[
@DaGlobster !]
It was a dark, moonless night.
Or maybe not
moonless, but the moon and stars were
covered by a thick layer of low storm clouds, the smell of rain heavy in the air even though it hadn't yet fallen. But from the electric feeling in the air, the way Owl's hair and clothes crackled with static when she moved, and the distant rumble and flashes of light, they were in for one hell of a storm when it finally decided to deliver.
Which made Owl rather uneasy, considering she was currently perched atop a roof.
Eyoni, please don't zap me, she prayed, beseeching a local thunder goddess as the building wind whipped her ponytail right into her face. She scowled and shook it out of her eyes, waited for the last flash of light to dim--it was distant, but just close enough to reach across the sky--before using the darkness as her cover as she picked her way across the roof.
Beneath her, a group of men swaggered together, laughing and cracking crude jokes, and she followed alongside them from above.
It was only one of the men that she was interested in, a man off to the right dressed in a long coat and wearing an overly large hat.
He was the man she'd seen on the wanted posters.
He was the man wanted for the rape and murder of street urchins.
She wasn't really supposed to be out on a mission. Tonight was just supposed to be another training night, but as luck would have it, that bastard just delivered himself right to her. She had some time to kill anyway, since she was early...
And she wasn't about to let that fucker get away.
But for now, she just followed him, observed him.
And when an opening presented, she would take it
It was the perfect night for a training mission. Herrick had been keeping an eye on Einin while she forayed as Owl, usually watching from a distance. He knew that she was hell bent on capturing the serial murderer who'd just came into their neck of town.
He was going to let her catch him, and then when she was on her way to training, he'd ambush her in disguise. Make it look like her life was really on the line.
And well, what better disguise than a mask?
He looked a the matte black leopard mask in his hands. It was in the same style as Owl's, as it was designed only to cover the area above the nose, and to complement it, he wore a homemade balaclava-type garment under it so as to be disguised to the maximum degree. He even changed up how his armor looked and shaved his head so the balaclava would fit!
Inside, he kind of hoped that Owl would like his outfit. It was also going to be his way of announcing to her that he had decided to become her partner in justice.
The opportunity finally presented itself, and Owl's vigil soon came to an end.
The murderer bid his friends goodnight as they slipped inside a brothel, but he did not follow, which made Owl's hackles rise. Instead he turned and headed off into the night, making his way toward a poorer district. Silently, Owl tailed behind him, sticking to the rooftops where she could and following a discrete distance behind on the ground when the rooftops ended. The average homes and businesses soon made way to dilapidated buildings and streets lined with rubbish and piss and worse, the smell strong enough to make her gag--but she'd been down in the sewers themselves before and nothing was worse than that.
It was quieter here, save for the sounds of fighting cats and the raucous shouts of a drunkard arguing with no one. It was a good, secluded place to confront him--but she didn't confront him just yet. She had to be certain it was him. She needed proof, as she had with Rufus that one night at the brothel, when they had taken down a man who preyed on whores. It was the worst part, the anticipation, the fear that she might not be quick enough, the worry that maybe she was wrong or maybe he wouldn't do anything questionable...
But that was when he slipped around a corner and into an alley--and before she could catch up to see where he'd went, a muffled yelp rang out, the sounds of a struggle, and the "shhh, shhhh" of someone trying to hush another person. A person who had begun to sob.
Owl's heart stopped, but she used to broken crate to vault up and catch the edge of the roof, silently haul herself up onto her belly, and crawl to the edge to watch. And sure enough, to her horror, it was the man in the hat, only his hat had been knocked off in the struggle and he now clutched a shabby-clothed boy, no older than twelve, in his arms, a curved dagger pressed to the boy's throat. His hand covered his mouth, wrenching the boy's head back, and he smiled perversely as he took a drought of the kid's oily hair.
"Shhh, it's okay. It's okay. Be quiet now," he whispered, and cast a look around the alley as though planning his next move. "Shhh. Everything's going to be okay, little one. I'm gonna take real good care of you."
The boy struggled as much as he dared, tears streaming down his, and the man only pressed the knife in tighter as he started to walk them both backwards out of the alley.
It was all the proof Owl needed.
She just had to be smart about this, or this would become a hostage situation--or the boy would be accidentally injured.
Reaching into her pocket, she drew am enchanted fuiyun card and flicked it to the ground at the man's back, and before he could take another step, a hideous beast erupted into existence, a creature ten feet tall and covered in pus-oozing boils, too many mouths, and saliva that hissed when it hit the ground. It roared, its breath hot on the man's neck, and he was so startled he howled in alarm and dropped the boy as he spun to face the terror looming before him.
And as he spun to face one horror, Owl dropped from the roof behind him, fisted a hand in his hair, and snapped his head backwards even as she viciously drove her knee into his kidneys once, twice. He went down like a felled tree, breathless in agony for several long seconds before he heaved his stomach onto the cobblestones, adding to the filth of the place.
Owl had her sword out and pressed to his neck before he could finish. "Move and I'll chew you up and spit you out like the rat you are," she growled, while her illusion still towered behind him, snarling and swiping harmlessly at him. The urchin was already gone; the moment he was free, he'd booked it, and Owl didn't blame him, though she hoped he'd be okay.
