The most difficult pieces about the current situation came down to timing and freedom of movement. Jake had more time to work than he did down in the Ravine, as there wasn’t any likelihood of an Orc attack in the near future. The Orcs were still thought to be building their forces, forging equipment, and building up their resources. The Harpies were monitoring their nests from the safety of the skies and the Humans were fighting only sporadically with the Orcs, trying to keep them from expanding further. Thus far, the Human tactics were working.

The Humans were regularly punching the bordering nests, culling Orc numbers and reducing their footholds in the region. However, the blood toll was being paid. Orcs were reproducing quickly and the resources they were stockpiling were beginning to blossom. The Orcs had plenty of material from their own lands that they were funneling into the Highlands and with their fresh numbers, they were finding it easier to produce the necessary weapons and armor to stand on even ground with the Human Knights and Soldiers. The balance was tipping in their favor. From the estimates given by the logistics personnel, the Humans and Harpies had less than two weeks to find a solution, or the Orc scourge would overwhelm them.

In reality, Jake presumed they had half that time. See while the Orcs might not have the numbers or the equipment to overwhelm the Humans and gain ground, they already had enough to properly defend their holdings. From the number of injured men Jake saw in the medical tent, along with the numerous individuals within the fort itself that had been knocked out of the fight, the Orcs were already in a position of victory. They wouldn’t be rooted out from the nests they’d already developed and so long as they weathered the storm for the next week or so, the Orcs would have their prize in everything but name. They would spread into the Highlands, uncontested, and the Harpies would be able to count their days of freedom on their fingers.

That didn’t mean the Orcs couldn’t be beaten or the current situation turned into the favor of the Harpies and Humans. The Orcs were still on their heels, biding their time as they developed their insurance. Strong numbers. Good equipment. Plenty of food. Reinforcements if they were needed. Tools to make building easy, and a supply line to replace it all should something happen. They weren’t overstepping but were being methodical, something Jake gave them credit for. If they were Goblins, they might’ve started rampaging around the Highlands already like a disease. Yet, they worked slowly.

Which meant kicking them out would require just as much careful work. Jake wouldn’t need to take out every single nest but he would need to set up a scenario to which they all would be pressured. Just like he planned at a glance, choking them out would be the first step. By cutting the Orcs within the Highlands off from both their supplies as well as their nests deep in the Highlands, Jake could begin to both starve them and isolate them. The front forces would be more experienced and well equipped for battle. The rear units would likely either be resting, inexperienced, undergoing training to make them fit to fight, licking their wounds after a battle, or support personnel. Like any army, their rear lines wouldn’t be as ready to go as their forward troops. Cutting those front lines off and then severing the internal network of communications between the nests would be the second step he would take.

Then, it would be the arduous process of going nest to nest. One by one, the Humans and Harpies would need to grind the Orcs out of their rocky holes. They would have to fight off any Orcs trying to reestablish the supply line while simultaneously eradicating the virus within the Highlands itself. A mix of an offensive campaign and a defensive one, with the enemy being both within their ranks and outside of it. The western side of the Highlands was vast and the Orcs could use multiple corridors to get inside. Regular patrolling and several small outposts would need to be established to keep them out. After the fighting was finished, it would be up to the alliance to regularly cull the Orcs further west to permanently keep them out.

On paper, it would take a long time. Not days or even weeks, but likely three to six months to get the Human army moving in the proper direction. They would need to build up additional forces, replenish their lost numbers and supplies, and then work out the plans of battle to knock the wind out of the Orcs. The Harpies would need to provide all of the information they could on the Orc nest locations and the details gathered on those nests. They would need to find a way to work in tandem with their Human counterparts, and the two groups would need to work together in an equal capacity to deal with the issue overtime.

Jake discussed all of this with Captain Luther and his Lieutenants. The Human Captain was already aware of much of what needed to be done. The problem was the lack of supplies, men, morale, and the proper support from the upper echelons within the fort to put the necessary strategies in motion. They all knew the answer to the problem, but no one wanted to pay the price it would cost.

Orcs without armor and swords were easy to kill. A typical Human Knight could take on four of them before needing a hand. If the Orcs were battle hardened and experienced, the Knight might need to reduce that number to two or three, depending on the Orcs’ intelligence level. Add in armor, training, weapons, and a pseudo-homefield advantage and the Orcs could fight evenly with the Knights. Soldiers were less equipped and less trained compared to Knights, so it typically took two or three of them to handle one armored Orc. Their lack of experience further reduced them to practically fodder in the Orc nests.

With Knights being difficult to replace and their numbers quickly being reduced, the Humans were growing desperate. Many had already begun to consider the Highlands as a lost cause and a few had recommended pulling out of the territory entirely. Rather than expend further resources protecting the “monster Harpies”, the leaders wanted to instead reinforce the wall and build up their local defenses to contend with the future Orc issue. Estimates gave them ten to twenty years before the Orcs would brave the wall, so long as a proper one was established. However, others contested that it would take a fraction of that time and an effective wall wouldn’t be ready.

