The guildhall was quiet when Brett and Josh pushed through the doors, the usual hum of voices absent. A few candles burned low in their sconces, and the smell of last night’s ale still lingered in the air.

  “Looks like we beat everyone back,” Josh said, setting his new scutum against the wall.

  “Good,” Brett replied, stretching. “Gives us first pick of the quests.”

  They wandered over to the great oak board nailed with parchment notices, edges curling from the pinholes of countless postings. Josh plucked one free and squinted at the handwriting.

  “‘Wanted: vermin cleared from the Miller’s Granary. Rats the size of cats, chewing through the grain stores. Payment: five silver and a sack of flour.’” He raised a brow. “Rats. Classic.”

  Brett smirked. “You with your new shield, me with a fireball… we’d clear that in an hour. But it’s not exactly glorious. Nor is it much of a challenge”

  Josh pinned it back and grabbed another. “‘Escort needed: merchant caravan to the next town. Bandits reported on the road. Payment: ten silver, plus meals provided.’” He tapped the parchment. “That’s more like it. Bit of travel, bit of fighting.”

  “Bit of babysitting,” Brett countered. “And if the bandits don’t show, we’re just glorified baggage handlers.”

  Josh chuckled and reached for a third. “‘Gathering request: alchemist requires fresh swamp herbs. Warning: swamp lizards may be territorial. Payment: herbs traded for potions, plus three silver.’”

  Brett’s eyes lit up. “Now that’s interesting. Potions are worth more than coin in the long run. And Carcan would love the excuse to poke around plants.”

  Josh nodded thoughtfully. “True. Though I’m not thrilled about wading through a swamp.”

  Brett plucked another notice himself. “‘Culling job: wild boars encroaching on farmland. Dangerous tusks, but good meat. Payment: seven silver and a share of the pork.’” He grinned. “Dinner and coin. Tempting.”

  Josh laughed. “Until one of them guts you. Those things will hit harder than goblins.”

  They kept reading, the pile thinning.

  “Here’s one,” Josh said, holding up a parchment with a crude sketch of a cave. “‘Scout needed: strange noises from the old mine shaft. Suspected goblins or worse. Payment: eight silver. Report back with findings.’”

  Brett tilted his head. “That could be good training. Not a full fight, just scouting. But you know us, we’d end up fighting anyway. And is it a good idea to take Bheldur into a cave straight away? Probably not.”

  Josh nodded and pinned the last one back, stepped back from the board. “So. Rats, caravan, swamp herbs, or boars. What do you think? Or there’s always goblin hunting…”

  Brett folded his arms, considering. “The swamp herbs sound the most useful. Potions, experience, and Carcan would get to show off her herb knowledge. But the caravan’s steady coin. And the boars… well, I do like pork.”

  Josh chuckled. “Let’s wait for the others. No point deciding without them. But at least we’ve got options.”

  They sat at a nearby table, the quiet of the guildhall wrapping around them, the quest board’s parchments fluttering faintly in the draft.

  —

  The guildhall was still quiet when Brett leaned back in his chair, boots propped on the rung, eyes drifting toward the quest board. Josh sat opposite, arms folded across his chest, the faint clink of his weapons resting against the wall beside him. The two of them had been waiting long enough for the silence to settle into something companionable.

  The heavy doors creaked open.

  Brett glanced up, and there he was, Bheldur. The dwarf paused just inside the threshold, his broad shoulders stiff, his eyes scanning the hall as if expecting judgment to leap out from the shadows. For a heartbeat, Brett thought he saw fear there, or maybe something deeper, a raw uncertainty that didn’t fit the image of a hardened warrior.

  Brett raised a hand, offering a wave.

  Bheldur’s gaze caught it, and after a moment’s hesitation, he started forward. His boots thudded against the wooden floor, each step deliberate, as though he were forcing himself not to turn back.

  As he drew closer, Brett noticed the difference. Gone was the wild, haunted look from earlier in the day. His beard was combed, his armour scrubbed clean, the axes at his belt polished until they gleamed. He looked like a man who had fought to put himself back together, piece by piece. The madness that had clung to his eyes had eased, though not vanished but replaced by something steadier, if still fragile.

