A thick, withe smoke was carried by the morning breeze along the dirt road that passed the sparsely forested hills, bringing with it a strong cherry aroma. The trail of dissipating smoke could be followed to a small camp just off the road. There a dwarf was laying on his back, letting out rings of dense smoke from under his thick, black mustache. An extinguished campfire, no longer emanating any traces of heat was a few feet from Fognar. The tobacco in his pipe was all burnt up and he threw the residue in the ash of the campfire : " Guess it's time to go... " Fognar was used to talking alone, from the time that Yeena spoke to him : " Oh, my dear, how I miss the hours we spent together, talking nonsense for so long... " He had not heard it's voice in years, but he knew it was there. He could feel it, deep inside...
Fognar grabbed his backpack and swung it on his back, then took up his mace and wondered off towards the road, leaving the site of the camp as it was, for any future travelers. Birds chanted above his head and rabbits hopped along with him on the nearby hills as Fognar slowly walked along the road. He liked it in the south of Garrn, warm weather, peaceful surroundings, even at night, small, welcoming towns and farming villages, nothing like the bustling cities in the northern parts, filled with garbage, beggars, thieves and shabby pubs or the mountains in which Fognar started his journey, filled with wild, horrifying beasts and the occasional tribe of hostile, uncivilized orcs or goblins : " I quite like this place ya'know ? I think this would be the perfect place to stay if we were ever to settle down. "
Carrying on like that Fognar spent half the day, talking alone and enjoying the peace and the playful sound of nature around him. The sun shone bright in the middle of the clear, bright sky when he reached the small town that was at the end of the road, at least from what he remembered from the map he had seen in the last settled place he slept in : " We ought to buy a map of our own someday soon, otherwise we might end up as lost as that time in the mountains of Plancti Roshan " From the hill overlooking the town he could see the outlying farms, all with a moderate amount of land attributed, none too poor and none too rich, a paradise for many it seemed.
As he hurried up the pace downhill he saw the many farmers, some working their fields, some resting in the cool shadow and some bringing goods to town, most likely to sell in the market. Looking the people in the eyes Fognar did not see a trace of sorrow, or anger, only content men and women who lived their lives as they knew and enjoyed it. Walking into town the atmosphere became a bit more crowded and the smell of bodily odors, combined with the one of fresh fruits and vegetables hit Fognar's nose. He walked straight into the market. It was a small one, nothing like the large markets he had seen, with wares so diverse, the king himself would not have enough money to buy them all, or find a use for every one of them. This one was small and the most exotic thing sold here were steel arrows and a wooden bow.
As Fognar was looking around a rather young man called : " 'Ello there ser dwarf ! Never seen you 'round these parts before ! Care for a fresh apple ? As sweet and juicy as you've ever tasted. " The lad was barely in his twenties, maybe even younger and Fognar hadn't tasted an apple for so long even he forgot about it : " How much for one ? " said he, smiling. The boy returned the smile and handed the approaching dwarf one of the largest apples he could find in the bunch : " First one's free ser. Just taste it ! " As Fognar took a bite the bitter-sweet taste flooded his mouth. It was almost heavenly : " Damn fine apples you have here ! Give me a few ! " The boy give him some 4 apples and was paid with a few coins : " Do you mind telling me if there is any place in this town where I can rent a room ? Or at least a bed ? Also, would you care to inform me of any work around here that might suit a wandering dwarf like me ? The young man listened carefully : " You'll want the tavern for rooms ser. Right over there ! " He pointed towards a wooden, two-floor building with a sign above it : " And for work you should check one of the message boards around town. There's one right there in front of the tavern. "
Satisfied with the answers he was given Fognar thanked the lad and carried on towards the tavern, one already half-eaten apple in his hand, the others put inside his backpack. He stopped before the message board and looked at the few messages that were nailed on it : " Old Man John needs help with a rodent problem at his farm; payment : 15 coins " Fognar chuckled a bit : " No thank you ! Let's see... " His eyes strolled through other messages of the like before he found a suitable job : " Warning : Dangerous ! Local beast known to eat livestock and even kill a couple of hunters in the nearby woods. Able-bodied men required. Payment : 1000 coins "
Fognar was surprised : " 1000 bloody coins ?! I'll be damn rich if i pull this off ! " Of course, he underestimated the view these people had on " dangerous beasts ". He thought that it was an oversized bear, probably with cubs.
With a large smile on his face Fognar opened the tavern door, instantly filling his ears with large amounts of noise. The tavern was surprisingly full for the size of the town and what surprised him most was seeing a " half-drake ", as he is used to calling draconians playing cards at a table. He did not mind him and proceeded towards the bar. The barkeep was a short robust man, no doubt human, even though he did look a bit like an overfed dwarf who called to him : " Oh, a dwarf ! Haven't seen one of your kind in these parts in years. What would you like ? " Fognar inspected the barkeep with his eyes then ordered a mug of the best ale they had and sat down at one of the few unoccupied tables : " I'd also like a room for a few nights, if you have one ! " The barkeep hurried up with the ale and although it was served in a chipped and frequently used mug it was of pretty good quality : " Oh, we certainly have a room, a few even. How long do you wish to stay ? " After a drink from the mug and a bit of thinking Fognar decided three days should be good. He paid the room and the ale, which left him with about enough for a few more drinks and, maybe, another night in here, and started drinking.