On top of that, there wouldn’t be enough men to hold back the Orcs if they had their freedom within the Harpies. One Harpy alone was thought to be capable of producing at least twenty to forty Orc offspring, depending on her health and pedigree. If the Orcs treated the Harpies well enough or forcefully fed them to keep them alive and in good breeding shape, the Orcs would increase from mere hundreds to possibly tens of thousands in less than a few years. And once the Harpies were finished, they would immediately turn north. At that point, even if the entire Frontier was mobilized there would not be enough men, women, and children to defend the wall.

The situation had put the General in a precarious position. One that had forced him to sit on his heels and continue to throw men into the nests, hoping for some kind of breakthrough. They’d tried open combat with the Orcs, only to have dozens of men die and at least a hundred more become wounded and handicapped. They tried sabotage, only for those men to never return. There were no negotiations with the Orcs, as the situation was made clear enough. Thus, there was nothing else to do but send in troops and fight the Orcs almost daily to at least keep them contained within their nests and current holdings.

The Humans were at their breaking point, and the Harpies couldn’t do anything but watch. Harpies were magical creatures who were fully capable of supporting the men with their spells. However, in the caves and nests of the Orcs, the close proximity of the fighting meant the Harpies could not use their magic to its full extent. Even in the battles which occurred in the open, the Harpies had to be careful not to collect any of the Humans in their attacks. Which meant that after the two sides clashed, the Harpies were largely unable to do anything aside from watch their Human defenders fight and die. They provided medical and healing support, but the Orcs were relentless and brutal. They did not attack to deter or hurt but struck with intent to maim, dismember, and cause grievous injury. Death was a blessing when fighting the creatures.

And so, with time being the greatest factor that would determine their victory, Jake needed to beat it by assuring himself freedom of movement. He needed to secure the ability to go into the Highlands, unattested by either faction, and be left to handle the Orcs. He wouldn’t mind a monitor or a supporting team to stay with him. He wasn’t looking to be a problem for the Human leadership or the Harpies, nor did he wish to sour the relationship between the two races. Rather, Jake understood the difficulties that the Humans were having and wanted to provide an opportunity to change the stalemate into their favor before the Orcs could turn it into theirs.

Like when dealing with the Maedra, Jake could provide the Harpy-Human forces with a resource that wouldn’t pull on any of their operating costs. He didn’t count towards their manpower, didn’t need their logistical support, and didn’t need regulating. He didn’t need them to provide him with orders nor did he need their oversight. So long as he was given the task that needed to be done, they could turn their eyes elsewhere and let him focus on getting his required job done. Now, he couldn’t fully promise that he could handle whatever they gave him. Jake wasn’t a miracle worker and victory was never assured even if he was certain of it. Until the Orcs were defeated and pushed fully out of the Highlands, there was still the possibility that the Highlands could fall.

Where the Orcs were looking to utilize their numbers as their insurance, Jake would provide the Humans with theirs. He could knock out the frontal nests, cut the supply line, secure the rear border, and cause some chaos in the core nests of the Orc forces. He doubted that he could snuff them out entirely by himself but he could hit the key targets and buy time. Give him a week or two to work and Jake could all but secure the win for the Harpy-Human alliance. Enough that he would feel comfortable leaving the remainder of the fighting to them.

The point of that wasn’t so Jake could have all of the fun and then just scamper off into the sunset. Rather, Jake wanted to give the Humans and Harpies additional time to foster their relationships. By degrading the Orc horde, reducing its strength, and neutering it so it would be reduced to a more manageable issue, Jake could provide the Harpies and Humans with a digestible issue that they could solve together. One that would foster a bond between the races and hopefully set them up for future negotiations.

That was the future Jake could already see being sought here by the Human leadership. They wanted to help the Harpies and wanted to provide the friendly creatures with a strong partner in the region that could be relied on. Prove their worth, show their sincerity, and offer a branch of fidelity that the Harpies could choose to take. That was likely the reason the Lord of the Frontier had begun this campaign in the first place. He had probably seen this as an opportunity to foster that bond, that friendship. However, the opportunity was proving to cost him quite a bit. How much more he was willing to lose over something so feeble, Jake wasn’t sure.

Just another time constraint Jake would need to deal with; overcoming the growth of the Orcs and changing the tide before the Lord’s patience ran out.

Captain Luther rose up from the table and set the pointer down beside him. He, Jake, and the two Lieutenants had shared enough of their goals for the day and Jake had been provided with a clear enough picture of the current campaign that his questions had finally run out. Lieutenant Julius was yawning, and Lieutenant Harbor was similarly tiring. The men were exhausted from their day of training along with their work supporting the Captain. Captain Luther didn’t show any signs of weariness but he was beginning to repeat himself. A sign that he was failing to retain information to some extent. Jake wasn’t tired at all, thanks to his magic, but it was late and there was much to be done tomorrow.

“We’ll be in touch, Captain. I’ll come by in the morning. Let me know if I can have that talk with the Envoy.” Jake also stood up from his hunched over position, stretching his back a little as some pain rolled through the muscles.

Captain Luther nodded. “I will send Harbor here to find you when the morning briefing is complete. He’ll have the answer for you.”