At least he'd be safe from the likes of this asshole.
Needless to say, Owl was late for her training.
It had taken time to truss the creep up, and time to march him along to the nearest patrol. She shoved him at the surprised guards, quickly told them she'd caught their good man about to prey on another urchin, and then she'd booked it before they could ask too many questions.
That could get messy fast.
In any case, it took a lot more time than she'd anticipated, and now she was running a good twenty minutes late for her actual training session. Hopefully Herrick wouldn't freak about that, she hoped as she slipped into the warehouse where they usually met.
Of course, Herrick followed Owl along her vigil. He was her teacher, after all, and he wanted to see how she'd improved. Two months ago, Herrick started Owl's training, and he keenly watched her as she navigated the rooftops after her quarry, smirking a little bit to himself every time she used a technique he'd taught her.
Perhaps, if it was two months ago, Herrick would have his eye out for Varian, but the man had simply disappeared. He stopped terrorizing them almost immediately after their incident, and if Herrick didn't know any better, he'd say the man had lost interest entirely.
But still, he trained her.
And it was with a certain degree of satisfaction that he saw her engage the man in the hat, observing as she used that hair-pull-into-a-knee-strike combo he'd taught her a couple of weeks ago.
Now that Owl had her prey, Herrick saw it fit to use his head start on her and prepare for her arrival.
-------------
When Einin arrived in the warehouse, the place was almost pitch black. There was no immediate sign of Herrick. In fact, he was on the rafters above her, throwing knives ready and rapier drawn. He'd used an illusion kit to make his signature broadsword/rapier look like a much more mundane weapon, and on top of that, he'd switched out his dragon hunting pistols for a pair of ordinary flintlocks.
When she stepped inside, she'd only have a few moments to look around and wonder where Herrick was, for right as she stepped beneath his rafter, Herrick threw the knives, aiming them at the ground in front of her, that and the small creak she'd hear from above as Herrick dropped off the beam, intending to land behind her and kick her to the ground.
Knives struck the ground at her feet, and Owl yelped in surprise and jumped back--right as a sound from above tipped her off, followed by the soft thud of someone landing behind her.
She had her sword out and cutting through the air as she spun around, before she could even see who the figure was, some small part of her thinking maybe it was Herrick trying to switch things up. But as she twisted around, sword arcing, she saw in that split second that she didn't recognize this masked stranger at all--
And a fresh wave of anxiety clawed at her throat.
"Get back!"
Herrick ducked under Owl's sword as she spun about, and he hopped back, putting a little bit of distance between them.
Even his fighting stance was different. After all, Herrick had taught Einin enough about street fencing to significantly augment her style and skill, but he'd always kept a certain style to himself:
Proper Adelan court fencing.
He straightened up, rapier held out as he put his free hand behind his back. His leopard mask caught what little light there was quite nicely. He stood therein his stance, waiting to see what Einin would do.
"Who are you?" Owl demanded as she began to circle the stranger, a sick feeling coiling in her gut at the sight of the mask--as though her adversary had been watching her and was now mimicking her. Some friend of one of the criminals she'd put away? A friend of Varian's or Smed's? The latter two seemed unlikely, but it still put her on edge.
Whoever it was, he was out to get her, and Herrick was missing, and the Wolves were not here, and she didn't have the advantage of surprise; this was for real, and she wasn't about to rush in before she had a chance to size him up.
Sword held steady, and took a step back, further into the center of the warehouse where she would have more space and ran less of a risk of getting cornered against a wall. "Speak up, now! Who the hell ARE you?"
Herrick remained silent, and after a few more moments of tense silence, he advanced on her.
He opened up with something rather simple. A series of slashes with the tip, intended to put her on her toes, followed up with a series of thrusts, all the while keeping that hand at his back, fingers right next to the handle of his pistol.
The pistols were loaded with smoke rounds, so all they were good for was making a bang and producing a whole lot of white smoke.
Fortunately for Owl, she was very familiar with fencing. Perhaps not this particular style, but fencing was fencing, with regional variations, certainly, but plenty of common ground. She had practiced Serenian court fencing from childhood, and been taught the dirty stuff by Rufus--and now Herrick, too.
Quick on her feet and quick with her fingers, she parried his blows, keeping her movements small and tight and controlled--and then, when she saw an opening, she circled her blade beneath his in a circular parry that smacked his blade away and brought hers to the inside, where she executed a swift thrust to his lower abdomen.
Herrick had taught her well. But unfortunately, he was still the master, and she the student. His arm flicked out from behind his back and he twisted, revealing that he had a parrying dagger sheathed behind his back. He caught her blade, and wrenched her forwards to deliver a knee to her stomach.
That blow would have left her breathless and vulnerable--if she weren't wearing her armor. As it was, she still felt the shock of it, but it did little beyond that but make her grunt.
It did bring her really close to her assailant, though.
Free hand jerking up, Owl smacked him hard across the face in a backhand that used her wrist bracer rather than her hand, then brought her knee up sharply--but went for his groin, rather than his stomach.
