[TW: Sexual assault]
Guards ran by a pastry stand, yelling "Stop, thief!", much to the surprise of the various people sitting at it eating various different kinds of sweets. One of the people looked behind him, and cracked a grin. "Idiots. Thanks for keeping quiet, dear." Herrick said as he turned his head to the stand keeper, a surly looking woman who seemed more shaved bear than human. She narrowed her eyes, and Herrick raised his hands defensively. He produced a few coins, and set them down on the counter. "Three for being so kind, two for being so beautiful, and one for a sweetroll." He said, and her expression remained stony and annoyed.
She reached over, and planted a sweetroll on the counter in front of Herrick and he took it up in his hand to take a bite out of it. "Get out of here, thief. If I ever see you again, I won't be so kind." She growled, and Herrick took the hint. He set off, walking down the avenue for a short bit before turning and heading into a smaller side street, which connected to another avenue.
He walked down this avenue, until he saw some guards coming his way, and he entered the nearest building he saw, which just happened to be the Arca library. He shrugged, and started walking down the aisles, idly looking at all the different books.
Einin wasn't alone that day.
A guard accompanied her as escort, and she knew that the Wolves were near, as well, for Rufus was ever vigilant after what had happened--for which she was thankful for, for once. Escort or not, though, she was left mostly to her own business. The man lingered nearby, keeping an eye on things and keeping her within eyesight, while Einin was free to wander the vast library.
There were more kinds of armor than just the physical, and she had had enough of being afraid. In an effort to better equip herself, she had insisted on going to the library to browse for more silly, fanciful stories alleviate her boredom back home. At least, that was the official reason. The real reason was the stack of books currently in her arms--books about goblins and other warped fae creatures, but also several books about combat, weaponry, and tactics. Not really suitable reading for a proper lady, but as her escort wasn't monitoring her reading material, it wasn't an issue.
What was an issue was getting down a book she currently wanted.
With a frown up at the promising tome, which was stacked high and just out of her reach, she set her books down on the floor, rolled up her long sleeves (for she was wearing a lavender dress complete with bodice and dainty slippers rather than boots), and rolled her shoulders back. She would certainly not be defeated by a book!
Grabbing onto the shelves, she climbed up two shelves, just enough to be able to reach it with her fingertips. Tongue sticking out the side of her mouth, she stretched for it, just barely managed to get her fingers on it, and tugged.
It came out, all right.
And so did half the books on the shelf, for they'd been rather tightly packed together. They all followed the book and came tumbling down in a shower of hard-backed volumes and fluttering pages--some of them landing on the poor man that she hadn't noticed come walking down that aisle.
Herrick turned into an aisle, puzzled by what he saw. There was a woman standing up on the shelves, trying to get a book down. "Hey, do you need some he-OH GODS"
Books.
Books everywhere.
When they came tumbling down the shelves towards him, he could do nothing but put his arms in front of his face defensively and block them. A few books bounced off of his forearms, but then Classic Adelan Poetry (a book about as wide as his shoulder) hit him in the gut, breaking his guard just long enough for his face to become acquainted with The Complete Code of Laws of Adela, Volume II of III. He yelped as he fell backwards, clutching his face and falling down against the shelf behind him, sliding down to the floor. "Fuck!" He suddenly blurted out, laying a hand on his forehead as a steady stream of blood trickled down his nose.
Fortunately for Einin, she was able to press herself close to the bookcase and avoid the majority of the disaster.
Unfortunately, that meant the poor man got to deal with the brunt of it.
She heard the thumps of books striking something, and heard him yelp and curse. Finally, when the books were done falling, she opened her eyes and gazed, wincingly, in his direction.
Or rather, where he was currently slumped on the floor and bleeding from his nose.
Erk.
"Sweet Kia's tit!" she blurted, and quickly hopped down from the shelf and crouched down near him. "I'm not going to ask if you're okay, because, um, obvious reasons! But I am so sorry! I didn't see you there! And I didn't know the books would explode and--can I help or, er...here!"
Fishing into her little clutch purse, she drew a handkerchief out and offered it to him.
Herrick barely registered Einin's words, more focused on deciding whether his forehead or his nose hurt more. He waved his arm at her, swiping the handkerchief out of her hand and blinking his eyes a few times. He looked up at her, and then straight up, trying to suck some blood back into his nose before he stuffed the handkerchief up the bleeding nostril. He found some sweet irony that even when it wasn't wielding a sword, the law would always find some way to attack him.
Herrick's hand looked for something he could support himself with, and it settled on the bookshelf he was resting on. He pulled himself up, shaking off the last few bits of dizziness.
"Don't worry about it...shit happens." He said, and leaned against the bookcase. "...I hate libraries..." he muttered. He was definitely going to have some bruises later, as he wasn't even in his armor, just some comfortable clothing.
"Oh, but...you're in a library...?"
Einin gave him a curious look, as though to say, 'why are you here if you hate them?' Then again, could just be he was being cranky. She'd be cross, too, after getting pegged in the face with a huge book.
She had been about to say more, but at that moment her escort poked his head around the corner. "Everything alright, Lady Beirne?" he asked, eyebrows raised as he took in the carnage and the bleeding man. But she noticed that his hand was near his sword, too. Misfortune seemed to follow the young Lady Beirne as of late, and it was clear he thought that man might be a predator.
With a laugh and a shake of her head, Einin waved the man away. "It's fine, Oliver. It was my fault," she said with a guilty wince. "If you could, grab an attendant, please? To, ah, help with the books."
With another confused look at the mess, Oliver turned to go fetch someone, and Einin turned back to the man. "How you holding up? It's not broken, is it?"
Herrick shot Einin a cross glare when she questioned why he was in a library if he hated them. Naturally, he had to retain the truth, but she seemed to drop the matter quickly enough for it to not be a problem. He curiously noted that she appeared to have a guard with her, and he smiled internally. Nothing like a good bit of nobility every now and then to keep his pockets full.
"Broken? Naw, just a popped vein. I'll live." He said, idly rubbing the back of his head. He finally noticed that his longish hair was slightly tangled in front of his face, and he promptly brushed it aside, making his face even clearer to Einin. "Herrick Tavish, pleasure to make your acquaintance. May I have the honor of knowing the name of my assailant, my lady?" He said, extending one of his hands.
Einin took his hand and opened her mouth, about to respond--and froze.
For it was at that moment, when he'd pushed his hair aside, that she got a good look at his face. There was something familiar about it, something that tickled at the back of her mind, but she couldn't quite place it. Gods, where had she seen him before? A play bill, maybe? A shop?
Ugh, how frustrating. She was sure it would come to her, though.
And as for her name? The question brought with it a slight, knee-jerk repulsion, but she realized a second later that she was being ridiculous. Her guard had already named her--with her family name, which was even more revealing than her first name. And she wasn't back there in that place. It wasn't like she wasn't well-known, either, or like she didn't have a guard near her--or Wolves out beyond, somewhere. Rufus had been very thorough after that debacle.
"Einin," she finally said with a smile. "Einin Beirne. It's nice to meet you, Herrick, even if I wish the circumstances were a little less...painful, heh."
Looking around at the mess of books, she realized that the book she'd originally gone for had been lost. Shuffling through then, she frowned, not seeing it--until she noticed it had landed behind Herrick. A rather impressive tome, and simply titled, The Book of Ogres and Trolls. She motioned to it. "Do you mind handing that to me?"
Herrick seemed distracted by something for a few moments, before blinking it away. "What...oh, here." He muttered, reaching behind him to stoop down and pick up the book, examining the cover before handing it over to her in one hand. "Ogres and Trolls, Eh? Normally, I'd ;et my curiosity get the better of me, but it's not my place to ask why such a pretty lady would need a dusty old book about the various kinds of lesser giants." He said, and handed the tome over with one arm. It was then Herrick got a good look at her, as she did to him. He could tell through the faint outlines of the upper part of her dress that she wasn't no flimsy wallflower. It took a certain amount of audacity to climb a bookshelf in a dress, after all.
"Simple curiosity!" Einin answered with a smile. "I read the most amazing story about a girl that was captured by goblins so I wanted to know more about them. I simply love mythical beasts, you see. Granted, I prefer things like fae and unicorns--they're so much nicer--but if I'm ever to tell my own stories, well, they've got to have villains! You can't have a story without conflict."
She tapped the book with her finger. "Maybe I'll find a good villain here."
Taking the book, she dropped it onto her stack and a plume of dust rose where it fell. She wiped her hands together to clear them of dirt, and then sneaked another curious look. That was going to bug her. Why did he look so familiar? Ugh...
"So, what brings a library-hater to a library, if you don't mind my asking?"
Herrick smirked. Hell of a lie, if he ever heard one. "I'm looking for a particular book, a book whose only copy belongs to this library." He said, putting on a hopeful tone. "You see, I enjoy books, but not so much the places they're held. My father had a grand old store of books. Are you familiar with Sarnath The Conqueror of Adela?" Herrick asked, leaning forwards.
"Hmm..." Einin tapped her lips thoughtfully. "Not very familiar. I've heard the name. I know he was an impressive leader, and lead many a war party to victory, and I know he had dragons." Honestly, the dragons were the part she found most fascinating. Adelan politics had never been something she'd delved too deeply into; her tutors had focused primarily on the politics and history of Serendipity, and touched on other nations where their histories and policies crossed.
"Are you looking for a book about him?"
Herrick's smile grew even more, and he laughed. She didn't know that much, which was beautiful. What he was about to tell her was the truth. Sarnath was (in a loose sense of the word) his father, even if he was adoptive. That was before the giant battles that made him a hero, however. Sarnath started small, quelling tribal uprisings in the Thunderblack Foothills, fighting unruly tribes of dragon-hunters.
Herrick decided to drop the bomb.
"A book about Sarnath? I'd hate that immensely. I mean, would you want to read all about your own father?" Herrick casually asked, bringing up the issue as if it was today's weather.
Einin wrinkled her nose at that question. "No, not particularly. I'd be afraid of reading something I might have preferred be left un--" She paused before she could finish and looked up from the stack of books she'd been arranging, then peered at Herrick with narrowed eyes as though seeing him for the first time.
"Saranth's your father?" Well, duh. That's what he'd just said. She just felt it bore repeating. "So that makes you nobility, then, and the son of a warlord. Interesting! What kind of book could be important enough to bring you here personally?" Certainly a powerful, important person like that could have hired people to fetch it.
Then again, she could have done the same, too. But she actually liked libraries and itched for the chance to get out--and, you know, this library actually existed in the same city she lived in.
"Well, I said I was his son, but not really part of the family, follow?" Herrick said, and glanced around, getting a bit closer and readjusting his casual lean. "The noble life grated on me. All the high living and "intrigue" and arranged marriages. I left it all behind before Sarnath could lock me into it with some pretty little girl I hardly knew." He explained and rubbed his hands together, releasing a small chuckle. "I'm a free man, but I digress. I'm looking for the book called Of Black Stars and The Blacker Arts." Herrick explained, pausing for a fee moments. "The Old Gods have always been an interest of mine." He added, smiling at her.
In truth, he was acquiring it for a client, an odd man who he'd rather not get to know better.
Einin's eyebrows raised at that description. Well. She could certainly identify with that! Though to actually just...leave? That took some guts. But she kept her mouth shut and her opinions to herself, because right now she was Einin Beirne--and few people knew her true thoughts on the matter.
That, and some wary part of her questioned his story. She had no way of truly knowing if what he said was true. For all she knew, he could be a common folk trying to impress the noble lady--though Sarnath, she would admit, was a relatively obscure figure to Serenians. She played along anyway. There was no real harm in it, and Oliver was close by.
With a smile and a shake, she said, "A noble's life isn't for the faint of heart, it's true. Though I can't imagine just leaving! Wouldn't your parents try to find you? Oh, but I suppose it's not really my business, and I don't mean to pry! But ah, speaking of things not for the faint of heart..."
Picking up her book stack with a grunt, she stood. "That book you mentioned? It doesn't sound like something you should trifle with."
"Well, my dad did try to get me back, but I guess he eventually realized he was better off not wasting the resources and had another son or something..." Herrick muttered, and finally took Einin's handkerchief out of his nose, sniffling a slight bit to make sure there wasn't anymore bleeding before handing it back to her. "As for the book, I don't intend to trifle with it, be sure of that. Just to read it." Herrick added and scratched at his neck.
A creak was heard down the aisle, no doubt coming from a more heavy-set patron of the arts, and Herrick casually turned his torso around to look at the source of the noise. That's where Einin would see it, in all it's shining glory. Herrick's dragon hunting pistol, strapped into a rear-waist holster designed to conceal it's actual size and length. It's masterful craftsmanship and intricate design, however, were still plainly obvious.
Herrick turned back to her, his confident smile finally returning to his face. "You look like the feisty sort, Lady Beirne. Surely, running away's not a totally foreign concept to you?"
As Herrick handed her the handkerchief, Einin leaned away from it and kept her hands on the books she held. Oh gods. Nose blood. Beautiful! She laughed and shook her head. "Er...that's alright. You can keep it. It's yours!"
Really, it was the least she could do.
When Herrick turned toward the sound, Einin twisted to get a look, curious of his reaction. She saw nothing of interest, though--except for a flash of the weapon holstered at his waist. A pistol? Interesting! She had never actually seen one except in books, and that didn't look like any of the Connlaothian ones she'd seen. But its design, even to an untrained eye like hers, spoke of great craftsmanship--it couldn't have been cheap, and it looked well cared for.
But her glimpse was brief, and before she could bring the subject back to that book, he had changed it to something else.
"Hmm? Oh. Well, of course it's not an unfamiliar concept!" Einin said, deciding to play dumb. She turned to exit the aisle and head toward a table, for the books were growing heavy.
"I know people do that. Run away to get away from bad situations, or to avoid their problems. I feel bad for them, for what kinds of things must drive them to that level of desperation. What could be so terrible that you have to leave everything behind--your family, your friends, your home--and just...run off to an uncertain future?"
She frowned, setting the books down onto the table. "Not to mention the people you leave behind! How worried they must be..."
Herrick shrugged, stuffing the Handkerchief into his pocket. He followed her over to the table, listening intently.
"Running away is never uncertain, Lady Beirne. When I ran away, I was certain that my life would be infinitely more interesting, and I've been right so far. No amount of undeserved wealth or shallow friends or lovers served up on platters can amount to the feeling you get making yourself into someone independent, free to fight their own battle. Thankfully, my father was more understanding than most, but even then, the nobility won't care much if even someone like you disappears. Sure, your parents might miss you, but you'll eventually be replaced by some other sibling."
Herrick paused, sitting down at the table and leaning back against the chair. "I saw the way you were climbing up the bookshelf. Surely, there's more to you than you're letting on, Lady Beirne." Herrick said, and leaned forwards, propping his elbows up onto the table, a curious expression on his face.
Even to Einin, that was a rather bleak view of the world. It was true that she was an only child so she couldn't wrap her mind around what he was talking about--parents replacing children and all!--but...yikes. It also wasn't like she was under the illusion that everyone had good families and caring parents like she did.
Taking a seat at the table and adjusting her skirts, Einin fixed her face into her best honestly perplexed expression, head cocked just a little to the side and brow scrunched. He sure was digging!
"What do you mean?" she asked. "I saw a book I wanted, so I tried to get it." And then she let her eyes drop sheepishly. "And we both saw how well that turned out! I should have just fetched someone to help. But sometimes I just, well...I get a little ahead of myself, and think I can do more than I can."
She gave a deliberate pause. "Is that odd?"
Herrick chuckled slightly. "Not odd at all." Herrick said, and leaned forwards a little more, once more brushing some of his wild hair out his face. Usually, he kept it in a ponytail, but he was feeling like letting it hang this morning. Herrick was one of those rare and dangerous men who knew he looked devilishly good, just like a seductress who understood the true power of her body.
"After all, if you could see yourself scaling that bookshelf, then you believed it to be possible. If you knew you couldn't do it, you wouldn't have believed you could. It's a simple philosophy, really." He said, stroking his short beard thoughtfully.
Damn this noblewoman. It was so obvious she was playing dumb here, but he didn't want to call her out on it. The last thing he wanted was to fight the Serenian Guard in a library, especially the one he was supposed to be robbing, possibly tonight.
Einin shrugged and flashed him a little smile. "Then I guess I thought it was possible! Honestly, though, I just got bored waiting for the attendant, and it was only a couple feet out of reach. It was never really a matter of if I could do it or not--that didn't even enter my mind!"
Opening a book, she began to browse through it. She didn't plan on reading them here, but she wanted to at least see if there were any that looked worth borrowing.
"Which, you know, that's not exactly a good thing. That was careless of me..." She sighed and looked up. "Again, I deeply apologize for that."
(I just want to push things along here, but feel free to let me know if you wanted the conversation to go on a bit longer and I'll edit.)
Herrick scoffed. "Please, you don't need to apologize to me, Lady Beirne." Herrick said, placing a hand to his chest. His eyes casually floated over to the door to the library, from behind which some clanking could be heard. It seemed the Guard had finally decided to check the one place they hadn't looked in yet. Before the door opened, he nonchalantly picked up one of the books from Einin's pile. "The Outdoorsman's Guide To Malevolent Fae, huh? can't say I've seen this volume..." Herrick muttered, opening the book and more-or-less burying his face in it just as the door opened.
A surly man stepped through, a scar over one of his eyes, which was milky white. He seemed more thug than Serenian Guard, but all those details seemed irrelevant as his other, icy blue eye scanned the room. He stepped in, nodding respectfully at the librarian, who just narrowed his eyes and went on with his business.
The guard walked towards the aisles, passing right by Herrick and Einin, and walked a few more feet before stopping, and turning around. He approached their table again, and laid a single finger on the binding of the book Herrick was trying to hide behind, slowly pushing it down.
"Thought you could hide from me here, you spineless gutter rat?" The guard said in a voice that might as well have been accompanied by the man spewing gravel from his mouth as he spoke. Herrick turned his head towards Einin, a smile on his face.
"We'll have to finish this conversation later, Einin." Herrick said, and shot upwards from the seat. Before the man could draw his sword, Herrick kicked the wooden chair upwards and towards the guard, smashing it against his chest plate. The man staggered backwards, and Herrick took the book he was reading and swung it sideways, denting the guard's helmet and knocking the man out cold. The entire altercation happened within a blink of an eye, and at about the same time the guard hit the floor, people were starting to notice something had just gone down.
He turned around briefly, putting the book back on top of Einin's pile (if she didn't knock it over in surprise) and gave her a slight bow. "I beg my leave." He said, shooting her that overwhelmingly confident smile of his as he sprinted into the aisles, climbing up the shelf at the end and out of a stained glass window.
Oliver, who had been lingering nearby, was at Einin's side in a flash the instant Herrick wielded that chair as a weapon. With the guard there handling the criminal, Oliver's priority was getting Einin somewhere safe, and so, with a hiss of steel, he drew his sword and put Einin behind him. "We're leaving, now," he said. "Stay close to me."
But it seemed Herrick was intent on fleeing, not fighting, and Einin watched as he escaped through a window, her heart beating fast from the surprise of that sudden change in atmosphere--though she didn't feel afraid, just excited. But she hung close to Oliver and acted afraid like she was expected to, even as her mind went pieced the puzzle together.
That was how she recognized him.
She recognized him from a wanted poster.
The drawing, from her memory, was a little off, his eyebrows too bushy and nose too big in the image, but now she could see the resemblance. A thief, then. A wanted thief, and a successful thief, with several killings under his belt. And not only that, but he had been...awfully interested in her, and had tried to dig just a little too deeply. Knowing what she knew now, it was an uncomfortable realization.
Uncomfortable, and yet, he was only a man. One man, at that.
She may have been a little skittish of heading back out on her adventures after everything that had happened, but she needed to dive back in eventually, and this?
This might be just the mark to start with.
With the threat dealt with, Oliver helped her gather up the books she'd chosen, checked her out, and escorted her back to her carriage, and all the while she mulled it over in her head. Was she ready yet?
She supposed there was only one way to find out.
Herrick laid down in the attic of a burnt out building, looking at the stars as they slowly drifted by. Tonight was an excellent night for parceny, but something hung in his mind like an old, eye-catching painting. He had to admit, he'd never been one for fostering his affections (it wasn't healthy with his cohoice of career), but there was something about Einin Beirne that struck him like one of those books at the library.
He realized then, staring up at the stars, that he had told her everything without even realizing it. About his heritage, even his name. It wasn't like some of the other women he met before, where he had given his name for the sake of business, but with Einin, he had just let it out.
He shoved this to the back of his head, and got up, going to a surprisingly intact (if not a little on the charred side) dresser he had used to stuff his equipment. The building was a jeweler's , Herrick reckoned, sinde the wood was a decidedly pricey looking, just like the large display windows in the ground floor.
He opened the dresser, and took out his set of leather armor. He slipped himself into it, and then donned his cloak (which he had redyed to provide camoflauge in a more urban setting. He checked all his buckles and gear, and set off, climbing out of the attic and onto the rooftops. He looked around at his surroundings, before starting off, silently sprinting towards the library building.
That night, Einin set out as Owl. Rufus had given her a new mask to replace the one that had been stolen and broken, but kept it to the horned owl theme. Instead of gray like the old one, this one was shades of brown, gray, and black, and she thought it rather an improvement! There was more detail in this one, and she thought it made her look fierce.
Once she was dressed and her hair and eye color changed (still all she could manage on herself, though she was working on more advanced illusions), she grabbed her sword and potions and sneaked out of her estate and off the property. Illusion helped there, too. A wrong step on a dry leaf nearly gave her away to a patrolling guard, but she sent out the illusion of a cat racing across the yard to explain the sound. It bought her the time she needed, and soon, she was free.
That night, Owl didn't actually plan on confronting anyone. Her goal was to gather information. It felt like a safe place to begin, and like a good idea--to know what you were getting yourself into. On her mission with Rufus, Rufus had stressed the whole "watching and waiting" element, and from what he had said, he had been gathering information on his query for quite some time. Their mission had been successful in the end, and the day had been saved!
So that's what she needed to do. Because barreling in was...not working.
It had nearly killed her, because she hadn't known she was facing Smed, and hadn't known much about him that could have prepared her, anyway.
A chill raced down her spine at the thought of the goblins, and she paused for a moment, frozen in the middle of a poorly lit, empty street. She glanced around the area, breath held. Maybe this was a bad idea. What if he found her? What if he and his lackeys were out here right now? Sure there were Wolves out there somewhere, never far away, as Rufus promised...but what if? Owl didn't believe for one moment that it was over, especially with how he'd wanted to find out her name.
Rubbing her arms to smooth away the goosebumps, she took a slow breath in and out. No. She couldn't let fear control her. Creatures like Smed were exactly the reason she wanted to do this--so other people weren't hurt like she was. No. She could do this. She had to--or she could keep cowering and hiding.
She didn't like cowering.
Rolling her shoulders back, Owl pressed onward. Baby steps. Gather information. That's all she was doing tonight.
Her journey brought her to the library, which seemed like an odd destination, except it was where she'd seen some of the most recent wanted posters, just outside it near the door. It was there that she headed, and sure enough, there it was: a poster with a crude sketch of one Herrick Tavish, a near spitting image of the man she'd met that day.
Owl tore the poster free. Oliver had ushered her out of the building so fast she hadn't gotten a chance to snatch it, or even look at it, then. Now as she studied it, she could only shake her head.
"Why are criminals so dumb?" she muttered to herself. Really. He had told her everything.
That is, if what he'd said was true.
Herrick took in the air as he moved across the rooftops. It was cool, and reminded him of Adela's spring breezes. He finally came up to the library, stopping on an adjacent rooftop. He would've jumped, but he heard a ripping sound, and stopped dead in his tracks, getting low and stealthily peering over the edge of the roof.
There was a...something there. It was either the most masculine woman he had ever seen, or the most feminine man he had ever seen. He looked at the poster it was holding, and saw that it was his own. Herrick disappeared behind the edge again, thoughts rushing through his head, thoughts that he quickly panned, filtered, and organized.
There couldn't be a single person that knew he'd be here tonight, either that, or there was a vigilante looking for him specifically. Either option seemed unlikely, since he had arrived to Arca about two days ago. He reached to his bandolier, and procured a hand lens with no case, just a frame with several different glass lenses piled on top of the other. It was a magical lens, one of his many small yet useful tools.
He peered from the roof one more time, and got a closer look at the person studying his poster. He had to lean towards it being a woman, given the proportions of the rear-end. He focused in on the stranger's head, and lifted the first lens, stripping away the first layer from his own sight.
Herrick smiled. Lady Beirne. I knew there was something more to you he thought to himself, and then realized he needed a way to get her away from the library. He thought for a few seconds, before an idea came to his head. He cupped his hands over his mouth, whispered into it, and made a discreet tossing motion to the area behind the library.
"Help!" came the voice, sounding like that of a youngish girl. It came from behind the library, and was compounded by the laughter of a gruff-sounding man.
A cry came from behind the library then, and Owl folded the poster and tucked it under her belt. Turning quickly with a flourish of her cape (new, as well; she had lost all her old clothes to Smed) she bolted toward the sound.
But didn't charge onto the scene.
As much as she wanted to barrel in, sword drawn, and save the poor girl, she remembered what Rufus had taught her--and what the goblin experience had taught her: caution. And so as she drew close she pressed against the wall and edged in, one hand resting on the pommel of her sword, and peeked carefully around the corner.
No one was there.
That was odd. They couldn't have gotten too far that fast. Owl's heart beat quicker as she watched the area, tense and poised for action and ears straining, and after a moment she stepped around the corner and into the area. Gods, she hadn't meant for this night to turn into a rescue mission, but she supposed a hero couldn't choose when they worked.
Herrick watched Owl run behind the library to investigate, and grinned. He waited for her to completely disappear from his sight before he attempted the leap from his rooftop the the facade of the library. He got a running start, and successfully cleared the gap, landing against the facade just under the giant stained glass window that provided the library its light. It wasn't exactly silent, but he hoped that Owl would be too occupied investigating behind the library to hear. He started climbing up the various features of the facade, when the unimaginable happened. He was almost there when a rather old piece of architecture came loose (an engraved gargoyle's head, to be precise), and made a resounding smash against the cobblestone street.
"...Fuck..."
Herrick quickly made the rest of the climb and begun making his entry. He pressed himself against the facade, using an angel statue's arms as a platform as he started pulling out his knockrod, holding it up to the lock so it would attune. Such a large library couldn't function without its own pigeon coop to relay messages, so he intended to gain entry through the window, where the coop was behind.
"Come on, you piece of crap..." He whispered.
CRASH! The shattering sound, ringing out from the front of the library, made Owl jump and whirl around. And it was then that she had the unsettling thought that maybe it had been a trap.
She kept her hand on her sword and crept toward the front. Sure enough, a large stone thing had fallen and shattered against the cobblestones. Edging forward, Owl nudged a piece with her boot and turned it over. A fierce stone eye stared back at her, and she glanced upward.
And found the headless gargoyle.
That was strange...gargoyle heads didn't just fall off of their own accord--whoa!
That was when she saw him, a man pressed up against the building's side, standing on the arms of an angel. If it hadn't been for the gargoyle drawing her eye, she would never have thought to look there.
"Hey!" she shouted, loud to get his attention. "Where do you think you're going?"
Herrick looked down at Owl, his knockrod shaking gently in his hands as it tried to attune to the window's lock. "Where am I going, my good sir?" Herrick asked, and suddenly the knockrod went still.
"Inside." He said, answering his own question as he shot her his usual grin as he tapped the window's lock and the thing swung open. He stood on the angel's arms for a few moment before hopping inside, coming to a quiet landing in the library's pigeon coop. The birds all started panicking in their cages with the sudden movement, but quickly calmed down again. With his entry, the window shut behind him, the lock clicking back into place.
Herrick wasted no time in starting to work on the door to exit the coop.
Well, shit!
It was Herrick.
Had he been in the library, then, to scope it out in preparation for...whatever it was he was doing--oh.
Oh.
He'd been in the library to find a book, a pretty terrible sounding book at that. Had he come here to steal it then? Bad idea, for a criminal to have a book like that in his hands. Taking a step back to better view the building's front, Owl studied it for possible hand and footholds, then went to the building's side. She wedged her gloved fingers in between old bricks, managed to get the toe of her boots in some, and climbed up until her fingers found the edge of the narrow terrace. Thank the gods that climbing had always been one of her strengths, a sort of skill she'd just always had--because she had never had a fear of heights, and as a child, her parents had always caught her trying to scale one thing or another. (Sometimes with bad results, like a broken arm.) She hauled herself up between two gargoyles, grunting with the effort, and watched that her cape didn't get caught on one of the pointy edges.
She rose, carefully, to her feet and edged along the ledge until she reached the angel, and the window it was guarding. Then she climbed up onto that, reached for the window--
And found it locked.
Of course.
Climb she could do. Pick locks? That was another thing entirely. Even if she could, she didn't have the tools.
And then there was the matter of getting down. She was fantastic at climbing!
She'd never broken a bone climbing up.
"Dammit," she muttered under her breath. Unclasping her cape, she let it flutter down to the ground--better not risk getting tangled in it--and then picked her way back to the corner she'd climbed up.
Herrick glanced behind him, and when it was ready, he tapped the knockrod against the door. It clicked open, and he stepped into the library proper, closing and locking the door behind him. He glanced around, aware of the fact that the librarian and a few of his assistants resided here. He dropped to a stealthier posture, and started making his way towards his quarry.
"Did you see what made that racket?"
He stopped dead in his tracks, a voice coming from the first floor. He stalked up to the railing, and peeked over. The librarian was there, oil candle in hand along with a cheap looking sword. The crotchety looking dwarf was dressed in a nightgown and slippers, but still somehow carried that spooky countenance that all librarians did. Herrick knew from local rumors gathered that the librarian was nothing if not paranoid. He heard a large door cracking open, and then closing.
"Looks to be that old gargoyle's head finally came off."
A youngish looking man came into view, one of the librarian's assistants. "Damn it all. I knew that mason was no good." The librarian cursed, and walked back over to a table that held a large, leather bound tome on it, sitting down and opening it up to continue reading. Herrick noted with some silent groans that the book the librarian was reading was the one he was after. Herrick ducked back behind the railing, formulating a plan once the assistant returned to his room downstairs
This was going to be interesting indeed.
It was slow work, but Owl managed to get back down. There would be no getting in the way Herrick had gone; she didn't have the tools, and even if she did, that wasn't her style! Breaking and entering? That was for criminals.
And she was no criminal.
However, there was a criminal inside, and Owl had considered the thought that sometimes, she may have to abide not quite by the law in order to save people and things, and though this might be one of those times...yeah, there was still no practical way to get in on her own.
So, after a moment of pacing and wracking her brain for ideas, the obvious solution clicked into place.
Picking up her cape and clasping it back on, Owl squared her shoulders and marched to the front door.
And knocked. Loudly, and hard enough to wake the dead.
It was a few long moments, but finally a voice came to her from the other end. "Who is it? And at this hour of the night! We're closed! Come back in the morning!"
"I know, and I'm really sorry about that, but it's important," Owl said, pressing close to the door. "Listen, you have a thief inside your walls. It's Herrick, a wanted criminal. I saw him enter through the top, past the gargoyles, through the window! I know this sounds crazy, but you have to let me in! I can take care of him for you!"
And then, knowing how suspect that sounded--a random person wanting inside in the middle of the night--she added, "I'm Owl! And I can protect you! If you heard about the shop that burned down, and the masked stranger that saved the man? That was me! You have to trust me."
Herrick was still plotting when a sharp knock came to the door, followed by Owl's voice. Well, for someone who had cleverly lied to him when they met earlier today, Lady Beirne was proving to be quite the blunt person.
Herrick used the time bought from both occupants investigating the door to move positions, gliding across the second story floor towards the back and hiding there. He watched as the librarian grumbled a few curses to himself, and walked over to the door, sliding open a slat so he could look at the person at the door.
"A criminal?! Good Gods, man get in here!" The librarian said as he hurriedly unlocked the door. As he swung it open, he took a better look at Owl. "Yeah, it's you alright. I knew the man who owned that shop, we were good friends." He added as he beckoned for her to come in. Once she was inside, he closed the door again, now glancing around warily at his surroundings.
He idly twirled his sword. "I had a feeling about that. Gargoyle's don't just fall apart by themselves. What makes you think he's inside, though? Only way in's the front doors..." The librarian asked, stroking his long beard.
Herrick remained silent and still, spying on Owl and the librarian as he waited for his chance to take the book sitting on the table. He swiftly jumped the railing, landing silently among the many dark aisles of books.
"I know he's inside because I saw him," Owl said, lowering her voice. "I saw him enter from the window up above. I've been tailing him."
It felt kind of odd, talking to the librarian like this. She frequented this library, and was politely familiar with the dwarven man. He didn't recognize her, though, which was good. It meant Ryk's lessons in manliness had been paying off. She walked confidently now, though, rather than consciously. Whereas before she had to pay attention to how she walked, stood, and sat (claim space, don't swing your hips, feet apart), which thus made it come across as a bit forced an unnatural, now she could slip into the role as naturally as she could slip into the role of a noblewoman.
Practice made perfect, after all.
"Listen, I've got an idea of what he's after. Do you have a book, Of Black Stars and the Blacker Arts? I overheard him talking about it."
The librarian raised his bushy eyebrows, blinking in surprise--and then paling with realization. "I was just reading that one, lad," he said, and turned, motioning her to follow. "This way! It's on the table in the back, the big tome!"
Owl didn't wait for him. Her longer legs carried her past him fast as she sprinted toward where it must be--the only lit room in the building, where she could see a large table and, atop it, a large, open book.
She reached it, looked around, and then grabbed it.
Herrick stalked among the shelves, lingering on the edges of the shadows so he could formulate a new strategy of approach. Einin had the book now, which should make this heist all the more interesting. Out of all of his tools, he had none which could get him close to her undetected, so he'd have to play a more subtle game here. It was either that, or walk out into the light, get into a half-decent scrap, and run off. He had to admit, both plans tickled his fancy, and he was confident of his ability to pull both off.
Second plan, definitely.
Herrick made sure his cloak and cowl covered his appearance appropriately, and enacted his plan.
The sound of two blades being drawn hissed through the library like a disturbed den of cobras as Herrick stepped out of the darkness, rapier and short sword drawn.
"Yeah, about that. I know you're closed an all, but would you mind if I borrowed something?" He said, and the librarian wasted no time in raising his sword.
"You bastard!" the stocky dwarf yelled as he charged forwards, throwing a crude horizontal swing at Herrick. Herrick raised an armored knee to deflect the blade, and brought the wrist-guard of his rapier down on the dwarf's face. The librarian stumbled to the side before falling over onto his rump, running to go cower in his study.
Herrick turned his gaze over to Owl. He smiled under his cowl, content with knowing who was really under that mask. Regardless, he played along. "Nice mask, lad. Now, hand the book over." He growled. The voice he used wasn't really threatening, being more cautionary than anything else.
Owl had her saber drawn the moment she heard the hiss of steel, and soon she found herself alone with Herrick.
"Thanks, Tavish! I'd say the same to you, but yours is pretty boring."
With the book tucked under her other arm, Owl fell into a proper fencing stance and flashed him a crooked grin, blade extended. "You know," she said, tone conversational, "instead of stealing, you could try doing what everyone else does when it comes to libraries and books. Just an idea! A radical one, I know. I came up with it all by myself."
She began to circle Herrick, her pulse quickening with nerves and excitement. She had practiced since Smed, but she hadn't done any real fighting, and her experience with Smed had certainly taught her all about worst case scenarios. It was THE worst case scenario. And yet, she didn't feel as nervous as she expected. She knew how to fight against men. Maybe no one as tall as Herrick, but Ryk was bigger than her, and stronger than her, and he hadn't gone easy on her.
Now that she'd had her taste of the worst that could happen, she felt strangely calm in the moment.
"Anyway, if you want the book, you're gonna have to come get it. I don't think this is something the likes of you should be playing with."
Herrick scoffed.
He had to admit, things were playing out exactly how he had wanted. It seemed Owl was perfectly comfortable with fighting him one-on-one, so he saw no reason for this to be over quickly. He raised his rapier and Cheesecutter, leveling both points at Owl as he slipped into a fencing stance of his own, defensive.
"You know my name. Interesting. You know, either you're a bounty hunter, or the one person I told my name to here. Which one is it, hmm?" He said, and started counter-circling Owl.
"Ahh, I suppose it doesn't really matter, does it?" He added. This stalling was a play for time, Herrick using every precious second to analyze her style. He could tell she was far from a master swordsman, and he gave Cheesecutter a small twirl in his hand to emphasize the point that he was skilled with his weapons.
"Your mask might be flashy, lad, but is it fireproof?" He said, and he suddenly sliced a small pouch on his bandolier with Cheesecutter before making a broad, horizontal swing, the entire maneuver taking up the entirety of half a second. When he swung Cheesecutter, a whitish powder flew into the air before bursting into bright flames. They wouldnt do more than singe up Owl's clothing and blind her for a few moments, but it would definitely be enough to ignite her fluffy owl mask if she didn't get out of the way
Herrick followed up by lunging forwards, using whatever moment of vulnerability this created to start up a series of shallow stabs aimed to disorient and cause pain.
"Is that so surprising? Your name's plastered all over," Owl said with a snort. Which wasn't a lie; his poster had been on the library wall, and was now tucked away beneath her belt.
As she moved, she studied him, and came up with an idea of what she needed to do. A man large as him was going to need a special approach--but it seemed she wasn't the only one with some tricks up her sleeve.
Because that was when he flicked his blade and sent a white powder at her.
Out of reflex, Owl sidestepped and turned her head, thinking he was trying to do the old "dirt in the eyes" maneuver. But when the powder burst into flame, she realized just how lucky she was as her quick reaction saved her from blindness--and burning. A few sparks hit her clothes, though with no fuel, most of the fire burned out in the air before it reached her. She had no time to check that the sparks didn't actually catch fire when Herrick came at her, and with that small distraction, she was immediately put on the defensive.
She parried, relying on footwork to put distance between them, because with his greater height and reach, distance would be key. Closeness had to be on her terms. She had never fought a dual-wielder before, but she noticed he tended to use his rapier for offense, and she retreated quickly, circling so she wouldn't get backed into a corner. When she got a little more distance between them, she parried another blow then thrust--but it was only a feint.
Only a gesture to guide her own magic.
With a soundless poof, smoke billowed up between them--fake, only an illusion, but one of the easiest she could create--and she moved in quickly before he could realize it was fake. Slapping his rapier to the side, she lunged, aiming a quick stab at his thigh.
Herrick didn't buy into the feint, having fenced too many a more skilled fighter than her to be caught off guard by one of the oldest moves in the book. Because of this, he wasn'ttotally surprised by the smoke, which he knew was an illusion because she made no motion that would otherwise betray a smoke bomb being thrown.
As soon as his rapier was slapped aside, he spun around the subsequent thrust, getting really close to Owl in the blink of an eye as he went in for a knee to her gut. After she would double over from the hit, he would swiftly cut the strap to her mask with Cheesecutter and back off, giving her time to recover.
Instead of soft flesh, Herrick's knee hit hard armor--the enchanted armor she now wore beneath her clothes, soft and supple as leather, but protecting as good as plate mail. Owl grunted from the impact, but it didn't steal her breath and she didn't double over; instead, she swiftly retreated, parrying Cheesecutter and coaxing Herrick deeper into the expanding illusory smoke.
It wasn't real, that was true. But it obscured vision just as well.
With a little smile at him beneath her mask--gods, she loved this armor; it would have been so useful a month ago--she continued her quick retreat, moving between the narrow rows of bookshelves where Herrick's mobility would be restricted. She hadn't wanted to go there, because she didn't want to damage the books, but with his two blades, he left her with little choice. Between the narrow shelves, he would be unable to swing as freely, or as strongly, and she waited for him to follow and make his first attack.
Herrick released a short hiss when his knee connected with Owl's hidden armor. Maybe he underestimated her after all. He didn't know what to expect from her, but he knew more trickery and Serenian illusions were in store for him.
He observed Owl retreat into the bookshelves, and made a note of her tactical decision to retreat to somewhere he couldn't dual wield properly. Herrick smiled at her, and sheathed Cheesecutter.
"The smoke was a nice trick, lad. I've got tricks of my own." Herrick scoffed, and turned a ring divided into three sections upside down. His form blurred, and two mostly incorporeal copies of himself (although to Owl they looked like the real deal) stepped out of the blur before Herrick himself came back into focus. Each copy had a third of the ring around his finger, and they all exchanged glances before looking back at Owl.
The real Herrick flicked his wrist, and the curtains that let the moonlight in slid shut, bathing the library in darkness before the Herricks simultaneously twisted the gem on a second ring, and vanished from sight. They started maneuvering around her, and Owl would be able to hear their faint footsteps as they all stalked her.
Well...shit.
Herrick split into three Herricks, and that was a sort of advanced illusion magic Owl wasn't yet capable of. And when the room was suddenly bathed in darkness...
Yeah. Shit was right.
She heard them moving and wondered how solid the fake ones were, but had no time to ponder it. Her number one priority wasn't winning this fight, anyway.
It was keeping this book out of his hands.
Acting fast, Owl reached into her pocket, drew one of the three cards she carried (never more than that, in case she was robbed), and gave it a quick glance before she tossed it behind her. Instantly, the image on the card came to life as an orc stepped from the card and grew, manifesting until it was life sized--a realistic illusion that even smelled like an orc. It snarled, and Owl commanded it to guard her back while she turned to the bookcase--
And pulled a tightly packed volume from a shelf.
Books rained down, and she swept more books from the shelves, then dropped the tome she carried onto the pile. A quick wave of her hand, and she changed its color, changed the words written on it--A Brief History of Arca--and then buried it beneath more books.
Then she squared her shoulders and readied herself, sword extended, her back to the orc, as she stepped over the pile and knocked more books down with her free hand as she went. She didn't expect the orc to last; the illusion would fade when it was struck. But it would serve as a warning if she was attacked from behind.
"Stop hiding and face me like a man!" she called. "Unless you're scared, and that's why you're skittering about like a rat."
"Well, I am a thief. Hiding's what I do." His voice said, coming from everywhere. The footsteps stopped altogether, and a chuckle was heard directly ahead of her. From in front of the orc, a single, heavy book came beaming out of the darkness, striking the brute in the chest and causing him to fade away.
"Oops, I think I broke your friend." Came Herrick's voice. "Not a bad selection for a Deck of Illusions. Personally, I prefer the faeries." Herrick's voice said, coming from straight ahead of her.
Suddenly, she'd hear a scratching sound directly above her as Herrick jumped down from the top of the bookshelf at her, intent on using the surprise to snatch her mask off and roll away.
Something hit the ground behind her, and Owl swung around in time to see to see her orc fade away--but she couldn't make out much else in the dark. Heart in her throat, she pressed her back to the bookcase to try to watch both left and right and made sure to keep her grip on her sword relaxed rather than tight, so it would be easy to maneuver.
Then Herrick's voice came from the other side, and she jerked in alarm and looked that way--but still nothing.
And then a scratching, directly above her.
Herrick jumped down from the darkness, and Owl reacted fast, blade swinging up to block him as her back slammed against the bookcase in her alarm--sending down another rain of books onto them both.
Herrick frowned when his second attempt to get the mask off failed, and when she raised her blade to block his, his rapier clashed against hers with a resounding clang that sounded throughout the library. When the books came down, he was prepared for them. When they came down, he raised his cloak up with one arm to block them. His cloak, much like Owl's hidden armor, was surprisingly protective, altough for not the same reasons. It was made up of razor-thin, composite scales comprised of light metals wrapped with blackened leather, and then covered with cloth to make it look like a regular cape.
He blocked the rain of books with little effort, managing to catch one before it hit the ground, a meaty almanac about as thick as a human fist. He flung this at Owl's knee before advancing on her with his rapier, intent on whipping her across the face with the point.
The book struck Owl in the knee, and while it didn't hurt, the force of it knocked her off balance. With a grunt, she stumbled and fell back against the book case again--right as Herrick's blade whipped across her face.
Owl didn't feel the sting, for the mask, made of the same material as her armor, protected her. But she did hear the sound of it striking, and she saw feathers flutter through the air his blade tore off the ornamentation, leaving behind a long bare patch in the mask. If it had been one of her old masks, and not one Rufus had gifted her, it would have been shattered, but it was clear now that the only way Herrick would be unveiling her was by yanking the mask off himself; it was not meant to break easily.
Regaining her balance, Owl whipped her saber back up to parry any follow-up strikes and turned her body quickly so she wasn't pinned up against a wall. She put her back to the aisle's exit and retreated a step, and smiled. "Your book's gone, Tavish," she said. "May as well give up. The guard will be here soon."
Herrick laughed. "Nothing's ever gone, lad." He said, reestablishing his stance. "In fact, I'm already looking for it." He said, and some rustling and the sounds of books shifting alerted her to something ahead of her, behind Herrick. The pile of books was spread out, and the two other Herricks were stooped over it. One of them was wearing a strange pair of goggles with the glass tinted an odd shade of purple. The one with the goggles had a large book in his hands, and was flipping through it, a crafty smile on its face. The other was merely spreading the books out.
In order to keep Owl's attention away from it, the Herrick currently facing Owl resumed his assault with a series of broad slashes with the tip, aimed to keep her sword arm busy as his other arm flashed to his rear hip and brought his pistol to bear like lightning. He wasn't actually aiming at her head, or any part of her body at all. He was trying to disorient her with the thundering crack of his firearm, then pull her mask off.
Though Owl had never seen a gun in person, she'd read descriptions of them, and as soon as Herrick pulled it out and aimed, her heart dropped and her blood went cold. Maybe she should have asked Rufus if her armor could repel bullets.
"Oh, shit!" she yelped, and scrambled backwards out of the aisle to throw herself to the side, skirting around the shelf's end cap just as the gun went off with a thunderous, eardrum-cracking BOOM. It was like a mini explosion had gone off right here in the room, and it set her ears to ringing; she'd never heard anything like it, and it hurt. She swayed where she stood, her left hand going to her ear, and for a moment she was stunned as it threw her off kilter.
Which was all the time that was needed for "Herrick" to grab her mask and yank it off.
But if there was one good thing that came of that, it was that the sound was loud, and it traveled--especially in a nation where guns were uncommon. Owl had been bluffing about the guard and hoping the librarian would notify someone, but even if he hadn't, the guard would have heard that.
And even if they hadn't, the three Soot Wolves watching outside did, and while one quietly entered the way Herrick had, poised and ready to intervene should Rufus's ward need it, the other two slipped around the building to guard the entrances.
Almost as quickly as he had drawn and fired it, the pistol was back in Herrick's rear holster, and he had rapidly stepped forwards. Like a coiled snake, his hand shot forward, fingers hooking around the rim of Owl's mask and quickly disappearing it from her face within a blink of the eye. If she happened to have her eyes closed at the moment it happened, she might not had even immediately noticed it was gone.
Herrick took a few steps backwards, chuckling as he mocked surprise. "Well well, I knew you had it in you, Lady Beirne. I had you pegged for a terrible liar from the beginning." He said with as much smug as he could muster. He was twirliing the mask around by the strap, slowly backpedaling.
"If freedom from your noble life is what you wanted, you could have just told me when we met in the library. Tell me, how long have you been pulling this act, hmm? How many half-minded thugs and weedy thieves have you turned in?"
Owl felt the mask come free as the strap pulled at her hair and cool air hit previously covered skin, and she grabbed for it as Herrick yanked it free, but it was too late. He had her mask, and he was sure being insufferably smug about it. Fortunately (and unfortunately) her ears were ringing too much for her to catch the first half of what he said, but she did catch the last part.
Shaking off the shock, she quickly advanced as he retreated and made a quick, jabbing lunge for him with her saber.
"Probably more than you!" Owl snapped, grabbing a book from the shelf with her free hand and chucking it at Herrick's left shin. "As for the rest, that's really none of your business!"
In Einin's disorientation, Herrick found it easy to deflect her saber jab and take a few more backwards steps. Then, Herrick lifted his leg to avoid the thrown book, which zipped just under his foot.
"You'd be surprised, Einin. I suppose you read on my poster, which claims that I have multiple kills under my belt? I have this to tell you. I've never killed a man who didn't deserve it or tried to kill me first. That's a fact. I've only ever stolen from those who sit on their wealth and do nothing with it. That's also a fact. Essyrnian slave-drivers, fat nobles, those are my quarry." He said, giving Einin some time to recover as he spoke. This was on purpose, he had a few choice words for her.
"Just because I don't put criminals away does not make us any different. We're cut from the same, noble cloth. We've both chosen to strive for freedom, except I've succeeded where you have failed." he continued, and hung Owl's mask at the tip of his rapier and held it out.
"This mask is where you failed. How can one be free if they're pretending to be someone else?" He asked, but continued anyways, not caring for her answer. "If you truly want to be free, come talk to me in my safehouse. No more lies, Einin." He finished, and let the mask fall to the floor.
"The attic of the burnt jeweler's shop. I won't pull any tricks as long as you don't."
Herrick then pulled out a dagger and stabbed himself in the leg, waving Einin a goodbye as his form faded, just like an illusion.
The library fell silent for a few seconds.
From the same place he entered, the sound of a Soot Wolf being knocked unconscious was soon followed by the crash of a stained glass window being jumped through.
With a frustrated sound, Owl snatched her mask back up off the floor. He was a fake! She had wasted her time fighting a Kia-be-damned fake!
Working quickly, she fastened her mask back on her face. The sound of gunfire would have carried--especially in a place like Arca, where guns were rare enough to be unheard of--so the guard would no doubt be on the way. They could deal with protecting the library, but she had to leave before they came. The guard could either help or hinder her, but she didn't want to risk getting caught up and questioned.
And on this matter, she couldn't risk getting the guard involved. Herrick knew her identity. As easy as it would be to set the guard on him, since she knew his location, it would be a fool move now when he could spill her identity to the guard. Goddammit...
All the more reason to deal with him, and deal with him fast. Though...
Even if she turned him in, couldn't he out her anyway?
Owl's stomach twisted with realization.
Shit.
Shit shit shit!
The librarian poked his head into the room then, and Owl tossed him a look. "I'm sure the book's stolen by now, but if it's not, guard it," she said, and with a wave of her hand, she dispelled the illusion she'd cast. Of course, it would only work if the book was still there, which it may very well not be. "And if he's got it, I'll get it back. The guard should be here, soon. I'm sorry I couldn't do more, but I promise I'll fix it!"
And with that said, she rushed out the door, the remaining two Soot Wolves trailing her from the shadows.
It was a short trip to the safe house, and Owl couldn't believe she didn't recognize it earlier. Probably because it looked different when it wasn't a roaring mass of flame.
She took a deep breath as she approached it, a wave of apprehension rolling over her as she drew closer. This was where her nightmare begun, and she found herself hesitating, not wanting to go in there, fearing things would be lurking in the shadows. It was a silly fear; no goblins would live there, and besides, if they tried anything, she felt confident that it would go better this time. She'd learned some hard lessons last time that she hoped never to repeat, and was far better equipped this time--physically and mentally.
Still, she wasn't at all pleased at the idea of going down into the shop's freakin' attic.
"Give me ten minutes," she told the Wolves that had followed her as she stepped inside the building. "If I don't come out in ten minutes, or otherwise give some signal that I'm okay, then assume I'm in trouble and act appropriately."
And then, with a deep breath, she descended into the attic, one hand on her sword.
When Einin descended into the attic, she'd find the room was free of goblins or anything fishy. Illuminated by a lit lantern's light, Herrick sat at a charred but mostly intact small table, relaxed into a chair. Across from him, there was an empty chair, pulled out and set aside. One of his hands was tapping lightly on the table, more out of boredom than anything else. As far as Einin could see, the book was notably absent, because Herrick had hidden it under the floorboards.
When he saw that she was wearing her mask again, he let out a disappointed sounding tsk
"Hm, you actually showed up. Color me surprised." He said, and motioned towards the unoccupied seat. "Please, sit. There's no more need for that mask, as well." He added.
Regardless of whether she actually sat down or not, he'd continue. "Tell me the truth, Einin. Did you come here because of what I said in the library, because you truly want to be free? Or are you still chasing a book?" He said, leaning forward and placing both hands on the table.
[ooc: LOL OMG I was so tired when I wrote my post, I didn't realize until now that I wrote she descended into the attic. xD I meant ascended! Attics are above! WHOOOOOPS.]
"I'm fine standing, thanks," Owl said, unmoved. "My legs need a good stretch." But she did slide her mask up so it rested atop her head, still held on by the straps. He was right; no real point hiding her identity around him now.
She came to stand behind the chair and leaned onto the back of it, listening as he spoke, and taking a quick mental stock of the room. There was no sign of the book anywhere, which figured; if Herrick had gotten a hold of it, he would have to have been stupid to leave it out in the open, knowing she was coming.
Looking back over at Herrick, she sighed at his question and let her shoulders relax, her eyes lowering. "The truth, huh?" she said, staring down at her gloved hands. "Maybe...a little of both?" She looked back up at him finally and drew herself up a little straighter. "Like, I told myself I'd just come and get the damned book back, like a proper hero should do, but...well, I'm doing a poor job of that now, aren't I? So...maybe..."
She shrugged. "Maybe I am a little curious. About this...freedom thing you speak of. And why you care so much."
Hopefully that would get him talking. They always liked to talk.
(Yeah, I was playing along to see if you'd notice or not. Also, lots of talking up ahead, so PAY ATTENTION, RHAY RHAY!)
"Curious? Well, anyone would be curious. If a thief invited me into his safehouse to hold a serious talk about my future, I'd be damn curious as well. But I suppose that's not the answer you're looking for." Herrick said, and slowly stood up, placing a hand to his chin.
"Now, stop me if I'm getting something wrong here. You're a noblewom-er...Noblegirl who's either sick and tired of her courtly life and the perks it comes with, or you're afraid of being married off. So, in order to make yourself believe that you're freeing yourself from this life and/or inevitable arranged marriage, you're dressing up in a fluffy mask and apprehending criminals. Now..." He said, and paused for a few moments.
"Oh, and by the way, call off your tails. They won't be necessary. If I wanted you dead, unconscious, or captured, you wouldn't have made it up here." Herrick quickly said, and resumed his theorizing.
"...Something's wrong here. Because your "bodyguards" are Soot Wolves, saw it for myself when Herrick #2 knocked out that sad excuse of a thug back in the library. What's a pretty little vigilante like yourself doing mucking around in the underworld? With bodyguards? Obviously, the only conclusion I can draw is that you're connected to Rufus, The Red Wolf. And if you're connected to him...well..." Herrick paused again.
"That doesn't make you a very good vigilante. But that brings me to my point. No matter what you do, you have to return to your wealthy life, and your entire existence, until you do get married off, that is, is stuck in an infinite cycle of high-life by day, and low-life by night. I know this cycle, I was once stuck in it myself, and that's why I care. I hate to see wasted talent, Einin. If Rufus's been teaching you, then he hasn't been doing a very good job."
He paused.
"I can truly free you, take you away from all...this..." he said disdainfully as he waved out towards the attic window and the rest of Arca beyond it. He stood up, and moved towards the warped and charred remains of the window, crossing his arms as he looked out across the rooftops. "Call me strange, but I'm a thief with a sick sense of good."
[ooc: AYE AYE! *SALUTE*]
Owl let him talk, and listened as he spoke, though his words soon had her bristling. He had some things right--but also got some things wrong, as so many did. And he was also smart enough to put two and two together and guess at her connection to Rufus, which...well...
How did she even go about explaining that?
But the accusation that Rufus hadn't taught her well, and that she was a poor vigilante, got her back up and she glowered at Herrick, her spine stiffening.
"Look. It's complicated," she ground out, and hoped he would leave it at that. There was no way she was getting into all that with Herrick. "But I can tell you that you're both right and wrong about a lot of things. And I can tell you that I have no intention of leaving Arca. You think I want to run away? Like you did? I don't."
She folded her arms over her chest and shrugged. "I've never been the running type."
"Look. It's complicated,"
Herrick chuckled.
"I won't press. I'm sure your life must be very complicated. Still, I assumed I was bound to get some things wrong." He said, still looking out the window. He sighed, before turning back around.
"Usually, you'd be right, but in my situation, it took more courage to run away. I used to be under two heels, my father's and the Adelan crown's. I was their top agent, but I grew sick and tired of wasting my days in court and my nights slitting throats in the castles of rogue noblemen. I didn't run, I liberated myself." Herrick said, pausing to think.
"You can do the same, but you've allowed yourself and Rufus to cloud your vision and...wait..."
"...have you two...uh..." Herrick trailed off, not quite knowing how to phrase the question without getting a sword drawn on him.
If Owl had been about to comment on Herrick's explanation, it all went flying out the window when Herrick asked his question. Or rather, his non-question, the one he didn't finish--but that was heavily implied. For a moment, Owl just looked blankly at Herrick, and then she went very stiff as it registered. Her eyes widened, warmth threatening to flood her cheeks, and she quickly averted her eyes and stared down at the table.
"Uh...I'm sorry?"
One finger began to tap a steady rhythm on her arm. She glanced back up at him and smiled, tensely, and decided her best offense was feigned obliviousness.
"I'm...I'm not sure I follow. Have we what?"
It was...still a rather sore subject for her. But with any luck, Herrick would feel too awkward to press deeper.
Herrick carefully observed Einin's body language, and wasn't surprised with the answer. The sudden tenseness and desire to look at the ground and not at him was a dead giveaway, if not the attempt to play innocent.
"By Kia's right tit, you have." Herrick said with a sigh that sounded more disappointed than anything else, like a grandfather voicing his disapproval.
He clasped his hands behind his back, and took a few steps towards Einin. "You poor, manipulated girl. Is being a crime lord's pet all what it's cracked up to be? Fighting crime while your owner's lapdogs wait to spring into action in case you misjudge something? Gods forbid the boss' favorite toy gets broken. You must never forget that Rufus, above all things, is the leader of the most powerful thieve's guild in Arca. Everything he does is for his own gain. Everything." He said, emphasizing the final word by taking one of his hands from behind his back and extending the index finger towards Einin.
If Owl had been tense before, she was stiff with anger by the time Herrick finished.
"What? What are you--? How dare you!" Einin slapped Herrick's hand away and took a step back, her face red. "How dare you insinuate that we--that I--gods, no!"
And it was the truth.
Owl had never slept with Rufus.
"And how dare you call me his pet! I'm nobody's pet. I'm not his toy, I'm not some poor, manipulated damsel, I'm not stupid, and I certainly don't need your pity. And if you think for one moment that I don't know what I doing, you're severely underestimating me."
She shrugged. "Which I suppose is useful, in the long run. Either way, I don't have to justify myself to you, so...you can think what you want, even if it's wrong."
Herrick remained still save for putting his slapped hand behind him.
Oh, we're getting along just dandy... Herrick thought as Einin gave him another set of angry words. She just didn't see the big picture. She didn't know what was going to happen when her entire life would come grinding to a screeching halt. But (at least according to her) she apparently had a handle on all these things, so Herrick dropped the subject.
Either she had put all of her deception skills into saying that she never once accepted Rufus into her body, or it was the truth. Either way, it was only a matter of time.
Herrick chuckled, and smiled at her.
"Well, then I guess I read you all wrong, Einin. I'm sure you must have your reasons for pinning yourself to Rufus' brooch, and I've grievously underestimated you." He said, as he made up for the step Einin took away from him with a step forward of his own.
"I guess, being the capable crime fighter that you are, and seeing as how I'm just a lowly thief who made a guess at a stranger's character, I suppose that you'll have to apprehend me." Herrick said and spread his arms to his side.
Whether he bought it or not, Owl couldn't tell--but at least he'd dropped the uncomfortable subject. Because while Herrick wasn't right, he wasn't wrong, either. And Owl was telling the truth, sure--but she was also fibbing. Herrick just had his identities wrong.
For Einin and Ryk had slept together, but Herrick wouldn't know of Rufus's other identity, now would he?
Either way, she continued to glower steadily at him, and though she'd stepped back that first time, she held her ground when he stepped forward and touched the pommel of her sword, just in case.
His words, however, made her laugh.
"Of course," she agreed. "But I'm not going to."
Herrick lowered his hands to his sides, a cocky smile building up on his face.
"You're not?" He said, with mock curiosity. Although he sounded like he was expecting this, he was genuinely surprised that she didn't at least draw her sword. It's not like Herrick was unarmed, either. He had a few weapons hidden on him, and he was a more than competent unarmed fighter. Based on how she fought in the library, Herrick would have little trouble subduing her.
It was her tails that he was worried about.
Owl shrugged and shook her head. "Nope," she said. "Despite being disgustingly offensive, I don't believe you were finished yet? Or at least, I feel like we got awfully off topic once you got all absorbed in your scandalous daydream."
"Yes, I must admit that was quite a large tangent I went off on. I...might have digressed heavily from my original point." Herrick said, and walked back to the table, setting both of his hands down on it. He was still firmly convinced that something was up with her relationship with Rufus.
"My point is...the life you're living has a deadline. Once your parents decide its worth it, they'll pay another family a dowry, and you'll be married. A complete stranger will put his child in you, and then your crime fighting days will be done. No more partnerships with crime lords, however dodgy they may sound, no more putting on a fluffy mask and fencing common criminals into submissions, and no more freedom. You'll be spending the rest of your life chatting at dinner parties and popping out babies until you're buried. The freedom I offer you doesn't require you to play civilized during the day, and it'll never end until death takes it from you."
Once he was done, he sat back down, awaiting her answer.
While the entire point had been to keep him talking while she figured out how she was going to handle him (specifically, how she was going to deal with the issue of him knowing her identity), that hit an exposed, sensitive nerve. Because in that, at least, he was absolutely right. Of course, being noble-born himself, he'd be familiar with how the system worked, as they all were--and she didn't need the reminder that her days were numbered.
Or the reminder of how hurt she still was over...over that.
Over Ryk Handelaar getting engaged to Dylanna Swinden, after everything they'd done, everything they'd discussed. After she'd...given herself to him. Marrying him would have ended this entire issue! It would have complicated tons of others, and it might not have been a marriage of love, anyway, but...it would at least have been one of freedom, and friendship, strange as it was, and despite everything, he made her feel...special.
But that was over, and she was right back where she started, and now she had to watch the first man she'd laid with raise a family with someone else. It was so stupid. She wasn't even in love with him. But it still hurt, and still left her feeling vulnerable and used.
And scared, once more, of winding up with a stranger.
Raising his babies.
She didn't even want children! At least not for a really, really, really long time! Like another lifetime, maybe!
Owl was silent for a moment, glancing down at the table. Still, as on point as he was...
"I realize it has a deadline," she said, running her fingers along her sword's pommel absently. "Which is why I work as hard as I do. But you. Are you actually suggesting I team up with you instead? From one criminal to the next?"
"Ah, but me and the Red Wolf are two very different criminals. I'm not a crime lord, I have no organization to keep up nor a face to save, no promises to make then throw away as soon as a better deal comes up. I answer to nobody, save Death itself, and I couldn't be bothered to give a rat's ass over what anyone has to say about it!" Herric proudly proclaimed, standing up.
Across the street, someone opened their window to see what the racket was, then shrugged and closed it again.
"If you accept my offer, we won't be a team, per se. Team implies we're strangers who've banded together to tackle a problem. We'll be more like...partners. I'll teach you the ways of the estate raider, the street fighter, and the free walker. We'll leave this den of common thugs and work together, as one, stealing from those too rich and fat to do anything but hoard wealth." He said, and raised his hands to show that he was harmless before laying them gently on Einin's shoulder.
"What do you say, Einin Bierne? Ready to take your future into your own hands, and never let go of it until death steals the life from your heart and the earth steals the flesh from your bones?"
"I don't know...it's a tempting offer, I'll admit..." Owl said with a thoughtful frown, looking up at Herrick's face before glancing down again.
"It would solve a lot of problems. Or rather, I'd escape a lot of problems, but...it's a lot to take in right now." She sighed, shoulders slumping forward a little, though she didn't try to shove him off. If anything, she only leaned into him more as though exhausted, or defeated. "Do I need to give you an answer right now? Or can I have a little time to think this over? Because see, the thing is, right now I--"
And that's when she pressed the point of her dagger to his throat. He wasn't the only one with more than a sword; a holster on her thigh held her ice dagger, easily within reach of her fingers as she stood there. "--really need that book back."
Herrick was oddly on edge when Einin leaned in towards him. A feeling that was proven right when he felt something unnaturally cold press against his throat. In any other situation, he'd feel cheated and angry, but in here, he only felt bolstered. He didn't even take his hands off her shoulders
In fact, he actually started laughing, and smiled down on her. "How could I refuse? If you caught me off guard like this, you deserve nothing less." He said. It had been a long time since he had been caught like this, and it thrilled him.
"If you'll permit me, I'll get the book, but...perhaps it's not the best idea for you to retrieve it." Herrick said, and his expression grew serious. "My employer was a strange...strange man. He had a dangerous determination in his eyes. I fear that if he does not get it from me, he might come here himself to get it." He said. His voice carried a cold dread in it.
Owl was almost as surprised as Herrick was--surprised at her own success and, admittedly, pretty damned smug about it, too. He'd bought it. He'd actually bought the act! As annoying as it was to always be viewed as weak and incompetent among so many skilled criminals, it had actually come in handy this time around!
But it was no time to get cocky. That had been her downfall many times in the past--with almost fatal results the last time. So she held her knife steady and kept a straight face through Herrick's laughter.
At least, until he got to the bit about his employer.
"Then it's a good thing I won't be here when your boss arrives," Owl said with a chipper smile, holding the dagger steady.
Nice try, Tavish.
"Now, you're going to tell me where the book is. But first, you're going to put your hands on your head--slowly. No sudden movements, understand? Go on, do it."
Herrick sighed, and his hands lingered on her shoulders before he moved them to the top of his head.