With that, the men bid their farewells for the evening and Jake was led out of the command post. Lieutenant Julius said nothing to him during the walk, though he did not bear the scowl anymore. Though he did not approve of Jake’s presence, he was at least an understanding individual. The Humans were running low on numbers and opportunities. While he did doubt that one Adventurer could change the tide of the battle, he at least welcomed the thought that it might provide an opportunity towards something more--getting the Guild involved.

If they could negotiate with the Guild, they might be able to call up a handful of skilled Adventurers. Personnel who specialized in fighting Orcs or monsters in general. More importantly, people that were far more expendable to the region than its precious Knights. Julius made it clear his stance on Adventurers and how he believed them to be little more than unruly, regulated bandits. But he did see their use when dealing with equally disgusting enemies. Julius believed Knights should be off fighting in glorious battles against other Knights and equally respectable warriors. Not dying in the dirt and groveling in the mud beside pests such as Orcs and Goblins. A sentiment Jake did not fault him for. It was an opinion, of course, and Julius also had the scars to show that he was still willing to fight regardless of his beliefs.

Once outside of the protective wall around the post, Jake walked off on his own towards the line of rowdy buildings a short distance down the road. Along with the Fort and the medical building, other core buildings had been made out of wood. Proper structures built to last as opposed to the black and green tents that took up the majority of the space. These structures were much like you’d see in any other town. A couple stores selling foodstuffs, a tailor and a blacksmith, a few trading posts, and several restaurants and taverns that provided the men with mead and cooked food. Buildings that were likely here before the campaign had begun but were now surrounded by it.

Jake poked his head into the first tavern that he walked by. Inside, he scanned the room and looked over the depressing faces occupying most of the seats. He found his companions sitting up near the bar, huddled into a corner booth that already had several glasses and plates stacked around on the table. A few women occupied the seats with Randal and Bailey as the men laughed, bantered, and conversed with them and each other. Unlike the rest of the tavern, those two were living it up.

The air inside smelled oddly of honey. The sweet scent of fresh bread hit his nose along with the pungent rank of alcohol. An oddly alluring mixture that one would expect of a bustling tavern. It was noisy but not quite raucous, as the tables were largely keeping to their own conversations or not speaking at all. The waitresses danced smoothly, effortlessly, through the maze of bodies and tables, delivering and retrieving in a fluid orchestra. Upon spotting Jake stepping inside, one of the young ladies offered him a smile and took a step towards him. He returned her smile then gestured towards the table with his companions. She waved him along and left him be, moving off to tend to other guests of the tavern.

“--and then he started hollering! The old bastard blamed me for it!” Randal laughed, while Bailey rolled his eyes.

“Yah, cause yer stupid ass almost caused a stampede!” Bailey grinned and jerked his finger towards Randal, the two men sharing a look before Randal spotted Jake.

“Ah! Took you long enough!” Randal guffawed and unwrapped his arm from the shoulders of a dazzling looking woman. One who was clinging to him quite tightly. After gracelessly prying himself from her clutches, he stood up to greet his friend. “We took payment for the delivery. Broke it up already three ways. One for us and the stables for the service fees, one for the apothecary.” He pulled a large, hefty sack from the bench and planted it firmly in Jake’s palms. “This is your cut.”

Jake furrowed his brow. “It’s heavy.”

“Yea, well, there were a lot of potions and they paid top coin for it. We also gave you the largest share out of it.” Randal smiled and placed his hand on Jake’s shoulder. “You earned it, my man. And I won’t hear a lick of contest out of you either!” Randal smacked the shoulder then offered a seat. “Rounds are on us tonight. You drink?”

“A little,” Jake lied. No, no he did not.

Randal gave him another pat then ushered him to sit. “Good! Waitress! Another round for our table, please! And one extra for my buddy!”

A sweet, high pitched voice echoed from across the tavern. “Comin’ up!”

Jake took his spot across from Randal, removing his swords and setting them against the backrest before sitting down. The woman beside him scooched inward to make room and Jake sat down at the edge. Randal passed a plate across the table and pointed out what they’d already ordered. Though a lot of it had mostly been picked through, there was plenty left over for Jake to eat as an appetizer before ordering his own meal.

Aside from the food, Jake noticed something else about the table. Of course, there was Bailey and Randal seated there, enjoying their time with plenty of glasses in front of them that had yet to be retrieved. But, there were also three other additions. Two of which were already clinging to their entertainers and Jake knew exactly why they were here. The third was seated quietly directly next to him, her piercing eyes digging into Jake’s face as she leaned forward onto the table. Her clothes were a little dirty and the colors were rather dull. Her hands were clean but they weren’t exactly glossy nor was she wearing any concealing makeup to brighten her appearance. Her hair was now in a neat ponytail as compared to the bun from before but, overall, she was clearly not there being paid for her time. Much like how Jake still wore the stains of his earlier efforts during the day, she did as well.

“Stalking me now?” Jake asked, meeting that strong gaze of hers before he began collecting food from the various plates.

