"Keep moving!"It wasn't the first Night creature they had seen around Palacework, but it was the first to come this close. In a few minutes, the pair and the dog Olin were behind a tree, panting and gasping for breath as quietly as they could manage. Kadol was the first to speak.
"What the fuck was that?""Don't know. Never seen one that close before."Kadol peeked out past the tree, stroking Olin for comfort. They looked like Dwarves... Did they? He wasn't sure. They hadn't mentioned this when they sent him south.
"Why didn't you warn me if you knew they were here?""I didn't know this was their stomping grounds! No-one ever comes here, not anymore."Kadol sighed and sat back down, back against the tree. The coast was clear.
"You live here. Sorry- lived here. Do you think it's a risk we should take?"
"You're the one who doesn't want to cross the mountains..."
Kadol gave him the evil eye.
"... Okay, I... It could have food, or it could have death. Or neither. Or both. Do we have enough food to last a full journey around the mountains?"
Kadol checked his bag and shook his head.
"... Why did they send you here? Why
you of all people? You don't even have the rations to get home with you... alright, food risk it is. Let's make this quick."
"Is the coast clear?"
Kadol peeked in, and scanned the entrance hall. There wasn't even the faintest sign of activity.
"Yeah, it's clear. Probably. C'mon, we have some food to steal."
"... Kadol, c'mover here."
"What?"
"There's a library here."
"Looks like it's been looted already."
"Not entirely. There's one scroll left, at least."
"Take a look upstairs, maybe?"
"Sure."
"Obok, what was that?"
"Another scroll."
"... Bit shiny for a scroll, don't you think?"
"It's just a metal roller, Kadol."
"... Huh. Let me have a look at it later, it might be worth something."
"... Sure."
"Food."
"There's not much of it."
"It'll be enough, there's only two of us."
"... Where's the food come from? It can't be from the Dwarves who used to own it, they're been gone for hundreds... of... years..."
Their eyes met. They shared a vision of the... creatures... outside.
"They won't miss it. If they do, we'll be long gone before they realise any of it's gone. They probably just keep it around for nostalgia."
"... Can... they... even feel nostalgia?"
"... Just pick up the food and let's get out of here."
"Will we be stopping off at the other Monastery?"
Kadol gave Obok a glare.
"No."