Dungeon 42

Debate

Chapter 183

Though Ban had reached his own decision, a band meeting needed to happen. One that he put off for as long as reasonable to let everyone have a chance to go into the valley and see it properly themselves. Artem hadn’t been happy about it.

The old gray hide had wanted to push for an immediate decision so no one would have time for first thoughts let alone second. Thankfully none of the other Elders had been on his side about that even though they’d expressed agreement with his plan. Haste wasn’t in their nature if they weren’t forced into it.

It couldn't and shouldn’t be put off forever though. A month had passed since they'd first arrived, and the time had come to discuss their future properly.

The walk to the encampment wasn’t hard, but it was bleak. The wind whistled through the barren foothills, carrying with it the scent of the valley below. He couldn’t help but look back, drawn to the lush greenery and the glimmer of the river in the distance.

Behind him the camp was a hive of hushed activity. The group of sturdy tents was comfortable but obviously impermanent. The hills were too rocky and the soil wrong for digging even temporary burrows.

Still, no one had complained. They’d even gone so far as to praise the provision’s Deux had provided. Particularly the food.

Even as he walked toward the band his thoughts were in the valley and the burrow Hari had dug with her own paws. He’d been splitting time between the two and knew the tents couldn’t compare. There was a rightness to being able to dig in and sleep in the earth's embrace that he hadn’t expected.

Gretch had laughed at him when he’d mentioned it, but not unkindly. It was just the natural way of their kind after all. Something he hadn’t had a chance to experience properly in far too long.

Despite the decision they were going to discuss, no one looked at him warily. Opinions might differ, but they were kin and kind no matter what else came to pass.

They were all already gathered around the central fire, chatting amongst themselves. They didn’t stop on his account but some of the younger doe’s around Hari playfully flashed teeth at him. As if warding off an unwanted spring fever suitor for her.

Ban would have preferred to sit with her, but as band leader it was his place to sit between them and the elders. As if his mediation would be more than a token. No hard decisions had been made yet but nobody wanted to leave soon and that meant Artem’s plans were essentially sunk for the foreseeable future.

Going by the way the elder was just shy of pouting with his ears half down, he seemed to know it too.

“Alright, we all know why we're here this evening and I’m sure you’ve all discussed things amongst yourselves,” Ban started as soon as he took his place. Standing up to address everyone was about as formal as things ever got at such gatherings.

“To start with, does anyone want to leave the valley soon? I mean inside of the next month or sooner?” Ban asked, getting straight to the heart of things. No hands went up nor calls of agreement. It was the heavy silence of disinterest rather than an uneasy one of uncertainty.

“Alright, living arrangements can be discussed later then as well as plans for what everyone will be doing,” Ban said, relieved. He hadn’t been sure there would be full agreement. It wasn’t the only thing they had to talk about still, but it was a relief it was done with so easily.

“Why bother? Everyone wants to be that monster woman's kept pet,” Artem said bitterly.

“Manners,” Gretch said tightly. She even menaced Artem with her stick for a moment.

‘What? Am I wrong? Grateful as I am, this must be a trap if she has any sort of connection to the dungeon. We should get out with what we can now, before the jaws spring closed,” Artem said.

Ban closed his eyes for a moment. He’d expected something like it to come up, it hadn’t been far from his own thoughts in darker moments.

“Why would she wait?” Ban asked.

“What?” Artem asked, surprised.

“It's true that she’s strange, and that connection bothers me too. Still, there isn’t a reason to be as honest as she has if all she wanted was to kill us. It would have been as easy as having me lead you all in through the maze,” Ban explained. It was the end of all of his less paranoid lines of thought as he’d mulled things over.

“I won’t pretend to know everything, but I can't think of a reason for her to put so much effort into a lie she needn’t bother with in the first place,” he added.

“You can't prove she thinks like us. She might be mad,” Artem said.

“She clearly doesn’t, and perhaps that's madness, but I’ll take someone who isn’t moved by gold or hate over a sane lord from Stromholt anyday,” Ban countered. Artem nodded grudgingly at that. Even people who didn’t share Stromholts hatred could be moved to report them by the bounties that thrice accursed kingdom offered.