The steel leopard mask proved to be a worthy purchase indeed, as the shape of it combined with a slight dip of Herrick's head sent Owl's bracer skidding along the forehead of it and leaving her arm open.
She never got enough time to knee him in the groin, for Herrick moved in at that. They were already so close, so all Herrick had to do was grab her collar, slip a leg behind hers, and sweep her off of her feet in a move that'd slam her against the ground.
Owl realized her mistake the moment her bracer clanged against his mask.
Shit.
The world tilted abruptly and suddenly she was on her back, gasping from the force of her landing, but her hand was still on her sword and she had no time to waste on getting her bearings. She brought her sword up and across her body, already on the defensive, and scrambled up until she was sitting, ready to hop back to her feet.
And her sword came up just in time, too, for Herrick's clanged against hers as he brought it down against hers. It was less an actual attack, more a tactic to keep her on her back as he waited for an opening, striking at her whenever it looked like she had an opportunity to stand.
Owl parried each strike, gritting her teeth as he kept her down, knowing the longer he kept her pinned, the more vulnerable she was. She knew she had to make a move quickly, before he decided to.
The next strike he made, she parried more aggressively than needed, viciously slapping his blade away with her own to knock it out into a wider arc--just enough to give her the precious extra seconds she needed. She threw herself to the side, rolling out of the way, and hopped back to her feet before thrusting her blade at her adversary.
Herrick didn't perform a complete dodge, preferring to let Owl's rapier glance off and keep moving in order to leave her more open. Experience had taught him that the front of her head was a pretty much pointless target, so he swung the guard of his blade at her side instead.
...Fuck.
His guard slammed into the side of her head as she was just a second too slow in ducking, and for a moment the world exploded in bright lights and pain. She didn't crumple to the ground, but she did stagger, disoriented and dizzy from the blow.
The stagger was all he needed. Herrick weaved to her side and snapped a kick across her chest, using his powerful legs to try and floor her.
Owl went down with a cry, her sword skittering across the floor. Gasping, she grabbed for it, but it was far out of reach, so she pulled out her ice dagger instead and scrambled backwards. Her head still swam, her heart beating fast as she looked for an opening. She didn't intend to take him out with a dagger alone, but she could at least block him--and also hopefully distract him long enough to make a lunge for her sword.
She stared up at him, forcing a nervous laugh, still shuffling backwards until her back bumped a crate. Focus, Einin. Focus. She had one shot to do this right, so let him think he'd beat her in the meantime.
"W-whatever you're planning on doing, I'd rethink it!" she said. "You may be some sort of weird cat thing, but owls?"
Without warning, the shadows in the warehouse deepened impossibly, plunging them from darkness into pitch black as she stretched her illusion magic, as all her practicing in her room and in the Wolves' Den finally paid off. A smoky mist rose around them as she dared herself to take it just a little farther, letting it obscure her completely.
"We rule the night."
Ah, Serenian illusions. If Herrick didn't know that Owl was proficient with them, he might've been in trouble. Of course, Herrick being Herrick, he came prepared, and while he couldn't perfectly see through her illusions, she wasn't as concealed to him as she thought she was.
He played along, raising his sword defensively as he looked around, pretending to not know where she was.
While her attacker was "distracted", Owl leaped to her feet, biting back her triumphant grin, and snatched up her sword, feet feather silent, thanks to her boots from Rufus. Sword in hand, she wasted no time in going on the offensive as she came up behind him--and swung a hard blow for his kidneys, aiming with the handle of her dagger.
The aim, after all, was to disable, not kill.
Ah, the old kidney punch. A venerable, if not crude technique.
Herrick spun about, glancing the handle of her dagger off of his cloak and brought his rapier in for a quick thrust. He aimed it so that it'd cut along the side of her enchanted armor.
It'd sting and draw blood, but it was far from lethal.
His blade glanced off her armor as though it were plate mail, even though it was only leather, but it was still far too close for comfort. Quickly Owl retreated a couple steps into the false darkness, then lunged forward again and feinted a thrust with her sabre to his chest, before swinging low for his legs.
Damned armor! He was hoping the magical properties of his rapier would counter her magical armor, but he supposed that just would've been too easy. And he didn't want to use Cheesecutter, since Owl'd no doubt recognize the blade.
She feinted, and Herrick jumped backwards and out of her reach. He took a throwing knife and sent it sailing towards her leg, aiming to distract her as he moved in to feint with his rapier and then snap a high kick at her head.
Owl could see just fine through her own illusions, so she saw the blade whizzing for her and twisted to the side--but the distraction cost her precious seconds. She steadied herself just in time to parry his feint almost too late, but his kick got her right in the head, over the blow she'd already taken.
With a cry she went down, tumbling onto her side as the world spun and her head screamed even through the protection of her mask, but she knew she had no time to stay down, because inaction was death and this guy seemed fucking out to kill her. She kicked out at his knees with her feet, aiming to hook them around a leg and pull him down with her.
She kicked out at his legs, and she actually did manage to hook a leg and pull Herrick down. He hit the ground with a grunt, but he was far from out of the fight, and he was ready to defend himself as he got ready to kip back up onto his feet.
