"They're very lifelike. Did you carve them?" Asked Storm.
The old man nodded his head.
Used to be a huntsman in my youth, but I was forced to find a different vocational after a bear hunt went bad and I hurt my leg.
I was always good with my hands, used to spend hours studying animals and magical creatures, memorizing every detail.
Then carving them in my spare time, after my accident, I continued the practice.
Doesn't make me a rich man, but I earn enough to get by." Explained the man.
"Huntsman? So you were in the Hunter's Guild?!" Said Storm.
A bit of an edge crept into his voice.
The man scowled.
"I was never affiliated with those brutes!
I hunted animals, and only enough to feed me or the village. Those savages give the rest of us huntsmen a bad name!
They forget the most important rule of hunters. Never take more from the land than you need!" Exclaimed the man.
The venom in the man's voice surprised Storm greatly.
He always thought that the Hunters were worshipped as heroes by the rest of their kind. So encountering a human that disliked and disapproved of them was something he was completely unprepared for.
"From what I heard, most people don't agree with you?" Said Storm.
"You must be from the big cities then, it is true that the city folk are in awe of the hunter's guild. But out in the countryside, it's an entirely different matter.
We have to live alongside the magical creatures here and as a result we know them better.
The city folk fear what they do not understand, and that fear makes them hate magical creatures.
We rural folk trade with elves and dwarves, we coexist peacefully with griffin and dragon flocks, we give offerings to Fey so that they find others to prank.
Because of this mutual understanding, we do not fear them like the city people do." Explained the Old man.
Storm shook his head.
"So you're saying your city would allow a dragon to walk it's streets? Without reacting with hostility? I find that hard to believe!" Retorted Storm.
The old man smiled and placed a single finger on the head of the dragon figurine.
"The carving you admired, I made it in the likeness of 'Old Bramble', a elder dragon that lives in these parts.
The people of the city and he has something of an understanding, we leave him a portion of our food stores, and in return he keeps the area free of monsters. " Explained the man
He removed his finger from the dragon and moved it to another figurine that resembles an elf kneeling on a single knee in front of a wolf.
"This is Boreus, the elven trader from the nearby settlement.
He comes here every Spring and Autumn to trade with us on behalf of the elves, he sells any surplus elven crafts their village makes, and uses the money to resupply their village.
He's always accompanied by a wolf companion 'Fenris'.
Next he moved his finger to a Dwarven warrior figurine, he was standing in front of a table with a small hammer raised over his shoulder, ready to strike.
"We do not know his true name, but everyone here calls him 'Sarge' He's a dwarf that owns the local blacksmith's shop.
He was once a soldier until he was injured in a light skirmish not far from here, our lumberjacks found him and brought him to the healer for treatment.
After he recovered, he stayed in the city and eventually married the same healer that tended to his wounds.
When he's not forging tools for the city, he trains the young men who wishes to protect our settlement by joining the militia.
These are none humans that have become an everyday part of our lives.
We leave them in peace, and they do the same for us." Explained the man.
Storm eyed the indicated pieces in disbelief.
"So you're saying the city would come to these figure's aid if the hunters ever came for them?" Asked Storm.
"We've mislead hunters that came for Bramble before, and the last nobleman that tried to insult Sarge had his teeth knocked in by the Rutherford Brothers.
They were some of his first recruits and are some of his oldest drinking buddies. " Explained the man.
The man frowned.
"There's something of a mutual dislike for the hunter's guild here among the locals.
Especially that new lot... 'The Order' they call themselves?" Said the man.
This particular piece of information immediately drew Storm's attention.
"The Order is here!!?" Asked Storm.
"They came here a few months ago and demanded a portion of our produce in exchange for their 'protection'
Our elders dismissed them and told them to leave, but they beat them up and took the supplies anyway.
They've returned periodically to 'requisition' more supplies for their Order at relatively regular intervals.
Their leader is a brute of a man that enjoys throwing his weight around, and his men are no better than bandits." Explained the old man.
He smiled at some unknown joke.
"The land itself rejects their invasion however, it's only a matter of time before they are forced out." Explained the old man.
"What do you mean? Have the elves been taking the fight to the Order?" Asked Storm.
"Ohh, no. There are far older and more powerful beings in this region than the elves." Explained the man.
Storm waited for him to elaborate, but it quickly became clear that he didn't know more about this mysterious benefactor.
He thanked the man for the story and was just about to leave, when he suddenly turned back and picked up the dragon figurine again.
He dropped a bag of gold on the man's table in payment. The man shook the pouch and immediately tried to return it to him.
"This is too much, your generosity is noble, but I cannot accept this!" Said the man.
" Compensation for your work, and your information... As well as thanks for showing me something that I didn't believe existed. " Exclaimed Storm as he left without taking back the gold.