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Chapter 31: The Home Stretch
🕑 Added 2021-11-18 02:46:13 +0000 UTCRowan and Seres were enjoying a nice quiet midday meal with Kelsi on the second day when they received news that the Dusk and Twilight Officers had arrived. Those weren't the exact words that the servant had used but it was close enough.
Instead of getting off on the wrong foot by leaving them hanging, Rowan and Seres agreed to invite them in immediately. They were soon greeted by a taller, somewhat statuesque woman with pretty features, a stern expression, and raven black hair with midnight blue highlights, along with a surprisingly average gentleman with a mischievous grin and blonde hair that almost seemed to blush.
They were both very clearly human without even a hint of Ferran ancestry, nor did they have the incredibly rare hallmarks of a Kairosi or Miriel ancestor. The woman was also incredibly pretty and the man was rather cute. He was also the first one to speak.
"Hold me Liadra, I think I must be dying. There's no other explanation for the three rising beauties that I see before me." He then took to one knee and bowed dramatically before Seres. "Forgive me, Your Highness, for I have been brought low by your radiant visage and alongside your most lovely companions."
Rowan was having second thoughts on him being cute. If anything, he was a bit much. That didn't stop Kelsi from steaming up and fainting.
The woman seemed to agree that he was a bit much as she slapped him curtly across the back of the head. He of course objected, but she just ignored him and spoke to Seres directly. "Forgive my partner, Your Highness," she said. "He's a fool that likes to think he's charming. Forgive my rudeness as well for not introducing myself sooner. My name is Liadra, Junior Lieutenant of Dusk and this is Twilight Operator Lochlan."
Liadra then turned to greet Rowan. "You must be Flame Lady Rowan. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance and I look forward to working with you. Her Majesty has provided us…"
It looked like she wasn't going to be much fun based on the way she spoke.
"…so we have an idea of how we can best…"
Out of nowhere, Lochlan pointed dramatically in a seemingly random direction and practically shouted, "Liadra! Look, a mandra!"
Instead of taking it in her stride like Rowan expected, Liadra cried, "Where?" with girlish glee as her previous train of thought fizzled. When she realised that there wasn't an adorably fuzzy and incredibly dangerous bear-like animal in the room, Liadra turned crimson and tried to hide her embarrassment behind her hands.
"I'm so sorry," she practically cried. "Please forget that ever happened."
And just like that, Rowan's impression of Liadra did a complete two-seventy and a few random forty-fives. Lochlan, on the other hand, followed a less chaotic path in that the only thing he had subverted was his cute face.
Still, she and Seres spent the time getting to know them at least a little while Kelsi recovered. They were going to take a fair bit of getting used to, especially if they were going to be travelling together. There was also the issue that Rowan needed to be confident that she could trust them which was no easy task. As it was, she only trusted them to not harm Rowan, but that alone didn't really warrant their presence. What she really needed was to know that they could protect her as well, but that was something that she could only really learn through sparring. She still had an idea for how she could at least establish a group dynamic.
When Kelsi eventually recovered, she left so that she could work on her studies without fear of Lochlan giving her an aneurysm from all of the blushing. With her no longer in the room, they could get down to more serious conversation such as working out what the two new additions were capable of and what skills they were meant to contribute. Rowan took charge of the conversation the moment that Kelsi left the room.
"Okay, I don't want to be rude, but I think we need to talk about what we can all do and how we can work together. If we ignore this, we'll just stumble over each other as soon as we get in a fight should one arise and that'll just get someone killed. Before we continue, however, I want to see your genuine selves. A mask is all well and good, especially considering your positions in the military, but we need to work together and I'd rather do it as friends."
Lochlan looked wistfully at Rowan as she finished her speech. "Liadra," he sighed, "I think I've fallen in love for the second time in as many hours. To whom should I direct my affections?"
"You should get your mind out of the gutter and behave," said Liadra before she returned to the matter at hand. "As I said before, I'm a member of Dusk and I specialise in protecting VIPs from the shadows and dealing with internal threats quietly or with diplomacy and social maneuvering. I'm sure I don't need to explain the implications behind dealing with things quietly?"
"You're an assassin?" Seres guessed quietly.
"Not exactly. At least not all of the time. We tend to be more of a targeted strike force whenever we're sent on the attack. One of my senior officers was responsible for dealing a crippling blow to the raiders by eliminating several members of their high command."
"Impressive," Rowan admitted, "but it doesn't tell me much. Are you any good in a fight? What weapons do you prefer? What can you do outside of combat?"
"Well as I said, I have some training as a bodyguard and I typically fight solo or in small teams like this one. I mostly use short blades and razor shields up close or a bow at range. If need be I'll also use paralytics and tranquilliser venous. As for outside of combat, I'm skilled at hunting and navigation. My Gift is that of the Predator for reference."
