I run after him and try to make up my mind if that is good or bad news. From Lin's expression I reckon it is bad. But why? Wouldn't it help if Aidan was indebted to someone Lin knew?
Lin doesn't answer, he just keeps loping along a street. I know he heard, so I decide to give him time to get used to the idea -- whatever that idea is. We rush beside people walking on the street and merchants pulling their wagons full of frost mushrooms or whatever. I almost bump into a strange creature carrying two willow baskets on its back. I quickly take two steps aside, and something hits me from the back. I fall onto the dirty snow on my knees.
"Lin!"
"Now what do we have here?" says a rough voice behind me.
I turn to look up and see a tall goblin of sorts. It had a box on its arms, and now it is sideways on the ground. I start to lean toward the box.
"Sorry, sir, I'll pick it..."
It grabs my arm and pulls me up, and the box I had in my hands falls back on the ground. Ouch, that hurts.
"Well, well. A human brat. Don't see these often nowadays."
"Let me go! Lin!" Where did he go? Why was he running so fast? I look around and see a lot of interested and some amused faces. But no Lin.
"Ow my, what a temper," the goblin says. Some people laugh at that, although there's nothing funny here except for those who enjoy teasing other people. "Bet that I won't let you go. You dropped my box and now it's broken. You owe me! You come with me."
Suddenly everyone nearby turns silent. I feel my cheek turn pale. Owe it? Am I now indebted to that creature? I will never ever get out of here.
For two long seconds I feel very empty and weak. But then I get my courage back. I start shaking his hand.
"Let go! I owe you nothing! We didn't agree on anything! You are just mean and try to trick me. I am not that stupid."
From the corner of my eye, I see a few surprised faces. Apparently they did not expect me to fight back. This gives me more courage. I kick the goblin on the knee and at the same time push his hand away from my coat collar. It kneels down in pain.
I don't wait for things to unfold. The goblin is bigger and stronger than me, so the best I can do is to distract it and win a few seconds. I hope that I am faster that it. I start running to the direction where Lin were going..
"Look, Rembol lost to a brat. Eehe ehe," I hear a sneer behind my back. I don't turn to see who it was but I'm sure it was the creature who was laughing at me just seconds ago. I hate people whose main fun is to see other in misery.
Lin ran fast, and if he didn't notice what happened, he might be far away already. So I speed up and run along the street as fast as I can. But now I look around more carefully. To avoid further crashes, and to find Lin. But he is nowhere to be seen.
So I keep running but start to make a plan as well. This town is a dangerous place for a lonely human. But I also have a clue: I should go and meet the family of the green griffin. Maybe I should start asking about them? Or should I run away and go back to the forest? I know now that frost mushrooms are edible so I will survive until ... what? For Lin to find me? But as long as he thinks I am stuck in Borados he will not leave.
So unless I am able to leave him a message that I have left, I shouldn't leave.
OK, it's time to do some careful research, I say to myself.
~ x ~
I don't know much about how to be careful in this town, but one thing I can do is to choose to whom to talk. So I avoid creatures (people?) who look crumpy or very strong. I also only speak to people where there are others present to see; although that didn't help much with the goblin. And I decide to stay outside in case that Lin has turned into his winged form and flies around searching for me.
The green griffin is something that many people seem to know about but don't want to get engaged in such discussions. The family seems to be famous and powerful. The griffin is their seal, but their actual name is Foechis. So I get a bit further with my inquiry. When I ask how to meet them, I get bizarre answers, like oh you don't want to meet them, or you can't if they don't want to meet you. That is discouraging but I will not give up. Not when I have come this far.
Oh Lin, if I just could find you. Why didn't you explain your family? This would be so much easier together.
Finally, I get some practical advice. A small faerie tells me that the Foechis family has a mansion at the outskirts of the town on a high hill. So I start walking there.
On the way, I try to make a plan. Should I just knock on the door and ask about Aidan? Or should I try to sneak in from a remote window and spy around? I don't know, so I'll just go there and see what's it like.
Dusk has fallen but the Moon is bright, so I can see the mansion fairly well. It has a wall around it and an iron gate. There is a garden between the wall and the house, which sits on top of a steep hill. Light comes out of several windows and cast bright spots on the white trees around the house.
Is this the place where Lin is from? If it is, what has made him move to the forest to live alone in -- a nest? There is definitely something Lin has not told me. But it is time to find out.
I start walking toward the house.
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The next topic is Surprises.
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