While the twins seemed a bit too eager to reach the town, a little detour wasn't a problem for Noah. To him, there was a neighborly feeling with the quiet village.
From the other end of the bridge, a tucked-away, dirt path led down a slope, guiding along into the community.
The dense trees made it hard to notice from on the bridge, but there certainly were houses down there. He followed behind the old man into the quiet village, watching some folks tending to their farmland and children running around.
"I would've never noticed this place from up there," Noah admitted.
"Well, Hurun, this village, happens to be protected by a forest deity," Gervin explained, looking towards the tall trees. "You wouldn't be able to see it from up there if you tried."
At the very back of the small community, a humble cottage sat nestled between shrubs and trees. By the way the old man had to nudge the door, it seemed rather old as the floorboards creaked with the guests arrival.
Noah stepped inside, being led to the table alongside his companions.
"I'll make some tea. Make yourselves comfortable," Gervin said with a kind smile, waddling out of the room.
There was a scent of old wood paired with mint throughout the quiet house. He sat there alongside the twins, listening to the calming rhythm of raindrops hitting the roof.
"At this rate, it's gonna take forever to get to Tiras," Otto impatiently groaned, resting his cheek against his hand.
"What's the rush? Enjoy the detours—isn't this part of being an adventurer?" Noah asked, shrugging.
"Sure, but I'd like to at least have a quest to work towards," Otto sighed, running his glove over the wooden surface.
"I think it's nice," Astrid agreed with Noah, holding a chipper smile.
While there was a glance from Otto as if feeling betrayed by his own twin, the conversation was cut short by the arrival of the elder.
Gervin happily set down cups with warm tea left steaming in each before sitting himself down across from his guests, "Make yourselves at home! I pride myself on my hospitality, you know."
"We appreciate it. Not all too fun getting drenched the whole day," Noah said with a grateful nod.
"I'm assuming you three are heading into Tiras?" Gervin asked, sipping from his cup of tea.
Noah answered, "Yeah. Get a lot of people coming through from there?"
"Oh, every now and then. It's really a pleasure when travelers come through, honestly. I spend most of my days tending to the bridge, so it can get a bit lonely," the old man explained with a chuckle.
It wasn't a foreign concept to Noah, finding the elder somewhat familiar in a way.
["Gramps was like this, too, after Grandma passed. He always looked for any reason to have me over, to have some company, even if it was for something as simple as watching a game of football. I miss those times."]
"When the rain comes down heavy, fiends come out," Gervin warned before taking another sip. "It's a good thing to settle down for a bit."
"About that, how's this village manage to defend itself against monsters?" Noah questioned.
Astrid chimed in, caressing the hot cup with her pale hands, "This village is under the protection of a forest deity, right? If that's the case, monsters won't cause trouble here."
"That's right. The founder of Hurun, the namesake of this village, befriended a woodland faerie. As it would turn out, that faerie would become a god," Gervin retold, happily sipping his tea.
"Wow, sounds like there's more history in this area than I thought," Noah mumbled.
While the worst of the rain seemed to pass, it didn't look like it'd be dry anytime soon.
Otto peered through the glass window as it became obscured by the wetness, "It's really coming down."
"We should probably head on out while we've still got daylight," Noah said, standing up and grabbing his pack.
The old man waved his hand from his chair, "Nonsense. You're all welcome to stay the night here."
"Are you sure?" Astrid asked with a genuine glint of concern in her eyes.
Gervin chuckled, leaning in his seat while stroking his pale beard, "'Course! I'd have trouble sleeping if I left a trio of young adventurers to soak in the rain."
"Well, we're in your debt then," Noah thanked.
It was a nice change of pace, as the hiking did get somewhat tiresome after some hours. Rather than stay cooped up, however, he ventured onto the front porch of the old man's home. Luckily, it was still safe from the direct downpour, as he leaned against the wooden railing and watched the village scenery.
The other houses were somewhat obscured by the mist born of the cold, wet weather. A pathway made of old stone tiles connected the abode to the rest of the village.
Staring at it, he saw a figure walking along the path, carrying what looked like a basket—
"Ah!"
"—?"
He watched the silhouette slip, dropping the basket as dozens of fruit rolled out. Without a second thought, he rushed over into the rainfall, finding a brunette woman, soaked and huffing.
"You alright?" Noah asked, reaching his hand down.
The woman nodded with a laugh, accepting the helpful gesture, "Yeah, thanks. It's my fault for trying to walk through this rain, anyway."
Watching the villager kneel back down to put the fallen fruit into the straw basket, he lent a hand.
"Oh, you don't have to—"
"It's fine," he assured with a smile. "I'm Noah, by the way, an…adventurer. Just passing through."
"Elsa," the freckled woman returned with delight, holding out one of the amber-skinned fruits. "Here. I bet you've never had a pocha grown here."
He accepted the gift, bouncing the peach-like fruit in his palm, "Can't say I have. Thanks."
Giving it a taste, the sweet, sour mix flooded his mouth with the fresh juices. It was like a refreshing dessert, all in one bite. By his expression, it seemed he wasn't able to hide his enjoyment of the fruit as the freckled, young woman chuckled.
"Alright, that's pretty good," Noah admitted.
"Well, the next one'll cost you," she playfully, but firmly stated with a smirk.
With a shared laugh, he watched the woman venture off into the rainy village. As he stood there with the fruit in his hand, a realization came to him—he was flat broke.
'I don't have a single dollar to my name in this world. Wait, it's probably gold or silver. I haven't even seen money—crap, that's not good, is it?' He considered.
While he was caught in thought, the rain held nothing back in drenching him.
"Hey, Noah! Noah! You're gonna catch a cold!"
The concerned voice of the elven girl called out from the porch behind him.
Otto shrugged beside her, lounging his arm on the wood rail, "I doubt that guy can even get sick."
Taking the advice of his companions, he returned to the shelter from the rain, though with a soaked shirt. He ran his fingers through his wet hair with a quiet sigh.
"What's it?" Astrid asked, looking up at him with a slight tilt of her head.
He looked between the twins while the rain poured, "I'm completely, utterly broke."
"Broke?" Astrid and Otto repeated.
"I don't have any money," he clarified.
There was some silence that followed as the twins simply stared at him, then at one another, before breaking into laughter. It wasn't as if he told a joke, joining in with a hesitant chuckle.
"Glad to know my empty wallet is pure comedy," Noah sighed.
"I just didn't expect to hear that from you!" Astrid said in an almost breathless gasp from laughter.
Otto caught himself with a hearty exhale, "Well, once you're a certified adventurer, money will come easy to you."
"Really?"
"Err, yeah? Your strength is legit," Otto confirmed with a few nods. "You'll rake in coins. With our assistance, of course."
"Right. Of course," Noah begrudgingly agreed.