Ch.109 The Gossip Girl
<span ss="userText">Rya, Nieren, and Dalia were walking through the street of Ironside with Nieren leading the way. <span ss="editText">The asional ironside soldier would wave to them as they walk through the streets.
<span ss="userText">"Oh! You see that guy there? He''s been cheating on his wife with<span ss="aiText"> that woman back there," Nieren said as he pointed at the man standing outside of a bar.
<span ss="aiText">"What!? How can you tell?" Dalia asked.
<span ss="aiText">"Because <span ss="editText">I heard them when I would sneak out from my mom''s ce. But yeah, he almost got caught, like five times in the past month<span ss="aiText">. His wife has been getting <span ss="editText">suspicious<span ss="aiText">tely so she started going through his stuff." Nieren exined.
<span ss="aiText">"Really? W<span ss="editText">hy doesn''t she just mark him and w the other woman''s face?" Dalia asked in<span ss="aiText"> <span ss="editText">suspense.
<span ss="editText">"Hold on! Nieren, I like hearing drama on asion but why are you telling us? Didn''t you tell your adventure friends about all this gossip?" Rya<span ss="aiText"> asked.
<span ss="aiText">"No, they w<span ss="editText">ere mostly men <span ss="aiText">in t<span ss="editText">he Adventure Guild. And I never had any girlfriends in my life. I-I never<span ss="aiText"> even told anyone except for the woman who lived next door to me. We would talk while we did our chores and such." Nieren said nervously.
<span ss="editText">''Aw!<span ss="aiText"> <span ss="editText">Sh<span ss="aiText">e didn''t have any friends besides a neighbor?'' Rya thought to herself. ''<span ss="editText">Sh<span ss="aiText">e must be lonely...''
<span ss="aiText">Nieren turned to look at Rya and smiled softly before continuing their walk.
<span ss="userText">''So she wants to be our friend. Sure<span ss="aiText">, why not.'' Rya decided <span ss="editText">as she looked to Dalia and gave her a look to follow her lead.
<span ss="editText">Dalia was surprised at first but caught her drift and pointed<span ss="aiText">a<span ss="editText">t Nieren to confirm<span ss="aiText"> what Rya was thinking.
<span ss="editText">Rya smiled and nodded. So the two of them sneak up on Nieren.
<span ss="editText">"So back to the story. So, the guy''s wife—WHOA! Hey!?"<span ss="userText"> Nieren<span ss="aiText"> yelled as the girls <span ss="editText">jumped her and hugged her around<span ss="aiText"> the middle.
<span ss="aiText">"<span ss="editText">Hehehe,<span ss="aiText"> wee<span ss="editText"> to the club, Woody!" Laughed Dalia<span ss="aiText"> a<span ss="editText">s<span ss="aiText"> s<span ss="editText">he hug Nieren''s torso.
<span ss="editText">"I''m d you want to be friends with us, Nieren!" Rya said with<span ss="aiText"> a s<span ss="editText">mile as she hugged Nieren''s shoulders.
<span ss="editText">"Huh!?<span ss="aiText"> Really!?" Nieren asked confused.
<span ss="aiText">"Yup! And it looks like we have another friend, Dalia!" Rya said with a smile as she hugged Nieren''s arms.
<span ss="editText">"Yep! No turning back now!<span ss="aiText"> It''s official! You''re stuck with us now, <span ss="editText">Woody<span ss="aiText">!!" Dalia cheered.
<span ss="editText">''Ooohhh! I-I always wanted to have<span ss="aiText">girlfriends. I never knew<span ss="editText">it was this fun<span ss="aiText">!'' Nieren thought to herself.
<span ss="editText">"So! You were saying?"<span ss="userText"> Rya said as she release<span ss="aiText"> Nieren from her hugs.<span ss="editText"> Dalia followed suit.