Bailey and Randal looked at one another. “Ya know her? She came lookin’ fer ya and wouldn’ take no fer an answer.”

“I was serious about paying you back, Jake.” The way she spoke his name made him wonder if she was using it as a threat, but it came off more as an attempt to show that she wouldn’t be negotiated with. After getting his companions drunk, she must’ve secured her seat at the table by sweetening them up or something. Sugar talk and what not. The other two women likely didn’t help.

Jake sighed, not wanting to fight over it with her. “Fine. So long as that is all you do.” He poked at the meat in front of him and tossed a slice of it into his mouth. Moments later, a waitress arrived with a plate full of bubbling cups and glasses. A mug was sat in front of Jake. It contained a honey colored liquid with a thin layer of froth at the top of it.

“Anything else I can get’ya?” The waitress asked.

Jake held up a hand and looked at the menu dangling over the bar. “I’ll have the glazed steak and vegetable fry.”

The waitress nodded, accepting the order and then looked around the table for any other takes. Already having eaten and now with their drinks, the rest of the party politely declined. “Right away, sir!” With just the one order, she spun away and returned towards the kitchen.

“Shoulda seen ‘er, Jakey boy.” Randal cackled before taking a long swig of his drink. Bubbles lined his upper lip when the glass came back down. “She sauntered on over to the table like a Gobblie on the hunt and practically demanded to know where you were! Saw us talkin’ by the entrance to the medical tent and figured we were buddies. I thought she was gonna kill me if I said no!”

“Right?!” Bailey added with a laugh. The two girls hanging off them both giggled, while the nurse scoffed.

“I just asked if you knew him. If not then I was going to sit around and wait. Something I’d rather not do by myself in a place like this.” The nurse swept her eyes over the room, scowling for a moment before she took a sip of her own drink--a red wine of some sort. Judging by the slight tint to her face, that wasn’t her first glass.

Jake hummed as he brought his own drink to his mouth. He gave it first a testing sip, only to find it unappealing. The flavor bubbled on his tongue and soured in his throat. It had a honey, sweet taste but the taste of the hops and cheap alcohol content told him plenty of what kind of state the supplies were in. He’d tasted mead before but this kind was certainly not what he wanted to drink often. “Well, I’m here. Now what?”

The nurse huffed and rolled her eyes. “Not sure. Didn’t think you’d actually show up.” She looked away, staring off nowhere in particular. “Something told me you would slip right through my fingers.”

“Maybe some other time I might have.” He taunted her as he fed himself another bit of meat, this time with a follow up of some vegetables. After chewing and downing the mess with a drink of mead, he huffed. “I won’t be around tomorrow though.”

The nurse’s eyes opened, but Randal jumped in first. “Got somewhere to be?”

“I do. Those men aren’t fighting Goblins and it’s only going to get worse.” Jake looked down at his drink, staring at the murky reflection of himself in it. “If I don’t get the jump on it, the problem is going to spill out of the Highlands.”

“Oh. That’s not good.” Randal spat, sobering up just a tad as he thought about that ominous message. “Good thing we won’t be here much longer either!” He grinned and let out a cackle. Bailey whooped and raised his glass. The two clattered their mugs and chugged half of the contents.

After belching, rather loudly, Bailey huffed. “Them Knights need a lift back ‘ome. We got ‘ere just in time to give ‘em a lift, so we’ll be leavin’ the mornin’ after next. Good pay for it, too. Gonna protect us from ‘ere to the big city up north. Made out good comin’ out this way with ya, kiddo. ‘Ppreciate you takin’ us.” Bailey’s accent thickened the more he drank and while his slurred speech made him hard to understand, Jake was growing accustomed to his long draw. Thankfully, he spoke slowly and loudly. That certainly helped.

Knowing these two would be taken care of was comforting. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about them getting stranded or taking the return trip on their own. “Better than going back through the Goblin valley again, yea?” Jake said with a chuckle.

“Absolutely!” Randal hawked, grinning before taking another drink. “I’ll say though! The way you handled them critters was baffling. I ain’t never seen someone work like that. How long have you been using magic?”

“Not long enough,” Jake sighed, flexing his hand as he considered the passage of time. It hadn’t even been a year yet since he’d crawled down into the Ravine. In less than a year so much had happened, and his journey north had only barely begun.

The nurse sipped on her wine. “So, you do more than healing magic?” She asked, her green eyes looking at his right hand. The scar caught her eye.

“Curious?” He volleyed back.

“A little. It’s not often that you hear of a mage who can do more than one thing.” She swirled the wine in her glass.

“I can do a lot of things. It all depends on what needs to be done.” Jake continued to poke at his plate, emptying it gradually as he talked. “I can even introduce myself, but I know not everyone can do that.”

Randal whistled lightly and Bailey whistled, both of them averting their eyes from the razor like glare emanating from the nurse. They both turned away from Jake and the nurse, instead breaking off from them and going back to their own conversation and fun.

“My name is Alison,” she said. “I’m a nurse and a healing apprentice. I only know a little healing magic, the very basics. Enough to hear a cut or a scrape but nothing compared to what you’re able to do.”

