White Flower, Black Feather

Interlude 2 – Party’s Report

Even if the day had started with her in a good mood, Veronica was doubting that the day could actually be a good one, she looked at her new ‘accomplishment’ again

It was one of the Deeds in the “Odd” category, that was all she knew about it and that was only because of the color, at first she though that Dan was the one she surprised… but he had gotten it too… and the rest of the group didn't heard a thing because of the silence spell that she had Tania cast beforehand

‘Will need to have it Analyzed later… but I hope it does what I think’ if it actually let her choose when to become with child, then she would be saving a lot of money in the nasty medicine she was using to avoid them in the first place ‘Is also useful for him… I can’t believe he forgot to ask until the fourth round…’

It was a good thing she was always prepared in case of that happening, it also helped them to confirm that his Stamina boosting Synergy actually helped with sex

She shook her head and closed her windows, they were close to getting out of the forest by one of the “exits” that was near of the barns and they all got hit by a rotten smell before the brook

“Rotten Reckless Launcher” Tania, their Alchemist and Mage determined immediately “They are not that useful, but they should have it buried at least, now is only good as fertilizer” she was also the least bothered by the smell

“Yeah, wonder how they saw it, they are good at hiding” Rol their Vanguard commented “They are always annoying the cows too”

‘Always with the cows… if he weren't so obviously wanting to go back to the farm life, or married, he could have been quite the catch’ Physically he was more of her type than Dan, but due to his personality, she could only see him as a possible friend and that was only if this group didn't dissolve, like many she had been in before

They crossed the brook where she saw more snake trails, she had noticed a lot of those in their previous campsite, but had chosen to say nothing even if snakes were rare, after all, until that morning, at least, she had total confidence in the Terror Stones… but they are the reason they were leaving the forest in the first place

Before they leaved the forest, they saw a couple of Paired Guards, one burying something and the other with their bow prepared to shoot

“Howdy! Is that a rotten bug? Or someone’s attempt to cook?” Dan started conversation with them, like he always did

“Something snapped the neck of a Launcher” the one with the shovel answered not stopping his work “The ranchers saw no one in the last few days, so it must been a monster or a creature, hopefully this is what was stressing the cows and not its killer”

“The cows are stressed?” Veronica rolled her eyes and saw Dan do the same at the big guy’s question

“One became a War Cow!” the first guard, still working, answered. He went back to work, but before Rol could say anything the other guard asked something

“You are Terror hunters?” she could only be recognized as a woman by the voice, the guard’s armor covered everywhere “Isn’t too early to return yet?” her question was valid and the whole party was expecting to answer it a few times that day

“We found something to report, that is why we are early” Dan spoke again, obviously trying to not flirt with the other woman, Paired Guards were basically married and he (By his own admission) wasn’t good at sharing and loathed the idea of stealing a woman, one of his few redeemable characteristic to her

‘We also got low on firewood, somehow’ she thought

The couple shared a glance and he stopped working, before she asked

“Is it a snake?” her tone suggested that there was a story behind her question, but didn't wanted to share it

“No…” Dan started shaking his head “It can’t be a creature, but we found it worth to report”

“We also found a broken Terror Stone in-” Rol was interrupted by the guards and Dan

“The Line is broken?!” they both looked ready to run to the city, but she tried to calm them down, as Dan berated the other guy

“No! No! Sorry, he is bad at giving explanations” she pointed to the forest “Not far from here, covered by moss there is one, we just saw it” Tania followed her explanation

“It was too old to be from the original making of the Line, but the glow was still there, so there might be a way to see part of the enchantment with this one”

‘And if she weren’t so eager to explain things, she also could be quite the catch… still, it’s cute when she screws up and says something lewd…’

The guards regained their composure and Rol looked subdued after getting scolded for giving a bad explanation, again

“Well ignoring that, have you heard any rumors about-” Dan was going to ask something about one of the possible explanations for the event of that morning, but the woman sharply interrupted him

“Please don't start rumors about the forest” her shiver was visible even under the armor “This place is deathly enough” the swordsman nodded before continuing

“I understand, we just want to know if its possible that, maybe, there is a Spirit Linked to this place?”