"Sorry Einin, but this is where it gets dicey. My employer promised "the complete and total destruction" of my body and soul, and I don't doubt it. He's not your average bad guy." Herrick said, and paused. His look was dauntless, like he'd stared down the length of a dagger many times before.
He sighed, before continuing.
"I'm not going to give you the book, so you might as well plunge that dagger into my throat, and return to your deadlined life." He said, and locked his eyes with hers. They seemed to dare her to do it, to throw away this opportunity.
Einin lifted an eyebrow, waiting until Herrick was done speaking, and shrugged.
"I'm sure. Now hold still," she said, "and don't move. I will use this if you do, Tavish, so it's in your best interest that you don't. Turn around."
She moved before he could, stepping around behind him as she began to one-handedly feel him up for hidden weapons. "I wonder, will your employer be able to track you down to the cell you're imprisoned in?"
In her attempts to find hidden weapons, she'd be able to find some small stiletto daggers disguised as pieces of his leather armor. Good for non-lethal punctures, but not much else. They seemed to be be there only if Enin came in swinging.
"Well, let's say you do get me in a cell. My employer would probably track me down. When he does find me, I'll kindly redirect his anger towards you. Not to mention I'll tell the guards all about this little identity of yours. This is, of course, if I don't break out, which I will." He said, as confident as ever.
"But, results to come notwithstanding...and it breaks my heart to think so, but did you just completely blow off what I had to say to you? It didn't even inspire a little bit of thirst for freedom? I mean me, a master thief, put himself at your mercy in order to try and help you. It's got to mean something, don't it?"
Einin made quick work of the daggers, plucking them free, dropping them to the ground, and sending them skittering out of reach with a sharp kick.
"Oh, it could mean a lot of things," she said with a shrug. "In this case, you're either being sincere or manipulative. Given you're a thief, I'm going to assume manipulative. It's a common trope used by villains, you know--making yourself vulnerable to try to gain someone's trust, just long enough to slip the knife in their ribs! Not that I think you want to knife me, but I'm well aware of my title and what it means to people, and that my family is an influential one. So, there's a lot of reasons someone might want to gain my trust!"
She gave him a little poke in the back with her knife. "Now, keep your hands on your head. We're going to start walking, and you're either going to tell me where the book is, or it's to prison with you."
Confidence. She just had to keep on exuding confidence, like she wasn't worried about him revealing her identity, and like she wasn't worried about the realness of this employer of his. Bluffing had saved her before; it could work for her again.
"Why would I con you when it's much more profitable for the both of us for me to tell the truth?" Herrick said, and took a step forwards. "Face it, you don't want me spilling everything to the guards and my employer, and I don't want to have to break out of a Serenian jail cell. If you insist, I'm going to have to stop surrendering, and take matters into my own hands" he said, and paused to give Einin some time to process those words.
"Let me give you your first lesson, Einin. There are some items not worth the trouble, and this is one of them. Walk. Away. Believe me when I say this thing's not worth the lives of everyone you care about."
"And how do I know you won't just...spill my identity anyway?" Einin asked, still holding her blade steady. "I'm obviously not giving you what you wanted, so it's not like you have use for me now. What's to stop you from snitching now?"
"That's just the thing, Einin. You have nothing to go on...except...my word. I have nothing to gain from exposing your secret life, so I won't. Besides..." he paused to slowly turn around in the most non-threatening way possible.
"You'll come around. I know you will. When Rufus leaves you in the dust for better prospects or gets put down, and your parents introduce you to the stranger you'll spend the rest of your life with, you'll come around. In fact, I have something for that..." He said, his eyes idly drifting towards a black rucksack by his sleeping bag.
"Before we part, I want to give you something. Consider it a token of good will. Now, I don't expect you to trust me to get it, so I assume you'll want to do it yourself. In one of the side pockets, where I keep my many magical rings there's a pair of Solid gold bands with emeralds encrusted around the edge. hand me one, and I'll explain what they do."
Ouch. If only Herrick knew how much those Rufus digs hurt. Owl kept her expression level, though, and held back the wince, because she didn't want to admit even to herself that she felt a little abandoned. Not...literally. Just that it was kind of a little painful to hear about Ryk with his family and son and...all that.
But she didn't think he'd ever ditch her. They were still friends. He still loved her, and visa versa, in their weird, non-romantic way...
She was silent on that matter, and silent on the matter of "coming around". Herrick could believe that all he wanted. But she would never partake in thievery.
Giving Herrick a skeptical look, Owl cocked her head. "Why don't you tell me what it does first?" she said. "Why do you need to have it to tell me what it does?"
You know. Just in case he was planning on anymore tricks.
"Well, it was so I could show you how to work it, but if you're still keen on not trusting me, be that way." He said, and took his hands of the top of his head so he could cross them. "Hope you don't mind, my arms were starting to get tired." He said with a smile, before he set upon the task of actually explaining the rings.
"Those rings used to belong to a sultan and his bodyguard. The fact that I have them testifies to the skill of said bodyguard. The sultan was particularly ruthless with his slaves, so he was paranoid that they would rebel while he was asleep, or caught alone. So, he had these rings made. Basically, they allow the bearer of the master ring, which is the one with the silver etched around the emeralds, to summon the bearer of the servant ring in the other." Herrick explained, putting his hands together.
"Basically, you spin any of the emeralds on the ring around one whole time, and I'll be there. I've never really met someone worth giving the master ring to, but I think you're as good as any. You get in a jam, and I'll be right there to help you if you so desire."
Owl listened to his story, and her eyes narrowed skeptically as he finished.
"And you want to give me that? Why me? You've only just met me, so how could I possibly be worthy of something so...risky? Unless you believe you can trick me with flattery, and truly planned on giving me the servant ring. Honestly, I wouldn't know the difference between the two because I only have your word here. And if I were a thief or villainous sort, that's exactly the sort of thing I'd do to defeat my nemesis--trick someone, give them such a ring, and summon them into a trap."
She rubbed her chin with her free hand. It just wasn't adding up. And besides, she'd had enough experience with criminal types to know better than to accept a gift from them!
...Uh. Except for Rufus.
But that was beside the point!
"Well, normally your logic would stand, Einin, but you keep forgetting that I am not a villain. I have nothing to gain from your downfall. Absolutely nothing. You don't want the ring? Fine. Just leave me to my work, then." He said, sounding slightly frustrated. For the moment, at least, he had given up on her.
No doubt, she was too sure of her situation to possibly believe he could have anything to offer her, and Herrick was fine with this. When it would all come crashing down, he'd be there to give her one last chance. he would make sure of it.
"Oh, I'm not done with you yet," Owl said with a scowl.
"Who's your employer? You said this book isn't worth it, and usually I'd agree, but this is a man you said threatened your very existence if you didn't get it to him. So, obviously, it means a lot to this very powerful, very terrifying man. Why? I can only ascertain it's because it's important, and an important, ominous-sounding book in the hands of a terrifyingly powerful man sounds...like a pretty bad combination, don't you think? Black arts and old gods?"
And that was what had her worried now. If Herrick's story was true, then she had bigger fish to fry.
"Well, if I told you who he was, that'd make me a bad thief-for-hire, wouldn't it? Also, I don't really condone suicide among young women. Believe me, Einin, this man's beyond your league. Telling you who and where he is will only get you in trouble. But..."
He trailed off, and returned to the window, sighing deeply.
"I suppose you won't take no for an answer, eh? Listen up then, you'll get this information for free, just this once. His name is Varian, he's set up shop in an abandoned farm. Are you sure you don't want the ring?"
"Oh, I never said I didn't want it," Owl said with a smile as she edged toward Herrick's sleeping bag and dug into the pockets of his rucksack. She retrieved the ring and glanced at it to make sure it was the one he'd described, the one with silver on it.
She didn't put it on, though. Instead, she slipped it into her pocket. She'd let one of the Wolves analyze it before she trusted it would work as Herrick said.
"So this Varian. What else can you tell me about him?"
Herrick smiled, and took a seat at the table.
"Varian? Crazier than a gagged banshee, but don't let that fool you. Behind the twitchy exterior and the utter nonsense he spews sometimes, there's quite possibly the most dangerous man I've ever met. I suspect he's a mage of sorts, but I'm not sure..." Herrick explained.
This wasn't the first time he'd double crossed an employer, but hopefully he could make a tidy sum off of this.
"All I ask is that you let me deliver the book, and then you can swoop in. A man's gotta make a living, after all." He said, placing his hands together.
"Oh, the other ring, Einin. I kind of need it."
Owl pulled out the second ring and flicked it Herrick's way. Okay, think. It felt wrong to just let Herrick go, and to let him give this unhinged man a dangerous book...but her hands were rather tied. She couldn't take Herrick on yet; he knew her identity, so she'd have to clever about it, and sometimes...well, he was right. Sometimes, you had to walk away. Hadn't Rufus taught her that, even? Sometimes, you couldn't just barge in and take someone; sometimes, you had to be patient and wait for the right moment, as they had done with that whore-killer.
Maybe this was one of those times.
Besides, this Varian sounded a more immediate threat, if Herrick was just his pawn.
But even that would require some thinking, some planning. If her time with Smed had taught her anything, it was to never just...barge on into a situation as she'd been wont to do. You had to know your enemy, first.
And she knew nothing of Varian, and very little of Herrick.
"Alright," she said. "The book's yours, for now."
Herrick caught the ring in one of his hands, and smiled when owl agreed. Promptly, he stood up from the table, and pushed it a couple feet forwards. With his foot, he nudged the floorboards aside, and knelt down, coming back up with the book in one of his hands.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Lady Einin." He said, giving her a small bow. He slipped the ring onto one of the fingers that didn't already have one on it, and he stepped towards the window, opening it. He stared at the rising sun for a few seconds, before turning his head back to Einin.
"He'll no doubt still be here for a few more nights, enacting whatever he plans to do with the book. You have time to plan. The farm's on the south road, about a two hour's walk. You'll know it when you see it." He said, and strapped the book to his back and exited through the window.
(OOC: I assume we'll be time-lapsing now?)
Two nights later, and Owl was at the farm.
The night before, and she had been to Rufus for advice. About Varian, about Herrick, and about the ring--she'd given it to him to be examined by one of his mages to be sure it was legit, because oh, she did plan on using it. Rufus had told her what he knew about Varian, which wasn't much, but it was enough to know he was dangerous.
And that he wasn't someone she was skilled enough to go up against yet.
Not if she couldn't even beat his pawn.
But she still went to the farm, Herrick's ring in her pocket. She didn't plan on fighting Varian, or even confronting him. She just wanted information.
Know your enemy, right?
Be patient.
At the most, she was thinking that, maybe, she could at least get the book back.
And so, dressed in her Owl garb and arms with sword, dagger, and cards, Owl watched the farm from the road as she stuck to the shadows, looking for signs that it was occupied. Light, anything. It was dark, just two hours past nightfall, and her parents were at a social. She had the night to herself; hopefully nothing went wrong.
With a deep breath, she crossed the road and crept toward the farm, ears straining for sounds. Maybe the farm was abandoned. Maybe he'd already left...
As Owl would approach the farm, she'd notice that from the farmhouse, there was a dim illumination coming from the windows, just barely peeking out from the boards that sealed up the windows. To anyone passing by on the road, the lights would be nigh-unnoticeable from an angle. The dead orchard behind the farm was filled with gnarled, leafless trees. Their large branches seemed to curve out and extend from the trunk at jagged angles, reaching out almost unnaturally to scrape at the air.
There was a dull, mind-penetrating drone in the air, just loud enough so that it stays in the consciousness, and it was punctuated every now and then by some kind of whisper on the wind, delivered in an alien language.
The glow from the windows flickered, but remained there.
As she drew closer, Owl began to make out the light coming from between the gaps in the boarded up windows. So it was occupied.
That was...both a relief and kind of...
Not.
To her shame, Owl realized that she'd been silently hoping Varian had already left, so she wouldn't have to do this.
That realization brought with it a flush of embarrassment, and a bit of anger--at herself, at the world.
She was still afraid.
Owl closed her eyes and took a deep breath in and out, then straightened her spine. She was just getting information. That's all. No confrontations tonight.
With another deep breath, she edged toward the barn until she was crouched right beside it, and then she crept along the wall until she reached the window. One step at a time, all the while trying not to think about the oppressive drone, scratching just at the edge of her mind, or the whispers that seemed to come from nowhere. It chilled her, but she pressed on regardless, telling herself it was just her own stupid fear, and it was fear she had to conquer.
Moving slowly, she stood, and peeked through a crack between the window's boards.
The inside of the farmhouse wasn't too reassurring. Inside, there were jagged, almost alien symbols drawn all over the kitchen, which was the area Owl was peeking into. The symbols crept along the walls, leaving inky black trails along the walls, floor, and even the furniture.
There were also strange growths in the corners of the room. They appeared solid enough to be some kind of organic structure growing, but they grew in non-euclidean angles, invading the home's construction with it's sheer unnaturalness.
Over the droning noise, there would now be an audible chanting in an alien tongue. It seemed to just go on without pause from the room ahead.
Dear Kia.
What was that growth? It didn't look natural--and that chanting certainly didn't sound it, either. It looked like the dwelling of a madman, which wasn't surprising, considering what Herrick had told her (no dangerous, criminal mage seeking books about dark gods and stuff could be sane!), but surprising or not, it still couldn't have prepared her for the depth of strangeness she was slowly uncovering.
Owl shivered, but moved past the window and continued on, even as the press of that droning started to grate on her mind, like nails scraping at her brain. She ducked under the window and crept along the wall, toward the chanting, and peeked through the boards of the next window she came across. She was trying to get an idea of where he was, and the layout of the home, before she attempted anything riskier.
The next room that had a window was the family room, the largest room in the home. It took up basically the entire ground floor, save for the small kitchen she had peered into. Whatever furniture was in the room was cleared out to make way for whatever foul ritual was happening inside of it, to which Owl had a clear, and horrifying view.
Varian was immediately identifiable. Unlike his usual disguise, Varian was wearing a thin, nearly translucent robe, edged with gold. Through the robe, his horrible, inhuman anatomy was hinted at, but not fully visible. His weirdly jointed legs were visible, however, along with his pitch black forearms and the back of his head. He was turned away from her, leading a chant. In one of his hands, Varian clutched the book, which he was reading out of.
The source of the droning were these bizarre, crustacean-like beings, with lengthy thin bodies . They were as large as a man, and stood on several sets of gangly, multi-jointed legs. Their heads were a terrifying mess of tendrils and eyes, and glowed and fluctuated with the different tones in the droning.
The set-up of the ritual was twice as disturbing as the two alien creatures participating in it. Plastered to the wall, by the same growths Owl witnessed in the corners of the kitchen, were corpses.
Dozens
They shuddered and quivered with the words, all in varying states of decay. Occasionally, their mouths would silently form words, and their heads would twitch. One woman who was missing her eyes forcefully opened her jaws and ropy black tendril shot out of it, swaying to some unfelt rhythm.
"M'Wren'Leck Di'Agh, Ia, Gh'Hrik D'Aljock, Y'Gon'lac!" Varian yelled, and the house shuddered slightly, like the quivering of some beast. For now, it seemed like he didn't notice her.
Things had been creepy. Really, really creepy.
But absolutely nothing could have prepared Owl for what she saw when she peeked through those boards. It was like nothing she could ever dream up, not even after her ordeal with the goblins, her trip to the slaughterhouse. None of her nightmares after that experience had even come close. For though her time there had been a living nightmare, it had been her nightmare, something that was done to her. She had been tortured and hurt and threatened with death.
She hadn't seen anyone die.
And though she'd encountered corpses (thanks, Jarrett), even been indirectly responsible for two deaths, this was beyond the scope of anything she'd been prepared to deal with.
And before she could help herself, she gave a choked gasp--then froze in horror when she realized she'd made noise and pulled away from the window fast with a hand clasped over her mouth to try to keep herself from vomiting, even as her stomach threatened rebellion.
As Owl hid from sight, her hearing would confirm her worst fears.
Suddenly, and jarringly, the droning stopped, and replaced with this terrible buzzing and chattering, in a speech that sounded all too despicably like language. Sharply, the sound of a book being closed rang out.
"A rat scurries on the precipice, yet it has strayed too close..." Came Varian's ghastly voice, practically tingling with anticipation
"...No..."
Out of nowhere, a bout of hideous, mind-bending laughter, and the sounds of several sets of wiry claws on wooden floorboards, scuttling about as they searched the inside before they'd move onto the outside.
"...a mouse, then. Curious little mouse, 'nary to witness the Nemesis Moon under which I danced. Soft little thing...sweet little thing..." His words drenched her, clawing at the fabric of her sanity with their gleeful tone.
Another inkling of laughter.
"It thinks it can hide..."
Shitshitshitshitshit!
Somehow, over all the noise, they'd heard her, and that was Owl's cue to leave. No heroics here, not tonight! She'd seen enough, and it looked like tonight was going to be a good night for practicing what the Scavenger Wolves had started teaching her:
How to get the fuck out!
The first key was to not panic. Panic meant bolting, which was noisy and would just let them zero in on her location, and it meant acting irrationally. So even as her muscles tensed and her heart lodged into her throat, she forced herself to relax, to breathe slowly, even as creatures scuttled around inside and Varian's words dripped over her like slime. Hand still covering her mouth, Owl kept close to the side of the house and the shadow it cast and held still as she took quick stock of her surroundings.
The road lay ahead, and all around them were open fields--old, abandoned wheat fields that had long been overrun with weeds and other native plants and could scarcely be called a wheat field anymore. The grass was high, having not seen a plow for years, and here and there a tree or two grew. Seemed an obvious place to hide--but also maybe a bad idea? Anyone would be able to find her by watching the movement of the plants, and it would be a perfect place to be ambushed. Okay, think, think! Town was two hours away in one direction, with no real cover but fields, and in the other, the Kia river. If she went a little further--just about ten minutes!--she could hit the river, where more small fishing towns lined it and thicker trees grew.
By the road, heading away from Arca and toward the river, were a few clusters of boulders, cleared from the field long ago when the field had been in use.
With a slow breath in and out, Owl kept low and went for those first, steps quiet from practice, and slid behind it for cover. Then she waited, listening, and looked around for her next move. She laid her hand against her pocket, where she kept three cards, never carrying her entire deck with her, just in case. If worst came to worst, she could at least put up a distraction.
There was a groaning and grinding as the entire house seemed to shudder on its foundations, almost as if it was fighting out of some kind of restraints. The dim, sickly light that shone through the windows became a baleful white. Windows on the second floor shattered, and those unspeakable, wiry insects that were droning for the ritual came out of them. A veritable swarm of them Their heads glowed, and produced a blue light that shone like a spotlight.
They hovered about, casting their blue lights in random, unpredictable directions. Sometimes the beams would split in two, or even three. They scoured the outer perimeter, their lights shining all over. If she ran out from behind the boulders to move somewhere else, there was a fairly good chance she'd be spotted.
If that wasn't bad enough, there was a sharp cracking noise as the front door was thrown off of it's hinges, Varian stepping through, his tail now poking out from under his robe, the radial maw at the end occasionally hissing as it swayed around.
"WHERE ARE YOU, LITTLE MOUSE!" He called out, and for a small moment, the earth trembled.
Pressed against the boulder, Owl didn't move, barely even breathed. She froze like a statue as she crouched there, trying her hardest not to flinch--and trying hard to keep the fear at bay, because this was so much worse than she'd anticipated as those bugs burst out with their searching lights--
And all she could think was no, fuck no, this was not going to happen again, she was not going to repeat last month's horror, nope, nope, fuck that!
So she held still and kept her jaw clenched to keep from making a sound, forced her breathing to come out slow and even though her nose, and resisted every instinct that screamed at her to run, and run now, that they could see her, that they were going to find her.
They hadn't spotted her yet. They would if she moved.
So, on your list of 'stupidest ideas EVER', I'm thinking this is the new number one item! Congrats! Owl thought as she watched those lights pass overhead, pressing further into the boulder and trying to make herself smaller. She had to yell at herself, had to hold onto some other emotion, otherwise she'd be terrified--and once fear grabbed hold, it became hard to think and act. Anger at herself was a good one--and it was genuine. Yup! Track down the villain that threatened destroying another villain's soul! Fantastic!
There was a loud crash, and Owl bit the inside of her cheek to keep from yelping. Mouse. Mouse. First she was Pigeon, now Mouse.
This was not happening, this was not happening. She would not be prey again.
Pressing her shoulders back into the boulder, she concentrated, and concentrated hard. She couldn't move. If she did, she was done. But if she stayed, she was done. Those lights were getting closer. They'd see her. The thought occurred to her briefly that she had the ring, but she dismissed it. If the ring worked and suddenly Herrick was here, she'd definitely be outed. And so instead she focused, channeled her desperate urge to hide, to melt into the boulder--
And her magic responded.
She didn't melt into the boulder, but the illusion magic responded to her desire, and it changed her, covered her to make her look like part of the rock. She held her breath and held completely still, and though she felt exposed because she could see them, she just had to trust in her magic and hope they couldn't see her.
On top of the boulder she was hiding behind, several sets of claws suddenly scraped. One of the despicable crustaceans had landed on it, and started crawling down the side she was hiding behind. Lower and lower it came, until it actually crawled over her, its spindly and jagged legs missing her body by some miracle as it's under-carapace came to within an inch of her chest. The creature passed her, and crawled onto the ground, scanning the area with it's beams of light before it turned back around...
...and froze in place.
It's unspeakably horrid head locked dead onto her own, yet it made no motion that belied her being discovered. It slithered forwards on its legs, until it's own head came to within about an inch of her face. In horridly stunning detail, she could see every tendril, every wayward eyeball that made up the tangled mess of a head. The short feelers it had waved in front of her face, one of them even brushing lightly against her cheek.
Then, suddenly, it took off, going to search elsewhere.
Chillingly, Varian had not said any words. Owl might find it distressing to know that currently, she had no idea where he was.
Don't move, don't move, don't move, don't move, don't move.
It was like a chant in Owl's head as she heard the creature skittering over the rock toward her.
Don't move, it can't see you, you're good, you're illusioned, it can't see you, don't move, don't move, don't even breathe.
She held her breathe. It passed over her, so close that if she breathed, it would feel it--if its chitinous body had nerves like human flesh, at least. She wasn't sure how that worked! So she didn't risk it. She held her breathe and held completely still and cursed her thundering heart and hoped it couldn't hear it like she could hear it in her ears.
But then it moved on, and she let her breath out slowly, silently, and drew another slow, silent breath.
And it turned around.
And looked at her.
Oh gods, oh Kia, it sees me--no, don't move, you're good, you're illusioned, don't move, it sees me, don't move, don't move, don't fucking move, oh gods I'm so dead!
She froze, breath held again as it crawled closer. I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, no, don't move, don't make a sound, you're okay! Her muscles were so tense that she started to tremble as she stared back into those horrible eyes, and she felt a scream bubbling up in her throat as its feeler brushed her cheek, because she just knew this was it, it found her, and she prepared to grab her sword and thrust it into the thing, because she sure wasn't going down without a fight, and maybe she'd be able to hurt it, be able to run fast enough, distract it with another illusion--
But then it moved on.
Owl closed her eyes and thanked Kia. It didn't see her. Oh gods. It worked. It bloody worked! She could have laughed with relief, because she hadn't known what to expect, and--wait. She knew where the insects were, but where was Varian?
She hadn't heard a peep from him since that last thunderous announcement.
Though a chill settled over her, her heart still racing, she didn't dare move. It had fooled the insect. She needed to keep her wits and stay put.
Right now, she was not an owl, she was a rock. Hopefully everyone else stayed convinced she was a rock, too.
Quite a distance (Approximately thirty feet) behind the boulders, another of the crustaceans came to a hovering stop. It let out a series of buzzing noises that Owl's mind would almost pick up as something understandable.
"Saw something funny, did you? Take me." Came Varian's voice. Suddenly, his footsteps became clear, a slow, alien gait that suggested joints on his joints, and large amphibian feet. Every ill-timed patting noise against the dry, dead soil brought him closer and closer, until he could be heard directly on the other side.
The silence that came afterwards was total. No wind, no rustling in the trees, not even the crustaceans and their despicable buzzing and droning. And then...
...the worst.
A cold, rubbery feeling was felt around her arms.
If she dared look down, she'd find her elbow area wrapped in this oozing, black matter that seemed to ooze from the spaces between the boulders. It was teasing at her ankles, and black tendrils of the stuff were waving around her head, probing at the air. One of the tendrils stretched out and turned to point at her, the tip unfolding to reveal a single, baleful eye. The pupil contracted, and suddenly expanded, the eye turning into a snapping, razor-toothed mouth.
If she tried to run away, she would find that the black...stuff would suddenly tighten, binding her to the rock.
Oh no. Saw something funny? Shiiiiit. Owl took quick stock of her surroundings, but the stupid insects were everywhere, and there was too much open space between her and any other cover. So she had no choice but to stay still, like a fawn hiding from a wolf--and besides, she rationalized, it might be a trick. Varian might be bluffing, might be saying that to scare her out of hiding. So she stayed put even as she heard him drawing closer, and tried to think rock, stone cold and motionless, even as her blood chilled and sweat beaded on her brow.
Then, silence.
Silence...and then something grabbed her.
Owl sucked in a sharp breath before she could help it and jerked in alarm, but found herself stuck, and then there was that tendril, turning from an eye to a snapping mouth, and her plan crumbled entirely. She yelped, "Fuck!" and tried to jerk away, but the blackness tightened further, and real panic sank in as she yanked against the tightening tendrils and struggled, and her stony illusion faded away. No point expending energy in it now! Now every bit of her energy was going into getting away.
Except, now she couldn't.
She was stuck in her crouched position, and now the tendrils were tight enough she could scarcely move, and her mind raced in its panic before she realized, right! She couldn't move, she couldn't run, but her arms were only bound at the elbows, and in her crouched position, she could reach her pockets. No point holding back now! She'd been outed, she was way in over her head, she didn't know where her Wolf escorts were, or if they'd come (she didn't always notice them, after all!), and it wasn't like she had a way to just summon Rufus! Struggling, she thrust her hand into her pocket and fished around, looking for the ring, and then fumbled with it to slip it, one-handedly, onto her index finger.
The ring, although it seemed a bit big for her finger at first, adjusted itself as she slipped it on. The gem glowed brightly for a few brief moments, but after that...nothing. It seemed she was missing a step. Just a split second after the ring's light died back down (although a gentle tingle on her finger proved it to still be activated), Varian rounded the boulder, and the oozing matter that was slowly wrapping around her joints proved to be coming from his sleeves. In fact, the black...whatever it was seemed to be his arms.
Suddenly, she was forced to a standing position, and against the rock. Varian's eyes regarded her, and they traced her form. He hissed, almost pleasantly. He was flanked by two of those damnable crustaceans, their heads all pointed at her.
Varian chuckled, and Owl could feel a tendril snaking it's way around her throat. "Not a mouse...no...an owl?" He asked, before stepping forwards a bit.
The black stuff that was his arms detached from his body, but still restrained Owl against the rock. His hands reformed shortly after, and he flexed his fingers.
"The Mi-Go are perceptive creatures, but to elude one? Clever, clever, clever...unfortunately for you, you weren't clever enough. But that leaves this one with the question..." He paused, stepping even closer, but stopping just out of reach.
"...What to do with it? Another brain for their library of canisters? Another lost mind to unknown Ulthar? No...Perhaps...a toy..." He said, suddenly taking on a predatory smile. One of his arms reached up to the seam of his robe, and he promptly tore it off, assaulting Owl's vision with his anatomy.
Oh gods, the black stuff was his arms?! Owl blanched, and fumbled with the ring. It had adjusted somehow, and sat secure on her finger, but now what was it? Twist it? Left or right? Did it even matter?!
Just start spinning it, idiot! she growled at herself as Varian drew closer, those...those bug things flanking him, and she picked a direction and started working at it with her thumb--
And then yelped again when she was jerked upright, her hand flailing out of her pocket out of reflex, though she couldn't really move her arms. Quickly, she curled her hand into a fist to hide the ring, just in case he was perceptive enough to notice, and she started to work at it again, rotating the emeralds with her thumb. All the while she stared Varian in the face, schooling her expression into a glare even as she felt a tendril wrap around her throat. Goosebumps rose on her skin, her breath catching as her skin crawled and she tried to shy away from its touch, and she worked the ring faster.
A full turn, right? Was it there yet?! Did Herrick just...magic into existence when it completed its turn? How did it even work? Yeah, sorry, Herrick, you're about to get magicked into mayhem! Aren't you gonna regret giving me this thing! She could have laughed from the ridiculousness of that image, of Herrick in a library somewhere, and then suddenly here--it wasn't even that funny, it was just that laughter tended to be one of her panic-responses.
"Ahahaha, trust me, you don't want me, didn't work so well for the last person that--oh gods. Oh gods, what are you--?" Was he undressing?! Owl was certain she'd completed at least one turn of the ring, but she kept on spinning it, her face going pale--
And paler still, when she saw what was beneath his robe.
Dark, warped flesh. Mouths. Eyes. Fur. And that tail...
She bit down on her lip to keep silent, even as her breathing quickened, rabbit-fast, and her eyes went wide as they met his eyes. His many eyes. Eyes where there shouldn't be eyes.
Varian studied her reaction, and laughed. It was a spiteful, all-too human sounding laugh for what he truly was. He stalked ever closer to her, taking advantage of her almost-paralyzed state of terror to gently cup her chin with a hand. He took a deep draft of her smell, and the matter that bound her limbs to the rock started to move to other places entirely. His touch was a paralyzing one, and the slick, rubbery texture of the matter only added to the alien-ness of the experience.
"Leave us." He whispered, and the crustaceans flew away, returning to the house.
"This owl is fortunate. I promise it a quick death once it satisfies me...or perhaps a blood curse is in order? Let it return to its life? It will be thankful to bear the seed of the black stars..." He said, muttering to nobody in particular.
His hand moved from her chin to her cheek, leaving a trail of quivering black slime as it passed.
"Will it squeal, or will it cry? perha-"
A fleshy, almost stabby sound rang out.
Varian looked at Owl perplexedly, and glanced downwards. There was a rapier point sticking out of the front of his chest, which quickly disappeared back into his chest. Immediately, Varian coughed up some blackish sludge, and then there was the sound of metal impacting flesh, and Varian fell to the side, stunned.
His ghastly visage was replaced with Herrick's who stood there, rapier bloody, and extending a hand towards her.
"Do I want to ask?"
Real panic had finally set in. At first, it had felt all too surreal--and then, abruptly, it felt all too familiar, like she was straight back in that place a month ago, only she wasn't, because she was here, and this was all new. Completely new. Not a nightmare, but a new, real one, and she'd fucked up in an entirely new way even when, this time, she hadn't even been trying to engage! The panic sank deeper when Varian took her chin and smelled her, and several months ago and she would have just found the gesture creepy and unsettling, but now she understood it in an entirely new way--the intimacy, the sexual implications--and her fear took on a new flavor.
And those tendrils began to...move, toward other places, and she struggled harder even though she was pinned.
Satisfy him? Seed? No, fuck no. She jerked her head away, trying to avoid his grasp. Her one hand kept twisting the ring, and with her other, she groped for her sword, which was just within reach. She grasped it but it was awkward, since she could only move from her elbow down, but she still struggled to draw it even as he touched her cheek, but couldn't manage to get it out of its sheath, not from that angle, not when she could only bend her arm so far. She made a choked sound in her throat, biting back a sob of frustration, because she had her weapon, right there, and he was right where she could stab him, but she literally couldn't move enough to pull it free!
And then Varian stopped.
And Owl saw the sharp point sticking out of Varian's chest.
What...?
The monster collapsed while Owl was still trying to process what had happened, and then Herrick was there, and Owl felt both relieved and mortified. Relieved because the ring had worked, mortified because fuck, she'd rather not be seen like...this.
"No!" Owl snapped in response to his question, and struggled against the tendrils still securing her to the rock. Her voice was higher than usual, strained with the effort not to cry, but it was hard, because gods, she'd thought she was ready, she'd thought she could handle this again, but she was so, so wrong. "Just get these fucking things off me!"
"Okay! Sheesh..." Herrick said, walking up to her. Varian groaned slightly, but Herrick silenced him with a kick to the side of the head. The tendrils slackened their grip, and Herrick placed a stiff arm on her chest, just below her breasts as he cut her arms loose, to keep her from falling forwards.
She might not have noticed in her panic, but her feet weren't touching the ground.
As soon as he cut the first arm free, the black ooze shrieked and quivered wildly, before melting off of her and into the ground, forming a bubbling, eye-sprouting pool around Varian.
"C'mon. That won't keep him under for long." He urged, and looked around to get his bearings. At first, he didn't see where he was, until he saw that crooked, baleful farmhouse. Grimacing, he gestured towards the road with his rapier, which he cleaned on the grass, before settling into a light jog down the road.
"Did some research before I came here, mostly to prepare myself for what I was going to see. I think it's needless to say I wouldn't have told you where Varian was if I had known..." He said, almost in an apologetic tone. He was genuinely sorry for being responsible for this whole, royally fucked up mess, but he wasn't the apologetic type, so he didn't quite know how to express that feeling.
Sheesh? Sheesh?! Anger sparked within Owl as she watched Herrick, eyes narrowed, as he acted like she was being unreasonable or something! She was pinned to a boulder by bloody tendril things, tendril things that had started slinking toward places she really didn't want them, after being hunted by insect creatures, witnessing a house of corpses, and coming this close to...to whatever things Varian planned on doing with her! And Herrick said sheesh?
But she bit her tongue, because it wasn't wise to snap at the person cutting you free, and soon her feet hit solid ground and she rubbed at the black residue at her elbows, stuck to her leather armor. She tried not to look at the black eyeball mess on the ground.
But as Herrick began to take off at a jog, Owl grabbed him by the elbow to stop him. "Wait," she whispered. "We can't leave him."
Because as much as she wanted to run and put as many miles between him and her as she could, he was down now! He was unconscious!
"He--the house--it's full of bodies," she said, words rushed and voice a little choked as she recalled the horrific sight--and how those corpses writhed, the black stuff coming out of the woman's mouth...
"Dozens. You don't know the half of it. Varian--that book--did you see the insects? Fuck, Herrick, you shouldn't have given him that book! I shouldn't have let you keep that book! We can't leave him, he's killing people, and...and doing something big, so..."
She cast a nervous look Varian's way. "We can't leave him." Another pause, and she added, "At least, not alive."
Herrick stopped, turning around and hearing Owl out. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she retold what she saw. The poor girl was terrified, and Herrick could be she'd seen some pretty unspeakable things in there.
Maddening nightmares were definitely in her future. If not from her own mind, then Varian would no doubt make sure of it.
Fuck, she would want to stick around
Herrick silently cursed to himself, crossing his arms to think.
"Killing him won't do anything, I'm not sure if he can even properly die. He's some kind of godling. His mother was human, and his father, or fathers...something else entirely. If it'll make you feel better, we can burn down the house before we go, but we need to hurry. Sunshine and Tentacles over there could come to any minute now." He said, taking up an old torch he had on his belt.
"We need to burn it, then. Or at least burn the book. And we need to do something about him! If not kill him, put him away, somewhere, somewhere where he can't get out. And tell the authorities about him. This is bigger than us, and it can't keep happening. The number of people he killed..."
Owl shuddered, hugging herself.
"We can't just do nothing. He's not invulnerable!" she said, thrusting an arm out toward where Varian now law. "Maybe he can't die, but you still knocked him out! That's something!"
"Where, Einin? Where? If you can think of a prison that can hold him, let alone how to transport him there without losing our sanity, then you let me know. But for now, we're burning his operation and leaving. We got lucky this time, he wasn't expecting a second enemy." Herrick said, and begun walking towards the house, clutching the torch under an arm as he used his hands to light it using a flint and steel. "Telling the local guard will only encourage them to go after him. If protecting people's what you want to do, getting the guards involved will only get them slaughtered.
Over by the boulders, Varian stirred, but he didn't get up. The earth trembled, and the house groaned once more. This gave Herrick pause as he glanced around, before continuing his attempts to light the torch.
"Shit...stupid fucking flint..."
"Don't call me that," Owl said, voice still hushed."It's Owl to you. And as for him, I don't know! I haven't thought that far yet! I just know if we let him go, he's still gonna kill people. Probably! Lots of people! There were a lot of bodies..."
She followed after him, not really wanting to be left behind, not with Varian so near. Standing near Herrick as he worked at the flint, she kept shooting nervous glances back where Varian lay, and she flinched when the house began to groan, the earth trembling. Shifting from foot to foot and bouncing lightly on her toes, she looked to Varian, then back at Herrick, and hissed impatiently.
"Here, give me that," she said, and grabbed for the flint and steel. "You'll never get it, juggling three things like that. It's easier if one of us holds it, and the other lights it."
Herrick almost protested when she took the flint and steel away from him, but he held his tongue. She was probably right, so he let her light it, continuing to speak as he did so. "You hush, I can call you what I please. I saved your life, you owe me that much." He said, and once the torch was lit, he brandished it, taking up a determined walk towards the house.
"If evil like him's what you want to take on, then you've got a long way to go, Owl. You're smaller than small fry to someone like Varian. People will die, no matter what we do, and that's something you need to accept." Herrick said, albeit a bit coldly, and once he was close enough, he deftly threw the torch into the house. The old, dry wood easily caught, but what happened next was rather unexpected.
Suddenly, the house flared up in a wave of heat that would send Herrick staggering backwards. The top windows were now home to an inferno, and they belched smoke like the exhaust pipe of some demonic, coal-powered machine.
Herrick, stunned and flat on his ass, could only watch as from the bottom windows, large tendrils many times thicker than tree trunks burst forth, and started pushing against the ground. The house itself was starting to pull itself from it's own foundations.
Owl grit her teeth in agitation, holding back her words, because she knew now wasn't the time to argue about names and he'd gone back to calling her "Owl". But fear and stress always made her snappish, so it was hard--especially since Herrick didn't seem to understand that the reason she didn't want him using her real name was because she was in disguise for a reason! The last thing she wanted was for another dangerous monster to know who she really was!
His last bit, though, she did want to argue with. She couldn't accept that, couldn't accept sitting back passively and letting a murderer continue to murder, but...he was right. What were the other options where they stood now? Varian was above and beyond anything she was remotely ready to handle, and beyond anything she'd expected to deal with.
"We can't just not warn people, th--"
She cut off, because that was when Herrick threw the torch.
And the house exploded.
At least, it felt like it, and Owl let out a cry and dropped to the ground, hands over her head, face tucked into her knees, and body twisted away against the heat that billowed out in a roar, like some demonic monster. Smoke choked her, but when the heat's intensity lessened enough to look, she peeked at the house out of the corner of her eye--and sucked in a breath, that quickly turned to coughing.
The house was...coming alive.
"You have got to be kidding."
The ground shook as the house pulled up, and Owl didn't waste any time. She sprang to her feet, found Herrick, and grabbed his arm, tugging urgently. "Oh shit. Get up. Get up, get up, get up! Leaving time's now!"
Herrick was still sitting there, eyes wide and face slightly sooty from the initial burst of heat. He was stunned, for lack of better words. Stunned in a state of absolute horror.
That is, until Owl came chirping along.
"Oh shit. Get up. Get up, get up, get up! Leaving time's now!"
Didn't need to tell him twice.
Quickly, he pulled himself up, using Owl as support, and started backpedaling slightly before evolving into a full-blown sprint. The house was halfway through, and those massive, ropy tentacles that it was using to pull itself up started being utilized as feet. From the first floor windows, an almost blinding blue light shone in a dazzling array of beams, each searching for the two offenders.
"DID YOU THINK ME SO EASILY BESTED, OWL?!" Came Varian's voice. He had just finished getting to his feet, and was nursing his stab wound, which was slowly closing itself. In the house's walls, eyes and mouths appeared, and the entire farmhouse reared back and bayed like some kind of hound.
"FASTER!" Herrick yelled in a half-panic, hands searching his belt and bandolier as he ran.
Owl was right there with Herrick, keeping pace with him as she ran for all she was worth. While she didn't have much much physical strength on her side, she was fast--and faster still when she had an incentive, like now.
"You have got to be kidding me!" she panted for the second time as she ran, to no one in particular. Well, maybe to Kia. Because while she didn't dare look behind her, from what she had seen, and from what she was hearing now, she had a good idea of what was coming next. And it was so absurd, and so terrifying, it was either laugh or cry, because wasn't it just her luck that she'd spend her night chased by a fucking farm house?! Goblins weren't enough! Oh no! Why not let her first adventure since that whole ordeal involve giant bugs, a house of corpses, inappropriately touchy tendril things, and a sentient bloody farm house!
Why her? Seriously? Why? No one got chased by houses in the stories! No one ever told her this was part of the deal! Why couldn't she fight dragons and rescue damsels like normal heroes?!
"I am gonna be so pissed if we get eaten by a house!" she shouted, voice raised with panic. Focus on the absurdity, or sob. Those were the choices. "C'mon! This way! Hurry! We gotta--we gotta head to the water, there's trees, a forest!"
She couldn't really explain more than that when she needed her breath for running, but hopefully he'd listen.
"You and me both. Sentient architecture is definitely on my shit-list!" Herrick yelled, his considerably longer stride allowing him to keep pace with the faster Owl. As they ran, the blue spotlights zeroed in on them, bathing them in a blue light that felt altogether wrong and unnatural.
When she started going off on her own way, he kept up. "No! I'll lead it in a different direction. You run as far as you can to this forest! Use the ring!" He yelled, and drew his pistol from his rear him, loading a cartridge that contained a milky white substance inside as he ran to the side. Dauntlessly, he aimed the mammoth firearm behind him, and fired. The shot hit the front of the house, which was now fully out of the ground and starting to move after them, and exploded, leaving a gaping hole.
The house veered off to follow Herrick, roaring like an enraged beast.
"What? No, wait!" Owl shouted, but it was too late; Herrick had veered off course, and had drawn the...the farm house's ire. It thundered after him and, gritting her teeth, Owl kept on course, heading toward the river. Herrick was vulnerable on his own, and she doubted he'd be able to outrun that thing, and criminal or not, heroes protected people!
But in that case, that meant sticking to the plan, and summoning him to her when she'd made it. And the plan had originally been to draw the house toward the river and the woods on the other side. The river wouldn't stop it, but a thick forest? She'd like to see a sentient farm house navigate that.
Putting her head down, Owl poured on the speed, because she saw trees ahead, and thought she could hear the river (though that may have just been the wind in her ears) and that gave her hope--but also because she had no idea where Varian had gotten to, and that filled her with anxiety.
(Hmm, the thread could end with Herrick and Owl getting away, but if you want it to keep going they can also both get captured and end up having to work together to escape. It's up to you, really. Do note that if they get captured, I cannot guarantee Owl making it out without some new scars altogether.)
As Owl ran, sinister, yet horrible laughter filled her mind.
"You live in a world of frail boundaries and horrible secrets, Owl. Do you think I need to be near to attack you?" Came Varian's voice, threatening to give Owl a splitting headache with its magnitude as it poured in from all directions, including her own mind. Suddenly, the droning and the rapid beating of wings became all to audible. Suddenly, a bright blue light shone from behind her, and a screech marked the return of those despicable crustaceans.
One of them swooped down, intending on clawing her in the back and shoving her to the ground.
The sudden, intense pain those words filled her head with staggered Owl, drawing out a cry of pain, but she caught her footing and kept on running, pushing past the agony as best as she could even though she wanted to crumple and clutch her head. Keep running, keep going, don't stop, no matter what. Her blood pounded in her ears, making her head hurt more, and then--the light.
Blue light washed over her, and fresh fear bloomed with it. She didn't dare look back, though--and then there was that horrible screech, and the rush of wings, and she acted on pure instinct.
Owl dropped to the ground and rolled, and felt a whoosh of air, heard the beating of wings, that signaled one of those creatures had attacked. Panting, she scrambled back to her feet and drew her sword as she went, ready to stab the next one that came at her, for all the good that would do. But hopefully she wouldn't have to, because that was when she reached the trees, and she darted into the woods.
(Btw, I found a pic of the crustaceans, courtesy of Google Images: http://th00.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2011/056/0/f/mi_go_by_decepticoin-d3acm3h.jpg )
Despite missing her, the crustacean wheeled about with an unearthly maneuverability, dipping to the side and out of view while keeping it's spot-light on her. As she entered the woods, a new sound was heard:
The sound of carapaced bodies maneuvering between the trees. The almost synchronized scratches against nearly missed trees and the snap of branches created an almost hypnotizing rhythm that seemed super-imposed on the constant droning.
Suddenly, from ahead, one of the things appeared from behind a tree ahead of her, claws brandished. It leaped at her, intent on forcing her onto her back with its weight.
It happened so fast, Owl didn't have time to dodge that time.
But she did have time to swing her sword in front of her.
The creature hit her, bowling her over and onto her back with enough force to knock the wind from her, but Owl had sense enough to draw her knees to her chest just as it landed heavily atop her. With a cry, she kicked hard at it, keeping her feet braced against its body to try to keep it off of her, and grabbed her sword with both hands. She thrust it up and into the creature's abdomen, the sharp, special blade piercing through the armored carapace as it thrashed and lashed at her with its claws. Its claws glanced off the armor protecting her, scraping but not piercing, but she wasn't about to wait around and test its durability.
Gritting her teeth, Owl stabbed up into the creature, again and again, in quick, vicious motions.
With the vicious onslaught of quick, nearly panicked thrusts, the foul crustacean's chittering flurry of claw attacks seemed to slow down with every stab. The carapace somehow resisted even her sword, even if it was minimal. Given the thinness of it, it alluded to some bizzare property of its makeup, even as it buckled to give way to what should have been fleshy matter.
What should have been.
It would feel like she was stabbing a barrel full of sponges, with this viscuous and dense brightly glowing blue fluid splashing over her with every thrust. After about five thrusts, the thing on top of her siezed up, and then its legs buckled out from under it as it fell right on top of her, its glowing blood gushing out of its body and all over her midsection and upper torso. Despite its size, the corpse wieghed just a little less than Owl, and would prove easy enough to push off.
Right on time, too, since the others were catching up.
Owl didn't wait around to make sure it was totally dead. With a grunt, she pushed with her legs and kicked it off of her, then scrambled to her feet. Soaked in its strange glowing, blue blood, she staggered a few steps before she fell into an all out run.
The river was just ahead, and the small town beyond it, where they could seek shelter and help. Keeping a tight grip on her sword as she heard more of the things swarming closer, with her other hand she spun the emeralds on the ring.
Hopefully Herrick had drawn that...house...far enough away.
With the turning of the rings came nothing, at least for a few tense seconds. Suddenly and totally out of the blue, Came the sharp footsteps of a man sprinting in leather boots, and then Herrick's form as he came up next to her, sprinting like a man being chased by a house.
He glanced behind him, and upon sighting the insects pursuing them, he released a loud "Fuck!".
If Owl hadn't figured it out by then, it would appear that the ring didn't come with any theatrics. Whoever it was meant to summon merely appeared.
"Good thing you summoned me when you did! That thing was starting to catch up!" Herrick yelled.
Herrick's voice was immediately followed by silence, as the despicable droning suddenly broke off and rapidly faded behind them. It would seem that the crustaceans had ceased their pursuit. For Owl, however, it was not over. Varian's voice returned, and carried with it an all too sinister glibness.
"You have not eluded me, Owl. You never will. Me and my ilk lurk in unseen corners, worlds invisible to your eye, and in the fevered dreams you will be having. We are the nothing that dogs bark at in the night and the unseen creatures to which cats bristle and tense..."
Suddenly, something that felt like a cold breath on the back of her neck, and the sensation of those wriggling tendrils again. It was nothing but sensation, however.
"...The hounds of the stars will stalk you even when you think you're alone in a locked room. When their chase has driven you to madness, then you will offer yourself to me upon the altar of The Black Goat In The Woods, Mother Of The Thousand. It is in your stars, Owl. I have seen it. Until we meet again."
Suddenly and without ceremony, Herrick was there, and before Owl had time to acknowledge him--or acknowledge the sudden silence that engulfed them when that droning vanished--Varian's voice was in her head.
His voice and the sensation of those tendrils, violating her even at a distance.
With a cry, she stumbled and collapsed against a tree, grabbing at the trunk for balance with one arm and pressing her other hand to her ear, as if that would make a difference. She leaned her forehead against the bark, her mask protecting her forehead from scrapes, even if the pressure rumpled some of the decorative feathers.
"Fuck...fuck!"
Herrick came to a stumbling stop, doubling over and placing his palms on his knees as he panted. Good Gods, he hadn't ran that hard since he botched an assassination on an orc crime lord, and even then he hadn't had to sprint for that long. He was so close to getting turned into a fresh coat of paint for that house, he didn't want to think about what would've happened if Owl had decided he wasn't needed for another half a minute.
When Owl cried out, he tried his best to get to her as quickly as possible, giving her a half-hearted congratulatory pat on the back. "We did it...we got away...for now..." He gasped, then noticed she was rubbing her forehead on the tree.
"Owl? What's wrong?" He asked, walking around to her side.
"Bastard's in my head," Owl managed to say through gritted teeth, eyes clenched shut and both hands pressed to her ears now. She shook her head, shivering, and bit down hard on the inside of her cheek until she felt sharp pain, needing something to ground her back to reality.
"What?" Herrick said, and took a single step back, surveying the forest around them.
That's when she would begin to notice...them. Perhaps it was Varian's blasphemous words that opened up her subconscious perceptions, or maybe it was just her mind trying to adjust to the horrors it had witnessed, but there were things in the forest around them.
Herrick seemed all too oblivious to them, but Owl could just barely hear them.
No definite forms were witnessed, nor can it be said that she was even witnessing anything, but there was definitely some kind of feeling of being watched, and the occasional rustling of bushes.
Scuttling...
A shadow passed over her, but it could have just been a bird flying under the canopy.
"We should keep going, Owl. No telling when those oversized cockroaches are going to pick the chase back up."
Owl gave a violent jolt, her heart leaping, and hardly let Herrick finish before she grabbed him by the wrist and started to pull him along after her.
"They're already here!" she gasped, voice choked with panic, and let go of him so she could break into a run, trusting he would follow. Why wasn't he reacting to them? Couldn't he hear them? The scuttling was loud in her ears, distinctive, but maybe being chased by a house had rattled his brain.
"Hurry!"
"What?!" Herrick yelled as Owl pulled him along, Everywhere he looked, he could neither see nor hear anything out of place. Regardless, he allowed himself to be pulled along. Better safe than sorry and all of that. He picked his run back up, and soon, they were out of the forest, and the air suddenly became light, and easier to breathe than normal.
It looked like they were clear.
"What was that all about, Owl?" Herrick asked, raising an eyebrow.
Panting, Owl rested her hands on her knees and let her head drop between them, trying to regain her calm and her breath. Things felt normal again, and safer, but the panic was still there and still making it hard to breathe. Even though the atmosphere felt fine, there was still a tingling, lingering sense of wrongness hanging at the back of her mind, and she didn't feel safe, not in the least.
At Herrick's question, she lifted her head. "What was what all about?"
"Just now, that's what! You're jumping at shadows, Owl. That's exactly what Varian and anyone like him want. I'm dead sure he's trying to get into your head. Can't you see what he's doing? He's softening you up!" Herrick said, semi-forcefully grabbing Owl's about halfway through, although he didn't squeeze or anything. It was more or less intended to make sure she was slightly jolted into paying attention.
"There's a town not far from here where we can hole up. If you can, you should find a way to send a message to Rufus, because we're going to be holed up there for a bit." Herrick said, taking charge as he started walking again.
Owl did, indeed, jolt, which almost ended badly for Herrick as her first jumpy instinct was to knee him or punch him, before she realized it was just him. Her muscles tensed under his hands and she gasped, but then recognition dawned and she sucked in a breath and shrugged free instead, taking a step back from him. She didn't want to be touched, not after what had happened with Varian. She still felt slimy and uncomfortable.
"I'm not soft," she muttered, rubbing at her temples as she followed after Herrick, her ears straining for sounds of pursuit and danger. "I'm cautious. You think he just up and gave up following us so soon--wait. What?"
His words fully registered then. Holed up for a while? She knew they'd be holed up for a little bit, but she just figured a few hours, tops!
She stopped where she was and shook her head. "Oh, no. Nope! How long is a while? Because I can only do a couple hours, maybe! I have to get home before anyone notices I'm gone!"
"Go home?! Are you mad?!" Herrick said, almost yelling.
"If you go home, then the game will be up. What if he follows you back? Then everyone you ever loved will be fair game for him. You want to know how long a while is? two days, at least. If we hide in that town for two days, and he doesn't come looking, then we know we'll be safe."
...Good point.
Owl ran her hands over the feathered horns of her mask. "What am I supposed to do, then? My family will notice I'm gone, and they'll freak! Last time I was gone that long, it was because I was being tortured!"
"I dunno, write them a letter, tell them you went out for a midnight ride and your horse was injured by a pothole or something, and you have to spend some time at a village while it heals. Be emotional, say you don't want to leave it, I dunno." He said, throwing his arms up into the air.
Owl bit her lip, and paced back and forth, racking her brain for ideas. "That could work...kind of...I won't be able to tell them where I am. They'd come looking. They might still send a guard to scour the countryside for me! They won't like the idea of me being in the village. Too dangerous, they'd say! I can hear them panicking now..."
She mimicked Herrick, throwing her hands into the air. "Oh well, I guess! Let's just go. I'll figure something out."
Without really saying anything else, Herrick started moving, acknowledging her plan. He glanced behind him, and then to the horizon, where the lights of a village could be seen.
(time lapse?)
"Do you have any parchment and ink?" Owl was asking the innkeeper, after she had paid for their room. Room, singular. She wasn't happy about that, but the innkeeper had explained that the place was booked, and that was as good as it was going to get. Something about a local festival or something.
"Doesn't even have to be good! Just a scrap will do, anything. I have to write a very important letter. Two of them, actually. It's a very, very urgent matter!"
The innkeeper swept his gaze over the both of them, one eyebrow arched. Owl figured they must look a wreck, all dirty and covered in...fluids of questionable origin. And considering their attire, and weapons, it seemed after a moment's consideration he decided it was best to take them seriously.
"Well, I don't got anything fancy, but if you're that desperate, here ya go, lad." The man opened up his ledger and tore two blank pages from it, then handed her a small ink pot and the quill he used to fill out his guest book. "Just bring it back soon's you're done, ya hear?"
"Great! You got it! Thanks!" Owl said, and with a look Herrick's way, she headed into the main room, grabbed a chair, and set herself down at the first empty table.
Smiling, Herrick gave the innkeeper a grateful nod, and walked over to join Owl at the table, taking the seat opposite of her. He lowered himself into his chair with a groan, grateful to have a moment of rest.
"So, here we are, a hero and a thief, on the run from a mad sorcerer. It'd make a hell of a story, don't you think? Altough, I'd omit the part about being chased by a farmhouse. Not quite sure if anyone would believe that..." Herrick said, intent on starting up some small talk. "What are you going to tell your parents, anyways?"
"It does make a great story," Owl agreed with a tired, halfhearted laugh as she spread one of the pages out in front of her and uncorked the inkwell. "Though, in the stories, the heroes always come out a great deal cleaner. And a great deal more...peppy. Anyway, I figure I'll tell them like you said. I took my horse out for a midnight run and--"
She stopped, let out a loud groan, and slapped her forehead.
And then let out a wincing "ow!" because that drove her leather mask into her face.
"Oh, Kia's left nut!" she said. "I just remembered I didn't even bring a horse! I walked! I can't write a letter about an injured horse I didn't bring!"
"What? You came all the way out here without a horse? You must have been pretty damn sure of yourself." Herrick commented. "Shit. Unless someone went and rustled your horse from your estate while you were gone, all it'd take for them to know you're lying is a simple count-up. ..." He continued, running his hands through his dirty, messy hair. Gods, how he wished he had a bath right now.
The ichor on Owl's shirt smelled pretty disgusting as well.
Wait...
"Ei...Owl, what's that blue stuff all over your armor?" He slowly asked, pointing a finger at her.
"Huh? Oh, this?"
Owl glanced down at her soiled armor and wrinkled her nose. "I stabbed one of the bug things."
Herrick's face went from inquisitive to disgusted. "Gods, to think i'm going to have to share a room with that suit of armor..." He gagged.
"How do you think I feel? I'm wearing it! The stuff got all over me," Owl said with a sour look on her face, resting her chin on her hand. "Do you think they offer baths here?"
"They might. I'll go ask." Herrick said, and returned to the innkeeper. He was gone for a couple of minutes, returning with a smile. "I paid for them to bring a bath up to the room." He said as he sat back down.
He glanced down at the two pieces of parchment. "I'm assuming the second one's for Rufus?"
"Yeah," Owl said, tapping her fingers on the first piece of parchment. "I should let him know, and...maybe he'll have some bright ideas. Be able to play damage control with my family, at least. Or have some insight into this Varian bastard." If nothing else, she needed to let him know she was okay, otherwise he might do something drastic.
She let out a low sigh, and dipped the quill in the ink. "But first, my parents. So, the horse is out. Uhhh...went traipsing around at night, got lost, and taken in by a kind traveler? Kia, they'd flip. Visiting Master Handelaar? Haaah, that ship has sailed. Kidnapped? Nope. Taken on an adventure by Clint? They'd murder him and he'd tattle..."
She stabbed the parchment, leaving behind a growing blob of black. "I'm terrible at this."
"Hmm..."
Herrick intersected his fingers and laid his elbows on the table, resting his chin on them. "You could always Please tell me you have friends. He harkened back to his own days, when he would sneak away from his step-father's estate to visit taverns. He'd never found himself in a situation like this, however. Herrick had always been a very meticulous man.
"I'm dead out of ideas. Shit... The horse idea is still in play. We could always write the letter in the morning, give your family some time to stew in their worry so when your letter arrives, their first reaction will be relief and happiness. It'll help soften the blow, at least. The letter to Rufus, however, you could send with a messenger right now. He can go, steal your horse from your family's estate, and have it delivered it here before the night is over." Herrick explained. It was all he had at the moment.
As Herrick spoke, Owl looked around the tavern, and at its many patrons. He was onto something and had the right idea, and it made her remember that she was being tailed. Rufus had set it up so there were always Wolves around her; it was only a matter of figuring out who it was.
Not an easy task, when the very point of the Wolves was that they blended in.
No doubt, there were Wolves here now, but for all intents and purposes, they were good at their job. Searching the faces of the patrons, Owl saw nothing that gave any of them away. Ugh. How did Rufus figure out who was who? Some sort of secret signal or sign?
She'd need to find a Wolf to send the message to Rufus in the first place!
Why did this have to be so complicated?
Well, if there were any Wolves about, surely they were listening in. With that in mind, Owl smoothed the creases out of the parchment. "Suppose I'll write Rufus's letter first, then, and worry about the other later. Maybe some bright idea will come to me after I stew on it a bit."
She dipped the quill again and began to write. "Why don't you get us some food in the meantime? I'd imagine running from a house would burn off some energy."
"Some food? sure." Herriman said. He didn't let it show, but he'd noticed her scanning the crowd, as if she was looking for someone. Were there Soot Wolves here?
He stood up, stretching his back. In truth, he was using that as an excuse to do a bit of crowd scanning himself. For Owl's relatively untrained eyes, the room might hold a challenge, but Herrick was a completely different story altogether. Out of all the people in the room, one man stood out. He had the baggy eyes of someone who was consistently up at late hours of the night, and the top half of his face was slightly dirtier than the lower half, evidence that he wore a face mask of sort at some point.
Using that man's location as a guide, he stretched in the other direction, and was able to pinpoint the others, hanging around at strategic places in the room. Finishing his stretch, he walked by Owl, stopping to whisper "Three tables to your left." into her ear before returning to the counter.
"Huh?" Owl turned to look and found herself eye-to-eye with the man at said table. Oi. She must have been being pretty obvious about looking around for Wolves, but...how could she be sure this guy was one of them? She definitely didn't want to hand her letter off to the wrong person! Not that it had any particularly sensitive information.
Cocking her head and squinting her eyes, trying to study him without being obvious or staring rudely, she made out his dirty face. Soot? She couldn't tell, but that would be a dead giveaway, and--and then the man flashed a crooked grin and a wink.
Owl quickly turned back to her letter, and went back to writing. Hopefully that was a sign, and not just some dirty man being lecherous.
When she had finished her note, she waved it back and forth to let the ink dry, tested it with the tip of her finger, and when her finger came back dry and unmarked, she folded it up. Rising from her chair, she stepped over to the table and slid the paper to the man. "It's urgent," she whispered, before she returned to her seat.
A minute later, the man rose and left.
Herrick returned from the counter a couple seconds after the Soot Wolf left, two bowls of slightly warm soup in his hands. He sat back down at the table, and slid one over to Owl. "I hope our little messenger friend has a horse." Herrick muttered.
He took up his bowl and drank some soup straight from it. "You know you'd think I wouldn't have an appetite, given all that's happened, but I do..." He commented, savoring the soup. "How does he do that? Keep an eye on you, I mean. Does he just have Soot Wolves hanging around in every single village in case you turn up there?"
Owl looked over at Herrick, and then looked down at her soup. "If you don't know, then I think I shouldn't tell you," she said with a smile, and took a long sip of the broth. She made a face soon after, because it tasted like salted, lukewarm spit.
But that was probably just her nobility speaking. Maybe to regular folk it tasted good?
She stuck her finger in the bowl and poked around at the vegetables floating in it, wrinkling her nose. At least, she thought they were vegetables. This was not at all like the brothel Ryk had taken her to. "Well, I did have an appetite..."
"Is it magic? A crystal ball, perhaps?" Herrick asked, leaning forwards slightly. "Come on, what's so bad about it that you can't tell me? Does he have some deep, dark secret he uses to keep watch on you?"
Owl grinned at Herrick and leaned back in her chair, arms folded across her chest. "Whatcha gonna give me for telling you?"
"Well, seeing as how I let myself get chased by a farmhouse and made enemies with a dangerous, occult sorcerer to save your skin and prove my good will towards you, I'd say you owe me." Herrick said with a sly grin, crossing his arms on the table.
"And yet, I'm the one with the info here, and thus the one you have to impress," Owl said, reaching up to adjust her mask, because it was growing itchy.
"Hmph, tough crowd." Herrick commented, taking another sip of his soup. "What more could you possibly want from me, Owl? If it wasn't for me, you'd still be up against that rock with Varian breathing down your chest, or worse."
"I don't know. Start making offers!" Owl said, still grinning and unfazed. "You're the one who wants to know, so...sell me on it!"
Herrick gave Owl a look that screamed I am not amused. Rolling his eyes upwards, Herrick searched his brain. "If you tell me, I'll wash your armor for you." He said with a grin.
Owl's grin widened. "Really? Swear to Kia?" she asked, and extended her pinky out to him. "Pinky promise?"
"Thieve's honor." Herrick said as he extended his own pinkie and wrapped it around Owl's while he placed the other hand over his heart.
Promise secured, Owl sat back in her seat and folded her arms behind her head, crossing her legs. "A crystal ball," she said, deadpan, "Overseen by the three witches in his employment."
Herrick narrowed his eyes. He wasn't sure whether to believe it or not. Her tone certainly didn't reassure him. It was always the harmless little things that got him. He supposed that he was a tad too eager to learn that information.
"You've just tricked me, haven't you?"
Owl burst into tired laughter, unable to keep up the serious act for long, and happy to insert a little levity into what had been a stressful, terrifying night. Besides, she'd gotten the good end of this deal.
She wouldn't have to deal with her stinky armor.
"I don't know, have I?"
"I think you have. Clever girl..." Herrick sat back,with an amused smile of all things. Suddenly, their table was approached by the innkeeper. "Your bath's ready in your room. Let one of the maids know when you're done." He said, and then left.
"Well, I suppose there's no point putting it off. Let's go." he said as he stood up.
Still feeling quite smug and victorious, Owl rose to her feet as well, but then came to an abrupt stop and turned on Herrick. "Waitaminute. Where do you think you're going?"
"I gotta wash the armor, don't I?" Herrick said, lifting his eyebrows. He was dangerously close to turning this around for himself if he was lucky enough.
"Well, yeah. After I'm done bathing," Owl said, crossing her arms over her chest and giving him an incredulous look. Didn't he see the issue, here?
"Oh, alright. And after that, you're going to change into extra clothing you don't have. Looks to me like that's stuff soaked all the way down to your smallclothes. "You're coated in it." He continued as he crossed his arms.
"Oh...you have a point..." Owl said, frowning in thought. But she perked right back up again and flashed Herrick a bright grin. "You'll have to fetch me some new clothes, then! Here."
Reaching into her coin purse, she flipped a coin Herrick's way.
Catching the coin, Herrick turned to the innkeeper. "Good sir, where's the village seamstress?" Herrick asked, and the innkeeper shook his head.
"Don't got one. This here town's pretty much a road stop for folks heading south. My inn's the only real business around here, the rest is food and travelin' supplies." The gruff man said, and Herrick looked back at Owl with a look of mock surprise on his face. Of course, he'd known there wasn't a seamstress or weaver in town, he'd been here before.
"Well, isn't that something." he said. "Tell you what, I've got a deal for you. Being a mobile thief, I carry all my things in my backpack. Bags of holding are such a charm to have around. I'd be willing to part with one of my spare changes of clothing, but this time, you're the one who's going to have to make me an offer."
...Ouch.
Of course that was bound to come back to bite her in the ass.
Owl winced, some of that cockiness wilting out of her. Her shoulders slumped and she frowned, glowering at Herrick. "I see what you did there," she muttered, and rubbed her chin in thought.
Wait a minute...
Looking back up at Herrick, she snapped her fingers. "Alright! How about this for a deal! You give me some clothes to change into and uphold your end of the bargain, with regards to washing and whatnot, orrrr...I don't bathe at all and you get to deal with the smell!" She smiled brightly. "Only room in the inn, right? And we're stuck sharing it. It's your nose!"
