[Sorry this took so long!]
"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" Caelwyn's cry came over the slamming of books and the rustle of excessive paper. "I need those, Serling! Gods be damned!"
"You can't take a whole library on a research expedition! It would be too much to carry!"
"The hell I can't!" Caelwyn continued to protest but made no move towards his colleague as Serling put everything back onto the armchair it was formerly piled on. It would all have to be transported back to the city library where they were on an extended loan to a Mr. Caelwyn Caye. He had studied every book he could on the subject of the Alcumini Totems, the enchanted stones lost to time and history, said to bring power, knowledge and wealth. It wasn't that Caelwyn wanted any of those things. It was purely for the academic pursuit of it. And the glory of finding them – if they even existed at all – would just be a nice bonus.
"You can't! Plain and simple! I swear, Caelwyn, you're the only man who'd try to bring his whole office and laboratory with him on an excursion that could very well take no more than three weeks, tops!" Serling argued. He shook his head at the fair-haired man before him. Caelwyn gave a sigh and shook his head as he stalked back towards his bags and took one book from the pile and shoved it into his knapsack.
"Can I take one book with me?" he growled, glaring up at the former schoolmate and director the expedition. Serling wasn't the most observant of men, but he was an affable and an avid learner in the study of lost and or reputably legendary artifacts. And he was good at plenty of unimportant stuff like organizing events, listing, cataloguing, and talking, all of which had little use in the practical world of cavern diving.
"ONE!" Serling growled and took the rest of them away toward the closet, dumping them in there. "Listen! Hurry up so we can get to the city outskirts before we depart! We have to meet with the guide and get the horses ready."
Caelwyn threw his bag over his shoulder before he did a double take to Serling and stared at him with wide eyes. "Wait! GUIDE!? What guide! You never told me you hired a guide! Well, it's going to be a shame to have to fire them so quickly and having only been on the job a single day. We don't need a guide. It's for the best! I know the way to the caves and having someone telling us which way is up down and sideways would just slow us down!"
"Well, that's just too damn bad, Caye. She's already hired and she's likely waiting for us now with all the time you're wasting!"
Caelwyn stared wide eyed at Serling for what must have been an eternity and the only thing to come out of his mouth was a loud, "SHE?!"
And with that, Serling threw a book at his head, which Caelwyn narrowly ducked.
----
The city of Marchwick wasn't a very large one, nor did it boast a very prestigious school. A community primarily consisting of outlying farms, it was a unifying village that eventually grew into the small city it was. It was relatively flat and an outpost for the trade of lumber and vegetables. But for now, it served as the most direct route between the expedition crew and their destination, a cave in the heart of the western mountains known only as Wander's Fall. True, it wasn't a very awe inspiring name, but it had been rumored to be the final resting place of many a lost wanderer. That wasn't the reason they were going, but Caelwyn had been certain that was the place.
It had to be. All the signs pointed to it! His determination and research was infallible. So one could understand the soured expression of bored disappointment apparent on his face when he arrived with his dapple grey mare. Serling came with his paint horse and their crew of 8 others on this expedition filed in behind them. Each one was rechecking their gear and then some and speaking as discreetly as they could behind Caelwyn's back.
He paid them no attention as he looked across to the Pale haired woman and her white horse and his expression only soured further. Look at her. All high n mighty on her steed, like she could find a mole on a mouse without even blinking, he thought to himself. Serling only cast him a glance and furrowed his brows at the expression his companion was making like he'd eaten some very bad clams.
"Fine. I'll go talk to our guide. You just behave! If we lose her, this expedition is over," Serling said and walked his horse over to the one that called herself Aemilia Florus.
"Well, this is all of us then," Serling address, flashing her a smile and bright grey eyes. "I suppose we should get started then. Though...erm, there was a little matter that we discussed, but perhaps I just wasn't paying attention. Your fee? You said you charged how much? And was it per day or per week or per mile?"
Caelwyn leaned on the mare's neck and watched Serling's sad attempt at diplomacy with no small ounce of satisfaction. He didn't know it, but he was smiling all the more for it.
