11-11-2017, 02:20 PM
Quote:Dealing with stuff in the Valley. My assumption is that no real information has spread about the mines yet.
"Lead the way." Gruff. Commanding.
Josh frowned. He didn't know the man's name, but he recognised him as being important where it came to the militia's hierarchy. "There's only one exit - the valley path. You hardly need my navigation skills." He was a tad frustrated about his treatment here. He could have forced Jake to ignore the distorted scream, to turn back while unknowingly leaving Lyre to bleed to death, crushed by metal. Yet he didn't, and now he was being interrogated for it. Wanting more information was one thing, but suspecting him of something simply because he usually didn't get out much was another. At least, he assumed it was because of his antisocial behaviour - even David hadn't abused his authority over him, yet these men seemed to grip hold of any leash they were given.
A grunt was given in response, and shortly after more shouts echoed from the distant mines, focused across the village by the open valley basin.
"Shouldn't we deal with that?" Josh commented.
"David will handle it. We have orders, and you're going to assist us."
Despite the leader's claim, some of the other men looked nervous. All Josh knew was that something had happened, but it seemed that very few people even knew the details. He doubted David did when he left him with these men. But, whatever it was, it seemed serious. This town was quiet, visited by few, plagued by little. Most probably felt that everything would work out fine, yet a scenario like this was still unknown to them. Ignorance naturally led to a slight fear.
"Whatever." The was no point arguing, and Josh supposed the cart did need to be reclaimed. Some part of him wanted to push back, rebel against authority simply for the sake of doing so. He suppressed it.
The group moved on, stones crunching beneath boots in the rocky path. Josh felt naked without a sword, even though he was less skilled than the militia, being surrounded by other armed men made him self-conscious and wary. Not that he expected them to attack him, if anything the presence of weapons made him feel something was more likely to hurt them - like the unseen monster the slew James. Realistically, he should have felt safer given that without them he'd have no protection, and while it was just a formality (with the ten men being here to assist with regards to manpower), it drew his attention to the dangerous possibilities.
"How much further?"
"About three more bends, maybe four." Josh shrugged, maintaining his pace. He'd know it when he saw it.
"You sound unsure."
"I was carrying an unconscious girl, I was more focused on getting back than observing the surroundings. This place looks the same, but I reckon it's about that distance based on the timings." He answered dully, attempting to purge his voice from the tone of his annoyance. He just wanted to go about his day. Helping with the job was one thing, the inquisition was another.
He was met with no reply; the militia plus one continued in silence.
As they rounded another bend, the pitter-patter of rocks echoed. It was hard to tell where it came from, given the nature of the valley, yet Josh chose to attribute it to the wind. They kept up the pace, yet there was a clear tension in the air. Wariness. Few of the militia had ever left the village or walked further away from town than Josh intended to lead them.
Crunch. Crunch.
Still air.
A faint scream seemed to come from behind them, yet again it was chalked up to the wind. It was a howling sound, distorted and airy. The valley commonly made that noise, and it didn't seem fearful - just eerie.
More falling rocks echoed, and as they rounded the forth bend since Josh's claim, the militia leader brought them to a halt. "You said the cart was here."
"I did, and it seems I was wrong. It will be within the next two. I remember passing those rocks." Waving his arm, he gestured towards a collapsed pile, narrowing the river and causing the current to rush faster for a short distance.
"It better be."
Trickle.
Swoosh.
Did he just feel a slight rush of air behind him, heading from left to right?
Maybe, but the militia either didn't notice it through their thicker clothing, or chose to ignore it.
Josh put it up to his imagination, yet he could have sworn there was another man behind him. Pushing on, he figured they probably repositioned when the group had stopped.
Crunch.
They curved around another bend, still walking, yet the leader's steps became heavier, driving into the brittle floor, occasionally leaving marks or shattering fragments.
"Hey!"
Josh's head jerked up, his legs pushed off, as he half shuffled, half ran, the last few paces to close the distance with the leader. Upon rounding the corner, he was met with the sight of an empty cart, fixed, upright, with no others besides those who came with him in sight.
"You said the tools and goods were still here, and that the cart was damaged."
Looking around, Josh ignored the man, trying to examine what happened. The cart was the same one James used - it had the same sigil and rough spots - yet the slash marks were gone and the wheels seemed as good as new. The scene was clean of the residue of blood and the stench of mangled bodies. It made no sense. He could understand that someone might steal the tools, perhaps a group of bandits or traders who got lucky, yet even that was unlikely.
"It was," he muttered, still thinking.
"Then you better start thinking of an explanation."
"I know no more about what happened than you do, James and the horses lay slain, and Lyra was half buried in a pile of tools."
"Or, maybe you're lying."
"And why would I, what I have to gain?"
The ground rumbled, small pieces of stone flaking off the valley walls, some hitting the rocky floor, others crashing into the water with a splash. It took almost half a minute for the waves of echoes to cease.
"I don't know - but I don't trust you."
Josh grunted in response, storming ahead to examine the scene closer.
There had to be something, some clue he could use. He wasn't the smartest person out there, but there had to be an indication of what happened. It confounded him why anyone would go to such trouble to murder someone and steal his supplies. If he thought it was some sort of monster before, he concluded it was definitely more than that now.