"Go ahead and sleep in your slimy clothes. Imagine your mother's face when she catches a whiff of you, and sees you in your dirty combat gear. With a smell like that, you aren't eluding anyone. Besides..." He said, and reached into a small pouch on his bandolier, pulling out two small, rubber cylinders. "Nose plugs. A master thief is always prepared." He said with a smile as he returned the nose plugs to his bandolier.
"Try again."
Once again, Owl slumped, letting out a disappointed huff. "It was worth a shot," she mumbled, and scratched the back of her head where the mask tied into place.
"Uhm...the truth about how Rufus does it?"
"No, you already told me that, silly. Come on, I'm sure you can come up with something." Herrick said, unable to contain his grin as he crossed his arms.
"Um...endless gratitude and appreciation?" Owl said with her best, most winning smile. "I'll let you take the first bath so you don't have to wash in bug goo?"
"Are you implying I would've washed your armor, and then taken a bath myself? Blech, hell no!" Herrick said, a disgusted look on his face.
"Tell you what, though. I'll make you a really good offer. How about youwash your own armor, and you get to have a change of clothes. That' s my final offer."
"Deal!" Owl said, before he could add anything else onto that. "And I get the first bath!"
"Just remember, Owl..." Herrick started, leaning in. "If that armour touches the water before I do, your clothes for the night are going straight out the window." He said. "Thieve's Honor."
Owl swallowed, shifting her eyes away guiltily. "Wouldn't dream of it," she said, and turned to head for the room, but paused and turned around. "Clothes?"
Pointing a finger at Owl, Herrick took his backpack off, and reached into it, pulling out a neatly folded change of clothes. It was plain clothing, but it looked comfortable enough. He handed the clothes to her, and motioned to the stairs with his head. "I'll be waiting down here."
Taking the clothes from Herrick, Owl gave them a quick once over. They were plain, indeed, but they were clean, which was what mattered. They would also be pretty big on her, considering Herrick was almost a foot taller than her, but she had a belt and would make it work. "Thanks," she said, with a genuine smile.
And then, turning on her heel, she started up the stairs. "I'll be quick! Mind yourself, now."
At the top of the stairs, she headed left and found their room, which she unlocked and slipped inside. She found the bath there in the center of the room, steaming hot, and was thrilled to finally get to strip off her soiled armor and leather mask. Her sweaty clothes, also soaked with blue bug guts, followed, along with her smallclothes (which, indeed, had gotten some of the gunk on them) and boots. Sigh. It would have been so nice to not have to deal with that...
Slipping into the warm waters, she took her time washing, intent on thoroughly enjoying the water. Hey, she'd paid for the room! Might as well get her money's worth and soak away her muscle aches and stress and worries!
By the time she'd scrubbed away all the blood, and soaped and rinsed off, the water was tepid. Whoops. Oh well. Herrick could always ask them to heat it back up or something.
Stepping up in the tub and wringing out her wet hair, Owl reached for a towel.
Only to realize she had none.
...Shit.
Well, she wasn't about to ask Herrick for one! Tip-toeing across the room, tracking water with her, she reached the bed and yanked off the sheets, and dried off with those instead. Then, nice and dry, she changed into the clothes Herrick provided, tied her hair back again, and touched her appearance up with more illusion magic, just to ensure her hair and eyes were still brown. Then she headed out the door and down the stairs, keeping her arms crossed over her chest. Her bindings had gotten gross and needed washing, too, so until then, well...guess she'd just be keeping her arms folded!
She approached the table and kicked the leg of his chair to get his attention. "It's all yours," she said, and smiled. "Don't worry. I only washed off a little of the bug juice."
"Shit, it's about time..." Herrick muttered, getting up from his chair. He didn't hesitate to speedwalk up the stairs towards the bath, asking the innkeeper for a fresh refill of water.
Before long, Herrick was in the bath. Of course, he was a tad large for it, so he could rest his well-muscled arms and shoulders along the rim of the tub quite comfortably. Perhaps it was this combination of pleasantly hot water, comfortable poistioning, and exhaustion that caused him to slip away from it all mid-bath, falling asleep in the washbasin. His large size kept him from sinking down into the tub all the way, so in that position he remained.
Sooner or later, a snore started up, faintly audible from the hallway.
Owl sat at the table, and ordered a pint of ale to hold her over while she waited. The food was suspect, but it was hard to screw up ale! Because it all tasted nasty to her, but it was cleaner than the water they could have served here.
She waited for Herrick to finish, tapping her foot and keeping her head down. Herrick's clothes hung loose on her, though she'd managed to tuck the shirt into the breeches and hold it all together with her belt, otherwise it would have been falling right off of her.
Minutes rolled by, and patrons started to file out of the common room, one by one. How long had it been, anyway? A good half hour, at least! Which was...acceptable, she guessed, since she must have taken as long. But soon it was just her and another man alone in the common room, who was clearly drunk. He kept lumbering over to her and asking if she knew anything about turnips, and his breath smelled like moldy turnips, too! Finally, she'd had enough.
Curtly excusing herself, she turned and bounded up the steps to she and Herrick's shared room, and was halfway up the stairs when she heard the snoring.
Snoring.
Coming from their room.
"Are you kidding me?!"
Marching the rest of the way to their room, she burst inside. "Kia's tit, Herrick! When did you plan on telling me you were...done...?"
It was then that she realized he was not in bed. Not at all.
Her eyes grew saucer-wide, her face flushed red, and with a yelp, she slammed the door shut on him.
"WHA-WHOAH" Came herrick's reply, as he burst into a surprised flail, splashing water about. He turned around, catching a small glimpse of Owl staring at him like a doe at an incoming carriage, and watched her leave suddenly and abruptly. For the life of him, he couldn't understand why she acted like this, the water in the bath was well above his waist. Perhaps she couldn't handle his rugged charm? Herrick chuckled to himself.
For Kia's sake, he didn't even really know what was happening until she left. "Gods...damn." He said in a tired slur. He was more or less refreshed, but being woken up like that had its toll. He reached for his bag, taking out a set of clothes and a towel, and he promptly got himself dressed, dried, and groomed.
Approximately two minutes after Owl had burst in on him, the door to their room slowly opened, and Herrick poked his head out, smelling lightly of fancy lavender soap and perfume. He was dressed in an outfit similar to Owl's, except the shirt was of a higher quality (complete with frilled cuffs), a vibrant maroon color, and the collar was much more pronounced.
He looked around for Owl, hoping to spot her outside the room. "Owl? You didn't run off on me, did you?" He called out.
Owl hadn't gone far. There was no way she was going back down to join Turnip Man, and she did want to sleep--she was exhausted!--and hopefully that scare had given Herrick the hint! She leaned against the wall by the door, arms crossed, trying to school her expression into something calm and neutral. True, she hadn't really seen anything but his torso, arms, and legs, but she'd been afraid of seeing things she shouldn't be seeing and, well, it was always a shock walking in expecting a clothed, sleeping person and getting a naked, sleeping person!
Not that that was a thing that happened to her often. Or ever.
The door opened minutes later, and Herrick's voice rang out. Owl looked over at him, arms still crossed. "That depends. Are you dressed?"
"Of course I'm dressed. Come on, off to sleep we go." Herrick said, shooting Owl a smile, before retreating back into the room. He started rummaging through his backpack, and when Owl entered, he would speak. "You know, if you were going to use the bedsheets as a towel, I would've given you one. All you had to do was ask." Herrick said, his hands coming up out of his backpack with some armor cleaning tools.
He picked up Owl's goop covered pile of clothes, and dumped them into the bathtub, Deciding to do Owl that small favor before she would start cleaning them. As for his own armor, he started scrubbing the dirt away from the leather with a wire brush.
Owl shut the door behind her as she entered, and couldn't help but snort at his words. "Well, yeah, I could have. But, I, er...I wouldn't have been decent," she said, clearing her throat. "I kind of didn't notice I didn't have one until I needed one."
Heading over to the bed, she pushed the wet sheets onto the floor, and crawled into the bed, wrapping herself up in the remaining blanket. She glanced over at Herrick as he dumped her things into the tub, and blinked in surprise.
"Aww, Herrick. I thought you weren't gonna clean my stuff. Thanks!"
"I'm not. Just getting it started for you." Herrick said, fighting a particularly tenacious patch of grime. "Unless you want your armor and clothing to be stained blue and reek of guts, I'd get to it." He idly said.
Owl let out a loud huff. And she had just gotten all warm and comfortable, too!
"Damn. And we pinky swore and everything. Harsh," she said, and slid down from the bed. Still wrapped up in the blanket, she shuffled over to the tub, sat down in front of it, cross-legged, and rolled back her sleeves, carefully, one at a time.
The water had already begun to turn pale blue as the blood seeped out.
Holding back a gag of disgust, Owl reached in and started to swish her clothes around through the water, hoping to loosen some of the gunk, and then she began to pick at the really crusted on stuff with her nails.
It soon became very apparent that she'd never washed an article of clothing in her life.
"You...uh...need some help there, princess?" Herrick asked, pushing his bag towards Owl with his foot. There's some more brushes and stuff in there." Herrick said, and looked like he was about to continue before he stopped again. "You do know how to use a bag of holding, right?" He asked, looking at her expectantly.
Owl rolled her eyes, fighting back a blush. "I'm not a princess," she said. "Just a noble. And I think I can do something as simple as washing clothes! Plenty of people do it..."
Opening the bag and not thinking anything of it, she reached inside. "I also think I'm perfectly capable of finding a brush in a bag! Really, Herrick, I'm not inept, I--" She froze, blinking, her brow furrowing in alarm and confusion, because it was then that she realized her arm had sunk into the bag well past her elbow.
And that she couldn't feel the end of it.
With a gasp, she drew her hand back.
"Bag of holding. Looks like a bag, feels like a bag, contains a pocket dimension inside rather an any actual space. Now, this is really important. When you reach in, you've got to be thinking about what you want to take out. I've got all kinds of things in there, so try not to let your mind wander." Herrick said casually, finishing up the torso piece of his leather armor and moving to the cloak, which he went over with a more conventional brush.
"So, just...think about a brush?" Owl said, and, giving the bag an uneasy look, she reached inside again, trying not to think about how weird this was.
Brush, brush, brush, brush! she thought, not wanting to grab onto anything...unpleasant. She had no clue what he had in there!
And then her fingers closed around a handle, and she quickly withdrew her hand, revealing a wire brush. "That is so weird. Uh, so..."
She looked over at Herrick as he worked on his own armor. "I just scrub my clothes with this?"
"Well, the wire brush is for the armor parts. You're going to need a more conventional brush for the cloth parts, as well as some soap to help scrub off all of that crud. It's all in the bag." Herrick explained, running his cloak through his fingers. As the moonlight catches through the window, the light pierces through the cloak, revealing that the cloak is actually comprised of hundreds of incredibly small leather plates (like lamellar), wrapped up in cloth to make it quiet and concealable.
After a moment's thought, Owl stuck her hand back in the bag and thought, hard as she could, of a regular brush. No wire, softer bristles. Hopefully he had another one of those! But as soon as she thought it, she felt her hand close around something, and when she brought it back out, it was indeed another brush.
The right kind, too!
"Where do you get these bags?" she asked, peeking down into the bag as though she could see something, but it all looked pretty normal. So weird. "This is really handy. How much stuff can you fit in this? Anything that fits past the opening? Is there a limit?" She lifted the bag, testing its weight. "It doesn't even feel like it's carrying much!"
"They're actually more common than you'd think." Herrick said, pausing his work. "I'm sure you can buy one in Arca if you look in the right places. As for how much it can carry, I've had that bag with me for the better part of five years, and it hasn't run out of space yet. It's got everything I'll ever need inside it. Tents, weapons, hygiene stuff, whatever." He explained.
"What's scary about 'em, is that I hear thay can store peoplew. If you get a bag big enough, or someone small enough, like a goblin or a toddler, you can actually put them in one of these bags." Herrick said, shaking his head. "Crazy stuff."
At the last thing Herrick said, Owl looked at the bag, then looked at Herrick, and then shut the bag up and slid it away from her.
"Er. Good to know. Creepy. Really creepy. But good to know," she said. The opening was about big enough that she could probably squeeze into it, and she really didn't want to think about that, or think about how well one might breathe in that. She'd been abducted once, and that was enough for her.
Turning back to her clothing, she eyed the new brush she held (the soft-bristled one), and then shrugged, dipped it in the water, and began to mimic Herrick with her scrubbing.
Finally, Herrick finished brushing down his cloak, and moved to his bracers. Using his feet, he dragged the bag of holding towards him by the strap, and reached in for a smaller brush with practiced ease. He lightly went over the bracers, since they were actually iron bracers darkened with coal dust.
Meanwhile, Owl kept scrubbing away at her clothes, tongue poking out of the side of her mouth as she worked.
"Somehow, I don't feel like this is doing much," she said after a few minutes, lifting up her stained breeches. Glancing over at Herrick, she added, "Hey, while you've got that open, can you fetch me some soap?"
Reaching in, Herrick's hand came out with a rough bar of soap, which he placed on the ground and slid towards Owl. Finishing his bracers, he decided he was too damn tired to do his leather breeches, and he merely dusted them off with his hands. "The best of luck with you and your clothes, Einin." He said as he toppled himself into the bed, claiming half of the remaining sheets on the bed for himself.
Owl caught the soap as it slid her way, then let out a long sigh as she dipped it into the water and started to suds up.
This. Really. Sucked.
She started to scrub at her clothes with renewed vigor, even as the rough soap stung her hands. She'd never had to do anything like this before. Servants always handled this! Gods, as much as she wanted to be a knight, she decided right then and there that she really missed her servants and that this was definitely one of the perks of being nobility that she didn't want to give up! How did people stand this? Her hands were probably going to be wrecked after--wait, what?!
Her head snapped up in time to see Herrick get all nice and cozy in bed.
Her bed!
"What do you think you're doing?" she said, eyes narrowing.
"Uh, going to sleep? If you're expecting me to sleep on the floor, after everything I've been through, you're mistaken. I was chased by a fucking farmhouse today, I'm going to sleep in a bed." He snarked. "Is there a problem with that, princess?"
Owl tossed the soap into the tub with a loud plop. "Yeah, there's a problem! Like the part where you're a man and I'm not. And stop calling me that!"
"Oh, for the love of...are you serious? Nobody's watching you here, nobody cares. I'm not moving from this bed. Once you decide to be mature about this, you're free to sleep on this bed." Herrick said, turning over and scooting to the edge.
"I'm being perfectly mature about this!" Owl said with a frustrated huff. "More than mature, actually! I don't really feel comfortable sharing a bed with a person I hardly know, much less a man."
And then, going back to her scrubbing with renewed effort, she added in a grumble, "Unless you plan on sleeping with your back to me the entire time and not move."
"Believe me, all I plan on doing is sleeping. I'm not going to stab you in your sleep." Herrick grumbled, getting himself even more settled. He released a tired sigh. "If it'll make you feel better, I'll stay like this the whole night." Herrick grumbled in return.
Stab her in her sleep?
Owl couldn't help it. She snorted with laughter, because that was kind of exactly what she was worried about.
(as much as I'd love to back and forth with you like we did for pretty much the whole day yesterday (seriously, that was awesome), I've got some school stuff to do today, so I'm not going to be as fast as yesterday)
Ignoring Owl's laugh, Herrick grumbled something about princesses under his breath. He truly had no intention of doing anything, doing anything was the last thing on his mind. He wanted to do nothing, preferably for around ten hours. Unless Owl was planning on disturbing him some more, he'd try to go to sleep.
[No worries! That's what forums are for! 8D And I'm gonna be at work all day and night here soon. |:]
Owl spent a few more minutes scrubbing her clothes, and going over her options. It looked like she got some of the crap off her clothes, and she had scrubbed it all off her far more important armor, when she finally gave up for the night. Her hands, unused to that sort of labor, were growing raw and dry from the soap.
Setting the soap down beside the tub and draping her clothes over the side of it, save for her armor which she set somewhere safe, she dried her hands and rose to her feet.
Herrick was already out from the looks of it. Or trying to be, at least. She couldn't tell. She eyed him for a moment, and the bed, considering it, but it was small and it would be impossible to sleep without touching. Sure, maybe she wasn't worried about him doing anything intentionally, but there was a lot of stuff that could happen unintentionally, and that would be awkward. So, after a few moments, she just reached over, grabbed a pillow, and dropped it to the ground by the bed.
"Who's the princess now, princess?" she grumbled, because fine, she would take the floor. Like he should have at least offered to do. But fine. She'd be the honorable one here instead.
Making a small nest of her blanket, she curled up on the floor with her pillow and tried to get some sleep.
"Hey, it's your choice, not mine." Herrick muttered, and promptly turned over onto his back, sighing with comfort, almost immediately falling asleep after that.
Owl jumped, because she hadn't expected him to hear that. But then she glowered up at him before rolling over and pulling the blanket up to her chin. "Oh, hush," she mumbled, and curled up tighter and closed her eyes.
Even uncomfortable as the floor was, especially to someone used to luxury, Owl was exhausted enough--physically and mentally--that as soon as her eyes were closed, she drifted off fast and deep.
But a deep sleep didn't necessarily mean a restful sleep, and it wasn't long before she was rolling over in her sleep like she couldn't get comfortable and shivering like she couldn't get warm--which she couldn't, because she'd kicked off the blanket. She hadn't gotten a truly good night's sleep since her experience with the goblins, save for the night she'd spent with Ryk--and save for the parts where she'd been passed out cold. And now she had new memories to add to the nightmares.
She whimpered in her sleep, rolling over again and curling into a ball, and then broke out into a quiet sob.
Herrick was trying to sleep, he really was, but he just couldn't. Mostly because someone was tossing and turning on the floor. Herrick was about to turn onto his side again and put his pillow on top of his head when he heard her start to sob.
Great. If he ignored her now, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. sitting up and leaning over the edge of the bed, he looked down at her, all curled up in a ball and crying in her sleep.
"Einin? Hey, you all right?" He whispered.
The dream was going to really dark places when a voice that wasn't coming from the dream penetrated her thoughts, just enough to disrupt it.
She snapped awake with a ragged gasp, and for a moment she just lay there, still sobbing, but disoriented and confused and brain-fogged from the sudden transition from sleep to awake. For a few seconds, she wasn't sure why she was crying, except that she couldn't stop it now that she'd begun, and after a few more seconds vague memories of her dream began to filter back to her.
That, and Herrick's voice.
Oh no.
She quickly wiped her face off onto her already damp pillow, and pushed herself up so she was sitting, her back against his bed. More tears fell, and she wicked them away with her fingers. Wonderful. For the most part, she had been able to keep this a secret, except for the few times she'd woken up screaming.
"I'm fine," she said, drawing a shuddering breath. "Just, you know. Bad dream, I think. Shocking, right?"
"You're not fooling anyone here, Einin. Don't be ashamed of a few bad dreams, I get them too, every now and then." Herrick said, resting his head on his hand. His eyes rolled to the side, the stairs of the inn creaking as a late night patron ascended them.
"Sometimes, you've just got to talk about these things to someone. It helps a lot more than balling it all up inside you." Herrick added.
Owl gave a dark laugh. "Are you offering?"
"Well, I've got nothing better to do." Herrick said dryly.
Owl went quiet for a moment, picking at a loose string on the blanket and blinking back residual tears. "I'm not really a...'let me talk about my problems' person," she said after a moment, and snapped the string off when it started to unravel a section of blanket. She flicked it away. "It's kind of awkward..."
Then she paused again, chewing her lip. That was true, for the most part, though she'd talked about her problems a lot with Ryk. He had a way of digging at her until she went on a rant--probably because they were similar in a lot of ways, and she could relate. But growing up, her parents had always been the type to hide issues, or buy their problems away, because appearances were everything. It wasn't like they were an unhappy family, either, but...
It also wasn't like she'd ever felt she could discuss things with them honestly. They didn't even know the full extent of what she'd been through, because they didn't want to know. It would have been too hard for them to hear it, and she was safe now, right? And that was what mattered, right?
She was totally fine!
Owl let out a frustrated sigh. Herrick had a point. She did tend to bottle things up and explode.
"You just...you seriously just wanna know about my dream? That's interesting to you?"
"well, it'll be better than souring my good mood when I ask you about it in the morning." Herrick said, cracking a smile. "Why wouldn't I want to know about your dream, anyhow? You think nothing interesting ever happens in your head?"
Owl shrugged at his question, smiling dryly. "Most people don't really tend to ask. I'm Einin Beirne, remember? Good for lineage and not much else. People don't really care what I think," she said, and wrapped her arms around her knees, keeping her back to him because, as she'd said, she did find this terribly awkward.
"Anyway, it wasn't interesting so much as, uh..." She shrugged again. "Bad. Y'know, as nightmares are. Standard fare, really. Nothing really happened in it. It was..." She rubbed the back of her neck. "It was mostly, I guess, fear of what would happen. If I didn't wake up. Though, of course, being in a dream it's not like I knew I could wake up. Ah..."
She played with the ends of her hair, fidgeting. "I was chained up again. Er, I guess you wouldn't know about that, but anyway, Varian was there, and the goblins, and...they were saying things. Threats, you know. Bad things. And then they were walking toward me and...I woke up. Stupid, I know, but there you go."
"Goblins?" Herrick asked, cocking his head to the side. Of course, he had no idea, but he knew possible thin ice when he saw it, and dismissed his own question with a wave of his hand. "You don't have to worry about any of that. Besides, if it was real, I would've been there with you. We're in the same room, remember?" He said, smiling.
"What're you doing sleeping on the floor, anyway? Trying to prove a point? Get on up here. If it bothers you so much, we can sleep back to back. I'll put my pillow between us." He said, giving her puzzled look and motioning for her her to get up onto the bed.
Owl flushed at his question and hunched her shoulders guiltily. Was she trying to prove a point? Yes, yes she was. A stupid one, and one that had backfired into an awkward feelings fest, and one that...there was no real point in proving, because she was only making herself miserable, stiff, and cold.
Maybe it was time to swallow her pride and get some actual sleep. After her dream, she didn't think she'd be able to go back to sleep anyway, at least not alone down here. As loath as she was to admit it, she was still shaken. Dreams like that lingered when they felt that real.
"Fine," she said after a moment's consideration. She rose to her feet and took a seat at the edge of the bed. "But back to back, like you said, and with a pillow between us. It's not that I doubt your honor, mind you. It's just...kinda weird."
"Hey, I get it." Herrick said, turning back over to his side of the bed. He took his pillow out from under his bed, and placed it against his back, settling back down to go to sleep for good this time.
As soon as Herrick was settled, Owl stretched out onto the bed, her back to the pillow and her blanket wrapped around her for good measure. Curling up again, she forced her eyes closed.
"Well, uh...g'night, I guess!" she said, though she laid awake for a while longer in paranoid silence before, finally, she relaxed enough to drift off again.
Stirring awake in bed, Herrick glanced around. Through the window, the light of the sunrise was slowly peeking in, but the room was still dim, since their room was located on the western side of the inn. Herrick released a held breath, silently thanking the gods. Morning came with a certain amount of relief to Herrick. It meant there was a good chance Varian wasn't on their tail.
The steady feeling of someone on his back told him that Einin was still asleep, so he got out of bed carefully and silently, using an arm to hold up Einin so she wouldn't just flop over and wake up, and then letting her down slowly. He'd done this so many times, one could call him an expert in the field of "sneaking out of a bed that has a woman in it."
As quietly as he could, he started to get suited up.
Herrick wasn't out of bed long before Owl woke, as she gradually became aware that she was no longer on her side, but was now on her back with a lot more room to move. Her eyes fluttered open, squinting against the wan light, and for a moment she was disoriented as sleep wore off--and as she saw she was in a room that was not her bedroom. She tensed, her eyes going wide and breath catching, before she remembered this was okay, this was where she was supposed to be.
Just the inn from last night.
So it hadn't been some crazy dream.
Releasing her breath slowly, and conscious that the mattress was laying even now, without the slight depression that spoke of another person laying next to her, she gave another small start and patted the pillow and blankets next to her before she rose up onto her elbows to look around the room--and saw that Herrick was still in the room.
"Oh...jeez. You're still here," she said, voice groggy-sounding, and flopped back onto the bed. She ran her hands over her face, rubbing away the sleep. "Ugh...what time is it, even?"
"It's early. I'm a bit of an early bird." Herrick said as he fixed his bracers onto his wrist. He already had his torso and legs on, and the collar of the maroon shirt he wore to sleep could be seen poking out from under his leather chestplate. He'd been up for around ten minutes when Einin came to.
He looked refreshed and ready for more action, surprisingly enough. Given his constantly mobile lifestyle, he had become accustomed to surviving on around five to six hours of sleep a day.
"I'm going to go rustle us some breakfast that isn't watery stew. How does breakfast in bed sound to you?" He asked, finishing his bracers. He sat down on the edge of the bed so he could put on and buckle up his boots as easily as possible. All the while, he gave her an expectant look, waiting for her answer.
Owl was totally not refreshed and ready for action.
As soon as Herrick mentioned it was early, and that he was an early bird, she let out a soft groan and stretched out in the bed until she took up most of it, arms and legs splayed. She nestled deeper into the blankets and shut her eyes again.
"Mm...breakfast in bed sounds awesome," she yawned, and pulled the blanket up until it covered her eyes, blocking out the light. "Wake me when it's here."
"I will." Herrick said in a slightly cheerful tone. He stood up from the bed, making sudden movements with his arm and torso to make sure his armor didn't rattle. When it remained silent, Herrick smiled to himself, and walked over to the window, opening it and taking a peek outside.
Bringing his head back in, he grabbed his bag of holding, strapped it onto his back, and disappeared through the window, quiet as a passing breeze. He was going to pay a visit to the baker.
The opening window probably should have clued Owl in that something fishy was going on, but she just figured Herrick was probably letting in some fresh air. And by the time she realized that she never heard the door open or close, she was already drifting back off to sleep. Her sleep hadn't been the greatest that night, as she drifted in and out of it, waking several times in the night, and on top of that, she wasn't an early riser.
Like a typical teen, she liked sleeping in, dammit! And her noble life afforded her that luxury.
Herrick waited for his chance, like a lion stalking its prey. It appeared the baker was an early riser as well, and as Herrick sat on the roof of the inn, observing the baker's storefront window, it was clear to him that getting some fresh pastries was going to be a risk that probably wasn't worth the reward.
But then...
the baker leaned into his oven, pulling out a steel tray lined with lemon cakes. Herricks' mouth watered at the thought of some fresh-out lemon cakes.
And so he waited, and waited, and waited for his chance. Finally, after an hour, the baker left his store, an empty sack draped over his shoulders, and started walking towards the market. Herrick smiled, dropping down from the inn's roof and coming to a rolling stop. Looking around, he placed a finger on his ring of disappearing (the same ring he used to go all ghost-y in his thread with Yasmin), and turned it on, completely disappearing.
A few seconds later, he reappeared inside the baker's shop, looming over the tray of lemon cakes. Although it was extremely tempting to take them all, he instead took the four cakes from the corner, placing them gently into his bag. Looking around the shop, he was confronted with a massive variety of things to take, so he just opted to take a variety of things, leaving the baker's shop with ten different warm and fresh baked delights, four of which were lemon cakes.
Climbing back up the side of the inn, Herrick re-entered their room silently through the window, noting that Einin had gone back to sleep. Setting down his bag, taking out a lemon cake (left unscathed, due to how the bag worked) he took a bite out of it. It was hard to suppress the sigh that came up.
These were some damn fine lemon cakes.
While he chewed his first bite slowly, he held the cake under Einin's nose, to see if the smell would raise her from her slumber.
It took a few moments, but finally Einin's nose wrinkled, and her brow knit, and a couple seconds later, she cracked her eyes open.
"Uh...?" she murmured, and almost smacked the cake out of Herrick's hand when she reached up to rub at her eyes, still not quite seeing things properly. Blinking sleepily as her vision cleared, the first thing she saw was a pastry hanging in front of her nose--which, obviously, was the source of that bloody amazing smell.
She let out another yawn and raised up onto her elbows. "Gods. Please tell me I'm not dreaming."
"Not even your wildest dreams could do this." Herrick said, sensually waving the lemon cake as he brought it back to himself. Reaching into his bag, he procured another one, and held it out to Einin.
"Careful, they're fresh out of the oven." Herrick said, taking another bite out his cake.
Einin was awake and sitting up in two seconds flat. If there was one thing that could get her out of bed fast, it was food! Much less sweets!
She happily took the offered cake, then hissed and bounced it between her hands. As Herrick had warned her, it was fresh and piping hot! Didn't stop her from impatiently taking a bite of it, though, and then having to fan her mouth as it burned her tongue.
It was totally worth it.
"Dear blessed Kia, this is so good," she moaned between mouthfuls, eyes closed with enjoyment. "Damn! That soup was so gross last night, I can't believe this came from the same place. They must bring on a different cook for the morning shift. Or maybe last night was just a bad batch."
Herrick rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, this isn't from here, I brought these from the baker's shop. It's the beginning of the day, so they're the freshest in town," He said as he took another bite out of his. "Gods above, these are amazing..." He said, chuckling as Einin burned her tongue. "...careful there, princess. No servants to blow on your food here."
He chuckled lightly at his own joke, even if it wasn't really that good.
"What are you talking about? I see one right in front of me. He brought me breakfast in bed and everything."
And Einin flashed him a shit-eating grin and stuck her tongue out at Herrick.
Immediately, with a shit-eating grin of his own, Herrick thrusted his lemon cake forwards, intent on touching her tongue with the hot pastry.
"Uwaaagh!" Einin let out a muffled yelp, tongue stinging, and jerked away. Reflexively, she slapped Herrick's hand in the same motion and shoved the cake at his face.
Opening his mouth, Herrick took a big old bite out of the lemon cake Owl tried to assault him with, his veteran mouth much more acclimated to burns than Einin's. With a victorious grin, he started chewing. "Thanks, princess."
And Einin was left with a sticky mess all over her hand for her efforts, lemon cake smashed all over her palm. With a sour look, she licked the remnants off her hand. "Oh, well, I hope it tastes good with my slobber all over it!"
"It's delicious, actually. You didn't think I was afraid of a little spit, did you?" Herrick said accidentally making eye contact as he spoke those words. Clearing his throat, he reached down into his bag, procuring another lemon cake to hand to Einin.
Einin laughed at that, misunderstanding his meaning. "Afraid? No. But most people would find that gross, eating something after it's been licked."
She accepted the lemon cake, and blew on that carefully before taking a bite.
"Believe me. In my line of work, a little spit on a mug or piece of food's the least of your worries. I used to try to avoid it, but I don't really mind it now," He explained. Groaning, he looked inside his bag. "I think I might've bought too many pastries. We're going to be full way before we ever finish these up."
"That just means more for later!" Einin cheerfully said, finishing off her cake (which was cooler than the last one, and which she had inhaled as a result) and licking her fingers. Ah, the benefit of being away from home--she didn't have to mind her manners.
"What else did you get? All lemon cakes?"
"Some chocolate cakes, some cinnamon rolls, something that looks like a doughstick covered in sugar..." Herrick listed off, peering into his bag.
"Chocolate cakes? And you've just been bringing out the lemon ones?!" Einin gave him a look of mock accusation. "You've been holding out on me."
"hey, next time you want to pick and choose, you go buy your own pastries," Herrick said, reaching into his bag to hand Einin a chocolate cake. "You're really putting these away. How do you keep your crime-fighting figure?"
Einin had just taken a bite of the chocolate cake when Herrick made his comment. She froze in mid-bite, grimaced and then looked over at him with a scowl. "I've only eaten as many as you!"
"Well, seeing as how I'm a good head or two taller than you, I think that's basis for a question like that. Living in a mansion, with all the food you can stomach, I can't imagine it. What's your routine, anyways? How do you do it?" Herrick said.
Einin's cheeks flushed red. She swallowed the bite already in her mouth, but lowered the cake toward her lap, unaware of the smudge of chocolate at the corner of her lips. Right. Point. He had both weight and height on her so...probably not the best defense!
"I don't really get sweets at my home," she said after a pause, her face still hot. "Father doesn't keep any in the home, to better resist the temptation, and my mother says they rot your teeth, so, ah..." She cleared her throat and set the cake on the bedside table. She rubbed the back of her neck.
"It's not like I sit around at home all day, you know! I do things, like fence and horseback ride, and Ryk Handelaar, my teacher, keeps me on a pretty rigorous schedule, so I get plenty of exercise!" And then her cheeks darkened. Right. Yeah. Fencing hadn't been the only exercise she'd gotten from him. "And...yes. And anyway, I'm likely still growing! Exercise and growing makes you hungrier, you know."
Herrick narrowed his eyes at her comment about Ryk. He'd caught that, however minor it was, he caught it. However, he didn't let the look linger on his face for long. Nodding, he finished off his own lemon cake from the very beginning. Deciding to flop onto the bed in his armor and pat his belly.
"Ugh, I won't be climbing over anything for at least a couple hours." He said, staring up at the roof. Almost hesitantly, he reached over and took Einin's unfinished chocolate cake, taking a bite out of that. "Oh, it's so good. It's been too long..." He muttered as he finished it.
"How old are you, anyways?" Herrick asked, wiping the leftover chocolate from his lips.
Einin snorted at his comment. "Yeah, I guess I'll probably have to get some exercise in as soon as it's settled, burn off the sugar," she muttered, his earlier comments having made her a little self-conscious. She pat her own belly, poking it, and frowned. Training with Ryk (both as Ryk and as Rufus) had gained her muscle and toned her body, and though her stomach was flat, she was still a little soft in the middle.
Bah!
Looking back up at Herrick, she tilted her head curiously. "I'll be eighteen in a little over a month," she said. "Why?"
"No real reason, just curious," Herrick said, rolling his head to the side so he could look at Einin.
"You know what we should do?"
Einin stretched, sighing as her back gave a pleasant pop. "What?"
"We...should go write that letter for your parents. Come on, Einin." He said, suddenly reaching over to rub away the chocolate stain at the side of her mouth with his thumb. He started removing his armor again, going back down to his casual clothing. The only sorts of armaments he kept on him were his rapier and pistol.
"Oh GODS!" Einin exclaimed, slapping her forehead, and jolt of panic going straight to her heart. "I forgot! I can't believe I forgot! I--"
She cut off when Herrick rubbed at the corner of her mouth, and fresh heat rose to her face. She touched the spot when he was done and looked at her fingers. "Something on my face?"
"Just some chocolate," Herrick said, trying to ignore Einin's miniature panic attack to the best of his ability. "I'm sure it will be fine, it's still pretty early in the morning."
"Is it? Oh, but it'll take time to reach them, and I still don't have a good excuse! What if they've already sent the guard? Imagine if they end up here and find me with you!"
...That was very, very unlikely, but Einin's imagination was on overdrive.
Herrick laughed. "Let me tell you, if it's one thing I'm good at, it's not getting caught with women by their parents."
He laughed a bit at his own joke.
"I saved some of that leftover paper, and I also stopped by the general store and bought some ink, so we wouldn't have to ask that scowling wart of an innkeeper for his quill."
"You have lots of experience with that, do you?" Einin said dryly, shaking her head.
Sliding out of the bed and adjusting the breeches, which wanted to slide down her hips even with the belt, she fixed the tail her hair was pulled into. Then she rubbed at her shoulders and neck, which was a little sore from the bed. "Thanks for the ink, though. That's...huh."
She tightened her hair tie and gave Herrick an odd look. "That was nice of you. And the pastries. And letting me sleep in..." Her look turned suspicious. "Still trying to win me over to your side?"
"You've made your decision, Einin. Unless you were to have a sudden change of heart, I don't think any of these things would've made a difference, am I correct?" He asked, but he immediately resumed talking. "Besides, this is just me trying to make things right. It's my fault you got tangled up in all this. Shit, your whole life might fall apart, and..." Herrick trailed off, his expression darkening as he leaned against a wall.
"...It's all my fault."
That actually surprised Einin, and she turned to look at him with raised eyebrows, the suspicion gone from her expression. She had half expected this to be some other attempt at winning her over or something--and she certainly hadn't expected his sudden admittance of guilt.
Or the fact that he actually looked...bothered?
"Whoa, wait, what? What's your fault?" Einin said, blinking several times. She hadn't known Herrick long, but she had known him long enough to know she wasn't really sure how to handle this. Trading snark and escaping from stressful situations was one thing, but this? She forced a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
"Don't be silly. My life's not ruined! I'm still in one piece and so are you. And you hardly did anything. If you're talking about Varian, it was my decision to get involved, wasn't it? I didn't have to go chasing after him. We escaped him, anyway. No lasting damage done."
"No lasting damage? Don't lie to me Einin. What about the nightmares you woke me up with, huh? Is that your idea of superficial damage? A-And what, you think Varian's going to just stop chasing you? He's not stupid, he'd know you're from Arca. It'd only be a matter of time."
Herrick held his eyes closed for a moment, sighing.
"It's what I do, though, isn't it? I'm a thief, a piece of criminal scum. My value on this Earth is measured on posters...I should've just ran off with the book."
He had a point, and Einin had no real answer for that. Smed still haunted her in her dreams, and now Varian, and she supposed that counted as lasting damage--the deep fear that still lingered, the way her heart pounded at certain phrases, even her slight revulsion toward pork. The memories were still vivid.
Wincing, she glanced at the floor. "If Varian comes, I'll just have to figure something out. But if he comes, it won't be on his turf. I'm safer than you'd think! I have allies. And...well, I'll face it when it happens, if it happens, I guess. This is the sort of stuff I'm training for, so...no sense hiding. I want to be a knight, you know. Knights face danger, they protect the people. I just have to get used to it."
Looking back up at Herrick, she rubbed at her elbow. "You know, you...don't have to be a thief, right?" Einin said, seeing this moment as an opportunity. "If you don't want to be criminal scum, I mean. Sure, maybe you've messed up, but it's never too late. You can always turn your life back around! You didn't have to help me when I got in over my head, but you did, and you could have died. You didn't have to give me that ring of yours."
She gave a little shrug. "For what it's worth, you've proven yourself as more than just 'criminal scum'. Trust me, I know criminals! And...I know you're not all bad. You just sometimes make bad choices, or different choices, or..." She scratched the side of her neck. "Or think you're doing the right thing, but...anyway! What I'm saying is, I know you were trying to convince me, but...why don't I convince you? You're skilled. Why not use those skills for a good purpose?"
"Like what? All I can do is steal, Einin. It's my place , what I was meant to do. Would you have me dress up in fluffy animal masks and stop muggings?" Herrick asked, stepping off of the wall.
"The opulent need to be kept in check. I have told you that I only steal from those too fat and rich to do anything else but get fatter and richer, correct? When a nobleman forces a family to pay double taxes to raise money for his marble statue fund, it's their noble right. When that Nobleman is robbed of those riches, it's a crime. Somebody has to do something about it, and so far, I've been the only one."
Einin let out a sigh, her shoulders sagging. It had been worth a try. "There has to be another way, though. What happens when you steal from the noble that had been gouging those families? Do you think it's just...happily ever after for them then? Why wouldn't he then triple the taxes to try to get back what had been lost?"
She rubbed her temples. "I just...there has to be another way. Stealing isn't it. But if that's all you think you're good for, I can't stop you from selling yourself short."
Herrick stayed quiet for a few moments, looking down at the ground. He supposed that he had spoken out of emotion, without really thinking it through.
"...Five days..." He said, looking up at Einin. He walked up to her, and laid his spread hand on her shoulder. "When we get back to Arca, you'll have five days to show me how the best burglar on Le'Ranna can use his thieving skills be a good guy, and I'll lay down my past and join up with you as a sidekick or whatever. But...There's one condition..." Herrick said.
"If I join up with you, you've got to stop wearing that stupid, flammable looking mask. Hell, I've even get you a proper metal mask, just anything but that fluffy thing. It look horrible."
Einin balked at that, jerking away and rolling her shoulders back. "I will do no such thing!" she said, frowning.
"I can't be Owl without the mask! It's what makes me Owl! Without it, I'd be just...just...a headless owl, and headless owls are dead owls! The mask is special, and it's part of me. Also, it's armor," she said, and flashed Herrick a grin. "The feathers are just decoration, but the stuff beneath it is made of the same material as the rest of my armor. Protects my face! And my identity. And it's not stupid, it's fierce and practical and fits my theme! Every hero's got to have a theme."
With a grin, she nudged him with her elbow, growing more excited at the prospect. "I'll agree to the rest, though! Five days, you've got it. Oh! You'll have to think of a theme for yourself, though! You don't need a fluffy mask if you don't want one--that's my thing--but if you're reinventing yourself, may as well go all out! And it can help to get in character. You know, really helps you feel it!"
"Well then get one made of metal, or something. You can rub it down with ash so it doesn't gleam, and it'll be scores better than what you're wearing. Nobody's ever going to take you seriously with that thing on..." Herrick trailed off, thinking how he could come up with something better.
"Tell you what, you can be The Fluffy Owl, and I'll be...The Fierce Leopard. Yeah, I like the sound of that."
"Herrick, I'm not getting rid of it," Einin said with a stubborn set to her jaw. "I like it, and besides, it's enchanted. It's already scores better than anything else I could have, and if people underestimate me and don't take me seriously..."
She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "That's their problem, not mine. If anything, it works in my favor. Make fun of it all you like, oh Fierce Leopard, but I'm happy being a fluffy owl! Fluffy owls still have sharp talons and wicked beaks."
"Well, The Leopard's not fluffy, because I'm not fluffy. Come on, my Fluffy Owl Princess, we have a letter to write. We can discuss my one condition later." Herrick said, stretching a little as he made his way to the door and opened it, holding it for Einin.
(Pls halp, I'm having this moral dilemma right now. I can't decide how Herrick's voice should sound in my head. I'm stuck between generic english, and rambunctious Antonio Banderas style Spanish accent. This issue is really affecting me right now >_<)
[Antonio Banderas is always the answer. |: ]
Einin let out a groan and rolled her eyes. Princess irked her more than Fluffy Owl, but the combination was even more grating. Tightening her belt, she followed after him and slipped out the door. "You'll have to think of a new condition, because the mask goes nowhere."
[this is true. How could I ever doubt Antonio Banderas? From now on, that's what Herrick sounds like!]
Following her out of the room, Herrick locked the door before following Einin downstairs. When they came down, the tavern part of the inn was rather alive with activity, a much more different scene than last night. Some nightwatchmen sat at the bar, sharing a round of drinks.
"I'm telling you, man. Cockroaches the size of wolves!" One of them said, and the others laughed. "I think you had a little too much to drink before your shift, my friend," one of the others said while mid-laugh, patting his comrade on the back.
Herrick looked at the men concernedly. Perhaps they weren't completely out of the woods yet. Finding their table from before strangely unoccupied, Herrick sat down at it, and started laying out the paper and inkpot.
Einin tensed and froze right there on the stairs at the sight of the soldiers, and her heart just about stopped as a wave of panic struck her. Her face paled. For a second, she thought they were there for her. But then she saw they were sitting around drinking, which...surely wasn't something soldiers would be doing during an active search?
Letting out a held breath, Einin continued down the stairs. She was still disguised with a bit of illusion, anyway, so...hopefully it would be okay! Herrick didn't seem worried about them, in any case.
...But their words, as she listened in, made her very concerned.
She slid into a chair across from Herrick, she shot him a nervous look. If other people saw those things...
She kicked his boot to get his attention. "Those soldiers saw the things. The bug things," she whispered.
"I heard them."
Before, Herrick was smiling, almost aloof, but now he was tense, constantly scanning the crowd. Still, as long as they remained in the village, everything would be alright, he hoped. Unless if Varian planned on tearing this place down to find them, then they were screwed.
"You were covered in blue guts, they must have tracked your scent."
Einin covered her mouth to hold in her curse. "Oh gods, you think so?" she finally whispered, and raked her hand through her bangs. "I washed my clothes, though! So...we should be okay? Right? Maybe? I dunno, you know more about what's his face than I do."
She shot a glance to the door, as though afraid that naming him would summon him.
"Hey, don't worry," Herrick whispered back, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sure that even if he knew we were in this village, he doesn't know where, alright? C'mon, get to writing that letter."
Nevertheless, he kept a watchful eye on the door.
Einin's shoulders had been hunching with tension, but they relaxed a little under his hands. She let out a slow breath. "He doesn't yet," she said, "but...we should probably consider leaving. If he's looking..."
Her gut twisted at the thought, a shiver going through her, but she finally grabbed for the inkwell and quill and unstopped the ink. "Alright. Uh...'Dear Mother and Father'..."
As she spoke, she penned the words in a precise and beautiful hand, then trailed off. "I have no idea where to go from this. I still don't have my horse! Unless...wait." Rising to her feet, she turned toward the door. "I'm gonna check the stables."
Nodding his head, Herrick leaned back in his chair, before suddenly straightening up. He stood, and he approached Einin as she left. "Here, just in case." He said, and unstrapped his pistol holster, handing it to her. "I know it's too big for you to handle properly, but you can at least fire it off if you need help," He said, somewhat hesitant as he handed it over to her. This was his baby, after all.
Taking the pistol from Herrick, Einin held it like a viper she was expecting to strike at any moment, out and away from her body. She had never seen a gun in person until Herrick, and though she had a general idea of how it worked, she was still totally foreign to it.
"Oh...ah...thanks! Er...so..." She turned toward Herrick, turning the gun with her, and inadvertently pointing the barrel at him. She fingered the trigger. "How do I even use this again? Is this the thing I pull here?"
Herrick watched as Einin took the pistol out of its holster. He slowly raised a finger, and pushed the barrel downwards. "Don't do that," He said bluntly, and stepped to her side. Using his own shooting hand, he placed it over Einin's, to better guide her own hand. He also moved her finger off of the trigger. It wasn't dangerous at the moment, since it wasn't loaded nor primed to fire anyways.
"Einin, this isn't a toy. This is a firearm, and you will end up hurting someone you don't want to if you don't keep it pointing at the floor while it's out. Never point it at anybody until you've decided you're going to shoot them, and never put your finger on the trigger unless you're going to shoot." He started.
Moving her thumb up to the hammer, he helped her pull it back until it came to a stop, the heavy mechanisms releasing a powerful click. "Once you pull the hammer back, it'll fire when you pull the trigger."
He let go of her hand, stepping back in front of her.
"You get all that?"
"I think so," Einin said, now feeling kind of nervous about it. She felt far more confident with her sword, and had a feeling that if anything happened, she'd resort to using that long before she tried to fire off a shot. She could use a sword without bungling it, was competent in swordplay, but this thing just seemed like it had a lot of room for error, and her ignorance on the matter made her uneasy.
She didn't like doing things badly, and she hadn't even had a chance to practice with this at all!
"Good enough. It'll do. I'll be right back, alright?"
But before she left, she turned and headed back upstairs, fetched her sword, and then came back down. She hadn't felt too nervous about checking the stables, since it was right around the corner! But now she thought it was better safe than sorry, and with her sword buckled on and the pistol in hand, she headed outside.
If a Soot Wolf had delivered her horse in the night, she wasn't sure if they would have tried to get her attention while she was sleeping. So maybe if they'd done it, they'd just quietly delivered her horse? Those were her hopes as she walked there, and when she slipped inside, guided there by a stable hand, she braced herself for disappointment as she scanned the stalls.
Until, with a sigh of relief, she saw her--her tan mare with her blond mane, her ears perked up as she caught sight of Einin. Einin couldn't help but smile.
"Good to see you, too!"
Herrick watched Einin leave, deciding he'd sit at the counter and have a few drinks for a while. He knew that in these cases, it was better safe than sorry, but the thought of her out there with the largest black powder pistol currently existing worried him.
Dismissing the thoughts, he ordered a drink.
As Einin reacquainted herself with her horse, the door to the stables across from her opened, armored footsteps sounding out through the structure. It was another nightwatchman, rubbing his bald head as the ashed breastplate he wore above his uniform jostled about. On his shoulders, however, he wore a peculiar cloak that looked like a whole bunch of joined together rags. He paused, looking at Einin peculiarly (it wasn't every day one saw an armed girl hanging out in the stables), before turning away.
It looked like this man was inspecting the stables. As he went through the stables, leaning into the small corrals, a small fly landed on the back of Einin's horse, its glistening eyes directed towards her.
Einin cast a jumpy look to the stable doors as they opened, but it was just another nightwatchman. Relaxing again, she rubbed Honey's nose. Honey nuzzled her back, reaching past her hand to whuffle at her clothes, searching for treats. Einin laughed and pushed her nose away.
"Sorry, I don't have anything. But I'll give you extra when we get home," she said. "I know it's cramped and smelly here, but we'll be leaving soon. Hang tight."
And then she turned to head out, back to the inn. Finally, she could write that letter!
As Einin turned to leave, a single, wet crack sounded out beneath her, and upon inspection, she'd see that she had just stepped on a fat, disgusting roach, almost half the size of her foot. Suddenly, the sound of millions of tiny, shelled legs filled the stables for a brief moment, and from behind, a pronounced urk! came from the nightwatchman.
If she turned around, she'd see that the man was gone, a bundle of rugs sitting on the ground where he once stood.
"Ugh, gods, really?" Einin cringed as she lifted her foot, stringy bug guts clinging to the bottom of her boot. She made a face--she'd have to really check Honey over for all sorts of things once they got home!--and started to scrape her boot off onto the ground. Come to think of it, she probably should have checked the bed for bed bugs...she'd have to do that when she got--
She froze, the sounds of insects filling her ears, and then the grunt of the nightwatchman. A chill raced down her spine, and Einin spun around.
To see the guard was gone. Only rags remained.
"Oh." It came out a weak, breathless exhalation as her body seized up, her chest tight with fear. The man was gone. The man was gone. And the sounds of insects...
When Einin could move again, she did the first thing she could think to do, and fumbled out that pistol, pulled back the hammer, pointed it at the ceiling with both hands, and fired.
It kicked, and she had no experience with recoil, nor was she expecting it, so she wound up smacked in the chest and knocked on her ass with her ears ringing something fierce.
And the stable wound up with a good-sized hole through the roof.
And a lot of panicked, screaming horses.
(Fire up those nightmares! It's Swarm time!)
After a few moments of ear-ringing silence, the sounds of insects slowly returned along with her sense of hearing. The terrible, ceaseless noise came from all directions. The walls and ceilings seemed to shudder as insects and arachnids of all shapes and sizes started to pour out from under the foundations, all flowing towards the rag on the ground, which slowly started to rise from the ground as its inhabitants gave it shape.
There was a sharp bang at the door, which was jammed up with beetles.
"EININ! WHAT'S GOING ON IN THERE!"
It was Herrick's voice, and his yellings were followed by what sounded a sharp, yet unsuccessful kick to the door.
Another voice came after his, and it sounded like millions of small voices, both male and female, speaking in unison. At first, it was all garbled, but they all quickly synchronized and matched up.
"The Starchild promised us much. We will not disappoint him."
Horrifyingly enough, a hand made of insects shot up from the rags, which slowly lifted off the ground to wrap it.
Oh fuck.
Ohfuckohfuckohfuck!
Einin had never been terribly squeamish around insects, and though many people feared spiders, Einin was never arachnophobic. If anything, she found insects fascinating, and had been the sort of kid growing up that liked to catch various weird bugs just for fun, much to her mother's horror.
It was a very different experience when they were pouring into a room by the hundreds of thousands from every crevice, and taking shape in a dead man's clothes, and all after an encounter with a mass murdering man and his giant insect things.
Einin cried out, scrambling to her feet, and turned to the door--but saw all the insects swarming on it, blocking it.
And then there was the pounding, and Herrick's voice.
Oh fuck.
"I-I don't know but get in here NOW!" she shouted back, voice rising with terror as the thing started to take shape. And speak.
Starchild?? What?
Backing away from the thing, trying not to step on insects, she dropped the pistol and drew her sword. "W-what are you? What do you want?" she demanded, trying to keep her voice steady even as her heart pounded.
"We are Swarm. You are our quarry, at The Starchild's behest."
The pile of rags slowly started to take a more human shape, and a torso reared up from the sea of insects. From the door, a distinct hacking sound started to ring out as Herrick started taking his rapier to the door, but it was no use. Another attempt at kicking the door down was made, but the insects holding it were doing a damn good job.
A blanket of beetles, ants, and other critters started moving across the stables towards Einin, ignoring the horses as they moved forwards with unnatural coordination.
"Who the hell's the Starchild?! HERRICK!"
That swarm came her way, and Einin spun for the door and aimed a hard kick at it, then took her sword to it, having head Herrick's efforts and hoping, maybe, their combined efforts would do something. She stabbed at the crack between the door, slicing through insects in the hopes of unjamming it and using her sword to try to wedge it open--before another desperate thought hit.
His pistol.
She'd blasted a hole through the roof, hadn't she?
Sheathing her sword, she grabbed up the pistol and aimed it at the door. "Herrick, move away from the door! I'm gonna shoot!" she yelled, not knowing whether or not it had more bullets inside it.
"The Starchild is the one who promised us much in return for you. He is the one of tainted blood and black arms, of many eyes and scales. We recognize him as herald to the stars."
The calmness and levelness of Swarm's voice heavily contrasted their apparently chaotic nature. Their voice seemed to come from the insects themselves. Finally, Swarm finished taking shape, and it started walking towards Einin, outpacing the swarm as it held an outstretched arm out towards her.
Outside, Herrick could not be heard anymore. Einin raised the gigantic pistol once more, and the hammer came down with a resounding click, but not much else.
"Come with us, Owled One. We would prefer not to harm you," Swarm droned as they approached.
"Fuck!" Einin yelled when nothing happened, and once again she tossed the pistol away (sorry, Herrick!) in favor of her sword, spinning to face the threat with her blade out.
The threat, which had now fully taken the shape of a human.
So this was one of Varian's henchmen? Gods!
"Stay back!" she shouted, and sidestepped away from the door, not wanting to get her back against it, not wanting to get cornered. She slid into a defensive fencing stance and kept on moving. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"
"Very well. You give us no choice but to subdue you."
The insects around her stiffened up, and then piled on top of each other as they started to form walls. Swarm lowered their outstretched arm, and instead brought it around for a horizontal swing. From their arm, Swarm launched some poisonous spiders, attached to him by string. Their legs were sharp almost bladed. His other arm shook and rumbled, and a new sound started to build up.
The sound of bees.
Einin yelped as the spiders landed on her, legs stabbing at her skin, and she swatted at the ones she could reach--smashing their bodies onto her clothes as she backed away as far as those walls would let her.
And then, worse. A familiar buzzing.
Oh shiiiit.
"Whoa! Wait!" she cried, her blood going cold when she realized what it intended, as though this nightmare weren't bad enough. But thank the gods, she supposed, that she'd been through hell once; it didn't make this less terrifying, but it had at least prepared her, so she didn't freeze up like a rabbit.
"I-if you just wanna subdue me, that's not gonna work! I'm allergic! One sting will kill me! If this...if this Starchild wants me alive, that's gonna get the exact opposite of what he wants!"
The spiders latched onto her, and by the strings, Swarm would start to pull her towards them, but then Swarm hesitated. The hornets would kill her? The Starchild wouldn't have that. No, he wanted her alive.
It was during this moment of hesitation that the door burst open. Herrick had appropriated a horse, and it looked like his plan worked out. Herrick came running in, a torch in hand, and Swarm recoiled from the fire.
"No! It burns us!"
the insects all started to lose some of their organization, as if they were all panicking.
"Back, you bastard. Back!" Herrick yelled, thrusting forwards with the torch. Swarm's rags caught fire, and with a collective shriek, the insects all scattered, quickly disappearing into crevices and crannies just as quickly as they had appeared.
It had been a bluff, one Einin hadn't been sure would work--this creature had never said if "Starchild" wanted her alive or dead, after all! But its brief hesitation made all the difference.
Einin wasted absolutely no time. As soon as Herrick burst in and those insects shrieked and scattered, she turned and bolted out the open door. There was no damned way she was staying in there, and it was only once she was out in the open and away from the situation that the fear and panic really caught up to her. Panting hard and trembling, she leaned over with her hands resting on her knees and watched the door, suddenly feeling like she could vomit.
Herrick was in there for a good minute, before he stepped out, holding the still burning torch. Scanning the area around them, Herrick dropped the torch, stamping it out. He jogged over to Einin, and placed his hands on her shoulders. He straightened her up, and looked her over. "You alright? Any bites?"
Looking up at Herrick, Einin gave a weak, humorless laugh. "Nearly pissed myself, but I think I'm alright," she breathed, still shaking. "Didn't get a chance to check for bites. I...dunno?"
She rolled up her sleeves to check her hands and arms, then stepped back from Herrick to tug down the collar of her shirt. "Am I good?"
"Uh...hold on..." Herrick started, and started patting her shoulders lightly, followed by her back. He was checking for bites that were too well hidden under clothing to be immediately found. As he did so, he spoke to Einin.
"You mind telling me who the hell that guy was? Is he one of Varian's? I don't remember seeing him when I met Varian..."
"I don't know. I don't know if I'd even call it a guy. It wasn't a person, it was just...bugs."
Einin shuddered, biting back another wave of nausea at the memory. "I think it...I think it ate one of the guards, and it...uh...said it was trying to deliver me to some Starchild? Honestly, there's only two people it could be, 'cause there's only two people I've messed with that I couldn't put away: Varian and Smed. And Rufus, but he doesn't count. Unless I've made some other enemy I don't know about. Fuck if I know."
"Smed? Who's that?" Herrick asked, before he paused his patting. "Hey, you've got something on your back, I'm not sure if its a bite though. You got any scars?"
"Oh, um...I have a mole near the bottom of my shoulder blade, but that's about it," Einin said, and gave another shudder at the memory of what had used to be there, carved into her flesh and made permanent by whatever Smed had used--
Until Rufus's healer has flayed it off of her, a process that had been even worse than the original carving. Blessedly, she'd been unconscious for that, but had to remain awake for Chora's awful procedure.
"Smed, he's, uh...a goblin."
Herrick could see it in her face, even if she didn't know it. Smed was apparently quite the subject for her. He finished patting her down, and returned his hands to her shoulders, giving them a slow, comforting rub.
"If you don't want to talk about it, don't. You're all clear, no bites where I checked."
"Uh...well, I don't want to, no, but maybe I should?" Einin said, shoulders still tense beneath his hands, even though he said she was in the clear. Because she had no bites, but that didn't mean she was clear.
Right now, she felt pretty damned fucked.
She swallowed, her mouth cotton dry, and kept her eyes lowered. "Someone's after me, and it's either him or the other guy. And knowledge is power, so..." She took a deep breath.
"A while back, I got in over my head. Again. You know that building where we met, the burned out one? Uh...I was there for that. Goblins did it, and I saved the owner--they left him to burn--but I kinda underestimated them and...they took me away. Smed was their leader."
She rubbed at her arm, feeling more anxious the more she relived it. "Smed did...some fucked up things. I thought I was gonna die. I would have, but Rufus bust in there and saved me, and...a lot of people died in the process. Smed was...pretty pissed about that."
Herrick shushed her softly. Einin looked like shit right about now.
"You need a hug, Einin. Come here."
He pulled her in, embracing her as her anxiousness peaked. He'd hold her there until she relaxed, or told him to stop.
"I--what?"
Einin cut off when he hugged her, having not expected that! Or, at least, she hadn't expected him to be serious about it, considering their contentious relationship! But maybe that was mostly on her end? He had helped her out, saved her life, and was continuing to do so even when he didn't have to. And here he was now, trying to comfort her? What even! He knew she still planned on turning him in if he didn't turn over a new leaf, right?! He was supposed to be acting more villainous!
Ahhhh! What was with criminals making things difficult by showing their humanity?! First bloody Rufus, and now Herrick.
But then, as she'd learned, there were layers to everything, weren't there?
For a moment she stood there, her arms at her sides and body tense. Then, with a sigh, she let her forehead thump against his chest, and some of the tension bled out. "Alright, so...I guess I kinda did need that," she said after a pause, and gave him an awkward pat on the back.
"I know, I'm not the best at comforting people, but I know when somebody needs a hug."
Herrick let Einin go, releasing a tired sigh. Damn it all if Einin didn't remind him of himself. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that he was slowly falling for her. He stood there in awkward silence, eying a passing fly, before clearing his throat.
"So, I guess we can finally get to writing that letter."
"Haha, yeeeah...the letter," Einin said, scratching the side of her neck as she took a step back. "Though, um...I think we should probably maybe leave first? I got my horse, and, uh, I'm really not feeling great about this place now. For reasons."
That was also a good idea. Actually, it was pretty much the best they could do.
"Point taken. Let me just get my bag packed, and we can leave."
He started to walk back to the inn, but he stopped halfway, turning back around. "I'm going to pack your armor and things into my bag. That alright?"
"Your bag of holds all the things and never gets full?" Einin clarified, tilting her head and looking at Herrick. The expression on her face, thoughtful and skeptical, showed she...wasn't quite sure about that.
That was some really fancy, magical, valuable armor, custom made for her. She couldn't risk losing it.
"You're not gonna try to cut and run with it?"
"I mean, do you want to carry your armor and equipment, or gods forbid show up to your home wearing it all?" Herrick asked, and turned to fully face her, crossing his arms.
"If I was going to rob you, I would've made off with everything while you slept. Why would I wait until now?"
Einin flushed at that, looking away. "Er...point. Alright, yeah, it can go in the bag," she said, and started after him toward the inn.
Nodding, Herrick resumed, quickly making his way up to their room so he could start packing things up. He ignored all the concerned people who were asking him what had happened, knowing that time was of the essence now.
That walking swarm of bugs was no doubt on its way back to Varian at this very moment, and they couldn't waste any time. One by one, he'd take a piece of Einin's clothing and stuff it into his bag, finishing it off with the fluffy owl mask.
Einin waited nearby while he packed, bouncing nervously on her toes while she watched to make sure he didn't "accidentally" forget her mask. Once it was done, she turned to head for the stairs.
"Where should we even go?" she asked, and added in a whisper, as though afraid of being overheard, "Maybe back to town? To Arca? It's a big city. Much harder to do the sorts of things these types like to do unnoticed."
That wasn't a bad point, but in their case, it might be moot.
"Sounds like a plan. He wouldn't dare do anything in the city. He can't be that powerful. We should stay close to your home, probably in the nearest inn or empty house," Herrick whispered back. Once he got the pack all strapped down and closed up, he flung it onto his back, tightening the fit.
"Maybe away from my home, actually," Einin said as she took the stairs and waited for him at the bottom.
"Like...on the other side of town. I don't want him to know where I live, so I don't wanna get close until we can go at least a day without incident."
"Whatever you prefer."
Herrick motioned for Einin to wait up, and he approached the innkeeper, holding his water skin up to the man. "Fill her up, my good man. Nothing too strong, though," He said, and the innkeeper nodded, taking Herrick's water skin. Once he got his water skin filled, he followed her out.
As soon as Herrick was done, Einin lead the way to the stables--but paused outside the door, hedging. Her face went pale at the thought of going back in there, and her stomach clenched. She hadn't really had time to really process what had happened, or how close she'd come to...getting kidnapped? By a bunch of insects that would have done gods knew what to her.
She licked her lips and cleared her throat.
"Uhhh...okay, I'm probably gonna sound really paranoid, but, er...do you mind fetching Honey while I wait out here?"
Herrick shot Einin a glance, sighing through his nose. Was she really going to do this to him? Make him go in there by himself? Was she crazy? It's not like he was just raring to go back inside of the previously insect filled death-stable.
"Sure thing. If Varian shows up and kills me, I'll be sure to scream extra loud so you have time to hide."
And with that, he left her, walking into the stables with a hand on the hilt of his rapier. He was in there a few minutes more than it would normally take to simply lead a horse out, but he did return, leading Honey out. Honey had some bandages over one of her legs, evidently put there by Herrick to ensure the ruse worked.
When Herrick returned, Einin greeted Honey happily, petting her nose while the mare let out an irritable snort. Clearly, she was also glad to be getting out of here, and probably hadn't enjoyed the low class stables in contrast to all the pampering she got back home.
Not to mention the bug issue.
Einin glanced over at Herrick. "Thanks. I didn't mean to send you as a sacrificial sheep into the den of lions or anything, but I figured it was probably safer for you. In case you haven't noticed, I'm the one who got attacked here. That bug guy didn't mention you."
"Yeah yeah, I get it," Herrick said as he rolled his eyes. He patted Honey on the side, almost as if he was appraising her. "She' s a mighty fine mare. Good stock from both parents, by the looks of it."
Idly, he rubbed Honey's side, before clearing his throat. He pulled himself up onto her, sliding to the back of the saddle and motioning for Einin to take the reigns.
"My parents only invest in the best," Einin said as she climbed up into the saddle after him, taking the front and taking the reins. "And Honey is definitely the best mare I could ask for. Isn't that right, girl?"
She wheeled Honey around and set them onto the road, easing Honey into an easy canter. "I take it you like horses?"
Herrick nodded. "Horses? Aw, I love 'em!" he replied. Once they got going, he placed a hand on Einin's shoulder to help him keep his balance. He almost never rode as a passenger on another's horse, so even this agile master thief would need all the support he could get.
"I've got a horse of my own. Big, thoroughbred Shire stallion, dark as the night and as tall as me at the shoulder. He's been with me ever since I left my family in the dust."
"He sounds pretty. Where's he at?" Einin asked, not minding his hand. He had no reins to hold onto like she did, after all! "And what do you call him?"
"He's in the Arca stables, patiently waiting for me to come back. His name's Thunder," Herrick said, his tone happy and relaxed.
"Me and Thunder have been through so much together."
"I guess so, if you've been together that long!" Einin said, and pat Honey's neck. "This one's lead a pretty pampered life. I generally don't involve her in my escapades, because she's definitely no destrier! She can't handle that kind of activity. She was bred for a noblewoman, after all."