Jake watched her take another drink before sipping on his mead. “Magic isn’t that extraordinary, you know.”

“Maybe not for you. To everyone else, it certainly is.” She leaned her cheek into her palm, staring at him with those piercing eyes. “Do you always think of what you do as trivial?”

The question caught him by surprise, and the answer that came to him immediately did as well. “I do,” he said, which caused him to lean back into the cushions of the booth.

Trivial. Everything he did, he thought it to be trivial. Lacking in impact, lacking in importance, lacking in difficulty. Everything he did, he failed to see in it the glory and grandeur that one might expect. He didn’t think anything he did was worthy of any unnatural praise nor did he believe anything he did to be of any sort of outstanding achievement. The minor quests and tasks he took up were all simple, straight forward, and capable of being handled by anyone. Maybe clearing the Ravine had been the exception but otherwise, nothing he did he thought of as extraordinary. He didn’t believe any of it to be worthless or a waste of time, as there were certainly people impacted by his efforts. However, they weren’t deserving of attention beyond the basic showing of appreciation.

“I thought so,” Alison murmured, bringing her wine to her lips again.

“Why do you ask?”

Alison smirked. “I watched you all day today in there. Going from table to table, man to man. Not once did you flinch or look angry. Then afterwards, you just walked out like it was normal. Anyone else would want something. A pat on the back or maybe even that drink I offered you.” She raised her glass, aligning it so she could see Jake’s face through the red color. “And then there’s you. An adventurer who just waltzed in and right back out. Never even asking for a single coin.”

Jake shrugged, sipping his mead. “And? Should I have?”

“A normal person would have asked for something. Maybe if you were a clergyman or some rich noble person with some stake in all of this, I can see you not wanting compensation.” She set down her glass, not taking a drink before leaning in towards Jake. “But an adventurer from here? The frontier? Where there is hardly a coin to be earned even for the most difficult of jobs? Not asking for anything at all is something that makes you quite unique.”

The hairs on Jake’s neck began to tickle, warning him that he might be in danger as the woman let out a breath of air over his ear. She was close, close enough that he could smell the faint perfume she had likely put on in the morning, but the smell had faded over the course of the day. He could even smell the wine on her breath.

“What adventurer comes into a place like this, performs a miracle like that, and then tries to slip away like a mouse in the night? Hm?” She asked him, her beady green eyes watching him carefully.

Jake considered answering her openly, giving her more information in hopes that she might take it as an offering to ease her curiosity. However, he wondered if that was the correct answer here. The way she pressured him wasn’t a pry for information. Rather, she was looking to understand the man in front of her. Maybe get a better grip on him to see just what made him tick. Why had he just walked away? What reason did he have for his methods? Instead of his abilities, she wanted to know the thought process behind it all.

Or maybe it was none of that. The way she was looking at him, he began to recognize that gaze.

“One who doesn’t want to make a scene,” Jake muttered his answer, keeping his voice similarly low. “Someone who wants to pass through this place without the big ceremony you might expect.”

“Sounds very boring to me, and very un-adventurer-like.” She teased, tracing her fingers along his torn sleeve. “Your clothes are tattered. I can see the tired look on your face. The smell of sweat and blood. The stains from the Goblins they said you fought. All of that effort, and you don’t want anything, huh?” She ran her fingers down his arm, frowning as she began to take in all of the other details about his clothing and armor.

At first glance it was clear that he had been through quite the ordeal, but it took a lot more to see just how bad it really was. The torn clothes were just the beginning. She could see the claw mark on his shoulder. The gap in his flank where he had been bled. The tears in his pants. The red stains around those areas were long dried and blended in well with the dark fabric, but it was easy to see that he had sustained injuries in those places.

“It’s not that I don’t want it. I just don’t need it,” Jake sighed as he gripped onto his mug. “I don’t need any extra money. I don’t need any praise or any awards. Everything I do is just something that needs to be done. The reward is seeing it through, knowing that someone else didn’t have to do it.”

“And what about this?” She asked. “The potions?”

“It was for the men,” Jake answered, frowning and lowering his head. “I heard that they needed them badly, and no one else would dare take the trip. To do the same work, a whole party or two would have needed to come out here. After they split the payment eight ways or more, the payout wouldn’t be worth the trouble. I didn’t see why before but I understand it now.” He sighed, then took a drink. “Going through that stretch of road was dangerous and normal Adventurers would take a lot of injuries trying to make it. Unless you’re experienced and have the numbers to make up for your faults, the Goblins will cause more harm than it’s worth.”

“So you decided to do it, all by yourself?”

Jake nodded. “Well, with the two drivers too of course. I couldn’t drive and fight.”

She stifled a laugh, lifting her glass. “I bet if you knew how to drive a wagon you might try.”

His frown reversed into a smirk. “I might have. Probably would’ve lost my horse in the process, though.”

A brief quiet lingered between them before she leaned over to him again. “For the men, then. No other reason?”