Owl didn't give him the chance.
Her ears were ringing and head was throbbing, but her assailant was close to her now--and she lunged for him, knowing it was kind of crazy, but deciding to take the chance. She landed on him while he was still preparing to kip up, straddling his chest, and brought her ice dagger to his throat.
"Don't move!"
Well, Gods be damned.
She got him! Beneath his mask, Herrick was grinning, and he kind of hoped Owl would take his mask off to see it for herself.
Owl glared him down, dagger still threatening to pierce his skin, and it was only when she was certain he wouldn't struggle that she grabbed for his mask. She kept the dagger firm against him as she peeled it off.
"Damned copycat," she grumbled, and then snorted. "Hah, get it? Copycat? I'm hilarious. Well, I sure hope it was worth it, because after tonight you're--Herrick?"
She stared down at him, mask in her hand, and just gaped.
Oh Gods, yes!
Her face alone made it all worth it.
"Hello, Princess," Herrick said, looking up at her with that signature grin of his.
"Gotta say, really outdone yourself this time. What do you think of the mask?"
Owl just stared.
And stared.
And stared some more.
Somehow through the fight she had kept her cool, managed not to panic even when it felt her attacker might best her, and kept a clear head even when he'd rattled her brains. Beneath all that, though, she'd frankly been scared shitless. She'd taken on other lowlife thugs, but he was the first since Smed or Varian who actually stood a chance of winning.
For a terrifying moment, she thought he might, and then...well...she knew good and well what sorts of things could happen.
Now, as the adrenaline faded and she stared down at Herrick, and realized she was safe and had never even been in real danger, all that panic came rushing in somewhat delayed--and with it, a spark of anger.
With a sudden growl, she punched him in the jaw. "You bastard! You scared the SHIT outta me!"
Yeah, Herrick wasn't going to take that, though. While she'd been busy staring at him, he'd gotten an arm loose, and he raised a hand to catch her fist as it came flying at his jaw.
"That was the point!" Herrick said.
"You were faced with an unknown attacker of... more or less equal skill, and you came out on top!"
He gave her leg a pat.
"I asked you a question, though. What'd you think of the mask? Think it'll be good for fighting crime with you?"
Owl sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, willing her heart to stop racing and breathing to normalize. Yes, that was the point, and that was clever, but she had a headache to kill and was still coming down off of what she had thought was a life or death situation!
Letting her breath out through her nose, she let her shoulders slouch and pulled slid her hand out of his fist.
Wait a minute. She...had come out on top here. She had beat Herrick. She rubbed at her head, slowly registering that beneath the amped up fight or flight instincts gnawing at her.
"It's...wait. Fight crime? Are you saying you're gonna stop your criminal stuff and--wait." She blinked, doing a double take. "Where'd your hair go?"
"Yeah," Herrick said.
"Surprise! I sorta figured I'd debut the outfit, get your thoughts on it, yeah?" Herrick said. He passed a hand over his buzz-cut.
"And yeah, I had to cut my glorious locks so you wouldn't recognize me. Don't fret, it'll all grow back. Isn't the first time I've had to do it."
Realizing she was still straddling Herrick, Owl gave a small start and moved off of him to sit next to him instead. She pulled off her mask, letting her skin breathe, her face sweaty and flushed as she used it to fan herself instead.
"Damn, it's short," she said, and rubbed her head again, still taking it in. "And, uh, your outfit is...it's nice. Heh. Sorry I called you a copycat. Kinda. It was a good pun, not sorry about that. But seriously, you're...you're for reals quitting the crime thing? Really?"
Once Einin took off her mask and un-straddled him, Herrick sat up alongside her.
"Yup. You've convinced me to change my heart," Herrick said.
"Figured I've robbed enough nobles and royalty for one lifetime."
He looked to her, and reached on over to pick the leopard mask back up.
"You may now call me... The Leopard!" he declared.
"I...I have?"
Owl gave "The Leopard" a curious look, eyebrow raised. "So why the change of heart, Leopard?"
"Call it..."
Herrick looked thoughtful for a few moments, then he laughed.
"Don't quite know specifically, actually. I just... You do some good work, Princess. I guess you could sort of say that I look up to you, in a way?"
"You look up to me?" Owl repeated. This night was getting wilder and wilder by the moment!
"I think you kicked me harder than I thought."
"I mean, I kicked you pretty hard," Herrick admitted.
"But you ain't hearing things."
"Huh!"
Still rubbing her temple, Owl cocked her head. "Well, can't say I'm sad to hear that. About damned time you went straight! Saves me the trouble of having to turn you in later."
"Truly, your vote of confidence fills me with inspiration."
Herrick stood up, and offered Owl his hand, in case her head was a bit too rocked up and she needed the leverage.
"Let's get you something for that bruise on your head."
Owl grabbed his hand and hauled herself to her feet, wincing, and let her illusion drop as she did. Her head still throbbed, but she wasn't concussed, so that was a positive thing!
