I reincarnated in game

52 On to Cowson

The airship carried Hugh, Judi and Kenneth on to Cowson after they dropped Anne off in Sdel.  The weather and lands were just the opposite of what they had seen in Aldo.  Not only was it warm, but the country was heavily forested, with green meadows and fields.  Hugh and Kenneth had enjoyed the details of the landscape as the ship was approaching the station; Judi was very quiet as she viewed her homeland below her.  She had some misgivings and anxiety about her return, but she also had resolved that it was time to face her past.  With her two friends by her side, she felt confident that she would be able to do it.

Once the airship had docked, the trio collected their traveling bags and headed for the gangplank.  Hugh noticed that Judi had hung back and had pulled the hood of her cloak up over her head even though it quite warm.  He thought to himself that she was likely trying to avoid being recognized by people who may have known her from childhood.  Hugh turned and put his arm around her shoulders.  “It will be OK.  We are here with you and for you.  You can do it!” he whispered in her ear.

Judi looked up at Hugh’s earnest expression and said, “Thank you.” 

It seemed to Hugh that Judi had visibly straightened her posture after his whispered message of support.  She now looked at the two of them and said, “I think we should stay at a little inn that is not far from here.  It is very nice; it is run by an older couple who always treat their guests like family. We will be very comfortable there until we are ready to take our next steps.”

The walk to the inn that Judi had mentioned took about an hour.  They had not pushed themselves; rather they had enjoyed the pleasant weather and the lush lands.  Hugh noticed that Judi kept her hood up and adjusted it slightly whenever they happened to meet someone coming in the opposite direction.  It was obvious that she wanted her presence known only when she was ready to reveal it.

When they were within sight of the inn, Judi seemed to lose some resolve.  She slowed and then stopped.  When Hugh and Kenneth stopped with her, she turned to Hugh and said, “I would like you to go in and arrange for adjoining rooms and ask if we can have something at the back part of the inn.  We may be here for a while and it would be less interruptive.”

“Sure, I can do that,” Hugh replied.   He led the way into the main room and strode to the counter at the back.  With her hood up covering part of her face, Judi waited with Kenneth a short distance away while Hugh spoke with the owners who appeared very friendly.  They were happy to rent the travelers the rooms they needed at the back of the inn; they handed the keys over to Hugh. 

“My name is Aywin,” the man said.  “This is my wife, Shalana.  We have been running this place since we first were married.  Welcome to our humble abode.  If you need anything, please let us know.  We serve our meals in the main dining hall at eight in the morning, at noon and then again at six in the evening.”    

The husband moved from behind the counter and approached Judi and Kenneth.  “Can I help you with those bags, my dear?  I am sure that I can manage both yours and the little fellow’s,” he said as he bent and picked up the luggage without waiting for a reply.  “You all don’t need to be shy,” he said to Judi.  “We here at the Tallwood Inn like to make our guests feel at home.  Please enjoy your stay with us.”

Judi responded with a quiet, “Thank you” then followed at the end of the procession to the back of the inn and their newly rented rooms.  

Once they were all settled, Judi came over to Hugh and Kenneth’s room, still wearing her light cloak.  After the door was closed, she removed her cloak and sat down in one of the chairs in the room.

Hugh crossed over to where Judi was sitting.  “I know this is hard for you and that you are struggling with your emotions.  Remember, we are here for you; right beside you to support you each step of the way.  It’s OK to let your guard down.  There is no reason to fear for your safety.  I am here to protect you if it ever came to that.  Take comfort in that,” he said as he reached out and held her hand gently in his own.

Judi inhaled deeply then spoke quietly.  “I do take comfort in your support.  I am truly grateful that you both are here with me.  It is just that while I was living here in Cowson, I was well known and easily recognized.”

“I understand that you are reluctant to be recognized because of the guilt you feel about your friend’s death; that you fear what people might be thinking about you.  That all happened many years ago; plus, it was an accident.  You have to stop blaming yourself,” Hugh said comfortingly.

Judi had listened to what Hugh was saying and could feel his empathy.  She gave a weak smile, then said, “It’s just that I am still a little worried.  I have doubts about how to go about reconciling myself with all that has happened to me.”

“What do you see as our next step, then?” Hugh asked.

“Well, I want to get readjusted to just being here first.  I would like to work up enough courage to be able to visit Laura’s grave but that won’t be for several days at least,” Judi replied.  “Until then, we can just stay here and keep a low profile.”

“Sounds like a plan.  We will go at whatever pace you are comfortable with,” Hugh said.  “For now, how about we go to the dining room and get some dinner.  I am sure that Kenneth must be starving,” he said, then looked at man in question.  Kenneth brightened at the mention of food.  He had been sitting quietly hoping that his friends had not heard his tummy growling.  They all stood to go to the dining room; Judi picked up her cloak and donned it, once more pulling the hood up loosely over her head.

Throughout the meal, Judi kept looking around at the patrons to see if anyone noticed her, and more importantly, recognized who she was.  She had noticed a few of them had looked over at their table but nobody made any attempt to approach them; she wasn’t sure if it was just idle curiosity of seeing an elf in the company of a dwarf and a half Crystal, or whether they were trying to see if they recognized her. 

The main topic of conversation amongst those having dinner did not concern the newly arrived trio.  From the gossip which they could overhear, it seemed like there had been some flare ups at the borders between Cowson and Sdel.  It appeared that these disputes broke out every now and then because the outlying countries felt the citizens of Sdel always acted superior to all others because of their geographical location in the centre of the Level.  They also were quick to boast about the fact that they enjoyed a higher standard of living because of the way their royals looked out for the disadvantaged.  This did not sit well with the citizens of Cowson and Stuhr.  Unrest was less prevalent but still seen along Sdel’s border with Aldo.

After dinner, the three friends returned to the privacy of Hugh and Kenneth’s room where they sat and talked until it was time to retire for the night.  Judi bade the two good night and went to her room.  She fell into bed, exhausted from the gamut of emotions she had gone through since their arrival in Cowson.  It had been hard for her to really enjoy the delicious meal they had been served because of her paranoia about being recognized by the locals.  She fell into a troubled sleep.

During the night Judi tossed and turned.  She started to dream.  She was back in the dining hall; it was crowded with the locals.  She looked around but couldn’t see Hugh and Kenneth anywhere.  She started to panic.  All the patrons in the room turned to look at her; their eyes were accusatory, their expressions judgmental.  Whispers started in the room and grew louder with each moment.  What was being said was indistinct at first but as the volume increased, the words were clearer.  She heard ‘murderer’, ‘killer’ and ‘betrayer’ being directed at her from the crowd.  At one point, the entire room of patrons, including the kindly, old innkeeper and his wife, rose and started closing in on her position.  She retreated into a corner.  They kept coming until they had surrounded her; she had no way to escape.  They were now chanting, ‘You killed your friend!  You killed Laura!’

Judi woke up in a cold sweat.  She sat upright in the darkness, breathing hard.  It took a few minutes, but finally she told herself, “Thank God, it was just a dream!”