  When he reached the table, Bheldur gave a short nod, then lowered himself onto the bench with a grunt. For a moment, none of them spoke. The silence wasn’t hostile, but it was heavy, filled with the weight of things unsaid.

  Josh broke it first, leaning forward with a faint smile. “You look ready for a fight again.”

  Bheldur’s mouth twitched, not quite a smile, but close. “Aye. Feels better to be clean. Feels… like I can breathe again.”

  Brett studied him, noting the way his hands rested on the table, steady, not trembling. The dwarf still carried shadows in his eyes, but there was a new resolve there too.

  “Good,” Brett said simply, his voice even. “Because we’ve got quests to choose from. And we’ll need every weapon we can get if we’re to get stronger.”

  Bheldur’s gaze flicked between them, and for the first time since he’d entered, the tension in his shoulders eased. He wasn’t just a survivor standing on the edge of shame anymore. He was a companion, sitting at their table.

  Josh leaned forward on the table, resting his chin on his hand. “So, Bheldur… where are you from? You don’t sound like you grew up around here.”

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  The dwarf’s eyes flickered, and for a moment Brett thought he might refuse to answer. But then Bheldur exhaled slowly. “Stone Cragg. To the south of here. A city carved into the mountain’s bones. My clan’s halls are there.”

  Brett tilted his head. “Sounds impressive.”

  Bheldur’s jaw tightened, and for a moment shame crossed his face. “It is. Or was. I… left with dreams of proving myself. Of bringing glory back to my clan’s name.” He paused, voice rough.

  Josh wanted to keep his new companion talking, to distract him and try and keep him from spiralling “So, er, what do you want to do in the future?”

  “Short term? I want strength. Enough to return to that cursed cave and see the undead destroyed. They took too much from me to leave it be.”

  Josh nodded slowly, wincing slightly at his faux pas. “That’s fair. And long term?” Hoping to move the conversation on quickly.

  Bheldur’s eyes dropped to the table. “Long term… I always wanted to be a true adventurer. Strong enough to carve my name into the world. To bring honour to Stone Cragg. Maybe… maybe that’s still possible.”

  Brett offered a small smile. “I think it is.”

  For the first time, Bheldur looked directly at them both. “And you two? Where do you hail from?”

  Josh opened his mouth, but before he could answer the guildhall doors swung wide again. The sound of boots and laughter filled the room as Carcan and Perberos strode in together, their voices carrying easily.

  Brett leaned back with a grin. “Saved by the bell” he whispered to himself.

  “Bheldur!” Carcan’s voice rang out as she bounded across the floor, her braid bouncing behind her. She slid into the seat beside Brett with a grin that could have lit the hall. “You came back! I knew you would.”

  Bheldur blinked at her enthusiasm, a little taken aback, but gave a small nod. “Aye. I’m here.”

  Carcan leaned forward, lowering her voice conspiratorially though it carried anyway. “You’ll be glad you did. I found an alchemist who gave me a brilliant deal, several mana potions and even a couple of healing draughts. Cost me nearly everything I had left, but worth it. We won’t be caught short next time.”

  From behind her, Perberos strolled in at a more measured pace, rolling his eyes. “She says ‘deal,’ I say ‘robbery with a smile.’ But fine, we’ve got potions. Meanwhile, I’ve stocked up on arrows, enough to pin a troll to a wall if it comes to it again. And,” he flexed his wrists, showing off new leather guards, “these beauties. No more string?burn.”

  Josh smirked. “So, we’re all broke, but at least we’re well?armed and well?bandaged.”

  “Exactly!” Carcan said brightly, as if that solved everything.

  The five of them settled around the table, the quiet of the guildhall filling with the hum of voices. For a while, the talk was light, where they’d grown up, though Josh and Brett were very light on the facts on this matter,, the worst meals they’d ever eaten on the road, the oddest monsters they’d heard rumours of. Brett teased Perberos about his obsession with polishing arrowheads, Carcan laughed too loudly at her own jokes, and Josh leaned back, content to let the chatter flow.

  Bheldur listened more than he spoke, his hands folded on the table. But gradually, the warmth of it seeped into him. The laughter didn’t feel forced. The questions weren’t traps.

  Finally, he cleared his throat. “I… need to say something.”

