The two humans of the group made their way out of the cave. They took the torches off the walls of the cave, leaving it dark and empty. As they walked along the side of the mountain, flames guiding their way, the first signs of morning began to show.
The songs of birds greeted to the sun, waking the world to another day. The old sycamore off in the distanced rustled off a long night's rest, as did the animals beneath him. As the duo walked east along the mountainside, looking for the right place to make their decent, the sun peeked over the horizon and rose from its own slumber.
The two men passed a small pile of snow along their path where Axel stuck the burning end of the torch and put out the flame.
"We won't be needing these."
Artemis nodded in agreement and added his torch to the pile.
"Hey Axel?" Artemis prompted, taking advantage of Axel's breaking silence. "Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
"Where did you learn to shoot a bow like that?"
"Practice."
"Well, I know you practiced but where did you practice? Did you shoot targets? Were they moving targets? Did you just hunt animals?"
The old man stopped walking, causing Artemis to stop as well. He hoped he had not said anything that may have upset the bowyer.
"Would you like to hear a story?" He said, turning to face Artemis. "You may not have heard it. Take the lead and I'll tell you it if you'd like."
Artemis just nodded and moved past the old man, taking the point position and leading the way. They had arrived at the descent and as they began to climb down, Axel began his story.
"Salvarian legend tells of a group of four adventurers who protected the land. They were said to work so well together that enemies made claims that the four were truly one; as if all of their minds were linked by magic. Whether from afar or up close, the group would wreak havoc upon their foes, countless falling before them."
The descent was serving as a bit of a distraction. Occasionally there would be a pause in his story, during which he would catch his breath or take a dangerous step, but he carried on and Artemis listened intently.
"They would shoot and throw, cut and stab. No enemy could best the group. The moment an opponent thought they had an opening, another of the group would defend their comrade, arriving just in time. Many guessed that their luck would run out, that fate would take the life of one and their legend would end. Yet no such thing ever happened. As time passed, they simply disappeared. Many guessed they had simply gotten too old to fight and that they still lived on somewhere. Some still look for them, hoping to hear their stories first hand. Others believe they are dead and spend years chasing after the treasure they believed the group had collected. They were known as Salvar's Silent Sentinels, and to this day, nobody knows what came of them."
Artemis listened, taking it all in and enjoying the story. It seemed like a fairy tale, a bedtime lullaby told to children to give them hope that they could be heroes. After all, every child wanted to save the world, or something equally as fantastic. Still, the story was pleasant enough.
Soon enough, with the exertion dragging the story's length out, the two had arrived at the base of the mountain and joined back up with the three others. The dwarves seemed to have made it to the bottom without any trouble, which was a relief.
"So what do you think happened to them?" Artemis asked, just for the sake of making conversation.
"They're still alive."
"What makes you say that?"
Bending down, Axel picked something up off the ground. It was the arrow that Artemis had accidentally launched off the mountain while waiting. The old man reached out and held it out for Artemis with a smile on his face.
"Because you're looking at them."
Artemis stood, a bit confused and a bit in disbelief. Suddenly, everything was falling into place for him. That short story had not meant anything to him, but with the realization that these for were them made much more sense. That explained how well they worked together. Their strength! Their skill! ...The magic trolley even... Everything!
Bazzak laughed as Nalin smiled on the opposite side of the cart, Jay standing nearby with a smile of her own.
"Come on then," Bazzak interupted. "Let's get back home. The rest of the trip is the easy part."
Reaching out and grabbing the arrow tentatively, Artemis looked back at Axel. The old man turned and began walking with the others, and as the four walked side by side, with only a cart between them, Salvar's Silent Sentinels showed themselves to the vagabond.
"Looks like I'm not too old after all," Axel said, a warm and sincere smile making its way across his face.
Jay winked, placing a hand on the back of the bowyer's neck. It seemed he had come along to prove that to himself, and as far as Artemis was concerned, he had succeeded.
Submit Thread for Judgment