Looking ahead of them at the road and avoiding a pot hole, she continued. "So, what sorts of things have you and ol' Thunder seen?"
I've done just about anything you can imagine mounted on Thunder. We've had quite a few scrapes, some of the wildest horseback chases you'll ever see, and he's galloped me through quite some hellish spots, too. He can take a hell of a beating, Thunder. This one time, we were escaping from the Essyrni Sultan's personal guards. I swear, that chase must've torn up half of that damn city!" Herrick said, laughing as he recalled the event.
"We've crossed deserts and climbed mountains together, and I've ridden him into an open fight at least five times now. Thunder's a hell of a scrapper, too. I've seen him maim fully armored men with his hooves."
"Wait, back up!" Einin said, tossing him a backwards glance. "You went to Essyrn and pissed off the Shah? What on Earth did you do?"
"Shah, yeah, that's what they call him. I...uh...Might've stolen something. From his palace. To the tune of ann entire cutlery set made of rose-gold."
Herrick rubbed the back of his neck, smiling innocently. "Master thief, remember?"
Einin smacked her forehead. "Seriously? You went to Essyrn and stole silverware? Of all things you could do and all the wonders you could see, that's what got you kicked out?"
"Not just silverware, Einin. The silverware to end all silverware! Imagine a set of forks, knives, and spoons, all made out of pure, solid rose-gold, studded with rubies and emeralds. The rims of the spoons are done in shining platinum, and the knives are edged with nothing less than the finest, tempered steel..."
Herrick leaned forward so he could jokingly whisper the details into her ear in a sensual tone. When he was done, he leaned back, laughing.
"Besides, you're assuming I didn't take the time to see the city. And I wasn't kicked out. I escaped; there's a difference."
Einin rolled her eyes skyward, but she was trying hard to laugh as he whispered the details like a lover. Someone was certainly getting all worked up over a bunch of forks! She snickered and nudged him in the gut with her elbow, but not hard enough to injure.
"Oh, stop that," she said with a laugh before she turned her eyes back to the road. "So, when's the engagement? Or have you been spooning these wares out of wedlock?"
Einin's elbow thudded harmlessly against Herrick's armor, and he chuckled at her little pun.
"I sold 'em all for a king's ransom. I covered my expenses for a year with the coin I made off of those wares. I didn't have to worry about a single thing. I took a vacation to Thanatos. Lovely set of islands, those are."
"Ahh, Thanatos," Einin said wistfully. "It seems like a lovely place, if a bit...immodest." Not that she could really speak, she supposed. She did now own an Essyrni swimming suit! But that was for swimming! The Essyrni and Thanati, she'd heard, dressed like that all the time!
"But the pictures I've seen were gorgeous, and I heard that there, the women are the warriors. Is that true?"
"Well, definitely more women as warriors than men, as far as I've seen, and believe me, Einin, the pictures do the place no justice. White sands, crystal clear beaches, and exotic fruit cocktails as far as the eye can see..." Herrick said as he leaned backwards in the saddle, switching the hands he was using to hold onto Einin.
"And yes, everyone does dress a little inmodestly. Even the women. Especially the women."
"I suppose it is a great deal warmer there..." Einin said musingly, rubbing at her chin. "Ah, well, it's no wonder so many men speak of that place so wistfully! That and Essyrn. Still, I'd like to see it one day. Both of them. They seem really interesting."
And what could she say? She was a curious soul, and she couldn't say she minded the sight of pretty women, either, as she'd learned from her trip to the brothel!
"I can tell you, both of them are wild, wild places. They make Uthlyn look boring. And it's not even the scantily-dressed women that I loved, it's the food. Oh gods, the food..." Herrick said in that wistful tone Einin had just finished speaking about.
"You know, I hear the Yoreiqi Isles are supposed to be even prettier than Thanatos."
Einin paused at that, tilting her head curiously. "Huh. Truth be told, I can't say I even know anything about Yoreiq. I mean, except that it exists, and it's a bunch of islands. Apparently there's winged people?"
She glanced back at him again. "You've never been?"
"Nope. I've tried to go twice now, but every time I do, there's not a single ship available. I'm starting to think the gods have cursed me with an an inability to go to Yoreiq," He said jokingly, but then he did a sort of double take at Enin.
"Wait...winged people? That's just silly."
"No, it's not. I swear that's what I've heard!" Einin said. "I heard there's people there with wings like birds. I'm not making that up!"
"You are so making that up, Einin. Don't you even try to get that past me," Herrick said, this time resting his hands lightly on her waist. "I've been more or less all over this continent, and I've never heard a whisper of winged people in Yoreiq."
"I am not! I swear, I'm just saying what I've heard! I know I've bullshit you before but I swear, I don't do it unless I've got a reason! Besides!"
Einin lifted her chin, an almost regal gesture. "Just because you've been a lot of places doesn't mean you know everything. And you haven't been to Yoreiq. So you don't know one way or the other. So there."
Herrick looked at her with a flat look on his face. "You haven't even been to Essyrn or Thanatos. You'd know even less. You're the one who doesn't know one way or the other. At least I've got an idea!"
"What?" Einin said, shoulders hitching stiffly. "What's that logic! That doesn't even make sense! It sure doesn't prove how what I say is any less valid! You haven't been to Yoreiq, and I haven't been to Yoreiq, so we're pretty even on that! Besides, I've got an idea, too! About as much of an idea as you do, being neither of us has been!"
"Fine, you can have this one. Neither of us are right. Guess we'll have to go there together one day to settle this score. We should stop anyways, we're starting to get a bit loud."
Herrick glanced around. If Varian was following them, they sure were making it easy.
"Just...just steer your horse."
Einin blanched, abruptly reminded of the situation. That little debate had been fun, and it had been nice to get her mind off of things for a bit with a good old fashioned argument, but...
Yikes. He had a point.
Ducking her head, she nudged Honey back into a canter. She'd slowed to a trot while they'd bickered, and Einin had been too distracted to notice it. "Sorry," she whispered with a grimace.
"It's alright, but let's try not to do that again," Herrick whispered, and took his pistol out from its holster. As he loaded it, he looked around. "I take it this is your first time on the run, then?"
"You could say that," Einin answered, keeping her voice down. "I've had bad luck, lately, it seems."
"Well, if you keep making enemies at this pace, you're going to be on the run for the rest of your life."
With a click, Herrick's pistol was loaded, but he didn't click the hammer back. As he held the familiar weight in his hand, he couldn't help but to glance at its surface. Dismayed, he spotted a scuff on the side.
"Did...did you throw my gun?"
Einin's shoulders jerked. She bowed her head a little closer to Honey's neck, cringing, and pushed some hair back from her face.
"...It kinda got really chaotic and crazy in there."
"Did you throw it against the wall or something? This is a pretty big scuff..." Herrick muttered, more to himself than anyone else. He started toying with the hammer of the gun, releasing small creaks with every tug.
"No, I just kinda...tossed it away from myself when it stopped working," Einin admitted with a wince. "It worked the first time, but when I tried to blow down the door, it stopped. I swear it did that before I threw it!"
"Well, of course it's not working, It wasn't loaded anymore. It only fires one shot before you have to load it again," Herrick explained. "Are you telling me that a wealthy girl like you doesn't even know what a firearm is?"
"I told you--at least, I think I might have mentioned--but, well, no! I'd only seen pictures in books." Einin frowned. "I'm wealthy, sure, but I haven't been outside Serendipity, Herrick. And in case you hadn't noticed, firearms aren't exactly a thing in these parts."
"Wait, you haven't been outside Serendipity at all? Gods above, Einin, you're missing out."
Herrick's tone was incredulous. He simply couldn't believe what he had just heard!
"Not even to Adela, or...or Connlaoth? Damn, that's...that's rough."
"Shhh," Einin said, making a motion with her hand to indicate he should lower his voice, before shaking her head and saying, "No, none of those places. I've only traveled around Serendipity, and I can't say I'm upset I haven't visited Connlaoth."
She peeked back at him. "They kill mages there, you know."
"Oh yeah, that..." Herrick said, bringing his voice back down to a whisper. "I forgot, Serenians are all natural mages, aren't they? Nevermind Connlaoth then."
He fell silent for a few minutes then.
"Adela's not such a bad place. It's where I'm from, technically, even though I'm not a natural born Adelan citizen."
Einin laughed. "Well, not all Serenians are mages, but a lot are! The gift runs high in our blood, definitely. And, as you should probably know by now, I'm most definitely a mage. I'd be strung up there in no time flat. Or burned. Or whatever it is they do to mages," she said with a grimace and a shudder.
"Where are you from, anyway? If you weren't born in Adela, I mean."
"Well, I was born inside Adelan borders, but not in any Adelan towns or cities. My parents weren't even Adelan; Sarnath's my adoptive father. I was born to natives of Adelan lands, a tribe called the Serpentblooded. It's the reason I'm so tall and strong."
Herrick paused, and a sigh came from him.
"There was an...incident between the Adelans and the Serpentblooded. Sarnath was the man who commanded the army that razed their village to the ground. He found me as a baby, and took me in as his son. Sarnath The Conqueror didn't have it in him to kill me. When I found out about this, I turned my dreams and fantasies of running away into a reality."
"I remember you telling me a bit about Sarnath," Einin said, "but you didn't give me the details. That's..."
She didn't really have words for it. And saying that was "horrible" sounded like a cheap understatement.
"Was he cruel to you?" she asked at last, a bit hesitantly, because she was aware it could easily be a touchy subject.
"No, he treated me like I was his own blood. That was the worst part..."
Herrick fell silent again,
"The man who slaughtered my people told me bedtime stories when I couldn't go to sleep, blew on my porridge when it was too hot. When he took me in, I was just a baby. How could I have known?" he asked, the last couple of words interrupted by a sob.
Suddenly, he leaned his head on Einin's shoulders. "He loved me, raised me and it was only after eighteen years of living a lie that I found out he picked me up from beside my father's corpse."
Again, Einin didn't know how to respond at first. She wasn't so good at opening up about her own serious issues, and she sure as hell didn't know how to deal with someone else's trauma. Offering condolences just sounded insincere and phony, especially after something of that magnitude. She could relate to horrible things happening, things that had left her scarred, but the one thing she couldn't relate to was betrayal, especially betrayal by one's own family.
She hoped she never would.
So she fell silent for a moment, awkwardly fumbling for the right response, before she realized that on those rare moments when someone did push hard enough for her to spill something, she never really wanted condolences or anything; she really just wanted to be heard.
And so, twisting a little in her saddle, she pat him on the arm. "None of that was your fault."
Herrick looked up at Einin, releasing a held breath. His eyes held anger, so much anger, and for a moment, those hate-filled eyes turned towards her and met her own. "Of course none of it was my fault. I didn't have a choice. I didn't know. How could any of it even remotely be my fault?" he venomously whispered.
Einin winced at that venomous look. "I...I mean it's not your fault, for not knowing or--" Drawing her hand back, she turned to face the road again and nudged Honey to keep her on track. She took a deep breath in and out, and decided to just be upfront. Better than fumbling around and saying the complete wrong thing again.
"Sorry. I'm really bad at this. I don't really have the right words--I don't even know if there are any right words! But...I'm good at listening. And I don't mind it."
"Listening."
Herrick repeated the world like he was wiping a stain off of his shirt. Leaning back in the saddle again, he said nothing else, and this time he'd remain that way until she spoke up to him, or something happened.
Einin risked a backward glance at him. "Herrick?"
Herrick had been staring off into the forest around them. His eyes snapped over to Einin, and he shifted slightly in the saddle.
"What?"
"Er...are you mad?"
"I might be, yes. Just a bit."
Einin kept her eyes on the road. "At me, or what we were talking about?"
"It's, uh...A touchy subject for me. I've never really opened up about it."
Idly, he took his hands off of her waist so he could stretch his fingers, putting them back afterwards.
"You could've also handled that a smidge better."
With a grimace, Einin brought a hand to her temples to sort of hide her face, head still bowed as she stared at the road more intently than necessary. Her face heated. Yeah, he didn't have to tell her twice. This was exactly why she didn't open up about this stuff! Well, part of the reason.
"I told you I'm not good at this stuff," she mumbled. "I said I didn't have the right words. I never know what to say. It's serious stuff, horrible stuff. Of course it's touchy and sensitive--that's the kind of thing that leaves marks on the soul. I don't know how anything I could say could make that better, or sound anything but insincere."
Herrick placed a hand on her shoulder, shushing her lightly when she was about halfway through.
"Einin, silence is always an option. Sometimes, although not very often, the best option. If words don't feel right, don't use them."
"I didn't want to be rude," Einin said with a light shrug. "Then it would seem like I was ignoring you, or disinterested, or didn't care, and that's not true. That's why I said I'm better at listening. I wanted to let you know I'm not good with the words bit, but I'm fine if you want to talk."
Herrick breathed lightly through his nose. "It's alright, Einin. I, probably would've done the same, anyways. Thanks for listening to me."
Einin let out a relieved sigh. "Not so good with that stuff either, huh?"
"I don't think anyone on Le'Ranna has that kind of power," Herrick said and leaned forwards again. "You know, I've been thinking. Since you're going to teach me how to be a good guy and stuff, why don't I teach you some of my own tricks. After all, if you're going to be catching criminals, it helps to know some of their own techniques."
Einin thought about that for a moment, and then gave Herrick a sly sideways glance. "I'd be down for that," she said, "provided that teaching me these things didn't mean I had to do anything illegal."
"Illegal? No, of course not. We might have to break into some abandoned buildings, but that's about it."
Herrick looked down thoughtfully, before speaking up again. "What has Rufus taught you, anyways?"
They were nearing Arca now, the great wall of the city looming in the distance. It wouldn't be much longer now.
At his question, Einin scratched the back of her neck. "Errr...well, okay. So, I guess I have done some illegal stuff..." she relented. "Probably. I mean, I've sneaked into placed but I didn't take anything! Though...that's...probably still illegal, but...anyway! I've run with the Shadow Wolves a bit. I've been learning stealth. And some dirty fighting."
Herrick smirked, raising an eyebrow when Einin admitted to having done something illegal. "Always the shining knight, Einin," He remarked, patting her on the waist.
"Stealth and dirty fighting isn't a bad start, but it's not enough. I don't meant to offend, but the Soot Wolves are a gang of skulkers at heart, always skulking around. You're not going to learn much from them apart from that."
Herrick's voice had a little bit of high-and-mightiness to it, but he was a master thief, so he had a bit of a right to it.
"Criminals will exploit your weaknesses, criminals aren't ashamed to hit you when you're not looking. If the city's a jungle, you need to remember that the criminals are the closest thing you're going to get to a predator. In order to fight the criminals, you've got to think like a criminal. I can teach you how to pick out a mark, like a criminal. Pick locks, knock people out from behind, fight while crippled, and use any object at hand as a weapon. All like a criminal."
Strangely, Einin couldn't help but feel a little offended on behalf of the Soot Wolves! Maybe because she was friends with Rufus--and a bit more--but also perhaps because she was training with them, had gotten to know some of them. It was such a bizarre situation to find herself in, but the words rolled out nonetheless!
"Actually, they're not a bunch of skulkers. Some of them are, definitely, but they're quite organized and there's a lot of people of different skill levels among their ranks. They're not imbeciles," she said before she could help it, "otherwise they wouldn't control Arca." Shining knight, indeed! Maybe there was a bit of tarnish on that plate mail.
"I've learned from Rufus a bit about picking out marks, too. Not much yet, but we did take a serial killer down together." She paused, and added, "Not that I'm objecting to extra lessons! I can use all the pointers anyone's got. I'm just saying."
"Yeah, they control the city. From the shadows. Where they skulk. For a crimefighter, you seem awfully comfortable with having your home city controlled by criminals. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Rufus is trying to make a thief out of you..." Herrick commented.
"What? Nonsense," Einin huffed, tossing her hair--and accidentally smacking Herrick's face with her ponytail. "I only reported the facts. The Soot Wolves have Arca by the jewels. That's not my opinion."
Herrick sputtered, picking a stray hair off of his face.
"There's so much I can say about that right now, but I'm going to keep my mouth shut. If we have another argument like our last one, I'm damn sure another blasted farmhouse is going to come crashing through the trees."
Instead, he posed a question.
"Are you planning on doing something about them?"
"Of course I am," Einin said, keeping her voice low. "Though it's not like it's something that can happen over night. They're a large organization. Change happens slowly and..."
She frowned. "It's complicated."
"True, but you need to remember that you have a mole on the inside, yourself. If you play your cards right, you can slowly chip away at the Soot Wolves. If you're as close with Rufus as you say you are, he shouldn't suspect you. After all, the Soot Wolves have many enemies who'd plant saboteurs and spies in their ranks."
He leaned in a bit further, scooching towards her on the saddle. "You've also got me. I can help you out."
Einin was glad her back was to Herrick so he couldn't see the expression she was more than likely wearing--one of discomfort and guilt.
If you're as close with Rufus as you say you are, he shouldn't suspect you.
Herrick was talking betrayal. Betraying Rufus? Her stomach twisted sharply at the very thought, and she knew then that she couldn't even humor the idea.
"That's...yes, that is true," Einin said, pointedly non-committal, keeping her head forward so he couldn't see her face. Time for a subject change! Herrick was starting to dig places she didn't want him digging! "Anyway, why don't you tell me about some of the other things you can teach me. What was on the list again? Picking marks and sneaking and fighting dirty?"
Herrick noticed the change in her tone, and dropped the subject. Of all the things, a reluctant crime fighter.
Herrick sighed through his nose when she changed the subject, a subtle hint that he just read her like a book, and wouldn't forget this subject any time soon.
"Oh yeah, all those things. Also, I could teach you how to pick locks, several holds and techniques for incapacitating people from behind..."
He fell quiet for a few moments.
"You've got the build for it, some acrobatics wouldn't kill you," He chuckled, patting her waist again.
Einin listened as Herrick listed off things. Lock picking was something she was learning, and already she was pretty good at picking simpler ones. Different holds and techniques for incapacitation? Definitely right up her alley.
Acrobatics?
That had her perking up with interest, her mind immediately going to the performers and contortionists Ryk had hired some time ago. "Really? I do?"
"Yep, you do. Just the right proportions, actually. If you want to get into that, however, you need to trim off just the tiniest bit of weight."
He chuckled.
"It's either that, or you can beef your arms up some more."
He reached up to playfully squeeze her arm, laughing lightly.
"What else...oh, rooftop running, definitely."
Einin snorted a laugh and squirmed away from his arm squeeze, finding it rather ticklish, then twisted in her saddle to look at him. She raised her eyebrows at him. "How much weight would I need to lose? There's not that much to me as it is!"
"Ten pounds, at most. When you're trying to do a flip, or swing from one place to another, every pound counts."
He returned his hands to their place at her waist.
"Believe me, you'll love it. You'll look slimmer, and kick more ass."
Einin frowned thoughtfully at that, then shrugged and turned back to the road. She slowed Honey to a trot as they drew closer, then a walk. It was always wise not to charge right up to the guard, after all!
"I've been doing a lot of training, so if I slim down in the process, then I'll consider it a win. But I'm not going to starve myself to drop weight or anything like that. And I have been putting on more muscle. Doesn't muscle weigh more than fat? I sort of need that muscle if I'm going to be doing any swashbuckling."
"Like I said, Einin. Ten pounds, at most. If you put on a little more in muscle though, that's just as good. Maybe a combination of the both. No starvation here. Just the weight lost from running across rooftops," Herrick clarified, lightly pinching what little fat she had on her waist.
When they started to slow down, Herrick looked around for a bit, before realizing they were starting to come up on the city.
"Believe you me. After a few nights of my routine, you're going to be crying for Rufus' regimen. How do you think I stay in such great shape?"
Again Einin squirmed and jerked forward a little when Herrick pinched her waist (argh! It really did suck to be so ticklish!) and she reached back and gave his hand a smack.
"Oi! Cut it out," she said, then took the reins fully again and guided Honey through the gates and into the city as the bored looking watchmen waved them through.
Looking around the busy city as they walked, she smiled wryly. "You certainly do bring up Rufus a lot," she said lightly. "More than even I do. Do I sense a little rivalry here?"
"Rivalry? Hardly. He runs a business, his employees mug people and steal. He's got a hideout, a city, and a crimefighter. I'm just a lonely thief, about to sign up with said crimefighter, and teach her crime-y things."
He looked off, thinking on the subject for a moment.
"I guess it's more of a mentor war. Hey, that even rhymes."
"A mentor war?" Einin repeated, and shot Herrick an amused sidelong look.
"So you're trying to steal me away and take your place as number one mentor, or something?"
Herrick frowned, bobbing his head to the left.
"Listen, I had to come up with some kind of word. If that's what you want to interpret this as, that's fine with me."
Shit, she was dead on the money with that.
Einin let out a low whistle. "Someone's sure defensive," she remarked, voice light and amused.
"Oh, stuff it. What's the name of this inn we're going to? I might've heard of it."
He glanced around nervously, eyeing the crowds as they passed them. He knew Varian was a freak, a monster who could never hope to blend into a crowd, but yet, he had the chilling feeling that he was being watched.
"Er...I didn't actually have a specific place in mind or anything," Einin said, taking them down a street that lead toward one of the main roads.
"I was just sorta planning on picking the first inn I saw. Like that one!" She pointed straight ahead, toward a building whose swinging sign showed the silhouette of a pretty lady's head. "The Lady Head? Woman Head? Oh."
Einin made a face as it clicked into place. "Maiden Head? Riiiight. That sounds...not at all sleazy. Never mind, let's keep going!"
"Actually, a sleazy place like this might be just the kind of cover we need. If we're being tracked, it's definitely not by sight, so it has to be either through scent or hearing. A place like this is the perfect buffer for us, hiding our scents and sounds."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"We should be sacrificing as much as we can to keep a low profile."
Einin let out a low groan. He was probably right, but that didn't mean she liked it. If this was a seedy place like what Ryk had mentioned before, it was...going to be interesting. The nice brothel she'd been to had still been full of sleaze.
But a crimefighter would have to be familiar with the sorts of places criminals lurked, and dens of iniquity were festering hotspots, so...
"Fine," she said at last, shrugging. "But!"
She twisted in her saddle to look at Herrick. "If we're going in there, I'm a boy. Got it? I need you to play along with that and not like...out me like you keep doing by calling me my name. From this point on, I'm Tanin, squire to Ryk Handelaar." And then she added, giving him a knowing look, "I've done this before. I can pass as a guy when I'm trying."
It helped that androgynous beauty was a trait for many Serenians.
But she really, really was not comfortable with the idea of going inside someplace like that as a woman.
Herrick chortled slightly at Einin's alter ego, but he nodded after a bit. Herrick didn't like the idea of this filthy looking place either, but it was their best bet in finally shaking off Varian. If he was even still following them.
"Very well, Tanin, Squire to Sir Handelaar," he whispered in a overtly formal voice, bowing his head.
"That's better," Einin said with a grin, before she reached back and pulled her hair forward to check it. It was still a mousy brown, which was good; meant she was getting better at holding her illusions. Then she glanced down at her chest and made a face. Herrick's shirt was baggy on her and she was small-busted, but she didn't want to run any risks. Her bindings were packed away in Herrick's bag, so...hrm...
Testing something, she cast a bit of illusion on herself, imagining herself completely flat. It worked, though of course when she pat her chest, they were still there. That was why the bindings were preferable; it had certainly kept the prostitutes from asking questions when they'd been hanging all over her.
"There. Alright, let's get this over with."
And with that done, she guided Honey to the inn, dismounting when they reached the stables.
Herrick slid off of Honey, patting her on the flank. After that, he stretched his legs and bent backwards a bit, groaning pleasantly. He was a big man, used to big horses, and sitting on Honey had played hell on his back.
"Once we get settled in, Tanin, we're sending that letter, alright? Your family's probably chomping at the bit to hear from you."
He gave her a rough pat on the back.
"You should let me do the talking. I'm savvier with these kinds of people."
Shoot, the letter! Einin grimaced, both at the rough pat and at the reminder. They had gotten rather...side-tracked on sending it. Considering, you know, getting attacked by insects and all that.
She nodded at him as she lead Honey into the stables, where a stable hand took her. Once again, she felt pretty guilty subjecting her poor horse to another shoddy stable, and hoped this one, at least, would be less traumatic. No bugs and all that.
Rubbing her sore rear, her ass and thighs rather stiff, she started to head for the inn's entrance. "Chat away!" she said. "I plan on interacting with these people as little as possible, anyway."
Herrick smiled. "Try not to look like such a piece of driftwood. You're a young squire in a brothel, after all," he said as they walked towards the entrance. Even standing outside, the place reeked of wine and sweat,
Herrick opened the door, stepping through it with all of his usual confidence. The place looked rather busy (Why wouldn't it be?), and Herrick made no delay as they made their way to the counter, towards the innkeeper, a stocky, grumpy looking woman, wiping a flagon down with a cloth.
She raised her eyes at the two of them, evidently pausing on Herrick's unusual size. Herrick walked up to the counter, and leaned forwards, supporting himself on it with his elbows.
"Evening, beautiful. You the keeper of this inn?"
The woman nodded, narrowing her eyes at him.
"A room with two beds, for me and my friend here."
She nodded, pulling a key off of a rack. Herrick gave her the usual fare for a place like this, and she handed him the keys. He looked to leave, before turning back. Placing a few extra coins on the counter he smiled. "Have a jar of wine sent up in...an hour, will you?"
He turned to Tanin, smiling and jangling the key.
A piece of driftwood, her foot.
Einin--or rather, "Tanin"--followed Herrick inside, and decided that instead of a piece of driftwood (which she had never been, and was quite annoyed by his comparison! She'd actually had fun at the first and only other brothel she'd been to! Hmph!), she'd be ill. This was a different circumstance than last time. They were in hiding! And she wasn't with Ryk, and the location wasn't nearly as nice. It smelled, and the people looked rough, and the whores she saw looked rather...down on their luck.
Not a nice place, at all.
Seeing the key, Tanin snatched it from Herrick's fingers. "Well, I'm heading up, in any case," she said, rubbing her temples. "I need to sleep off the headache the wine from the last place gave me."
And with a wink Herrick's way, she turned and headed up the stairs to find their room. If Herrick wanted to have fun, he could, but she was determined to hole up and wait this out.
Herrick nodded, watching Tanin go upstairs. Tanin...hell of a name. Sounded just enough like Einin for the two to be put together, if one knew both persons. Who the hell was Ryk Handelaar, anyways? It couldn't be an actual knight, those kinds of connections were hard to keep, especially if Einin wanted to keep her secret life completely on the down low.
Then again, if it was a fake person, all it would take was the right question, from the right person, and it'd fall apart. The question might fool a peasant, but anyone learned in noble families (any noble, essentially), could potentially see through her lie.
Gods, all this thinking...
Ordering a drink, he sat down at the counter.
Einin, Tanin, Ryk, Rufus. Crimefighter, Squire, Crime Boss, Knight. The connections were there, but until he found any substance to them, that's all they were, connections.
Upstairs, Tanin locked the door behind her and headed to one of the room's beds, which she checked over for bed bugs.
Which were there in abundance. Eugh.
With a shudder, she did her best to ignore them as she flopped onto it and kicked off her boots, and she had just gotten comfortable when she realized all her stuff was still downstairs with Herrick. Including the letter she still needed to send.
Kia's tit!
With an irritated sigh, she pulled her boots back on and headed back out, downstairs to the common room, and weaved through drunken patrons and flirty whores until she found Herrick's table.
"I forgot the letter," she told him in a whisper, leaning down so he could hear her.
By the time Tanin had come back down, Herrick was already on his second drink, the slightly watered down ale they serve here not doing his tall stature any favors so far. He looked to be deep in thought, resting his head on the palm of his head.
He almost didn't notice her approach, but he did when she got close enough. He narrowed his eyes slightly, shifting in his seat so he could sit straight. He looked at her with the eyes of a man who'd done some thinking about the little web she was spinning.
When she spoke, he smiled.
"Of course. Take it from my bag."
Tanin paused, catching the strange look on his face. She tilted her head, not yet going to the bag, and narrowed ner own eyes.
"What's with the look?"
"What, oh, that. Sorry, I was...thinking."
He sounded dismissive, as if he wanted to drop the subject.
Tanin arched an eyebrow at that evasive answer, then snorted and rolled her eyes.
"No fooling." But she decided not to press the matter. Instead she stepped around him, knelt, and reached inside his bag. With a thought, her letter was summoned to her hand, and she pulled it out.
"I'm gonna go find a courier," she said as she turned to leave. "If I don't return in like...five minutes, assume someone's trying to kill me."
"That was already the plan, Tanin."
Herrick leaned back in his seat, and finished the second drink.
"When you come back, I've got something to ask you."
Tanin waved her hand to show she'd heard Herrick before she slipped out the door. Time to find a Soot Wolf--which, here in Arca, turned out to be a lot easier than in other places.
Here, she could actually identify individuals, because she had worked with some of them.
She spotted one loitering outside the establishment, casually smoking, a man that had tailed her before. She handed the letter to him with instructions to see that it got delivered to her home, and the man nodded and left while she headed back inside. All in under five minutes and without any attempts on her life!
Things were looking up.
Approaching Herrick's table again, she slid into a chair across from his. "What's up?"
When she had returned, Herrick was fitting a strange set of shaded goggles on himself, rubbing the glass clean with his thumbs. Once he noticed Tanin come back, he smiled. Glancing around, he saw no Soot Wolves, so he figured it safe to ask these questions.
"Listen, Einin. When I asked you about what you were going to do about the Soot Wolves, you dodged me. I need to know, just how far in are you with these guys, with big Red? Or is it Ryk? I've been a criminal long enough to know an alternate handle when I see one."
Tanin hardly heard his question. She was too busy staring at the strange goggles he was wearing.
"First off, what are you wearing?" she asked, blinking at him. "Second off...are you seriously asking me if Ryk is Rufus? Ryk Handelaar?"
"Oh, these small things? Lie spotters."
He looked at her.
"And yes, I am."
"You're ridiculous."
Tanin leaned her arms on the table, keeping her voice low and not doing a very good job of hiding her irritation. "Fine. You want the truth? The truth is that I'm in pretty damned deep if I'm training with Rufus. I'm not a criminal, and I'll never be one of his Wolves, but I've learned about the organization and have also learned there's more to it than meets the eye. I think it needs to be cleaned up, but it's not as clear cut an issue as I first believed. I'm not Rufus' lover, before you ask," she added, and it wasn't even a lie. She had never made love to him as Rufus.
"But I...I am his friend. And he's saved my life and done a great deal to keep me safe. Like I said, it's complicated, but perhaps you understand, considering your vying for mentorship. As for Ryk Handelaar, he's..."
She paused, glancing away, and was ashamed of the lance of pain that went through her. "He's a wealthy merchant. Quite well known in Arca. And..." She leaned her cheek into her hand. "Yeah. He's also my ex-fiance."
"Hm, interesting. There was an amusing connection that just snagged in my head around ten minutes ago, and It's occupied my mind ever since," he mused.
"Einin, Tanin, Rufus, Ryk. Crimefighter, Squire, Crime Lord, Knight... I really thought I had something there, something obvious. Anybody with half a brain could've made that connection..." he muttered, just loud enough for only Tanin to hear.
After repeating that little mantra to Tanin, he leaned back in his seat. He slipped off the goggles, tossing them back into his bag. What Tanin didn't know, was that the goggles were a complete and total bluff. But with his giant bag of tricks, what reason would she have to doubt him?. Perhaps he'd tell her later, but now, she seemed hurt.
"I do know what it's like to save your life. Hell, Tanin, I got chased by a barnhouse for you."
He reached across the table, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"This Ryk, you don't have to tell me, but if he's a merchant, then why are you posing as his squire? Is he more than a merchant?"
A little rush of relief went through Tanin then, but she did her best not to show it. She had no idea that the goggles were just a bluff, and as a result she had done her damnedest to lie while telling the truth. Or rather, lie by omission. It seemed to have satisfied Herrick, though, thank Kia.
She certainly didn't want to be the one to out Rufus.
But instead of showing relief, she just held onto the pain she felt and kept it there, focusing on that instead. It was genuine, and fresh, so it was easy to do.
"I'm not really posing as his squire," she said, looking up at Herrick. "I mean to say, I've never posed as his squire before. I just picked that now, in the heat of the moment, because it sounded good. Or at least believable enough as a cover. I've been Tanin before when I wanted to go somewhere with him without my parents knowing, but we never really came up with a fake relationship, you know? He just introduced me as a 'friend'. But he really is just a merchant, though a lot of people forget that and think he's a lord. Well, actually..."
And her voice took on bitter tones and she once again averted her eyes. "He's gonna be a real lord soon. He's marrying into the title."
Herrick listened as Tanin continued, taking his hands off her shoulders (remembering they were in a brothel, and not on the road) and he merely entwined his fingers together. He had the feeling that she kept something from him. He knew that there was some truth to what she was saying, but the look on her face, the pain...it seemed...familiar
Didn't she have that same pain when they first talked about Rufus, a few days ago? The expression was the same. Unknowingly, Tanin had given Herrick his first piece of confirmation. He firmly believed that Rufus and Ryk were the same person, now. Tanin's face had just told him.
He filed this away.
When she finished, Herrick winced. He knew that kind of pain, too. That was betrayal, after all. "Say no more, I can guess why he's you ex-fiance'. Sounds like a real bastard to me."
"It's not that black and white," Tanin said with a sigh. "And I mean...I think I'm being a bit unfair and bitter. We weren't technically officially engaged, I just..."
She slumped down in her chair a bit, arms crossed. "I guess I just...got into the habit of thinking that we basically already were, that it was a done thing." She rubbed the side of her head. "I put the cart before the horse, in other words. He was going to make it official, but things got complicated. 'Oh wow I have a son' complicated. I can't really blame him for wanting to be a father. Still hurts, though."
"I...understand now, I suppose, if it wasn't official. If anything, I suppose both of you contributed to it. That, and some really bad timing on fate's part."
Herrick fell silent, crossing his arms and looking at his table. He picked up his flagon, and drank some more watery ale, grimacing a bit a the flavor.
"I find it pretty amazing how so many people wouldn't be in the places they were at this moment if it weren't for the cruel timing of fate. I wouldn't be sitting here, on the run from a sorcerer with the wooo...yyyyyoung squire who tried to arrest me, and you probably wouldn't be sitting across from me. In fact, I'd still be living with Sarnath, probably married to some empty-head pretty girl with a lot of money and a fetish for tall boys."
Tanin smiled a little at that.
"Everything happens for a reason, I guess," she said. "A lot of things in my life could have played out very differently if I'd just done a single, simple thing another way--up to and including not acting at all where I acted, or acting where I didn't act. If I'd never gotten into reading, if I'd never seen a play, I wouldn't be fighting crime or doing...basically any of the crazy things I do."
Herrick smiled wryly.
"When you're fighting criminals off with your rapier, especially thieves or burglars, you need to remember that almost every criminal out there never wanted to be one in the first place. Some are running away from something, some are wronged men, acting out against the world. Most are men who've been shown no mercy from fate."
It was his turn to feel pain. Herrick had plenty of partners and contacts in the past who were desperate men, always trying to survive. Most of them were killed in their struggles. Herrick was a man with very few friends left.
"You'll find that often, criminals are just human beings, trying to survive until their next meal. Keep that in mind, hm?"
Tanin nodded at that, casting her eyes down at the table as Herrick spoke.
"I've been realizing that more and more," she admitted, and was a little embarrassed that she had to admit her former ignorance.
"And I guess I just...I don't want to just fight crime. It's not that cut and dry. I mean, I do, don't get me wrong, but knights are so much more than that, aren't they? They uphold the law, certainly, but they're also protectors of man and keepers of the peace. I want to do all of that. An urchin struggling for a bite to eat shouldn't be punished the same way a murderer should. They should be helped. All the same, there are plenty of criminals out there who commit crime not to survive, but because they're selfish and twisted up inside. And there are some crimes for which there is never an excuse."
"That is true, but how many of those sick, twisted men are just pure evil, Einin? I know I sound really bad saying this, but men like Varian, who seem like monsters to me and you, may have a different side to their story. Varian's a freak, you got a good look at him, you'd know. Could he have done that to himself? Perhaps. But there's always the possibility that he's a victim, just like other criminals."
Herrick knew he didn't sound good, using Varian as an example, but that's what was on his mind at the moment.
"Look, what I'm trying to say is that pure, unadulterated evil, the kind of evil that's evil just because it likes to watch others get hurt, or ruins other people's lives for fun, is extremely rare. That's the stuff of demons."
"To be honest, I can't say I really care about the hows and the whys of people like that," Tanin said. "I don't really care whether or not the person is evil or not, and I'm not really interested in some philosophical debate about the existence of good versus evil or whatever. It's the act I care about."
She looked up at Herrick, fingers drumming on her arm. "I helped take down a man who killed prostitutes. He paid for them, used them, and left their bodies in the gutter when he was done. Caught him in the act, even, and managed to save the woman's life, thank the gods, and to be quite frank...I don't care if he had a rough childhood or wasn't hugged enough or if he helped feed starving puppies when he wasn't playing the butcher. He was still murdering innocent people."
She shuddered a little, remembering it all. "You can't choose what life throws at you, but you can't act like you get no choice at all. Maybe he was a victim. Alright. He can't help that, sure. But he chose to be a murderer, and that was well within his control. It wasn't fate that drew the knife over those women's throats."
"Yeah, I had a feeling my point came off a bit badly. Varian and others like him are bad examples, they're too far gone to apply to this. I never said a bad past absolves men of guilt. Bad men should be punished, good men in bad situations shouldn't. I'm, I dunno, just...really high strung right now... I can barely speak right."
Herrick rubbed the back of his head, glancing down at his ale. With a groan, he planted his face into both of his hands, supporting himself with his elbows.
"Gods, these past few days have just been playing hell on me..."
"Er..."
Reaching out gingerly, Tanin grabbed his ale and slid it closer to her and further from him. "Then maybe you shouldn't be drinking right now?" she said, watching him worriedly.
"Something going on with you? Or is it just the Varian stuff?"
"It's...it's just, everything. Within the course of four days, I became friends with a crime fighter, Made enemies with a man who'll probably never stop hunting me, gotten myself tangled up with the Soot Wolves and all this crud, and...I've decided to leave behind the only life I knew...I'm going to tussle with Rufus over who gets to mentor for you now, apparently...Oh Gods, I've got to go meet Rufus, don't I?"
He reached for his ale, only to find that it wasn't there. He gave off a defeated sigh, laying that hand flat against the table.
"And all because I chose that one library to hide in, the one where you were looking up goblins and trolls..."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Tanin said, holding her hands up. "Slow down there, and back up a lot. Um, who said you get to tussle with anyone over who gets to mentor me?"
"Tussle figuratively, Tanin. figuratively. Isn't that what you're suggesting is going to happen? the both of us vying to mentor you?" Herrick asked, looking up at her.
A scowl crossed over Tanin's face, her body tensing as irritation built up inside her.
"I observed that you seem to view this as some sort of competition," she said, "as though this is a contest that can be won. You know. Like for some dubious reason my thoughts and choices aren't a thing."
Herrick looked at her as if he was dead serious, and about to start nodding in agreement, before he started laughing, laying his head against the table.
"Nope, couldn't keep a straight face on that last part," he chuckled.
"Has anyone ever told you you're real cute when you're all bristly like that? I love it, it's the reason I haven't lost my charm. This week has been crazy after all."
He reached over to his drink, and downed the rest of it.
"And we're not even out of the woods yet."
"UGH!"
With a frustrated growl, Tanin slammed her hands down flat on the table and rose to her feet, kicking her chair out of the way. "I'm going upstairs."
"I'll be up soon, Tanin."
Tanin's little outburst attracted some attention, but everyone quickly went back to their business. Herrick watched Tanin go upstairs, smile still prominent on his face. Maybe he'd laid it on a little too thick there. But, she'd get over it. At least, he hoped she would.
She did have a sword, after all.
Thoroughly annoyed, Einin slipped into their room and locked the door behind her. Then she went over to the bed she'd claimed and flopped onto her belly, trying not to think about how gross and scratchy the mattress was. Gods! She owed Herrick a lot, certainly, but that didn't mean she couldn't think he was being a condescending jackass!
She rolled onto her side and glared at the wall. It was boring in here, and she had nothing to read or do, so instead she tried to sleep. She hadn't slept well, anyway, and though she was too ticked off to sleep, she shut her eyes and tried because, really, what else was there to do?
After around ten more minutes, and another drink, Herrick decided to head upstairs for the night, deciding Tanin had enough time to cool down. Dodging some prostitutes looking for a quick payday, he made his way up the stairs, finding their room. He thought about what he was going to say. Maybe he wasn't going to say anything! Apologizing would be nice, he supposed, but what if Tanin didn't feel like speaking?
Bracing himself, he tried to enter, only to bump into the door with his shoulder. Yeah, he figured he deserved this. He could always exit the inn and climb in through the window he doubt she'd locked that, but he decided to let Tanin have her little moment of victory over him. For now.
He knocked on the door lightly, listening for her reply. If nothing came, he'd speak up. "Tanin? I know you're upset, but there's this jackass who left his lockpicking tools in his bag out here, he says he needs his sleep too."
Einin rolled her eyes behind her closed eyelids. "How sad for him," she called back, her voice the flat tone of someone who didn't think that was sad at all.
Yeah, that was pretty scalding. He leaned against the door with his head, sighing through his nose. "Tanin, I'm... sorry I made a bad joke, but please, you have let me into this room eventually.
"Eventually," Einin agreed, rolling over onto her back and stretching. She glowered at the door.
Herrick turned his back and leaned against the door, the worn wood creaking. He was prepared to wait for Tanin for a while, if that's what it took. He started whistling a low, idle tune.
That whistling was going to drive Einin crazy.
She tried to ignore it at first, pulling the pillow over her head, but the pillow stank so she gave up fast. And then just laid there, stewing. It probably wouldn't have annoyed her if she wasn't already pissed off, but right now everything Herrick did was grating.
After a few more minutes, she jerked to her feet, went to the door, and unlocked it. She didn't open it, though. That done, she went and flopped back into bed.
Herrick heard the door unlock, and smiled. He entered, lightly closing it behind him. He looked around their room, nodding slowly. He wasn't exactly disappointed, he actually expected worse. Patting his hands together, he tugged on the hem of his shirt, puffing some air up into his face.
Walking towards the center of the room, he set his back down, and reached into it once more, pulling out a nice, clean bedroll, all coiled up and neat. He stood up, and unfolded it, holding it out in front of him as he straightened it out.
Einin rolled over to put her back to him, content to ignore him again.
Herrick hmphed lightly, stretching his neck. He looked over to her, only to have her roll over on him. He sighed. Damn you, Einin.
"You want this bedroll?"
"No," Einin said without moving, digging her heels in stubbornly.
Herrick nodded, mouthing a couple "okay"s.
"You'd rather sleep in these filthy things than accept my peace offering?"
Einin let out a frustrated huff. "I don't want a peace offering. I want a real apology."
Herrick blinked a few times, silent as he thought up of one.
"Tanin, I know I can be a real piece of shit sometimes, but I can't help it. It's how I cope with all of this madness going on right now. I'm sorry about what i said downstairs, I was being selfish and only really thinking about getting a cheap laugh out of you. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"
Finally, Einin rolled over, propping her head up on her hand. She looked up at him, seeming to consider his words. Then, after a moment, she said, "So you know why I'm ticked?"
Herrick offered her a weak smile when she looked at him.
"I can take a guess. You didn't really appreciate my little joke about the "competition" between me and Rufus to be your mentor. It was inconsiderate to play with your emotions like that just to get a rise out of you."
Einin arched an eyebrow, expression flat and unimpressed. "That's what you think this is about?"
Herrick winced. Real smooth man, way to let your nerves speak. "This is about my questions, then? About how I keep bringing these subjects up?"
It was obvious to Einin that Herrick wasn't going to figure it out at this rate. She stared at him a moment as he went from warm to freezing, then let out a tired sigh and rolled back over.
"No, just...ugh. Gods, of course you wouldn't get it." She scratched at her arm, which was getting poked at by the lumpy, itchy mattress.
"Look, I just don't like being treated like I don't exist, alright? Like I don't get a choice in a given situation. Like I'm just some...I dunno, silly girl that people don't actually take seriously, because I'm just supposed to sit around looking pretty while people humor me and fight over me for the right to marry me or mentor me or gods know what else. Does Ein--ah, Tanin ever get asked her opinion? Or what she wants? Of course not. And when she finally gets angry about this, she's just so cute when she's mad. She's not even allowed to be angry without it being dismissed as something that doesn't matter. Because what matters is that she's a girl and she's pretty."
(ARGH! I'm so bat at this! *Headdesks*)
Herrick silently stood there as Tanin started to belt him out a new one. He had to admit, this wasn't completely out of nowhere, but...
"I...I'm sorry I treated you that way. I guess I'm so used to being decisive, and savvy, and all these things, that I never stopped to think about what it was like for you. I couldn't ever hope to get your issue with that, because that's something I've never had an issue with. But..." He trailed off, and finished straightening out his bedroll.
"...I'll never treat you like that again. Won't even joke about it. Cross my heart."
[xDDD! There, there. *patpat*]
Einin drew in a slow breath, then let it out evenly, and let some of the tension flow out of her with it. The apology was nice, but it was the promise not to do it again that got Herrick out of the dog house.
She looked over her shoulder at him, expression far calmer than it had been. There was still a slight edge to her voice; her temper was a thing that tended to flare up and linger stubbornly, so it didn't just go away after she'd gotten so wound up, especially over such a sensitive, painful issue. The stress of the past few days hadn't helped matters, either.
Despite that, her words were sincere and carried a touch of surprise. "Thank you."
(No matters, I saved the hell out of it. In other news, OUR OTHER THREADS, RHAY! D: D: D:)
Herrick let out a relieved sigh, glad to see that the situation was defused, more or less. Smiling more earnestly and easily now, he held out the bedroll.
"Now, please, help me feel like a little less like a piece of crap and accept this bedroll."
With a little snort--a sound closer to a laugh than irritation--Einin sat up, swung her legs over the side of the bed, and reached out to take it from him. She couldn't lie, she was relieved he'd pulled his head out of his ass--both because it solved an issue, but also because, gosh darnit, she didn't actually want to sleep in this bug infested bed!
She would have, though, as a matter of pride. Thankfully, she didn't have to, because just laying there those few minutes had already given her several fresh bites!
"Gladly!" she said as she rose to her feet, and offered up a small grin. "I was kinda afraid I was gonna be stuck sleeping in that disgusting thing."
"Afraid is right."
He gently tossed the bedroll onto the ground, in the center of the room, and started reaching into his bag, pulling out a blanket for himself.
"Who knows, maybe our insect friend is living in these beds."
No sooner had the words left Herrick's mouth when one of those bug-infested pillows went sailing at his head.
"Don't say things like that!"
Herrick dodged the pillow, and it hit the door with an empty whumph!
"He's going to creep out, and swallow us both up!"
He picked the pillow back up, and threw it back.
Einin smacked the pillow out of the air, sending it flipping up and over her to land on the bed behind her. She picked it back up and chucked it back at Herrick.
"Well, hopefully he goes for you first!" she said with a grin. "There's more of you to eat."
Herrick snatched the pillow as it sailed through the air, and tossed it to the side.
He unfolded his blanket, and sat against the wall, covering himself with it.
"Damn, I've been aching for some sleep. Maybe tomorrow, you can take me to meet big Red," He said, half jokingly, but half serious at the same time.
With the pillow gone, Einin settled down and got started on setting up for the night. She took the bedroll, shook it out, and laid it out on the floor, then kicked off her boots and took a seat atop it when she was done.
"You're sure raring to meet him all of a sudden," she remarked.
"Well, "raring" is a strong word, Einin. But if I'm going to be rolling with you, I've got to meet him."
He settled down against the wall, trying to find a comfortable spot against it.
"Maybe," Einin said, opening up the bedroll and slipping inside. "That's not really up to me, though. He's kind of a big deal, and is really busy, and I'd have to run that by him first. I'm not sure what all the rules are, but I'm pretty positive I can't just like...lead random people into the secret lair."
She curled onto her side, hands pillowed under her cheek. "What? You thinking about being a Soot Wolf or something?"
Herrick burst into laughter, but he quickly stifled it, in case he'd offend her.
"What, and take orders from Rufus? I'd sooner be locked up. There's this rumor going around, and I don't know when this rumor's cropped up, but word in the underground's that The Red Wolf's a bit...aloof...with the lives of his men. That he's willing to throw them into the fires, so to speak, to get something done."
At that, Einin winced, her stomach clenching with a sickening twist. Herrick had no way of knowing, but that brought back a flood of memories--even if those memories were distorted and hazy, because she hadn't been all there when things had gone down.
"I'm...not sure how true that is," she said slowly, turning her face into the bedroll. "But...I do know a lot of his men--and women--died saving me, and that I wouldn't be here now if not for them."
"Oh, that's..."
Shit...
"Sorry..."
Einin shook her head, though it may have been hard to see the motion, considering she was working on burrowing deeper into the bedroll until it was up to her chin. Both just to get comfortable, but also to hide as the conversation went to uncomfortable places. She tried not to think about that whole mess, but it was hard not to, and the guilt still ate at her.
"You didn't know," she said, voice quieter. "It's okay. I just...like I said, I don't know anything about the veracity of those rumors, but from what I saw, his Wolves are loyal and walk through the flames with him. He's not a leader that just...sends other people off to do his work. He was there with them, fighting alongside them. None of them had to help me; they didn't even know me. But they did it anyway, and...and they died because I was stupid."
Herrick didn't really have a response to that. He didn't want to say anything decisive, because he was on thin ice again here.
"Tanin, let's...let's try to get some sleep, or...change the subject. Shit, I don't want to talk about this stuff anymore, it all just keeps piling on." He quietly said, his voice wavering.
"Eheh. Yeah. Um, how about a subject change? I dunno if I can sleep now," Einin said, voice slightly muffled since her mouth was covered by the bedding.
"Er...what's your favorite color?"
Herrick looked at Einin, and chuckled lightly.
"Purple."
Einin couldn't help but laugh at that, though she supposed she should have expected it.
"The color of wealth, royalty, and power, eh? Shocking."
Herrick nodded.
"Not so much that, more just because it's a really nice color. Just the right amount of eye-catching and class. What's yours?"
Einin propped herself up on an elbow and gave Herrick a knowing look. "Take a wild guess."
Herrick furrowed his brows, mocking thought. "I know, I know. It's pink!" He joked.
"How'd you know?!" Einin said with an exaggerated gasp. She laughed, shaking her head.
"Seriously, though, it is. I'm not sure if it's my favorite because I was born with the coloration I was, or if it would have been my favorite anyway had I been born, say, a brunette. But it's a fun color, I think!"
"Definitely. There's something bubbly about pink."
Herrick kneaded his fingers together, not quite sure how to express the color.
"It's like...purple's younger sister. Is pink hair a normal thing for Serenians?"
"What? Pink is closer to red than purple! Purple is closer to, hmm...blue. Sort of. Blue's a very nice color, too, come to think of it. Anyway!"
Einin cracked a smile. "Serenians have all sorts of hair colors and combinations. Anything is possible, really. Pink hair, blue hair, brown hair, blond, green...you name it! We've got fae in our blood, you know. That's what they say gives us those colors."
"Well, I guess it depends on the particular shade of pink, but I find that pink's pretty close to purple. Blue is nice."
"Oh, I knew Serenians had pretty unique hair colors, but I don't think I've seen pink on anyone but you. You rock it pretty well, though, I gotta say."
Einin gave her hair a playful toss--even though, currently, it was a dull brown. "To be honest, I don't think I've really seen anyone else with pink hair? At least, not anyone with all pink hair. Streaks, definitely, but...yeah. Thanks!"
"Yeah, it's just so...memorable, you catch my drift? You don't really forget someone with hair like yours, especially if it's as uncommon as we're making it out to be."
He passed a hand through his own hair, sighing.
"Alright, new topic. Favorite food. That's not a sweet."
"Hmmm, well, I'm fond of fish and poultry and aaaanything bread related! Not so big on, er, pork. And I looove fruit. Does that count as a sweet? Root vegetables are tasty, too, ah...I'm actually not very fussy about food, though! I'll eat pretty much whatever's on my plate," Einin said with a grin. She did love food in all its incarnations.
"You?"
"More or less the same here, actually. A life on the road's pretty much accustomed me to all kinds of tastes. But..."
He looked at Tanin, a dangerous look appearing on his face.
"...I would kill a motherfucker for a plate of spicy Thanati noodles."
"Really?" Einin said, wrinkling her nose at the word "spicy". She didn't have the tolerance for spicy things, like many Serenians. "The one time I tried something 'spicy', I thought my tongue was getting holes burned in it. You like that stuff?"
"I can't get enough of it. I fell in love with spicy foods in Thanatos." Herrick asked as he got up and sat next to her so they didn't have to talk across the room, still wrapped in his blanket. It was kind of comical, actually, Herrick all snug and bundled up in a blanket like a girl at a slumber party.
"What did you eat?"
"I don't remember what it was called," Einin said, staying curled up under the covers even as Herrick moved closer. "But it was some sort of chicken in some sort of sauce and the sauce was spicy and awful. The spices were imported, but I don't remember where from. It was years ago."
And then she laughed. "Jeez. All this food talk's starting to make me hungry."
"Curry. Sounds like you had yourself some Essyrni curry."
Herrick laughed, stifling it by placing his fist over his mouth.
"That stuff's killer, Tanin. The Essyrnis gobble down spicy food like it's nothing, and even they consider that stuff hot."
She mentioned the food talk was making her hungry, and Herrick nodded.
"Shame most places are closed down this late. All the good ones, anyways. Of course, we can always..." He paused for dramatic effect.
"...Sneak in somewhere."
His tone was half-serious, because it was a viable option.
"Eugh! Well whatever it was, it was terrible and I don't know how anyone could find that sort of thing tasty! I like to enjoy my food, not torture myself! You can't even taste the actual flavors over the burning."
Then Einin rolled over to face Herrick, and gave him a stern look. "As for sneaking, the answer is no. We can go downstairs and see what swill they've got, but I'm not going to rob a place for a meal."
"It's an acquired tas--wait, you know what I just remembered?"
He leaned over, grabbing his bag. "I've still got a ton of pastries from the bakery at the village. At least two lemon cakes, a few chocolate things, a cinnamon bun we can split..."
Einin perked right up at that. Nothing got her sitting up quicker than the word "pastries".
"I could totally go for one of the chocolate things," she said with a grin. "Chocolate makes everything better."
"You got that right, sister," Herrick said. He took out a few round chocolate cakes filled with raspberry jam, and handed a couple to Tanin. They were kept perfectly preserved by the bag, still as untouched and perfect as when he bagged them.
Taking a bite out of one, he was surprised by the jam inside, scooping it up with a finger as it dribbled down his chin. "So good..."
Herrick's jamsplosion gave Einin the warning she needed, so her first bite went a lot more neatly. Of course, she was also just a careful eater by default, having had proper manners drilled into her head. It was more of a conscious effort to be messy--and it was an effort she made when playing as a guy in public.
In private, though? She saw no reason to get crumbs and jam all over her bed.
"Having trouble there?" she remarked with a smirk as Herrick scooped up the jam. It had started to well up out of the center of her treat, but she was careful to lick it up before it dribbled out, wiping at the corners of her mouth between bites, dainty-like.
"Didn't expect the jam. Thought they were just chocolate," He explained, swallowing down his first bite. It was with some hint of annoyance that he noticed Tanin was getting his bedroll all messy and dirty, and he narrowed his eyes at her.
"You, uh, got something on your face there..." He started, before raising his jamcake up and squeezing it, sending a spurt of red deliciousness towards Tanin's face.
[Whoops! Just noticed I wrote that kinda vaguely. xD *le tireds* I meant she's being super neat and tidy because they're in private! 8D]
Einin looked up, mouth opening to ask, "Where?" but she never got that far.
Because a cold squirt of sticky red jam hit her right in the nose!
"WAH!" she yelped, and this time she did make a mess as she dropped her own cake out of sheer surprise. Jam dripped from her nose and down her shirt, and she looked up at Herrick and scowled, though it was without any real anger. "What the--what was that for?! Just because you're a slob doesn't mean everyone else has to be!"
[no, I just realized I mixed them up! *also le tireds* ARGH. Also, this just popped into my head five seconds ago, but you should totally art Han and Yun, probably doing something adorable together. You do ze arts, no?]
Herrick broke into laughter, keeling over forwards as he laughed pretty freaking loud. "You should've seen your face! You were all 'BLAERGH'!" He chortled, making an exaggerated face. "I...I don't even know, I just saw you being all neat and tidy, and...and I just wanted to burn it down."
[PM ME WHAT HAN LOOKS LIKE! xD]
Einin laughed and wiped at her face, getting jam all over her hand. She didn't say a word.
Instead, she just casually reached up and smeared it all into Herrick's hair.
Herrick leaned away from Einin slightly, mostly because he really would've preferred to get that stuff anywhere but his hair. It was long, because he didn't groom it often.
Grimacing as she smeared into his hair, he remained silent, glaring at her with a smile on his face.
He spurted some more jam onto his hand, looking her in the eyes.
"Let's see if we can't make that hair of yours pink again."
He lunged forwards, trying to do the same thing to her.
"NOOOPE!"
Unfortunately for Herrick, and fortunately for Einin, that threat had given her the warning she needed to react. She kicked free of the bedroll and turned where she sat, kicking her legs out to press her feet into Herrick's belly and shove him back to keep him well out of reach of her hair. It wasn't a hard kick because she didn't actually want to hurt him, but it was firm.
"YEEES!"
When she raised her legs to push him back, Herrick deflected them off to the side with his street fighting expertise, looping an arm under and around them and tightening it down to pin her in place. He was most definitely stronger than her, and had all of the advantages a guy could get in a little spar like this.
He tried to splotch it into her hair again, moving his torso over hers.
"Augh! Stop it!" Einin yelped, and grabbed onto his wrist with both her hands, shoving his arm to the side and leaning her head away. She kicked with her legs, knowing that if he wanted to use his other hand to free his messy one, he was going to have to release her legs. And once he did, she was using them.
[Huh, I'm getting some deja vu here...]
"Beg for mercy! Beg for it!"
He straightened up an away from her, and he brought a knee up to pin her thighs to the ground, applying his weight to it. This freed up his other hand, and he started to tickle her waist, using her weakness against her.
"ARRRGHAHAHA!" Einin crumpled into laughter, squirming and bucking to try to throw him off, but despite it all, she kept a desperate grip on his wrist, knowing if she let go, jam was going in her hair.
"Ahaha! NO FAIR! You're a fucking GIANT! STOPPIT! Stop it or ELSE!" she yelled between breathless laughter and, in a desperate bid for freedom (and because she'd been taught to fight dirty instead of getting overpowered because she was smaller!), she suddenly jerked his arm down and bit him.
Herrick was laughing slightly along with her as he could feel himself getting closer and closer to his goal. Then, she bit him. bit him! Still, Herrick persisted, trying to shake her mouth off of his arm like he was being attacked by a small dog. He's had rougher tumbles in the past, getting bit was pretty meh to him.
He stopped tickling her, and grabbed the cake she'd dropped with that arm, crushing it in his hand and trying to spread that on her face.
"OH FUCK THAT! Don't you dare!" Einin yelled, and let go of his one hand with one of hers so she could grab at his other wrist. Of course, now that she was wrestling with both of his arms, and didn't quite have the arm strength he did, it was making it more difficult to keep his hands away.
With a grunt, she suddenly stopped resisting and instead pulled his arms down to, hopefully, throw him off balance and pitch him forward with his hands on either side of her head. In the same motion she bucked hard, jerked her knees up to pitch him forward more, and swung a leg up and around, twisting to the side and pushing with her other leg in an attempt at rolling him over in a grappling move Rufus had shown her.
After the first time he was suddenly pulled down, Herrick was wary enough to not get caught as well as Einin would have wanted. His arms did get pulled down, as she planned, but he was hardly thrown off of balance by it. However, since he had a less secure pin on her legs, he did sort of lurch forwards when she bucked. He ended up in a kneel, with her legs to to his side and his body bent a bit awkwardly as she held his hands to the side of her head.
"Dammit, stop being so SQUIRRELY!" He playfully growled, and tried to press his hands to the side of her head as he straddled her waist.
"Stop trying to smoosh shit in my face!" Einin barked back, though she was laughing. With him now straddling her waist, she kicked her legs up and then out to to throw herself up and forward, hoping to use the rocking motion to knock him off balance again, though in the opposite direction this time.
Herrick squeezed down on her side with his legs, so she didn't budge him. Herrick knew the ups and downs of street fighting and wrestling, and if anything, Einin could consider this a pre-lesson. He'd get her eventually, he knew it.
He started pulling back on his arms, scooting up and going from straddling her waist to her stomach. If she let go, it'd leave Herrick with a much better angle of attack. If she held on, and tried to pull back, she'd probably just tucker herself out some more.
"Auughhh!" Einin struggled, now just frustrated. It was no fair! He was like twice her size! Which, of course, meant this was a problem, because she should learn how to break free of people much bigger than her, but apparently she hadn't quite perfected her technique. After all, it wasn't like she got a chance to use it often!
With him now straddling her stomach, she brought her knees up hard and hit him in the back with them, still not giving up, though she wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer. Not to mention her arms were really aching with the effort of keeping his hands away from her face!
"Herriiiiick!" she growled and planted her feet flat on the ground before pressing down, levering her hips and lower back off the ground. She may have weak arms, but her legs were strong!
For Einin, it seemed the knee against his back was just what she needed, because with that, he stopped, a pained expression on his face. That was going to bruise, definitely. It also had the effect of causing him to jerk his elbows back reflexively, he he leaned backwards slightly.
Then, she started lifting up off the ground, and Herrick tried to right himself at just the wrong moment. Like a falling tree, he lurched forwards. "Einin! I'm gonnna--" were all the words he managed to get out before he'd fall forwards, probably smack dab on top of Einin if she didn't get out of the way. The big problem here, was that Herrick couldn't stop himself, due to his arms being held, yet his legs were still around her.
Smoosh. There was no real way Einin could wriggle out of the way in time, and so she wound up trapped beneath Herrick instead, her face smashed against his chest.
At least she hadn't gotten covered in pastry?
"Oi! Herrick! Get off!" she said, voice muffled as she finally let go of his hands to shove at his shoulders. He was heavy, his weight crushing her and making it hard to breathe.
Herrick didn't immediately get up, having banged his forehead on the dirty floor, but after a few seconds, he rolled off of her, groaning and with a big red mark on his face. Not really thinking, he placed a hand on his face.
splotch
Herrick didn't even register it at first, but soon, he tasted raspberry. He was quiet for a few moments, before started laughing again. Cracking up, actually.
Finally able to breathe again, Einin flopped backwards and didn't move for a few moments as she caught her breath.
And then, pretty much the best thing ever happened.
Herrick touched his face, and got jam all over himself.
Einin stared at him for a moment, eyebrows raised in a did you seriously just? sort of look, before she burst into laughter with him, laughing until her sides hurt and she could scarcely breathe. When she could get enough air to speak, she thrust her fists in the air.
"Haaah! I win!"
[You've activated my TRAP CARD!]
Oh, Einin. Always so quick to declare your victories. A lot of people don't recognize the value of playing possum.
As Einin was in the throes of sweet, delicious victory, Herrick saw his opportunity when she raised her fists up. Laughter and happiness immediately dropping from his face, his hand shot forwards like a bullet without warning. She was breathless, distracted, and had left herself more than open.
This time, he'd plaster her face with jam. He was sure of it.
Sweet, delicious victory was soon replaced by sweet, delicious chocolate and jam.
Einin let out muffled "MMMMPH!" sound as, yup. He got her.
He got her damned good.
By the time she'd recovered enough to smack his hands away, the damage was already done, and she was really only doing it on principal!
Touching her face, she looked at her messy hands and stuck out her tongue, making a disgusted face. "Gods be damned!" She wiped at her face, but only wound up smearing it around more. With a frustrated huff, she flopped back down. "I suppose I had that one coming."
Herrick chuckled, rolling onto his side to look at her, still breathing heavily from the exertion. He raised a thumb, and rubbed off a line of chocolate on her face, sucking it up off of his thumb.
"What can I say? I capitalized on an opportunity."
He stood up, and started to lick his hand clean, and went into his bag for a canteen of water. Handing it to Einin, he smiled. "Not the worst tumble I've had. You've got some pretty good moves," He said, rubbing his back.
"Yeah, you capitalized," Einin said between breaths, giving him an odd look as he cleaned his thumb, "but you also demolished my chocolate. I was gonna eat that! But nooo, Herrick can't stand nice things and has to destroy it all. Now I've got crumbs in my bedroll! Gross!"
But even as she complained, she was grinning, because it had been pretty fun. And it was nice knowing she could hold her own against a guy twice her size!
Sitting up, she took the canteen from him, then stood and went over to the water basin. She wiped more mess from her face, and licked some of it from her fingers. "I still won, though," she said as she bent down and started washing her face.
"Well, there' still some lemon cakes. And that cinnamon bun."
He watched her wash her face, licking up some jam around his mouth. When she spoke up about winning, he felt the need to correct her, that if the object was to subdue her, and not smear raspberry jam on her face, the outcome would've been very different.
He laughed, shaking his head. "Yeah, you won alright."
"Damn right, I did."
Finished washing her face, though she didn't have a towel handy to dry it off with, Einin turned from the basin and headed back to her bedroll. She flicked water from her fingers into Herrick's face, then picked the bedroll up and started shaking it out to rid it off the crumbs and other things. Once done, she spread it back out and settled atop it again.
"Alright, I'm ready for a lemon cake. Think I can actually eat this one?"
Herrick looked at her, a dea derious expression on his face. He started reaching for it in his bag, speaking as he went.
"Yeah, but you're going to have to fistfight me for it."