<span ss="editText">"Yeah, well... So, the wife has been trying to find out if<span ss="aiText"> her husband is cheating on her. So, she hired someone to tail him and see where he goes. The guy she hired was one of those "detective" guys who act shady at first and then try to get information from you or threaten you.<span ss="userText">"
<span ss="userText">
<span ss="editText">***
<span ss="editText">
<span ss="userText">Nieren continues the gossip as they made their way to the poorer part<span ss="aiText">of town<span ss="editText">, where her mother''s house is. They allughed and squealed at the twists and turns of Nieren''s story. Like they were teenage girls.
<span ss="editText">It took about 15 minutes before they made it to Nieren''s ce.
<span ss="editText">"Hahaha! Tell us another <span ss="userText">one, Woody! I can''t get enough!" Dalia<span ss="aiText"> said excitedly.
<span ss="aiText">"Oh sure! <span ss="editText">Now l<span ss="aiText">et me <span ss="editText">tell you about— Oh! Oh, no!" Nieren started to panic when she saw her mother''s house.
<span ss="editText">"What''s wrong?" Rya asked<span ss="aiText">.
<span ss="aiText">"My mom. She''ll kill me for <span ss="editText">noting home! I''ve been gone for about a week,"<span ss="aiText">Nieren said as she bit her lip.
<span ss="aiText">"<span ss="editText">Hey, she may be mad and worried. But she will be so relieved to see you,<span ss="aiText">" Rya said with a smirk as she put her arm around Nieren''s shoulder.
<span ss="userText">"I-I don''t know, Lady Rya. Back when I was one hourte, my mother forbid me from epting another Quest for weeks. And I sort of left against her wishes,<span ss="aiText">" Nieren said nervously.
<span ss="aiText">"Well, maybe your mom won''t care that much since you''re a grown woman now," Rya said while looking at Dalia.
<span ss="userText">"Yeah<span ss="editText">,<span ss="userText"> when I''m <span ss="editText">7<span ss="userText">0 <span ss="editText">years old, she might, and I mean MIGHT consider me a grown woman. Which is in like, 26 years away!...<span ss="userText"> No! Trust me she''ll be mad and say, I can''t be your Lady in waiting<span ss="aiText"> anymore!" Nieren said as she looked down at the ground.
<span ss="aiText">"Ah! Well, what if we help? We''ll go over tonight and surprise her, right?" Dalia suggested.
<span ss="aiText">"<span ss="userText">No. We shouldn''t put this off. Nieren, how did you disobey your mother?<span ss="aiText"> Was it that bad?" Rya asked as Nieren <span ss="editText">wanted<span ss="aiText"> to cry.
<span ss="aiText">"<span ss="editText">When the authorities thought there was a threat of the monster stampede, my mother told me to quit being a adventurer. I had been working hard on it for 15 years with very little problems and when the little green guys started showing up she said I would be in over my head. She said they would turn me into a brood mother... It''s not like I haven''t gotten out of sticky situations before. So I was, like what''s the big deal? Frankly, I don''t know how anyone fails prey<span ss="aiText"> to <span ss="editText">t<span ss="aiText">he<span ss="editText">m?<span ss="aiText">" Nieren said.
<span ss="aiText">"<span ss="editText">Um? I wouldn''t be here if it wasn''t for, Alpha. I was dead by the time she found me in the goblin nest,"<span ss="aiText"> Dalia said with a grimace stered all over her face.
<span ss="aiText">"Yea, and<span ss="editText">they keeping after you in waves. They''re not hard to kill but it''s a endurance test. Especially, if you''re a woman. Those little shits wanted to gang rape me. I''m d I was strong enough<span ss="aiText"> to stop them. But then I ran out of <span ss="editText">weapons and had to run.<span ss="aiText">" <span ss="editText">Rya<span ss="aiText"> said.
<span ss="aiText">"<span ss="editText">Huh? T-They are that tough<span ss="aiText">?" Nieren asked as she backed up a bit.
<span ss="aiText">"Yes,<span ss="editText"> and the hobgoblins,<span ss="aiText"> they were tougher than most monsters you find these days. You should be happy that you didn''t have to fight them!" Dalia said as Nieren looked back up.