"She's also great at finding great bars," Lochlan interrupted.
"Shut up, Lochlan!" Liadra cried.
"I don't think I will. It's my time to talk. Before I tell you completely divine ladies about myself, there is one last thing that needs to be said about Liadra."
Liadra went from composed to visibly terrified when Lochlan said that so Rowan just had to inquire. "Go on," she said.
"Well if she ever volunteers to cook, don't let her."
"Why not?"
"Because every meal that she's ever made with me around has been impossibly bland."
"My food is jam packed with nutrients I'll have you know," Liadra objected.
"And I've had field rations that taste better."
The more Lochlan spoke, the harder it was for Rowan to get a read on him. Even so, he had managed to highlight one skill flawlessly and that was his ability to get a rise out of Liadra. Thanks to him, Rowan was getting a reasonable idea of what Liadra was like deep down, and she knew that Seres was doing her own quiet analysis as well.
The back and forth between two officers continued until Rowan was forced to interject. "This is all well and good, but it's not going anywhere and we still have a lot to get through."
Liadra just stopped talking, but Lochlan sighed dramatically. "Truly, you have my deepest apologies," he said with a touch of panache. "Let's see what I can do to answer your questions. As a Twilight Operator I specialise in information, be it acquisition or taking advantage of it, and people. The two go hand in hand really. Traditional combat isn't exactly my forte unfortunately, but I do have the standard army training as well as dedicated self defence, particularly in hand to hand. You never know when a tavern brawl might break out. Speaking of which, I can smooth any issues like that should they arise without the need to pull rank. It helps avoid too much attention, though I doubt that will be possible when we have an Ardent, a princess, and my dear cousin here."
Rowan would never have guessed it from their appearance, but it made sense considering their interactions. They had been far too familiar with each other to just be army buddies, especially considering their differing branches and apparent ages. There were still a few more questions that Rowan was left with, however.
"So, what else can you do, and what is your Gift?"
"Well I'm an excellent cook and I can haggle most merchants to within an inch of their abacus. As for my Gift, I think that'd reveal a bit much, don't you think?"
Seres interjected almost immediately with a sardonic grin as she said, "He's a Cryptic."
Lochlan gave absolutely no hint that Seres' theory was correct, but the poorly veiled laugh from Liadra, along with all the context clues, was confirmation enough.
Rowan waited for things to calm down a little before she started speaking again. Once it had, she started with, "Thank you both for your cooperation. As for a basic overview of what I can do, I'm an Ardent who primarily uses a sword in a very fluid style…"
Rowan went over what she could do in and out of combat in relatively simple terms. She then let Seres decide on what she wanted to tell them about her own abilities. In the end she opted to tell them as much as she could. There was no point in taking the risk of surprising either of them.
When that was done, it was time for them to formulate some tactics. It was agreed immediately that at least one of them would need to stay with Seres at all times if they could help it. Rowan also made the executive decision that only she and Liadra could act as Seres' sole guard should the situation arise and in Liadra's case, only for a short time.
As an extension of this matter it was decided that they would only ever split the group up into two subdivisions except in emergencies. That left the possible teams as Rowan/Seres - Liadra/Lochlan, Liadra/Seres - Rowan/Lochlan, Rowan/Liadra/Seres - Lochlan, etc. Six combinations in total. Finally they had to agree on their basic combat strategy. Lochlan and Liadra would be there to guard Seresand make sure that no-one got near her. Meanwhile, Seres would use her crystals as needed while Rowan cleaned house. Hopefully, they'd never need to put their strategy to the test.
Once the serious talk was done, they fell back on the significantly more relaxed and casual activity of playing games. It quickly became obvious that the two additions to the party would create a very different gaming dynamic.
*****
By the third day, the storm was a distant memory. Without the looming threat of torrential rain, Rowan and Seres could look to their departure from Feldran. Rowan wanted to leave immediately, but Seres tempered her excitement by reminding her that they still had things left that they needed to prepare. Fortunately, most of it was being handled by Duke Kamran's staff, such as supplies for four people and horses for Lochlan and Liadra.
There were still some things, however, that the staff couldn't do or that, more accurately, required a personal touch. For that sole reason, the two girls went shopping with Lochlan in tow. The fact that they were bored stiff waiting for everything to be prepared didn't play into their decision at all. Not one bit.
The air was crisp and fresh as they stepped out of the keep. It was a welcome change to the bleak, stormy weather that had kept them inside for two full days. They could even see the cool blue sky, though they were also quickly reminded that winter was almost upon them by the glittering frost and cold breeze. Neither of the girls had dressed, or even packed for the weather, and Lochlan had been too busy complimenting them to suggest that they try on something warmer.