He gave her a few seconds to interpret this, before handing it over to her. "Say, if I give you the other lemon cake, will you let me have the cinammon bun to myself?"
Einin's eyes went wide and then narrowed to slits. Fistfight him?! Yeeeeah, no freakin' way! But he handed her the bun before she could lay into him, and she snatched it from him as though afraid he'd change his mind!
She had just taken a bite of it when Herrick asked his other question, and she just about choked on her cake.
"Haaah, no," she said, her mouth full. "You ruined my chocolate. The least you can do is give me some of the roll."
Herrick chuckled. "You should've seen your face. You actually thought I was serious?"
He took out a lemon cake for himself, and bit half of it off.
"But, if I'm going to be teaching you extra things my way, a fist fight may be required."
He said it nonchalantly, as if it'd be normal. He also made it a point to say his teaching would be extra, no longer trying to sound like he was trying to replace Rufus to keep from offending Einin.
"It makes sense," Einin said thoughtfully between bites of cake. "I mean, I should know how to do that. There'll probably be a situation where I'll need it. And really, the more techniques, the better."
She took another bite. She wasn't thrilled with the idea, since she knew she was bound to wind up with a broken nose, but...
Another bite. "Maybe not tonight, but sometime? Definitely."
"Definitely not tonight."
He looked at her, smiling.
"There's going to be moments when you're going to hate me. I'm saying it right now. You're also going to bleed."
Einin shot him a sour look. "I'm quite used to bleeding."
"Oh, I know that. But you're going to bleed bleed. Like..." He trailed off, spinning a hand as he tried to come up with a word. He returned her sour look with a smile.
"Like, I'm trying to say you're going to be ambushed, cut, kicked, elbowed, slammed onto the ground. To put it simply, I'm going to educationally beat the shit out of you a couple times throughout the course of my teachings. Just wanted to let you know about that."
"Right," Einin said, nodding, and looking rather unconcerned. "And I'm saying I don't think that's anything I can't handle. I can't say the idea thrills me, mind you, but I also can't say it's worse than, you know..."
She shrugged. "Getting your back skinned and carved, or getting stabbed multiple times, or your arm broken...you know. Things like that. I think I can handle a little rough-housing."
"Oh, that's very good then."
Then, he performed a double take. Nodding, he finished off his lemon cake.
"That's, uh...a pretty impressive list there, Einin. I can tell you I've seen quite my share of injuries too. I've been shot, stabbed, burned, electrocuted...almost lost my leg once, lots of broken bones...I know what it feels like."
He fell quiet, but then chuckled.
"I guess we'll both have a doll of a time then!"
"Yeah, it'll be a right blast!" Einin said with false enthusiasm. She finished off her cake and licked her fingers clean.
"Hope you don't think you're coming out of it unscathed, though. You seem to believe I'm the only one that's gonna get beat up here."
"I never said I wasn't going to get battered up as well. I was warning you, remember? Besides..."
He playfully bared her teeth at her, and winked. "I like it a bit rough!" he growled.
Einin made a face, wrinkling her nose. "I can't see why! Rough-housing's fun, certainly, but there's nothing really...enjoyable about getting punched and cut and bruised."
Herrick watched as his dirty joke sailed clean over Einin's head. Shaking his head, he sighed.
"Anyways, jokes you didn't get aside, has Rufus ever hit you? In training, I mean? I know the answer's probably yes, but I'm just curious. If he has, what's the hardest he's hit you?"
As he spoke, he took the cinammon roll out of his bag, and started to split it down the middle.
Einin watched him split that roll, to make sure it was an even split.
"Uh...he's hit me hard enough to bloody me up," she said, looking back up at Herrick. "I've never had a broken nose or anything, but he's split my lip and bruised my face up pretty damned good." She rubbed her cheek, recalling that. She'd had to use illusion magic for over a week before that went away.
"What was the joke?"
Herrick nodded a couple times. Looks like Einin's had it easy on her so far.
Herrick chortled, handing her a roughly even part of the cinnamon roll.
"I like it rough. As in, rough sex. It's a sex joke, Einin."
Einin stared at Herrick for a second, cinnamon roll in hand, before her cheeks flushed red as realization dawned.
"Oh."
Herrick laughed when her cheeks reddened, taking a bite out of his delicious piece of cinnamon bun.
"What's wrong, Einin? never had... Rough. Sex.?" He asked, jerking forwards with the last two words, visibly holding his tongue with his teeth after that and giggling.
Einin groped for a pillow to throw, but there was none available, so she buried her face in her hand instead.
"Of course not!" she snapped, her mind going back to her romps with Ryk, and she wondered just exactly what rough sex even was. Theirs had been amazing, but she didn't think she'd count it as rough. Though he had...slapped her bottom a bit. Did that count? Or was it like...gods, hitting and punching and drawing blood? Nope! Definitely couldn't see the appeal! But thinking about Ryk and all that only made her blush harder.
"That's rather private stuff, anyway!"
[this is too good. I just can't even right now.]
Oh, this was just too much. He'd probably get kicked out of the room again, but he was having too much fun to care.
"You have!" He whispered mockingly. "I can see it on your face!, you naughty girl!"
He rolled onto his side, holding in stifled chuckles like some kind of madman.
"ARGH! I have not!" Einin said, voice rising a bit in her embarrassment. "You don't see anything on my face! Because my face is covered! And if it wasn't, you'd just see horror and confusion! Because that's sick!"
"Lack of face, whatever! You know what I meant," He said, settling down on the floor. That part of the floor was actually quite comfortable, now that he was lying down on it.
"Whatever you say, Einin. Whatever you say. I'm going to sleep now, I think right here's good."
Glowering at Herrick from between her spread fingers, she took a bite of her half of cinnamon roll. "Oh, whatever! Frankly, I'm kind of concerned you think punching and cutting and all that is an acceptable form of...that."
"Hm? Oh, it's not really punching and stuff that constitutes a rough tumble. It's different, uh...because there's defnitely different levels of it, um..." He rolled his eyes over to her. Talking to Einin about this had Herrick's face see a little color of its own.
"Generally, it's when the both of you use pain as a sort of...spur, I suppose. Lots of dirty talk, sloppy kissing. Usually, you've got your man's hand print on your rear afterwards, maybe some small bruises if he got a bit passionate with the spanking."
He seemed to think a bit more, before he added one last quip.
"Most of the time, there's no foreplay, either. He'll just take you."
"Okay, okay!" Einin said, not looking at Herrick as she waved her hand at him vigorously. "Enough! Subject is over!"
Laughing a bit more, he placed his hands behind his head.
"Oh, Einin. You're quite the piece of work, anyone ever told you that? How do you cope with it all? Living two lives?" He asked, rolling over onto his side to face her.
Still rubbing her hot face, Einin risked a look his way. "What do you mean?"
"What do you mean, what do I mean?"
He leaned his cheek against a fist.
"How do you do it? How do you manage to keep Owl from bleeding over into Einin? How do you keep those two lives so...separate? Obviously, the facade's got its hiccups, but..."
Einin took another bite of her roll and looped an arm around her knees, hugging them to her chest. There were a lot of different ways she could answer that question, but she decided to go with the simpler, less vulnerable version.
"I just...have to be very careful about timing and planning, keeping my identity secret, and keeping social groups separate, is all," she said, rolling the roll between her fingers; there was only about a bite left. "It can be pretty stressful balancing both, keeping track of engagements...and...sometimes things do get muddy. I definitely haven't figured out the perfect system yet, because it's a lot of trial and error, which can get pretty complicated."
She snorted. "I got engaged to an assassin at one point, for instance. That was awkward."
"I've...I've had interesting dealings with assassins as well...It's very impressive, what you do. You'd make a good politician, if you weren't so bent on making Arca a better place." Herrick almost muttered, rubbing his neck.
He looked at her, and genuine concern entered his expression. "But you've got to be careful with all that, Einin. One of these days, it's going to come down. You can't keep your family in the dark forever. We all make mistakes."
Then, his eyes widened.
"Einin, did...Oh, what was his name...Smed, there we go. Did Smed see your face?"
Einin hugged her knees tighter, glancing away and repressing a shudder. "Wasn't anything he didn't see," she muttered, and then looked back over at Herrick, body gone tense.
"Before you say anything, I know, I KNOW. Trust me, there's not a goddamned day that goes by where I don't realize how royally fucked I am, alright?"
"Shit..." Herrick said, bundling his sheets in a bit tighter.
"This Smed, does he go by any other names? I don't think I've heard of this guy, at least not by that handle..."
"Anklehacker was his nickname. Something like that," Einin said, her appetite gone. She held the last bite of roll out to Herrick without looking at him, still focused on staring at her knees.
"He was trying to get me to give him my name. I never cracked, but..." She shrugged.
Herrick choked on his roll, and then looked on at her, despair in his eyes.
"The ANKLEHACKER?!" He blurted, before covering his mouth, glancing around.
"Holy shit, Einin...the fucking Anklehacker..." He started as he buried his face in his hands. Releasing a shaky breath. "The fact that you're still standing here...Shit, He doesn't need your name, he's got information brokers all over the continent...Oh, Gods above, The piss-fucking Anklehacker..."
Einin hunched her shoulders as though trying to make herself smaller, both hands gripping her knees, nails digging in. She really, really would have liked to talk about anything other than this.
"Trust me, I KNOW! I told you, I don't need a fucking reminder of how screwed I am, or how lucky I am! That's who Rufus rescued me from. That's who killed his people. I know how dangerous he is, considering I was the one made a pincushion!" She didn't mean to snap at him, since it wasn't Herrick's fault, but she didn't like this subject, didn't like the memories it brought or new fears it kindled.
She rubbed at her face. "I'm honestly not worried about me so much as my family."
"I'm sorry, I just...I've heard of a lot of sickening monsters, criminals just love talking about them, but The Anklehacker's something else. Holy shit..." Herrick trailed off, falling silent as Einin snapped at him. He wanted to tell her that it was going to be okay, but really, it wasn't. The only way her family could be safe is if they got as far away from Smed's influence as possible. Essyrn was a good place, there were barely any goblins in Essyrn, but...
...He wouldn't dare say that to her. Instead, he didn't smile, he didn't apply levity as he usually did, he just...lowered his head under the barrage of her words, falling silent.
"Trust me, I know," was all Einin said before she trailed off into silence, disturbed and thrown off balance, her thoughts wrestling with thoughts of Smed and the fact that she had yet another monster after her, now.
With a sigh, she let her forehead thump against her knees. "On that cheerful note, I'm gonna sleep, I think," she said, now just feeling sick and drained.
"Same."
Herrick rolled onto his back, just a foot away from Einin, and he tried to close his eyes and sleep.
Slipping inside her bedroll, Einin was quick to follow suit. She nestled inside it, pulling the covers up to her chin, and rolled over so her back was to Herrick.
And then she just laid there, her eyes closed though she wasn't really sleeping. She felt exhausted, emotionally, but her heart was racing and so were her thoughts.
Minutes passed, and Herrick couldn't get any sleep. He tossed over on the floor, rolling onto his side and facing away from Einin. Many more minutes passed, and soon enough, Herrick was asleep.
As for Einin, no matter how long it'd take her to sleep, it would be just before finally nodding off when she'd hear something outside. Very faintly, she'd hear claws on wood, and if her eyes were open, she'd see a shadow would swoop by the window.
Her eyes were closed when she heard the scratching, and no matter how close to sleep she'd been, it jolted her right out of it. She sat up with a gasp, just in time to see a shadow pass by the window, and her heart skipped a beat.
"Herrick." She reached over and grabbed his shoulder, giving him a hard shake. "Herrick, wake up," she whispered.
Herrick blinked, tired, and rolled back over to face her.
"What, Einin? What's wrong?" He muttered, rubbing his face. He sat up with a groan, looking at her.
"There was something at the window," Einin answered, keeping her voice low as she still stared at said window. "It was scratching at it."
Herrick looked over to the window, slowly standing up. "I know this sounds really condescending, but are you sure it wasn't a bird?" He asked, getting his pistol from his back and beginning the process of loading it.
At that, Einin's cheeks colored. She...hadn't considered that possibility at all, her mind immediately jumping to monsters and goblins, especially after what they'd talked about.
Her shoulders slouched and she let out a slow breath as she wilted. "I...no. I...I guess it could've been a bird..."
"Maybe..." Herrick said, and started edging towards the window, clicking the hammer back on his pistol. Once he got close enough, he clicked the latch open, and looked to her. "I'd get your sword if I were you."
Scrambling to her knees, Einin grabbed her sword from its place by the bed and slid it out of its sheath. She hopped to her feet and stood back away from Herrick, blade held at the ready, and tensely waited.
Watching her take position behind him, Herrick slowly lifted up the window, and looked back at her. "Grab the back of my shirt, will you?" he asked, and started to lean out of it.
Blinking at the request, Einin stepped forward, shifted her sword to one hand, and grabbed onto his shirt with the other. She balled it up into a tight fist, making sure her grip was firm. "Uh...you really think you should be sticking your head out there?"
Herrick looked at her with a flat expression on his face. "Only way we're going to know if something's out there."
"Okay, just don't lose it," Einin mumbled, tightening her grip on his shirt and watching the window anxiously.
"If I do, please sow it back on before I'm buried. I'd like it if my ancestors recognized me."
He started to lean forwards, through the window. He placed his free hand on the sill, and leaned his head and upper torso out.
Then, while Herrick was busy, another sound rang out. A scratch, at the door. A single, continuous scratch that seemed to start at their door, and continue down the hallway.
The sound rang out, and Einin jumped and yanked hard on Herrick's shirt, trying to draw him back inside. "Herrick! Get back! It's at the door!" she hissed. "That's no bird!"
Herrick brought himself back into the room as quickly as he could, aiming his pistol at the door and shutting the window. "Shit..." He started, and he started hedging towards his backpack, hoping to put it on so they could bug out if they needed to.
Suddenly, their door splintered as four claws, black as night, shaped like scythe blades, and long as all hell, pierced the wood.
Einin let out a shriek when the door splintered, but she wasted no time, didn't freeze up like a rabbit even as fear surged through her. Part of her had been prepared for this, just waiting for the other shoe to drop--and maybe she wasn't prepared for the door to break down, but she was just waiting for something. No, instead of freezing, she acted, and grabbed Herrick's shirt out of impulse and yanked him back toward the window as she spun and lunged for it.
And found it was closed.
"Fuck! Why'd you close it?!" she yelled, and clawed at it, lifting it and shoving it back open. It was strange, the odd sort of clarity that swept over her as that door was mauled. Maybe it was because of what she'd been through before, having to survive torture with only her wits to keep her alive, but in that moment, instead of panicking, she only saw what needed to be done even as fear lurched through her.
And what needed to be done was they needed to get the fuck out of there. Now.
"C'mon!"
She paused only long enough to sheathe her sword before she was climbing out the window and balancing on the sill, and then, carefully, she grabbed onto the roof and hauled herself up onto it, wriggling on her belly.
"I thought there was two of them! No way it could've gotten into the inn, there's people here!" Herrick said as he threw his pack on as Einin got the window open again. Moving back over to her, he helped her up as much as he could. Sure, it meant he had to push and support her in places she'd normally yell at him for touching, but this was a matter of survival.
Once she was out, Herrick followed suit, able to get on the roof much quicker than her. He looked to both sides, before a terrible crashing sound erupted underneath them, and the door tore through the wall and went flying across the street.
"Start running, Einin!" Herrick said, and took off across the roof. It looked like that lesson on rooftop running was coming a lot earlier than both of them wanted.
Right then, Einin couldn't have cared less about where Herrick's hands were. The instant she wasup on that roof, she scrambled to her feet, and she didn't have to be told twice to run. The instant she was up, she ran. Not as awkwardly as Herrick might have expected, since she'd had some practice, but also not as confidently as him, since she certainly hadn't gotten comfortable with it yet. But she was right behind him, watching where she stepped for loose or weak shingles.
"The guard will come!" she called to Herrick. Maybe that was another reason she wasn't quite as panicked here: she knew Arca. She knew the streets and where to run, and she knew there were patrols about.
And Soot Wolves.
And there was no way the inn's patrons, and its neighbors, didn't hear all that!
Of course, they just had to live long enough to outlast whatever was after them!
Sure enough, as they moved, Einin saw shadows slink from the dark and move over the roofs near them, Soot Wolves moving into position and observing the lot of them. Einin didn't want to have to rely on them, wanted to be self-sufficient, but gods. She was not going to complain about their intervention here!
Herrick considere making a joke, something along the lines of "It'd be the first time I'm happy to see them!" but given the situation, he doubted the appropriateness of it all. There came a point where the inn's roof ended, and it angled sharply downwards. Without a moment's hesitation and with practiced grace, he slid down, coming to a stop against the roof's rim before using his momentum to carry him as he hopped the two foot gap between buildings.
The building ahead of them only had one story, so Herrick came to a rolling stop, and made sure Enin made the jump before continuing. They were in the poorer part of town, so the rooftops were small, edges close together, and obstacles treacherous.
Before Herrick could get moving again, however, there was a woosh! of air, and Herrick froze in place. One rooftop ahead of them, it stood. Whatever was chasing them now.
It stood tall, seven feet tall, and was blacker than a starless night. Completely devoid of textures or features, this massive, gangly humanoid was almost a silhouette. Light didn't bounce off of it, nor did it leave a shadow. At the end of its long arms, were the same four claws that broke their door, as there was still some wood chippings in them. From behind its waist, it sported a long, slender tail tipped with a spike, and it had a pair of massive, leathery wings on its back.
Herrick stood there, rooted to the ground by primal, almost genetic fear, as indecision raced through his mind. No way they could outrun something like that. No chance. The creature started to slowly step forwards, sharpening its claws as it seemed to look directly past Herrick, and towards Einin.
It wasn't the jump Einin was worried about, but the landing. Sliding down the roof, she hopped over the gap between buildings (thank gods she'd never been afraid of heights!), nailed the landing--and the old, rickety shingles broke and slid out from under her feet. She stumbled, caught herself, and cursed when a shard nicked her foot. Between waking up and that thing splintering the door, she hadn't had time to put on her boots, so she was going barefoot.
Which, in some ways, helped; the roof wasn't as slippery as it would have been otherwise.
Panting, she caught up to Herrick--right as the thing appeared ahead of them.
That evil-looking monster that looked made just for killing.
Fear may have made Herrick froze, but it just made Einin want to keep fucking moving. It also seemed to make things feel clearer, as instead of having panic cloud her head, she saw only what she had to do, even as the chill went through her limbs, even as her heart beat faster and breath came quicker. She grabbed Herrick's arm and pulled, moving sideways over to the roof toward its edge and leaving behind smears of blood from her cut foot.
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" she whispered urgently. They had to get down. With its wings, they were sitting ducks up high in the open! They needed to get down, down to the narrow, winding streets and all its obstacles.
And it was while Einin was tugging Herrick toward the edge that an arrow sailed through the air at the creature's head with perfect precision.
From the roof to Herrick and Einin's right, and across from the creature, Juniper, a Shadow Wolf clothed in light leather armor with the heavier weight of a broadsword on her back, crouched beside a chimney and nocked another arrow. It was only to try to get the thing's attention; Juniper had an invested interest in otherworldly things, and knew something like that would certainly not harm it.
And the Soot Wolves had an invested interest in anything that threatened their city.
Or the girl.
Juniper wasn't concerned with her. She would protect her on Rufus's orders, like anyone else, but her primary interest was in that beast.
As soon as the arrow was fired, she vanished behind her powerful glamour.
[I wanted to get through this without spoiling anything, but this is actually a dream, so things're going to get pretty bad. Just saying]
Herrick stood there, supernaturally rooted to the spot, until Enin tugged him along, breaking the spell. Returning to the waking world, he ran after Einin, noting with concern that she was trailing blood.
The beast tilted its head back, arrow sailing just past the flat surface of its face. It took a step forwards, and its form blurred, shingles blowing off of the roof as it momentarily disappeared, only to reappear in front of Einin, standing on the edge of the roof before it swiped a claw upwards, launching shredded roofing towards them.
[Ohhhhhhh! xDDDD Whoops!]
The creature was suddenly there, and Einin skidded to a stop--and could do little more than that before it launched roofing at the both of them. She cried out, grabbing Herrick and yanking him with her as she crouched down, turned her body away, and threw an arm over her head. The roofing hit her hard, thick splinters opening gashes in her skin and tearing cuts in her clothes, and soon it was more than just her foot that was bleeding.
[Yeah, I was sitting here silently hoping you'd play along. My bad, though!]
After it cut her up with the shingle shrapnel, the black beast started advancing on her, sharpening its claws against themselves. Eldritch sparks danced from the blades, and despite its completely featureless visage, it carried with it this aura of malice that hung over the air like rotting, black drapes.
What Einin hoped to be Soot Wolves scurrying around the surrounding rooftops only proved to be more of these things, their black silhouettes surrounding her.
Suddenly, Herrick pulled her back and away from the creature, stepping in between them.He lunged in for a well-aimed thrust at its chest. Extending an arm, the thing impaled Herrick on a single, scythed finger, and it lifted him clean up off the the ground. It struck with unimaginable speed, yet the slowness with which it effortlessly lifted Herrick off the ground, and the curiosity it showed when it tilted its head, was nothing but slow, calculated evil.
Flinging Herrick across the street, he sailed through a storefront window, and he went crashing through the glass.
It turned its head back to Einin.
It happened so fast.
Herrick stepped between them, and before she could shout at him, tell him he was crazy and to get away, it was over. All she could do was watch, transfixed with horror, throat too tight to scream, as the thing skewered him like meat and flung him away, and she knew he was dead, knew that if impaling hadn't killed him, there was no way a person could survive that.
Wake up, wake up, wake up! she told herself, desperately praying it was a dream, that this wasn't real, that she hadn't just seen a man die because of her, because she was so damned stupid and had to go chasing a madman despite his warnings. Her legs wobbled horribly as she scrambled to her feet and backed away across the roof, and she drew her sword as she went, even though she knew it would be useless against this thing.
Against the things. The things that weren't Soot Wolves, but were more of the creature.
There was nowhere to go.
Tears stung her eyes and she shook her head, trying to keep herself together, trying to be brave, but what could prepare her for something like this? For things that weren't men, things that couldn't be fought with weapons and tricks? And so she backed away, mind racing to the beat of her heart as she held her sword ready as though it would actually protect her.
"What...what do you want?" she managed to get out, voice choked and breathless.
Her words fell on deaf ears.
The creature took a step forwards, rooftops creaking beneath its weight. It covered about half of the distance between them, silently sharpening its claws, when Varian's cackling came oozing in, like a whisper on the wind. The creature kept walking as Varian spoke.
"You might have eluded me, Little Owl...You might have eluded that brainless swarm I bound to my will....But the hounds..." He trailed off. Suddenly, he came to view, standing on the edge of the inns roof, looking down at her. He was fully dressed, so none of his monstrous features were visible, but his eyes glowed orange behind his tinted spectacles.
"I told you, I did. They'll never stop stalking you! Across the plains of your soul, the jungles of your mind...ever-watching...ever waiting...you and that worthless spit of a thief were never alone!"
The beast was within striking distance now, yet it seemed completely unconcerned that she might swing.
Einin backed up as the creature advanced, taking several steps to its every one, and even as Varian's voice filled her mind she didn't take her eyes off that monstrous thing--because she knew if she did, she might not see another thing again. Of course it was Varian. Who else would be it? Smed didn't have these creatures. He couldn't speak in her head.
She backed up until she could go no further, until her heels met the roof's edge. And then she just stared at the beast before her, her hands gripping her sword tight even as they trembled.
"So, what now?" she called, proud at how steady her voice came out even though she didn't feel it at all. She swallowed hard, working moisture back into her dry mouth, and rocked a little where she stood, testing her balance--and her nerve. "Gonna kill me?"
I could jump, she thought as her pulse quickened at the idea. Just step right off. Catch the edge. Might break my ankle, but I might be able to land okay. I could find someone...
Varian laughed, squatting down on the edge of the inn's roof, gazing down on her like some kind of insane monkey.
"I don't need to kill you, Little Owl. But you will die. You will die when you offer yourself up to me, eleven baleful moons from now. Clock ticking, sand flowing. You will never escape the curse I laid down on you!" He yelled, jumping down onto the roof below.
"You're not going to die, Little Owl. You're going to remember that you'll never be alone, even in a locked room. My brothers and sisters are many...intangible, invisible...watching...waiting...NO! You're going to remember, and you're going to wake up!"
Suddenly, the beast surged forwards with terrible speed, intent on pushing her off the edge of the roof. Given it succeeded, Varian's cackling laughter would follow her all the way down, images of the moments she supposedly spent alone with Herrick flashing through her mind.
The beast surged forward.
Einin closed her eyes and stepped off the edge right as it met her.
Down, down, down they tumbled together, Varian's laughter in her ears, memories flashing through her mind, and the ground rising up steadily to meet her until--
The jolt went through her like a punch to the spine and she sat bolt upright with a sharp gasp, her eyes wide and throat too tight to scream.
As Einin awoke, the laughter stayed with her for a few seconds, before it faded away.
It was early morning, and Herrick was getting his armor on, off to "acquire" some breakfast for the two of them. When Einin shot up like a bullet, Herrick jumped a little and pressed a hand onto his leather chestplate.
"Gods above, Einin!" He started. He knew this wasn't normal, so he knelt down beside her. "What's wrong? Einin?"
Einin grabbed onto Herrick's wrist as he knelt down, squeezing him hard as she felt flesh and bone and a steady pulse beneath her fingers. Her hand trembled, shaking like the rest of her, and her breath came out in steady, quivering bursts.
"You're alive," she whispered, her voice hoarse and throat dry. Her eyes were wide, hardly blinking as she stared up at him and then looked around the room, needing the validation. That she was awake, that this was real, that it had only been a dream.
Letting her breath out slowly, she sank her face into her other hand.
Herrick didn't need to ask to know what happened. Another nightmare, a rough one by the looks of it. He shifted so he sat next to her, and pulled her into an embrace, figuring she needed one.
Badly.
"Shh...I am alive. I never left, Einin..." He said. "Whatever it is, it can't hurt you. I won't let it..." He added, allowing some of his feelings to bleed through.
Another time, and she would have resisted or awkwardly endured the embrace. But right then, she was too exhausted to fight it.
And she really did need it.
Einin slumped against Herrick, boneless as all her energy seeped out of her, and tried to calm herself down with slow, deep breaths. It wasn't working very well. And at Herrick's words, she couldn't help but give a short, bitter laugh.
"That's a lie," she said, "but I appreciate the sentiment."
"What's a lie?" He muttered, holding her gently to his chest. Poor, traumatized Einin. Herrick hadn't really thought about how grim this all was, but Einin couldn't have been past eighteen, yet she'd experienced just about as many horrors as Herrick had.
The sheer emotion of it all got to him, and a tear fell from his eyes.
"What's a lie?" He repeated.
"That it can't hurt me," Einin answered, staring down at the floor. "And that you have the power to stop it. It sounds nice, and I know you mean well by that, but I think we both know that's not true."
She took a deep breath, though it was more of a shudder, and started to draw back from Herrick, starting to feel awkward about the contact. She'd always been awkward about that, about touch, except when she was rough-housing.
"And I guess...I don't want that to be true, anyway," she continued, pushing her hair back from her face. "I'm tired of this. I'm so fucking tired of this. I don't want to be protected! I want to protect myself. How can I protect other people if I can't even do that?"
Herrick let her go when she drew back, and he listened to her, discretely wiping a tear from his face. Gods, it destroyed him to see people like this. Not to mention Herrick was still torn up, believing all of this was his fault.
Balling a hand into a fist, he sighed. He had nothing to say.
"Einin, I..."
No, he couldn't. He knew that if he answered her, or argued with her, she'd just get furious with him again. He stood up, continuing to tighten his bracers. Still, he found the nerve to speak.
"You want me to just leave, then? To stop wanting to protect you?" He asked, making eye contact with her.
"I didn't say that," Einin said, staying put on the ground as he stood up. "Don't put words in my mouth. I just said it's frustrating to need protection. It's--"
She let out a huff, hugging herself as she sat there cross-legged. "I want to be a knight, Herrick. That means being able to protect yourself and others. That means having my brothers in arms watch my back while I watch theirs. To fight as equals. To be just as capable as them. I'm not saying I don't want to ever not need help. I'm saying I don't want to be a bloody damsel!"
She rubbed her face, shaking her head. "I hate being helpless. That's something I never wanted to be."
"Nobody wants to be helpless, Einin," Herrick said.
"You've never been a damsel to me, Einin. I admire your ambition, actually. There's no easy way to say this, but..."
Kia help him.
"I...I care about you, Einin. You're in this mess because of me, and gods be fucked if I don't want to see you through this. I'm sorry if that means I'm a bit eager to jump to your rescue, or say that I'll protect you from the nasties, or whatever. I'm sorry..."
By now, he was just tightening his bracer out of nervousness. When he strapped it on too tight, he released a stressed breath, and started undoing it.
"Fuck!" His voice came, sounding almost like a sob.
He dropped it to the floor, and sank down the wall, one hand armored, one not.
"...I'm sorry..."
Einin was starting to get the uncomfortable feeling that something was going on with Herrick, something he wasn't saying, because his actions and his words weren't quite complementing each other. He seemed nervous and frayed, and she supposed that made sense, considering the situation they were in, but...even when things had gotten really bad, he'd managed to hold it together.
He definitely wasn't supposed to be the one falling apart now!
"I...I'm not sure what you're apologizing for," she started slowly, rubbing her arm, her eyes still downcast. "I'm not angry that you wanna defend me or anything, Herrick. I'd be dead otherwise. I'm grateful for your help. I'm just frustrated with myself. And with the situation. And...I don't know."
She looked at him finally, chewing her bottom lip. "I know this is a stupid question, but are you okay?"
Herrick looked at Einin. He looked like a man who'd trained himself to handle these kinds of situations, dauntless and tearless. He looked to be on the verge of tears. Biting back the stress that he'd been keeping all bottled up since they set off on this pretty much suicidal adventure, he nodded his head.
"I'm fine..." He said, aware of how much that sounded like a blatant lie. He picked up his bracer, and started idly passing it between his hands.
"Your dream. He's still tracking us, isn't he? I know he can talk to people in their dreams. A lot of sorcerers do that..." He trailed off, eyes glancing around.
"I had a nightmare too..."
Einin didn't believe him; he looked far from fine, looked more like a man on the verge of an anxiety attack, and she didn't miss how red and glossy his eyes looked. He wasn't fine--but Einin decided not to call him on it just yet. Besides, she figured he probably knew the lie was obvious.
He couldn't bullshit a bullshitter.
Instead, she took a deep breath and said, "What was it?"
"I was asleep..." He started, and he looked to the door.
"You woke me up. There was something at the window. It all seemed so silly. I told you it could've been a bird, and you blushed, looki--"
A creak from outside drew his attention, but it was just the sounds of a patron making his way back down to the main room.
"...Anyways, there was something. It chased us up onto the roof. Gods, it was horrifying. Black like the night, claws like an executioner's scythe. When I saw it, it rooted me to the spot. But you pulled me along, got me moving. We almost got away...almost..."
He breathed in sharply, and the tears started welling up.
"I tried to help you...Oh gods, I tried...When it held me up, claw through my heart, I tried to say your name...I wanted to tell you it was all going to be okay...but it threw me...I..."
Einin shuddered as Herrick retold her dream, retold it exactly as it had happened, and she knew then that it wasn't just a dream. It was as Herrick had said, the madman communicating through dreams...
"You died," she said, voice hollow. She didn't look at him. She could hear the tears in his voice, and that was hard enough; it was even harder to see people cry. "I had the same dream. It, uh...it continued after that, though, and things weren't okay. So...don't feel too bad you couldn't speak with a scythe through your chest, alright?"
She gave him a crooked smile, but the attempt at humor was weak, and her smile quickly faded and she looked back down at the floor.
"In my dream, Varian showed up after that. Said we're never alone. Not you, not me. Said I'm cursed, and...something about me offering myself up to him. Said it'd be in eleven moons."
And as she said it she shuddered and held herself a little tighter. "He's crazy, of course. There's no way."
Herrick looked at her. He was right...it could only mean that he knew where they were. Or did he? He could easily just be sitting in his moving barnhouse, slinging nightmares at them like stones from a sling.
Einin's attempt at humor looked like something Herrick needed, and he gave her a momentary flash of that grin of his, before his neutral, battered expression returned.
"He's trying to break you down. Make us paranoid and jumpy..."
He didn't want to admit it, but it was working.
"The deadline, the dreams...If I had to wager a guess, I'd say that after this comes the proof. The proof that we're never alone. When, though...when..."
"Well...he said he sent that bug guy. So I'd say that's proof enough," Einin said, and looped her arms around her knees so she could rest her chin on them. She squeezed them tighter.
"Gods, I hate this. I think the waiting is the worst part."
Herrick shook his head. "The swarm dude? No, I think he was just a goon. Besides, we drove him off..."
He looked over to her, and started tightening his bracer again.
"Eleven moons is a long time. We can't dodge your family for that long. Like it or not, you might have to go back to them despite the danger..."
Herrick got his bracer on, and sighed.
"You don't have anything coming up in eleven moons, do you?"
"No kidding I can't stay away long! I gotta go home today, tomorrow at the latest," Einin said, running her hands through her messy hair. "I've already been gone way too long. And I can't run forever."
She looked up at Herrick finally, sighing through her nose. "I dunno what's happening in eleven moons. I'll be eighteen in a little under two moons, so it's nothing significant like...a birthday or something. These sorts always like to do things on significant dates like birthdays. And eighteenth birthdays are pretty significant, especially in the stories, so that's odd. Your guess is as good as mine, Herrick."
Herrick stood up, pacing around their room. "Any...family members doing anything important in eleven moons? Any anniversaries coming up, or commemorations? Memorials, maybe?"
"Uhhh..."
Einin thought about that, but the only thing that popped into her head was that that would almost mark the year anniversary of her romp with Ryk--and herfar less pleasant encounter with Smed.
"It...might be an anniversary of sorts, I suppose..."
[Oh my. I can see this getting very interesting in the future]
"Anniversary for...what?" Herrick asked, stopping to look at her.
[Nyahaha. xD]
"Uh, well...one of two things, I guess," Einin said, looking down at her knees. "It's either the anniversary of Smed, or the other thing."
Herrick sighed, shaking his head. He didn't lke the sound of that. For some reason, the sight of Varian and The Anklehacker shaking hands made Herrick want to vomit.
"What. Other. Thing? Einin, this is really not the time to be withholding anything."
Einin's face flushed and she hunched her shoulders.
"It's, uh, it's probably Smed. I don't really see how that's relevant to this like at all, so forget it!"
Herrick narrowed his eyes, but he dropped the line of questioning. Walking over to her, he held a hand out to her to help her up off the ground.
"Didn't you have a dream with Varian and Smed standing over you?" He asked.
Taking his hand, Einin pulled herself to her feet.
"Um...yeah, I think so? It's fuzzy now. I probably blocked it out..."
She did not like where this was going.
"Shit, I really don't like where this is leading to..." He muttered. He noticed Einin had some dust on her shoulder, so he patted it off, smiling, but it quickly faded away. "We should get to your family. No point waiting around anyways..."
Einin nodded her agreement--to both things. That she didn't like this, and that it was about time for her to start heading home.
But then she looked back up at Herrick, a question bugging her. "What do you think he meant? About...offering myself. You know more about him than I do."
"Yeah, that's not really saying much..." Herrick muttered. He walked to the door, and he opened it, stepping outside as he held it open with a palm. "It probably means he's going to drive you mad...probably to the point of you giving yourself up to him willingly. That, or..." He shuddered, not wanting to think about the alternative.
Einin stared at Herrick, her body tense. "Or what?"
He looked her in the eye.
"Well, or you're going to offer yourself to him, catch my drift? These dark sorcerer types are always trying to conceive blasphemous children." Herrick stated.
Einin's face went white and she jerked back away from Herrick, hands up, and shook her head vigorously. She felt sick, her stomach twisting queasily at the very idea, and she had to swallow hard to keep the bile down.
"Oh fuck that! I'm not having kids at all, much less..." She cut off, covering her mouth.
"Be on your guard, Einin. Prophecies and curses have a nasty habit of coming true if you're not careful."
He sighed, and motioned to himself.
"Come on, we need to get moving. The sooner you're in your estate, surrounded by guards, the better."
"I've read the stories," Einin said, still feeling ill. "I know all about that stuff. Means I have to find a way to break the curse..."
She leaned against the wall and waved a hand at Herrick, trying to get her bearings and keep her stomach down. "Just gimme a sec. I don't feel great."
Herrick looked at her for a few moments. "You shouldn't put too much stock in old stories, Einin. Sure, some of 'em could be useful, but this isn't some fairytale curse..." He trailed off, watching her get her bearings.
"Chances are, if you eant to get rid of this, you're going to have to do something terrible..."
Einin gave him a tired look. "Of course. It's never something you want to do. Sacrifices, blah, blah, blah."
Han chuckled dryly.
"Don't you fret about it, though. I'll be here every step of the way to help you out."
Einin pointed a finger at him. "There you go, telling me not to fret! Don't tell me that, Herrick. I'm gonna fret whether you tell me to or not! Stress me out and tell me 'don't fret'..."
She stuck her tongue out at him, to show she wasn't really angry, even if she did find it irritating when people told her not to worry after worrying the hell out of her!
Herrick blew a raspberry at her, and smiled for good this time. He didn't want to think about how close he was to completely losing himself a few minutes ago.
"Come on, Princess. Let's get you back to your family."
Einin rolled her eyes at that nickname. "I'm not a princess," she said as she pushed off from the wall.
"Anyway, we should figure out the plan. We're going to have to part ways at a certain point. My family can't see me with you, obviously."
"Of course," Herrick began.
"I am a master thief. You could go to your parents alone, and I could sneak into your house and leave your stuff with you."
Einin sat on the bed so she could pull on her boots, though she looked up at him as she did. Sneak into her house?
That sounded familiar...
"Errrr...I mean, you could, but if you get caught you're screwed. My parents are like...extra paranoid now after everything that's gone down. It'd be bad normally, but it'd be really, really bad now."
"What other option do we have?" Herrick asked.
"You can't go up to them carrying your armor and stuff, and if you're carrying my bag, they're gonna start asking questions..."
Nervously, he checked his bracers, glancing up and down the hallway.
"Besides, it can't be worse than the Shah's palace, or the entrance gate to Reajh."
Einin snorted a laugh at that.
"Ah, you may have a point! Well then, if you feel confident enough...very well. I'll have to alert the Wolves in advance, though. A friend of mine sneaked in once, and they almost killed the kid! It was a good thing I was there, seriously."
Rising to her feet, she drew a deep breath in and out her nose. "Well, ready when you are."
"Rufus must be pretty invested in keeping you alive. For what, I'll never understand."
He motioned behind him with his thumb. "I ain't some kid, though. Come on, let's get going."
Einin shot him a look, eyes narrowed. "Because we're friends. Is that so difficult to believe?" she asked as she headed for the door.
"Yeah, that was pretty badly worded, lemme take that back...."
He cleared his throat.
" The situation's still so convoluted in my head. I'm sitting here, trying to work with that you've told me so far. How'd you two come to be friends, anyways?"
"Really? It's convoluted and weird to you?" Einin asked him, arching an eyebrow.
"Just a couple days ago, we were fighting. Things happen, Herrick, in unexpected ways. I hated him at first. I really, really did. My first time meeting him was loads rougher and more vicious than anything you and I had going. But things happen."
"Yeah, things happen I suppose..."
He gave her an odd sort of look when he said that, but he shook his head, starting to head down the stairs.
"How vicious we talking here?"
"He let one of his men--this giant of a man!--rough me up pretty good the first time we met. I was dumb and overreached and was being all cocky, as I do, so he sent this guy after me and it was a tough fight. Really scary. The man died in the end, though. He, uh...he tripped."
Einin winced at the memory, which seemed like so long ago. She supposed it kind of was.
"Then Rufus himself came after me. He toyed with me a bit, then opened up my arm. He bloodied my face pretty good and took me down, but to be honest, I don't think he was ever trying to seriously hurt me. He knew all along I was young and dumb and overambitious. I think he wanted to teach me a lesson. I didn't give up, though, and I guess he admired my spunk. I declared us mortal enemies and decided I'd beat him one day, and he said he'd like to see that. The rest is history."
She grinned at that, shaking her head. She decided not to mention the part where he'd kissed her after he'd beat her up. "I still want to beat him. One day, I will defeat him in combat."
Herrick nodded.
"Tripped."
Shaking his head, he chuckled, before he looked back at her. "I can see it now: Einin Beirne, the girl who put The Red Wolf behind bars..." He said, motioning to the air ahead of him with both his hands.
"That is you end goal, right?"
"It was," Einin said, as she picked up the pace to move on past him, heading down the stairs.
"Was?"
Herrick matched her pace, and they were soon back on the first floor.
"If you can repeat my words, that means you heard them," Einin said as she headed for the door of the inn and held it open for Herrick.
"Yeah, whatever. Going to drop the subject now," Herrick said, trying to avoid another argument.
"Say, you got an attic in your estate, right?"
Einin looked over her shoulder at Herrick and raised an eyebrow in question. "Yes...?"
"Just wondering..." Herrick said, looking at her.
"Might want to find a way to secure it. All kinds of nasties can hide up there..."
Einin shuddered. "That's what I was worried about. I thought you were going somewhere like that with that train of thought!"
"Do you..."
Herrick swallowed, the memory of the dream obviously disturbing him.
"Do you think that black beast is...real?"
Einin laughed at that, though it was without any humor, and gave Herrick a knowing look.
"You got chased by a house and you're asking if those could be real?"
"I just...It was so fast. Nothing's that fast..."
He gulped down.
"He really can just get us whenever he wants to...what's the point of even hiding in the first place..."
And no sooner had Herrick gotten those words out when Einin turned and gave him a hard, swift punch to the shoulder.
Einin's action was pretty much moot. Her knuckles collided directly with one of Herrick's leather pauldron. He still flinched away, however, and he shook his head. "Thanks for snapping me out of that."
Einin scowled up at him. "Good. I'm glad it snapped you out of that! Stop being such a bloody downer! I know this is hard and scary as fuck but moping isn't going to improve anything. And I, for one, am not hiding."
She rolled her shoulders back and straightened out her shirt. "I'm not exactly running off to go find him, but I'm not hiding. I don't know how or what it will take, but I'm going to do my damnedest to prepare for whatever's coming, so when it comes, I'm ready to face it."
Herrick slapped himself on the face a couple of times, shaking off the nerves. "This is what he wants. I'm not going to give it to him..." He said, determination in his voice again.
"Let's get the hell out of this brothel."
"Way ahead of you!" Einin said as she went jogging for the front door, and held it open for Herrick.
As he drew closer, she looked up at him with concern. "Are you going to be okay? Honestly?"
"The truth? No. I'm not okay, and I don't think I'm going to be okay..."
He stared dead forwards as he spoke, not really wanting to make eye contact as he said it. Yet, he found himself looking down at Einin.
"He's targeting both of us...we need to be around for each other..."
Einin released the door as soon as Herrick was through, letting it shut behind him. She spread out her arms and let them drop.
"Alright. How do you propose this happens?" she asked. "We live very different lives, in case you've forgotten."
"I've got money for occasions like this. For when I have to drop off the radar..."
Suddenly...he looked to her, and he smiled.
"How big's your attic?"
Einin stared at him, her eyes wide and eyebrows lifted.
"...Hahahaha. No. Nope! No way. I already knew you were crazy, but that's madness of a different kind!"
"What, don't think I can do it?" He asked, stepping a bit closer to her.
"Nobody'll ever find me up there, Einin."
"And what? Have you living above my room?" Einin said, balking at the idea. "And prowling around my home! What if someone needs something from there? And also I need not repeat the part where it's right above my room!"
"Einin," Herrick started, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"For one, I'm not going to prowl around your house. believe me, nobody's going to see me. And what does it matter that the attic's above your room?"
"Because I bathe and change in my room, of course!" Einin said. "It just isn't appropriate. That's all."
Which she realized may have been a weak excuse, considering they'd traveled together. But in those cases it had been easy to kick him out of the room when she needed privacy. It was just...weird, the thought of having someone live over her room, in an attic her room had access to.
"Einin, I'm not gonna saw a hole in your roof and poke my head in! I'm just going to be staying up there, keeping close in case Varian decides to strike either of us. I've got another little trinket that can help us out with that, kind of like the rings."
Herrick was fighting hard to hold back some laughter, but he was managing so far.
Einin raked both hands through her bangs, groaning out loud. "What's the trinket?"
"Another pair of linked items. I use them whenever I run with a crew on a job. Whisperthimbles, they're called," He explained, and he reached into his bag for a few moments, revealing a few small objects that looked like holeless thimbles.
"I haven't magically set them yet, but they can work like one-way sensors. If something happens to you or me, these'll let us know."
"Interesting..." Einin said as she leaned in closer to get a better look.
Drawing back, she looked up at Herrick. "Those could be useful. But I'm still not sold on the idea of you staying in my home. What if both of us being there makes it easier to find us? Like, what if it concentrates our energies or something like that? We can be picked off in one fell swoop, then. And," she said with a frown, "if you have any nightmares, it might be...difficult explaining why a man is shouting from my room."
"I've been having nightmares this whole time, Einin. I'm fairly quiet. Besides, I'll take precautions. This won't be the first time I've done this sort of thing," He said.
"Besides, would you rather have him pick us off individually? He's already proved we're never alone to begin with, I don't think it really matters. If something happens, would you rather have me a hatch away from you, or across the street?"
"If something happens, and we're as unprepared as we are now, I doubt it'll matter much whether we're together or apart," Einin said, but she frowned thoughtfully and tapped her lips, tilting her head.
"Though...maybe you're right. I actually feel fairly safe in my home, to be honest. I have guards, and I have Soot Wolves, and I have Soot Wolves among my guards and servants." It had been disturbing to her at first, learning that, but she had since come to find it a comfort. Odd how that worked.
"If anything, it'd be safest for you. You'd have their protection. And if push comes to shove, we'd have more numbers."
Herrick nodded.
He knew that numbers didn't matter with Varian hunting them. If he could call on those black beasts, nothing could save them. It was only a matter of time.
He smiled. "Then that's what we're going to do."
"Right," Einin said, still hedging, still weighing her choices. "I'm just not sure I'm comfortable bringing all that into my home, around my family. Bad enough with me being there..."
And then she looked up at Herrick and shot him a warning look. "And I swear to Kia, you're restricted to the attic. And if anything mysteriously goes missing, your ass is grass."
Herrick laughed.
"Not a misplaced spoon. Swear on my ancestors," He said.
"Good," Einin said. "We've got some nice silverware. Any vanishes, I know who to blame. Remember that."
Rubbing at her temple, she lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "I guess it's settled, then."
Herrick nodded, and looked towards the rooftops, and then he scanned the street. Eerily, he noted the painfully familiar storefront window from his dream.
"You go from your horse, I'll tail you from the rooftops. Your room's got a window, right? Where is it on the house?"
"It faces east," Einin told him as she walked ahead of him for the stables, and she was almost there when a thought froze her.
A horribly obvious one she hadn't thought of until then.
Oh gods.
She came to a stop, her arms going limp at her sides. Then she turned back around toward Herrick and began to unbuckle her sword. "I'm going to need you to hold onto this," she said, as she walked back toward him.
"I'm also going to have to make a couple stops before I go home. You know, so I'm not caught wearing a mysterious man's clothes."
Herrick looked at her a bit oddly, before nodding.
"Oookay. It's safe with me," He said, taking her sword and buckling it to his own waist.
Noticing his look, Einin sighed and lifted her eyes skyward. "I went for an innocent midnight ride, so the story goes," she said, and decided to elaborate.
"Einin Beirne wouldn't have brought her sword on an innocent midnight ride. Einin Beirne is naive and innocent to the dangers of the world, even after her incident with those awful ransomers. She wouldn't have thought to bring her sword with her when she only thought she'd be gone for a few minutes on a little joyride to clear her head and get some air. Einin Beirne sometimes does silly, risky things like that without thinking of the dangers."
She rolled her eyes. "Tee hee. Point is, they'd probably find it suspicious."
Herrick looked at her for a few moments, before he shook himself off.
"Sorry, I could've sworn you said something about a fencing instructor before. I didn't think you'd look amiss with your sword," He said, waving the issue away.
"Alright, let's get going, then," He said, and ran towards the wall of a nearby building, scaling its face in no time flat and disappearing around the edge of the roof.
Einin let out a huff. Maybe she was being overly cautious and paranoid about that, but she wasn't sure it would fly. As far as her parents knew, Ryk was teaching her courtly fencing for sport. They didn't know he was teaching her actual combative swordplay. They certainly weren't aware of all the times she'd been hit or bloodied up. They'd throw a fit.
She pat her hip where her sword usually rested, feeling naked without it, and headed for the stables again. She still had her dagger, hidden amongst her clothes. And it was a short ride home.
Fetching Honey from the stables, she soon had the mare saddled up and mounted, and with a flick of the reins and a spoken command, they were soon underway.
Herrick sat up on the roof, watching as Einin went into the stables to retrieve Honey. He looked at her rapier, and he had to remind himself that she was smaller than him. His rapier looked more like a broadsword compared to hers.
Finally, she got her horse out of the stables, and he got up. Herrick would discreetly follow Einin wherever she would go.
Einin's first stop was the marketplace, where she managed to find a dress imported from Moonspear that...well, it looked like it would fit well enough! The merchant gave her an odd look, thinking her a boy, but she cleared up the confusion by claiming it was for her lover. It was simple, but modest, and once it was purchased she headed home.
She took the back way, though, the longer route that took her through less populated streets, and when she was close to home she slipped into an empty alley, dismounted Honey, and quickly changed. Of course, she didn't want to rock getting caught naked, and she knew Herrick was following so there was no way she was flashing anything, so she changed in that way women were quite familiar with and good at--she changed under the dress.
She dropped Herrick's clothes in the alley in a refuse pile for some lucky street rat to discover--Sorry, Herrick!--and then she was back on Honey and carefully riding side-saddle. She would never have gone out riding in an outfit like this, but she could easily just say her clothes had gotten damaged and she needed to get something else to wear.
When all that was taken care of, she was soon back on the road, heading up the path that lead to her home.
And steeling herself for what was to come. Because she knew she was going to be in deep, deep shit when she got home.
Herrick had pretty much been stuck directly on Einin's ass the entire way through, never farther than a rooftop from her, yet never actually making his presence felt. For a moment, he felt like he was on one of his big heists, tailing a young noblegirl back to her estate. It certainly brought up some fond memories of his youth in Adela.
Finally, they were on the approach to the Beirne estate, and Herrick dropped into full stealth mode. Intently, he watched whatever was going to occur.
Before Einin reached the gates, she undid her glamour. Her hair flashed from mousy brown back to pink, as did her eyes, and the beauty mark by her eye reappeared. She undid the ponytail it was pulled back into, and hoped she didn't look too ruffled or roughed up. Once that was done, she rode up to the gates, and braced herself for the storm that was coming.
Because she knew it wasn't going to be pretty.
The startled but relieved guards swiftly ushered her inside and to her home, and once she was helped down off of Honey and the horse was lead away to be cared for, she was swept into her home--
And greeted by her parents.
Her mother, Anya, a tall, pretty woman with flowing white hair, was the first to speak, rushing across the hall to pull her into her embrace, crying with happiness that she was okay--before shoving Einin back to hold her at arm's length, her emotions bouncing back and forth between "I want to hug you and I want to throttle you!"
"What is wrong with you?!" she cried, and tearfully hugged Einin again before looking her dead in the eye, her expression livid even as the tears flowed. "Gods, girl! We were so worried about you! What's wrong with you, sneaking out like that after everything that happened?! What were you thinking? Do you want to be kidnapped again? Is that it? And then to not even write for a full day! You could have been dead!"
"I'm sorry," Einin said quietly, guilt churning within her gut. She didn't look at her mother, her eyes downcast and throat tightening a little as she fought back tears of her own. Tears because, after everything that had happened, it felt amazing to be home again, to be held by her mother. She realized how lucky she was--but everything had still felt a little unreal until this grounding moment.
She hugged her mother back tightly, pouring all the fear she'd felt, and still felt, into that embrace. "I'm really, really sorry, I wasn't...I wasn't thinking, I just..."
"You never think, Einin," Anya said, stroking her pink hair. "Gods. You're my only child, Einin. If I lost you, I don't know what I'd do."
"I'm sorry..."
And then when Anya released her, she had to face her father.
Albrecht looked as stressed as Anya, but managed to keep himself together. And when he hugged her tightly, he said, "I think your mother spoke for the both of us, but she did forget to mention you are very much in trouble."
She expected no less.
"For your own safety, we feel it's best you stay in your room for the next week. No more joyrides."
Of course.
When they had both given her their lectures, and repeated their lectures, and weathered a choppy, wavy sea of emotion together, Einin was escorted to her room. She heard the door lock behind her, and her shoulders sagged.
Guess she'd be doing a lot of reading this week. And she supposed this meant she'd be very rested for the nights.
Trudging over to her wardrobe, she pulled out a more comfortable dress than the cheap, scratchy one she was wearing, and vanished behind her changing screen to change.
As soon as Einin entered her home, Herrick sprung to action, intent on reaching her room window.
The perimiter of the estate was easy enough to sneak through. Sure, the guards were a bit jumpy, but Einin had just returned, and he used that moment of easiness and relief to slip in. Silently, he made his way past the facade, and towards the back.
East... Herrick repeated in his head.
After a few minutes (right about when Einin was finished with her parents), Herrick found her window, and started climbing up to it, making sure he wouldn't be spotted by pressing his somewhat camouflaged armor to the building as he did so.
He finally made it up to her window, but he almost darted back down when he saw she was behind a changing screen. Not one to be deterred, he laid on the exterior windowsill, like an oversided cat, and tapped on the glass with his knuckles.
The knock at her window made Einin jump, and she quickly yanked her dress down over her hips. Finally decent, she came out from behind her screen, paused to listen carefully at her door, then marched to her window. She undid the latch but didn't open the window itself, since the doors swung outward.
She only cracked it enough so he could hear her when she whispered, "Now? I thought you'd wait 'til night, at least!"
[I'm assuming the attic entrance in Einin's room is the standard trap door with a ladder. Correct me if I'm wrong]
"Yeah, and wait for your family to tighten the screws again? Everyone's distracted by your return, I might as well move in now," He whispered back, and pulled one of the window's doors open to climb inside. He took a moment to glance about, chuckling.
"Nice place," He whispered, and looked to the attic entrance in her room.
"Is it locked?"
[We'll go with that. xD]
Einin couldn't help but flush a little at his comment, as she glanced at her room and tried to view it through his lens as an outsider--and her room was unmistakably feminine, not the living space of a vigilante. It was accented with pinks and whites and purples and lace and frills, with a large bookcase against one wall filled with fairy tales and romantic novels and tomes on magical and fantastical beasts.
She crossed her arms over her chest and decided to ignore the comment. "It's open," she said.
[Ermahgherd, Einin's room is so adorable...]
"Ah, very good," He said, rubbing his gloved hands. He smelled at the air inside her room. Gods, it even smelled girly. Not that he was complaining, it probably wafted up into the attic. At least something about his stay would be pleasant.
He looked to her, and noticed she was blushing. She was quite the confusing character. Yelling at others for treating her like a child one day, blushing like a schoolgirl the next. His eyes looked past her, and towards the bookcase.
"Well, at least I won't be bored. You mind if I borrow a few books?"
"Go for it," Einin said, keeping her voice low, and she kept shooting anxious glances at her door as she tried to keep her ears open for the sounds of footsteps. Having him here was already stressing her out!
She gave Herrick a warning look. "As long as you don't wreck them, that is. Do you dog-ear your books? Because if so, we're going to have a problem."
"What do you take me for, some kind of savage?" He asked, and brushed past her towards her bookshelf. He ran a finger along the spines, like a child walking by a fence with a stick, and picked out a few that stood out to him.
He glanced at the covers, nodding and smiling. "Do love a good love story..." He muttered. He looked back to Einin, and held a book up.
"Don't worry, I'll give 'em back in the state I took 'em.
Einin decided not to answer the first question. Instead, she stood by nervously, bouncing on her toes as he took his sweet time picking out books. At least, it felt like he took forever to her!
She shot some more nervous glances at her door, jumping every time the house creaked, because at first it sounded like steps.
"You better!" she said, and when he was done, she went over to him and gave him a small push in the attic's direction. "Now hurry up and get gone!"
"Alright, shit," Herrick said, slipping the books into his bag. He stepped past her again, and started climbing up the ladder to the attic. "I'll bring your stuff down at midnight," He said, and he unlatched the trap door, climbing up into that attic.
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. Einin's parents came to check on her a few times, feeding her more guilt, and later a servant came and brought her dinner. She scarfed it down, quite hungry for something that wasn't pure sugar, and wondered idly what Herrick planned on doing for food and if he had a plan at all.
Then she spent the rest of her night reading by candlelight, choosing her favorite book, which she'd already read at least a dozen times. She had changed into her nightgown behind her screen, and stretched out onto her belly on her bed, and quickly lost track of time.
Herrick spent the rest of the day getting set up in the attic, getting his typical, magically concealed sleeping area set up. He had food with him, but eventually, he'd need to find a way to sneak down to the kitchen, or at least out of the attic.
At the stroke of midnight, the attic trapdoor cracked open, and Herrick's voice came from above, a barely audible whisper.
"Is it alright if I come down?"
Einin jumped at the sound of the trapdoor, and looked up from her book at the sound of Herrick's voice. Midnight already? Yeesh...
"Uh, yeah, I think so, probably," she whispered back, and went back to her book.
Herrick climbed down from the ladder, wearing another set of loose shirt with pants. He didn't even have his massive array of magical rings on him, just his "ghost" ring if he needed to disappear in a pinch. He had a bundle comprised of all of her equipment held under his arm, and he looked at her.
"Want me to put this stuff anywhere specific?"
Einin looked up at the question, then sat up and hopped to her feet. She'd completely forgotten about her things in her sleepiness!
"Oh, yes! Thanks. You can bring 'em over here."
And she lead Herrick to a place several feet before her window, knelt, and pulled up a loose floor board. "Go ahead and drop them in there."
It was her old stash, but she decided it was best not to show a thief her real stash. Her room needed to keep some of its secrets.
Herrick laid Einin's things inside the crevice she'd presented to him, and dusted off his hands with some finality.
"Mind if I stick around down here for a bit? I don't want to sound cheesy, but I don't really want to be up in that musty attic if I don't have to," He said, and gave her his best "pretty please" face.
Once her stuff was back inside, Einin carefully set the board back in place. Then she glanced back up at him, and snorted at the sight of his face.
She looked back away and rose to her feet, brushing off her gown. "I suppose a few minutes can't hurt, if you're quiet. It's not like I was sleeping."
[BTW. I updated Herrick's appearance in his bio to better match the handsome rogue personality he's got going on. You should check it out!]
"Psh, you're asking me..." He started, placing his fingers on his collarbone. "...The thief who stole the Shah's silverware, to be quiet."
Looking at her, he strode past and planted his butt on the edge of her bed. He glanced around her room a bit more, and smiled. Damn him if he didn't feel uplifted by how happy all these damn colors were. It seemed to take the edge off of him, at least. For the first time since they'd met, he looked truly relaxed.
"Wish I had a room like this when I was a boy. I didn't grow up with happy colors or bookshelves full of whimsical, fun things. Just boring, cold weapons..."
[D'aaaw, that suits him well! 8D Now credit that pic! >8D]
...Point. He did quite well at being quiet, but Einin couldn't help but be paranoid! She was in enough trouble already! Which was kind of funny, since it was the first time since they'd met that Herrick was truly relaxed, while Einin was still stressing!
Heading over to her bed, she reached behind Herrick to pick up her book, mark the page with a thick, tasseled string, and shut it. She slid it back into its proper place in her bookcase, all her books immaculately organized by author.
"You didn't even have toys as a kid?" she asked, and it was Herrick's wonder at her room that made her feel a little less embarrassed by its childishness and femininity, and a little less embarrassed of the plush dog she still slept with, which was laying at the head of her bed. Not that she was ashamed of her room! She genuinely liked it! She was just also aware it might, you know...ruin her image.
[If I used the original image, maybe. But I cropped his face out of a much larger image. Or do I still have to credit the OG image?]
He shook his head.
"Not a single one. Sarnath was a...pretty brutal guy."
He reached out behind him, and grabbed her stuffed dog. He had a face that just screamed "Really?", but it went away after he held it for a bit.
"I grew up training with weapons, learning how to fight. He wanted me to take up his mantle, do what he did. Sick fuck..."
Subconsciously, he'd started to pet the stuffed dog.
"I spent all of my time either sleeping or training."
[If ya didn't draw it, it's gotta be credited! <3]
"I can see why you ran away," Einin said, standing by her bookcase and watching him pet her dog, trying not to look too amused by that. But it was kind of a funny juxtaposition, a tough giant of a guy sitting on her purple, pink, and white bedspread, petting her stuffed toy, while talking about crushingly depressing things.
"Well. Aside from the other reasons, I mean."
She let out a short laugh, shaking her head. "I'm sorry if I complain a lot. I'm well aware I'm luckier than a lot of people, and that I've got it pretty good."
[*Cracks open his jug of apple cider* Welp, guess I'm going delving back into Google Images to find the source.]
"No, it's...it's alright. We all grow up different," He said, and scooched slightly, patting the open space beside him. He fell silent again, looking down at the stuffed dog he was caressing. "You're used to your fairy tale books and frilly pink bed, and I'm..."
He sighed.
"...I know I haven't been the most understanding, Einin, but...just know I'm here for you, alright?"
[Good luck, friend!]
That was true...different experiences didn't mean the shitty things she experienced were less shitty just because someone somewhere had it worse, she supposed. Still, it was times like these when she was very aware of her privilege, and times like these when she felt rather horribly spoiled. Still, when Herrick spoke, she glanced over at him with a raised eyebrow right before she took a seat on the edge of her bed.
"Alright," she said, but it was not a word spoken lightly. There was a lot of caution around the word, because she had trouble just letting her guard down and believing it. Especially from a thief, and especially after only three days, regardless of the trials they'd been through. It was hard to just accept help, much less speak up when she needed it.
"I'm not sure why, though," she said after a pause. "Especially when I was all keen on dragging you to the guard. Or, you know, after I threw you straight into the path of a sentient farmhouse."
"Well, I don't really know myself, Einin. It's kind of funny actually, how these things happen," He said, staring forwards and out the window. "But, I guess it can all be chalked up to just...emotions. I see a little bit of myself in you. That spirit yearning for freedom, waiting for its chance to get up and take the world by the horns. I'd die before I see a light like your snuffed out."
He looked at her, and passed the stuffed dog to her lap.
"You didn't throw me in the path of anything, I volunteered. In our shared dream, I threw myself in front of that beast for you, and I'd probably do it again, given the chance."
Gods, it would be so much easier if he could tell her how he feels. Normally, this wouldn't even be a problem for him, but with Einin, every other step led to a patch of thin ice. Maybe, once he was clear of the minefield...
Staring at the dog in her lap, Einin winced.
"Don't...do that. Throw yourself in front of things willy nilly. If my dream's anything to go by, those things don't want to kill me, but they will kill you. I've got a better chance of coming out alright than you do."
"Well, alright is relative," Herrick said.
He glanced down to her shoulder for a few seconds, just searching for something to occupy his eyes with, before they finally came to fall on his own hands.
"Oh, before I forget," He started, and held out a whisperthimble to Einin.
"Here, I've got it set so that it vibrates when triggered. I'll be carrying one too. If you're in trouble, just pat your hip twice, and it'll set mine off. Mine works the same. You remember what these are for, right?"
Taking the little item, Einin nodded and curled her fingers around it, still staring down at her dog. "For if either of us gets in trouble," she said. "In trouble with...stupid crazy guy shenanigans."
Herrick nodded, chuckling a little. "Yep, that's just it."
He was quiet after that, twiddling his thumbs for about half a minute, before his eyes wandered up to her hair. He slowly started raising a finger, and moving it towards her locks.
"Do you... mind? I've got to see what pink hair feels like..."
Einin gave him a strange look, raising an eyebrow slowly.
He could be...so weird sometimes!
"Uh, it just...it feels like normal hair?" she said, and lifted a section of it out to him. "You can't actually feel the color or anything, if that's what you're thinking?"
"Well, yeah, but I mean..."
He took the offered section in his hands, holding it flatly on his fingers while passing his thumb over it.
"I just had this nagging suspicion that it felt like cotton candy. You know, lighter, or something. The curiosity was killing me..."
Einin laughed at that, shaking her head--but carefully, so as not to yank on the hair he was holding. That wasn't the first time she'd heard people make that comparison! But rather than light and fluffy, her hair was rather thick.
"Well, before you ask, it tastes like hair, too. Sorry to burst your bubble."
"That's a lie and you know it. You just want to keep me from eating it!" He said, smiling as he playfully gnashed his teeth at her. After a bit, though, he let her hair go, and he leaned backwards, lying down across her bed and looking up at the ceiling.
Einin rolled her eyes and went to push him away, but he flopped backwards onto her bed before she could.
"Weirdo," she said, and with a glance his way, she rose to her feet and headed to her window to look outside at the clear sky. Ugh. She was tired, but she wasn't going to be sleeping much, she could tell. She felt far too anxious, and could tell these next few weeks were going to drive her crazy. Not to mention the stress of having a bunch of psychos on her ass.
"Eleven moons..." Herrick said, suddenly sitting back up. He looked at Einin's back for a few moments, before sighing.
"Whatever happens in eleven moons, it's going to be big..."
With a frustrated sound, Einin slammed her hands on the windowsill, her body gone tense.
