Silver Lies Within the Hell We Created

After leaving the stress-filled tavern, Ashley strolled along a gritty gravel road that wound its way through the town of Aldor. The air was filled with vibrant energy as dawn ended. Groups of hardworking men lugged heavy materials, their footsteps crunching the rocks below, while the women of the town skillfully erected makeshift stalls and a grand stage beneath the towering canopy of an ancient tree. The rumble of old, rusty trucks reverberated through the narrow streets, competing with the lively chatter of the townsfolk, who were undeterred by the noise as they diligently pursued their tasks.

"What is up with those two?" She muttered to herself. As the thought of the two idiots flashed through her mind, she felt a sudden wave of dread, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. "Saying and doing creepy things this early in the morning. I'm used to Cypress being difficult, but this other guy was beyond annoying. And I honestly thought he wasn't half bad looking too-oof!" While Ashley was muttering her complaints, she ran straight into the back of a tall, well-built man whose muscles seemed to want to burst out of his hazel shirt. Ashley stumbled backward, her mind cloudy, and the man slowly turned to face her. His hands filled with a thick stack of papers attached to a rugged clipboard.

The man before her was the town's head by birth, Alder. He was the most active among the town's residents regarding keeping the peace. Alder was the one person in the town that Ashley trusted the most, as he was one of the few who did not try to hit on her. That and his help in figuring out what happened to her parents showed her he also thought something was strange about that ordeal.

"Mornin' Ashley," Alder said with an enormous smile. "Old man Cypress teasing you again?" He asked while eyeing the large sack on her back.

"Something like that, I guess. And some weirder guy was with him."

"Sounds like an eventual morning already." He chuckled. "How are you? Feeling better?"

"Well, someone needs to keep my careless brother in check." Ashley's gaze drifted towards a passing truck carrying a few foxes in the truck bed. A glint of silver shined off one of the foxes.

"Well, it's nice to have such a reliable sister." He gave her an envious look. "My sis could be like you, but she acted more like our dad than mother—such a shame." Alder shrugged his shoulders as he looked around. His eyes seemed to focus on the surrounding people.

Ashley let out a weary sigh as she gazed at his penetrating gaze. The image of the man she had encountered in the tavern flickered vividly in her mind. A sense of intrigue swirled within her, wondering if there was a hidden significance behind the unwavering stare he kept fixed on her and him suddenly grabbing her hands. She couldn't help but notice how his eyes pierced through her thoughts, like a sharp gust of wind cutting through the stillness of a moonlit night, as he understood her feelings towards Cypress.

Yet, as the man's demeanor shifted to mirror the facade of those around her, her initial curiosity waned. The sickly sweet scent of insincere flattery caused her nose to wrinkle in distaste. The feeling of disappointment settled in like a heavy cloak weighing down her shoulders.

The memories of her parents' final words echoed in her mind, their voices a distant whisper carried on the wind. "Stay here, my beautiful princess. We will take care of things," they had said, their words a promise that now felt hollow and broken.

Yet, amidst her disdain for hollow compliments, there was something about the man's voice, a melodic timbre that ignited a flicker of hope within her soul. He could be the person she had been looking for.

Alder looked down. A fatherly smile warped his lips, and he shifted the contents of his hands into one and stoked Ashley's hair. "What's on your mind, kiddo?" He chuckled. "Your face is turning redder than the beats I harvested a few days ago. It's the guy you met at the tavern, isn't it?" He poked her side with the clipboard.

"Huh!? Stop making wild assumptions." Ashley stepped back and placed a hand over her head. "It's a fever. It has to be."

Alder leaned forward, his eyes looking around at the townsfolk working hard. "Trust him." His voice was tense. With cautious eyes, he pressed up against her shoulder. He spoke in a low tone that was hard to hear. "While he may seem off-putting, he is our biggest lead in figuring out the truth behind your parents' death." He's a detective from the city. While some rumors that have been spreading about him are less than desired, he produces results. So, to try to get his attention. You're cute enough to pull it off."

"Wait, a detective from the city?" Ignoring the second half of Alder's statement, Ashley's eyes sparkled. "Like the city from the stories!?"

Ashley unknowingly swayed back and forth, waiting for an answer from Alder. He quickly backed up, his face slightly flustered in front of the cute girl in front of him. His plan was for her to gather information from Ansel, but seeing her like this was making that plan too cruel of a task, as it would crush her childhood fantasies. So, rather than a simple answer, he nodded.

While Ashley was fantasizing about the city in her head, a man approached the two with a large bag. "Alder, here are the supplies for the stage. It's quite impressive you snagged a person from the city to perform for us." He then faced the awestricken Ashley. "Well', I'd be damned. Since when could our little sheltered princess look this cute? You proposed to her, Alder?" Ashley snapped out of her dreamland and kicked the man in the shin. "Ouch…I guess I deserved that, but man, you can kick hard."

"Next time, don't say weird things," Ashley said, glaring at the man.

"And there goes that cute look she just had; such a shame." The man sighed as Alder patted him on the back, sharing the same sentiment.

"How is that a shame? Is me being myself a problem?"

"Don't give me that. We all know you play the strong girl act to hide the fact the little things bother you." As the man spoke, Alder nodded his head. Ashley stared harshly at him.

"Don't go over-analyzing me." Ashley approached the man and pointed at him with her free hand. The man smiled down at the girl trying to lecture him, which only annoyed her more. As the blood vessels on her face began to show, Alder stepped in, grabbed her from the back, and dragged her away.

"Anyways…" Alder cleared his thoughts, hoping Ashley would calm down. "You can ack so childish sometimes…" He said, watching her make faces towards the man. Ashley gave him a big huff before calming down. Alder let her go and approached the man with his clipboard in hand. "Alright, boards, hardware, and lights are all accounted for. How about the paint she requested?"

"Being shipped. Should arrive by noon."

Ashley, now fully calm, looked behind the two, talking towards the large, ancient tree that stood tall. At its base were tons of wooden boards and electronic equipment. A few instruments were resting under a small tent, and their owners were tuning them.

"Hey, Alder." Ashley grabbed his attention. "Are we planning something?"

"Oi, is she serious?" The man looked dumbfounded.

"Hey now, she was bedridden for the past few days," Alder said jokingly. "But yes, we are celebrating our newly founded deal with the city. And to do that, we are gonna party all night. With an added bonus of a singer from the city." He turned back towards the man. "Take this to the stage set up." He nodded and left.

"A singer?"

"Yeah, the city was insistent with us hiring her and even took over her prices for us, so she's free for us to use." Alder let out a roaring chuckle. "While I don't know how good she is, she is cute."

"Is looks all that matters to you men?" Ashley gave him a frosty glare.

"Look, when you grow up in a town of manly girls, girly girls just become that more needed in life. Think of it as a necessary change in pace."

Ashley could do nothing but shake her head in disappointment. "I couldn't care less about y'all's taste in women. But I need to get going now, so see ya." Ashley waved goodbye as she walked towards the old road that led to her house.