“What other reason is there?” Jake turned his eyes towards the tavern, looking over the defeated and downtrodden faces that occupied the tables. “Look at them. They go out to do the dirty work of the Lord and his people, only to find nothing but agony on the other side. Some find glory but how few of them actually make it out without some kind of hurt?” He paused for a moment, noticing a man who was missing the lower half of his leg. “Everyone who fights the monsters of this world loses something in themselves. We just have different ways of dealing with it. If I can give them something to help with that burden, even if it’s a single potion, then I’m going to try.”

She stared at him, her gaze softening for a moment before she whispered to him. “Even if it costs you more?”

He didn’t hesitate. “Even if it costs me everything.”

“Is that why you’ll be leaving tomorrow?” She asked him, noting his words from earlier. “Are you going into the Highlands with them?”

He met her eyes. “You ask a lot of questions.”

“Well?”

He sighed again, and took another drink. “Yes, but I won’t be going with them.”

Her eyebrows raised, urging him to continue.

Jake lowered his voice even further, which caused her to lean in even closer. “The Orcs are making a mockery of them and they’re having trouble keeping the fighting balanced. If there isn’t a change in the current fighting, the Orcs will win.”

“Are you going to try to change it?” She muttered.

“The keyword is try,” he rumbled. “I need to get the support of the Harpy envoy and the leadership here, or I might have to find an alternative way of handling the situation. If I don’t, or if help doesn’t come from the north, then this place won’t last another year.”

Alison frowned. “That bad?”

“That bad,” he echoed. “The Orcs are worse than Goblins from what I hear. They’re smart, crafty, and persistent. They’re much stronger and I can see from all of this here that they’re not some trifling force of wild monsters. They’re an organized force of trained beasts. Handling them will take more than just a few hundred men.”

The nurse stared at him for a moment, watching as he similarly stared into his nearly empty mug. She sipped from her wine and finished the glass. “For a random adventurer who doesn’t want any recognition, you do a lot of things that make you stand out.”

Jake groaned. “I am aware.” He drained his mug, huffing as he felt the heat in his cheeks. “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t so generous.”

Alison giggled and waved down a waitress. She motioned to their empty glasses and after receiving a confirmation, she looked back down at Jake. “I think it’s good to be generous. Helping others and giving them chances to better themselves is always worthwhile.”

“Is it?” Jake muttered. “I find it draining sometimes,” he rumbled, taking a few scraps of meat into his mouth.

“Oh?” Alison prodded. “Do the cries and prayers for help give you a headache, Sir Saintly Adventurer?”

“Don’t patronize me,” he snipped. “I just don’t see why everyone can’t help each other more.” His head tilted back and his eyes closed for a moment. “If you have the strength, you should do something. That is how it should be. Money shouldn’t be the driving force behind your decision making. If you want to help someone, you should do it without having to care about being paid for it.”

“Spoken like someone who doesn’t need money to feed more than their own mouth,” the nurse spoke flatly, earning her a hard look from Jake. She didn’t flinch. “Not all Adventurers can choose their quests on a whim and not everyone can do what you do, Jake. Some need the money to feed their families, so they can’t just go picking up every quest willy-nilly.”

“I understand that,” he mumbled. “I just think it’s stupid.”

She giggled and poked at him. “Doesn’t that mean you’ll always be busy?”

He rumbled at her. “Stop it.”

“What? Is that not what you said to me? That there will always be work?”

“I meant that there will always be someone who needs something. Not that everyone else is too lazy to do it.” Jake held back his displeasure with the twisting of his words, while also avoiding meeting her eyes. She was smiling a bit too much now for his comfort.

“Oh? I see,” she mused, teasing him with the way her words rolled off her tongue. The way she spoke made him sigh. “If it’s not for money or for the pats on the back, then are the smiles on the faces of the people you help all you truly do this for? I think that’s noble of you if it is.”

Jake rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what she was getting at. “Are you any different?”

She blinked. “Interested?”

“Annoyed,” he muttered.

“Sure,” she huffed. “My mother was a nun. Prayed every day, lived in the church, read the scriptures. Every day for twenty years she did all of that. The church taught her how to use her healing magic and sent her on a pilgrimage around the Frontier here to help people in need.” Alison began her little rambling, speaking softly as she traced her finger around the rim of her empty wine glass. Jake listened quietly, not interrupting her as he let her voice occupy his floating mind.

“She met my father along the way and they ended up traveling together. After a few cold nights cuddling under a blanket, I came along and grew up doing the same. Traveling around, helping the sick and injured. When I learned I could use healing magic too, I blindly followed in her footsteps until one day, the Lord put out a Frontier-wide request looking for healers, nurses, mages, and Doctors. All for this little ol’ trip down to this forsaken camp.” Alison dragged on, her voice revealing how much she despised everything around her. Yet, though her voice and lack of energy told one story, the colors of her eyes said something else.

“You could have said no. It sounds like this was voluntary,” Jake pointed out.

Alison hummed and nodded. “It was.”

“And yet you’re here,” he muttered.

“I am,” she sighed. “...I certainly am.”

“So? Why?” He asked.

She pursed her lips, mulled on the answer, then turned her head and looked out toward the tavern floor. “I guess I wanted to see the smiling faces of the people I helped.”