"Thank you for that reminder, yet again, of how fucked I am, in case there was any chance I wasn't already thinking about it. I needed that right in the middle of the night. Can I just look at the moon without being told it prophesizes my doom?"
Herrick sighed. Damn it all, why'd he have to be himself. Thinking out loud like this wasn't healthy, especially in this situation.
"Well, it'll give you something to prepare for. You--We're not fucked, not if we prepare for it. Don't look at the moon like it's a clock ticking down to your death, that'll only make things worse. That's what he wants."
"I wasn't looking at it like a clock a minute ago, until someone turned it into a clock just now," Einin said.
"Well, I'm sorry, okay? I think out loud sometimes, it's how I tick," Herrick said, flopping back down with a frustrated sigh of his own. "I'm sick and tired of saying things that frustrate you. It grates on me too, you know..."
Then don't say frustrating things! But Einin bit the words back before she could say them, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, held it, and counted herself down. She let her breath out slowly, and relaxed her muscles as she did, as best as she could.
"I'm sorry," she said, not looking at him. "I'm stressed, and I'm taking it out on you. I don't mean to; it's not really about you at all. This entire thing's just got me all..."
Another deep breath in and out. "Let's just try to go one day without talking about it? I know we have to, but my head's already full right now, and I need a little time to process this."
"Okay..." Herrick said, sitting back up with a smile.
"Say, when do you want to start your training? I'm assuming your parents have cooped you up in your room, right?"
"Haaah, yeah," Einin said with a wry smile. "I'm stuck here indefinitely, basically. Honestly, I'm down with beginning anytime after tonight. Maybe not tomorrow, either. Gotta give everyone some time to calm down."
"Alright, that settles it then," He said as he stood up. He walked up next to her, to look out the window as well.
"Gods, it's such a beautiful night out..."
"Yeah," Einin agreed, and cracked the window open to let in some fresh air. She leaned on the windowsill, shivering just a little when the air proved rather cold, but her room was warm so it felt kind of nice.
"Wish I could be out there, but at least I've got a great view from here. If you look out that way--" She pointed to the right, where a brighter cluster of stars blinked. "--you can see The Stag really well."
"Yeah, there he is. In all his splendor..." Herrick muttered.
He leaned forwards, onto his elbows. "I've never really been one for constellations. Don't really have the time to look up at the sky. Although, I never forget--"
He motioned to the moon, and to another cluster of stars peeking out from behind it.
"--The Thief, always hiding behind the moon at midnight."
"Huh!" Einin said, and laughed as she spotted The Thief. "I never knew about that one! Though I guess that's fitting. He's sneaky, and how many people think to look there at that precise time? Oh, and over there is The Crown, with The Scepter below it. Maybe that's who he's hiding from?"
She rubbed her chin, still studying the sky for the other constellations she'd memorized. "I like constellations. They're pictures made out of stars! How amazing is that? Maybe you should look at the sky more often," she said with a nod, tilting her head and squinting to try to make out the shape of a really distant group of stars.
"You miss a lot of gorgeous things if you don't take the time to look. Ah!" She pointed at the window, right as a shooting star zipped across the sky and vanished. "Like that! Did you see that? Where do you think those go, anyway? I've always wanted to follow one..."
Herrick tracked the shooting star flashed across the sky. He smiled, pondering her question.
"I think they're just passing through. I reckon the ones that intend to arrive here end up in the ground somewhere. I met a wizard once who claimed to own one. Said it landed just outside his home."
"Really?" Einin said, looking over at Herrick with a smile. "Did he say what it looked like? Did it still glow?"
"He had it with him! It was a small little rock, plenty of craters in it," He said,and then balled a hand into a fist. "It was just about as big as my fist. It didn't glow or anything, but it was always a little warm."
Einin blinked at that, eyebrows raising. "Just a small little rock? That's it? He had to be pulling your leg! There's no way a rock could shine so bright across the sky like that."
"Well, cannonballs and bullets glow when they fly out of the barrel, don't they? Those are just balls of lead," Herrick said, looking at her. "Besides, he did some pretty cool magic with it."
"Well, yeah, but that isn't being shot from a cannon or a gun," Einin said, scratching her cheek in thought. "Though I guess it might make sense? I don't know."
She turned her eyes skyward again. "So it was magical?"
"Oh yeah, it was pretty crazy, actually."
Herrick turned to fully face her, leaning sideways on the sill.
"He had it mounted on a staff, and he could shoot, like...rainbow fire out of it."
"Rainbow fire? Okay, I definitely need to find one of those rocks one of these days, then!" Einin said, and covered her mouth when a yawn overcame her. Alright. So maybe she would be able to sleep after all--eventually.
"If I spot one, I'll let you know."
He looked at her as she stifled her yawn, and he gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "We should get to sleep. Gods know we need the rest," He said as he pushed off the sill.
"You go for it, if you need it," Einin said without moving. "I'm gonna be up a while longer."
Herrick pushed off the sill, stretching.
"Well, enjoy the stars. I'm going to turn in for the night."
Einin glanced over at him and smiled. "Good night," she said. "Or...morning, I guess, technically speaking." And then she turned her attention back to the window. For her, this was calming, almost meditative, not having to think of much else beyond locating star clusters and remembering their names.
It always helped her sleep on sleepless nights, though she kind of wondered if she'd be able to make it to morning for the sunrise.
Though, as much as she hated to admit it, though she told herself that was why she was still up, it was really just because she was afraid of sleeping. Her sleep hadn't been restful since the goblins, and she'd lost many nights of sleep this way, just because she didn't want to risk the nightmares. Sometimes, it was easier to just stay up all night until she passed out. Exhaustion made her sleep more solidly.
Herrick looked at her for a few more seconds. As much as he'd like to stay, he figured she needed some alone time to relax.
"Good night."
He walked over to the ladder, and ascended it. He stopped halfway up, and looked down at her. "I know you're not the asking type, but if you need help with anything, just...I'm only a wooden floor away. Keep it in mind."
With that, he went back up into the hatch, closing it behind him. He groaned, cracking his neck as he stepped over to the attic window, and stood by it, caught up in thoughts.
Einin looked up again, right before Herrick vanished up into the attic.
"Thank you," she said, though she wasn't sure he heard it. She made no promises, though; she just wanted him to know she appreciated the thought. And she did!
She just couldn't promise that she could do it. She hated making herself vulnerable, and not only that, but how could she ask for help when she didn't know what she needed help with? Ugh. She really wasn't good at this. At all. A lifetime of caging up her feelings and emotions didn't really help.
After a few minutes, she pulled a chair from the table near her window and moved it closer, so she could sit in it and lean with her arms on the windowsill.
And maybe she was more tired than she realized, because it wasn't even close to daybreak before she nodded off, her head on her arms, and she didn't even manage to make it to bed.
Herrick found himself looking out the attic window, mind trailing off to the stars once again. He could see what Einin saw in them, now. So tranquil and distant, they were the paragons of peace.
After a while, Herrick retired to his concealed sleeping spot. He quickly fell asleep after that, the weight of the past few days sealing his eyes shut.
He slept like a rock, probably all the way into the afternoon, if nothing woke him.
It was a servant that woke Einin, bustling into the room that morning and waking Einin up with her loud proclamations of horror! Horror that Einin was asleep at the window, because didn't she know sleeping improperly like that would hurt her neck?! And it was cold, too! She was going to catch her death like that! She really needed to stop doing that, falling asleep at the window like that, and why didn't she shut the curtains? People could look inside that way!
Einin groaned as the lady rambled on, though she had to admit she was right--her neck did hurt from sleeping awkwardly, and she was cold and shivery. Yawning, she sat up and rubbed her neck, grimacing when she found she couldn't turn her head all the way to the left. Ugh. Yeah. Okay. Maybe she should stop doing that.
While she tried to wake up, without much success (it looked early! Which meant she'd only gotten a few hours), her servant bustled off again, stating she was going to fetch some bath water and get the cooks cooking her breakfast. Her parents were apparently out for the day.
Einin was only vaguely aware of her door opening and closing several times as the woman and a few other servants brought in her tub and filled it with water by the bucket. By the time the woman claimed it was all heated (for she was a fire mage), Einin had started to slump back against the windowsill and nod off again. But the woman tugged her to her feet, admonishing her because she was going to hurt her neck even more, and guided the groggy Einin to the tub.
"Get warmed up, girl! I can't believe you, leaving the window open like that!" the woman said, and bustled off to help with breakfast preparations.
Still only partially awake, Einin stripped down and sank into the water, which burned at first because her skin was so cold. Finally, though, she sank down up to her chin--
...And started to doze again, now comfortably warm.
It was the sharp voice from below that roused Herrick from sleep. He blinked, looking around the attic. Part of him was surprised that he was still in Einin's attic. He could vaguely make out the voice below him. Something about getting warm...
He considered going downstairs, but immediately threw the thought away. He couldn't just go down there whenever he felt like it!
Instead, he rolled over, and tried to go back to sleep, the water vapor from Einin's bath wafting up into the attic and humidifying the place up.
Einin woke up when she sank too deep into the tub that water went up her nose, and she snapped awake with a coughing fit. The water was still warm, though not quite as hot as it had been, and she squinted against the bright light. Or glared at it, rather. Ugh...
She wiped her hair out of her eyes, finally awake because nothing would do that better than water up the nose! She was still tired, though, and a bit achy and headachy from both lack of sleep and sleeping weird. With a loud yawn, she slowly started to wash herself, right when her servant bustled back in with a tray loaded with breakfast, far more than she could eat. It was all her favorite things, fruits and cheeses and pastries with a sugary, buttery syrup. No ham, though. She'd cut that out. She still couldn't look at it the same way.
"Still in the tub? Well, I'll leave you to it. Hurry up before it gets cold!" the woman said, and bustled back out.
Einin rubbed at her eyes without thinking, cursed loudly when she got soap in them, then snapped her mouth shut when she remembered Herrick was just above her. Oh. Shit...right...and it wasn't like she could yell up at him not to come down! Though hopefully he'd be smart enough not to.
With a paranoid look at her ceiling, she hurried up and washed the stink of the past day or so off of her, then climbed out and grabbed her towel. Grabbing some clothes for the day, a simple dress she often wore around the house, she dressed, grabbed her tray, and took it to her table to eat by the window.
After a few minutes, Herrick just couldn't take the humidity any more. The ceiling above Einin creaked as he moved around. He opened the attic window, letting the air out. He stared out across the back of the Beirne estate. It was going to be a long eleven moons...
When Einin had finished her breakfast, or what she could eat of it--roughly half--she considered the still-warm meal in front of her before, with a shrug, she picked it up.
She listened by her door to make sure it was clear, then she headed for the attic, set the tray on the ground, and picked up one of her slippers.
She tossed it up at the attic door so it thumped lightly against it, just loud enough to, hopefully, get Herrick's attention.
After a few seconds, the attic door flipped open, and Herrick poked his head in. He looked a little pale, and he had bags under his eyes, but apart from that, he was all smiles.
"Have a good bath?" He whispered. "Next time, try not to take a hot bath directly below me. You wouldn't believe how humid it gets with all that vapor wafting up here."
Einin cleared her throat at that, running a hand through her wet hair. "Yeah, I was kind of not awake and forgot you were up there, to be honest," she said, and stiffly bent to pick up the tray. The heat had worked out some of the tension in her muscles, but her neck still hurt.
"Anyway, I couldn't eat all this. Rue always fusses and says I don't eat enough, so she brings enough to feed two of me. You want it?"
"What, are you kidding me? Give it over!" He chuckled, and he actually leaned down the hatch to reach for it. He didn't want to admit it, but after basically an entire day spent eating cakes and rolls and all those things, he was dying for some proper food.
Einin stretched up onto her toes and lifted the tray as high as she could reach. "Just hurry up with it," she said. "I don't know when Rue'll be coming back, but she'll definitely question the missing dishes!"
Herrick snatched up the plate, and sat by the hatch, rapidly scarfing the food down as quickly as he could. It sounded real sloppy, but after a blistering minute and a half, Herrick had cleaned the plate, and leaned back down to hand it back to Einin.
"I take it she's not in on the whole Secret Soot Wolf Servant thing?"
Taking the dishes back, Einin stared at Herrick for a moment. That...had to be some sort of record. She was honestly surprised he didn't choke!
His question, however, made her grin. "Rue? Pffffft, no. She's my old nurse, growing up. She's definitely not in on anything. I think she'd either faint or punch them if she knew. Maybe both."
Herrick caught her stare, grinning. He was used to eating on the run, or at least in a rush. On multiple occasions, Herrick's gotten by with only a minute or two of eating time per day, so he's a bit of a master when it comes to piling it in.
"So, she'd faint mid swing? Let her momentum carry her attack?"
"Pfffft, basically, yeah!" Einin said with a snort. "She's a tough lady! You better watch out. Out of everyone here, I'd be most worried about her. She's got strong arms."
"I bet. She must be jacked, lugging things around all day."
Herrick sneered, and propped his head up on his elbows. "How'd you sleep?"
Einin tapped her cheek, right below her eye to point out the puffy circles there. "I think I got a couple hours in," she said. "But speaking of jacked, I jacked up my neck. I guess I won't be sleeping by the window tonight."
She stretched her arms over her head, yawning. "How about you?"
"Uh, could've been better, buuuut it could've been a lot worse, too," Herrick said.
"Looks like we both could use some more beauty sleep."
Einin scowled up at Herrick. "Are you saying I'm not beautiful?"
Herrick choked on some stifled laughter.
"Well, we're both looking slightly less radiant than we usually are, gorgeous. What, do you want me to say? the bags under your eyes really bring out their color?"
Einin burst into laughter, unable to keep up the serious expression. "Ahahaha, I'm just messing with you," she said, grinning. "Though I suppose dark circles would make the bright pink pop more..."
She paused, blinking. "Jeez. Say that five times fast."
Herrick's eyes widened when she started to laugh rather loudly, and winced. "Holy shit, Einin, that was pretty loud. You think someone might've heard you laugh?"
Einin clapped her hand over her mouth. "Ummm...maybe? Might wanna hide just in case, but we might be okay. They'll probably just assume I'm reading some book."
Herrick retreated his head from the hatchway, and closed it down, although he left it open just a crack. "Might want to keep a book on hand then, gorgeous. The last thing we need is you being thrown in the madhouse."
...Right!
Turning, Einin pulled a book from her shelves and picked up her tray and set it on the table. That done, she flopped onto her bed with her book cracked open--and with no time to spare, because that was when Rue opened the door and bustled on in.
"Everything okay, honey? I heard noises."
Einin looked up from her book with a smile. "Ah, no, that was just me! Alone. Laughing by myself. 'Cause of the book." She lifted the book and nodded. "I got to a funny part."
Rue lifted an eyebrow at Einin, then shook her head in a "I'm not going to ask" fashion before going to collect the dishes. "Wow. I was right to bring you all that food! I didn't think you'd eaten well those past days! You were looking rather frail. Well, hon, I'll leave you to your book. Call me if you need anything."
And with that said, Rue slipped out of the room.
A few seconds after Rue departed, the hatch slowly opened, and Herrick's head poked out upside down. He had a slightly confident smile on his face, the kind a person has when they nail something.
"Talk about close calls, huh?" He whispered.
Einin flopped onto her arms, letting out a relieved sigh. "Yeeeeah. Probably gonna be a lot of those," she said.
"Sounds like you're in the clear for the rest of the day, though," Herrick commented. Cautiously, he lowered himself down from the attic, scratching lightly at his neck. He took the chair that she'd left by the window, and moved it up to her bed. He sat down on it, placing his hands on his lap.
"So...anything I should know about this house? Just in case?"
Einin cringed a little as Herrick came down. "Are, uh, are you sure this is a good idea? How fast can you get back in that attic if someone changes their mind?" she said, and looked nervously at the door, as though that might happen now.
She flipped her book shut. "Anyway, uh...I dunno. Not much, I guess, considering your time here's gonna be confined to the attic and sometimes my room." And she gave him a warning look at that, a meaningful look that screamed, "no wandering the house!"
"Well, I'm still wearing my invisibility ring--"
He held up the back of his hand, flashing a golden band with a diamond-cut emerald in the center.
"--So I should be fine."
When she gave him that look, he raised his hands innocently. "Well, you never know if I'm going to have to leave the attic and/or your room one day. As wonderful as your company is, I can't be in there every hour of the day!"
"And why would you need to know about the rest of my home to leave?" Einin asked with an arched brow. "Considering I have a very large window. A window you used to come here?"
"Ach, fine. You got me there. Can't blame a man for being curious."
He leaned against the wall, and rested his head on it.
"So..."
He made a few half-faces with his lips, searching for something to talk about.
"SO!" Einin repeated, sitting up on her bed and mimicking his expression.
"So, you're just...fine with hanging out here?" she said at last, sitting with her back against her wall and her legs up and bent at the knees--before she realized she wasn't actually wearing breeches, and she quickly stretched her legs out flat and rearranged her dress. "I mean, you don't have anyone out there that's missing you, or gonna wonder where you've vanished to? No friends or lovers or anything?"
"Nnnope..." Herrick said, glancing over to her.
"Real family's dead, Sarnath's out hunting for my head, got no real friends...No lovers, either. Line of work's too dynamic and ever-changing to hold onto anything that lasts for more than a few weeks."
He sighed through his nose.
"Nobody."
"Oh." Well this was awkward. Einin shifted uncomfortably. "Well, ah...what do you do, anyway? I mean, when you're not doing thiefy things or running from crazy people? You don't do thiefy things all the time, right?"
"Well, when I'm not stealing, I'm usually on the run, or hiding. As I'm sure you've noticed, I collect magical trinkets in my spare time."
He pushed off of the wall, slowly pacing towards her bed and stopping at the foot of it.
"I, uh...I camp. Camping's fun."
"Really? I've never actually camped. Unless you count what we did. That was...a sort of camping."
Einin coughed. "Camping for nobility?"
"Oh yeah. Real rugged," Herrick scoffed playfully.
He took a seat at the edge of her bed, laying one thigh on it while allowing the other leg to remain on the floor. He shifted over, placing his back on one of the bedposts.
"Maybe one of these days, I'll take you camping. Show you some basics. We can do bonding thingies together, like gut fish or pitch up a tent."
"Ewwww," Einin said, making a face and wrinkling her nose. She stuck out her tongue. "How about bonding things like you gut the fish, and I get to eat it when it's nice and cooked and seasoned? I like the sound of that better."
"Seasoned? Out in the wilderness, there's no seasoning," Herrick chuckled.
"Although, I can teach you how to cook salmon with berries. That's always a mood-fixer."
"A mood-fixer?" Einin repeated, and laughed. "For crankiness due to the bland food?"
"Oh yeah!" Herrick assured.
"You get the salmon all skewered up, and when it's halfway done, you crush berries above it, let it marinate in the juice," He said.
"Oh, my mouth waters just thinking about it..."
"That sounds really good!" Einin agreed, rubbing her full belly. "I've always been fond of fish, so I'd be open to trying that! Maybe I could even request something like that...unless it only works on wild fish or something."
[Oh my god, thinking about salmon has me so freakin' HUNGRY XD. Alas, there's no way to get juicy salmon at three in the morning D:]
"It's definitely better when the salmon's wild," Herrick said.
"Out in the large rivers, the grow fat and juicy. The grease runs down your throat, mixes with the berry juices cooked into the flesh. Oh Einin, it has to be experienced."
[I'm a vegetarian and it sounds tasty! xDDD]
"You know, I just ate and if you don't stop you're going to make me hungry again!" Einin said, waving her hands at him to stop.
"Anyway! I guess you'll be in for a treat, staying here. Rue thinks I'm starving, so she's been bringing extra food, which means you'll get to eat like a noble for a while."
[I'm actually cracking open a can of tuna as I type this. I just can't resist!]
"I have missed court food. Although, did you eat all of the meat before you handed me the plate? Or are you a "fruits and cheese" kind of woman?"
He leaned in with the question, eyebrows arched curiously.
"Huh? Oh! No. They just know I don't really...eat much meat anymore," Einin said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.
[Tuna's great, by the way. 'Case you were wondering...]
"Oh. I'd ask, but knowing how our conversations usually go, it doesn't seem like the best idea."
Suddenly, he got a bit more serious.
"Any word from Big Red?"
[*__* It's one of the few things I miss, even after 15 years...]
Einin grimaced at that, feeling a bit stung. "No word yet," she said, and added, "And honestly, it's okay. I don't mind answering that question! It's because of the goblins, and how they were, you know, going to eat me. When you're almost butchered beside a pig, it sort of changes your worldviews."
She got the words out in a rush, and folded her arms over her chest. "I'm not really that bad at conversations, am I?"
Herrick shrugged.
"It's not that you're bad at conversations, per se', but I've noticed a pattern. We go from happy to depressing and then back again. If anything, it's me who's a bit bad."
He was quite for a few moments.
"Yeah, I'd probably ditch pork for a while too..."
"Maybe we're both just awkward at them," Einin said with a shrug, running her fingers through her hair. "Sorry you keep walking into pit traps all the time with me. Gods, even asking why I don't eat much meat lead to...this! I swear it's not like this with most things. There's plenty of safe topics, I promise!"
"Okay, let's try..."
He rubbed his chin, humming a tune along to himself as he thought.
"...Music. Know any instruments?"
"I can play the rebec," Einin said soberly, "but I haven't played it since I was beat with one."
Herrick looked at Einin a bit oddly.
"Beat as in... physically beaten with a rebec?"
"Yup," Einin said, expression somber. "Beaten with a rebec. Physically. It was terrible. Lasting emotional damage."
She had to bite her lip to keep the grin off her face.
Herrick gave her a knowing look.
"Just checking. With you, one can never tell. Me, I'm a harp man. One of the few instruments you can lie down with an just play."
"The harp? Really?" Einin said, grinning a lopsided grin. "I never would have pegged you as someone who played such a...delicate instrument."
"I might be a tall man," Herrick started.
He looked her in the eyes, grinning.
"But I've got very agile fingers," he said, wiggling his fingers at Einin.
"Makes sense! You'd have to, to be a thief," Einin said, and stretched out sideways on her bed, propped up on one elbow. "Are you good at it? I'm decent with the rebec, but I'm not very artistic in general. My mother has all those skills. I've just always been more physical, I guess."
"Well, I'd consider myself better than average. I'm no bard, of course, but I like to think I'm more or less proficient with it."
He thought for a few moments.
"Well, since you're more physical, does that mean you can dance?"
Einin laughed at the question, though her cheeks colored a bit. It felt kind of silly to admit all this, considering how hard she was trying to, you know, be a tough as nails vigilante! And prior to reaching her home, Herrick hadn't really met noblewoman Einin.
"Hahaha, yeeeah..." she said, grinning sheepishly. "I mean, of course! I'm a noblewoman, so I've had lessons since I was old enough to twirl around. No one wants to be That One Crummy Dancer at the ball, you know? Awkward. Though, to be honest, I've always liked it. Before I was fencing, I was dancing, and knowing how to dance probably helped with my fencing. The importance of footwork and all that!"
"Nothing to be ashamed about, Einin!" Herrick laughed.
"I was taught how to dance too. Like a proper gentleman."
"What kinds of dances? Mostly ballroom?" Einin asked. "I just ask because...well, just out of curiosity. I only know Serenian dance. I'm not familiar with Adelan styles."
"Yeah. Just your standardized ballroom. Given I can waltz like it's nobody's business..." Herrick said, trailing off as a wistful smile appeared on him.
"But I gotta tell you, the streets've taught me plenty of lively jigs. The kind that rattle buildings if you can motivate a crowd into 'em."
"Ah! Those always looked like so much fun! The lively tavern dances. I did one once, not really a jig, and I don't actually remember how well I did 'cause I was a bit drunk, but it was super fun! I must have been decent, I guess, because the whore seemed to like it!" Einin said with a wide smile.
"The whore? Why, you're quite the naughty girl. Well, naughty for a do-gooder."
He crossed his arms, smiling at her.
"Well, you don't really do a tavern dance sober, so you were great. Probably. Couldn't have been terrible."
Einin sniffed, lifting her chin in mock disdain. "Her name is Ebony and she's beautiful and sweet and a really good dancer if my drunken memories are anything to go by! And if what you say is true, then they are!" she laughed. "But really, there was nothing naughty happening. We just talked."
And kissed. But that was beside the point.
"Just talked?"
He took his back off the bedpost, and rolled onto his belly, placing his head on top of his arms as he looked at her.
"That's what I said," Einin said with a shifty look to the side. "I was Tanin then, just out to have a laid back time! Though of course I wasn't aware we were going to a brothel, but...you know whores are just women! They like to just talk, too!"
Herrick narrowed his eyes playfully, before he dropped the subject. "Alright, alright. I'm curious, sue me."
He sighed, more out of boredom than anything else, and started twiddling his feet behind him. He even raised his legs up, leaving his feet up in the air. It certainly wasn't the manliest of positions, but it was comfortable, so he didn't care.
"Maybe, once you're not grounded, we can go out into the gardens behind your estate, and I can play the harp. It's been a while since I played it..."
Biting back her amusement, because it really did look funny to see a six-foot-super-tall guy posed like that, Einin turned onto her belly and mimicked him.
"Yeah, maybe! And I could show off my awesome rebec skills--wait. Waaait, are you saying you've got a harp in that bag of yours?"
"It's a hand harp. And yeah! We could duet and everything."
He turned his head onto its side.
"I've... got a lot of things in that bag of mine. If it fits in the opening, it goes in. I've got pretty much anything you could ever need. And the magical trinkets. So...many...trinkets..."
Einin gave Herrick an odd look. "Don't tell me you have children in that bag, too," she said with a teasing grin, because that was the first thing that popped into her head when he said that, since she was pretty sure the opening was big enough to fit at least a baby. If not a toddler.
Herrick laughed.
"Oh, I've got tons. All those fairy tales about babies being stolen by hags and fae? Those guys ain't got nothing on me."
He was quiet for a bit.
"But yeah, I've got some pretty long things in there that look pretty ridiculous when they're pulled out. I've got a fishing rod, for example. And a four-person tent. Lots of pretty cool drinks, too."
"A four person tent? Yeeesh. I'll bet that looks hilarious!" Einin said, and laid her head on her arms.
"So, what kinds of drinks? Ones from all over the world, huh?"
"Oh, all over. I'm a bit of a collector, actually. Maybe I'll share some with you later on."
He chuckled, and righted his head back up.
"And yes, the tent does look ridiculous when I take it out."
"A collector? Oh, well, if it's special stuff you're collecting and whatnot, I wouldn't want you to break it open on my behalf! Especially if it's from somewhere far away that you got kicked out of. Which probably covers a lot of places, eh?" Einin said with a knowing grin.
"Well, I do drink from my collection. I mostly collect the bottles, keep them as mementos. I've got a bottle of some particularly great dwarven stuff that's already open."
He placed his elbows against the bed, and cupped his chin in a hand.
"Dwarven stuff? Now that's something I've definitely never had. I've mostly just had wine and ale. You know, the standards. Definitely not anything made by non-humans, and usually not much of it. I'm pathetically lightweight," Einin said with a wry smile.
"Oh. Then you're going to love what I've got in store."
He crossed his legs behind him, sighing. He looked bored. The conversation was nice, but it was going to do a number on him, being cooped up in an attic for most of the day.
Suddenly, he extended a hand towards her face, lightly tapping the tip of Einin's nose.
"Boop."
Einin's eyes crossed when he tapped her nose, and she stuck her tongue out and puffed out her cheeks.
"Pfffffffbbbt."
Yeah, he wasn't the only one that was going to go absolutely fucking stir crazy. On the plus side, at least she had company this time! Usually, she didn't.
Herrick squinted his eyes as some rogue saliva droplets hit his face, and he wiped them off with a grimace.
"So..."
He rolled onto his back so he could stare up at the ceiling. Noting how she looked upside-down, Herrick booped her again.
With a laugh, Einin swatted at his hand. "Are you sure you're Adelan, and not part cat? Would you like some string to play with?"
"Well, I am a cat burglar by trade."
He meowed at her, and batted at her hair with his hands.
"Some milk wouldn't be too bad right now, actually."
"So you burgle cats? Well, looks like the cat's out of the bag about your true identity! Or...still in the bag, as it were..."
Einin flipped her hair back over her shoulder and out of the way off his hands. "Anyway, Herri-kitty, you're just going to have to do without for now! No milk, sadly. Just water. Like the sad prisoners we are."
[Herri-Kitty...]
"You people live in a three-story mansion, and you're telling me you have no milk? Damnit..."
He frowned slightly, and just dropped his arms to the sides, splaying himself out.
"And I''m not a kitty. I'm going to be The Leopard, remember?"
[xDDDD]
Einin rolled her eyes hard at that one.
"I'm pretty sure leopards are still cats," she said. "And I'm sure they can still be kitties. They're not all fierce and grown up. They have babies, too. So, kittens. Which means leopards can be kitties. Gosh."
But she grinned to show she was teasing. "And we do so have milk! Just not in this room, see."
Herrick rolled his own eyes as well.
"Well, you can always ask for some milk," he said, before returning his eyes to the ceiling.
"It's going to be a long week, isn't it?"
"What? Are you calling me boring?" Einin asked as she sat up, when laying on her belly proved too uncomfortable for her stiff neck.
"Never, Einin. You've been nothing but excitement since we first met. Unfortunately, your attic isn't an outgoing pink-haired vigilante, so it's infinitely less interesting."
He closed his eyes, kind of wishing he could nod off, and started humming to himself.
"Hrm..." Einin tapped her lips in thought. "Well, we could always play a game of some sort. It'd pass the time, at least."
"Sure," Herrick said, and rolled back onto his belly so he could sit up.
"What kind of game?"
"I have cards and dice, if you like that sort of thing. I have parchment, if you want to play a drawing game. Or there's conversation games, like truth or dare, never have I ever, twenty questions, stuff like that," Einin said, thinking. "I'm afraid I don't know too many!"
Herrick thought for a few moments, mulling over the options.
"Truth or dare sounds like it could be fun."
"Alright then! You first. Truth or dare?" Einin asked, putting a pillow behind her back against the wall and folding her arms, looking quite smug.
Herrick narrowed his eyes.
"I've never really played this before, but..."
He considered his answer for a few seconds, before he smiled, looking Einin in the eyes.
"Dare."
"Ohhh, then you're in for a treat. Especially if you've never played with me," Einin said, an evil glint in her eyes as her grin grew broader.
"Lick the bottom of your boot. And I'm talking full tongue, not just the tip."
Herrick grinned at her dare, and slipped off his boot.
He took a few moments to inspect the bottom. It wasn't the dirtiest, but it certainly wasn't clean by any standards. Herrick didn't pussyfoot around it, he just did it, passing his entire tongue over it.
When he was finished, he pulled his tongue back with a grimace.
"Your turn, I think..." He said, and started rubbing his tongue against the back of his hand.
Einin was probably more grossed out about that than Herrick, it seemed! Because she made a face and let out a "bleh!" sound when he licked it. That had to be tasty. Kudos for him for taking it like a man!
But then it was her turn, and she pursed her lips in thought before saying, "Hrm, dare."
Seemed only fair! Might as well test the waters and see how bad his were.
Herrick thought for a few moments, leaning back and propping himself up against a bedpost again.
"Well, my boots are uneven now. Only fitting you clean the other one with your tongue. Polish off the heel, won't you?"
He took off his other boot, and held it out to her.
"WHAT? Aw, no, but--you can't copy other peoples' dares! That's cheating or something!" Einin said with a grimace, even as she took hold of his boot.
She glowered at him as she flipped it over, examined it, and grabbed the edge of her blanket so she could rub off the bottom of it. Then, taking a deep breath and holding it, she closed her eyes and gave the sole a full-tongued lick like he had.
She wiped her tongue off on her blanket when she was done and chucked the boot at Herrick. Then she bounced off her bed and rushed to grab the water sitting on her table. Taking a big swig of it, she swished it around in her mouth, opened her window, and spat it out before repeating the process several more times.
"Ugh! That was vile!" she said as she climbed back into her bed, and wiped her tongue off on the back of her hand once more for good measure. At least her own skin tasted better! "Truth or dare, you brat."
"Ah, but you did it anyways. I would've come up with something else, but you were just so...eager."
He chuckled, catching the boot as she furiously rinsed her mouth over and over again. He had to admit, this game was pretty fun.
"Truth."
"Eager, shmeager..." Einin mumbled, before looking back at Herrick.
"Too scared of my dares? Alright, let's see...most embarrassing memory?"
Herrick tried to remember. After a few moments, he snapped his fingers.
"When I was sixteen, I accidentally sneezed on a girl's face during a ball. She was the daughter of the host. Turns out, I'm mildly allergic to certain perfumes imported from Essyrn." He recalled. He shared this memory almost nonchalantly. He didn't really mind telling these things to Einin, it's not like she was going to gossip to anyone.
"Your go, Einin."
Einin snickered at that, crinkling her nose in sympathy for the girl. "Groooss," she said with a laugh. "The poor girl! Hopefully it wasn't one of those super snotty ones? Anyway, I'll go for another dare, because I'm not a wimp."
And she stuck her tongue out at Herrick at that one.
"Excuse me for trying to mix things up a bit. Umm..."
He glanced around her room, trying to come up with something.
"Let's see, uh..."
Suddenly, he started chuckling.
"Sere--pfft...Serenade me, Einin."
Einin sank her face into her palm. "Oh gods, fine. You'll regret this one. I've got a terrible singing voice, I'm warning you."
Straightening up, she pounded her chest with her fist and cleared her throat, her cheeks already pink with embarrassment. Without looking at Herrick, she began, and though her singing voice was unpolished, she also wasn't as bad as she claimed. She could at least carry the tune!
"In good faith, without deceit, I love the best and most beautiful!" And here she looked at Herrick and swept out a hand toward him in an exaggerated flourish.
"My heart sighs--" Sigh! "--My eyes weep--" She wiped away imaginary tears. "--because I love her--" She waggled her eyebrows at Herrick. "--so much and I suffer for it! What else can I do, if Love takes hold of me, and no key but pity can open up the prison where he has put me, and I find no sign of pity there? This love wounds my heart, with a sweet taste, so gently, I die of grief a hundred times a day--" She clutched her heart and fell back against the wall.
"--and a hundred times revive with joy!" she sang, righting herself again.
"My pain seems beautiful, this pain is worth more than any pleasure. And since I find this bad so good, how good will be the good when this suffering is done?"
With a grin, still blushing, Einin gave a seated bow and tipped an imaginary bard's cap. "There's more where that came from. Truth or dare, m'lady?"
At around the end is where Herrick lost his composure. It really looked like he'd been restraining himself for the entire. No sooner had the last couple of words left her mouth than Herrick burst into laughter, laughter he muffled with his hands so that it didn't carry outside of the room.
"You're not half bad, noble bard. Gimme a dare."
Einin covered her mouth to hold back a laugh as the perfect idea struck her.
"Speaking of ladies..." she said with a wide grin before motioning to the desk and mirror against the wall. "Why don't you go pretty yourself up? Paint those lips, rouge up your cheeks, line your eyes. It's all there, Herricka. Get gorgeous!"
Herrick was silent for a few moments. Then, he smiled.
"Game on, then."
He stood from the bed, and confidently sauntered over to the desk. He began inspecting the various items on the desk and in the drawers, seeing what he had to work with. "Not too different from my disguise kit. Shouldn't be too hard."
Einin smiled widely at that. It had taken her loads of practice to be able to do her own makeup competently--not that she wore it often, just on special occasions. Without knowing what you were doing, it was easy to come out looking like a clown. And Herrick had something she didn't: facial hair.
"Oh? Then have at it, princess."
"Watch and learn, Einin."
With that, he started. His facial hair wasn't really a factor for him, since he'd long since learned to overcome it when applying disguise makeup or what have you. After around ten minutes of silent, genuine work, Herrick was finished. It was basic, but it was what she asked for.
Batting his eyelashes at Einin, he smiled.
"How do I look, toots?" He said in a ridiculous, gravelly voice.
It was...pretty damned hilarious how seriously Herrick was taking this. He didn't just slap the makeup on sloppily to be done with it--he was legitimately taking his time and putting actual effort into this!
Then he was done, and when he turned to her and spoke in that voice...
Einin lost it.
Slapping her hands over her mouth, she burst into helpless laughter and fell over onto her side, turning her face into her pillow to help muffle the sound. When she could do more than wheeze or giggle, she managed to get out, "Ridiculous!" But a moment later, lifting her head to get a better look at him, she blinked and added, "...But actually kind of strangely good, too. What the hell."
Herrick smiled, pursing his lips as he did so. He stood up, and walked over to her water jug and poured himself a glass. Using a rag, he started to wipe off the makeup.
"Like I said, I own a disguise kit. It's really not that much different. Also, I'm just one of those sexy bastards who looks good in makeup. I could probably do this better than some women."
He was halfway through getting the light layer of blush he'd put on his cheeks, when he spoke up again. "Your turn."
"You probably did that even better than me," Einin said with a laugh, shaking her head. "Anyway, I'll take a truth this time. To 'mix things up'."
Herrick nodded. He finished cleaning his face off, he returned to the bed and sat at the edge.
"What...is the meanest thing you've ever done?"
"Ohhhhh gods. Okay, so...I have this friend, right? Clint. We grew up together, were kids together, and he's a little younger than me and he just always followed me around like a puppy. Really wanted to impress me and get me to notice him, you know? And me, being a tomboy and a bit of a brat, weeeeell...I kind of used that knowledge for evil?"
Einin grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I was kind of terrible to him, honestly! I'd like...push him to see how far he'd go. So like...probably the worst time was when I was about thirteen and I, uh, dared him to eat worms for a kiss. So he DID, he ate the worms, and then I wouldn't kiss him because he'd just eaten worms. That was pretty mean."
She paused. "Also I beat him up."
"Damn, Einin. That's..."
He rubbed his chin, stroking the short strands of his facial hair.
"That's pretty messed up."
Herrick himself had never really done something that mean. Of course, there was always his thievery, but as he stated before, he only robbed the fabulously wealthy.
"Huh. Well, either way, I'm opting for Truth."
"I know, I know! Trust me, I feel bad about it now! But he bugged me as a kid, and was always flirting, and I just wasn't having any of it. We're still friends, though! And I've only roughed him up a little since then, and only because he sneaked into my room while I was changing," Einin said with a shake of her head.
"Now, for you, let's see...if you only had one day left to live, what would you do?"
Herrick's answer came almost immediately.
"Kill Sarnath."
He crossed his arms at his waist, expression darkened.
And there it was, their classic turn for the depressing and awkward.
Einin paused for a moment, shifting uncomfortably, and then cleared her throat. "Oh...ah, very good! I'll take a dare now!"
Herrick was very quiet for a bit. The question had taken his mind down some dark paths, but eventually, he spoke up.
"I dare you to call your servant in and ask her to bring you a jar of pickles."
As he said it, his smile returned, and soon enough, he was relaxed again.
"Oh. That's easy. Got a craving?" Einin said with a laugh before making a shooing motion at him. "Go on, back to the attic with you!"
"Eh, I gotta admit. I'm just kind of using you for this one."
He slid off the bed, and stretched for a bit, before clambering back up into the attic.
As soon as he was gone, Einin reached up and pulled a golden, tasseled cord dangling beside her bed. It would ring a bell out in the hall, where the servants could hear.
Not a minute later, Rue opened the door. "Yes, m'lady?"
"Do we have any pickles?"
Rue blinked at the question, but nodded. "We do, m'lady."
"Then can you bring up a jar? I'm really craving them right now!"
"You're crav--OH!" Rue said, her expression changing from confusion to understanding. "Oh, you poor thing! Of course! Would you like me to bring you rags, too? Or hot water?"
Einin's face went red when she realized what Rue thought, and she sputtered and shook her head, knowing that Herrick could hear all this, dammit! "N-no! Nothing like that, just--just a random craving, ahaha. Thank you, Rue!"
And then Rue was gone, though she didn't take long to fetch the pickles. Once Einin had the jar in hand and the door was shut, Einin carried them over to the table. "All clear!" she whispered.
After a few seconds, the attic hatch opened, and Herrick clambered down.
"That was quite the exchange," he commented. He stepped over to the jar of pickles. He opened it up, and took out a particularly fat one, taking a big old bite out of one end.
"Mm. These're some damn good pickles..."
He swallowed.
"Dare."
Einin's blush darkened at his comment, but she quickly pushed past it and focused on the dare!
"Eat all the pickles," she said, "and finish off the juice, too."
And it wasn't a small jar.
With a wide smile, she said, "Truth."
"Shit, I've got no problem with that."
He emphasized his point by taking another bit out of the pickle he was eating.
"What--"
He swallowed.
"What's the stupidest thing you've ever done in public?"
Maybe she'd underestimated Herrick a little there. A jar like that would make her sick, but he was much taller, so...maybe it wouldn't bother him!
At his question, Einin laughed. "Uhh, wow, yeah, that's a pretty long list. But a fairly recent stupid thing was when I was at market a bit back, in a super nice dress, and almost got ran over by a horse and cart 'cause I wasn't paying attention. I was okay, but I got drenched in mud and had to walk around like that in public."
Herrick chuckled, coughing as he almost choked on his pickle. Hitting his chest to clear his throat, he regained himself.
Nodding, he took another large bite out of his pickle.
"Truth."
He seemed pretty damn focused on eating the pickles.
"Hmm, how abooout...if you were the opposite sex for a day, what would you do?" Einin said as she watched the pickles slowly vanish.
He stopped, a pickle halfway in his mouth as she posed that question. Slowly, he bit down, and he chewed as he thought.
"I'd be very confused for a good half of that day. After that passes, I guess I'd just treat it like a normal day. Oh, and touch my boobs. That'd be inevitable."
Einin stifled her laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. "Seriously? Touch your boobs? Oh jeez."
Shaking her head, she said, "Dare."
"It's what any guy would do. Uh..."
Herrick was halfway through the jar of pickles now, and while he wasn't exactly bubbling with joy, he didn't look sick, either.
"Do a headstand...while reciting your favorite poem."
"Oh gods. Uh. Alright. I don't actually have any favorites, to be honest, but...uh..."
Sliding out of bed, she walked away from her bed and stood facing her wall. "I know some bad ones? I overheard one of the guards singing this one when he was drunk. Ahem." Clearing her throat, Einin took a deep breath before she flipped herself forward and upside down, balancing on her hands with her feet braced against the wall.
"There was an old woman lived down in the West,
So green as the leaves they are green, green, green, green,
So green as the leaves they are green
And she had a fine daughter that never was kissed,
And you know very well what I mean, mean, mean, mean,
And you know very well what I mean.
One morning she rose and she put on her clothes
And away to the shoemaker's shop she did go.
'Shoemaker, shoemaker, have you any shoes?'
'Why yes, pretty maiden, I think I'll fit you.'
So into the shoemaker's shop she did trip
Good Lord! How he caught her and kissed her sweet lips.
When twenty long weeks they were over and past
This silly young girl she got thick round the waist.
When forty long weeks were over and done,
This little, bold wench had a big, bonny son.
'Oh daughter! Oh daughter! How come you by this?
'Oh mother! Oh mother! 'Twas the shoemaker's kiss!'"
She said the last half of the poem in a rush, since the blood was rushing to her head something fierce, and with a sigh of relief she stood again and wobbled dizzily. "Eugh. That poem is terrible."
Herrick watched her, nodding along to the poem. He was down to the last few pickles now.
"Well, it was just terrible enough to get you off the hook. Shoot me a dare."
It was only as Einin was rearranging her dress that she realized how...improper that had been, and the redness in her face soon wasn't just because of the blood rushing to her brain. She's gotten so caught up in the game, and so used to wearing breeches, that she'd forgotten! Which...wasn't the first time, by any means, that she'd made a stupid mistake like that. She often forgot to be ladylike.
Fortunately, she had bloomers on underneath, so all Herrick had gotten to see were white, knee-length poofy pants with pink bows on them.
Still pretty embarrassing, now that it was all catching up to her, though...they were essentially pants, right?
Smoothing down her dress, she cleared her throat. Herrick hadn't said anything, so she was just...going to pretend that hadn't just been a thing...
"Errr, um...hmm...how about...make armpit fart noises to the tune of your favorite song while standing on one foot."
"Damn it."
Herrick chuckled, swallowing down his most recent mouthful of pickle. Einin didn't really bring any attention to it, but Herrick did in fact notice that she'd done a headstand in a dress. At this moment, though, he didn't really care.
"I actually don't know how to make those noises. You're going to have to come up with something else."
"Whaaaat? Are you kidding me? Herrick, I'm a noble lady and even I know how to do it! It's like...well...damn. I can't show you while I'm wearing this." And she flapped her arms to show off the long sleeves, which meant the only other way to get her hands on her bare armpits was to lift her dress up and...
Nope.
"I'll have to show you later. Alright, uhhhh...confess your undying love to that pickle and share a passionate kiss with it."
Herrick, while still chewing, looked at the half eaten pickle in his hand.
He inhaled sharply through his nose, and swallowed.
"Pickle, we've been through so much together, I... I know I bit you in half, but..."
He slapped his cheeks lightly so they'd get all red and stuff, and locked eyes with the pickle. "I-I'm sorry, Pickle! Please, just tell me you love me!"
Herrick made out with the pickle after that, occasionally interrupting his smooches with "Oh, Pickle" and "I'm yours forever, Pickle".
"Okay okay!" Einin managed to get out between wheezes of laughter. She just. She couldn't with this, and his little act quickly had her crumpling to the floor in a fit of giggles. Curled up with laughter, she had one hand over her mouth and waved the other one frantically at him.
"Okay, stop! Enough! Oh my gods, ahahaha! That was just...beautiful. So moving. Brought literal tears to my eyes. Why aren't you an actor, again?"
"Eh, I heard I'm too tall to be one," Herrick said, standing over her. He leaned forwards, placing an elbow on one of his knees, gazing down on her with a victorious grin on his face. He finished off his pickle wife, and he reached back into the pickle jar, only to find that it was empty.
He grimaced. He wasn't looking forwards to drinking down all that pickle juice. It might make him sick. Instead, he redirected his attention to Einin. "You look like you need some help getting up, Einin. Absolutely devastated is how you look."
"Oh yes. Sooo devastated! You ate Miss Pickle! What a tragic end to such a beautiful love story!" Einin said through her giggles, before holding a hand out for Herrick to take, since her legs didn't want to work and her side was aching from laughing.
"Alas!"
Herrick pulled her up with surprising strength, and she ended up against his chest. He looked into her eyes, grinning like a bandit as he held her pseudo-romantically to him.
"Our love was too great, our fire...too hot!" he said as he looked off to the side longingly. "I had to be one with her, I was taken...with passion!"
"Whoa!"
Pulled to her feet and clutched to Herrick's chest, Einin blinked up at him in surprise before the moment caught back up to her and she burst into a fresh wave of laughter before she managed to stifle it long enough to play along.
"So you ate her? Cannibal!" she said, letting out a scandalized gasp and pressing her wrist to her brow. Then she paused, scrunched up her brow, and looked up at Herrick. "Except you're not a pickle. Murderer!" she corrected, and resumed her dramatic pose.
"No! Not murder! I did it in the name of love!"
He let her hang backwards as he supported her with one arm, and clutched the clothing above his heart. Herrick suddenly cut in with a caught laugh, before he continued.
"Take me to prison! Lock me up--I don't care! We'll always be together now!"
Please don't drop me, Einin thought as she darted a glance down at the floor, but she didn't break character. She let out another exaggerated gasp and pressed both hands to the sides of her face.
"But sir, I must object! When they say man and woman become one on their wedding night, this is not what they had in mind! Oh tragic day! I fear she won't be with you long! For soon, Chamber Pot shall claim her!"
Although he was quite visibly shaken with laughter, Herrick's hold on her was firm. Unless she actively tried to wriggle out of his grasp, he wouldn't drop her.
"Chamber Pot? O, wicked fiend! Curse this Pot, who would spirit away my beloved, the scoundrel!"
His voice turned into a growl, and he clenched one hand into a fist. He looked back down at Einin, biting his lips to keep himself from laughing.
Einin lost it. Cupping her mouth with a hand, she dissolved into laughter, and it was a good thing Herrick was holding her, because her legs started to go all weak again.
"Oh my gods, listen to us! It hasn't yet been a day and we're already going mad!"
Herrick stifled more laughter, and he pulled her back up against him.
"Couple o' loonies, is what we are," he chortled, and took a step back and away from her. "So, you still haven't said; Truth or Dare?"
"Oh, right!" Einin said with a laugh as she straightened out her dress. "Let's go with truth."
"Okay, erm..."
He started pacing back and forth
"Have you ever kissed a woman?"
Einin sat down on the edge of her bed, rubbing her face as it grew hot yet again, dammit!
"Uhhh, yeaaah..."
Herrick smiled, resting his back against the bedpost closest to her.
"You were lying to me about Ebony, weren't you?"
"Not lying, really!" Einin said quickly, throwing up her hands. "We were just talking! And dancing! But she kissed me when we were dancing. We didn't do anything more than that!"
"I'm willing to bet you liked it. You did, didn't you?" He asked, suddenly lunging forwards as he placed his hands on the edge of the bed with sudden intensity. He had his usual grin, plastered all over his face.
"You know, I think I know that girl. Ebony...definitely sounds familiar. Dark hair, lightish skin?"
Einin jumped when Herrick lunged, and her blush darkened. Kia be damned! "Uh, well...so what if I did?" she said slowly, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly and looking away and at the bed. "She was a great kisser, and a lot of fun on the dance floor, and she smelled really good, and...uh...yeah."
Clearing her throat, she looked back up. "Was the Ebony you know from the Lifeless Lech? Because that's where this Ebony works."
"Oh, don't be so tight and embarrased, Einin!" Herrick teased, and he passed a thumb over one of her blushed cheeks, as if he could wipe it off. "I'm not judging."
He deposited himself next to her, crossing a leg over his lap.
"You know, I think she just might be. Great kisser. Well, kissing's not the only thing she was good at, eh?" He said, nudging Einin with an elbow.
That only made her burn hotter, though, and Einin swatted away Herrick's hand. For some reason, having her embarrassment pointed out only made her blush harder! Ahhh!
"Well, yes, like I said she was also a good dancer and a pretty good conversationalist..."
"Ah, yes. She can definitely move those curved hips of hers very well, can't she?"
Herrick enjoyed having her in his hands like this. She was like embarrassed putty! He leaned in a bit further, testing personal space lines, his voice smooth and seductive.
"And her conversations! Oh, how her silky voice can keep one occupied. I can tell you from experience, Einin..."
He trailed off, allowing the pause to build up.
"She's very good at was she does..."
...For some reason, Einin was getting the feeling Herrick wasn't actually talking about Ebony's dancing or conversing. Her eyes went a little wider and she leaned back when he leaned in, internally flailing as this conversation took a sharp turn into Scandal-Ville!
"U-uh..." She swallowed hard, remembering Ebony, who had been her second kiss, and who had made her feel so many different layers or nervous and off-balance and curious. She'd always noticed other ladies and admired their beauty, just as she could recognize handsome men--but it was only in the last year that she'd realized she was actually attracted to both. (And she'd never even been all that interested in anyone before!) Ebony's kiss had cemented that, though she could never do more than that with a stranger, and even kissing a stranger had been all sorts of confusing later on!
She fiddled with the folds of her dress, kneading and balling up the fabric and releasing it and doing it all over again. "W-well, I imagine so, she does get a lot of practice..."
Herrick laughed lightly, and leaned back into comfortable space. "Why, Lady Beirne, you look like you could use a jar of ice water. Or a fan. Either one, really."
He picked up the jar of water she kept in her room, and handed it to her.
"Dare."
"Ha ha," Einin said as she took the water, but she took a sip of it anyway, because she was feeling a bit warm after that conversation!
Taking a large gulp of it, and shoving the images out of her head, she set the water aside. "Do your best belly dance."
"As you wish."
He stood back from the bed, and started thinking, tapping his thigh as he struggled to recall how the Essyrnis did it. When he finally remembered, he smiled, and began.
It was certainly not the best belly dance ever, since Herrick had nowhere near the right proportions, but it was good enough for the request. He stretched his arms upwards as he swayed his hips as sensually as he could, causing his shirt to move up and expose the bottom of his abs.
"This good enough?" He asked in his best Essyrni accent.
Einin had never seen a belly dance, only heard of them, so fortunately for Herrick she had nothing to compare it to! She scooted on the bed so her back was against the wall, crossed her arms, and watched with one eyebrow cocked as he showed off his abs. She could see why people talked about this dance a lot! And come to think of it, maybe she had seen some of the whores giving their patrons a much more up close version of this dance.
She cupped her chin as she watched him, as though seriously studying him (after all, she wasn't kidding when she said she liked dance, so new dances always fascinated her!) but snapped out of it when he spoke in that new accent--which was actually a rather lovely accent!
"Huh? Oh! Haha! Yeah! That's...awesome, actually. I had no idea that's what a belly dance was!"
"Well, I'm trying my best to simulate one. I don't have any jangly chains or shiny things around my waist though," Herrick said, lament in his voice.
Then, in one swift motion, his shirt flew off, revealing just how exquisitely muscled he was under it. His most prominent feature, however, was a rather large gunshot scar on the left side of his abdomen. He flung his shirt towards her, aiming it for her lap.
He'd never performed a belly dance before, but it was clear to see that he was enjoying it a little.
Aaand there went his shirt, landing right in Einin's lap, and she was left staring like a deer before the wolf. Her eyes dropped to his shirt, then to Herrick, then back and forth again, and her heart raced a little faster as, suddenly, she felt like she was seeing something very private!
"Is that part of belly dancing?!" she got out in a choked voice, and then another thought struck her: how much clothing came off during such a dance? She had always heard the Essyrni didn't wear much--and they didn't, if her swim suit was anything to go by.
Flushing a deeper shade, she waved her hands at Herrick, flapping the shirt in the process. "Okay! Yes, that was very good, great job, nice belly dance! You, uh, you want your shirt back?"
Smiling deviously, Herrick gyrated a bit closer to her, before he stopped. It was clear to him that she liked what she saw, one way or the other. He passed a hand over his shirt, before he left it in her lap.
"You can hold onto it, if you want. I'm quite comfortable like this, actually."
He stretched a bit to pop his shoulders, although he also used to opportunity to try and snag Einin's eyes again. He was playing with her, at this point. Frankly, watching her bluster and blush was proving more entertaining by the minute!
He leaned against her window, angling himself so the midday sun shone on his body at an angle.
"Your turn, Einin."
"Hold onto it?! What am I supposed to--?" Flustered, Einin set it on the bed beside her. Wooow this was awkward, having a shirtless guy in her room...
Pointedly, she tried to look everywhere but at him--she'd never been good with handling this sort of thing! What was she supposed to do? Stare? That seemed odd! Act normal? Argh! If she'd been born Essyrni this obviously wouldn't be an issue!
"Uhhh, dare."
Herrick nodded, and he leaned himself up against the sill more comfortably as he thought. Suddenly, an evil smile sprouted up.
"Let's see...recite the alphabet backwards. While looking at me," he said, motioning to his body.
"No breaking the stare."
Aw, fuck.
"I can't recite the alphabet backwards with my eyes closed in pure concentration!" Einin said, but she peeled her eyes away from the bed, looked up at his face, and cleared her throat.
"Gods, you're horrible. Uh. Here goes. Z, Y, uh...X...W...shit!"
What came after W? She rubbed her hot face, scratching at her nose, glanced awkwardly at his bare torso, and quickly jerked her eyes back to his face. But staring so intensely at his face felt really weird and uncomfortable, too! Argh! It certainly wasn't helping her remember her letters!
"Z, Y, X, W...V! Ah...U?" She paused, lips moving she she quietly recited the alphabet forwards. "T! S...what happens if I break contact?!"
Herrick laughed.
"Now, I have a chance to be both really evil and win, but I'm not sure if I can bring myself to do that, Einin. Then again, you did make me lick my boot as your very first move. If you break contact...well..."
He placed his hand on the jar of pickle juice.
"You're going wet your hair with this. Like a mop."
"Euuugh! You wouldn't!"
Except Einin knew he would.
With a deep grimace, she kept her eyes fixed on his face and repeated the alphabet again, her expression one of intense concentration and furiously determined staring. "S...R...Q..."
This was so weird. But, eventually, after several long, grueling minutes, she got through it. "...C, B, A!"
She finished the last few letters more confidently than the first and let out a breath like she'd run a marathon, and only then did she break contact. "Gods, that was rotten!"
Herrick frowned teasingly.
"Well, if you think I look that terrible, you would've given me my shirt back when I gave you the option!" he said, crossing his arms. He pulled up a seat, and sat in front of the bed, a comfortable enough distance from Einin.
"Truth."
"I don't think you look terrible, that's not what I--" And then Einin stopped, scowled at him, and tossed his shirt back at him. She hadn't realized that had been an option!
"Truth, hmm...alright, turning this back around on you! Have you ever kissed a man?"
"Get used to this," Herrick started, patting his abs. "When we're training, you're going to be seeing tons of it."
After he slipped his shirt back on, he looked towards the ground as he fixed it back up.
"It is without shame that I say I've made out with another man. I tell you, the men and women in Thanatos can be a bit hard to tell apart. What can I say, though. He was a pretty good kisser..."
He cleared his throat.
"Not into guys, though. That was a fluke, and I was pretty wasted."
"No judging here," Einin said with a smile. "Alcohol...does things to one's judgment. Though I wouldn't judge even if you did like men, too! Nothing wrong with that, so long as everyone's happy."
Leaning back against her pillows, she said, "Hit me with a truth."
Herrick nodded. "Fair enough. People tend to be pretty ambivalent about that sort of thing. Although I've always found it interesting to think why two women together is seen as much more normal than two guys together. I'd go so far as to say that quite a few women are expected to be into girls. Uh...but I'm digressing..."
Herrick stretched his arms, and crossed a leg over his lap.
"Biggest crush?"
That was an interesting thought, and one Einin had never considered. But then again, she'd spent a lot of her life not really thinking about things like attraction or sexuality, and for the most part didn't care what anyone else did--so long as they were happy and didn't divulge the dirty details! That was private!
But before she could ask Herrick about that, he gave her her question, and she shifted awkwardly.
"Oh. Ah. Hm. Well, honestly, you probably already know that one..." she said with a slight wince. "I don't really...I haven't really had too many crushes, to be honest, and Ryk was...uh...well, we're not a thing anymore, but I guess it probably takes a while for feelings to go away and stuff..."
She fidgeted with her dress.
Shit.
"I think the question I should've asked was "first" crush. Damnit, here I go again..."
He glanced around the room, tapping his bare foot against the wooden floor.
"...er...quick! Dare me to do something! We can't let this sit."
Looking up, Einin flashed Herrick a wicked grin. "Alright. For that slip-up, you get to chug the rest of that pickle juice!"
Herrick's eyes slowly rolled over to the sickly green jar of pickle juice. He frowned.
"If I refuse?"
Einin's smile turned sweet, and she batted her eyelashes innocently at him.
"Then you get to have pickle-mop-hair."
"But Einin, that's cheating. You said we can't use each other's ideas, remember?"
He crossed his arms, hoping that whatever she came up with next wouldn't involve a jar of pickle juice.
"Argh! I did, didn't I? Dammit. Uh..."
And while Herrick hoped it wouldn't have to do with pickle juice, Einin wracked her brain for ideas that would involve pickle juice!
"Alright. Then...hmm...alright! So, my next thing is I'm choosing a dare. So what you're going to do is give me my dare, since you need your mouth for that! Then you're gonna fill your mouth with pickle juice and hold it in your mouth until I complete my dare."
Herrick nodded.
"That works. Okay, your dare..."
He picked up the pickle jar, and took the top off.
"Is to squeeze my cheeks together really hard. Go!"
He filled his mouth with pickle juice until his cheeks puffed out, and he stood there, smiling as much as he could.
"I see what you're doing here..." Einin said, and she took her sweet time sliding out of her bed. And no! She was not about to fall for this! She was not getting pickle juice all over her and gods knew what else!
Walking up to him, she took him by the arm and started to turn him toward the window.
Herrick backed away from her, placing his back against the wall while trying to tug his arm loose. Releasing a defiant "mmph!" he shook his head and stood his ground.
"Agh! Herrick! Come ooon!" Einin whispered, yanking on his arm with all her might. And though she was a strong girl, Herrick had weight, height, and strength on her. She knew he wouldn't be budging unless he wanted to budge.
"Don't make me tickle you!"
Herrick looked at her, and motioned for her to come at him with his free hand.
The challenge had been issued. Now, he could only hope she accepted.
Well, so be it!
Einin wasted no time in thrusting her hands up into Herrick's armpits and tickling him for all she was worth.
At first, Herrick actually opened his arms for her, and as she closed in, he tried his best to lock his hands behind her waist, and pull her in close to him. Her own tickling efforts had him dangerously close to bursting, and he looked her in the eyes as a little pickle juice started leaking from his mouth.
"Ack!"
Herrick grabbed her, and Einin smashed her cheek against his chest as he pulled her in close. Looking up at him in surprise, she then paled when she saw him...leaking juices...and she quickly stopped her tickling. "Don't you dare! You have to hold it until I complete my dare! And I haven't yet!"
"Mmmh ooo ehhh"
He looked at her, determination in his eyes. He had her dead to rights like this.
"Ooo ehhh, I eerrrr ooo!"
"I...what?" Einin stared blankly up at him. "'Move away'? Maybe? I don't know what you're trying to say, sorry!"
"Hm"
He threaded his own hands up her back, and poked the sides of her cheeks with his fingers.
"Ooo eeeehhh!"
It clicked then. Do it, I dare you, maybe? Einin shook her head.
"I'm gonna get your juice and slobber all over me! What if I don't wanna do your dare?"
And then she stared defiantly up at him, a wide grin on her face, because that was a legit part of the rules and she knew good and well he couldn't talk with his mouth full! HAH. TAKE THAT.
"Yooo loo! Ehhh yoo reehooo, yooo loo!"
His eyes narrowed. Come on, you clever little princess. Do it!
"WHAT?!" Einin blurted, because that was an unexpected twist. Clever, but unexpected!
"Oh, that's vile!" she said, scowling. "Clever, but low! You ought to feel ashamed of yourself!"
But she really didn't want to lose! So...UGH.
Cringing, she reached up and placed her hands on his cheeks. "Pleasepleaseplease don't spew in my face!" she said, then turned her head away and pressed on his cheeks.
Rather than all just explode out at once, Herrick puckered his lips so it'd be more of a coherent stream that he could aim. He kept it aimed at her cheek, but like the cheeky bastard he was, he also tried to get some on her lips.
Warm pickle-juice-and-Herrick-slobber hit her cheek and Einin let out a squeal of disgust, her entire body seizing up with a gross-out cringe. Especially when it hit her lips and dripped from her cheek all down her neck and into her dress!
Out of reflex, she slapped a hand over his mouth as the stream was still going.
When she slapped her hand over his mouth, the rest of it came out. Given, most of the spray was directed into her hand, but some more made it onto her face. After his mouth was empty, Herrick started laughing, still holding her to him.
"You should've seen your face! you were all bleh!" he chortled, mimicking her grossed-out face.
He let her go, but out of excitement, his hands remained on her waist.
"I'm going to go get a magical rag to clean yourself off with, alright? Hang tight."
And with that, he was headed back up into the attic, still laughing.
"You'd make that same face too if you got spit-pickle-juice in it!" Einin said, but even she couldn't help but laugh as she stood there, covered in grossness, the absurdity of the situation hitting her. She shook her head, wiping juice from her face with her fingers and then just standing there, because she didn't want to flick the stuff onto her floor or anything! Ewww...
She was distracted enough she didn't notice Herrick's handsy-ness, and she sighed in relief when he went to fetch a magical cleaner rag. She always did like things like that!
"Alright! I'll just...be here...covered in pickle juice..."
Herrick was up in the attic for half a minute, but when he came down, he had a white, gold-edged cloth in his hands. "Best magical cleaning rag money can buy. It'll take the stains right off of your clothes!"
He leaned in, as if he was about to wipe her face, but he stopped himself, and handed it to her.
"Sorry, just... kind of a reflexive sort of thing. Good thing I remembered that you'd get all mad and stuff if I actually started to wipe your face."
Einin's cheeks colored at that comment, and she took the rag and started to dab at her face.
"I...would? Oh, come on, I'm not that bad!"
She paused after that. Actually, come to think of it, she wasn't sure how she would have responded. It didn't seem like a big deal to her now! But...well, it also wasn't like she planned how she was going to react to things, but that was innocuous enough! Maybe.
"...Am I?"
"Well, others helping you or doing stuff for you seemed to be a bit of a sensitive spot, so I'm trying my best not to step on your toes, know what I'm saying. But..."
He took a finger, and swiped off a dab of pickle juice from her cheek.
"You missed a spot."
Internally, Einin flailed. Herrick had hit the nail on the head, but...but it wasn't fully true! With a lot of situations, yes! But not all! Ahhh! Why did she have to be so complicated even to herself?!
"I-I don't mind if I've got something on my face and someone points it out!" she said, laughing, both at herself and at Herrick. "I mean, yes, I'm perfectly capable of wiping my own face so I'd probably take the rag for you 'cause that's kind of silly and reminds me of being a kid, but...I don't think I'd be mad! Especially if--ah, thank you. Especially if I missed something! See? See, I thanked you, I didn't bite your head off."
And she stuck her tongue out at him.
Though, alright, he was kind of right. She'd always been awkward about touch.
"Okay, slow down there. I get it, okay? I get it. Warning for the future, though. I'm gonna slip up eventually. But, I get the feeling we'll have plenty of time to get to know each other's kinks."
Smiling, he scratched his neck.
"Do your... do your servants ever come in on their own? Or only if you call them?"
"Usually only if I call them," Einin said with a laugh, because oh man would it be baaaad if they walked in now!
"They know I don't like it when they just barge in. But if my parents are home, that's when they just sort of come in on my parents' orders."