<span ss="userText">Nieren gulped<span ss="aiText"> and nodded her head. "<span ss="editText">Then I''m dead for leaving home<span ss="userText">. I shouldn''t have left<span ss="aiText"> without telling her."
<span ss="aiText">"No, no, no, she''ll understand that you were doing something important.<span ss="editText"> Like saving my behind when I got enved. You''re my hero, Nieren.<span ss="aiText"> I''m sure she''d rather you be alive than dead, right?" Rya said as Nieren lo<span ss="editText">oked up at with<span ss="aiText"> hope.
<span ss="aiText">"<span ss="editText">Yeah! If it wasn''t for, Woody. Alpha would be doing gods know what. You did good<span ss="aiText">, and I think your mom will see that," Dalia said as she patted Nieren on the shoulder.
<span ss="aiText">"You<span ss="editText"> two have my back?<span ss="aiText"> I''m so d! I''ve never had friends like you before. Thank you!" Nieren said as she gave a giant hug to both girls.
<span ss="aiText">"It''s not really<span ss="editText"> that big of a deal<span ss="aiText">, but we are your friends now, right?" Rya said as she hugged Nieren.
<span ss="aiText">"Oh yea<span ss="editText">h<span ss="aiText">! <span ss="editText">Watch out when my mom sees you. She was one of the grownups that told me that Dark Elves are evil. And she told me daily. I''ll try to talk her down, but she might jump to a biased conclusion. Just be on guard if my mom tries anything,"<span ss="aiText"> <span ss="editText">Nieren<span ss="aiText"> said.
<span ss="aiText">"Okay. I <span ss="editText">promise that I won''t hurt her if she tries toe at me," Rya said with a smile.
<span ss="editText">"Okay, time to face the music,<span ss="editText">"<span ss="aiText"> <span ss="editText">Nieren<span ss="aiText"> said as she started walking towards the front door.
''Gods! I hope mom doesn''t flip out'' Nieren thought as she got ready to knock on the door.
<span ss="aiText">***
<span ss="aiText">
On the outskirts of Ironside in the poorer part of the neighborhood was a rickety old house. It looked like it was built a thousand years ago as it appeared to be made mostly of wood.
The yard itself was filled with flowers and trees that gave off a soft shade of green. Yet the flower beds were a mess and needed attention. There was a small garden with vegetables growing in it though they looked a little overgrown.
It was rare to see such a small garden in a city like Ironside but here it was. It all was created by a Wood Elf. Her name was Yuliana. She lived in this house with her daughter Nieren for over 30 years.
Yuliana had been born into Wood Elf Royalty, but because of the death of her brother at the hands of the ck Rose Mercenaries. She grabbed the Elder Tree seeds and her daughter before they fled.
She wishes she could have brought her over to one of the hidden viges of a Noble Wood Elves that escaped the war. But she feared that they would take out their anger on her daughter, for she was half High Elf which is why she has her father''s blonde hair, instead of the wood elf green hair. And the surviving Wood Elves would me her for her father''s betrayal by abandoning the Wood Elf Kingdom in their time of need.
Her husband ran away with his soldiers right before the fighting started, leaving her and her daughter to die. The few times she tried to go after him, was thwarted by his guards.
He imed that he would send a message to her once the High Elf King assembles an army. He told her that this was the only way they would be safe. Yuliana knew then that he never was attempting to help her or her people. And he never cared for their daughter. He was more displeased than happy to be a parent. It was such a a rare gift and he seemed indifferent.
Yuliana knew she had no choice but to flee with her 14-year-old elven daughter to the city of Ironside. She heard about how the dwarven city came to be a part of the human kingdom of Fiafyr. And it was a kingdom that didn''t condone very of any type. It was the only ce she thought it would be safe for her daughter until her daughteres of age and is considered an adult at the age of 70 years. She knew it was a long shot but it was the only city on the continent that gave her hope.
It took her and her daughter a month of avoiding vers and monsters to get to Ironside from the northwest.
