Harlea was once again back on the road for their third day out of town. He was slightly richer, slightly sorer, and at least another three days away from home at least. 

He and his crew were halfway down yet another hill on a well trodden dirt path in the foothills between Ol’Haran and North Rest. It had been another early morning followed by another long day outside, made worse by the fact their nice rations had run out already. Stale meat and old rice crackers was a real morale killer, that and being behind schedule.

They’d made decent time while they travelled to Garrond’s Cross from North Rest and had picked up speed in the recent hours. 

It had helped that they’d mostly stayed high on the ridgelines and plateaus of the hills that edged the Central Mountains. They had one road to follow that led directly to Garrond’s Cross and, by Harlea’s count, only a few more towns on their way there. They’d been lucky enough to find a bigger town on the road the night before to get some sleep in a proper bed and a nice meal. But they didn’t find a merchant with provisions for them and Harlea had less hope that they’d have any luck with a good tavern until they got to Garrond Cross. Lunch would be soon and then after a few more hours of walking, they would need to set up their tents and spend another night outside. Not to mention another night before Harlea and Elayne got to see a physician.

Harlea rubbed his arm at the thought. The bandage itched constantly with a dull foreboding pain from the wound underneath. When they got home, he’d be able to get his arm seen to by Physician Boleio. He’d be pissed to see him again so soon but he would sort it out, Harlea was sure.

“Y’all good there, Har?” Fiona asked next to him, voice edged with concern. 

“Yeah, fine. Damned bandage is all.” Harlea gave his arm one last scratch and he put the arm in front of Fiona, “I think the sweat is getting all in there.”

Fiona frowned and caught his arm for a closer inspection, “We should change it then. You really can’t let the bite get infected.”

“You can’t get an infection from sweat.” Harlea scoffed hesitantly, “It’ll be whatever rabies those damned wolves had is my bet.”

Fiona gave him a reproachful look before pulling her bag around to her front and started searching for a bandage. 

Harlea took his hand back and shook his head, “No no, we can’t stop now. We needed to be at Garrond Cross yesterday. Once we stop for the night, then we can fuss with the arm.” 

Harlea increased his speed and moved past Fiona who tutted him disapprovingly. 

He stepped to the side of the path and paused again. The mountains of Central Coia stood high in the sky above him, blowing his mind with their scale. 

Harlea scanned the distant mountain sides for any Mahenian settlements that pocketed the tips of the peaks of the Central mountains. He could see none of them but it didn’t surprise him overly. The Mahenian towns he’d visited had been far further in the Central mountains, secure behind their borders before they built their vistas. It was either that or the fact that his eyesight wasn’t so good anymore or that the Mahenians were very good at hiding their mountaintop settlements. 

Harlea checked back at Fiona and, upon seeing that she wasn’t looking, he secreted a few more scratches on his arm. 

Their escapade with the wolves had been far sadder than he’d anticipated. The humans didn’t look like bandits as much as skinny mages. Harlea and the others had buried them in the backyard only a few metres away from where they’d burnt the wolves’ bodies. It had taken an extra day to dispose of them all properly and burn the compound down but Harlea respected the others preferring to take the time to do it right. He didn’t regret it yet at least.

He’d need to have a conversation with Viera about the compound when he returned as well. It was typical that she wanted them to burn the house with all of the other crazy shit that they had found inside. Burying bodies was never an enjoyable surprise and it was one surprise of several from inside the buildings.

Behind them, the pillar of smoke was long gone now. Harlea’s hand went to his pocket and he jingled his purse. It was a dangerous line of work, contract work. It wasn’t just the deadly animals or the bandits that could do a crew in. The decade of working with the Red Damnables had taken the shine out of the ideas of adventure and plunder for him somewhat.

Harlea stifled a yawn and forced himself to continue trudging down the hill.  Elayne and Areli were lagging behind Harlea and Fiona, standing at the edge of the road and looking at something over the way. Harlea stopped, opened his mouth and then shut it. They’d catch up, he was sure. 

Over dinner after the compound, Areli had mentioned to Harlea and Fiona about how Elayne had shielded him from two wolves when they were on the other side of the fence. He’d obviously not thanked her for it but even mentioning it was quite the acknowledgement for the grumpy oruk. 

Elayne caught Harlea watching and smiled wearily at him. Harlea flashed one right back and called over to her, “How are your bandages treating you?” 

Elayne rubbed her shoulder absent-mindedly, “No issues here. Just keen for the physician to mend me back up already. Where was that next town?” 

“Not far off now, we’ve been heading downhill a lot.” Fiona responded from ahead of Harlea again and disappearing around a corner in the trail, “We should get there by lunchtime.”

The mention of lunch made Harlea’s stomach grumble in anticipation, “Speaking of, when are we doing lunch?”

Fiona shot him a look, “I thought we couldn’t stop.”

Harlea winked at her, “Lunch is the eternal exception. And we have to think of Elayne.”

Fiona rolled her eyes at him, “No complaints from me, boss. I am ready to have something other than salted meat and crackers.”

Harlea feigned shock and betrayal, “My premium salted meat.” He looked across to Elayne and Areli and followed up immediately, “Don’t.”

“No comment.” Elayne smirked and looked across to Areli expectantly.

Areli stared straight ahead and kept moving on the road, “Nothing but compliments about your salty meat.”

“Assholes.” Harlea muttered, “But we’ll stop in for a hot meal and some fresh rations if we can.”

“I’m surprised we haven’t seen anything on the trails. I regret not butchering the wolves now.” Fiona admitted to the group as she rounded the next corner on the road.

Elayne hummed in accord, “Yeah, but they were so cute.”

“Until they weren’t. You should’ve seen the pup when it attacked me, El. She was a vicious little mite.” Harlea started itching his bandage again at the thought, “And they might have had rabies for all we know.”

“You’re going to get that cut infected,” Fiona rebuked him again, “Also, Areli, what was the next town called again?”

Areli muttered something under his breath and reached into his bag. He produced the map and squinted at it, “Farfall.”