She sheathed her sword and dagger when she was up, and put her mask back on, tucking any loose hairs that had fallen out during their scuffle back into her ponytail. "So was that tonight's training, or is there more? 'Cause if there's more I'm throwing it out there right now that I'm rebelling. I already worked extra tonight taking down some creep, and then you had to jump me! I think that's a pretty full night."
"Well, I'd say "creep" is a bit light of a term for the guy you busted up," Herrick said. He shot her a knowing look.
"Before you ask, I was shadowing you the whole time. The original plan was to ambush you on the street, but once I saw what you were doing, I decided to wait here," Herrick said.
Herrick put the balaclava back on and slipped the mask on over it.
"Let's call it a night. I'm gonna be going with you on your "patrols" now, so remember to wake me up before you sneak out."
Owl gave him a squinty-eyed look when he admitted to tailing her, but then she just shook her head and dusted herself off.
"Well, before I knew you were following me, I didn't wanna freak you out by saying I'd just taken down a notorious, murdering child rapist," she said, and barely repressed a shudder as soon as she said the words. It was...difficult not to think about what she'd witnessed. What she'd almost witnessed. To think about what could have happened, and what had happened to the others she couldn't save. It was much better to think about the boy she had saved, and that the man was now behind bars--and would, hopefully, never hurt a soul again.
She rolled her shoulders back and took a deep breath. Being a hero was...emotionally difficult work, as it had turned out. But it was also rewarding, and it was that desire to help people, and the small little flickers of progress she saw, that made it all worth it. It would get easier with time, she'd been told.
"Anyway, I suppose it'll be my turn to teach you things, now. Teach you how to be good and honest. Inspire hope rather than fear! Well...you can still inspire fear, you just have to direct it at the awful people who deserve it."
She adjusted her mask, and then began to walk, still a little unsteady and achy.
"Heh, teachers teaching teachers," Herrick said, and he followed along next to Owl. While he wanted to retort with the fact that he wasn't particularly bad or dishonest, he let Owl have her little moment.
"How's your back? Still bruised after that tumble you took a few days ago?"
"Yeah, but it's not as bad as before. Just a little stiff, but nothing I can't handle," Owl said with a grin, slipping out of the warehouse and into the night.
"I'm tougher than I look, you know."
[So I know it was a big "on-the-fence" issue in the past, but Herrick and Einin are gonna ship, right? Riiiiiiight? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight?]
"I don't care how tough you look. Damn near slipped off the roof. What did I tell you about wet shingles?" Herrick chided, acting a bit more "teacherly" than even he would've liked.
"Although I ain't doubting how tough you are. I'm just bein' worried."
[I'm kinda just seeing where the chips fall, to be honest! She's still overcoming heartbreak (http://www.spiritsoftheearth.net/smf/index.php?topic=16884.msg294024#msg294024)! (Her feels went a lot deeper than I realized initially.) D8 And still working through a lot of issues. xD]
With a snort, Owl rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Herrick. "What are you, now? My father?" she said with a laugh.
"Spare me the lecture, dad! Besides, I didn't fall off the roof. Just almost. But almost doesn't count. It was fiiine."
"Almost broke your neck, is what you did," Herrick chuckled, and he nudged her with an elbow.
"By the way, great job beating me. Next time I won't go so easy on ya."
"Easy?" Owl repeated, and spun toward him to give him an incredulous look.
"Don't tell me you were holding yourself back."
[Herrick'll kiss away the wounds, don't ya worry ;D]
"Well, as you know, I had to keep from using my main style, 'lest you recognize me," Herrick said.
"No pistol, no Cheesecutter, none of that," he added.
"However, you shouldn't feel like you accomplished less now. Just know it's going to be harder next time."
"Hah, well, I hope you wouldn't use your pistol anyway. I can hide cuts and bruises. Not sure I could hide a full on hole in my body," Owl said as they neared her home.
She slowed as they approached, feeling a little anxious at the sight of it, and sighed as she came to a stop. She was tired and ready for a rest, but...
"I don't think I'm ready to go home yet."
"Relax, I would've used it in a nonlethal fashion. Think less bullet and black powder, more leather ball and firework powder," Herrick said, and he paused to take in the sight of her home.
If anyone asked him about the place, he could probably say the Biernes have the comfiest attic.
At Einin's declaration, Herrick looked to her, and he tilted his head a bit so she could know he was curious without him having to take his mask off.
"Hm, really? What'd you have in mind?"
"I don't know," Owl said, frowning. "But somewhere other than home just yet. Anywhere, really."
And she turned away from the place and started to walk, picking a direction at random. "I wanna enjoy the outdoors while I can! It's a nice night," she said by way of explanation. "And I'm going to be all stuffed up indoors tomorrow, anyway," she added in a mumble.
Which was, of course, the source of her anxiety, an anxiety that had been gradually building, but which she had been keeping gloriously distracted so she didn't have to deal with it. Which was, of course, her favorite method of dealing with problems. Her birthday was fast approaching, as was Ryk's wedding, which meant lots of dress fittings and sizings, which meant her family throwing her at potential suitors, which meant added pressure to wed, and which meant...well...
Which also meant seeing Ryk actually get married.
"Hm," Herrick said, falling into step beside Owl.
