1. Willard

    Private Dust in the Wind

    Bramble whined pitifully as Venla took the mug away, but it was nothing a bit of love and attention couldn't fix. 'I tried, boy, believe me, I tried,' said Willard, unable to keep from babying the mutt as a bowl landed on the table next to him. Steaming, and smelling faintly of dried herbs, the...
  2. Willard

    Private Dust in the Wind

    He'll sit and have a bowl? Does Syr have a choice? Mounting the steps to Venla's home, Willard gave a grateful nod as, together, the Thiels welcomed him inside. 'Thank you for your hospitality,' he said, shaking hands with the elder brother, even as he clapped him on the shoulder. A show of...
  3. Willard

    Private Dust in the Wind

    Willard hummed in acknowledgement. 'My hero,' he said, his voice rife with sarcasm. 'Begs the question, what did your ma do to warrant a visit from the sheriff in the first place?' Allowing himself a small smirk, Willard slipped out into the night after Venla, like a ghost clad in the clothes of...
  4. Willard

    Private Dust in the Wind

    The idea had crossed his mind before. A letter arriving out of the blue, written in a stranger's hand, by a young man who had never been much good with words. 'I've considered doing so,' he told Venla. 'But my kin, well...' Sighing, Will shook his head. I do not know them nor they I. It was a...
  5. Willard

    Private Dust in the Wind

    'I don't know,' Willard replied, mug cusped between his gloved hands as he leaned forward. 'It's been over a decade since I saw them last.' Despite the years that passed, he still retained the accent. 'I'm from the Highlands, originally. My blood-family are leagues upon leagues away. I hope to...
  6. Willard

    Private Dust in the Wind

    'Sounds like a wise man, your da,' replied the knight, reaching out until his mug met Venla's in a toast. To what, exactly, he wasn't sure. Good beer, perhaps. Or else to a family worth having. 'I'd take a keg or two of this stuff over fighting a dragon any day,' he continued, examining the...
  7. Willard

    Private Dust in the Wind

    'Some would,' nodded the knight, leaning forwards, the heat from the fire dappling his brow, deepening the shadows around his eyes. 'Most will expect something in exchange. Coin, rare gems, a pledge of loyalty or service, to never spill their secrets.' In many cases, knowledge was power, and...
  8. Willard

    Private Dust in the Wind

    'It means whatever you want it to mean,' replied Willard, sheathing his sword. 'I did some asking around after we parted ways, learnt some things. You're not going to believe this, Venla, but it turns out there are people out there who understand the shroud better than I,' he said, deadpan. For...
  9. Willard

    Private Dust in the Wind

    'Busy.' And so he had been. Patrolling the Vayd, making sure its boundaries had not been crossed by those with ill intent. Scouting, searching, finding trouble at every turn. There was always so much to do, he felt, and so little time in which to see it done. Arrowdale hadn't even figured into...
  10. Willard

    Private Dust in the Wind

    It was a good joke, he would grant her that. 'Been in many skirmishes, have you?' He replied in turn, a rare grin tugging at the corner of his lips as Venla kept on pouring. When the moment came to leave, he followed her out, steps soft and true. Old habit. He tried to ignore the way the hairs...
  11. Willard

    Private Dust in the Wind

    Crisis averted. For now. 'A beer wouldn't go amiss,' he admitted. 'Nor would the pleasure of your company.' Nodding, Willard glanced over Venla's shoulder to the bar. 'Is there somewhere we can sit and... talk?' He asked her quietly. 'Somewhere private, perhaps?' He could barely hear himself...
  12. Willard

    Private Dust in the Wind

    Something spooky was happening in Arrowdale and no-one seemed to know why. It started out small, as these things often did, with rumours and hearsay and the like. Idle gossip, easily discarded. The first tale to be spun was that of a headless chicken, which had been spied wandering the...
  13. Willard

    Private Keep Your Head Down

    'You do?' Willard replied, brow raised in quiet disbelief. Not my place to judge, he mused, smiling to himself as coin exchanged hands. He felt Venla's fingers brush his, her touch lingering longer than was to be expected. Gazes locked. A heart skipped a beat. Unexpectedly intimate, the moment...
  14. Willard

    Private Keep Your Head Down

    Tragic, aye, but Willard could think of worse ways to go. 'Rather too much than too little,' he replied, pausing to knock the mud from his boots before following Venla inside the house. Their host, an older woman with greying hair, made no comment as she went about preparing their breakfast...
  15. Willard

    Private Keep Your Head Down

    Courage had many faces. So, too, did acceptance. Venla was proving to be a damned sight braver than most folk Willard had chance encountered upon the road, and that was saying something. 'You know, Venla, we might just make it yet.' Smiling wanly, the knight made to stand, an arm offered in...
  16. Willard

    Private Keep Your Head Down

    Willard listened as he worked, head bowed, focus fixed on the cuts and bruises marring Venla's skin. 'Why did I come after you?' He repeated the question laid before him, let it simmer for a moment, so that he might better understand the motives behind it. Tentatively, he wiped away the worst of...
  17. Willard

    Private Keep Your Head Down

    He didn't answer her at first, unsure of what to say or how. Does she think me a witch hunter? Truly? Pondering his thoughts a moment, Willard shook his head, saddened by the fear he saw reflected in her eyes. 'No, Venla,' he replied, 'I did not come here to hurt you.' Though, Ahyiid knows I...
  18. Willard

    Private Keep Your Head Down

    Unmoved by the stablehand's threat, Willard watched Venla's return to wakefulness through narrowed eyes. 'Trust me, friend, had I wished her ill, we would not be having this conversation.' Thinking, frowning, the stablehand accepted the ranger's reasoning with a nod. And such a small one at...
  19. Willard

    Private Keep Your Head Down

    Morning found him on the road. Mounted, and nursing fresh bruises, Willard kept his eyes on the stables ahead. 'Are you sure this is wise, Syr?' The tavernkeep's words repeated in his mind, a warning of things yet to come. 'You are hurt, and that creature-' The leshen hadn't come back to life...
  20. Willard

    Private Keep Your Head Down

    I'm sorry, said the Ghost, her voice a spear of light in the impenetrable black. Me, too, thought the Knight, drawn to the light like a moth carried upon clipped wings. More than you'll ever know. --- He awoke to pain and torchlight. Strewn on his back, face to the stars, Willard let...
Back
Top Bottom