“By the gods! No!” both guards shook their heads “No Fae has been reported here, thankfully, are you sure it wasn’t a sneaky creature?”

“We got a prank played on us, we only could think of a Fae behind it!” he explained wincing at the memory

“Due to the circumstances of the prank…” the mage started, but stopped “A Fae also would be the less worrisome explanation” she was tactful enough to not cause them further distress

Both guards looked at each other, but answered again that there wasn’t a Spirit of the Forest, not in this forest, before the guy took hold of the shovel again

“Alright, sorry for taking your time, you should hug the left side of the road and give the cow distance, she is… territorial now” he told them before resuming his job

“I know how to tame a War Cow” the big guy spoke and moved to the fields, while the rest of the party sighed and followed him

“Does he?” Veronica asked, she wasn’t surprised when Dan nodded

“He had several… all of them with cutesy names” they were from the same village, so it was natural for him to know

After they got out of the forest and all of them apologized to the tree stump in the way, the previous farmer started to grab a lot of grass from the ground and gave each a handful of it. Then, as they got closer to the fences, they saw the enlarged bovine, glaring at them while a farm girl tried to calm her down and made gestures to them to walk away

“Everyone, down and crawl” Rol instructed and did so, moving to the cow and confused girl

The two women looked at Dan, but he only sighed and did as he was instructed, they followed them a moment later, the mage with some difficulty

“Hi, here to help, first War Cow?” he whispered to the girl as he got closer, she just nodded, still confused “Ok everyone, whispers only and don't look at her in the eyes” he got closer to the fenced bovine “And give her the grass” he did so

A few moment later the cow stopped glaring at him and started to eat what he offered, the girl looked happy and started to talk in a hushed tone

“Thanks, poor Betsy got like this not long ago and we don't know how, she was the calmest one in the whole herd”

“Poor girl must have been bothered by a Launcher, they were a pest by my old farm, always making them Stress Evolve…” he sighed

“You were a farmer?”

“Used to, but then, things with my wife’s vocation became difficult and I had to help” the War Cow finished his handful and he gave Dan a gesture to come closer and feed her “Things now are looking better at least” Veronica snorted and talked to the girl when she started to look worried

“Ignore him, she is an alchemist in this city and he provides her with materials” she pointed at him “He is really bad at explaining things” he grimaced at her “When you explained that to me, I thought she was dead”

The girl face went from worried, to really confused, Rol sighed and continued to talk with the girl

“She may have evolved, but all of her offspring are going to be like usual, so you don't have to worry about a sudden War Bull” she nodded at his words “But don't place her with a War Bull, that is just going to be bad for the bull” she looked confused but still nodded

Veronica got closer to Betsy as she finished with the second offering of grass, but asked about that

“Shouldn’t she be making more War Cows? Isn’t that how it works?” Tania got her answer instead of Rol

“Is something that is observed in both cows and boars, if they don't go further during evolution, they only produce the tame form when in captivity, so for them, is more of a ‘mode change’ instead of a true evolution” she wasn’t whispering

“Boars can be tamed?!” neither was Dan

The Cow stopped eating and glared at them again

“Guys please… we are trying to calm down the warmongering bovine” Rol whispered at them while grabbing and offering more grass to Betsy

“You really are going to get the ‘Unwanted Teacher’ Deed you know?” Veronica told the other adventurer, she pouted before whispering

“I already got that one stuffed in me…” she didn't realize how everyone else started to look at her “But yesterday I got the ‘Unknown Student’ one… I wonder how…” she was lost in thought until Rol shook her to give her grass to the cow

Veronica was surprised at that and was left wondering…

‘Did a Fae really played a prank on us? After learning something from her? And being surprised by us having sex…? If not a Fae, or a human, what else can move the Terror Stones?’

She had no answers for those questions

They used the next few hours giving food to the cow, until she was deemed tame and accepted being pet by the ex-farmer and resumed their trip to the city, to explain their encounter and hope that they could remain as wild bird hunters, or Terror Hunters, as it was the official name

It was one of the better paying (and one of the safest) jobs after all, thanks to the irreplaceable Terror Stones