"A run, then? Nice and easy, over the slum rooftops?"
He could tell something was off, but he just couldn't quite place it. He'd just go along with her, for now.
"You really are trying to kill me!" Owl said, rubbing her sore head again. "But sure, I can probably manage. Race you!"
And with that said, she tore off down the street, heading away from the noble district and toward the seedier part of town.
Herrick took off just after her, his greater height allowing him to catch up with long, graceful strides.
Soon enough, they reached the slums, and when they did Owl wasted no time in springing from a crate and vaulting up onto a ramshackle roof. She was sore, and her back and shoulders complained, but she ignored the ache as well as she could as she dashed over the roof.
Herrick ascended in a similar fashion, using a carriage to step up and then leap onto the roofs behind her. The slums were easy to free-run over, since most buildings featured flat roofs, and were usually spaced pretty close to one another. The challenge came from dodging laundry lines, rooftop gardens, and other rooftop clutter.
Owl kept up a good pace, narrowly avoiding getting literally clotheslined once or twice. It was hard to see the lines in the dark when they were empty of clothing! Finally, though, she started to run out of steam, but she pushed herself until she reached the end of the block, hopping across one roof to another and landing a bit more gracelessly than planned, and coming to a stop at the end.
Panting, she leaned over with her hands on her knees to catch her breath, then looked over at Herrick. "Alright, now that we've woken up half the neighborhood..." And indeed, several lights had flickered on in the homes below as they passed. "I need a for reals breather."
Herrick still looked pretty energetic when he stopped next to Owl, and he nodded, giving her a pat on the shoulder.
"Let's go find a nice, quiet roof to sit on, then," Herrick said, and he motioned for the two of them to just walk along the roofs, although he did so with a slight amount of caution and stealth, as to not make any more noise.
"Good run, by the way."
"Good run," Owl agreed as she picked her way over the roofs, and finally came to the edge of an abandoned, dilapidated building. With a soft groan, she sat, letting her legs dangle over the edge, and learned back on her hands.
It was an ugly, smelly part of the city.
But the view wasn't half bad at all, the sky clear tonight and the stars bright, though the moon was just a fingernail in the dark.
Night had started to become less creepy, the longer she went without any contact from Smed or Varian. Maybe they had given up. She certainly hoped so.
"Think I'm still cursed?" she said at length, staring up at the moon.
"I don't quite know how to answer that," Herrick said, sitting down next to Owl.
"It looks pretty calm to me. Then again, there's always a calm before the storm."
He looked at her, and he took his mask off, letting his skin breathe as he met her eyes.
"What's up, Princess? You didn't look so hot when we got to your house."
Owl quickly looked away. "Nothing's wrong, really. I just didn't feel like going home," she said with a shrug, looking back up at the sky.
"Just...enjoying my freedom. It gets stuffy indoors."
"Mmm," Herrick said, and he glanced up to the stars.
"Fuck, it's pretty out here."
"Yeah..." Owl murmured, and pulled her mask up so it sat on her forehead. It was a little chilly as the air cooled her sweat, but it felt nice despite the goosebumps.
"I always loved the nights. Guess that's why I went with an owl theme. It was always that special time when I could just be, well...me." She snorted. "Real owls are lucky. They don't have those kinds of issues. On the other hand, they eat rats, so they don't have it all that glamorous, either."
She looked curiously at Herrick. "Why'd you pick leopard?"
"Well, I just sort of looked at my style," Herrick said.
"I like to jump down on people and ambush them, and I know leopards like to do that. Leopards are stealthy, too, just like me."
He gave Owl a lopsided grin, and he lightly slugged her shoulder.
"They're bigger than owls, too."
"Noooot necessarily!" Owl said, and slugged him back.
"There's legends of like giant birds in some parts of the world! Predatory ones that fly in the deserts! I'm sure there's some woodland version where there's a giant owl, because why wouldn't there be? I bet those giant owls could eat a leopard. PLUS! Plus owls can fly. Leopards can't."
She grinned. "Plus owls are like super wise and smart and stuff."
"Ah, but what do owls kill? Snakes? Mice? Rabbits?"
Herrick scoffed a bit, but it was playful.
"Leopards kill deer, or wolves. Big game," Herrick said.
"But I'll give the flying to you."
"But a giant owl could kill all of those things. And fly. And snatch up leopards. Besides, have you ever seen a normal one up close? I bet they could take your face off! Their talons are huge!" she said, spreading her arms wide.
Exaggerating, you know, just a little.
"I've seen plenty owls," Herrick said.
"And the one mythical giant owl doesn't set the bar for all owls. How do you know there isn't a giant leopard, bigger than the giant owl?"
"Because the giant owl already ate the giant leopard," Owl answered with a cheeky grin, sticking her tongue out at Herrick.
Herrick scoffed.
"You really can't let me win, can you?" Herrick said, and he scooted a bit closer to her.
"So, uh... what do you do on your hero patrols, anyways? You just prowl about, ambushing evildoers from the rooftops?"
"Nnnoooope," Owl said without missing a beat. Winning was too much fun.
At his question, she cocked her head curiously. "Well, yes, of course," she said, blinking. "Not always from the rooftops, though. From the ground, too."
