Near Mint Mill

A dour mood had been cast over the village after that unwanted visit. Saroria had dismissed her facetious facade and watched the crowd disperse or gather in smaller groups to lament the situation. Santi had exchanged words with the other two larger establishment owners before he headed back to her and the tavern.

“I told you to stay inside.” He said in the first instance of irritation she had seen.

“Just being friendly.” Saroria said as she turned to follow him inside, no hint of said friendliness in her tone.

“Now they know you are here.” Santi told her as he moved behind the bar.
“I can handle myself.” She reminded him.

“Of that I have no doubt.” He pulled out his lockbox. “But it is not just about you now. You are part of a community. When they come back they will want a piece of you and they will take it out on others if they don’t get what they want.” Saroria scowled at the thugs’ cowardice. “They operate by threatening the weak to keep the stronger villagers in check.”

“How often do they come around?” She asked as she moved to the bar and resumed cleaning the mugs.

“A few times a year. Start of spring, end of fall.” Santi told her, sorting out some contents in the box. “They have never visited during winter.”

Saroria hummed thoughtfully at that.

“An no. No one will gang up to fight back against them.” He said before she could get that idea in her head. “We buried the one and only person that tried to stand up to them.”

“Was not even entertaining the thought.” She assured him.

Santi pulled a book out of his lock box and wrote in it before he put it back and closed up the box. “I am serious, Saroria. It’s best just to forget about them and carry on with our lives.” He put the box away. “The less trouble brought down upon all our heads the better.”

“Understood.” She gave him a solemn nod to end the conversation and appease the kryt despite her thoughts remaining on how to deal with the troublesome foursome.