Fortunately, their boots were up to the task of navigating the cold, muddy, post-storm city streets. It helped that the city infrastructure included good drainage and that there were workers washing away the mud and dirt from the pavements and cobbled streets.
In light of the weather, they decided to stop by a tailor first so that they could stock up on some winter clothing. It took a little bit of time to find a suitable store as they needed clothes that were ready to go and properly sized while maintaining their image.
Satisfying one, or even two of those conditions was relatively easy. All three together was another matter entirely. Unfortunately, they couldn't or weren't willing to pass up on any of their requirements. Time was a no brainer, as was the clothes being close enough in size. Then there was the issue of image. Some might consider it to be less important, but appearance mattered when it came to making an impression and the girls had also been forced to wear little more than rags for years; they were not passing up the opportunity to look good.
In the end, it was Rowan and her rather awkward size that made things difficult. She was tiny by human standards, not even being five feet tall, but she was on the tall side for a Ferran. It wasn’t an issue when things were being tailored specifically for her, but her size was far from standard.
Eventually, however, they managed to find a store that met their requirements. It took a fair bit of time and asking around, but having Lochlan around certainly helped. The store was called 'The Silver Thread' and they found it in a weirdly out of the way part of the city's upper district. It was also so nondescript on the outside that it actually stood out.
The inside, however, was a completely different story. Rowan and Seres were treated to a mannequin menagerie of autumnal red and forest green framed in polished mahogany. Their eyes were filled with wonder and a desire to purchase everything and Lochlan was not helping. In fact, he was doing the complete opposite by highlighting clothes that he thought they would look particularly fetching in. To make matters worse, Rowan was inclined to agree with him.
Their jaw-dropping stupor was interrupted when someone, either the tailor or an assistant, approached and greeted them. She gave them a warm, healthy smile and said, "Hello, how can I help?"
Lochlan stepped in with the initiative and responded with, "My charges here are in need of some clothing more suitable for the autumn frost of today and the winter chills of tomorrow. We were directed here because of the excellent quality and a fully realised line of clothing designed for half-bloods. I'm sure my charges will be delighted if you could pick out some choice items for their perusal."
"Yes, of course." The woman maintained her composed customer service attitude almost perfectly in the face of Lochlan's flowery address. Her smile did get a little bit bigger as she turned to find some clothes, however.
In the end, they purchased several pairs of soft, wool lined leggings, some woolen skirts and tunics, linen undershirts, cotton shirts, thick wooly socks, vest coats, and new winter cloaks. All in all, it was probably enough to make Lochlan wince at the cost and the woman serving them very happy. The clothes were all packed into canvas bags and then divided between Rowan and Lochlan.
The next port of call came in the form of Resonance Crystals which presented the complete opposite problem to the clothing issue in that there was too much choice. They ended up simplifying their decision by asking everyone which was the best store in town. People gave different answers of course, but it narrowed it down significantly and it kept their options open in case their first choice was missing something.
Seres went through three different stores to find the best, most efficient crystals available. She started with fire, ice, growth, light and gravity to improve her existing toolkit. Then she looked at expanding it with some recommendations from Rowan. The first ones to be added were lightning, wind and water. Rowan suggested a thermoregulator as well, but Seres wasn't sure how useful it would be in combat so she settled for a smaller one for utility.
The next thing that Rowan suggested were crystals like growth ones. She called them shaping crystals as they took a pre-existing base and encouraged it to "grow" and adopt a certain shape. Earth and rock were the clear choices with how abundant they were as a base, but Seres could see the combat utility of glass as well so she got all three.
Finally, she chose a nice round magnetism crystal. In a sense it was the most valuable crystal of the lot based on its defensive potential and it was ridiculously cheap as well because most people found actual magnets to be more practical. They were right of course, but only because they needed an array to get comparable value.
When they left, Seres carried the bags filled with Resonance Crystals and they set a course for their next destination, a bookstore. As an item on their itinerary, it served a very different purpose to the others as it was a largely personal venture. That is to say that Rowan was there to buy a present for her brother. Ideally she would have done it back in Midiris, and she would have if she hadn't accidentally forgotten.
Unfortunately it wasn't exactly something she'd needed to think about so it kind of slipped her mind. If it hadn’t been for the weather reminding her that it was almost winter, she might have forgotten entirely. Thankfully that hadn’t happened and she was able to buy him "An Account on Rueni Expansion" by Forum Elkaan.
Then it was off to the Messenger's Guild to arrange for it to be delivered along with a letter for Alena to tell her that she enjoyed her present. And like that, they had nothing left to do other than head back to the keep.