Yuliana knew she couldn''t tell the Baron''s men that her daughter and her were fallen Royalty. She couldn''t trust that word wouldn''t get out and have assassinse after Nieren and her. So, they had to live asmoners and lie about their heritage.
They were given the run-down house as refugees since they were fleeing from war. This house was given to her and her daughter for a agreement. If she was able to help with agriculture in the town then they could live in the city rent free.
Most wood elves were amazing at growing nts but Yuliananever did anything in agriculture, due to her being raised as a princess. But she knew this was the only way to get refuge and agreed to do the work.
Yuliana was sloppy at first but she was lucky that the Baron didn''t mind her sloppiness. As long as she produced rare fruits and vegetables for the city was all Baron Arathar Coldforge cared about.
After a year of working hard, she made friends with some of the other farmers but tried to keep to herself as she feared that they would be discovered at some point. She always trying to cover her hair and ears so people would mistake her as a human. And even after all those long days in the field and growing stuff in her personal garden. She had her daughter and her side goal.
This goal was important for bringing back her people''s kingdom. And all she needed to do was grow a new Elder Tree from seeds she grabbed from the pce on top of the old Elder Tree that was destroyed during the war. It was a Wood Elf''s greatest defense against all the other races and monsters but before the war broke out their kingdom''s tree began to wither and die.
The elves knew it was foul y but no Elf knew how the humans poisoned the Elder Tree. Yuliana knew the only way to save her people was to grow another one.
But no matter how much she tried she couldn''t get it to grow. And as the years went by her daughter became interested in her bow and sword. She always struggled with using the green touch. While Nieren was not good at growing nts like her mother. She thought she could help out by bing an adventurer instead. She had a natural knack for hunting and sword y.
Yuliana worried that her daughter had more High Elf blood running through her veins than Wood Elf. And no matter how much she tried to discourage her. Nieren wanted to follow in her own footsteps.
After a year of bickering, Yuliana gave in a little and let her daughter go out under strict conditions in hopes to prevent these urges to be an adventurer. She was still not of age to be alone and the work could be dangerous.
Years went by as she tried to grow the seedlings. But nothing ever came of it. And Nieren grew tired of farming because she still wasn''t good at growing nts. After all, she wasn''t a full-blood Wood Elf and she wanted to be an adventurer instead. And some times when Nieren snuck out to the Adventurer''s Guild. A few of the members taught her the skill cloak. It was a rogue that noticed that she had a knack for concealing herself with her mana. It was a skill that was tough to master and it took her only a month to learn it.
So, with this skill helped Nieren to sneak out more often as an adventurer until she started bing a household name in the city of Ironside Adventures Guild.
Yuliana was displeased that her daughter was putting themselves in danger, but knew she needed to try and make a living for both of them but it was hard to make a good living on small amounts of corp yields, even if they were rarer nts. And every time Nieren came back from a Quest with her rewards. It made her happy to help her mother and Yuliana was starting to reluctantly agree that this is what her daughter was. But even if Yuliana agreed to her being an adventurer, she still wanted her home every day so she knew Nieren was safe.
So, this went on for years until the goblin horde showed up and things difficult between them again as her mother tried to forbid her from going out on quests.
Nieren had been out adventuring for two years now and was getting really good at adventuring alone. She didn''t know what the big deal was about the goblins. She dealt with a few in the past and thought they weren''t anything to worry about. But her mother didn''t want her to go out with so many goblins around. So, against her mother''s wishes, she found a way to sneak off past her mother''s nts and left a note for her telling her that she was going to save the city.
That was when Nieren ran into Rya. When Nieren helped the Crown Prince free the Dark Elf which helped defeat the Kings yer and Rodulf of the dreaded ck Roses.
Yuliana didn''t know that the ck Roses were gone as word hadn''t reached the poorer part of the neighborhood yet and she was worried sick about her daughter. All she could do at the moment was wait and try to get these, damn, Elder Tree seeds to grow. She needed to do it for her daughter''s sake.
***