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“No.” The words seemed to resound off invisible walls. The absolution put into that single word had taken her aback. She hadn’t seen him act like this in the years they had traveled together. In the back, the impartial two seemed as though they finally had mind to intervene between them, slowly moving closer. “I will not be entering that village. I don’t care your reasons and I don’t care what you think there is no reason for us to stop and I will not go in.” Taken aback or not, she just couldn’t understand why he suddenly felt the need to be so apprehensive, especially to her. “But even if we don’t need to,” she tried again “it would make our trip ahead much easier if we did.” As he turned and reaffirmed his clearly laid intent, it became absolute that she wouldn’t change his mind. “Maybe we should just go on. We were just attacked but no one got away this time. It will take longer for news to reach back to the empire.” The shorter, though by no means short, of the pair Eraime whispered quietly to her. As she turned to face him with an increasingly irritated look, his fellow Nuevok pulled him away and added his own bit. “Knowing that though we could let him do what he pleases. He already said we’d likely have to stop for the night soon. Whether he’s sensible and stays out here or even if he goes further, if we hurried we could catch up with him even with supplies.” In a tone quiet enough to rival Eraime’s. Taking this new idea into consideration, she turned back to face his back, she softly, in a hopeful tone, asks him “If we were to go to that village and gather supplies, would you at least wait for us here till morning? Would you still be here for me when we returned?” Not turning around, or even looking back, in a tired yet now calm tone, the only words she could have wanted were spoken, “Lillium… you may recall that when you chose to follow me, against everyone’s, including my own, wishes, I told you that if you ran off, or let yourself be gone for any reason for more than one full day, I would not look for you and I would not wait for you. Inherently that means the same thing it always has. I will wait no longer than one day, and then I will leave with no intention of meeting again.”
This was pleasing to her. Lillium had known this. All she wanted was to reaffirm it. She also knew he meant it. There were only two cases in which he had ever felt the need to use her name, and two different reasons depending on how he said it. When he would only say Lillium, she knew she was safe because he meant what he said. If he were to use her last name, which he had only done once up till now, it was because there was no room for discussion and this would be what was done. That had been when she first found him after having left her home. It was when he had laid out the rules for following him around, and he had been annoyed when he did it. Most of the time, he wouldn’t bother calling her anything, save ‘girl’ to get her attention. Lillium had argued with him about this at first, saying he couldn’t be that much older than her, and he had pointed out you shouldn’t care what the person you owe a continued existence too calls you. It took awhile but eventually she had dropped it. It wasn’t worth him getting upset. It took a lot for him to be upset with her, but she had seen what happened when he had become angry at others. That might explain why now her two other companions, had lightened up on the teasing and jocular behavior they had shown in abundance prior to witnessing how angry he could get. It had been only the second time she had seen it and none of them had seen it since. Eraime would still make vain attempts at humor during fights and Nuevok would keep him going, but it was the way they fought and still kept their sanities. Or so they had told her.
It was his calmness about everything that made it that much harder for her to understand why he would suddenly become so upset with her. She had made a decision to never pry but lately she had wonder. The one time she was finally going to pry about something, he had told her everything. She didn’t have to ask. But this seemed to be different. It wasn’t something he was feeling like it had been the last time. This was something he had concrete reasons for not saying but they were all that mattered. The decision was final. “Thank You, Reidetsh. At least try and get some sleep, even though you normally don’t. Let’s go you guys, we only have a day.” grabbing the coin pouch, supply bags, and blades then running off towards the village. Eraime and Nuevok quickly grabbed up their swords and bags ten ran off after her. They may not have said anything but they both gave just the slightest of nods to Reidetsh. “I’ve been wondering.” The words breaking Eraime’s normally steady breath as he looks towards Nuevok, “Why is it that only she gets to call him by his name and we call him master?” Their footsteps running in rhythm break momentarily as Nuevok slows to a stop, facing Eraime. “I’m really positive I’ve told you this already but it’s because he never told us his name. Just because we know it doesn’t mean anything. Besides that’s what we thought he was when we first met him and we still call him that because it suits us fine and he’s never complained about it. Besides I think we don’t really have any reason to use his name. Even she started calling him master quite awhile ago.” Listening to the response Eraime had more than expected he gives the same response as always, hoping to finally hear a rebuttal. “But it just makes me feel even more of a stranger to him then we are.” Of course he wouldn’t get it this time either as Lillium calls back, “If you two don’t get a move on I’ll spend your share of the coin we’ve saved up.” The smile on her face made sure they would hurry. She wasn’t kidding.
