Chapter 2: The Message Delivery
1579 Words
Martin's face immediately showed an expression of relief.
"Excellent!"
He took a wax-sealed letter from his bag, the envelope bearing the neat inscription "To Susie."
"This is the letter, along with the route map. Remember, her cottage has a vegetable garden in front, and there's a basket by the door. You won't miss it."
Aria accepted the letter and route map. The letter wasn't heavy, but the wax seal was intact and undamaged.
She tucked them into her own bag.
"When should I leave?"
"You can go now, if you're willing," Martin said. "It's better to arrive early. As I mentioned, she's leaving on a long journey tomorrow."
"What about my payment?"
Aria hadn't forgotten the most important matter.
"Payment upon completion of the task." Martin repeated, but he took a silver coin from his money pouch. "This is a deposit, proof of my sincerity."
Aria accepted the silver coin, feeling its weight and warmth.
This was genuine silver, no question about it.
She pocketed it, then began gathering her belongings.
There wasn't much to pack, really—just her nearly empty backpack and the small money pouch at her waist.
"Then I'll leave now." She stood up. "I'll come find you tomorrow for the remainder of the payment."
"I'll be waiting for your news." Martin nodded. "Be careful of wild beasts on the road. Though that path is relatively safe, you should still be cautious after dark."
Aria nodded to him, then walked straight toward the tavern's exit.
The moment she pushed open the door, she glanced back.
Martin was still sitting there, looking as if he were waiting for her to leave.
The drunk merchant was still talking loudly, and the cloaked figure remained quietly seated in his corner.
Everything appeared normal, but that uneasy feeling in her heart hadn't completely disappeared.
The air outside was much fresher than inside the tavern, but night was beginning to fall.
Aria took a deep breath, letting the cool air fill her lungs, temporarily dispelling the smell of alcohol and sweat from the tavern.
The town's streets seemed particularly quiet in the twilight hours, with only a few scattered pedestrians hurrying past.
Shop owners were cleaning up their stalls, preparing to close for the day.
A fabric merchant was efficiently collecting colorful cloth back into his store with practiced, swift movements.
Next door, the bakery wafted the aroma of baked bread, making Aria's stomach growl traitorously.
She quickened her pace, wanting to reach her destination before complete darkness fell.
Though the merchant named Martin had said the journey was only an hour, she didn't want to walk through the forest in the dark.
Forests at night were always full of unknown dangers, even in relatively safe areas.
As she passed through the town center square, Aria heard music.
A small group of people had gathered there, surrounding a young bard.
The poet held a wooden guitar, playing a tune she'd never heard before.
"This is a lost ballad I found in an ancient library," the bard addressed his sparse audience, his voice clear and confident. "It's quite interesting—would you like to hear it?"
Aria had intended to walk straight past, but the beautiful melody made her unconsciously slow her steps.
"When dragon wings darken the sky, the crown shall fall to earth. One soul split into two forms, king and dragon are one being. Should the sacred beast return, the sleeping king shall awaken. When the rift heals and heaven and earth align, a new era shall begin."
The song echoed through the evening air, carrying a mysterious and ancient charm.
Several elderly people in the crowd were listening intently, thoughtful expressions on their faces.
But more people only listened casually as they passed by, then continued on their way.
Aria stopped walking.
The melody was quite pleasant, but the lyrics stirred some strange resonance within her.
"One soul split into two forms."
For some reason, this line made her think of something.
Wasn't she also living with different faces, inside and out?
"King and dragon are one being."
Lonely people always yearn to find their true belonging.
Aria shook her head. This wasn't the time for listening to stories.
The sky had clearly grown darker, and she still needed to deliver the letter to the cottage at the forest's edge before complete darkness fell.
Once she earned those ten silver coins, she could have leisure time for these ancient legends.
She hurriedly left the square and headed toward the town's outskirts.
After leaving the town, the road became narrower.
This was a small path leading to the forest, bordered by thick bushes and wild grass.
Aria took the route map from her bag, struggling to make out the markings in the twilight.
According to the map's directions, she needed to follow this path for about forty minutes, then turn left at an old oak tree that had been struck by lightning.
The path was easier to walk than she'd expected, appearing to be frequently used.
The surface was well-trodden and solid, with some potholes but nothing that would cause her to fall.
Wildflowers on either side gave off a faint fragrance in the evening, and occasionally small insects flew past her.
After walking for a while, she began to hear sounds from deep within the forest.
There was the chirping of birds before they roosted, the rustling of some small animal moving through the underbrush in the distance, and the whisper of wind through leaves.
These natural sounds put her at ease—at least they indicated there were no large dangerous creatures in the area.
Night fell faster than she'd expected.
By the time she reached the lightning-struck oak tree, the sky had grown quite dark.
The oak's silhouette was particularly prominent in the twilight, with burn marks on one side of the trunk clearly visible even in the dim light.
She stopped under the tree to drink some water and check her direction.
According to the route map, turning left here and walking another ten minutes would bring her to her destination.
The letter was still safely tucked in her bag, its wax seal intact.
After turning past the oak tree, the path became even narrower, with denser trees on both sides.
Aria had to carefully avoid the low-hanging branches and tangled vines that extended into the middle of the path.
It was much quieter here than on the main road. The bird calls had completely disappeared, leaving only her own soft footsteps and the occasional sound of wind.
This was normal enough, though. After all, it was now night, and most animals had returned to their nests to rest.
After walking for about ten more minutes, she finally saw the outline of a building ahead.
By the faint moonlight, she could make out a small wooden cottage, half-hidden among the trees.
There was indeed a small vegetable garden in front of the house, just as Martin had described, and a basket woven from vines sat by the door.
Weak candlelight glowed from within the house, indicating someone was indeed inside.
A weight finally lifted from Aria's heart.
It seemed this commission really was without problems. The destination truly existed, and tomorrow she could finally eat a proper meal.
She approached closer, preparing to knock on the door.
But just then, she noticed a detail that made her uneasy.
The surroundings were far too quiet.
Not only were there no human voices, she couldn't even hear insect chirping, as if this area had been isolated by something invisible.
Perhaps she was just overthinking it, though...
After all, it was very late, and this place was relatively remote. Some quietness was normal.
Aria walked to the door and knocked gently on the wooden surface.
"Hello, is anyone there? I'm here to deliver a message."
No response.
She knocked a few more times, slightly louder this time.
"Miss Susie? Your brother Martin sent me to deliver a letter to you."
Still no response, but she could hear slight sounds from inside the house, like someone walking around, or the sound of a chair being moved.
"Miss Susie?"
Then she noticed the door wasn't completely closed—it was only slightly ajar.
Through the gap, she could see candles were indeed lit inside, and there was a cup of steaming tea on the table.
Aria hesitated for a moment, then gently pushed the door open.
"Excuse me, I'm coming in. Mr. Martin asked me to deliver a letter to Miss Susie."
The interior was simply but neatly arranged.
The fire in the fireplace was still burning, making soft crackling sounds.
An open book lay on the table, with some feminine accessories scattered nearby.
A few hairpins, a delicate necklace, and a small mirror.
Everything looked normal, as if the owner had only stepped away temporarily.
She saw a note on the table, written in elegant handwriting: "If anyone comes looking, please wait. I'm at the well in the back garden drawing water, and will return shortly. —Susie"
Aria breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed she really had been overthinking things.
This was just an ordinary message delivery commission, with nothing suspicious about it.
She decided to go to the back garden to find the woman named Susie, deliver the letter to her, and then immediately return to town.
The sky had turned completely dark, and she had no desire to spend the night in the forest.
- Writer