"Oh. So we're good to share that drink tonight, I suppose. Your parents are gone the whole day, right?" Herrick asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Their business trips generally go well into the night--well, partially due to the travel times. It's not unusual for them to get home when I'm already asleep."
Einin waved a hand. "It should be fiiiine. Just let me know whenever you're hungry. I mean, I'm going to call for supper soon, but I know you kind of just ate an entire thing of pickles..."
"Yeah, that's..."
He suppressed a burp.
"I need to have a bit of a sit-down for a minute. That was a lot of pickles. Half the jar of juice, too. Rue's going to give you one hell of a look when she comes to pick it up," Herrick said, slowly making his way back over to her bed. He flopped onto it yet again, placing a hand on his stomach.
"Oh, my abs. Too many pickles..."
"She's gonna be confused! I haven't eaten that many pickles since my first--well. Never mind. Anyway, you're the one who said eating that many wouldn't be a problem! Were someone's eyes bigger than his stomach?" Einin teased. "And does this mean I win truth or dare?"
Herrick scoffed.
"It ain't over 'till one of us gives in!"
He sat back up, a mix of determination and discomfort on his face. "Bring it, princess. I can take anything you throw at me."
"Oi! Then I have a feeling this is gonna be a long game..." Well, maybe. So far the dares had just been gross and silly, and she could handle gross and silly! Some of the things she'd dealt with since becoming Owl had...definitely given her a stronger stomach.
"Hmm. Alright, then! Pick truth or dare!"
"I'm not feeling the best at the moment, so I'll settle for a Truth."
He flopped back down onto her bed. Rolling around for a bit, he groaned. "Damn, this bed's comfy..."
"Sometimes, I never want to leave it," Einin agreed with a grin, and sat back down on the edge of her bed.
"Let's see...alright, what was your first kiss? And was it terrible or good?"
"My first kiss? Oh, that's a story right there..." He said wistfully.
"I was sixteen, it was my second ball. Fiery haired girl named Tania. She was a bit like you, in a way. Anyways, I had this raging crush on her, and during this ball, I snuck her away and told her. I can tell you, I got more than my first kiss that night."
"What happened to her?" Einin asked, curious. She knew he'd mentioned he had no one, no connections now. "You didn't work out?"
"Well, we met up in secret for a few weeks, but after that, her father married her off to some big-shot general guy."
He sighed.
"We had it good, though. Those few weeks were some of the wildest in my life."
"I'm sorry," Einin said, feeling a pang of sympathy. After all, she was stuck in a similar situation, only she no longer had a lover and, you know, she was the girl in the situation. "Marriage ruins everything."
Crossing her arms over her belly, she said, "Hmm, I'll do a truth." She needed a break from the pickle fiasco.
"Indeed. I haven't even thought about marriage. Only if the perfect girl comes along."
He was quiet for a few seconds, apparently lost in thought or memories. Finally, he poked her side with the tip of his foot. He smiled again.
"Do you think I'm attractive, Einin?"
Hrrrk!
Einin's shoulders jerked at the question. She looked at Herrick with wide eyes, then looked away, and scooted further back on the bed. Further away from him.
"Uhhhh...yeah?" It came out a low mumble.
"Huh? What was that?"
He sat up, and scooched ever so closer to her.
"Could you speak up a bit?"
Einin raised her eyes only so she could mock glare at him. She knew good and well he'd heard her!
"I said...sure," she said, and looked away again.
"Ah, that's good to know. Good to know..."
He coughed a bit, scooching back to his original place and rolling onto his side, propping his head up on his hand as he looked at her.
"Dare."
Einin leaped on that, eager to put that awkward moment behind them!
"Give yourself a massive wedgie," she said with a bright smile.
Punishing him for that? Maaaaaybe...
Herrick frowned.
"If I refuse?"
"Then you have to wear your smallclothes on your head for the rest of the game," Einin answered, since she couldn't steal his 'then you loooose!' thing now, grrr.
"Huh, funny thing about that, is..."
Well, this was awkward.
"...that I'm not actually wearing anything under these loose pants."
"...Oh!" Einin's face heated. "Never mind, then! Why aren't you wearing--doesn't that chafe? Gods, uh...alright...not that, then. Uh. Then in that case, how about..."
She looked around her room for inspiration.
"Perform a ballroom dance with my dog," she said, pointed out her stuffed animal. "Where he's the gentleman and you're the lady."
"No, it doesn't chafe! These're loose pants. They're all roomy and stuff. I refuse to sleep in anything else!"
Herrick looked over to her stuffed dog, and snickered a bit.
"Haven't I been romantic with enough inanimate objects for one day?" He asked, straightening up on her bed as he prepared to stand up.
"Well, you were the man the first time, so this time you get to be a woman," Einin said with a laugh. "Plus, you're just such a dynamic actor, I can't help myself."
"Oh, very well."
He stood up, shooting Einin a look as he picked up her stuffed dog, orienting it do it'd be upright. Clearing his throat, he began.
"Oh, Lord Barkomelew! You're such a ravishing dancer!" He said in falsetto, and he began waltzing around Einin's room with the dog, performing some pretty complex moves as he did so.
[Barkolemew...xDDD]
Einin cracked up at that, though she also had to say...she was pretty impressed! That wasn't just simple footwork he was performing!
"You know, between this and the makeup, I'd say I've decided you'd make a pretty fine lady!"
Herrick laughed at that, finishing his dance with the stuffed dog with a flourish.
He gently tossed it back at Einin. "I've disguised myself as a lady before, actually."
Einin caught the dog and set it aside by her pillow. "Really? Alright. Details, now."
"Alright, alright."
He sat down by her.
"There was this nobleman, right? Owned something called the Carcosa Ruby, you might've heard of it. Anyways, the guy's security was too damn tight to risk anything. Fortunately for me, he was a total playboy."
Herrick paused to stretch his neck.
"Anyway, I prettied myself up. Forced myself into a womanly shape with a corset, put on a dress...Fake boobs, makeup, the whole nine yards. I had to seduce the guy, okay? When we were alone, I knocked him out, took his key, tucked him in, and made off with the ruby."
She hadn't heard of the ruby, but Einin was far more intrigued by everything else to care about that, anyway!
"You wore a corset?!" she said, and there was wonder and even a little admiration in her eyes. "Not even I've worn a corset! You must have made a very pretty lady. Did you even shave and everything?"
"Unfortunately, he wasn't blind, so I did have to shave. It turns out I can look quite feminine when I want to."
He crossed his arms on his lap.
"Call me a criminal as much as you want, but I'm very dedicated to what I do!"
"No wonder you knew your way around my makeup so well!" Einin said, trying to imagine it.
Snickering, she shook her head. "Truth."
Herrick looked thoughtful for a few moments.
"How many criminals have you busted, anyways?"
"Oh, uh..."
Furrowing her brow, Einin started to list them off on her fingers.
"Well, there was Rufus and his lackeys, sort of...I somewhat saved one of the robbed men...it...it half counts. Then there was the murderer. He was killing whores but Rufus and I put a stop to him. There were a couple petty thieves...ah...I think that makes four?"
She held up four fingers, then bent one half down. "Three and a half? Kinda?"
Herrick shook his head.
"You're forgetting me, Einin. After all, you're turning the world's greatest thief into a good guy, remember?"
"RIGHT! Except it hasn't happened yet, so it doesn't yet count!" Einin said, waggling her finger at him.
Herrick quickly reached up, and clasped his hand around her finger. After giving it a gentle squeeze, he let it go.
"I guess it's my turn. Uh...Truth?"
Einin gave Herrick an odd look at that, but curled her fingers back in and thought. "Truth, how about...your happiest memory."
"I think the time I spent with Tania could qualify. There was this one time where we snuck off to the lake behind her estate at night, and watched the fireflies above the water. It was...pretty magical, I had to say. We saw a dragon, too! Flying way above, over the lake!"
Herrick crossed his hands behind his head, lounging back against the bed. When he talked about the dragon, he raised his hands towards the ceiling for emphasis.
"Oh, that does sound magical!" Einin said with a wistful smile. "Lucky you! I've never seen a dragon before. That must have been amazing."
"Yep..."
He looked at her. Whether it was out of boredom, or something else, it was unclear, but for some reason he was just idly staring at her, bobbing his feet in an alternating rhythm.
"Why don't we try something else?"
Einin cocked her head curiously. "Something else? Alright, like what?"
"You could call for supper, and since your servants bring you too much food anyways, we can share it along with that drink of mine."
Suddenly, he snickered.
"We could have ourselves a little romantic dinner, eh?" He said teasingly.
Einin rolled her eyes hard. "Oh yes. So romantic. Anyway, I am getting hungry now that you mention it. Unlike some people, I didn't eat my weight in pickles."
It was darker outside now, so it was about time anyway. If she didn't call soon, Rue might come knocking just to make sure she was okay--and still in the room!
With a small yawn, she scooted on her bed to reach the cord. "Are you even going to be able to fit anything in you? Ah, no matter. Get going so I can call."
Herrick nodded, and made his way back up into the attic.
"Oh, come on, Einin. Sharing a dinner with a handsome man like me can't be too bad. After all, you yourself admitted that I caught your eyes."
With that cheeky comment aside, he ascended up into the attic, closing the door behind him.
Einin sank her face into her palm and shook her head. She had a feeling that was going to bite her in the ass for a while. But once the hatch was shut behind him, she tugged on the cord.
Rue came a few minutes later and gave Einin a knowing look. "Hungry, finally? Good timing, dear. Cook figured you'd want something soon, so she already got something going. I'll go fetch it now."
And fetch it she did. Her staff knew her habits pretty well, after decades of working for their family!
After Rue had brought meal and, with a strange look Einin's way, taken away the pickle jar (with a comment that she should have called for dinner earlier if she was that hungry, and maybe she should fetch the rags anyway since her moontime was clearly near!), Rue shut the door behind her and was off to her duties.
Shaking her head, Einin waited a few minutes before she whispered up to Herrick. "Clear."
The hatch slowly opened, and Herrick' head popped down. He saw the food, and smiled.
"What do we got?" he asked as he climbed back down into the room.
Einin motioned to the meal on the table. "Vegetables, manchet, fruit for dessert, and cod in white wine sauce, it looks like," she said, her belly already growling.
"And to drink..." Herrick started.
Turning around, she'd see that he was holding a rather beautiful, flask-shaped glass bottle. Inside, was an oddly prismatic liquid, which seemed to shine with all the colors of the rainbow.
"Rainbow Ripple. Produce solely in the dwarven capital. Tastes like the sweetest ambrosia, kicks like the grumpiest mule."
Einin stared at the bottle, and the gorgeous liquid inside.
"That...that looks almost too pretty to drink!" she said, gawking.
"It does, doesn't it? Don't let appearances fool you, though. This was brewed by dwarves, after all!"
He took two matching shot glasses out of his pockets (he'd stuffed them there so he could climb down the ladder), and set everything down on the small table by the window.
"Shall we?"
"I don't see why not," Einin said, curious about the drink. Wasn't everyday you got to drink a rainbow!
"Uh, I'm kinda a lightweight, though. Like really," she said, looking at the shot glasses. "So go easy. How much is...'safe' for me to have?"
Herrick thought for a moment. Of course, he wanted to explain what made Ripple so damn amazing, but at the same time, he wanted to surprise her!
"Well, three shots of this usually has me stumbling around, singing bar tunes off-key...so..."
He placed his hand on his chin.
"Two shots. The first one, you drink before food. Usually, the first shot buzzes me pretty good, but I can only guess that it'll leave you a bit unstable. The second shot comes after the food, and should keep that pleasant instability going without taking you too far down the road."
He turned the bottle around so the inset iron label faced her. On a corner, the words "220 Proof" were proudly displayed.
Einin nodded along to that, finding that sounded reasonable enough...though it might hit her way, way harder. He was a giant of a guy! She was...well...way smaller in height and mass, with not much drinking experience. Wine with dinner? Sure? Shots? Nooo. And the last and first time she'd really gotten drunk, she'd lost her virginity.
Soooo. She decided she'd maybe halve the shot.
And that was when Herrick turned the bottle and she caught sight of the label--and choked.
"Is that a misprint?!" she said, pointing. "Dear gods! Quarter my shot, Herrick!"
"What? Oh, this?" Herrick asked, smiling as he pointed at the proof number.
"Did I mention? It's brewed with magic. One hundred and ten percent alcohol, or so the dwarves claim. Don't worry, though. It doesn't taste like 220 proof."
With that, he uncorked it, and it's irridescent vapors wafted out of the neck. Like a smoky aurora, it trailed up towards the ceiling, shimmering as its colors shifted. It smelled sweet. inviting, like a whore beckoning a customer towards her with a finger.
He poured himself a full shot, smiling with anticipation, and filled Einin's glass a quarter of the way. He still held the bottle above it, though, as if asking her if she was sure she wanted just a quarter.
It certainly smelled good, and as Herrick paused, she shrugged. A quarter might be a wee bit too little, and besides...it wasn't like she got to do this often. And here, in her room, seemed a safe enough place to experiment.
"Um...alright. Maybe a little more, like half. You WERE taking into consideration the fact I'm like less than half your size, right?"
"Oh yeah, of course!" Herrick said with a genuine smile. He poured in some more until her shot glass was more or less half full.
Herrick raised his glass, saying something in Dwarven before knocking down the entire shot glass. He closed his eyes tight, and shook his head while he smiled widely. Finally, he breathed out sharply, and relaxed into his seat. "Oh, that hits the spot..."
Einin waited for Herrick to take his shot, and when he didn't die, she held up her glass.
"Well, here goes then. Cheers!" she said, and threw it back. It hit her tongue and her taste buds sang, exploding with flavor--and not at all tasting of alcohol. Rather, it tasted like candy, and she realized then that it would probably be reeeally easy to get into trouble with it, since there was no burn or foul flavors!
"Oh..." she said after she'd swallowed it, blinking several times. "Oh, that's really good!"
And, very quickly, she started to feel the fuzzy, airy feeling she got when she felt a buzz coming on, and this one was coming on quick.
Herrick chuckled, although it was still a fairly sober chuckle.
"Isn't that just the best? I guess you should eat your food now. You wouldn't want to go too fast."
"Ha, yeah, good plan," Einin said, and broke off a chunk of manchet to get that in her belly. She'd heard that bread helped soak up alcohol, so it seemed a good idea. Then she dug into the cod, moaning slightly at the flavor.
"Gods, Cook went all out tonight."
Herrick nodded. "Yeah, that looks pretty good. Although, I've always preferred the simple charms of well made peasant food. There's no mussor fuss to it, just food."
He placed a hand around the neck of the Ripple bottle, tapping on the glass with his fingers to produce a simple rhythm.
"So, I know this might be a terse subject, but I'm a bit curious about your home life. Have your parents been looking for someone to marry you, recently? Surely, a pretty girl like yourself's got some suitors."
"Pah. They're always looking," Einin said between another bite of cod. If nothing else, the buzz clearly had made her more relaxed.
"Maybe not so intensely right now 'cause of all the shit that's happened--they're more worried about my safety. But they're kinda trying to make it happen before I'm eighteen, you know? And they think I'll be safer if I'm with some guy or something." She rolled her eyes.
"And they haven't found anyone? Are they that picky?"
Herrick rested his arms on the armrests and leaned back into his seat, crossing a leg over his lap.
"You're what...sixteen? Seventeen?"
"Seventeen!" Einin said with a smile. "And they're not picky--I am. And I've been clever enough that I've been able to avoid it in...creative ways."
"Creative? Creative how?"
Herrick poured himself a half shot, but he didn't drink it immediately. Instead, he swirled it about, watching the colors dance.
"Oh, you know, like that whole assassin engagement I mentioned? Totally accidental," Einin said with a laugh. "But it worked in that I didn't get hounded about suitors and such for a while! And then when Ryk showed interest in me, well, uh, that was also supposed to be a fake thing that turned out real, except when it failed, but that also got me out of those conversations for a while."
She took piled some veggies onto her bread and took a bite. It was clear she didn't care as much about manners when she was buzzed. "Also, faking illness to get out of going to balls, though that's a thing that has to be used sparingly or else they catch on. But those last things bought me a few months of not having to hear about it, and, you know, recovering from trauma bought me some more time, buuut that's running out now."
Herrick nodded, smiling. He never thought that faking an illness would work beyond the age of seven!
He swallowed down his shot, setting the glass down with a sharp clink. He blinked a few times, and his posture got looser. Perhaps it was the drink, or perhaps he finally felt the time was right, but one more question left his mouth.
"You...you can't do this forever, Einin. At some point, it's..."
He looked up at her, genuine concern and worry on his face. Suddenly, his eyes widened. He remembered the thin ice he was about to tread on, and that was clear on his face
"I... I'm just drink rambling, uh... Nevermind..."
"No, no, I know," Einin said with a wave of her hand. "I know. Trust me. I'm gonna have to get married and deal with it eventually, I just...the thought turns my stomach."
She stared down at her food, letting out a low sigh. "That's why I just have to hurry up and accomplish what I need to accomplish. I...I might be starting classes soon," she said, looking up. "At the mage university. I've been pushing for that a lot, and Ryk's talked to my parents about it, and though they didn't really like the idea before, I'm trying to sell them on it that I'll be safer around all those mages. It...won't get me out of other things, but...maybe it'll buy more time."
Once Einin showed that she was comfortable with the topic, Herrick opened up a bit more.
"But what's that going to cost you? I'm pretty sure those mages are cooped up even more than noblegirls are. You can't just apply to a mage college and go there while also sneaking out to fight crime."
He leaned forwards on the table, clasping his hands together.
"If anything, the mage college is a step backwards for you. Trust me, I've been to those kinds of places."
"I talked to someone who's attending, though, and he really likes it!" Einin said with a frown. "My family can afford the tuition, and, well, I think it could be fun! They can teach me how to better use my magic. I wanna do more with it than just change my hair and eye color or make smoke and little things like that. It could be very useful for disguises or other things. Besides..."
She grinned. "I could use it to sneak out. And I'm pretty good at sneaking anyway! I might also be able to talk to some of them about knighthood and things, since they take students of all genders so they might be more open to talking about those things. Anyway, from what I've heard, you get in trouble if you're poor. If you can afford it, though, that's a different story."
Herrick raised his hands defensively. "All right. If you think it can work, you can go for it. The mage colleges I've been to haven't been as lenient sounding as this one, apparently. Oh shit..."
Herrick suddenly paused, and then started laughing.
"I might even still be living in your damn attic when you start! Don't worry. If you need anything snuck in, you know the man to call."
He winked at her, and clicked his tongue twice.
"Well, that's if I can weasel them into letting me go!" Einin said, but laughed at his offer. "I'll remember that, though. Maybe you can sneak me in some of this rainbow drink when I'm buried in assignments or whatever it is they do!"
"You're going to be up to your nose in books, Einin. If you're not a total nerd by the time you enter, you're going to be one by the time you're out."
He held the bottle over her glass.
"More Ripple?"
"Buried in books? I won't mind that!" Einin said with a wide grin as she held out her glass. "There's nothing wrong with being a nerd. I'm quite proud to be one, thank you!"
Herrick leaned in, a silly grin on his face.
"Nnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeerd!" he whispered as he filled her glass back up to more or less half.
"But yeah. Expect tons of late nights studying, and tons of long days spent in the practice hall, slinging balls of force for hours on end. Trust me, I've attended one myself."
With a snorted laugh, Einin put her hand in Herrick's face to push him back. "Sounds like my version of paradise!" she said, before she drank down the half shot. It went down smooth and delicious, and her head buzzed all the more.
"Call me nerd all you want, I like it! And if it can teach me how to do awesome things with my illusion stuff, I'm all for that!"
Herrick allowed his face to be pushed back, finding himself stifling some laughter. He leaned his arms on the table, and spied his shot glass. He picked it up, and noticed there was a drop or two of Ripple left at the bottom. Licking that up with his tongue, he smiled.
"Did I ever tell you I know telekinesis?"
"Whaaaat?"
Einin turned on him, her eyebrows raised. "Like making shit move with your mind? When were you gonna tell me that?"
"I wasn't really. I'm suuuuper out of practice, but I still know a few tricks that I use fairly often."
With that, he suddenly looked very focused, and he pursed his lips as he looked her in the eye. Suddenly, the top button on her dress started waggling, threatening to come undone.
Einin stared back at Herrick as he stared at her intently, waiting for the magic telekinesis stuff! And waiting. And waiting some more. She cocked her head and looked around the room. Maybe something was floating around that she just wasn't noticing? She even turned and looked behind herself and--
Pop!
It wasn't until the button actually came undone that she whirled back around with her hands flying to the button. "What the--was that you?!"
Herrick laughed, leaning against the table for support. He patted the table, shaking the items placed on top of them.
"No, Einin! Buttons pop themselves. Of course it was me!"
He leaned back in his seat.
"If you want proof, I can do the next one down as well!" he added with a sly grin.
Einin's face flushed red and she quickly buttoned up the undone button.
Or rather, she tried to button it back up.
Problem was, her vision was a bit hazy and her fingers felt clumsy, so she kept struggling with it instead. "Haaah, that's quite fine! I believe you!"
"Ah, just leave it open. Too much hassle trying to button that thing up while you're in that state," Herrick said as he waved a hand. Reaching up, he unbuttoned the top of his own shirt.
"See? We're even!"
With a frustrated sigh, Einin gave up. It only revealed the hint of cleavage, so it didn't seem that big of a deal in the end. Or at least, not right now when she was tipsy and the effort didn't feel worth the payoff.
She rolled her eyes. "Well, it's a little different for men than women."
Herrick frowned.
"You're being such a prude, Einin. Come on, liven up a bit! We've got the best drink on the continent here with us, and you're worried about the top button on your dress? Sounds like you need a bit more."
He took the bottle of Ripple back in his hands.
"Do you want a little bit more?"
"I'm not a prude for not wanting my boobs out!" Einin hissed, though maybe she was being irrational? She'd been raised to be modest, and had always felt uncomfortable with showing much skin, but...maybe it really was no big deal? It wasn't like she was flashing anybody.
She also knew she proobably should cut off her intake here, but her tipsy brain said yes even while her logical mind said noooo. And it was tasty...
She held out her glass. "Just one more."
"Nobody's boobs are out!" Herrick laughed, before he lifted the bottle back up. He topped her off at just above half, and gave himself a full shot to send the night home.
Overall, Einin was going to have taken down a shot and a half, which was just a half shot shy of what it usually took to have Herrick stumbling slightly. The effects would be interesting to say the least.
"Yeah, well, still," Einin said, having no clever argument for that in this state, before she drank down the half shot.
The sweet, delicious flavor belied the punch it packed. Clearly, Herrick had not accounted for the size and weight differences plus the fact that she was a light weight, because it hit pretty fast, and left her feeling warm and tingly all over, her head kind of fogged though her body felt relaxed--and awesome.
"Oh. Whoa." She blinked several times, started to lean to the side a bit, then caught herself and laughed. "Wow."
"Congratulations, Einin Beirne."
Herrick knocked down his own shot, shaking off the initial rush as it cascaded into his system.
"You've hit your perfect amount of Ripple," he slurred lightly. He pointed to the bottle, as if that'd help him make sense in his tipsy state.
"You see, the magic build up in you, and once you hit that amount that's just right, you feel fucking great. Don't you feel great? You get sensitive, too. Look."
He reached across the table to poke at her cheek. His finger would feel electric, his touch magical.
"Doesn't that just feel awesome?"
Einin jumped at his touch and jerked backwards, gasping sharply--
...and actually went toppling over, taking the chair with her as it tipped back. Both chair and Einin landed with a thud, the sound thankfully muffled by the rug there, which also, thankfully, cushioned her fall. Stunned, she lay there with her feet still up in the air and over the chair, her skirts hiked up in a most ladylike fashion to expose her bloomers and legs, her hair splayed out around her head. She blinked rapidly, one hand pressed against her chest as her heart beat fast, because she had not been expecting that! Everything did feel more sensitive and that was...pretty startling.
Though, granted, if she'd been sober she would have had her balance enough not to go toppling!
"What the...?!The...the drink does that?!" she blurted, and started to try to get back up, but she felt rather dizzy and couldn't figure out how to untangle her legs from the chair.
Herrick had to dig in deep to not burst out laughing. Standing up from his chair, he stumbled over to her, and stifled a few chuckles.
"Need some help? Don't worry, Herrick's got'cha."
Placing a hand on her knee, and grabbing the back of the chair with the other, he set about straightening her up. It was definitely a clumsy effort, but Herrick wasn't as far gone as Einin was. When she was finally straightened up, he brushed off her shoulders. He leaned in, brushing some hair out of her face.
"Yup. Like I said, magic."
Ack, ack, ack!
Herrick touched her knee, and she nearly kicked him out of reflex, because holy crap! It was like she felt every little touch that much more intensely, every little brush against her skin electrifying, sending tingles and shivery chills all through her. She did feel great--and that did feel good. Though by the time he got her upright, she was rather rigid, frozen like she was afraid to move.
And when he brushed hair from her face, she shivered visibly as tingles raced along her skin from the point of contact, like a ripple on the water's surface. She blushed hard, her eyes wide, and gripped tightly at her skirts. "Um...yeah..."
Like a predator sensing weakness in his prey, Herrick read her body language. Leaning away from her, he started pulling at his shirt, in an attempt to fan himself. Maybe he could play around with her a little more...
"Man, it is hot in here..."
Mere feet away from here, he started to take off his shirt. He took his damn sweet time, partly on purpose, but also partly because his foggy mind was finding it a bit difficult. Eventually, it was off, and he held it to his side as he sighed with relief.
Einin didn't move. She stayed frozen in place, staring at Herrick, her head swimming and blood singing and mind going a million sluggish directions at once. Oh gods. What the fuck. What the fuck was even happening?! Her heart beat faster and she shifted where she sat, sucked in a breath because even that felt interesting gods dammit, sending heat straight to her loins, between that and Herrick stripping down, a stray thought rushed to her unbidden that lovemaking would probably feel amazing on Ripple.
And with that thought came a small wave of panic and confusion, and she quickly shoved it away. What the fuck?!
"...Uh, yeah. Ah. Shit. Okay, this feels really weird--that's normal?" she managed to squeak out, her words a bit slurred.
Herrick looked at her a bit strangely.
"What kind of weird? Confusing thoughts? Errant desires?"
He reached down, placing a hand under her chin. He leaned in real close, as if to examine her. "You look just fine to me," he concluded, grinning again.
"Those aren't going to go away, you know," Herrick whispered, since they were both in such proximity to one another. Being this close, she'd probably be able to smell and taste the Ripple on his breath.
"Wha...?"
Einin's pulse pounded in her ears, her skin tingling under his touch. He was so bloody close, his breath sweet, and she swallowed hard even as her body seized up. Her mind didn't seem to want to work, and she couldn't get it to work, either. Oh gods. Oh gods. It was almost hard to breathe, and every breath she took smelled of Ripple.
"What...whatdya mean they don't go away?" she asked, glancing briefly at his lips before staring up at his face again and licking her own lips nervously. Oh gods. Do something! This was getting way dangerous!
"Well, it's your first time with it. Your head kind of doesn't know what to do with it. You get used to it, after a while."
He took his hand off her chin, and moved it so he cupped one side of her head, his fingers cradling her jaw. It was with some kind of satisfaction that he saw her lick her lips. His mouth curled into a smile at the corners, and he breathed a bit more strongly.
"You're going to have to decide for it. What's it gonna be, Einin?"
His voice was a low, sensual murmur.
"What...what do you mean?" Decide? What's it gonna be? Einin's mind spun, and she hardly realized when she leaned closer to him as she pressed into his hand, drawn by the sensation. "W-what do you mean decide for it? I..."
Oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods...
[I really don't know if I should set this ship out to sea now, or leave it as this giant tease that'll set the stage for a later moment. I'm so TORN AGH]
Herrick leaned forwards even more, placing his other hand on her armrest. They were now definitely breaking personal space boundaries. He started caressing her cheek with his thumb, and he smiled, fully this time.
"Do you want this, or not? It's a simple question, Einin..."
Reaching over back to the table, he dabbed a finger in Einin's glass, picking up a leftover drop of Ripple. He licked it off his finger, adding strength to his Ripple breath.
Once again, mind and body were saying two very different things. Einin's body sang, wanting more of that electrifying contact, and even her mind strayed as more...interesting thoughts swept in unbidden as Herrick leaned over her, shirtless, his mouth close to hers, close enough she could feel his body heat. Her heart was beating impossibly fast, feeling about ready to burst from her chest, as her head swam with confusion, confusion made only worse by the pleasurable feelings coursing through her, and the forbidden thoughts springing into her head. It was hard to think, and she couldn't think, not with him touching her, bringing forth so many distracting sensations and making her blood heat and--
And then before she realized it, she was kissing him, and the taste of Ripple on his lips and tongue made her moan, spreading heat all through her, and she felt dizzy even as she leaned into him, spiraling out of control.
[...Your input is appreciated...]
For what seemed like an eternity, Herrick watched her flounder in place. It was clear, even to a borderline drunk Herrick, that her mind was tearing itself apart and running in a million different directions. Although, it's not like he didn't feel the same!
At first, he just wanted to tease her for a bit more, but Gods, this was escalating quickly. Feeling her skin sent fire into his fingertips, and he just wanted more of that.
And just when he thought he'd be able to pull himself away from her, her lips met his. At first, he didn't even register it. He stood there for a few seconds as she threw herself against him, dumbfounded, before he began to return the effort.
He gently grasped the back of her neck, the chair creaking under them as their combined weights really started to come into the picture. He found himself kneeling, so his head could be level with hers, and he placed his other hand on her back, to push her against him.
Despite all that was happening, another noise joined them:
The sound of her second button popping out of place.
[I just go with the flow, tbh! xDDD I am really bad at making predictions... |: What would Herrick do?!]
Einin didn't even notice the state of her buttons, because she was too focused on what was happening with their mouths, her eyes shut. One hand grabbed onto his shoulder, and the other tangled in his hair, and as her head swam it all felt so familiar, so damned familiar, yet not, and the heat and pleasure flooding through her was...overwhelming. Her body still hadn't decided what to do with it or how to handle it as she was overloaded with sensation, his scent and heat and lips all she could focus on.
And she shuddered when he touched her back, chills shooting up and down her spine, and clung to him harder with a small whimper.
[I don't know, because Herrick was just high up on the fence as Einin was! Part of me wanted to save this for later, perhaps during the training, but I suppose there's no harm in kicking off their relationship now!]
Unlike Einin, Herrick was much more experienced in this regard. The pleasure had somewhat jolted him out of his stupor, and for Herrick, it was all a matter of going through the usual motions now. After a good minute, Herrick broke their kiss, and switched his attention to her neck. The hand on her back traveled down her side, until it came to rest at the very top of her thigh.
pop!
Another button.
Three buttons in had her dress hanging open, exposing the slight swells of her breasts and the valley between them, though she was still partially covered. Einin felt the air hit her and a thought struck her, but it was swept away fast when Herrick's lips met her neck and his hand traveled over her thigh. She sucked in a sharp breath that briefly caught in her throat, the hairs on her neck standing on end, and heat pooled between her legs as she clung to him tighter, shaking, and let her breath out in a soft moan.
"Oh...oh gods..." she got out, squirming where she sat, and her body wanted this, wanted all of this. And even though he'd hardly done a thing, it felt far more intense than anything she'd experienced, her bloomers already growing damp as she moved her legs apart.
It was all she could do to cling to him tightly as her head spun and vision blurred.
Fuck fuck fuck...
But all she could think about was how good it felt, and that gods, she wanted to be touched everywhere, feel his lips on every inch of her skin, inside her...
"Einin..."
It came out as a heated whisper against her neck, shaky and uncertain. He was expecting her to stop him at any moment, but instead, she just opened herself up even more. He moved his mouth back to hers, and with a single, powerful movement, he lifted her up off her seat, cradling her in his arms.
He laid her onto her bed, and now that their positions weren't made awkward by the chair, he truly pressed against her, his muscular chest dragging against her dress. After that, it was back to her neck.
His hands gently clasped around her neck, before they started dragging outwards, towards her shoulders, intent on beginning the process of removing her dress.
Dizzily, Einin realized she was being lifted, carried across the room, and a flash of nostalgia and memory hit her like a punch, because this was familiar, so familiar, as she kissed him on the mouth and clutched him tightly and didn't want to let go, because if she did the moment would be gone. And then she felt her cool blankets beneath her and realized she was in bed, and briefly wondered how she'd gotten there.
But then there was warm weight on her chest, lips on her neck, and she arched as pleasure shot through her and ignited every nerve, and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out, some functioning part of her mind remembering she had to be quiet, they were in her room. Squirming, she pulled one arm free of her dress when it got stuck, then the other, and soon they were chest to chest as she dug her fingers into his shoulders and pulled him down closer.
Her breath came out fast, too fast, her heart beating rapidly as she arched up into him and shuddered as her nipples dragged against his chest and made her tremble. Gods, it was intense, intense enough that her next moan came out more of a shuddering whimper, her body hot and begging for more, but he felt different against her, his shape different from what she was used to, but her fogged brain couldn't make sense of it.
"Please..."
As soon as Einin's shoulders were free from the dress, Herrick wasted no time in pulling it down, exposing her to him. Einin, who not three nights ago was complaining about having to share a room with him, was begging for him now.
His brain wanted to say some kind of irony, to crack a joke. Of all things that cropped up in his head, there was some sort of pride. He knew he was in the process of stealing her from the Red Wolf, and to Herrick, that sort of just cemented his self-image as a master thief.
Another part of him felt like he was taking advantage of her, that he should stop for her sake.
That part of him was quickly drowned out.
From her neck, his lips moved to her nipples, and he rimmed around them with his tongue as he clasped at her back with a hand of his own. With the other, he started to unbuckle his trousers.
Einin cried out, a little too loudly, when his mouth found her nipples and she clutched at him tighter, gasping for air at the sensations coursing through her and stealing her breath away. Legs spread and bent at the knee, her feet flat against the bed, she bucked her hips but his hand was in the way, and they had clothes between them besides, but gods, her body was on fire, burning so hot she thought she might explode as she clawed at him back, urging him on.
And somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized something was strange. He felt different, smelled different, sounded different, and the way he touched her was different, too, but her body melted beneath him, swept away by the sensations, and it was so hard to think, even though she struggled to, and hard to breathe when it seemed all her breathing was being used to gasp and moan.
It felt like she was losing her mind--and maybe she was. And beneath the pleasure and need and desire and want there was something else, something else poking at her brain, something else that was making her chest and throat tight, but it was hard to figure out what it was as she slid her legs along his and tried to grind her pelvis into his, desperately wanting him.
"Oh gods...oh gods..." she managed to get out, and tangled her hands in his hair, lightly pulling.
Gods. What was...what was happening...?
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the sound of Herrick's trousers hitting the floor echoed throughout her room. Before he did anything else, though, he locked lips with her again, if only to help her keep quiet. Hands sliding down her lightly sweaty body, they stopped at her crotch, and he pushed her legs aside.
Then, she'd feel him, testing her entrance as he moved his tip up and down against her folds. Herrick was more than proportional for a man of his size.
Einin's cries came out muffled against Herrick's mouth, her breath coming out her nose in quick bursts, and then her breath stopped when he pushed her legs open and she felt him sliding along her slick sex. She froze up with anticipation, her pulse racing even as something tugged at her mind, but the pleasure and booze had a tight hold on her, mind and body. She was more than ready for him, her body aching to be filled, and she broke the kiss so she could kiss and nip desperately at his neck and claw at his back, urging him on.
She couldn't have him fast enough, and every second felt like an eternity.
"Kia, please...!" she whimpered breathlessly, almost a sob as he teased her, and she bucked impatiently against him to try to take him inside her. "Oh gods, Ryk, I can't...!"
[Wow. That was like... the Hiroshima of Awkward Bombs.]
Herrick hesitated.
Ryk?
Did she really fucking...
Herrick huffed against her face, but for all she knew, it could've been another heated breath. Part of him wanted to ignore that, but...shit...
Something about this didn't feel right anymore, but now he was stuck with a dilemma.
Keep going, and let Einin believe what she wanted to, or just...stop. One didn't come with a bitter taste in his mouth, but the other involved leaving Einin in this godsdamned state. He didn't know what that'd do to her!
So, biting past his conscience, he pushed into her, gasping as made his way in. He broke away from her, straightening up as he pulled her close to him, getting as much of himself inside of her as he could. His hands clasped around her side, and he found himself staring at the ceiling.
[O8D]
Einin didn't notice his hesitation; she couldn't. Time felt different, both slower and faster, and she was hardly aware of everything that was happening to herself to notice what was happening to to him.
Much less notice that he wasn't Ryk.
And then he was pushing into her, and she gasped, that initial penetration always hurting a little since she was small, but that felt different, too, size and shape and the way he moved, but her body didn't care even as her mind faltered over it. She cried out as he took her, a sound close to a sob even as she moved her hips against him and opened her legs wider to take him in deeper. It felt amazing, her body burning, and she held onto him desperately as she rocked her hips up against him, panting and gasping and sobbing with pleasure.
"Gods, harder!" she cried out, grabbing at his arms--
And then her sobs of pleasure were actual sobs, the sudden emotion crashing over her before she even realized what was happening.
Oh, FUCK.
Herrick placed a hand over her mouth.
"Shh, you need to keep quiet, Einin. Kind of in a sensitive location, here!" He whispered sharply. He focused, and the sounds of something dragging upstairs could be heard. Straining himself with his telekinesis and fucking Einin at the same time was taxing, even for Herrick, but eventually, the item he was yearning for floated out of the open attic hatch.
It was a card of sorts, and as he pushed himself in an out of the girl who thought he was someone else entirely, he took the card up in his hand, focused on an image, and tossed it towards the door.
It was an Altcard, and it slapped onto the door like it was made of glue. Anyone who came in the room would see and hear nothing but a pleasantly sleeping Einin. Taking a break to just focus on satisfying her, he leaned down to kiss her again, and he wrapped his arms around her as he brought them up to a seated position, with her riding on top.
Einin stared up at Herrick when he covered her mouth, shuddering with a mixture of pleasure and crying, because it was starting to hit her now, starting to hit her that it wasn't Ryk, and with that came a fresh, fuzzy wave of panic through the physical enjoyment, that same panic she'd felt when she'd first felt what Ripple actually did. She was far gone with drunkeness, but some part of her knew, and she had been terrified, at first, of what Ripple did.
That loss of control, the fact that Herrick hadn't told her it did that, but she'd been unable to voice any of that as she spiraled away from herself.
It was still hard to vocalize. She wanted to, but it felt so good, and she started to feel sick and panicked but could do nothing but sob, moving because she couldn't hold still under the pleasure. And as Herrick moved her atop him, she collapsed against him, shaking hard and not moving against him now, choked with tears and confusion and panic and pleasure.
Herrick just couldn't really continue, at least not like this. This was just too much for him.
When she slumped against him, tears streaming, he stopped as well. Slowly, but deliberately, he slipped himself out of her, and he wrapped his arms around her tighter, this time as an embrace.
"It's...it's alright, Einin. We can stop if you want..."
He didn't really know what to feel at this point. Tonight had been just one, massive clusterfuck of an emotional roller coaster. He stroked her hair, and rested his forehead on the top of her head.
Einin clung to Herrick still, her sobs hiccupping as her head swam, a busy wreck of fuzzy emotion she had no name for. Even after he'd stopped and pulled out, she nodded when he mentioned stopping, even though they already had. Each stroke along her hair brought pleasure with in, but beneath it she felt dirty and sick. It wasn't Ryk. She hadn't wanted to...
"I-I'm sorry," she choked out, bringing the heels of her palms to her eyes and holding them there as she drew in shuddering breaths.
"No, it's... It's fine, Einin. It was my idea to begin with, just...please don't cry. Damn it all, if you cry, I'm going to start crying too..."
Breathlessly, he offered her a weak smile, but what could he possibly do in a situation like this? For fuck's sake, she tried to convince herself he was Ryk!
Eventually, he stopped playing with her hair, instead just holding his hands at her sides. "You...you can't hold onto him like this, Einin, It's not healthy."
He cupped her head in his hands, trying to gaze into her eyes. Tears were starting to well up in his own. "You need to let him go..."
Einin looked up at Herrick, staring at him as he spoke, his face a wavering blur. His words came to her as though from a distance, and took time to process, but when they did she struggled to get up--
And wound up toppling off the bed. She didn't bother to get up, though. She didn't have the energy or balance, and she felt like she could vomit.
Herrick was wrong again, but she was too drunk to verbalize it--and wasn't sure she could even sober. And so she sat on the floor, drew her knees to her chest, and held herself, shaking her head. She wasn't sure she could say it even if she had the words, shame and panic welling up inside her as she trembled.
Ryk was only the tip of the iceberg.
"Einin!" Herrick slid off of the bed, kneeling over her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, hoping to snap her out of it.
"Please, you have to tell me what's wrong. Einin...Please..."
Tears were starting to stream down his own face, but after a few moments, he stood up. He knew it was no damn use.
He climbed up the first few steps of the attic ladder, and came back with his backpack.
"You just...hang in there, okay? I'm going to get you some Alchemist's Mercy...It'll calm down that head of yours."
When he touched her shoulders, Einin jerked back away from him. She didn't want to be touched. At all. The sensation, though wonderful, made her stomach churn.
She hardly heard Herrick as he spoke to her and prepared to leave, but she managed to nod numbly, which made the world rock. Then she just curled in tighter on herself and closed her eyes against fresh tears.
Herrick began rummaging around in his backpack, until he pulled his hand back out. He was holding a small vial with a gritty looking grey fluid. He popped the cork off, and an acrid odor began wafting out of it.
Kneeling back down next to her, he cleared his throat.
"Try and stay still, let me help you..." He muttered. His voice was flat and tired, and the tears on his face had only been a momentary affair, a sudden burst of emotion. However messed up it sounded, he was truly and fully tired of this.
He took one of her arms by the wrist, and he put the bottle in her hands.
"Put the tip at your nostrils, and breathe in the vapors, okay? Take it slow, don't take too much in one breath. I'm going to find you some clothes. Something to sleep in."
With that, he stood up again, and put his trousers back on, just for the sake of covering up. He walked over to her closet, got the first pair of comfortable looking clothes that he saw, and came back, laying them on the bed as he sat down at the edge of it.
"You're not going to tell me what's wrong, are you?"
Numbly, Einin sat in silence and sniffed the vapors, and already she began to feel the fog lift. She was aware of Herrick moving around the room, fetching clothing, but she just stared at the vial in her hands and focused on that. The clear head only made it worse, only made reality sink in harder, and Herrick's flat voice only made her heart flutter more in panic.
I fucked up, I fucked up...
And when he spoke to her, her throat tightened with a fresh wave of emotion and her breath hitched in another sob. For a moment, she couldn't speak as fresh tears slipped down her cheeks, but when she did it was quiet and she didn't look at him.
"I...I didn't want to..."
"It's not just that, Einin. For the love of... you tried..."
Herrick clenched his hands into fists, but then loosened them up immediately afterwards. He placed them together, palms flat against one another, and covered his nose and mouth with them.
"I want to help you, Einin. I go to sleep thinking about you and worrying about tomorrow. Gods, I..."
He stopped, glancing over to her door. He couldn't say it.
He stood up off crossing his arms at the stomach.
"Don't blame yourself. The Ripple was my idea, I didn't know you'd react to it so bad. Come on, you should get dressed..."
He held a hand down to her, his eyes begging her to get up off the ground.
Einin kept her arms folded around her knees, which were pressed to her chest. She looked at Herrick's hand, then looked away and brushed away more tears. "What is it, then," she said. It wasn't even a question, her voice toneless.
She couldn't move just yet. She didn't want to. When she moved, she'd have to go clean up, and cleaning up would remind her of what had happened--as though the soreness she felt already didn't.
"It's what I said it was. A magical alcohol. I...I gave you too much, but what could I do? We were both drunk, and... I should've...Gods!"
When it became clear she wasn't going to take his hand, he sat down in front of her, leaning his back against the bed.
"I think I should go..."
"You didn't tell me what it did," Einin said, pressing her forehead to her knees, still feeling queasy in a way that had nothing to do with the alcohol. "If I knew it...I wouldn't have. I didn't want to..."
And her breath shuddered again as she fought back tears. She'd been tipsy with Ryk that first time, when she'd given herself to him, but she'd not lost herself. She hadn't planned on going that far, but when it happened, she'd wanted it, and wanted him, and he'd asked her every step of the way. If anything, she'd drank the champagne to take the edge off her nerves and bolster her courage. But she'd still been in control. She'd still known what she was doing, and after weeks and months of being around him, she'd fallen for him, and been ready for that.
Now, after only three days, she'd just given herself to a near stranger, and she hadn't wanted to, and had lost control completely, had even thought it was Ryk she was so gone--and that, all of that, terrified her. That loss of control, losing herself and letting someone inside her body so intimately without even really knowing what was happening...
And adding all that to her broken heart and the fear and vulnerability she already felt in the face of Smed and Varian's sexualized threats, she just.
She felt filthy and used and guilty and wrong because she'd kissed him. She'd opened herself to him.
But whatever the alcohol had changed inside her in those moments, she still hadn't wanted it. Minutes before they'd drank, she'd still been freaking out at Herrick for getting too close. And now he'd been inside her, and she didn't know what to do, and felt petrified on the spot.
"It's my fault. I kept drinking. I kissed you. I fucked up."
Herrick ran his hands through his hair, breathing heavily.
He looked back up at her, and offered her another weak, ironic smile. "We both fucked up. We fucked up a lot. If anything, I fucked up more...it's all my fault. Everything's my damn fault..."
And with that, Herrick finally came undone. He started sobbing into his hands, no longer able to contain what he'd been bottling up the past few days.
"When...when you begged me for it, I didn't know what to do! I was afraid of leaving you here like that, drunk and thinking Ryk had abandoned you or something. I panicked, Einin. I... I made a choice... Fuck!"
Einin shuddered and shook her head, her face still pressed to her knees as her shoulders jerked with with sobs. She didn't know what to do, what to think, what to feel, and she felt so stupid now. So stupid. Hadn't she noticed the way he'd flirted and teased? But she'd thought he was safe. She'd thought she was safe. And she had no response to anything he was saying, not when she didn't know what to do or how to feel beyond sick and terrified.
And she'd begged him for it.
Another wave of sickness passed over her, coupled with humiliation. Oh gods...
Finally, she wiped away tears and started to struggle to her feet, feeling far more sober now, though her legs were shaking badly. She felt sore and wet between her legs, a reminder of what had happened, and her stomach turned again as she grabbed for the clothes he'd laid out for her and fumbled along in dressing herself as quickly as she could.
"I-I gotta go," she got out, her voice choked, her mind not fully working yet past the jumbled emotions she felt. She didn't know where she was going or how, she just knew it had to happen. "I gotta...I gotta get things. So I don't..."
She trailed off to fight back another rush of emotion, but even as she said it, she felt foolish. Neither of them had climaxed, but she wasn't really sure how this worked, whether or not a man just needed to be inside her for pregnancy to be a risk. Ryk always gave her things afterwards, so there was no risk of conception. But even so, that was only part of it. She just wanted to go. Leave. Be anywhere but this room.
Herrick looked at her a bit oddly, raising his teary face from his hands. He looked like he was about to object, because he knew how this whole process worked, but he didn't feel like stopping her. But still, he...
"I don't think you should go out there, the way you are, but...I ain't gonna stop you."
He looked up at her, and leaned against the bedpost, sighing. He didn't want to think about this. About the damage he could've done to her. Shit like this was irreversible, in Herrick's experience. This is something that'd hang over his head, mocking him with what he could've done better.
Gods, could he even look her in the eye after this? Would she even still want him around?
"Please, just... be safe out there."
Moving numbly, Einin went and grabbed a pair of breeches from her wardrobe, the sort she wore for training exercises. She pulled them on beneath her dress, then quickly stripped so she could pull on a tunic. She had been stupid to put on the dress. She wouldn't be able to move easily in it, and she'd stand out.
She worked silently, her head spinning, and grabbed her dagger and holster and buckled it onto her thigh. She didn't look at Herrick, nor answer him, before she moved sorely to the window, opened it, and slipped out into the night.
Herrick watched her leave, sighing deeply once she was out of sight. He looked back to the altcard pinned to the door, and decided to leave it there. He looked at the food still on Einin's plate, and disposed of the rest of it. Although eating after something like that made him feel a little sick inside, it was necessary. He slipped the plate under Einin's door, where a servant would no doubt pick it up.
Without much else, he fixed up Einin's bed, and tidied the place up before heading back into the attic. Closing the hatch behind him, we was taken with silent rage. He wanted to kick over things, break stuff to vent his frustration and anger and Self-loathing, but he couldn't. He had to be quiet.
He tried to sit down, even go to sleep a couple times, but he just couldn't. The thought of Einin out there with her head unclear worried him to the core. Gods, if Varian knew where they were, he could be out there somewhere.
Waiting for her!
He sat up from his cot, balling up his fists. Then, he caught a glimpse of the butt of his pistol, poking out from where he stashed his things. He slid it out, holding its elegantly carved and engraved surface in his fingers. He looked towards the attic window, and loaded it, before strapping its holster on.
He couldn't just sit here. He wouldn't.
Einin didn't know where she was, but she didn't care. She had no real destination in mind; just anywhere but home, anywhere but that room where...where...
Her head swam, and she had to take deep breaths to fight against a wave of nausea. Whether it was from the booze or emotions, she couldn't tell. She turned down a random alley and picked up her pace, trying to clear her head and run through her options. She needed to get some herbs, but she didn't know where to find them. A brothel, maybe. Whores would have them, certainly.
Ryk, Rufus, would have them for sure...
Her gut clenched, shame crashing over her hard. How could she go to him for something like that? What if he judged her--though he'd never judged her for anything before? But who could she tell about something like this? What could she even tell them? What would they think? That she'd turned into a stupid whore? Would they blame her, too, like she blamed herself, even though she hadn't wanted any of that?
Somewhere during her trip, as she came out of the alley and onto a familiar road, she realized she didn't know where she was. Yet she still couldn't find it in herself to care. So what if something happened? Herrick was right. Her life was basically over. Varian could find her, or Smed, and even if not, she would be married off and have to lay with someone she didn't know or even love, and that thought terrified her--and made her feel even sicker, because that exact thing had happened tonight, the exact thing she'd always feared.
She'd thought he was a friend, but...but he'd just wanted what any man did.
The only thing any man wanted from her.
Coming to a stop against a building, she had to once again force herself to breathe, her chest and throat tightening with another wave of anxiety and tears. What now? Where the fuck did she even go from here? Maybe she should just...
Run away. From everything...
Covering her mouth as sobs wracked her, she doubled over as sobs gave way to nausea, and she vomited onto the street until there was nothing more left to give, until she was only dry heaving. Then she just stayed crouched there, slumping against the building, her face buried into her knees as she shuddered.
Just...fuck everything.
She was done.
And that was when she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. She jumped violently, looked up through bleary vision, and recognized Juniper, one of her Soot Wolf tails. She didn't know her well; she only knew her name, and that she was kind of creepy. She shrugged hard to shake off her hand and looked away.
"Go away."
"You're drunk," Juniper said flatly, her hand falling to her side.
"No shit."
"This part of town is dangerous."
"I don't fucking care. Leave me alone."
She felt Juniper's eyes on her. The woman had a serious staring problem. "I am tasked to keep you alive. I will escort you home now."
She reached to take Einin's arm, but Einin slapped her hand away. "I said leave me alone!" she snapped through tears, even as her lip trembled. "I can't--I don't want to..."
And as she dissolved into tears, Juniper just stood there awkwardly, staring at her, not quite sure what to do. The Soot Wolf let out a breath through her nose, expression stoic, and leaned against the wall next to her.
"As you wish."
Soon enough, Herrick was standing in the attic, combat gear donned. Outfitting for this occasion felt different. Gone was the usual confidence he laced his boots with, absent was the litheness with which he adjust his buckles.
This night, he was out to get something back. He knew she wouldn't trust him anymore, but damn, if it wasn't worth a try. He'd be lucky if she even let him in her sight. But, no matter what she said about herself, no matter how damaged she was, none of that changed the fact that she was a vulnerable, drunk girl stumbling around Arca in the dead of night.
Her trail wouldn't be too difficult to follow, that was sure. He had some tools to help him. "Tools...Tools..." Herrick muttered as he patted himself down.
You can't help her
He buckled down his pistol holster.
You fucking dumbass, you've ruined another life!
Ignoring his demons, he checked her room for any servants, before dropping down. He hedged at her room window, before going out after her.
Einin didn't know how much time passed, but eventually, there came a moment where she could no longer cry. She had no tears left to shed, and her head hurt terribly, feeling thick and foggy and throbbing in time to her heartbeat, like someone was beating her skull with a stick. She sniffled and wiped at her eyes, exhausted emotionally and physically and just feeling drained. Nothing seemed to matter anymore, and she felt as low and filthy as gutter trash.
Juniper was still there, a silent sentry, and it made her feel a little better to know she wasn't completely alone, even as her inner voice told her that was nothing more than she deserved. It was her fault. Maybe she'd given Herrick the wrong idea. She'd told him she found him attractive, after all, but it had been in truth or dare and that had been the truth. He was handsome--but that didn't mean she wanted to...she found many people pretty or handsome, aesthetically, like subjects in a painting, but that didn't mean...
She let out a slow, ragged breath, hitched with dry sobs that made her head pound all the more. Kia, what was she supposed to do?
Juniper glanced over at her when she stirred, rising unsteadily to her feet and bracing against the wall. "Are you ready to go now?"
Einin shook her head and swayed a little. "No. I..." She sniffled and wiped at her face again, clearing away snot mixed with tears. She knew she looked an utter wreck. "I need...ah...I need herbs, to...so I don't...um..."
Her voice shook. Saying it out loud only made it all feel real. "S-so I don't...conceive."
The last word came out a choked whisper, and she saw a flicker of knowing in Juniper's eyes, even though the woman didn't react. Juniper turned away from her, and for one stricken moment she felt like even she might be judging her, but then Juniper pointed and spoke up, "There is a brothel that way. Come."
Herrick was out of Einin's estate and on her trail exceedingly quickly. There wasn't any time to spare! In his worry and panic, he'd completely forgotten that she'd have the Soot Wolves to look after her. Even if he did remember, he probably would've gone after her anyways. As he approached the city proper, he only found his worry mounting further and further.
-------------------------------
The wind was oddly silent where Einin was, as if the night itself was watching her. Despite her exceedingly emotional state, she'd be subconsciously aware of things. Apart from the emotionally charged air, there was also some sort of primal dread hanging in the air.
A familiar primal dread.
A whisper in the wind, oozing with malice, came blowing in from the rooftops.
"The mouse has left her hole. Scampering away, ever soft. Skittering...skittering...."
Einin shuddered as the voice reached her ears and slid against her mind like ooze. It made her seize up with fear, come to a complete stop, and Juniper turned to look at her with a blank expression on her face.
Varian. It was Varian.
Of fucking course...
But though it scared her in a deep, primal way, though it had her heart hammering in her chest, Einin was done. She was done with everything, done with all the bullshit, done with being afraid, done with being treated like some object. She was done, done, done, and still very much drunk and upset and lost, and that all made for one potent combination.
And so rather than curl up and cower, she clenched her hands into fists and glared up at the sky.
"Fuck you, Varian!" she shouted, turning in a circle that had her swaying with dizziness. "Fuck you! You want me? Come and get me, already, you slimy fucking coward! I don't fucking care anymore! You don't scare me!"
She was aware of Juniper still staring at her, and she glared at the women, though the woman showed no judgment in her expression. Then again, she didn't show much of any sort of emotion. With a frustrated sound, Einin picked up her pace and fell back into stride with her.
"I'm being hunted," she said shortly, and let out a hysterical laugh. "Great."
"That's good. Very good! The brave little mouse will walk right into its cage. Or will it be a mouse trap? Devious machinations, yes!"
A wide shadow from an unseen source crossed across the buildings in front of her.
Of course, when only Einin could see and hear these things, it made playing with her much too fun.
"Or... has the little mouse never left her home? Little mouse could be sleeping, yes. Your night has seemed rather nightmarish as of yet, hasn't it?"
A maddened chuckle, followed by the shuffling of slimy appendages a few buildings away. All around her, the roof shingles creaked and clattered as if being crawled on by giant insects.
"Does the little mouse want to wake up, I wonder... Tempting, yes."
Einin came to a stop yet again, freezing up yet again. Once again, Juniper looked at her, and this time she could sense her impatience.
She couldn't see or hear what she was seeing or hearing...
She curled her hands into fists, fighting to stay brave. The alcohol helped.
The despair helped even more.
"Whatever you're planning, just get on with it already!" she shouted.
A gasp, from a nearby window, before a tentacle slid out to close it.
"My, the little mouse is quite the assertive one tonight. When one asks so nicely, well..."
The entire section of street lamps around them flickered and faltered. When they came back on, He was there, just a few feet in front of Juniper, completely undetectable anyone but Einin.
He had a sickening, victorious grin on his face, and she'd be able to take some comfort in the fact he was all covered up in his usual outfit. His single starry eye, however, seemed to suck light into it, and his teeth gleamed with malice.
"Sweet, brave little mouse. Steps outside her home and calls for the cat. Cat has claws, mouse has paws. Skittering...skittering..."
The lights went off, then back on, and then he was there. There, and Juniper seemed not to notice him at all, for the Wolf only blinked at her when Einin recoiled.
"My lady?"
With a quick, fluid motion, Einin drew her dagger. It wasn't much, but it was something. Her heart beat away inside her chest, and Einin felt her hand trembling, felt the world sway with sickness and drunkenness and fear, but she somehow managed to hold steady. She glared at Varian and stood tall as she could.
"I'm no mouse. I'm an Owl, and this is my talon. Owls eat cats, you know!" she spat, absolutely fed up with everything--and she knew it was making her reckless, but she was beyond caring about much of anything. She just wanted it to be over. Get this over with. She was tired of being afraid, tired of feeling hunted, and if that meant dying sooner, so bloody be it! Though she didn't plan on dying, of course, and though she was terrified, she also felt oddly relieved.
Whatever happened, life or death, maybe she could end this here.
"What do you want?"
Varian clapped his hands, laughing as he stepped around Juniper and towards Einin.
"What I want? You can't comprehend what I want. Come then, Owl."
Varian spread his arms, and those damnable crustaceans from several nights before appeared on the rooftops around them, casting their blue light on them The effect was similar to spotlights on a stage, and Varian chuckled a bit.
"End our nightmare...Wake us up!"
The shutters and doors of buildings started slamming, forming a dry, wooden cacophony.
"WAKE US UP!"
"W...wake...? What?" Einin gasped in confusion, stepping back away from Varian even as he advanced. The light was on her, making her feet exposed, and she gripped the dagger tighter as her heart pounded.
"I don't...I don't understand."
"Wake us up, little Owl! There isn't much to it!"
He took a few aggressive steps forwards, as if to lunge, but he stopped, arms held out towards her.
"Sharp is the key which turns the lock. Wolf's blood will flow, rivulets and rivers and oceans. Take the knife, Owl. Wake...us...up!"
Einin stared at Varian like he was crazy--which, he was. Then she looked at her dagger, and then back at him, and then set her jaw. She took a step toward him, her body stiff, tense with fear. "Okay."
[If you didn't notice, I've slowly been blurring the line between reality and dreams for Einin. I think I've been fairly successful so far!]
Varian looked on at her, arms falling down to his side. He spoke, though it was barely above a whisper.
"When does it end? Where does it start? How much of what our eyes see is there? The key, little Owl. Turn the key..."
Einin didn't answer him.
Instead, she did the crazy thing.
She was sick of this, sick of everything, and sick of being toyed with, sick of the guessing games and riddles.
And so, acting on pure, crazy, drunken impulse, she lunged for Varian, aiming to stab him with the dagger.
Probably to Einin's surprise, the dagger connected. The sounds of ribs buckling under violence rang out, and Varian's black blood started to seep out onto her hand and dagger. Except, his blood should've been black.
It was red, very brightly so.
Varian gasped, and a hand shot up to her shoulder. The other held the hand with the dagger in it, as if to keep it in place.
"...Always the obedient little mouse, aren't we?"
His form twisted and warped, and soon, it was Herrick staring back at her, a little blood leaking from the corners of his mouth. Total and absolute shock dominated his expression, and it sounded like he tried to hack up a weak "Einin" before slumping against her.
"...So obedient...You'll never know how he felt..." Varian's voice came, fading away.
Einin was just as surprised as Varian was when her dagger sank home, the ice dagger freezing flesh even as it cut it. She stared at Varian, having not expected that, not sure how to react as her drunken, stressed brain tried to catch up with the event--
Until he turned into Herrick.
And slumped lifelessly against her.
Einin let out a scream and jerked away from him, recoiling out of instinct even as his blood soaked through her clothes. And then, realizing what she'd done, that she'd just stabbed Herrick, she dropped to her knees beside him and rolled him over to check his wound.
Oh gods. Oh gods. Whatever she felt, she hadn't wanted to hurt him!
"Herrick? Herrick!" she yelled, shaking him.
Herrick looked up at her deliriously, the freezing effect from the dagger playing hell with what his body wanted to make of the injury.
His rapier, which was glowing brightly even through its sheath, dimmed down. Through its magic, the stab hadn't been instantly fatal, just a few inches short of the heart.
"Ei...Einin..."
He hacked up some blood, pupils dilating as the gravity of the situation caught up with him.
"I'm sor...ry...so sorry..."
He reached up to grab her shoulder, clenching it with the pain.
"I di...didn't want...to hurt...you..."
He was fading. The stab might not've been instantly fatal, but give or take an hour, and Herrick'd be as cold as her dagger.
"Oh gods, oh Kia!" Einin gasped, far too drunk for this, far too fucked up, not even knowing what was real and what wasn't anymore. Her hands fluttered near his wound, where the dagger still was, and she didn't know what to do. Pull it out? Leave it? She'd heard to leave things in until a healer could tend to the injury, but the dagger was her ice dagger! And she didn't know how to make it not freeze!
"I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to! Varian was--he--!"
But even as she babbled, Juniper was there. Her brow was slightly creased in the first show of emotion Einin had really seen--confusion--because the scene had all been utterly mad to her eyes. Yet also not. At first, she had assumed Einin was just drunk and loony, but then she'd started to suspect some other force. Usually, she could see such things.
But this was not glamour, and things had escalated so fast. Too fast.
"Do you want him alive?" the Soot Wolf asked flatly, looking to Einin.
Blinking back tears she hadn't realized she was crying, Einin nodded and the world swam. "Please, I don't know...I don't know what the fuck to do or what's even happening anymore, I--!"
Juniper didn't wait for her to finish. Crouching down, she examined the wound, then slid the dagger carefully out; it was too close to his heart, and it could kill him before the injury did. But her slow motion, while no doubt hell for Herrick, was deliberate; the wound froze. She held the flat of the blade against the cut once it was out, freezing it more, and then handed the dagger back to Einin.
"That will keep him from bleeding for now," she said, then grabbed Herrick and lifted him across her shoulders with surprising strength, in a fireman carry. Without waiting for Einin to follow, she began to walk briskly.
They needed to find a healer.
If the wound didn't clot before it defrosted, he would continue to bleed.
Herrick's face, while it was an almost unintelligible mix of emotion, held one particular emotion above all. His eyes were filled with sorrow, finality and regret, and he trained them onto Einin, tears flowing freely. They were the eyes of a man who thought he was going to die.
"I--Fuck!"
His hands balled up into fists when Juniper began to take the dagger out, inadvertently squeezing down on Einin's arm as his expression twisted.
"I...I know..."
He was interrupted when Juniper hauled him up, crying out in agony, yet, he kept an arm reached out towards Einin. It fell when he passed out from the pain.
Strangely enough, it was the brothel that Juniper lead them to.
Blinking in alarm, Einin started to speak up, ready to protest because this had to be wrong, but Juniper silenced her with a look. Then the Soot Wolf continued on, kicking open the door and stepping inside.
"Your healer," Juniper called, voice calm but icy, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Bring her here now."
There was a lot of activity, patrons gasping at the sight of the unconscious man she was heaving, prostitutes and bar wenches scrambling to get the word out. While they did so, Juniper fixed her strange, glowing eyes on Einin. "Move that table closer. Against this table."
Happy to be able to do something other than follow along in a panicked, helpless daze, Einin pushed one of the tables against the one next to Juniper, and once it was done, Juniper let out a sigh and lowered Herrick onto the connected tables as gently as she could. But he was much larger than her, and heavier, and he still landed on the table with a thump.
Einin moved close to him and slapped his face. "Herrick? Herrick! Wake up!"
It was the thud that stirred Herrick from unconsciousness. He was in a sort of in-between state the entire way to the brothel, limp and unresponsive, but muttering something intelligibly every once in a while.
The slap, though, brought him back fully. Eyes shot open, already dilated with pain, and Herrick looked around while his vision returned to him. He didn't know where he was, but he saw a familiar looking blurry blob.
"Whe...wha--Ah! Shit..."
Herrick'd tried to sit up, but only made it up an inch before he collapsed back onto the table. fist clenched, he slammed it down on the table in an unsuccessful attempt to dilute the pain. He was panting fiercely, the ice around his wound starting to melt.
"Wasn't a dream...was it--Nh!"
He weakly reached for her again, going so far as to lift his arm slightly off the table, despite the agony it caused him.
"Einin..."
"Stop that," Einin said when Herrick kept struggling, looking anxiously for Juniper, who had marched off to locate the healer when the others were moving too slow. She bounced in place, not quite sure what to do in her stead. If her head were more clear, she would have known, but basic knowledge was flying out the window right now, dulled by that potent mix of alcohol, stress, and despair.
"You're gonna open your wound. You need to hold still."
"Yo...You're right..."
