Arthur woke up in a daze, his head pounding as sunlight slipped through the window of his inn. He blinked a few times, trying to remember how he even got back to the inn.
"Ugh… my head," he groaned, rubbing his temple. "What the hell happened last night?"
He swung his legs off the bed and started getting dressed, still piecing together bits of memory about last night.
'Did I drink too much? No… I didn't even drink that much, hmm do i really have that low of a tolerance on alcohol' he thought, frowning. Then it hit him. 'Wait….Ainsley. He's leaving today, right? I think he said to meet him by the entrance gate.'
Arthur grabbed Lacrimosa from where it leaned against the wall. strapping the sword to his side before heading out the door.
Arthur stepped outside the inn, stretching his limbs and went to the gate to meet Ainsley. By the time he got there, Ainsley was already there waiting by the road with his travel bag slung over one shoulder.
Ainsley turned to Arthur with that familiar grin and gave an exaggerated bow, one hand sweeping dramatically across his chest. "Parting is such sweet sorrow, my friend! But the road calls! And a wanderer must wander. Thanks for seeing me off."
Arthur smirked. "It's the least I could do. Be safe out there, Cobb."
Ainsley frowned playfully. "Drop the pleasantries will ya,call me Ainsley"
Arthur chuckled. "Alright, alright. Don't get yourself killed out there."
"And to you too my friend," With that, he turned and started down the road, whistling a light tune as the wind carried it away.
After watching him disappear from the road, Arthur turned to leave the gate and ended up wandering aimlessly around Lornwick instead. The air was calm, the streets quiet, and the flowers that lined the fences and windows gave the town a gentle kind of peace.
"It really is nice here," he muttered to himself, remembering what Ainsley said. "Can't blame the guy for liking this place."
As he walked past a small garden, he noticed an old woman struggling to fix a wooden fence. The planks were uneven, and she looked like she'd been at it for quite a while. Arthur scratched his head, glanced around.
'I got nothing better to do anyway' Arthur thought, and stepped closer. "Need a hand, ma'am?" he asked.
The woman, probably in her sixties, looked up in surprise before smiling. "Oh, if you don't mind, I'll take you up on that offer, young man. My back's not what it used to be HAHA." as she gave out a little laugh
Arthur shrugged. "Sure thing."
He spent the rest of the morning helping her with lifting the heavy boards that she couldn't manage, hammering nails into the uneven wood, and straightening each crooked post until the fence finally stood upright again. The sun was already high, and sweat trailed down Arthur's neck.
Mara wiped her hands on her apron and glanced at his arm as he steadied the last board.
"That's a nasty scar you've got there," she said. "Are you from around here?"
Arthur looked down at his arm and hammered the last nail but missed by an inch. "Damn" he muttered to himself "Oh…Yeah, I got this just recently. It's healed up now though. And no—I just came to Lornwick a few days back. I've been staying at the inn."
"Hmm," Mara hummed, narrowing her eyes a little as she studied him. "You look familiar somehow… Wait a moment. You wouldn't happen to be the one who helped with that monster, would you?"
Arthur paused mid-swing, the hammer still in his hand. "Yeah,"
Her eyes widened. "Thank the Goddess. So it was you. People have been talking about it since yesterday. I saw you dragging that massive beast, along with that man.. What was his name again."
Arthur let out a small breath, almost a laugh. "Yeah, that was me and that someone is Ainsley. Both of us manage to bring it down."
"Well, bless you for that," Mara said, shaking her head. "My granddaughter picks flowers out there sometimes. If you hadn't killed that thing, I'm not sure what'll happen to her" She trailed off, her voice softening.
Arthur scratched the back of his neck, not really sure what to say. "Well… I'm just glad I could help ease your worries," he said with a small, awkward smile.
They stood in silence for a bit, the sound of wind rustling through the flowers and the faint creak of the fence between them.
Finally, Mara smiled, the wrinkles around her eyes easing. "Thank you for the help, dear. This would've taken me all day on my own," she said. "Can't seem to find my granddaughter… she must be off running around somewhere again."
Arthur gave a small grin. "Don't worry about it. I wasn't doing anything important anyway."
"Oh, where are my manners?" she said suddenly. "My name's Mara. What about you, young man?"
"Arthur, ma'am," he replied politely.
Mara raised a brow. "Call me Mara. You make me sound like an old woman."
Arthur chuckled. "Alright, Mara. Guess we're done here. I'll get going then."
But before he could leave, Mara reached out and grabbed his arm. "Wait a moment, Arthur! I've got something for you. Stay right here."
Arthur blinked, caught off guard. "Uh… okay?"
She hurried back into her house, leaving Arthur standing awkwardly by the fence. After a few minutes, she came out holding a paper bag and handed it to him.
He peeked inside and it was filled with freshly baked bread. "Mara, this looks like a lot. You sure about this?" he asked, hesitating to take it.
"Don't be so polite," Mara said, waving her hand. "I've got plenty more inside. Besides, you've earned it."
Arthur smiled, finally taking the bag.
"I'll see you around, Arthur," she said with a grin. "Oh, and if you ever want more, just come by. I bake every morning."
Arthur chuckled, holding up the bag. "Thanks. I'll hold you to that. See you around, Mara."
As he started walking off, he laughed quietly to himself, stuffing a piece of bread into his mouth. "Not bad," he muttered with a small smile.