Warrior Rapter wheeled his barrow toward the northeastern town gate, trying to be cautious with the wound on his back. He knew how the guards of the town would react to him arriving, even if he had returned with wood supplies for years. The two he noticed at the gate this time were Jacoby Niles and Ricard Loles. He prepared himself for the worst.
“Yo, Jacoby, look who 'tis. The great beast of the forest. Yer early this month, creature.”
“I had some bandits attack me earlier today,” Warrior Rapter calmly replied, “I came early to get some stitching.”
“You hear that, Ricard? He was attacked by bandits! Tell me, beastie, was it the same bandits from the place by the tree?” Jacoby smugly replied.
“I waited for you guys by that willow tree for several hours, and you never showed,” Warrior Rapter said, a little riled.
“Oh, did ye now?” Ricard said, “Well, we waited by that there tree ye pointed at when ye were explaining it to us, and we never seen ye.” Ricard pointed the same direction Warrior Rapter had pointed to at the time.
“Although, I have to say, that is the oddest willow tree I e'er did see, looks just like a pine tree to me, but, you can call it what you want” Jacoby added, looking at the tree just outside the gate.
“That is a pine tree, you buffoons, where you not listening to me when I was explaining how to find the bandit camp?” Warrior Rapter's voice was heated.
“Not our fault a beast like ye can't give proper directions,” Ricard intoned.
Warrior Rapter sighed, “Can I just get through the gate to deliver the wood and get some stitching, please?”
“Let a beastie like you terrorize the town? I think he's forgotten himself again, Ricard, what do you think?”
“Aye, that he has. Let's remind him who he is to us.” The both pulled out their clubs and walked toward Warrior Rapter.
“I don't want any trouble,” Warrior Rapter said, backing away from the thugs.
“Well, ain't that a shame, because just being who ye are is trouble, beast!” Ricard replied before he rushed at Warrior Rapter. He clocked Warrior Rapter on the side of the head with his club, which knocked Warrior Rapter to the ground. The two closed in on him.
“Jacoby Ministade Niles!”
The both gave pause on their advancement. Jacoby sighed before he turned around to the woman at the gate. “What you want, Marg?”
“I want you to leave our supplier of wood alone, you hear?” Marg quickly answered, “Or do I have to go get my husband from the lumber yard and tell him what you're doing? Hmm?”
“We don't need him, Marg, he's an animal,” Ricard said.
“'We don't need him' huh? And I suppose you'd have that woodsmith, Baltor, be our main supplier? The man can't even see straight half the time. You know that shipment of cherrywood we got from him not but a week ago? I'll be darned if every single piece didn't have a spot of woodrot on it. And we had to pay him as if it were good lumber! Yet, here this 'animal' is, gives us good quality oak wood that we have not once seen woodrot on in all the time he's been suppling us, and he doesn't ask for anything but a few supplies that aren't even worth half of what he's giving us.”
“Alright, Marg, ye've made yer point.” Ricard said with a sigh of defeat.
“Well, seems I have to keep making my point, means you two continually hound him every time he comes to town,” Marg added, then looked at Warrior Rapter, “Let's get you inside, dear.”
Warrior Rapter picked up his barrow, following Marg a few paces, before starting conversation.
“I appreciate the help at the gate, but you really don't have to keep --”
“Rubbish, Mr. Rapter! The town guards hound on you more than they do any other suspicious characters that come around. And most of them know you better!”
“They are only speaking their minds, which is better than some of the other villagers. I can still feel some of them looking at me for what I am to them: a monster.”
“You are no monster! Why, most of the women trust their children playing in the forest because they know you keep an eye out for them, and don't you dare say you don't!”
Warrior Rapter closed his still open mouth. They were nearing the tavern that Marg owned: The Dancing Feather, so he set his barrow of wood beside it before going inside with Marg. He noticed a man in platemail sitting in a corner today. The man's eyes narrowed when he saw Warrior Rapter, following him until Marg sat him down at a table near the back.
“You came early this month, so where's the wound Mr. Rapter? Don't you give me that funny look, I've known you long enough that if you come early, you've been attacked by bandits and have been injured.”
Warrior Rapter simply pointed to his back, not bothering to argue, and pulled off his shirt. “The leader said his name was Bismarq this time. The bandit activity has been worse of late, I think.”
“An arrow wound by the look of it. I haven't heard of Bismarq, but one less bandit leader around here will do the country-side some good, whatever the townfolk think of you, Mr. Rapter. You do more for them than most of them realize! So what that you aren't human --”
“Ahoy, Margarette, my sweet, am I mistaken or do that be Rapter's barrow I see beside the Feather?” said a man as he entered the tavern.
“Jack, dear, it is his barrow. Jacoby and Ricard met him at the gate this time.”
“Aye, I hope they not be the ones that gave you that wound, Mr. Rapter! I would have a few choice words with them if they did be, I would.”
“No, they weren't, just expressing their usual feelings about my presence.”
“I do no understand them. They pick on someone who they know could tear them apart, they do. An' I do no see why you do no show them what they are asking for. I do no think some of the villagers would argue against it.”
“Because it's what they are wanting me to do. They try to provoke so I become the monster that they see.”
“Aye, true that may be, but --”
“Oh, hush now, both of you! Mr. Rapter, you're all stitched up, so let's get that wood of yours to the lumber yard shall we?” The three of them went outside and delivered Warrior Rapter's barrow to the lumber yard.
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