The Keepers: Song of Sorrow

Chapter Two

The three days Maria had spent with Jesper selling at the market had been uneventful after that. He'd healed rather quickly and she couldn't figure out if that was the demon half or elven half that had managed that. She had sold all her produce and now had enough money to be saved for later uses. Now they were back on their way to Maria's home back in Cottontail. Jesper was once again sitting in the back of the cart with his legs hanging out the back. He watched the road and said nothing. He hadn't said much during his time at the market. At least nothing outside of small talk. Maria for the most part still knew nothing about him or where he came from. Or how he seemed to know so much about the Eldritchs. They were getting close to where she had found the half demon just three days ago.
"You alright back there?" She called, Jesper made no sound. She quickly glanced back at him. He was sitting stiff and had a vice grip on the sides of her cart.  She tried to make the ride past that part of the road just a little faster for him. The rest of the ride was silent. It stayed silent when they finally made it to Cottontail. By then it was well into the evening the other Halflings would be merrymaking in their homes or settling into dinner. Supper would be later of course. She elected not to go visiting now that she was back, she'd have to make sure everything in her home was settled first and find a place to set up Jesper in her home. Thankfully she had decided to get beds made for humans rather than small folk like herself. She pulled the cart up to her gate and got out.
"We're here." She said. Jesper got out of the back and stretched getting the stiffness out of his limbs after sitting for so long.
"A quaint little place here isn't it?" He said, turning his eyes to her.
"It is. It's nice. Quiet." She said, unhitching Bastion as she did so. "Would you unload the cart please?" She asked.
"Sure. Is your door unlocked?"
"Always."
"That doesn't sound safe." Jesper said gathering the crates of the things she had bought at the market and stacking them. He lifted them up and made his way to the gate and up the walkway to her front door. She put away Bastion in his stall then went to get the cart. As she left the small stable she saw someone trudging along hauling her cart behind him towards her. He was a round and rather robust halfling with thick, curly, brown hair and mustaches that seemed to have replaced his upper lip. He wore a well tailored suit with a pocket watch. She knew him of course. Thatcher Mumblefoot, the mayor of Cottontail, a well to do and well off halfling. He had been trying to court her unsuccessfully for a good few years now.
"Evening Maria." He greeted her.
"Good evening Mr Mayor." She said closing her stable door. He stopped just short of her.
"A good time in the market I hope." He smiled. It looked forced.
"It went well enough." She said.
"Awfully dangerous to go alone isn't it? Especially for a girl whose parents just passed away, you should've had me come along to keep you safe." He said speaking as though she was a rather slow child.
"If anything were to happen I'm fairly certain you wouldn't be able to stop them." She said. "Besides I wasn't alone."
"You brought someone? I didn't notice anyone missing."
"I picked up a friend on the way." She said moving to walk back to her house.
"Do I know him?" Asked Thatcher.
"I doubt it. Although you're free to meet him yourself." She said making it to her gate. She watched as Thatcher puffed up his chest trying to make himself seem bigger. Considering his already hefty size that wasn't hard to do. She gave him credit; he looked like a very healthy halfling. She opened her door and allowed him inside. She could hear Jesper moving around in the house. Thatcher strutted forward towards the sounds. He found his way into the kitchen, looked inside and fell backwards screaming in terror. Out of the kitchen doorway came Jesper, hunched over slightly due to the low ceiling. He watched in silent judgment as the fat halfling fell over himself several times trying to get up and run away.
"Beast! BEAST!" Yelled Thatcher scrambling backwards. "Get behind me Maria!" He cried in fear. Jesper looked up at her and then back down at Thatcher.
"Maria, why is there a blubbering thing on your floor?" The half demon asked, moving out of the doorway.
"He wanted to come in and meet you."
"He has a strange way of greeting others." Jesper said. "Is it traditional to scream at people here?"  Thatcher realized that he was being made fun of and stood trying to look as though he had both dignity and not been crying in fear. Jesper stared down at him, eyes alien in how they seemed to never blink. Thatcher was very aware that the creature looking at him was regarding him the way Thatcher might look at a roast chicken.
"So your Maria's new friend, eh?" He said shakily trying to be cordial. "Everyone around town has been talking about how she should have some company around the house since her parents passed away." It was a long and awkward silence until Jesper turned around and walked back into the kitchen.
"He's an interesting fellow." Thatcher said looking warily at Maria, she smiled.
"He's only mostly rude to others." She said following Jesper to the kitchen.
"C'mon Thatcher don't slouch in the doorway."

