CH 122 — Ruweisvale

The trip to the village only took half a day, but would’ve been longer had Cass and Teddy not cleared the road beforehand. The mounts surely appreciated the effort, especially poor Butterscotch who had to pull the tiny house and the rest of their gear.

Meike walked alongside the mule, one hand on her side, the other wrapped tightly around their staff. It wasn’t the ideal walking stick; the bottom was better suited for conking monsters and people over the head, not navigating icy laden roads.

Teddy and Pickles held up the rear, Vivica and Cass at the start of the procession. She offered to let Meike ride with her, but the last thing they wanted was to slow her down. That, and they could use the exercise, after being cooped inside all day.

“The name of the village is Ruweisvale,” Cass said. She tucked her chin into her coat as a sharp wind swept through.

Ruweisvale. She pronounced it like “roo-vice-vale”. To Meike, it sounded almost Germanic. Something white vale?

“And what are the people like? Are they beastfolk, like in Saincaster?”

“Just like Saincaster, but they aren’t as…receptive to visitors.”

Meike gulped. “Is this why they hide behind thorns?”

To their shock, Cass actually laughed! “Something like that, yes. If you saw them you would understand.”