Stonevale

The Night was young but the Witching Hour was approaching. The faer of witches and demons were on the rise as a string of ritualistic murders had been to spread across the world, creeping closer and closer to the Kingdom. The latest was a small village the edged the river, and every witch in that area was arrested, most burned at the stake. Witchcraft wasn't outlaed , not yet but soon tombe if these murders continue and should the Order have anything to say about it. The Order was an elite force of witch hunter whose sole purpose is to erridicate and or regulate witch kind. Most of the time it was the former. Witches of late have begun to hid, keeping to themselves or abandoning the Old Ways altogether but not Chloe Reed. A dark skinned witch who ran an apothecary in a village the bordered Stonevale where the King lived. Most knew her to be simply a herbologist and she preferred it that way, this village was particularly superstitious, since not only did it border Kingsland, it also edged an ancient forest, where it is said demons and monsters of all sorts roamed. Anyone caught coming from that forest was deemed a witch, an evil one and was sentenced to death by the Order. Chloe stayed far from there, though she knew the truth. All Witches did, Druids lived there, not witches and those were the ones that needed to be feared. Most of the witchkind believed them to be the culprits but they are much to secretive to live any evidence, or bodies.

Chloe decided now was a good time to close up and go home, being out at night was a bad idea, especially for a witch, even more so for a woman. She made haste but she couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched.

The silence over the village was simply breathtaking, it was as if at any moment a couple of invisible hands would close around your throat and end you once and for all. The village did ofcourse edge the ancient forest said to hold the most devilish things that man kind can imagine, and more. The only people that would make it around the streets at this hour was either a devilish person, doing things that cannot be done while the sun is out, or just purely unlucky. Which one of these Barric was is hard to decide, probably the former one. He slowly crept along the edge of one of the houses. People around here was more terrified at night than normal people was after witch-attacks, noone would walk the streets, he only needed to worry about being spotted by one person, his target. He observed the woman from the wall of the house, she was heading towards him, towards her home.

He wasn't wearing any of his normal attire, when out of work his usual casual attire is what would be used, sometimes even when on mission. But normally he'd be in a lighter wear, especially when doing something that would require him to be silent. But he wasn't clad in any real armor, a thick coat completely cluttered with different items. Several different warding totems, a couple of magic items of his own, three different large knives and worryingly a large meat hook hanging of his side. All ultimately outshined be the broadsword strapped along his back. Swords along the back wasn't usual, but it was big enough to be required. Most people would be enamored by the sight, yet any witch knew what this getup meant, a death threat. Despite this abundance of clattering armor he sat, dead silent, observing the woman as she neared.

Chloe felt a little ease as her modest little cottage came into view. She felt a smile touch her lips to see the safety of her home, where she didn't have to hide, she didn't have to worry about- Her smile faded when she spotted him and a lump formed in her throat. She swallowed. Should she run? Should she hide? What was a witch hunter doing here and did her neighbors see? She decided in an instant that she would pretend as if all was well, it wasn't uncommon for a witch hunter to ask mundanes for assistance so that would be the story she told her neighbors should they have seen this display. However, that would only work depending on what the witch hunter wanted. How did he even know she was a witch? She kept her head down, she barely went to coven meetings. She swallowed again and headed straight toward him. He couldn't kill her, she did nothing wrong.

Having now lost the safety of her home, she closed her arms around herself, looking the witch hunter dead in the eye. "Master Hunter," She said respectfully. "How might I help you?" She asked, stiffly, unsettled by the amount of armor he wore. What did she do to cause this? How did she get the attention of the Order?

Barric couldn't help but to feel slightly relieved from the fact that the girl had so simply approached him. Almost any witch finding a witch hunter right outside her home fully geared for combat would pick the fight or flee approach upon the second of spotting him.

He took a moment, coldly staring her down, she had looked shorter from a distance now she stood before him, staunchly meeting his gaze. He straightened his back, standing up fully again. It wasn't all that usual for him to have a conversation with a witch, atleast not one boiling down to anything other than a lot of yelling and bloodcurdling screeching. The many different items clattered worryingly against each other. "How you might help me is definitely the right thing to be asking" He muttered, still unsure about his plan. Really, it still was as idiotic as he had first thought it was. "I do think we both know what it is I'm here to find huddled outside your cottage" He gave a quit sigh inside his head, he was speaking to a witch, it was natural for him to start talking so ominously, but this, really wasn't the right moment for it.

Chloe swallowed hard as he stood, making him look even more menacing as he towered over her tiny frame. She didn't want to make any moves, she didn't want him to think her intention were malicious, or guilty. They were neither but she couldn't help the fear that sank into her bones. What did he want?

How you might help me is definitely the right thing to be asking" He said and she shivered, her fingers reflexively gripping the skirts. "I do think we both know what it is I'm here to find huddled outside your cottage" He said and she took a breath as she scanned the area, hoping that no one would see them, and hoping they did. "Then let us discuss this inside?" She said ad took a slow step toward the cottage's door, giving him wide berth as she did so. Once inside, she let him in and closed the door slowly.

"I've done nothing wrong, I don't know what the Order wants with me, but I've done nothing wrong."

He with a slight hint of surprise raised his eyebrows, when things got more serious like this he usually attempted to remain completely devoid of emotion. But he couldn't help but be slightly taken aback by her offer. She invited him inside, and as he quietly walked up to the door a number of possibilities, thoughts and assumptions ran through his head. She wouldn't just invite him inside as a nicety. Why would she let him in? It could be of course a simple trap, or did she want to avoid the possibility of anyone hearing? That would mean she still hopes to stay here, she would now probably try and convince him or... Dispose of him.

