Nentarli [COMPLETE]

~ Eleven ~

"What is Hawksend?" I asked, searching in front of Kayle for a sign of something resembling a village. I couldn't see anything through the darkness.

"It's a smallish village, well known for its lookout posts, they're the best in the Sector without question," Kayle answered.

"It is also a place where we can rest and resupply our food and water," said Merkell with an approving look up ahead.

I'd forgotten how long it had been since we'd eaten and drank last, I was painfully reminded by a growl in my stomach that I covered with a cough.

We soon reached the crest of a hill and I got my first glimpse of Hawksend. From what I could see in the dark it didn't look small, I couldn't count how many houses there were but it looked like hundreds. I wondered what their idea of a big village was when I noticed the lookout posts Kayle had mentioned; towering stone structures spaced out on the outskirts of the village. I could see the silhouettes of two or three people moving at the top of the nearest lookout.

"Maybe you and I should swap places now, Kayle," Merkell suggested, moving forwards.

"Yes, sir," Kayle responded as he moved to the back of the group and Merkell took the lead.

I noted the use of the word 'sir' again, and wondered about the change in formation.

"Okay, so what's with the switch?" Emy asked after nobody offered an explanation, I smirked and waited for one of them to answer.

"It is necessary for this particular village."

Was all Merkell offered before he started walking down the hill towards the village. We followed and I decided that asking Blaike might be better.

"Why is it necessary with this village?"

He turned a thoughtful gaze to me, as though he was considering how to answer. He shot a quick glance at Merkell who was a few feet in front.

"Let's just say, Merkell is much more well known than the rest of us and that will help, especially considering our arrival is in the middle of the night."

He turned back to scouting the land in front of us, leaving me to ponder his words. 'More well known'? What did that mean? He'd been here before? He'd been gone from this world for over two years, surely they wouldn't remember one man from so long ago.

We kept going with Merkell a little in front the whole time. I could hear Kayle humming behind us. Emy looked back at him with a bemused expression then turned to Kaleb and asked quietly.

"So, why do you keep calling Merkell, sir?"

I turned to watch his reaction to her sudden question, he glanced to Blaike questioningly and we turned to see him looking unsure. Kaleb hesitated a moment more then turned back to Emy.

"It is hard to explain but he's sort of our commanding officer, we do it out of respect. Manners are important."

He smiled politely to emphasise his point and returned to his scouting, I smiled inwardly. He had managed to give us a fairly good explanation without revealing enough to get him a lecture; he was fairly intelligent and cunning under all that muscle.

We drew closer to the village and I was able to see the people in the lookout posts had stopped moving around. I could now hear shouts, they went up at the exact moment Merkell stopped in front of us. We walked to him and I looked passed him, in that second an alarm bell sounded somewhere within the village. People were already coming out from between the houses. I couldn't tell what was going on but it looked like they didn't appreciate visitors.