Behind the mountain range shielding the humble settlement, the blue colour of the sky was washing away in favour of a pale yellow from which slowly ascended the sun, its white golden light tracing the outlines of the summits. On a haystack bordering the village a rooster felt the the gentle warmth of the day falling upon his head, filled his lungs with the fresh air of the night and immediately exhaled it in a loud crow echoing in the section of the valley. From his sleep on a makeshift bed in the form of a blanket laid down on a pile of hay, Ruben slowly awakened at the sound of nature's hymn to the sunrise. He stretched his stiff body, brushed off the ears having stuck to his red tunic overnight and put on his shirt and hood of chain mail. Yawning with a wide, open mouth, he stretched again and walked over to the simple bed in which Nadia was lying dormant, curled up in her cloak and resting peacefully. He rocked her shoulder to wake her up. As she sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily and still not entirely awake, from the hatch leading down from the dusty attic the voice of the farmer sounded.
"Hey, you two awake? Breakfast is ready."
After a simple meal of bread with butter, cheese, and a few slices of blood pudding, the two guests prepared to leave their friendly hosts.
"Thanks for your hospitality, but it is time for us to leave again.", Ruben said.
"Ah, already. Where're you two going anyway, all alone killing dragons?"
"We've set out in search of adventure! The life in our old village was so boring and unsatisfying, so one night I just left and she joined me. Where we go is left to fate or luck, but in any case we'll see a lot of the world!"
"Wanderers, huh? How about you check out the city further upstream, Ketherbrühl? There's a lot of stuff going on and it's full of people."
"Sounds good. Nadia?"
The girl nodded.
"Alright, then it's decided? Upstream you say? Then we can't miss it."
"Wait a moment. We need to sell our cheese there again.", the sturdy man adds. "Franz?"
"Yes, father?"
A young boy of roughly 16 years stepped into the room, still holding a pitchfork in his hand with a pile of hay at its tip.
"Is our cart big enough for our two heroes to get a ride to Ketherbrühl along with the cheese?"
"Sure, that should work."
About two hours later, at the entrance of the peasant's house and amid the liveliness of a new day filling the streets the small party had assembled along with the farmer's family. A bit further down the road in front of the smithy from which the busy clanging of iron meeting iron sounded, two women gossipped busily while a young boy and a girl chased each other playing tag before disappearing behind a half-timbered tavern. Franz was brushing the two ox in front of a small cart loaded with loaves of cheese covered by a woollen blanket.
"Thank you, Georg, for all that you have done for us.", Nadia kindly thanked the man, "And you too Inge, for the opulent meal yesterday."
"Don't mention it, it was the least we can do!" Georg rubbed through the girl's hair charmed by her cuteness. "After all, we couldn't even send our boy onto this ride knowing there's still that monster out in the wilds. Look at all the cheese that piled up because we never got a chance to finally sell it."
Meanwhile, the rather silent son of the serf mounted the cart, seized the reins, and motioned the two young travellers to get on board as well. Ruben climbed on top of the pile of diary products while the strong farmer lifted up the frail cloaked maiden seating her next to his spawn at the front of the carriage.
"Take care you two. And you son, fetch me some good prices at the market."
"Gee up!"
A crack with the checks and the bulky animals had set in motion and ignited the creaking of wooden wheels rolling across the rough street preceded by the rhythmic sound of hooves being set in front of one other. Behind them, the farmhouse and the two figures waving after the departing triplet grew smaller and smaller.
"Hey, you two awake? Breakfast is ready."
After a simple meal of bread with butter, cheese, and a few slices of blood pudding, the two guests prepared to leave their friendly hosts.
"Thanks for your hospitality, but it is time for us to leave again.", Ruben said.
"Ah, already. Where're you two going anyway, all alone killing dragons?"
"We've set out in search of adventure! The life in our old village was so boring and unsatisfying, so one night I just left and she joined me. Where we go is left to fate or luck, but in any case we'll see a lot of the world!"
"Wanderers, huh? How about you check out the city further upstream, Ketherbrühl? There's a lot of stuff going on and it's full of people."
"Sounds good. Nadia?"
The girl nodded.
"Alright, then it's decided? Upstream you say? Then we can't miss it."
"Wait a moment. We need to sell our cheese there again.", the sturdy man adds. "Franz?"
"Yes, father?"
A young boy of roughly 16 years stepped into the room, still holding a pitchfork in his hand with a pile of hay at its tip.
"Is our cart big enough for our two heroes to get a ride to Ketherbrühl along with the cheese?"
"Sure, that should work."
About two hours later, at the entrance of the peasant's house and amid the liveliness of a new day filling the streets the small party had assembled along with the farmer's family. A bit further down the road in front of the smithy from which the busy clanging of iron meeting iron sounded, two women gossipped busily while a young boy and a girl chased each other playing tag before disappearing behind a half-timbered tavern. Franz was brushing the two ox in front of a small cart loaded with loaves of cheese covered by a woollen blanket.
"Thank you, Georg, for all that you have done for us.", Nadia kindly thanked the man, "And you too Inge, for the opulent meal yesterday."
"Don't mention it, it was the least we can do!" Georg rubbed through the girl's hair charmed by her cuteness. "After all, we couldn't even send our boy onto this ride knowing there's still that monster out in the wilds. Look at all the cheese that piled up because we never got a chance to finally sell it."
Meanwhile, the rather silent son of the serf mounted the cart, seized the reins, and motioned the two young travellers to get on board as well. Ruben climbed on top of the pile of diary products while the strong farmer lifted up the frail cloaked maiden seating her next to his spawn at the front of the carriage.
"Take care you two. And you son, fetch me some good prices at the market."
"Gee up!"
A crack with the checks and the bulky animals had set in motion and ignited the creaking of wooden wheels rolling across the rough street preceded by the rhythmic sound of hooves being set in front of one other. Behind them, the farmhouse and the two figures waving after the departing triplet grew smaller and smaller.