  The table quieted. Four pairs of eyes turned to him.

  “I know most parties wouldn’t have me. Not after…” He trailed off, shame flickering across his face. “Truth is, I’m not sure I’d have taken me either. But you did. You gave me a chance. And I won’t forget it.”

  Carcan reached across the table, giving his arm a firm squeeze. “Everyone deserves a chance, and you did nothing wrong. Besides, I hear you swing those axes like you mean it. That’s good enough for me.”

  Josh nodded. “We’re not looking for perfect. We’re looking for people who’ll stand with us. That’s all.”

  Perberos gave a small shrug, though his tone was softer than usual. “And if you’re half as stubborn as you look, you’ll fit right in.”

  Bheldur let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. For the first time in a long while, the weight on his chest eased. He managed a small smile. “Then… call me Bhel. My friends always did.”

  There was a beat of silence, then Brett grinned. “Bhel it is.”

  Carcan raised her mug. “To Bhel, then. And to the road ahead.”

  The others lifted their cups in turn, the clink of wood and metal echoing in the quiet hall. For the first time since the cave, Bhel felt like he belonged at a table again.

  Then Caistina appeared.

  The elf moved with her usual quiet grace, her long cloak trailing behind her as she approached their table. The chatter dimmed as the party noticed her, and Carcan was the first to wave her over.

  “Caistina! Come sit with us.”

  She smiled faintly, though there was a weariness in her eyes. “I will, for a moment.” She pulled out a chair and lowered herself into it, folding her hands on the table. “But first, I need to be honest with you all. I won’t be coming with you as your mentor today, or in the future.”

  The words landed heavily. Brett frowned. “You won’t?”

  Caistina shook her head. “No. My priorities lie elsewhere. The guild’s new adventurer training programme, the one I was meant to oversee you during, has been put on hold. Too many resources are being pulled toward the undead threat. I’ll still help you when I can, but I can’t commit to being part of your group.”

  Bhel’s jaw tightened, but he gave a small nod. “Fair enough. You’ve your own duties.”

  Josh leaned back, arms folded. “We’ll manage. Still, it’s a shame. You’d have been a good mentor.”

  Caistina’s smile warmed slightly. “Perhaps another time. For now, let’s focus on what’s in front of you.”

  She gestured to the quest parchments spread across the table. The group began to talk through them, rats in the mill, swamp herbs for an alchemist, a caravan escort, wild boars. Each option was weighed, teased, and half?joked about. Carcan argued for the swamp herbs (“Potions are worth more than coin!”), while Perberos muttered about the caravan being “easy money if you don’t mind boredom.”

  Caistina listened, her expression thoughtful. Then, without a word, she reached into her cloak and slid a folded piece of parchment across the table.

  “This,” she said quietly, “is what I think you should consider.”

  Brett unfolded it. The ink was darker, the handwriting sharper than the other notices. His eyes scanned the words, and his brow furrowed. “Goblins.”

  Caistina nodded. “We believe we may have found the source of the plague that’s been troubling the region. Higher?level goblins have been sighted to the east, in larger numbers than before. No one has confirmed the source yet, but the signs are there.”

  Josh frowned. “And you want us to confirm it?”

  “Scout it,” Caistina corrected. “Kill what you can, yes, but your task is not to wipe them out. If something too strong is there, you retreat. Do you understand? This is not a mission for glory. It’s an opportunity. With the veteran adventurers heading to the undead cave, someone needs to keep an eye on the goblins. That someone is you.”

  Carcan leaned forward, eyes bright. “So we’d be the first to see what’s really going on out there.”

  “Exactly,” Caistina said. “And if you survive, you’ll bring back information the guild desperately needs.”

  Bhel’s hand tightened around his mug. “Goblins I can handle. It’s the running away part I’m less fond of.”

  Caistina’s gaze softened. “Sometimes survival is the bravest choice. You’ll know when to fight, and when to fall back. Trust yourselves.”

  The table fell quiet for a moment as the weight of her words settled. Then Brett folded the parchment and set it in the centre of the table. “Looks like we’ve got our quest.”

  The guildhall had quietened down, other parties setting out on their missions already whilst Caistina talked to the party. She lingered at the table, her expression thoughtful, as if weighing something heavier than quests.

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