nothing to worry about. However, Sonhu remained cautious. Eventually, the cart was beside them, to the left of Sonhu.

  On the cart was a small figure. He had blue skin, big eyes with green irises, and small, thin ears. His head was bulbous, only made more dramatic by his thin limbs. His clothes were worn and ragged. Loose brown pants that had clearly been stitched over a few times. A white shirt with tears around the sleeves, different dirt and stains covered it in a haphazard pattern. A brown cap that sat awkwardly on his head. He was a fey of some sort, Sonhu concluded.

  The figure noticed him watching. He raised and waved his hand with a smile. A small thing with three spindly fingers.

  "Evenin'," The stranger said with a worn, soft voice.

  "Good evening," Sonhu replied with a polite nod before returning his attention to the path. There was silence for a moment before the stranger spoke again.

  "Where are y'all folks headin' at such a late hour?" He asked

  "Verdana," Sonhu said quickly. He named the first Eastern city that came to mind.

  "Verdana." He repeated. Clearly unfamiliar with the town. Another pause for a few moments. "Well, if ya'll are headin' on this path for a bit, I could give you a ride. I'm heading to the commune a bit down the road. I have a blanket an' y'all can rest for a bit." He offered.

  "No, we are qui-" Sonhu started.

  "That would be excellent," Ketra interjected, her tone commanding.

  "I don't think we should," Sonhu whispered to Ketra. Hr hocked at how trusting she was of the stranger.

  "Why not? You are clearly tired and need the rest." She replied quietly. The stranger watched as the two argued.

  "What if he does something?" Sonhu asked.

  Ketra glanced at the stranger before replying.

  "It seems harmless, and even if it tried something, I am sure I can take it." She said with a pompous tone. Then to the stranger, "We accept your offer."

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  The stranger pulled back on the reins. The horses came to a stop. Sonhu hesitated before conceding to Ketra's forceful glare. He helped her into the back of the cart. It felt odd in a way. As he offered his hand to help her, as if she were some innocent maiden. Both of them sat in the cart between various supplies: apples, cloths, lumber, etc. They sat on opposite sides of the cart facing one another. When the stranger pulled a blanket out from among the piles, he looked between Sonhu and Ketra, not sure who to offer it to. Sonhu gestured to Ketra with a nod, and the stranger gave the blanket to her. The stranger pulled on the reins, and they were off. Their spots were right behind the front of the cart, and so after a few moments, the stranger began talking once again.

  "I'm Ruffus, by the way." He said. "What are y'all's names?"

  "I'm Sonhu and she's Ketra," Sonhu replied.

  "Sonhu and Ketra," He repeated with a soft chuckle. He then glanced at Sonhu, "What are you if yah don't mind me askin'? Some sort of beastfolk?" He asked.

  "Something like that." Sonhu replied with a chuckle, "I'm Talmari."

  "Talmari… Don't think I've met one of them before." He said.

  "We blend in with the rest of the 'Beastfolk', so I would be surprised if you mistook one for a Vidren or Nalbi."

  "Nah, I've seen plenty of beastfolk, but none like you." He said. "Your stripes and white fur aren't like any Vidren. You don't have the mane of a male Nalbi."

  "You sure know your beastfolk," Sonhu said, raising an eyebrow. Ketra watched the conversation between the two. Absorbing all the strange information.

  "You could say that." Ruffus replied with a chuckle, "We got a lot of them on the commune."

  "The commune, what is it exactly?" Sonhu asked.

  "It's this small settlement in the woods. We have a lot of people living there, of all sorts of races. We got beastfolk, fey, humans, a few goblins, we even have an Orc!" He said with an odd excitement.

  "Quite the collection," Sonhu replied with some skepticism.

  "Oh yeah, it's amazing. We all work together, and I've never seen anything like it before. So many species, all together in harmony." He said, "You'd like it there, they are accepting of all sorts of people. You and your… uh," He paused regarding Ketra for a moment.

  "Traveling companion," Sonhu stated.

  "Traveling companion." Ruffus repeated with a nod, "Would be welcome. The commune is very open to… all those kinds of things as well."

  "Sounds too good to be true," Sonhu replied.

  "I know, that's what I thought when I first heard it, but I've been living there for six months now and it's amazing." He continued with an awe in his voice, his gaze a bit distant. Then he refocused and said, "You should stop by. I'm sure they'd love to meet a Talmari."

  "We're good," Sonhu said.

  "You sure? You could stay for dinner. We have such great feasts."

  "Dinner?" Ketra said, intrigued.

  "Yeah. You could probably even stay the night tomorrow. We are always welcoming travelers."

  "No, that will be fine." Sonhu insisted. "A kind offer, but we don't really have that kind of time."

  "Alright," Ruffus said, a bit dejected. "Well, I'll take you as far as you like, but once we reach the commune, that's as far as I go, so you'll have to get off." His spirit picked back up again.

  "That's fine," Sonhu replied. Then politely added, "Thank you."

  "Ah, it's really no problem," Ruffus said with a smile.

  "Well, we should get some rest," Sonhu said to Ketra.

  Sonhu then shifted and rested his head against a box, closing his eyes. It didn't take long before sleep took him. As the cart bumped along the night, Sonhu didn't get a comfortable sleep, but a needed one.

  The next morning, when the cart pulled to a stop. Sonhu stirred unwillingly. Grogginess held him back as he lay there. Waiting for Ruffus to kick them out. Sonhu heard the sound of clanking metal steps slowly approaching.

  "Mornin', Davin. Can you help me with the supplies?" Ruffus said in a cheerful tone.

  Sonhu sat up and stretched, rubbing his eyes.

  "Who are they?" A gruff voice asked.

  "Oh, just some travelers I picked up on the path."

  "Will they be staying?"

  "Maybe."

  When Sonhu's eyes finally adjusted to the light and he began to take in the surroundings, he saw the source of the new voice. A crusaeder.