"Well, with the two of us, it should be much easier to take out lone targets. Not to mention groups of guys as well," Herrick said.
He fell silent after that, leaning back on his hands much like she was. He didn't realize it, but his hand was dangerously close to hers.
"How long you fixing on staying out for?"
"Hrm," Owl said, oblivious to where Herrick's hand was, since her eyes were forward and her hands were behind. "It'll be easier. But easier might not be better. I want to be competent at taking people out on my own. I have to be good at what I do, really sell myself. Not just anyone can be a knight, much less a girl. Not that I'll let them know I'm a girl. Not at first, at least."
She huffed out a sigh, that anxiety making her stomach knot. She had to make some big moves soon, before she ran out of time, and she didn't yet feel good enough.
"I figure I'll stay out until I have to go back," she said, and fought back a creeping yawn. "Or until I get too tired. You can always go back without me if you're bored. I'll be fine."
"Nah, I'd rather be out here with you," Herrick said.
"Also, take this tip from me: When it comes to becoming a knight, if you just prove what you can do, people tend to look past the surface details, so you shouldn't have to worry too much about being a girl," Herrick explained, and he looked to her.
"I mean, I'm not sayin it's going to be a path of rose petals and a warm bath, either, but even though I was a tribal, the Adelan crown took me into its service once I proved myself."
Herrick grinned.
"Always be on the lookout for your shot to greatness, Owl. You'll enver know when it can come."
"Think so?" Owl said, still a little skeptical. Things were more difficult in that regard for women, and a noblewoman, expected to marry and continue her family's bloodline? Even more difficult. She always knew it was going to be bloody difficult, and if anything, that only made her more determined.
It was nice, though, to hear it at least wasn't impossible.
"Well, then I'll just have to become great enough that it won't be an issue. It's so silly to me that it's an issue in the first place. Shaith, founder of Serendipity itself, was a warrior queen, after all."
"Well, things got a funny way of changing as time goes on," Herrick said, still staring up at the stars while he spoke.
He was silent for a few moments, before he looked to her.
"So, what kinda knight you gonna be? Are you going to join an order, or represent your family?"
"I think I wanna join an order of some sort," Owl said, thinking. "Maybe. Something that protects the city. This is my home, and I COULD be a knight for my family maybe but then I'd still be under their thumb."
Then she shrugged. "But I haven't really thought that far ahead, honestly. Maybe I'll just stick to being an independent crime figher! But...I'd rather be legit. You know, work with the law."
She glanced over at him. "What about you? What are you gonna do with this new leaf you're turning?"
"Don't quite know yet. Let's see how the life of a vigilante treats me first, then we'll see what happens," Herrick said, meeting her gaze.
"I think the crown's got an order of night that stays in the city, keeps it safe and whatnot. Can't remember their name off the top of my head, but I know they're pretty good. Had a couple run-ins with them in my time."
"Pfffft. Thinking about joining the people you once antagonized?" Owl asked with a snort.
"No, I'm suggesting them to you. You know, I can sneak into the place. Help you get accepted once you're old enough," Herrick teased.
He let the moment hang for a while before he looked at her.
"What happens after you become a knight? What's next for the great Owl?"
"After that? Well, then it's all about making Arca a better place," Owl said with a nod. "Protecting the innocent, defending the weak, bringing evil-doers to justice. And after Arca, Kia's Court. And after Kia's Court, Serendipity. And after Serendipity, the world!"
She paused.
"Of course, that's a way's off yet."
"Wow," Herrick said, letting out a surprised breath.
He gave her a look and allowed himself to flop backwards.
"Sounds liek you've got your work cut out for you."
"Yeah, it's a wild dream, I know. And I know I can't fix the world. No one can. But I do think all it takes is just one person to make it a little better. I made it a little better for one boy today, and any other boys that monster might have hurt. That's something, right?"
With a sigh, she drew one leg up and looped her arms around her knee, hugging it to her chest. "I don't know why I had to be born nobility."
"Hey, be thankful for that," Herrick said, and he put a hand on Einin's shoulder.
"Trust me, you can do a lot worse than being born into nobility. I know a lot about it sucks, trust me, but it's a hell of a lot better than being born common."
Herrick reached into his backpack, and pulled out a canteen.
"Water?"
Owl let out a soft huff--but didn't argue. She knew she was being hyperbolic and dramatic; after all, she was privileged while plenty of common folk were starving on the streets. Most folk would kill for what she had, and that thought made her stomach twist with a pang of guilt.
His offer drew her out of her thoughts, and she glanced over at the canteen and shrugged. "I could use a little, sure," she said, and took a swig from it.
Herrick gave Einin a smile, and when she finished her swig, he took one of his own.
"You're using it for good, though. Giving back to the people and all that by protecting them."
"That's true," Owl said as she wiped her lips off on the back of her hand. "Well, okay. Maybe I'm not so bummed about being a noble. It's not all bad. Maybe I just should've been born a boy instead. Now that would make things easier."
"Don't take that for granted either!" Herrick said, and he waggled his eyebrows.