Herrick let his arm droop limply onto the table, and he rested his head back. He tried to relax as best he could, but the movements of his chest caused his wound to widen and narrow, every breath threatening to open it back up. He looked up at the ceiling, breathing shallow.
"So cold..."
Eyes rolled back over to Einin. They were alone now, in this room. All the patrons and whores had scattered, fearing a scandal.
"Einin...I failed you. I fucking failed..." Herrick slowly said, and tears started streaming from his eyes.
"If I don't...Einin...If I don't make it..."
"You'll make it," Einin said, cutting him off. "There's a healer here. She'll be coming soon." And she looked over her shoulder again, searching for Juniper, and bit the inside of her cheek. Where was she?!
Herrick smiled, although it was weak, and his teeth were stained with his blood.
"If...I don't make it," Herrick continued.
"I just want you to know...that I forgive you. I fucked up bad, Einin...Gods, it was all my idea..."
He was rambling now, the characteristic restlessness of a dying man. He had so much to say, and he knew he had so little time to say it.
"I thought it'd be fun...we'd just drink a little, I'd...I'd tuck you in if we had too much, but...Fuck, it all got so out of hand...I'm sorry...So sorry..."
Einin didn't want to talk about that. She especially didn't want to talk about it while he was potentially dying. She knew he was sorry, and knew they'd both been drunk, but it had still happened and words couldn't take that back. The damage was done. And she didn't know how to handle this, how to handle a dying man apologizing for something that had just happened, something she was nowhere close to coming to terms with. How could she forgive him when she couldn't forgive herself?
She wasn't ready to forgive.
So instead she just said, "I know," and choked on tears, because she didn't know what the fuck to do, because she'd stabbed him and maybe killed him, because Varian was still out there, because her body and trust had been violated, because everything was so fucked up and she didn't know how to cope with or process any of it.
And that was when she heard footsteps, several pairs of them, and she wiped her eyes and looked up to see Juniper returning with a young brunette in tow.
Herrick was quiet once he saw Einin was beginning to cry. Gods, he didn't want to leave this world without setting this straight. He wouldn't let himself!
Rolling his eyes towards Juniper and what he presumed to be the doctor, he sighed with relief. He looked back at Einin.
"I...I know words can't...do much, but...It's all I've...got."
He looked back towards the doctor, and smiled, trying to stay himself.
With a gasp, the healer rushed to Herrick's side, and it was easy for her to locate the wound, considering the bright, wet bloodstain on his shirt. And then she gasped again when she saw that the wound was frozen--even if it was swiftly thawing.
Working quickly, she laid her hands on him, and her fingers began to grow a faint, clean green. "He's lucky," she said. "Another inch or two over, and he'd be dead."
Einin shifted uncomfortably, wiping her bloody hand on the edge of her tunic. The blood was dry, but it gave her a way to hide her hand's shakiness. She'd almost killed him...
Herrick's face twitched as his muscles and ribs slowly reconstituted under the healer's touch.
"My lucky rapier..." He gasped breathlessly, chuckling a bit before letting out a pained yell.
"Never leave home...without it..."
"You're very lucky you have so many tricks up your sleeves," Einin said, still looking rather pale. After a moment, she pulled out a chair and took a seat.
She looked up at the healer, still picking at the dried blood on her hand. "Is he...is he gonna be okay?"
The healer twitched, looking a little annoyed at the interruption, but nodded. She looked at Herrick. "You'll be very sore for a few days," she said, addressing him directly, since he hadn't died and was conscious, "and you'll feel rather exhausted for a while after this. This process lends you my strength, but also speeds up your body's own natural healing--and that's rather taxing. I'm afraid you'll have a scar, too."
"A scar? Nice..."
He looked over to Einin, a grin on his face. It seemed that now that the mortal peril was gone, Herrick was back to his usual self, or at least trying to be.
"Looks like I'll be coaching you from the bench for the first couple of days."
The corner of Einin's lips twitched in a brief effort at a smile, but it didn't touch her eyes. As soon as the healer was done, Einin looked to Juniper.
"Help him get home, please," she said. "You know the secret way."
Herrick's smile faltered for a moment, but he put it back on. He didn't know if he was able to bring her some amount of happiness, or if that smile was just a token effort of acknowledgement, but he was happy he got her to smile nonetheless.
"You should come back with me, Einin. I know it's the last place you want to be, but It's not safe. You said something about Varian?"
"Yes, tell him all about how eager you were..."
"It's not safe anywhere," Einin said, emotion gone from her voice. She shook her head, and the world swam.
"I'm not going back. He found me. He'd follow me back. He..." She barked a short laugh and wiped her face.
"I'm just. I'm done. With everything. I'm ready to just fucking finish it already. I don't even care." Whether that was the booze talking and making her more reckless, or her true feelings on the matter, she didn't know. And she didn't care. Because he was talking to her even now, and there was no escape.
She couldn't run away anymore.
"Well, then I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to leave you out here, Einin!" Herrick said, raising his voice before the pain brought it back down.
"You're...He'll kill you, Einin. If I leave you alone out on the streets, you're going to turn up dead, or worse, not at all, and I'm not sure if I'd be able to live with myself..."
A chuckle from a corner of the room. Varian was there again, of course intangible to everyone but Einin.
"Look at him, the poor man..." Varian started, intent on grinding down on Einin's emotions. This was his chance, after all.
He slowly approached the table, dragging his fingers along it as he passed directly through Juniper.
"I've seen his dreams, you know. He really does care about you. And you stabbed him, little mouse. You stabbed him oh so very obediently, right next to the heart."
Before Einin could answer Herrick, before she could muster up any sort of response, Varian was there again, walking toward her, through Juniper, notice by no one but her...
And before she could help it, Einin leaped to her feet to face him. "STOP IT!" she screamed.
Herrick was stunned for a few moments as Einin burst into intense screaming at apparently thin air, but he was quick to catch on.
Grunting through the pain, he reached out to grab her arm.
"Einin, ignore him! This is what he wants!"
Varian laughed.
"Yes, listen to your leopard, little mouse. Scurry away, hide, it's all he'll ever be good for. Look at how he jumps to you. You know, he'd throw himself at me for you...
Varian paused, thinking.
"You can hide, or you can end your suffering. The old mill. Your mousetrap lies there...
Einin yanked her arm away, her skin crawling under his fingers. "Don't touch me!" she snapped before she could help it and took a step back. "Just...stop! I know what he wants and I don't care! I'm done. I'm over it. I'm sick of everything and I just want to finish it! It's inevitable anyway, right? So why not just get it the hell over with!"
Nope. Intense emotions and distress plus booze were a terrible combination.
Juniper stared at them, blinking slowly, completely lost.
"Einin, you're going to kill yourself!"
Despite his condition, Herrick managed to sit up on the table, showing just how determined he was. He spun over, legs hanging off the edge of the table as he held himself steady with his palms flat on its wooden surface.
"Einin! Listen to me, damn it! It's not inevitable! We can beat him! You just need to work with me here, please! Don't do this!"
Varian stood next to Herrick, looking at him with his lips puckered in mock sadness.
"Don't listen to him, little mouse. He just wants to prolong your suffering. I can offer you the cure to your condition. A release from the madness choking your brain. I am your key, little mouse. Come to the old mill, and I'll unlock you from your shackles!"
Einin jerked her eyes away from Varian and looked at Herrick instead, warring with herself. She didn't really care right now. She knew she was being stupid and reckless and short-sighted, but the alcohol made her just not care. She couldn't keep doing this.
"How?" she finally snapped, throwing her arms wide and letting them drop. "I can't go home! He's right here. He'll follow me. What are my options here?! If you know something I don't, I'm all ears!"
"Right here? Einin, there's nobody here but us!"
Herrick pushed himself off the table, staggering slightly as he clutched his chest.
"He's in your head! Trying to make you do something stupid! Toying with you, making you believe there's nothing you can do! Don't let him win, Einin! You always have an option."
Einin rubbed her face, sucking in deep breaths. Standing nearby, Juniper rested her hand on the pommel of her sword, prepared for a fight, even one she couldn't see.
"I know he's in my head," Einin said, shoulders hunched. "But can he...can he see? If I go home, will he...will he be able to see it...?"
"I don't know, Einin. I don't know..."
Herrick took a few tentative steps towards her, careful in case she lashed out again.
"But, the best you can do is force him out. Don't let him in, don't let him see. It's your mind, Einin, and yours alone. If you don't think you can will him out, we can always cover your head. If you can't see, he can't see. Alright?"
[Don't let them in, don't let them see, be the good girl you always have to be!]
Einin took another shuddering breath and closed her eyes. She didn't actually want to confront Varian. Not at all. So it was easy to believe even Herrick's words, because, secretly, she wanted any excuse not to go, even as she felt that there was no point to any of this so why even bother? She was of two minds, both halves fighting with each other, one side wanting to give up and get it over with because she was tired, the other side wanting to fight.
"Okay," she said at last.
[Did, did I...DAMMIT!]
With Herrick there to talk her down, keep her grounded, Varian's influence was waning. Only his voice remained, and even then it was slowly fading.
"Little mouse...come to play...."
Herrick raised an arm to pat Einin on the shoulder, but he stopped halfway through, lowering it down to grab his elbow instead, thinking it best if he didn't touch her.
"Let's...let's get you home, Einin. I think this night's gone on long enough."
Einin nodded slowly at Herrick's words, her shoulders slouching.
"I just...I just want it to be over," she muttered.
[Herrick didn't touch her, he stopped halfway through! 8D]
"Me too, Einin. I want this to be over just as much as you do."
Herrick nodded gratefully towards the doctor, and then looked at Juniper.
"Thanks for carrying me. If you weren't there, I don't think I would've made it," he said, and began walking towards the door.
[WHOOPS! For some reason I read "his" as "her". Derp! Edited!]
Juniper looked blankly at Herrick, staring at him with her inhuman eyes. "Don't thank me," she said, but without malice. Her voice was flat, giving no hints as to her personal thoughts. "I didn't do it for you."
Because she honestly didn't care whether or not he lived or died. He was a thief, thieving on Soot Wolf territory, so by all rights she should have left him to die. If Einin hadn't wanted him alive, she would have been content to let him bleed out in the street, but since Rufus wanted the girl protected, she figured that extended to her companions.
"I will escort you," she added. The thief was wounded, and the girl was drunk, and after that display of lunacy--though Juniper knew it wasn't really that, that something unseen was happening--she thought it wise to ensure they made it back in one piece.
As Herrick went for the door, Einin followed him out, quieter now. She didn't want to go back. Gods. She felt like she was losing her mind...
"I didn't do it for you."
Herrick pulled half-smile, half-frown.
"Cheery."
Herrick stepped out into the night air. Perhaps he hadn't noticed it through all the excitement, but it was freakin' cold out. Maybe it was just him, maybe it was Varian's doing, but the wind carried a substantial chill.
Herrick shut his eyes tight.
Gods...
"Gods is right..."
Herrick's eyes peeled open. The voice had come from Einin's direction. Varian was toying with Herrick now, standing by her with a victorious grin on his face.
"How much of tonight do you think she'll remember? Scars run deep, thief. Especially scars of the heart."
Herrick ignored him, looking straight ahead.
"How many years, do you think? Before she forgets that you raped her?"
It wasn't like that, we--
"Asked for it? Not from you...Yet...you took her. Oh so eagerly..."
Herrick's expression darkened, and he glanced over to Einin.
Unaware of Herrick's current mental battle, Einin trudged along, hugging herself when she started to notice how cold it was. She hadn't noticed it before; maybe the booze had warmed her blood, or maybe losing her mind had just...made her oblivious to other discomforts. It didn't matter. The cold kept her awake, which was good, because now she was starting to feel very, very tired.
She walked ahead of the group with single-minded determination, just wanting to get home now, sickened with herself, with Herrick, shook up that she'd almost killed him, scared that she'd almost gone straight to Varian, and just fed up with the whole situation. Behind her, Juniper stayed beside Herrick, in case he needed assistance.
Also unaware of his struggle, she looked at him. "Can you make it?"
Herrick looked at Juniper as if she'd shouted abruptly, eyes snapping over to her almost instantaneously.
"Yeah, I've...I've been through similar situations. It comes with the territory of being shot at frequently."
"Stabbed by the girl you love. You know, I think she smiled a little bit..."
I don't love her.
"Really? Is that why you were raring to mount her?"
Shut the fuck up.
Varian's voice played back Herrick's own speech.
"Do you want this, Einin?"
Shut the fuck up!
Then, Einin's voice.
"Ryk!"
"Please, just...leave me alone..."
Herrick's voice came out in a whimper, barely above that of a whisper. He didn't even notice that he'd spoken. His arms were crossed, and his eyes were directed straight towards the cobblestones. They were beginning to water up.
"Get out of my head..."
When Herrick started to whimper, and begged for an unseen force to get out of his head, Juniper reached out and unceremoniously slapped his cheek, hoping the shock and the sting would bring him back. She had gleaned some of what was happening from what he'd said when Einin had been having her freak-out--someone was messing with them, targeting them, making them hallucinate through some manner of sorcery.
"Focus," she said, turning his head to face her as she stared at him.
Einin, who had gotten a bit ahead of them, paused and looked behind her at the two, and her stomach clenched. "He's doing it to you now, too?"
The sudden slap had Herrick shooting out to the side, raising his fists at Juniper for a few moments before he lowered them.
"Ooo, did that hurt? You're not so tough, are you? You're just trying to impress her..."
"Fuck, No! It's not like that!"
Herrick was yelling now, and Einin's voice only spooked him more. He looked at her, eyes screaming for help.
"You RAPED her!"
"No! I didn't!"
Einin had no idea what was happening in Herrick's head, but she could only imagine it was horrible, considering the things he'd shown her.
"Herrick? Herrick, he's not here--don't listen to him," she said tiredly, defeat still in her voice, and she knew from experience it was easier said than done, that the things Varian said cut deep and held on strong. It felt real, horrifically real--real enough that she had been ready to give up, even if that wasn't all because of Varian, not at all.
"Shut him out. You have to. He could follow us--remember?" she added, and Juniper gave her a look. The Soot Wolf was in the dark about basically everything that had gone down, but it was clear Einin's efforts were half-hearted, that the girl didn't have the energy to be helpful--which was no surprise, since when Juniper found her, she was in no state to help herself.
And so Juniper took it upon herself to slap Herrick again, on the opposite cheek, and grab his shoulders to force him into facing her. "Focus!" she repeated, and shook him. "You're seeing things. There is no one here."
Herrick stared at Juniper, mouthing words that could only be hallucination-caused emotional gibberish. He'd broken into a cold sweat and it was clear that whatever was affecting him was clearly leagues more vivid than anything Einin had ever gone through.
Another interesting detail were his eyes. His pupils, to be exact. They'd expanded nearly all the way, a change that was unseen in the relative darkness. That is, until Juniper got up in his face.
Slowly, however, his pupils receded in size, and he shrugged Juniper's hands off of him.
"I...I'm fine. I'm fine now..."
Herrick crossed his arms, gripping his elbows tightly in a white-knucled grip.
"He's gone..."
Juniper stared into Herrick's eyes, her own eyes burning with that strange indigo light. His eyes were strange--which was something, coming from her. They were wrong, and as his pupils slowly shrank, she saw why.
She let him go when he shrugged from her grip, but she didn't take her eyes off him. Something was very, very wrong with the both of them here. Einin stabbing him, their hallucinations and gibberish, speaking of a "he"...
"I don't believe that," she said at last. "I believe you should tell me what's happening."
It wasn't her business, really. She didn't actually care about either of them. But it was affecting the girl, and Rufus would probably want to know. And part of her was also interested in the unseen aspect of this.
She did make it her business to keep up to date with supernatural matters.
"It's...It's kind of a really long and insane story. Almost unbelievable when you think about it," Herrick started, getting back into his strides as best as he could.
He smiled a bit, as best as he could given the circumstances.
"The super short abridged version's that we have some kind of mutant, mindfucking sorceror after us."
Juniper didn't even bat an eyelash at that.
"I see," she said, expression stoic as ever, and she didn't seem to find that unbelievable at all. Of course, her sense of believable or not was rather more warped than the average human's. Mindfuckery was, after all, very much a fae talent.
"And your plans to kill him are...?"
Einin watched the both of them, arms crossed as she shifted anxiously, ready to go home--but not ready. She wanted to get out of the city and away from places where Varian might be watching--but she was also in no hurry to return to her room.
Especially not with Herrick.
Herrick looked down at the ground, that question ringing through his head.
"We...we don't know. We haven't come up with a plan, yet, but..."
Herrick spared a glance at Einin. He wasn't exactly looking forwards to being in her general area, but...gods, how were they going to recover from this?
They were only a day in, and they were already fraying up at the seams. Varian was already winning, damn it!
Herrick leaned in to whisper in Juniper's ear, so Einin wouldn't pick up on it.
"He cursed her, gave us a deadline, essentially. We have eleven moons until something big goes down."
Juniper leaned in as Herrick did, and if anything, a look of interest sparked in her glowing eyes. Keeping her voice low, she said, "If it is a curse, it can be broken. All things have rules. What were the words spoken, exactly?"
"She's cursed to die, eleven baleful moons from now. She's going to offer herself to him, in the end. Varian also said something about clocks ticking, and sands flowing."
Reciting what he'd heard of the curse wasn't having the best effect on Herrick. It reminded him of their deadline. Quite literally.
Juniper absorbed that, and nodded to herself, arms folded across her chest.
"That could simply be a reference to time's passage," she said. "But it's always best not to ignore the symbolism. It may be wise to cover, or destroy, any clocks in her room."
"You'll have to break that to her, she's...we're not exactly on level ground, me and her. Tonight was...Gods..."
Herrick snapped his fingers, as if remembering something.
"He also mentioned an altar. He worships these..."Elder Gods". Claims he's descended from them."
Juniper wasn't about to ask what had happened between the two of them to put them on uneven ground. She didn't really care, though it would be problematic if it prevented them from cooperating to solve the issue.
"I will tell her, then," she said simply. "So he worships old gods, and something about an altar. You should try to discover if the altar is real, or figurative."
"I'm dead sure it's a real altar. When we...uh...drew his ire, he was working on a ritual. What...what else could he possibly mean by that?" Herrick asked?
The conversation was doing him some good. It was helping to ground him, giving him something to focus on.
"Then perhaps you must return to that place, and destroy the altar," Juniper suggested. Truthfully, she was flying blind. This was a different sort of curse beyond her knowledge; her knowledge lay mostly with the fae, both light and dark--sidhe and goblin and brownie alike. Human curses, or deity curses, were another matter entirely.
She rubbed her chin. "Did he complete his ritual?"
"I think it was interrupted, although there's nothing to say he couldn't have completed it since then."
He remembered that the altar was in that barnhouse, the...living one.
"I don't know if destroying the altar's possible."
"Why is that?" Juniper asked, still keeping her voice down. "If it was created, it can be destroyed. There's always a way."
"Uhm. What are you guys whispering about over here?" Einin said abruptly. She'd been letting the two have their whisper-fest, too tired and sick to really get involved, but there came a point where she just couldn't stand being left out. They seemed pretty into their conversation, too, like they didn't want her to hear.
That was irksome.
"Well, the altar's kind of..."
in a living farmhouse, guarded by spotlight-headed freakazoid crab monsters!
"...Complicated."
Einin spoke up, and Herrick looked over to her. He smiled sheepishly, glad he was able to smile at all.
"I'm just talking to your friend here about our situation. I figured there was some sensitive stuff you didn't want to hear about, so I tried to keep it on the "down low"."
Einin rolled her eyes wearily. "Oh, c'mon. I know I'm fucked. That's no secret."
"You should destroy or cover the clocks in your room. Preferably your house," Juniper said, and Einin stared at her blankly, considering the utter lack of transition or context.
"Uh...what?"
Herrick allowed Einin's confusion to stir for a bit, before clarifying.
"She thinks the part of Varian's prophecy where he talked about clocks ticking might have to do with the clocks in--"
Herrick suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Holy shit, actually, I think she's right!."
He looked to Juniper, a smile on his face now.
"What if the clocks are what's letting him attack us in our dreams? I dunno, if...if we can keep him out of our dreams, we might just be able to make it through this with our minds."
"Exactly," Juniper said. "That could be it. I can't say I know how he might be using it, but clocks have magical symbolism and applications. It's not worth risking it."
"Ohhh man," Einin said, rubbing her temples. She only had one small clock in her room, but it was an heirloom. The rest of her home, though? Oh, there were more clocks all throughout the house!
"I can't...really destroy my clock, it's...my parents would kill me. Would stopping it be enough? I dunno what I'll do about the rest of the clocks. Like...how do you tell your parents, hey, I have to stop or smash all the clocks in our house?"
"Maybe," Herrick started.
He walked a bit faster, so he could catch up to Einin.
"Just covering the one in your room would do. I should check to see i there're any clocks up in the attic."
A little relief went through Einin at that. Maybe it was stupid, worrying about her parents' wrath when her life was on the line, but she still hadn't quite accepted that part of the curse, even though she acknowledged it.
"Good idea," she said, and fell quiet again as she walked, leading the way through the streets automatically, without really thinking about where she was going. But her feet knew the way.
Herrick nodded. He wondered if it was the presence of clocks that enabled Varian to do his dirty work, or if it had to be a working one.
Could it be that Varian worked through the ticking sounds?
Herrick's mind raced all over the place with how the clocks could be implicated. It was a much needed distraction, and gave his mind something to focus on.
"So..." Herrick started.
"Is there any particular place where you train? Or is it just the nearest abandoned building?"
Einin shrugged, and answered without looking back at Herrick, "My home's courtyard, a lot of the time," she said. "To practice more orthodox things. Fencing and what have you. Everywhere else, yeah, I've just always gone where Rufus takes me. That depends on what sorta thing he's showing me, of course."
She crossed her arms over her chest. "So...wherever."
"Well, I can't be seen in your courtyard, so I guess "wherever" is where we're going to train."
Herrick put his hands together, rubbing some of the cold out of them. He winced as he moved his arm, placing a palm against his chest as movement brought piercing pain.
"Shit, you've got a hell of a thrust, anyone told you that? Probably not..."
Einin twitched when he spoke of thrusts, and grit her teeth.
"I haven't exactly stabbed anyone before, so no..." She sucked in a deep breath, and tried to keep her mind in the present so she didn't scream. "Congrats. You're the first."
"Well, as much as it pains me to say it, you might just be a natural. It was a stiff, upwards jab, right to the chest. Stab like that...I'm impressed..."
Herrick looked away from her, rubbing his elbow.
"Gods know I deserved to die back there," he muttered.
Einin bit the inside of her cheek hard enough that it hurt, and didn't answer Herrick, didn't look at him. She didn't think she could look at him, not when she felt so completely betrayed, and she was afraid that if she did, the dam she'd plugged back up would reopen.
She ducked her head and picked up her pace, leaving him behind. Her home wasn't far now, and she just wanted to sleep. Just wanted to sleep, and not wake up until this whole night was just a bad dream.
Herrick wanted to reach out to her as she sped off ahead of him, but he only clenched his fist at his side.
It brought the memories of tonight flowing back in, memories he didn't want to relive. He'd always been good with his alcohol. He was used to Ripple. He could control himself!
Why, of all nights...was it just coincidence? Was Varian pulling those strings too?
Or maybe... gods, did he really rape her? He didn't want to believe it. If you're both drunk, can it be called rape? It didn't seem like rape...
And with that, Herrick descended into his own thoughts. Unlike Einin, who just wanted to sleep, Herrick didn't think he'd be sleeping at all. He loathed the thought. More specifically, he loathed the future prospects of his dreams.
Juniper followed them both until they were just outside the gates to Einin's home.
Einin had been quiet the entire journey back, and with Herrick silent, as well, Juniper had followed them like a ghost. At least, until they arrived at their destination.
"I'll be near," she said simply, as Einin began to crawl beneath the hidden gap under the gate. "And when I'm not, the others will be. Rufus will be notified of tonight's incident."
Herrik nodded.
It wasn't the best way to be introduced to Rufus. By a mile. Actually, if Einin gave him an account of what happened tonight, Herrick would probably have some dodging to do.
Quite a lot of dodging, if the Red Wolf lived up to his reputation.
"Thanks. I'm in your debt," Herrick said, bowing his head to Juniper before following Einin under the gate.
For a split second, Einin's heart stopped when Juniper mentioned "tonight's incident".
But then she realized she was talking about Varian. The Wolf had no way of knowing about anything else.
Without another word, Einin stole across the garden and made a quick beeline to her window, conscious of the guards and their patrol. Making her way to the lattice just under her window, she climbed it, and slipped back into her room.
Herrick followed close behind Einin. Herrick was able to keep low as he sprinted, an ability many years of sneaking on the run had granted.
Like a cat, he effortlessly made his way up to Einin's window, jumping in a mere second behind her.
She'd find the whole place was tidied up. Completey picked up, actually. There was no evidence of what had happened, not even a crease in the bedsheets. It was Herrick's doing, for sure. If it was one of her servants who'd done it, the house would no doubt have been on high alert.
Herrick lingered at the window a few seconds, sighing, before he turned and began walking towards the ladder to the attic.
Einin's room was clean, so clean that if she didn't feel so filthy and sick, she might have been able to pretend it was all a bad dream.
Without a look Herrick's way, she kicked off her boots and headed for her bed, and climbed beneath the covers still fully dressed in her tunic and trousers. It made her feel a bit safer to be clothed so fully. Her tunic didn't have buttons that could be popped; her breeches didn't have skirts that could be lifted.
She pulled the covers up over her head, turned her back to Herrick, shut her eyes, and tried to pretend the world didn't exist. And right then, it was rather easy, because she was so thoroughly exhausted and strangely, blissfully numb. Everything felt surreal. Maybe nothing happened. Maybe she really was going crazy.
Likewise, Herrick gave Einin no words as he disappeared up into the attic, where he was finally alone with himself. At least, that was the plan. He stopped at the ladder, before walking around her bed and stopping the clock on her nightstand, placing it face down just for good measure. After that, he ascended into the attic.
Autonomously, Herrick crept into his space behind a few crates, where he had a bedroll set up. He tucked himself into it, eyes staring upwards at the ceiling.
He was angry and ashamed at the same time, ashamed that he'd failed Einin in such a massive way. But he was glad, as well. Glad he could close his eyes and finally put the horror of this night aside.
Einin slept through the night, the sleep of the absolutely exhausted. She had no more energy to give, mentally, emotionally, or physically, and so her body just crashed. She didn't even have energy for dreams.
But when morning came, she felt far from rested. She didn't feel like she'd slept at all, and her head ached, the light hurting her eyes, and when her servants came to bring her breakfast and wake her up, she waved them all away and told them she was sick.
Then she just buried herself beneath the covers so they couldn't see what she was wearing and pulled a pillow over her eyes to block out the sun. And somewhere during all this, she realized she'd never gotten what she'd set out last night to get, and another wave of hangover induced nausea shot through her.
Unbeknownst to Einin, Herrick wasn't in her attic. In fact, Herrick was across town. Reparations still needed to be made, and he remembered that the night previous, she'd gone out for herbs. That's what he'd gone out for, and that's what he was carrying when he came up onto her window sill.
Not that Herrick thought she needed them, but it was always good for some peace of mind, and he figured it was a good idea to just get them for her anyways.
The sounds of the drapes brushing aside announced Herrick's presence. She had her pillow on her face, so he felt the need to make himself known.
"Uh, Einin? You awake? I...I brought you some things..."
Einin twitched, and her hands tightened on the pillow, indenting it. Without lowering the pillow, she just mumbled her response right into it.
"Leave me alone."
"Oh...okay. I'll just...er..."
He made his way to her nightstand, and laid down what he brought her. It was a bushel of the herbs she'd gone out to look for last night, and a few vials of fizzy black stuff. Alchemist's Mercy, to help with the headache and general shitty feeling.
"Leave these here."
Eh?
Leave what there?
After a few long seconds of silence, Einin lowered her pillow, turned her head, and glanced at her nightstand where Herrick had laid a bushel of herbs and some vials of something. She rubbed at her swollen eyes and looked at him. "What is that?"
"Those are the herbs you left to get but never got. The black stuff's Alchemist's Mercy. It'll get your head all cleared up and not feeling like a boat anchored in a storm."
He stood at the foot of her bed, hands clasped together. After a couple seconds of awkward silence, Herrick spoke up.
"I was going to head back out to get breakfast. You want anything?"
Einin wasn't hungry, and at his question, she only narrowed her eyes slightly.
"This Alchemist's Mercy. It doesn't have any other surprises, does it?"
Wow, thanks for the reminder.
Herrick winced internally but it didn't show on his face. It showed on his hands, as they tightened up a bit.
"No," he said flatly.
"Hrm." Einin closed her eyes again and let her head drop back down onto her mattress, draping her arm over her eyes. "Fantastic."
Herrick stood there for a bit more, before he began to step over back to the window.
"So, my question still stands. You want anything? I'm probably going to hit up a baker's or something."
"I'm not hungry," Einin said simply, and rolled over onto her side to put her back to him.
"Okay."
And with that, Herrick was gone again, and he wouldn't be back for another hour.
It was while Herrick was gone that Einin finally dragged herself upright and forced herself to drink some Alchemist's Mercy. It helped her head and stomach, but it didn't help how shitty she felt otherwise. Then, after downing it, she just sat there and stared at the packet of seeds blankly, because she wasn't really sure what to do with that; she'd always been given some herbal concoction that was already made, in liquid form.
Slumping forward, she buried her face in her hands. Fuck everything.
She wished she'd never drank the Ripple.
[Ripple: Not Even Once]
After an hour, Herrick returned to Einin's room, carrying a small bag full of meat pastries. He climbed in through the window once again, the smell of deliciously cooked sweets and salts wafting out of the bag as he did so.
He noticed that the herbs were still sitting on Einin's nighttable, untouched.
"You want me to prepare those for you?"
"Sure," Einin said without looking at Herrick. "I'm not really sure what to do with them."
"Actually, wait..."
He looked down at the ground for a bit, eyes closed as if trying to remember something.
"No, you just chew them. I hear they taste a bit strong, but it's the good kind of strong," he said. He turned to the ladder, and got about halfway up before he spoke again.
"If you need anything, just let me know."
And then he was back up into the attic, leaving Einin to her own devices.
Einin nodded in response, but said nothing else as Herrick went back into the attic. Instead, she picked up the packet of seeds, ripped it open, and poured a handful into her palm.
Objectively, she knew she was probably okay. But she wasn't about to take chances, and so she popped the handful in her mouth, chewed them up despite the taste, and flopped backwards onto her bed as she swallowed them down bitterly.
She didn't know what to think. Didn't know what to do. And worse, she didn't know who to turn to.
Herrick ate his breakfast upstairs, although he really didn't feel like he could eat anything. Of course, not eating anything was just going to do harm, so he soldiered through it. Like Einin, Herrick just didn't know what to do. Until her parents ungrounded her, they were stuck here, with absolutely nothing to do.
That was going to be hard...
Hard, indeed.
Einin's day was aimless. At some point, she changed from her dirty clothes and hid them beneath the floor boards, because they would have to be disposed of later; they had Herrick's blood on them. She out on a dress, picked out a book, and tried to occupy her mind. But no matter how she tried to read it, she couldn't focus.
At some point, her parents came to check on her, but she sent them both away because she said she had a headache. A servant brought her lunch, insisting on that since she hadn't eaten breakfast, but she let it sit on her table as she stared at the pages of her book.
Unfortunately for Herrick, he didn't even have anything to keep him entertained.
So he spent that day lying down on the floor, staring up at the cobwebs on the ceiling, a bottle of rum sitting next to him. It was hell, just letting what had happened sit in his gut.
He didn't want to do that! He wanted to talk to her about it, to get some things straight, but...shit, he couldn't even look at her right now.
He couldn't even read the books she'd lent him, he felt dirty, just knowing where they came from.
Unlike Herrick, Einin didn't want to talk about it. She did, but she also desperately didn't. Like all things, she preferred to bury it away, because look what had happened when she'd let her guard down? She let her guard down, and she got her heart broken. She let it down again, just to have some fun, and...
She just couldn't afford to do it. She couldn't afford not to wear a mask.
As the day grew longer, she finally went to her table to pick at her food, which was a stew of some point, but which was now room temperature and congealed. She ate the bread, picked over some of the vegetables, and stared out her window, and once again began to consider what she had been considering last night, that maybe running away might not be such a terrible plan.
Afternoon was starting to set in, and not a single sound came from the attic during that entire time they spent. Suddenly, a creak betrayed motion.
Herrick had sat straight up in place. No, he wasn't going to do this anymore. No more wallowing for him, no more wallowing for either of them. This kind of wasting away is exactly what Varian wanted, and by the gods, Herrick wasn't going to let him have it!
With new-found determination, Herrick descended back down into Einin's room, but not before checking for servants. He was tightening his bracers, something he usually did when he was a little nervous.
"You're not doing anything tonight, right?" He asked, looking up at her.
"Still grounded?"
Einin was on her belly in bed, still reading, still sort of not, when she heard the telltale sounds of Herrick climbing down from the attic. She tensed visibly, her shoulders rising and her grip on her book tightening.
Without looking at him, she said, "Of course I'm not doing anything. And I'm likely grounded for life."
"Perfect."
Herrick didn't like how she tensed up around him. It really drove daggers into him when he was reminded of just how he'd hurt her. But that's what all this was about! Putting the past behind them!
"Because I'll be damned if I'm just going to sit here and waste away. I'm going to go prepare a warehouse for your training. Can I expect you to join me in say...an hour?"
...Sit here and waste away?
Einin's jaw tightened.
Was that what he saw this as? Her moping? She let her breath out through her nose slowly, anger gradually replacing other emotions--which was no surprise, really. She'd been bouncing back and forth, not really sure what to feel or how she should feel, whether to be angry with him or with herself. It still felt like it was her fault--she shouldn't have drank the alcohol, she should have picked up on his flirtations...
Should, should, should...
But despite her own guilt, she couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal and violation, the horrifying memories, the way her stomach clenched when she remembered how her body wasn't her own--and it still felt that way. Still felt like something had been stolen.
"You think I'm moping?"
"No, I don't think you're moping. Gods, Einin..."
He finished tightening his bracers, and he held his hands to his side. He leaned back against the window sill, running a gloved hand through his hair.
"Look, what I'm trying to say is that it's only going to get worse if we sit here and do nothing. I think accomplishing something would do us both some good."
"So, are we just going to pretend nothing happened in the meantime? Is that the plan?" Einin said, before letting out a sigh and letting her forehead rest against her book.
"Look, just...do whatever. Prep the warehouse or whatever it is you wanna do and tell me where it is. I'll think about it."
"We're not going to pretend nothing happened. On the contrary, that needs to be addressed, it's just...well..."
Herrick rubbed the back of his head, glad he'd gotten this far with her. He smiled, glad he at least got her to consider it.
"I figured if we we let out some tension, it'd be easier, you know? I hear the old lumber warehouse is empty this time of year, save for some crates. It'll be perfect. Give me an hour or so, and I should have the place ready."
He climbed up onto the window sill, and unlocked it, getting about halfway out before turning back to her.
"I'll be waiting."
With that, he was outside.
They could agree on one thing, at least. Einin did need to release a lot of tension. And if releasing some of that tension meant wailing on Herrick, all the better. She really didn't want to be anywhere near him, though, which was the only problem with all this, but she also knew that he was the only other person as deeply entrenched in the Varian bullshit as she was. Whether she liked it or not, she was stuck with him for now, so for the time being she had to numb herself, swallow her discomfort and pain, and prepare herself.
Because there truthfully wasn't any time to lose, no matter how much she wanted to curl up and cry.
She said nothing as Herrick left, and for a long while she debated it. She could train on her own. She could go train with Rufus. But after what had happened last night--gods. The thought of going to him right now sent a spike of shame through her, like he would know just by looking at her, or worse, like she would break down when she saw him. And for some reason, she really didn't want him to know, even though deep down she knew he wouldn't judge her, and that he'd judged her for nothing.
But the shame was too powerful. What if?
She didn't want anyone to know.
With few other options, it was clear she was going to be uncomfortable whatever she did. She just had to focus on training. Focus on the objective. Think of nothing else. Just training.
And so, feeling numb, she got dressed an hour later when it was nice and dark and her parents had bade her goodnight. She pulled on fresh breeches and a tunic and her leather armor, buckled on her sword and slipped on her thigh harness and dagger, and then climbed out into the night.
Really, once Herrick thought about it, there wasn't going to be much preparation needed. All he had to do was make sure the warehouse was unlocked and void of guards, and when he arrived at it, all he had to do was pick the padlock that hung across the front doors.
As the sound of a pick gently working on the lock's internal mechanisms took up the otherwise silent air about him, it gave him some more time to think.It wasn't anything new, really. Just more thoughts about Varian, more thoughts about...last night.
Herrick paused, still for a few seconds, before a flick of the wrist sent the padlock earthwards. He caught it, and stowed it in his backpack, entering the warehouse.
The place was a small maze of crates and boxes filled with lumberyard tools and supplies, with a straight corridor running right through the middle. With great effort (He was still feeling that wound, a little!), he hauled himself up onto a box large enough to sit on, and waited.
A little over an hour had passed before Einin made it to the warehouse and found the lock missing. Slipping past the heavy doors, she stepped inside, and kept her hand on her sword just in case.
Now that she was here, she was starting to think it was even less of a good idea. The place was dark, and quiet, and secluded, and she didn't yet see Herrick. It was the perfect place for Varian--or his unnatural thugs--to attack. Or Smed. Or anyone else that might be prowling around. Maybe someone had already gotten to Herrick. Maybe...
Her mind was starting to spiral into paranoid thoughts when her eyes adjusted enough to catch sight of Herrick, sitting atop a crate. She jolted, then relaxed again, and let out a slow breath. "Hey."
Herrick jumped down from his crate when Einin addressed him, and he smiled.
"You came."
He crossed his arms, glancing about the warehouse. For a few minute there, he didn't think she was gonna show!
"Yep. Obviously, I'm here," Einin said, and started to cast her eyes around the room so she didn't have to look at him.
"So, what are we doing?"
"Well, this old chest wound of mine's still killin' me," He started, rubbing that area.
"So, I guess we're starting with some basic stealth."
Herrick looked up at the crates around him, thinking.
"Maybe some free-running as well..."
"Alright," Einin said with a shrug, ignoring the pang of guilt she felt at the mention of his wound. "I'm down. You're the teacher, so teach."
"Alright!"
Herrick crossed his arms behind his back, and started to take some steps towards her.
"What, in your opinion, is the key to stealth?"
Einin folded her own arms over her chest. "Patience and steadiness. Being aware of your surroundings. Keeping close to cover. Quietness. That what you mean?"
"That's right. But there's also something...how do I put it..."
He stopped just a few paces away from her.
"You can't just sneak. That's for amateurs. You have to stalk. When you're prowling around, you need to be a predator!" Herrick said, smacking his fist into his open palm.
"Makes sense," Einin said, holding her ground and forcing herself to focus only on the lesson at hand, forcing herself not to let her mind wander, though it was hard.
"Prey can be stealthy, too. You don't want to be the prey."
"Prey cannot sneak up on, or away from something it doesn't know is there. Which!"
Herrick shot a hand up.
"Leads us to our first exercise. I'm going to evaluate your skills as a predator. Here."
He pulled a dagger hilt from his belt, and held it out to Einin.
"This'll be your training weapon in the beginning."
Einin looked at the dagger, but didn't take it. Instead, she motioned to her own dagger, the ice one, sheathed at her thigh. "I have my own," she said, then paused.
"Unless its freezing properties are going to be a problem?"
"Uh-uh. Normally, I wouldn't mind, but I don't want to risk a live enchanted weapon."
He continued to hold up the dagger hilt.
[DERP. xD I TOTES MISSED THE "HILT" PART.]
"Oh! Right." Einin shook herself, as though she'd been momentarily distracted. Which, well, she had. Focusing on the task at hand and not recent events, when in the same room with him, was...trying. It was hard to just act normal. How could she?
Reaching out, she took the hilt from him. "Gotcha."
[LAWL I was like "SHIT EININ WHY YOU GOTTA MAKE THIS SO HARD DDDDD:]
Herrick returned his hand to his side, and nodded, as if to affirm himself on something. "So, this is to get a baseline of just how sneaky you are. You're going to leave the warehouse, come back inside, and you're going to try and hunt me. I'll have a dagger hilt just like yours."
Herrick cracked his neck.
"Any questions?"
"Nope," Einin said. "It's basically hide and go seek with daggers. Alright, do your thing."
And with that said, she turned and headed out of the warehouse.
"Alright. Two minutes, and then you can come back in."
He closed the warehouse doors behind her, and retreated into the loose maze of boxes.
Once outside, Einin waited. She wasn't sure if she waited a full two minutes, or over that amount, but she finally went to the warehouse doors and eased them open carefully.
Of course, she realized with a scowl, no matter how quiet she was, with the moon out it was brighter outdoors than it was in that warehouse. Herrick would notice the sliver of light the open door cast.
No matter. Crouching low, she slipped inside and quieted her mind as much as she could--a difficult task. Then she crept into the maze of crates, keeping to the darkest shadows and listening intently for the quietest of noises. She picked her way along, surprisingly quiet, her movements cautious but steady. She'd gone on stealth missions with the Shadow Wolves, so she wasn't going into this as blind as Herrick might believe.
Similarly to Einin, Herrick was prowling around. Not on the ground floor, though. But above, in the rafters. Perched between a sturdy support beam and the pitch black areas of the ceiling where the windows didn't shine, Herrick watched Einin, practically invisible in his black armor.
He noted that Einin had some previous experience. To be expected, given her hobby.
Unaware that Herrick was above her, and assuming he was on the ground like her, Einin continued on, crouch-walking among the crates and boxes. She made sure to stay aware of her surroundings, keeping close to the crates to shelter one side of her body while always checking to make sure of what was going on behind her.
classic amateur mistake...
Herrick began to silently move across the beams that ran across and along the ceiling, looking for a crate he could lower himself down onto. When he found one (a tall box a row to Einin's left, the side she kept pressed to the crates), he lowered himself down silently and went flat on his belly, so she wouldn't be able to see him from the ground.
Where the...? So far, she had seen no signs of Herrick.
Einin sucked in a quiet breath and let it out slowly, idly wondering if she was predator or prey right now. It was an unnerving though, even though it was a simulated hunt with no real stakes but pride, and real or not, she did not like lacking control. With a quick look around her, eyes scanning the boxes (but unfortunately unable to see the top of the box nearest to her), she crossed the aisle over to a new set of boxes to the right, and slipped behind them to check the corners she hadn't yet checked.
Herrick tracked her by the shadow she cast on the crates, and slipped down into the aisles. Herrick's hearing was sharper, more attuned than Einin's, and even though she couldn't hear him, he could hear her. He placed his back to a crate, out of Einin's sight cone, and listened.
Einin came to a stop among a pile of crates and paused to listen, ears straining. She cast her eyes up, scanning the tops of the crates and even the rafters, but still saw no sign of him, which was...kind of nerve-wracking. With no "prey" in her sight, she was starting to feel like the hunted one, and even if this were just a game, it was hitting way too close to home.
And so she settled in to wait a couple breaths, watching around her, and listening. Maybe if she stayed very still for a few moments, she'd hear something...
Herrick raised an eyebrow curiously. Einin wasn't moving anymore, which led Herrick to believe she was doing the same thing that he was. He considered giving her some bait. He didn't want to go too hard on her from the beginning.
He pushed against his crate slightly, and it creaked.
Something creaked nearby, and Einin's breath caught.
He was a lot closer than she'd thought! Just in the aisle next to hers, it sounded like.
Gripping her hilt tighter, she started to creep soundlessly toward the noise, and held her breath as she peeked around the corner.
Of course, Herrick wasn't there, but Herrick had given her a bead to follow.
At the end of the aisle, for the briefest moment, the very last glimpses of a shadow rounded the corner.
And follow that bread crumb Einin did!
Sort of.
Because when she saw the shadow round the corner at the end of the row of boxes, rather than follow it she turned in the opposite direction, hoping to cut Herrick off by coming around from the other end.
Unbeknownst to Einin, Herrick wasn't coming around that corner at all!
He pulled himself up on top of the crate at the end, silently slinking up the row of crates towards Einin.
He kept close watch on the corner, in case he needed to drop down from the crates to avoid being seen.
Einin stalked down the row of crates, slow but steady, placing her steps carefully so she moved silently.
And as she did, she watched the crates.
After all, she'd heard the noise coming from the crates, so she suspected he had been moving over them--ah.
Getting an idea, that it made sense not to just stick to the aisles, she lifted up carefully and climbed up onto one of the crates--and winced when it creaked.
Shit, shit, shit!
She lowered herself back down, and moved as fast as she could while still being silent, away from that crate and toward a different aisle.
It was Einin's moment of hesitation as she hedged on a crate that sealed her doom.
Herrick came straight out from her left, blindsiding her from between the crate she'd failed to mantle and the one next to it.
Of course, he didn't actually full-on blindside her. More like quickly stuck his arm straight out to jab her in the side with the dagger hilt.
"Gotcha."
Einin jumped when Herrick jabbed her, letting out a squeak of surprise as her heart leaped, and it was a good thing she caught sight of him, because her first impulse when surprised nowadays was to punch the thing that surprised her.
She huffed out a breath and let her shoulders slouch, winding back down.
"Fuck."
"Gotta admit, though. I'm impressed," Herrick said as he slunk out from between the crates to stand in front of Einin.
"You seem to have the basics down, though you could use some pointers. We'll save that until after I assess you, though. We're going to see how you fight without a weapon next. You looking forwards to hitting me?"
Einin answered him by cracking her knuckles and giving him a flat, "Yup," in response.
Only there was no humor in her expression as she said it, as there would have been before that fateful night.
"Good. You're gonna need that enthusiasm."
Herrick spun on his heels, and began walking towards the center of the warehouse, where there was a clearing meant for a loading area.
Einin followed him to the clearing, several paces behind him. Hand to hand combat was...not her strong point. Not at all. She always fought with a weapon of some sort!
So as much as she was looking forward this, she also had no illusions that she wasn't going to get her ass handed to her.
"Alright, see no reason to put this off any more," Herrick said, turning to face her. He placed his hands on his sides, and cracked his neck.
"Go on then. Give me a punch."
And yet, despite Einin's eagerness, she paused when Herrick said that.
"Uh." She blinked down at his hands, settled on his waist. "Just...punch you in the face? You're not gonna block?"
"Nobody said I wasn't going to defend myself, Einin."
Herrick smirked.
"Come on, hit me."
"Uh, alright, then," Einin said, and paused to crack her knuckles and stretch out her fingers.
Then, winding her arm back, she swung her hardest punch at him, aiming dead on at his nose.
...And deep inside, hoping she'd break it.
Of course, Herrick wasn't going to let her hit him.
He leaned back, just enough so her veritable haymaker would throw her off balance, and stepped to the side.
"Ooh, you almost had me there!" Herrick said, trying to provoke her as he smiled.
Indeed, Einin stumbled forward when she missed, but she recovered fast and swung back around, going for a hard right hook to his cheek.
Herrick ducked under the hook, hands still at his sides, and he put a bit of distance between them by stepping backwards a couple feet.
"Oi!" Einin gasped, and once again righted herself. It shouldn't be this hard just to whack a guy!
A little frustrated, because he hadn't even had to block her--he'd just danced away!--she grew emboldened. Alright, so maybe she'd been a little nervous to actually hit him, hurt and angry with him as she was, but the subtle mocking was melting that away fast.
When she came at him a third time, it was with both fists. She swung at him from the right, but that was just a feint as she came at him with her left fist, anticipating him dodging the first punch.
Herrick couldn't help but laugh, and he actually crossed his arms behind his back. Still, despite the smile he had on, he was all business. When Einin came in with her feint, Herrick danced backwards again, and avoided the second punch with a well-timed lean of his head.
That was when the frustration became too much.
After all, Herrick told her to hit him.
He didn't state any other rules.
Quite abruptly, Einin dropped down and swung her leg out in a sweeping kick, aiming to knock him off his feet.
Einin actually succeeded in causing Herrick to fumble his footwork. She'd been fisticuffs like an amateur so far, so it came as a bit of a surprise when she pulled this sweeping kick seemingly out of nowhere!
She caught his ankles as his other was coming down, and Herrick promptly slipped and fell onto his ass.
At first, he looked incredulous, before grinning at her.
"Impressive, Einin!"
Einin practically preened with delight as she rose back to her feet and dusted herself off. Rufus had taught her a number of things, like fighting dirty, and she tended to have more strength in her legs than in her upper body. Kicks she could do, but she lacked strength and confidence in punching, and so she always just felt awkward.
She brushed her hair back from her eyes and lifted her chin with a smirk. "I know."
"Let's go one more time. There's something I want to be sure of," Herrick said, and he kipped up.
"Same rules as before, Einin. Just try and hit me."
Something he wanted to be sure of? Einin blinked at that, but shook it off and fell back into a ready stance.
And then she came at him again, rushing toward him this time and swinging one punch at his face while following up with a jab toward his ribs.
This time, Herrick had his arms up, in a sort of loosely defensive stance.
Einin came at him with the punches, and again, he dodged backwards, ending up with a crate at his back. He pretended not to notice.
Einin saw the crate at his back, and she thought fast, deciding against blows to his face since he could still lean back and avoid those. Instead, she used that as a mere feint, swinging at his face even as she moved in fast to try to knee him in the groin, hoping the crate would block his retreat.
Herrick ducked under the punch moving to the side even as her knee came up. He raised his own knee, deflecting her strike from the side, and yet again put a bit of distance between them. He spoke, even though he didn't lower his guard.
"Just as I thought. You favor your legs. Not a bad way of doing things, but it can be dangerous if you rely too much on them to do damage."
"Dangerous? You mean like if someone grabs me and knocks me off balance?" Einin asked, and from the look on her face, it seemed she had confirmed something for herself--or rather, reminded herself of something. She'd been grabbed by the leg and thrown down before.
Still, Herrick's evasiveness was frustrating, and her frustration emboldened her--since it meant she'd have to try harder to land a hit! And so she paused a moment to size him up, bouncing lightly on her toes, before she lunged for him and stepped in close.
She stomped down, aiming for his toes, and swung a hard punch at his gut.
"Not even that."
Herrick slid his foot out of the way of Einin's stomp, and immediately deflected her punch with his forearm. At the same time, he raised his leg to deliver a swift kick to the side of Einin's exposed leg, aiming for the side of her knee.
"OW! Motherfuuuu--nngh!"
Einin crumpled as Herrick hit her just right, doubling over and balancing on one leg as she clamped her hands around her knee. That smarted like all hell, and she swore more like a sailor than a noblewoman as she soothed the pain away.
"Your legs are your weakest point. You can fight with a broken arm, but a sprained knee will take you out of commission. You need to learn how to fight with your fists!"
Herrick leaned against a crate.
"It's not about how hard you strike, it's about where. Having your own style helps too."
Einin was still rubbing her knee, which was still smarting something fierce, but she nodded at his words.
"Alright, so...tips? What am I doing wrong? And 'everything', while true, is not an answer!"
"Well, to begin with, your stance. I don't know who taught you to fight like that, but I know it must've been a man. You're a woman, you've got powerful legs. Own that, and favor stances that allow you to use them more efficiently."
Herrick stepped off the crate, and dropped into a loose stance, facing Einin from the side.
"You can get some great strait kicks from this stance," Herrick added, and threw up a high strait kick, getting an impressive angle, considering he was a man. After snapping the kick off, he hopped a few steps back, a motion that would prevent himself from being caught exposed.
"Like that."
He squatted down in front of Einin, thinking.
"Your punches, although confident, need to change as well. You're slugging, and whoever taught you to slug didn't know what he was doing. Here, give me your hand."
Einin watched Herrick and filed away the information as she knelt there, massaging away the ache.
"Well...I haven't been taught much hand to hand. A little, but I've mostly been focused on my swordplay," she admitted, and held out her hand to him.
"Swordplay and fisticuffs are two very interchangeable subjects. Later on I'm going to teach you what I call "street fencing". It's a mix of brawling and sword fighting. But I'm getting a head of myself. Your punches..."
Herrick balled Einin's hand into a fist, and studied it.
"You've got pronounced knuckles, which is good for you. Your problem is that you're trying to slug me in the face and gut. You're fighting like a man, but the problem is, you aren't, catch my drift? With knuckles like these, it's better to aim for the throat, or the sensitive spots. You want to take a man out? You give him a quick one right under the ribs. If you aim it well enough, you can even get some damage in between the ribs."
"We'll have to practice this some more," Einin said, finally pulling her hand away from him. "What you say makes sense, but I think another problem is I'm not yet fast enough, because I don't feel confident enough. You're really tall, Herrick, so it's a little awkward even trying to reach your face."
Rolling her shoulders, she rose to her feet and tested her leg. She was fine, though her knee was sore and would have an impressive bruise later. "That, and I guess I feel exposed. It's one thing to have a blade between me and the other person. I can feel larger than I am when I have a sword. It's...more than a little intimidating when it's just my fists against someone twice my size."
She frowned. "Whiiiich...I realize is something I have to get used to. Most men are gonna be bigger than me."
"Precisely. Which is why I'm telling you to avoid the face and chest. Aim for the sides, and aim for the legs. If you catch someone out of position with one of their legs, you can easily break a bone with a good stomp to the lower leg, or even the knee if you get lucky. Great way to incapacitate someone."
Herrick stood up from his squat, and looked around.
"I guess free-running's next. That's an important skill you can't do without. Agile girl like yourself, you shouldn't have a problem picking it up. You feel up for it?"
"I suppose we'll find out," Einin said with a nod. "The only way to know is to do it, right?"
"Alright. So, you're going to do three things for me. The first one is climbing up on top of a box at the end of one aisle, free-running down the row of boxes, jumping across to the next row, and coming back. Then, you're going to this box right here--" Herrick motioned to a tall crate next to him. "--and do twenty deadlift pull-ups. Third and final task is navigating your way up to the catwalks above using only the boxes."
He crossed his arms.
"Clear?"
"...Clear," Einin answered after a long pause, drawing her eyes back down from the catwalk and to Herrick.
"Er...you wanna demonstrate all that first?"
"Showing you how it's done sort of defeats the purpose of an assessment. Go on!" Herrick urged, and he nudged her with an elbow.
"I'll be timing you!"
"What? Seriously? You want me to break my neck the first time through this! Jeez, no pressure or anything..." Einin grumped, but she broke out into a run even as she said it, vaulted up onto a box, and started to bolt down the line of boxes.
Of course, it was easier said than done. Some of the boxes were solid, but some were crates with gaps in them, and some were older and more rickety than others. They creaked beneath her boots and as she approached a crate, she hopped over it rather than risk stepping on it--and when she landed, the force of her landing send her boot crunching straight through the box she landed on.
"FUCK! Don't time this one!"
Herrick nodded.
"Alright, alright. Try to keep a good pace, though. And don't try and skip boxes, like you just did. That's just dangerous."
Einin pulled herself back up, and grabbed her leg to yank her foot out of the hole she'd created. Checking quickly to be sure she was unscathed, she quickly got her bearings and continued on her way--albeit more cautiously.
Once she got to the end, she took a running leap to the other side, landed hard on both feet, bending her knees to absorb the impact as her hands flew down to the box for balance, and then she righted herself and sprinted back down the row. Despite that initial flub, she was a quick learner, and quite light, quick, and steady on her feet with a good sense of balance. She'd gotten a lot of practice walking along precarious edges and climbing things, and she'd never been afraid of heights.
It was the pullups that were going to be the death of her.
She got to the crate, grabbed one of the wooden bars, and started hauling herself up, grunting. She had muscle in her arms, alright, and she was no weakling; she did pushups! But pullups were different, hauling her own body weight up from a different angle, and it wasn't long before she was sweating.
Herrick watched Einin navigate the crates quite nimbly. Apart from that first mistake, (And in her defense, it was probably the only empty crate in this warehouse) she seemed to be doing pretty well.
Of course, these boxes were no substitute for rooftops, but baby steps were baby steps.
She began doing the pull ups, and Herrick observed her keenly. He frowned, and began speaking harshly.
"Come on! How the hell do you expect to pull yourself onto a rooftop with pull-ups like those? Get the lead out!"
"WELL! Usually--when I pull myself up, oof, a roof," Einin snapped between panted breaths. "I don't do it--nngh!--twenty times in a row!"
"Doesn't matter!"
Herrick leaned against the crate.
"I'm going to make a building climbing machine outta you, Einin. When I'm through, you'll be navigating the rooftops like sidewalks."
"Arrrrrgh!" Einin groaned, her arms trembling as, sixteen pullups in, she was really starting to struggle. "If I don't blow my biceps out first!"
"Come on, Einin..."
Herrick leaned in.
"I know you can do it!"
Just four more!
Einin heaved herself up, not answering Herrick, because she needed to spare her breath for this. Her arms shook, her shoulders screamed, her muscles burned--and though she barely managed that last one, not even bothering to get her chin all the way over the "bar", she still did twenty.
And the instant she finished it, she let go and dropped down. "DONE."
"That was pretty good. Now get to climbing. You still gotta do the third task," Herrick said with a grin.
"Or do you need to take five? If you're not feeling able to climb, let me know."
...Dammit.
"I forgot about that," Einin groaned, and shook out her arms and shrugged her shoulders, working out the muscles. "I'm fine. I can suck it up long enough to do it."
She wasn't about to be called weak! And so with that said, she turned and started to climb up the boxes, ignoring the burn in her muscles.
"Alright. Be careful, Einin."
Even as she began climbing (It'd take some work and a bit of climbing and jumping to take the correct path through and above the boxes), Herrick followed closely from the ground, ready to spring to action if anything happened.
Weaving between boxes, climbing onto another, and hopping from one to the next, Einin seemed to be doing alright. It was obvious that she was tired, though, since she was moving more slowly and stiffly.
Finally, she climbed atop a tall crate and balanced carefully as she looked upward to find a good spot to grab on. It was rather high for her, so after a pause and a quick glance at her feet to check their positioning, she bent and jumped straight up, grabbing the edge of a support beam.
Despite her obviously tired state, Herrick noted Einin's sheer drive to continue. Silently, he was fretting, wanting to pace back and forth with the stress of watching her.
Gods, what if she slipped!?
He stood under her, ever at the ready, looking up with concerned eyes.
But she didn't slip. Einin struggled, because her arms felt like water, but she managed to kick and grunt and haul herself up onto the beam, and when she was up there she turned and hugged it with her arms and legs for a moment as she caught her breath.
"Oi...was that it?"
Herrick glanced to the catwalks, which were situated under the beams a good ten feet's crawl away.
"Yeah. That's it. You can come on down from there now."
As soon as he said the magic words, Einin swung down from the beam and dropped onto the top crate and into a crouch. Then she began to climb back down from there, taking her time.
"I guess doing all this while still kinda hungover wasn't really the best plan," she said as she went.
"Not really. Buuuut, it keeps you sharp!" Herrick said, and sat down against a nearby crate. He groaned, and stretched his back.
"Let's take five."
"Sounds good," Einin said with a nod. She decided against climbing down all the way, and decided to stay perched up on a high box instead.
There sat down on it, legs dangling over the side, and leaned back on her hands. And soon she fell quiet, not really sure what to say as she stared out across the warehouse.
After a minute spent in silence, Herrick sighed. He looked like he had something on his mind, and there were very few possibilities as to what it could be.
He looked up at Einin.
"We need to talk."
And there it was.
Einin twitched, her muscles tensing, and she began to thump the backs of her heels against the box she sat atop to a slow, rhythmic beat. She was quiet a moment, her stomach clenching as the knot of anxiety within it tightened.
"Then talk," she finally said when she could speak past the lump in her throat.
Herrick winced.
He knew he had to be the one to bring it up, but fucking hell, somebody had to.
"Listen, I...I just want to make it clear. Set things straight. Last night, I...I never wanted for that to happen, Einin. I just want to get that across. I was irresponsible, we were both wasted, and I made a terrible fucking decision...I..."
His words failed him, and he just sort of sat there, obviously searching for the words to continued.He was anxious as well, visible in that he began fiddling with his bracers again.
Einin closed her eyes and turned her head away from Herrick, toward one of the warehouse walls. She had to pause to take in some deep breaths past the tightness in her chest, the building anxiety, because she had been trying hard not to remember last night. Now all the feelings of violation and filthiness and betrayal were pouring back in and making it hard to breathe.
Pulling her legs up, she folded them to sit cross-legged and clasped her hands in her lap to keep from curling them into fists.
"You didn't tell me what it did," she finally ground out. "If I...if I knew it..." She swallowed and took another breath. "If I knew it made you...feel like that...I wouldn't have drank it at all. Holy fuck, Herrick. What made you think I wanted to fuck you? I trusted you and you drugged me, I..."
She stopped and blinked back tears, hands trembling.
"You think I wanted to fuck you either? No, I didn't! And Ripple's not even a drug, either. I was drunk, just talking out of my ass. Do you think you're the only one who feels terrible, Einin? I feel like fucking scum. I feel like I could just step off a rooftop and break my skull on the ground, and nobody would care. Einin..."
Herrick laid his hands flat on his knees to keep himself from fiddling with them anymore.
"We're friends, Einin. We've been through so much already, and we're going to go through so much more. I would never drug you."
Einin raked her hands through her hair and lightly tugged at the strands, staring up at the beams above her head. "You still didn't tell me what it did," she snapped, and wiped away tears that were quickly replaced by more. "You didn't tell me until I already drank it, that it...that it made your body all...sensitive." She drew in another slow, shuddering breath. "If I knew, I wouldn't have drank it at all."
Turning her face away from him, she balled her hands into the fabric of her pant leg and struggled to stay calm, struggled to find her words, but it was hard. "You told me I wouldn't lose myself. You said it'd be safe. And then you sprang that on me. I don't like surprises. I don't like losing control. I don't--I don't even fucking know."
Despite her best efforts, she was crying, but she stubbornly choked back the sobs, not quite sure how to articulate her feelings.
"It's fucking terrifying, okay?"
"I know it must be scary for you. Believe me, I know... But I already told you, Einin. It doesn't do anything. Being sensitive and crazy, that's all just being drunk. Listen, I...It..."
He shook his head, not quite knowing how to speak to anybody about this, let alone Einin.
"Fuck, I...I'm so sorry...Believe me, I-I didn't want any of that to happen. None of it."
Einin finally looked at Herrick, wiping stubbornly at the tears that still kept coming. "I believe you," she finally said, voice choked with the effort it took not to break down completely. "That doesn't mean I'm okay with any of it."
Looking away again, she rubbed at her eyes. "I trusted you, because I thought you could control yourself."
Herrick didn't have a reply for that, at least...not immediately. He nodded, and a single tear rolled down his face. He was quick to wipe it away, and he stood up.
"I...I did too. And it's going to haunt me for a while, but..."
He sucked back some more tears, and combed his hair back with his fingers. He tried to smile at her, to try and put up a stable front.
It was obvious he was anything but stable at the moment.
"Let's just try and...well...put it behind us. Okay?"
"Put it behind me?" Einin repeated incredulously, and let out a hoarse laugh that had no humor in it. "Seriously?"
"Okay, well maybe not like that, but...Gods, you know what? I think this is a good place to stop. I'm probably about to make things worse again," Herrick said.
"Probably a good idea," Einin said, raking her hands through her bangs again and tugging at the ends in an effort to relieve the pressure building in her temples.
"Was that it for tonight?"
Herrick leaned against a crate, crossing his arms as he looked up at her.
"I, uh... had another thing in mind, but if you want to stop for tonight, we can just head home."
"What did you have in mind?" Einin asked, still not looking at him.
"Nothing too major, just sprinting among the boxes," Herrick said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Ah," Einin said, and shrugged her shoulders. "In that case, I think I'm done for the night."
Not done physically so much as just...emotionally. She felt utterly drained, and her hangover probably didn't help. Though the headache chipping away at her temples has little to do with strong liquor; that was new.
Herrick nodded, and motioned towards himself.
"Let's go, then. I gotta lock this place back up."
He didn't know if this night helped relieve some of the stress or not. Still, even if it wasn't the most pleasant conversation, the most important thing to him is that Einin knew their mistake was an accident.
The last thing he wanted was for her to hate him.
Einin didn't need to be told twice.
As soon as Herrick said the words, she hopped down from the crate she was perched upon and without a look his way, she slipped out the door and into the night.
He knew the way back.
And she just needed to get home and pass out for a while.
Herrick watched Einin go, and once she was out of sight, he turned to lock the warehouse back up. It was simple enough, really. About as simple as breaking in to begin with.
Testing the lock one more time, just to be sure, he turned to head back to Einin's estate.
Einin didn't wait for Herrick to catch up. She made a beeline home, sneaked back in the way she escaped, and climbed through her window and into bed. She only removed her boots before she flopped atop her covers, but otherwise remained in her training clothes.
Herrick couldn't be too far behind, and she didn't want to change while he had a chance of walking in on her. The thought had been mortifying before, but carried with it a new sort of stomach-clenching anxiety she didn't know how to place.
Herrick was in a couple minutes after her. He didn't long in the room, just long enough to close the window. After that, he was climbing the ladder up into the attic, pulling his hood back so it wasn't in his eyes.
He opened the trap door, and pulled himself up.
"Good night."
He closed the trap door behind him.
Einin said nothing to Herrick, and waited for a few minutes after he'd ascended into the basement before she changed into her nightclothes and stashed her training clothes. When all that was taken care of, she curled back under the covers, but it was still a while before she fell into a restless sleep.
Once more, Herrick walked over to the attic window, staring out to the rear gardens of Einin's estate. If the window had a hatch, he'd open it. Perhaps lie in the wide sill, feel the night air.
He didn't know how long he looked out over the gardens, but when he was done, he didn't even bother going to bed.
He sat against the wall, beneath the window, and quietly sobbed himself to sleep.