The Silver-Eyed

I

The sun was high in the sky when Erevon arrived at a little village in the Moonsea region, not far from the city of Hillsfar. He strode directly towards the aroma of onions and cooked meat, as if he meant business. The Thirsty Wanderer, read the sign of the inn in front of which he had stopped - and thirsty the elf was.
He pushed the door and approached the innkeeper with a bold smile.
«Good morning, sir. What's your best offer for this?»
He spilled the contents of his bag on the counter while resting an elbow on it, confidently looking the man in the eyes.
«I can provide... a glass of wine from one of our kegs and some complimentary appetisers?»
The innkeeper scratched his light beard in response.
Erevon looked down and tallied his possessions: three copper pieces and an acorn. He groaned and put the acorn back in the sack.
«The wine will be just fine...»
Scrunching his nose, he took a sip of that mediocre drink. At the very least, it was alcoholic. He needed it. He had been traveling on foot for a while since his last stop in a civilised area and, while he was used to walking long distances, he still enjoyed the conveniences of the city on occasion. Plus, wine was one of the few things he could not produce himself.
A halfling, a dwarf and a human entered the inn - and it was not the start of a joke. They were all filthy, like if they had just gotten out of a fight. They sat at a nearby table and waved at the innkeeper.
«Roland, bring us something strong!» yelled the human, his voice hoarse.
«Coming right up, Finn!»
Groaning, the halfling rested his forehead on the table.
«That beast... ugh... My legs are so wobbly from all the running...»
With a small grin on his face, the innkeeper approached the trio with a tray containing three shots of liquor.
«I assume the "foolproof plan" you devised this morning didn't work?» he asked, placing the glasses in front of the clients.
«Oh, piss off, Roland! Isn't it obvious?» the dwarf said, wiping some mud off his garments. «That owlbear is something else! For a brief moment, we made eye contact... That flea-infested fucker is far from stupid!» he continued, slamming his fist on the table and nearly knocking the glasses over.
«Aww, you looked him in the eyes, Thrain? That's adorable. Aside from romancing that animal, did you three do what you were supposed to do?»
The innkeeper, Roland, sneered and crossed his arms. Thrain sighed. Finn gave a nod.
«We spent a long time digging a hole large enough for it, meticulously camouflaging it, putting some meat and honey on the trap to lure it and patiently waiting behind a bush... And the owlbear came up behind us! Roland, you had to see it, that monster was smiling!»
«We ran so much...» said the halfling, his face still pressed against the table.
Erevon could not help but overhear the conversation. After all, he had long ears. The outline of a coin gleamed in his eyes. He was a skilled hunter who was well-versed in dealing with monsters such as owlbears. It would have been child's play for him. And, if this creature was as cunning and dangerous as the locals claimed, they might be willing to pay to get rid of it, or at least provide him something better than a glass of cheap wine.
«Excuse me, gentlemen, I couldn't help but hear that you tried to capture an owlbear today... and you failed.»
«Well, no need to remind us, thank you», the dwarf frowned.
Erevon took a seat at the table, smiling cordially.
«Please, allow me to introduce myself: my name's Erevon, I'm an adventurer. But, above all, I'm what they call a ranger. I'm here to assist you with your owlbear. Of course, at a cost...»
The halfling slowly raised his head and the three of them exchanged glances, with the innkeeper keeping a wary eye on the elf.
«How much are you asking for?» Finn inquired.
Erevon shrugged.
«First, I need to assess the situation, but... Around five gold pieces?»
The three of them gasped. Finn shook his head.
«It's a bit too much for a simple man like me...»
«If I had all of this money, I wouldn't be living in this shithole», Thrain added.
The halfling simply groaned and rested his forehead on the table once again.
«Deal», said another voice all of a sudden.
Erevon turned towards the stranger. A half-elf with ashen blond hair was sitting alone at a nearby table. Because the others were perplexed by him, Erevon deduced that he was not a local.
The half-elf took a swig of his beer and smirked before continuing: «I will pay you for that owlbear's body if you kill him immediately.»
«Well, then, ten gold pieces for you, my impatient friend», Erevon quickly added.
«Fine. However, you must deliver the dead owlbear here, in front of the inn.»
Erevon nodded. Owlbears were not exactly easy to transport, but, for that money, he would find the strength. He stood up and stretched before smiling at the stranger.
«Well then, see you soon...» he paused, waiting for the other to tell him his name.
«Kaelin.»
«Kaelin...» Erevon repeated, his smile widening. He then turned to wave goodbye to the locals before leaving the inn in quest of the owlbear.