"There's a lot of things girls can do better than guys. For example, you'll catch people by surprise when you kick their asses."
He gave her a wry grin.
"That's true!" Owl said with a smirk, eyes thoughtful. "I guess when I become a full knight, it won't matter whether I'm a girl or not. And people tend to underestimate us. Even though there's a lot of great women warriors."
"There is, yeah. But for every great warrior woman, there's ten better-than-average male warriors."
Herrick sighed, and he put a hand back on Owl's shoulder.
"I know you'll knock 'em dead, though. Even with your bright pink hair," he said with a smirk.
Owl pulled a face at that and huffed. "That's only 'cause they won't let girls fight. There'd be more if they weren't so obsessed with breeding us like prize horses."
She tossed her hair, glamoured brown though it was. "And the hair just makes me memorable."
Herrick grinned at that.
"That it does."
He leaned back, staring up at the night sky.
"You know, I've been thinking we could take a break from training tomorrow. A night on the town, perhaps?"
Owl paused at that, and gave Herrick a cautious look. "What kind of 'night on the town'?"
"I dunno. Maybe a classy tavern somewhere in the ritzy part of town?" Herrick said.
"It's been a while since I've unwound properly."
Owl grimaced at the word "tavern".
"Uhh...maybe not that," she said slowly, quietly.
"How about a restaurant?"
Herrick paused for a moments.
"You got restaurants in Arca, right?"
"Restaurants?" Owl blinked at that. "What's that?"
Herrick smirked.
"It's a place that sells food for money. It's different from an inn in the sense that it's specialized just for food, and you can find better stuff at them."
"Oh." Owl cocked her head. "I've never seen one. Unless you mean the bakery? The bakery is pretty much the best."
"Or we could go to a really fancy inn," Herrick said, and he stretched up a bit before flopping back down on the ground.
"Is the bakery just a bakery? Or like just a name for something?"
"What? No, it's a bakery! What else would it be a name for? Bakery...sells breads and sweets. Are there other sorts?" Owl asked, puzzled.
Herrick laughed.
"I dunno, you just said the bakery, so I thought maybe it was, well, you know..."
Herrick turned to face her more.
"Like a name for something else."
Owl gave a playful snort and a roll of her eyes. "Far as I know, bakeries are just bakeries. Does Adela call them something else?"
"No, they're still called bakeries," Herrick retorted.
"But I mean like... in Ketra, there was this one tavern called The Butcher Shop, because it had all kinds of great meat dishes, right? It's a tavern, but it's named something else entirely. So yeah, that's why I was confused," he said, dusting his hands off as if to clear himself of the subject.
"So, that tangent aside... do you want to go somewhere?"
"That sounds like a hangout for murderers," Owl said with a soft snort, shaking her head. "But uh, sure. Somewhere. Anywhere, basically, that's Not Home."
"Let's just go, then, maybe we'll find something along the way," Herrick said, and he kipped up to his feet.
With a nod, Owl rose to her feet and stretched, rotating her shoulders. "Sounds like a foolproof plan. But I mean, if sweets are what we want, I know a couple places." And then she snorted. "And brothels."
"I don't think I can trust food that comes out of a brothel," Herrick said, and he gave her a teasing smirk.
"You know a bakery that's open this late?"
"Not a one," Owl said with a shake of her head and a laugh. "I only know taverns that stay open after dark. You wouldn't happen to know any that aren't, erm...seedy?"
"That I do," Herrick said as he started walking, giving his arms an upward stretch.
"Best part is, it's not even that far away. It's in the nice part of town."
He started walking towards her house and looked back at her, still smiling.
"Can't go to a nice place in this armor, though."
Owl gave a little shrug at that. "Then change clothes?" she said, and looked down at herself, dressed in her own leather armor.
"Think I should, too?"
"It's not exactly the kind of place where you show up in armor," Herrick said, giving a mock shake of his head.
"But I get you. I think I've got some armor you can wear under your clothes in my bag, if you're up for it."
And with that, he started walking again.
"I know I'm going to change. I'm going to let myself get a little fancy tonight."
"Fancy?" Owl's eyebrow arched sharply.
"Just where are we going, exactly, that you'd need to be fancy? How fancy we talking here?"
"Well I'm not going to get fancy-fancy. Just nicer than usual, y'know?" Herrick said. He stretched his arms up, relieving a little soreness.
"It's not every day I get to go out on the town, so I'm gonna look good."
He lowered his arms and looked to Owl with a shit-eating grin.
"If you want, I'll let you borrow my makeup."
Owl cocked her head and arched a single brow. Then she smiled, equally shit-eating.
"Your makeup? Well, that explains a lot."
Herrick stuck his tongue out at Owl just the littlest bit as he continued walking, but otherwise didn't rebutt her further.
"It'll be nice, though. I hope the music's good..."
"If it's not, I hope it's at least hilariously bad," she said, but she still looked distracted, her thoughts wandering.
"Hm. Well, what I'm dressed in now will just have to do. I don't have a lot of boy clothes. And all the ones I have are, well, stuff like this. It'll be fine. I can just look like some rugged, dashing soldier, and I'm perfectly okay with that."