Jesper has regarded being used to scare off unwanted guests the same way he had regarded the guest himself, with destiny, but then it seemed he treated everything that way. In the weeks he had been in Cottontail the half demon had scared every child in the village by leaping out at them and roaring, insulted everyone who came within a foot of him, and petrified all the nearby livestock with his mere presence. Maria had done her best with damage control and getting Jesper to try show some manners. He had seemed eager to please her and had put some of them to use going so far as to say "please" and "thank you" to even Thatcher. Maria sometimes found herself thinking of Jesper in two ways; one was the snarky, rude, half demon side and the other was the softer, kind half elf side. She knew it was wrong to separate Jesper out like that but she couldn't help it when he seemed to act to different moment to moment. These days the half breed had taken to simply sitting out on the front porch and watching everyone. It was as if he was trying to understand how people worked from afar. She couldn't help but wonder where he came from and why he seemed to lack even the most basic understanding of social interactions. Asking Jesper directly was pointless as he danced around her every question. If he was half demon/elf she could only assume that his birth and the circumstances behind it couldn't have been pleasant for anyone involved. Had he been rejected by the Elves? Had he been on his own his whole life or taken in by demons? If so was that why he could read the marks of thee Eldritch? Maria opened the front door and it bumped into the half elf.
"Oh! Sorry." She said.
"You're fine." Came his response. He moved over enough to allow her to open the door more and step out.
"People watching again?" She asked looking out at the bustling town.
"I was,but there are marks in the sky and clouds. One of the Eldritch has sent up a distress call."
"Do you know who?" She looked up at the sky trying to see what he did.
"Mana has lost his brothers, he sent up a message about his location." Jesper said side-eyeing Maria. He pointed to two clouds that seemed to have begun intertwined with each other. "It's there, simply turn your head slightly." She did as he instructed, first turning her head one way, then the other.
"I don't see it." She said.
"Keep trying." He gripped her chin and jerked her head to the side. She tried not to wince in pain and looked again. The clouds look like a gaping maw with a small clock hand inside. She gasped.
"You see the signature but not the meaning." Jesper said smugly. "It takes time to truly learn to read it." He released his grip on her jaw.
"Where is it?" She asked.
"Why do you wish to go?"
"No, I simply want to know where Mana is going." She insisted.
"You want to go." He mocked.
"Well if you won't tell me then maybe you can't read it after all. All things considered you always see the marks but you never say what they are."
"I told you already what it said."
"Did you? Or did you make it up?" She retorted. Jesper snarled and turned to face her, his pupils narrow.
"The Black Falls. Mana is at The Black Falls." He snapped in irritation. Maria marveled at him.
"You really can read it." She said softly. Jesper glanced back at her as he shifted in his spot.
"Is it like a written language?" She asked scooting closer.
"No, it's more like code. Everyone has their own version that only their most trusted allies know. Sometimes though, there's overlap and you can figure it out. Eldritch written language is near impossible to read with the naked eye if you are not one of them." Jesper explained. She nodded along.
"Can you read their written language?" She prodded carefully.
"Somewhat." He said she thought that would be all she got, but he continued. "I used to be able to read it easily but it's harder now."
"How do you know?"
"You tiny library has a section that was locked away, I broke in, some of the books are written completely in the language." She wasn't surprised it broke into the storage room in the library, she just hoped that he put everything back the way he found it.
"Does it have a name?" She asked. He shook his head, no.
"It's too old for us to remember."
"Us? Do you mean other believers in the Dream?" She was so close to figuring him out, she could feel it. Was he really a Dreamer? It would answer every question she had about him and explain everything. Jesper was silent, cold fury in his eyes. He stood up and stormed into the house. Maria listened to him slam a door somewhere inside and sighed, he locked up every time. She stood and followed him inside, finding the door he had slammed and knocked.
"Is everything alright?" She asked. The door flew open, Jesper's pupils were narrow fury and his tail lashed back and forth as if whipping the air. He bent down to her level.
"Always prying aren't you? Can't get enough of the abhorrent half breed in your care?" He snarled. She stood unmoving.
"You asked me if I wanted to go to The Black Falls. I think the better question is do you?" She asked, Jesper's eyes widened, it was barely a fraction but it was enough.
"Do you?" She asked again. He said nothing but nodded. "Well go find some good travel clothes and we'll go, it's only a few days from here if we take the wagon." She placed her hands on her hips and smiled wryly at him. Jesper stood and closed the door again.
"Silly thing you are." She sighed, turning on her heel to go pack a few clothes for the journey as well as some easy to prepare food.