Nevertheless he took a wide step into the cottage, watching closely as she closed the door behind him. He crossed his arms watching as she lost that attempted secrecy that she had held outside. "I've done nothing wrong, I don't know what the Order wants with me, but I've done nothing wrong." He broke his stare and took a quick glance down to his muddy boots which would leave mean stains. "But then you do admit to being someone who the Order can become interested in? Someone who can be affiliated with witches or, mistaken for one" He put special abbreviation on "mistaken" he gave her another cold glance as his head was still tilted downwards

"But then you do admit to being someone who the Order can become interested in? Someone who can be affiliated with witches or, mistaken for one," Chloe's nose twitched at the remark. He was trying to trip her up, get her to condemn herself. She would not allow it. "I've said nothing or the sort,"

"Master Hunter," She began with an indignant sigh, especially when she saw the mud he'd tracked into her home. "You are dressed in formal armor, everyone knows, witch or not, what you are and what you mean to do whilst dressed like that, but you haven't, not yet if I am mistaken," She said. "You were sitting outside of my home, when the Order allows it.s members,to enter a suspected witches home without the homeowner present, You did not," she said and found herself relaxing. If he was going to kill her or accuse her he would have done it already the question remained: What did he want? "So, let's skip the intimidation and puffing of the chest,and get to what you are doing here, at my home, after the sun has fallen, whatever it is. clearly you did not want any one to know," She said and folded her arms.

Barric took a moment carefully listening to her, seemingly sizing her up as if he was prepared to punch her right in the jaw. Some of his colleagues might have done that for someone to even dare to speak to them in such a manner. He suddenly released all the air he had built up inside him, and with a loud exhale his expression grew softer. He looked down at his boots, trying to do something about the state they were in but in the end opted to simply ignore it, he took a long step, staring out one of the windows before covering it up. For every second he seemed to be growing more tired and less professional. He took another step, ending up to the side of her as he rudely sat down onto her bed, not really sitting but more falling down onto it, causing the covers to flap.

"Alright, listen, and listen very carefully." He placed both his elbows onto his knees, closing his hands together. "Recently, very recently there has been a large spree of murders, all tied together by the same supernatural murderer." His eyebrows furrowed as he was no longer staring at the young girl, instead into his hands "It's rare for a witch seeking offerings to go out of their way to take them from such a wide variety of places, none of the murders are normal so to say, all clearly caused by something an average knife wielding buffoon can't do" He looked back up at her, his expression had hardened again and his eyes were as cold as if he was about to commit murder at that very second. "There is large risks with what I'm doing right now, only a few of them which I can account for, but I see it as the one with the least risks. Chloe Reed, I'm in desperate need for your help."

Chloe frowned hard as he began moving around her cottage, tracking dirt on her floors and even more so when he took a seat on her bed. She folded her arms with a huff. "Alright, listen, and listen very carefully." He began. "Recently, very recently there has been a large spree of murders, all tied together by the same supernatural murderer. He went on and Chloe frowned, wondering why he was telling her this. She knew, of course, the entire witch community did but why did he tell her this, now? He couldn't possibly be here for that.

It's rare for a witch seeking offerings to go out of their way to take them from such a wide variety of places, none of the murders are normal so to say, all clearly caused by something an average knife-wielding buffoon can't do" He said and she watched with profound confusion. She did not like the look in his eyes "There are large risks with what I'm doing right now, only a few of them which I can account for, but I see it as the one with the least risks. Chloe Reed, I'm in desperate need for your help."
Chloe's jaw dropped. He knew her name, which wasn't hat surprising but the things that came after, tat was unsettling. "Wh-what?" She blurted "Why do you think I can help you?" t was clear he knew she was a witch, that wasn't what she was asking, but why her?
"I don't believe I have the power to do that, besides, won't the Order....disapprove?"

"Yes they do." He leaned back up from his knees, further back up to throw his head back and give a dejective shrug. He lost the cold expression at Chloe's exclamation. He stood up again, quite relieved after having vented his thoughts and gotten his absolutely mad idea through. She made a fair point, how was she to help? He wasn't versed enough in the abilities of her to know exactly how powerful of a witch she is, but he still needed her. "The ones who run our Order have stockpiled way too much pride in order to ask for help, even less so from a witch. That's why I'm doing this behind their backs." He gave a mean smile until finally starting to look past her and instead onto the small mess he had caused. "I don't care much what you or anyone else thinks about that or my reasoning, the one thing here, the witch hunter needs the abilities of a witch like you too prevent a whole lot more bloodshed." With the last part he looked back at her, staring intently down at her.

"Yes they do." Chloe was surprised by his honesty. His expression seemed to soften and she relaxed a little."The ones who run our Order have stockpiled way too much pride in order to ask for help, even less so from a witch. That's why I'm doing this behind their backs." He said and gave a dark grin that stiffened her back. He looked behind her then and she wanted to follow his gaze but she didn't trust herself to turn away from him. "I don't care much what you or anyone else thinks about that or my reasoning, the one thing here, the witch hunter needs the abilities of a witch like you too prevent a whole lot more bloodshed." Chloe sighed and for a long moment, she weighed her options. She wanted these murders to stop, not only for what it was doing to the witch community but for humanity as a whole. She still didn't know how he found out about her, nor why he chose her specifically but since it was clear he was off the reservation, she could trust that he at least wanted the same thing. "Alright," She said after a longer moment. " I'll help you," She said and frowned. "But you have to tell me how you knew to come to me," she said and shook her head slightly. " I've not done anything to get on the Order's watchlist, I know, I've been careful, yet you knew, how?"