Reidetsh watches them run off from the corner of his eye. Looking up to the sky, orange streaks begin to stretch out from the sun as it was falling ever closer to the horizon. ‘I’d better roll out mat, maybe start a fire. At least it doesn’t look like I’ll need any cover. It would have been one more good reason to have gone to town I wouldn’t have wanted to admit.’ Of the gear that had been left, there were the four bed mats, a small amount wood and kindling, the flint and stone, one of the sacs of dried meat, two botas of water, and his personal pouch, which held nothing useful. ‘They had better be happy I don’t mind watch in their stuff or I’d go just far enough away for it to “accidentally” get lifted. Of course they neglected to leave that shovel those two insisted on bringing. Now that I’ve gotten used to it I’ll have to dig with my hands.” Drawing out a circle in the dirt, he hollows out its center to make a fire pit. Putting only about a quarter of the wood and a handful of kindling, he strikes the flint and starts a fire. After tending it to a strong enough flame, rolling out his mat, and eating the meat he’d had in his pocket, he claims one of the water botas, and takes a healthy drag. “You better bring back some more water.” speaking toward the city. “You chose to re-supply here, and I think I’ll drink most of this one.” He knew he wouldn’t. Not after the time he’d been without any for four days. If it had been hot or he’d needed to fight during that time he’d likely have died, and such luck wouldn’t happen now. They might be right about how long it would take for the empire to send more troops, but he was never enough at ease to think that positively. Stopping the bota and wrapping himself in his cloak, he lies on the mat resting, though never really sleeping.
“We’ve managed to get everything we needed, and we got our weapons sharpened, all before nightfall.” Happily Lillium walks back down the street before looking up at the ever darkening sky. “Even if just barely. I hope we have enough to find someplace to stay.” Having followed her around, and seeing her increasingly good mood, Nuevok decided he could finally speak his mind, which he rarely seemed to do anymore. “You know despite how the fact that this really is a village by every definition, it has had everything you’d want in a town. I’m sure there’s an inn or something somewhere around. Though I’m not certain it would be the most profitable business. Taking Nuevok’s little speech as a safe cue, Eraime decides the have his own say. “You know though, back when we were vigilant bounty hunters, this was the sort of place we would have hated. Everyone seems so happy and content. Even though it’s near one of the biggest potential battlegrounds, it seems not only neutral, but completely at peace. There wouldn’t have been any opportunities here and that’s all we would have wanted.” Getting an almost stupid smile on his face, he adds some feeling to it, “But at least now we have such great luck to be able to appreciate this wonderful place.” Taking in as much as she had actually listened to, Lillium starts thinking, instead of feeling, and her two companions notice tight away. Not wanting to ruin anything, assuming they hadn’t already, they decided it best to see what became of it. “You do realize that I know much more about you two than I do about him, but I hadn’t ever heard either of you mention being even slightly happier about your current situation. Do you both feel that way? Or was Eraime just rambling again?” His smile fading into an absolutely appalled look, “I don’t ramble on about things. I think too you know. It’s not like I’m the stupid one of the pair. Though I know I’m not the smartest I’m not dumb.” Suppressing a chuckle, Nuevok decides to play into this before being at all serious. “Of course you’re not the dumb one Eraime. We all value your opinion the most. We are always on the edge of our seats when you give us your well thought out ideologies.” Despite herself Lillium couldn’t help but laugh and Nuevok couldn’t contain himself any longer, leaving Eraime to be in a huff. But recognizing his defeat, he decides to keep an eye out for an inn to break their laughter.
Of course while luck was almost never one Eraime’s side, he didn’t expect much. In fact it was usually his luck that causes what he did to look stupid and under-thought. He knew Nuevok had seen his intelligence, and knew he was kidding, but it still sort of upset him when he did it, because it’s what everyone who didn’t know him did. He was so used to taking offense to it he couldn’t even laugh when it was a joke. But, his occasional good luck won today, as he was able to find the inn even before the laughter had settled on its own. “Hey look there. I found us an inn.” Taking a serious tone again, Nuevok finally answers the question. “Of course we both feel that way. But maybe today will be one of Eraime’s lucky days and the inn he found will be affordable enough for us to stay.” ‘I hope I didn’t use it all up just finding it. I’d like to at least get a double considering how long it’s been since the last good luck I had.’ This thought immediately surfaces to Eraime. Not at all aware of the owner whom had been sitting outside watching the sunset, the trio begin to run through their expenses and figure out how much money they had left without spending their fourth’s share. As the owner walks up to the little huddle session and clears his throat, giving them reason to pay attention. “I can only of course assume you’re the travelers everyone in town has been talking about. Now of course since it seems that you’ve given business to everyone in town except for me, I think I might be able to cut you a break. We don’t get too many people this far out anymore. We used to at least cater to soldiers, but not even they have been around in a while. Even before that though everyone helped each other, and we only used the money paid by travelers to help accommodate them. So what do you say, shall we talk business?” The dumbfounded faces which resulted weren’t exactly the response he had hoped for. “Oh of course, I should introduce myself. I’m Leonard, the owner of this inn.” Now that was something they understood. They begin to smile and he led them inside to get them settled.
 Dragice Ryudo · Tue Aug 22, 2006 @ 04:51am · 1 Comments |
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