“May I move on?” Ban asked. Artem nodded and the other elders joined in, giving approval for the topic change.

“Now, it's early to ask, but does anyone think they might want to settle here for a while? Meaning at least the next few years?” Ban asked.

Some hands went up at that, but less than half of the band, and the group was mixed. Most of the elders raised theirs, which seemed to surprise Artem. Ban wanted to sigh at that, he’d likely been complaining too much to listen.

He wasn’t the only surprised one though. Most of the younger band members looked shocked. Ban supposed not all of the elders were as straightforward as Jalla and Gretch. They might have needed more time to think it over.

“Who’d like to try and see about the lands beyond the mountain?” Ban asked. A fair number of bucks raised their hands, which he’d expected.

“Alright, seems to me the best plan is to take advantage of this place and what it has to offer fully then. Anyone who wants can stay here and camp, but if you want to move into the valley, there are burrows waiting and good land for making a few more,” Ban started. That caused some murmurs. It was one thing to talk about it as a future possibility, another to be faced with the reality that they could do so as soon as morning if they wanted.

“Do consider apprenticing or taking jobs though. Maybe learning to read, they’ve got a school for it and the mayor says we're welcome. Learn things you need to know while you can, we might not get another opportunity like this if we do end up leaving,” he continued once the voices died down.

“Those who want to find a way across and explore the other side of the mountain, I’d suggest going and taking a look at the adventuring school. I went and it turns out I know a sight less about bushcraft than I thought I did. Get the skills you need, be ready when the time comes,” Ban added. There was a thunder of drumming feet at that, the bucks in full agreement.

“Enough of that,” Ban said laughing. It died slowly, their excitement high. “Did anyone have concerns or questions?”

“Is it really a good idea to live in the valley? I find the people in the town strange,” Tella asked. She was a little timid most times and shrank under the attention of the group, but held her ground.

“Strange how?” Ban asked. Not because he disagreed, but because the list of how the various citizens were odd was longer than his forearm. Tella wilted further, looking to Jalla pleadingly.

“They just… they aren't unkind. It's like they’ve never lived anywhere else yet all of them seem to be from strange places,” Jalla explained. Ban nodded, having caught that himself.

“I honestly don’t understand that either. They are mostly adventurers, but I couldn’t tell you how they got here and the only thing approaching an answer I’ve ever gotten is that the mayor asked them to come,” Ban admitted.

“Have you tried asking the mayor?” Gretch inquired.

“No, it seemed… rude I suppose,” Ban admitted. It was also a thought that had only crossed his mind fleetling on random occasions. How the places the various people of the town talked about sounded more foreign than he could account for.

“Well, she’ll be here soon. You can ask her then,” Gretch added.

“Oh, alright-” Ban caught what she’d said a moment late.

“Wait, why will she be here?” Ban asked as his brain caught up.

“I invited her, once the moon is a finger above the maze,” Gretch replied calmly.

“And you did that why?” Artem asked, ears straight up in shock.

“Should we not include her so we can ask her questions? I can't imagine anyone else knowing more about what's going on than her,” Gretch replied placidly.

Ban let out a groan. It made sense but it was something that should have been agreed to by everyone. Having Deux come when they hadn’t even fully discussed the matter between themselves was asking for trouble.

“You really think the mayor will come out to a place like this just because you invited her?” Artem asked with a derisive snort. Nobody else was as openly rude about it, but doubting looks were exchanged all the same. Deux was an important person, she had no reason to accommodate them when she could easily summon them if she needed.

“I do,” Gretch replied without even a hint of concern.

“Look a fool then,” Artem said.

“Bet on it?” Gretch asked.

“Sure, whatever you want,” Artem agreed.

“The lady wins,” a voice that sent everyone's hair standing on end resonated in the night air. The camp was immediately on alert, but they didn’t need to look for long. Duex was standing in the road leading up to the camp, silver hair glinting in the moonlight.

“How the fuck is someone your size that quiet!?” Dallen demanded in surprise. Jalla cuffed him on the ear but Deux just laughed.