Rhylen

Dunlam. Finally.

The moment I set foot in this town, a sense of ease washes over me. The years have taught me not to trust in peace, it’s fleeting, deceptive, but still, Dunlam has a way of dulling the ever-present edge in my mind. I let myself enjoy the city, inhaling the scents of damp stone and burning tallow, the mingling voices of merchants and travelers filling the air.

But the moment passes quickly, I bring my thoughts back to our current mission.

Our quarry has vanished without a trace, every lead evaporating like mist at dawn. The frustration of it gnaws at me. We’ve been tracking this man for months, only to find ourselves chasing shadows. I can only hope Thorin returns with something tangible, something that gives us direction. His last reports were strange, disjointed pieces of a puzzle that refused to fit. A strange light in the woods. An unidentified woman. And no sign of our target.

I force my focus back to the market, adjusting the sword at my hip, moving towards the door of our Lodge. Arandur’s voice calls out from the doorway.

“Rhylen, Thorin is back.”

I turn, taking in the young rogue’s composed expression. Arandur is sharp, observant beyond his years. Trained for subterfuge, he notices the details others miss, and his words carry weight with me.

“He’s with a woman in the market,” he adds.

My brows lift slightly. “A woman?”

Did Thorin return with the woman he mentioned before? Could it be possible he found some companionship? Thorin has been known to form attachments easily. He’s capable of great loyalty, maybe too much, but his devotion should be reserved for our cause. A dalliance in the middle of a hunt would be meddlesome.

Arandur’s face remains impassive. “They seemed familiar, but it didn’t appear romantic.”

He says it as if he knew where of my thoughts. He’s known Thorin for years, so it only natural he’d know what I was thinking.

“She arrived in Dunlam with him and purchased a trinket at the market.” Arandur reports.

“She must be important if he’s keeping her close,” I mutter.

Our conversation is cut short by the sound of the lodge doors swinging open, followed by the unmistakable thud of an axe being set down in the next room. I don’t need to turn to know who it is.

“Speak of the devil.”

Thorin steps inside, his presence commanding as ever. His red hair is wind-tousled, his cloak dusted from travel. We clasp forearms in a brief but firm greeting.

“Rhylen,” he says, his smirk betraying his amusement. “I take it Arandur has mentioned the woman?”

“I assume it’s not a coincidence that you brought her here while we’re chasing a ghost,” I reply, watching him carefully.

Thorin chuckles, settling into a chair as though he has all the time in the world. “You’re not wrong.”

He meets my gaze, his smirk fading as he leans forward slightly. “I’ve found no sign of the man from Earth. But I have found a woman… from Earth.”

Silence settles over the room. Arandur stiffens beside me, his sharp mind already working through the implications. My own thoughts race ahead. Earth. The name alone carries weight. We know so little of that world, only whispered rumors and fragmented tales. If Thorin is right…

“She’s unlike anyone I’ve encountered before,” he continues. “Soft hands, untouched by labor, but she carries no air of nobility. She’s an enigma.”

I don’t bother hiding my skepticism. “And she willingly came with you?”

Thorin’s smirk deepens. “Not exactly.”

I fold my arms. “Explain.”

“I found her in a village north of Belham. She arrived barefoot, with a child at her side, just after a strange blue light flickered in the forest. The villagers accused her of witchcraft.”

A muscle in my jaw tightens. Superstition breeds fear, and fear breeds violence. It’s not surprising she was marked as something unnatural by the villagers. Still, that doesn’t explain her presence here.

“What made you think she’s from Earth?”

Thorin leans back, a glint of amusement in his eyes. “When she was pressed by men in the village for being a witch, she shouted, ‘Why on Earth?’ That was all I needed to hear.”

I exhale slowly, processing the implications. If she truly came from Earth, then she’s more than a lost traveler. She’s a piece of this puzzle, whether she realizes it or not. We just need to verify if she’s really from the same place as him. We don’t know if word has spread about the man of earth. I’ll need to speak with her myself to gauge if we can use her or not.

“Good work,” I finally say. “Bring her to me. I want to question her myself.”

Thorin hesitates. Just for a moment, but I catch it. That alone sets me on edge.

“There’s one more thing,” he admits. “I saved her life. Twice.”

I narrow my eyes. “And?”

“In return, I told her she owes a debt to our group.”

A sharp silence falls between us. I exhale and pinch the bridge of my nose, struggling to rein in my frustration.

“You did what?” My voice is dangerously quiet. “Thorin, why would you bind us to someone we can’t trust?”

He shrugs, though there’s a tension in his shoulders. “I just had a feeling about her.”

I shake my head, unwilling to accept blind faith as justification. “What skills does she have?”

“She keeps books.”

A dry laugh escapes me. “And you think that’s useful?”

His expression remains unshaken. “No, but I said it was, so she’d come with me. I’ll take full responsibility for her. Train her, if need be.”

I study him for a long moment. He’s rarely this adamant about anything unrelated to our mission. Thorin’s attachments to her is something we need to be cautious of. Woman can be wily creatures. Using their bodies to beguile men, who knows if this woman has ensnared his heart, lustful mind. Let’s hope it’s neither.

Finally, I sigh. “Fine. She stays… for now. But you are responsible for her.”

Thorin nods, something like relief flickering across his face before he stands and exits the room.

Arandur waits until the door closes before stepping closer. His eyes are sharp. “Thorin seems… attached.”

I nod slowly. “We need to be cautious. She could be a threat.”

He exhales, tension in every line of his frame. “You know how Thorin is with women. But still…”

I place a steadying hand on his shoulder. “We’ll watch them both.”

The unease in my gut doesn’t fade. If anything, it deepens.

A woman from Earth. A vanished man. A puzzle with missing pieces.

And I have a feeling this women will only give us more questions than answers.