Jake stifled a laugh.

“What?” She spat, narrowing her eyes. Her cheeks reddened. “Something wrong with that?”

“No,” Jake answered, then smirked. “Not at all.”

Alison pursed her lips again and leaned forward. “I think you’re lying. You think I’m just some foolish girl out here on a whim?”

“Nope,” Jake answered, smiling softly. “I think you’re braver than most.” His eyes turned to meet hers. “Wine drinking aside, it takes a certain stomach to come to a place like this and do what you do. It does take a bit of foolishness to do it, but I think that’s alright.”

“Oh well I’m glad you think it’s alright, then. That justifies everything.” She mocked him with a slight raise in her pitch, rolling her eyes before huffing at him. “Anything else?”

Jake twisted his lips in thought, then chuckled. “Maybe becoming a nun is in your future too.”

She jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow, making him recoil in pain. The waitress arrived at the same time, setting down their drinks. Another followed behind her with Jake’s meal. The steak sizzled on the wooden block it sat on, dribbled of salt melting into the fat as the freshly sprinkled ingredient began to soak into the meat. A slight drizzle of what looked to be some kind of glaze coated the top of the meat. The vegetables were in a small bowl on the side, chopped and cleaned with a few chunks of cheese mixed in. Certainly more of a meal than Jake was expecting out on such a far outpost. However, it was to be expected. After all, good food was one way to ensure morale amongst the warriors here.

With Alison continuing to poke at him and pester him with her feeble questions, Jake cut into the steak and began to eat his meal. Along with eating his meal, Jake made sure to empty his mug at an even pace. The heavy flavor dulled when he mixed it with the taste of the meat and the pairing went down far smoother than he was ready for. The vegetables kept his palate moist and clean, allowing him to fully enjoy the flavors of meat and mead. As he ate, Alison continued to drink as well, downing her wine at a moderate and controlled pace. This wasn’t her first time drinking.

In time, Randal and Bailey excused themselves. They paid their tabs, along with the majority of Jake’s, then slipped away with their companions off into the fort. Leaving Jake and Alison behind to chat without being disturbed. Jake eventually finished his meal and the pair continued to sit. Alison loosened her lips, chatting more openly about her experiences and shared the gossip around the fort, indulging Jake’s curiosity as he entertained her wandering eyes.

Jake shared his own travels, though they were not as entertaining as hers. Even so, the world of an Adventurer was far different than the tribulations of the nurse. Though she had traveled around in the Frontier, she saw very little aside from the roads and the different towns and villages. Jake had seen far more of the world already in his few months of Adventuring. His life in the desert wasn’t boring either to her, and she spoke of how she yearned to see such a place. She would dread the heat, but she thought it might be rather pretty to see for a short time.

As the night drew down and the tavern began to empty, Jake began to realize how late it was becoming. The morning would come quickly and there was much to be done. However, after all of the mead in his system, he was finding it difficult to detach himself. Chatting with Alison had been relieving. He found himself enjoying the company for once. So much so that he found himself curious about her and what had brought such a woman to this far off place. She had given him an answer already but he knew there was more to it all. Much like his own story--there were layers to every decision.

Though she was not an adventurer he could relate to, he found her a woman he could understand. She too had come here on a bit of a whim, a chance, a gamble, hoping to use her healing abilities to help someone. She wasn’t exceptional, she was actually below average, but she still tried her best and found comfort in the little things she was able to do. A few of the other nurses looked down on her meager healing skills, but Alison made up for it in other ways.

Her medical knowledge was far more diverse than the average nurse, knowledge pushed on her by her parents. As another set of hands around during their travels, Alison was expected to help out when possible. She wasn’t forced by any means but was merely asked to do her part. Because of that, Alison’s knowledge of herbs, plants, and basic care for injuries gave her a solid foundation. Once she began working for the Lord’s army, that knowledge made it easy for her to learn.

Here at the fort, she could develop those skills further. With injured men coming through like clockwork, Alison could continue to learn, test, question, and fix. The doctors answered her questions, offered her opportunities to grow, and gave her plenty of freedom with her work. So long as the men were taken care of and she didn’t get in anyone’s way of treatment, then Alison could do as she wished.

“I want to become a doctor too, one day,” she muttered, sighing as she stared into her nearly empty glass of wine. What number it was, she had lost count.

“Not a healing mage?” Jake asked, taking a drink that emptied his own unnumbered mug.

She shook her head, the heat in her face making the motion a little exaggerated. “No. I’m too stupid for that,” she sighed. “Besides. There’s men like you out there,” she mumbled. Without much of a thought, she felt her body tilt.

“Men like me, huh?” He retorted, not flinching as the pressure on his right side increased.

“Mm. Men with actual magic who can do far more than these tiny hands of mine.” She closed her eyes and let her weight slacken, leaning over more now that she had permission.

“I see,” Jake whispered, letting out a heated breath as he looked out towards the tavern. It was emptying more, with only a handful of patrons left behind. “A doctor, huh? It’s nice to have dreams like that.”

“You don’t?” She tilted her head, peering up at the side of his face.

Jake shook his head, a somber motion as he frowned. “Just a silly desire to walk around is all.”

“I wouldn’t call it silly,” she mewed. “I think it’s rather endearing. What makes you want to do that? Your father?”

He nodded. During his stories of his own childhood, he made reference to his mostly absent father. The old man who always came back with plenty of stories to tell every few years. The initial reason he’d chosen this life was to find stories like that. To think it would bring him here.

“One day, I’ll have stories like his to tell,” Jake said with a smile. “I just hope they’re as entertaining as his.”

Alison smiled and closed her eyes again. “Well, then one day you can come back to tell them to me. How about that?”

“Oh? You’re going to be here forever?” Jake raised an eyebrow, peering down at the woman.

She grumbled up at him. “No, but I’ll be here in the frontier. You’ll just have to come find me. Doctor Alison Grove will be my name by then!” She made a small fist and pumped it into the air once, grinning as she giggled. “So make sure you don’t get lost, yea?”

“Sure, Doctor. Sure.” Jake chuckled and took a look towards the bottom of his mug. Though he’d emptied it, some had pooled at the bottom again so he gave the mug a final tilt. Then, he set it down with a satisfied tapped. “Alright, let’s get you back to your tent.”

“Going to escort me there, Saintly one?” She asked, a teasing smile on her face.

Jake huffed and gave his shoulder a gentle shrug, motioning for her to sit up. “If I let you wander through this place so late, one of these idiots will grab you.”

“Calling me pretty now? How bold,” her giggle repeated as she finished off her wine.

Understanding that he’d found himself attached to a difficult woman, Jake resolved himself to not try to dig at her further. He waved down the waitress and pulled out a few coins from his pouch. Alison tried to object, stating that it was her treat, but Jake quickly paid the tab and shooed the waitress off. He then collected his swords and his charge, helping Alison to her feet.

She wasn’t stumbling and could stand on her own, but Jake was the one who found it rather difficult to remain upright. Too much to drink and not enough liver strength to match quickly set in now that he was on his feet. The room didn’t spin but he felt light on his feet and the heat in his face was intense. Seeing the expression on his face, Alison laughed and grabbed his arm.

“Maybe I’m the one who should escort you,” she teased, dragging on him to get him to start walking.

Jake huffed at her and considered talking back but by the time he could put the words together, they were already outside. The cool air tickled his face, a gentle breeze dousing him in a comforting embrace that helped subside some of the burning. The mud beneath his feet had hardened with the dropping of the temperature and the lack of sun was nice. He leaned against Alison, and she against him. They walked through the fort, as quiet as they could. Jake tried to keep track of where they were going, of all the twists and turns. He tried to find some landmarks but the mead left him swimming. Before he could even get his bearings, Alison pulled him up to the entrance of a tent near the edge of the fort. It was quiet here, docile, and the sounds of chirping insects lulled his mind. He’d sobered up just a little but not enough.

Alison stood in front of him, her hands on his chest to keep him upright, then her eyes tilted up to meet his. “I don’t think you’ll be able to make it back like this,” she said. Even though he was sober, he could see a mischievous look in her eyes.

“I uh.. I don’t think so either,” he huffed, looking up to see if he might have even the slightest chance of finding that tent he was supposed to sleep in. He hadn’t found it prior to going to the tavern so he honestly had no idea where it was at. Randal hadn’t described it to him either, so he would have to wander around until he found it.

“Would you…” she started, then paused. “How about just sleeping here for the night?”

Even without the mead, Jake had a feeling that was probably the best option. Rather than wander around in a drunken stupor all night, at least here he could get out of the cold and rest in a warm spot. The guards patrolling wouldn’t question him here either.

“Yea, that sounds wise,” Jake answered, nodding.

Alison smiled and gave his shirt a tug. “Good. Come inside.”

Alison pulled him inside, pushing the flap aside. A small flame kindled in the center of the tent, warming the air inside and bathing them both in a soft light. There were two other sleeping areas but both had blankets covering them, blocking the occupants from view. Alison held up a finger, warning Jake to be silent as she led him through to where her space was. Jake, like an obedient puppy dog, zipped his lips shut and toed over behind her. She pulled the privacy blanket across her space and then tied it at both ends, effectively locking the door to keep any peering eyes out.

The space was well organized, with several books stacked up on a small table and a half-used candle beside them. Her clothes were neatly stacked and organized and the cot was actually a small bed with a wooden frame beneath it. A sign that she was expected to be here for quite some time.

Any other details, however, Jake failed to take in. He was quickly guided to the bed and pushed down onto his back. Alison wasted no time sitting on top of him, her hands pinning him on his back. Jake blinked, the alcohol once more causing his thoughts to fail him as he struggled to get a proper hold on the situation. She leaned down and placed her lips on his, the sweet taste of wine suddenly mixing with the honey.

Ah. The gears finally clicked and the heat in his face seared even hotter as her nimble fingers began to strip away the layers between them. His entire body burned and his hands found her hips, tugging on the fabric concealing her own lustrous figure.

I get it now.