Around halfway, Rowan was reminded of the floating rocks of doom as one of them almost crushed Lochlan. If it hadn’t been for some smaller chunks falling off first, Rowan might not have been able to react in time to save him. Thankfully, that hadn't been the case and Rowan was able to yank him away just in time. On the flipside, he would need to worry about the whiplash from being thrown across a large square by an Ardent.
"Damn that hurt," he said as he walked back, rubbing his neck
Apart from the cries of horror and screaming that followed a human size boulder falling from the sky, the rest of the journey back was largely uneventful. The only thing to do after that was make sure that everything was packed and ready to go. Part of that included the girls getting changed into their new clothes, and the feeling of the soft lamb's wool was simply divine.
With that done, it was finally time to say goodbye and leave. Kelsi took it surprisingly well, though Rowan imagined the promise that they would come visit again some other time probably helped. Lord Kamran on the other hand was significantly harder to say goodbye to and not because he was emotional or anything like that. Rather it was because he was stood on top of a tower without any standard access and keeping watch over the city. In the end, they had to settle with shouting their farewells from atop the battlements. In return, he gave them a somber salute.
When they climbed back down, Liadra and Lochlan were already on their horses, ready to leave. Rowan and Seres mounted as well and the four of them started the final leg of their journey.
*****
They arrived at the small trade settlement on the northern side of Lake Emyr just after lunchtime the next day. Rowan and Seres stopped by a small tavern to eat while Lochlan and Liadra went looking for someone that would be willing to ferry them and six horses across to Næmyris on a Day of Rest.
There was no guarantee, however. Their requirements made it particularly difficult, as the law gave every worker the right to take at least one of the two monthly Days of Rest as holidays except in emergencies and neither Rowan or Seres would pull rank to deny someone of that. If all the ferriers with boats capable of moving horses were taking the day off, they would need to wait. Thankfully, they didn't need to worry about it.
Liadra returned after around an hour with news that they had found someone, but it was going to be expensive and Lochlan was trying to haggle the price down. Not wanting to delay, Rowan and Seres drained what remained of their drinks and left money for their tab as they rushed out.
Halfway to the docks, Rowan slapped herself in the face after realising she had accidentally paid in silver instead of bronze. She'd need to be careful in the future, even if she could spare the money. It would have been problematic if she had accidentally paid in gold, after all.
Speaking of which, the ferrier was asking for exactly that, four gold specifically with a one gold surcharge if they shat all over his deck. Lochlan managed to get it down to three gold up front and a two gold shit charge. The ferrier was still clearly cheating them, even an idiot could see that, but it was clear to see why. All he would really lose if his gambit failed was the chance that they wouldn't choose him tomorrow if they decided they weren't desperate enough to wait. On the other hand, he had a chance to earn what he'd probably make in a particularly busy month in a single two-three day round trip. He could even get a little extra by ferrying people back.
Rowan decided that she didn't want to wait and Seres gave no arguments to the contrary so they reluctantly paid and led the horses onto his leaky barge. It certainly lacked the raw style and panache of The Wind Rose. It even fell short of the travel barge that she had taken with her father to and from Tærin City all those years ago. That didn't stop it from functioning, however, so Rowan held back her complaints.
After the first couple of hours it became eminently clear why Liadra hadn't joined the navy as her face turned green and she threw up over the side of the barge.
"How is this enough to make someone seasick?" Rowan remarked in amazement.
"For as stern as her heart is, her stomach is unfortunately lacking. I thought I made that clear enough when I said how awful her cooking was."
"Can't you be serious for once?" Seres said, lambasting him. Meanwhile Rowan just gave him a look.
"If I was serious all the time, people wouldn't trust me," Lochlan answered.
"What?" Seres replied flatly.
"I'm a spy, Princess. I get information from people trusting me and letting down their guard. If I was your stereotypical Cryptic, I'd be better off wearing a sign telling people what I am. It's why Stoic Cryptics make awful spies. On the other hand, they make excellent information brokers. There is another reason for the way I behave, however, and that's because it makes people smile."
"I really hope you're bullshitting us," Rowan laughed, "because that last part makes you sound like a good person."
Seres actually snorted as Lochlan grabbed his chest and gave Rowan the most exaggerated and pained expression imaginable as he said, "You wound me!"
"Yeah, yeah. You didn't give us a proper answer as to why Liadra's sick. You travelled by boat to catch up to us didn't you?"
"Why do you think we were late? She was sick every step of the journey. Don't ask her to swim either, she hates it."
"You really do care about her, don't you?" Seres asked.
"She's family," he shrugged. "Now please excuse me while I go make sure she doesn't faint and fall overboard."
Rowan took back her assumption that Lochlan was simple. That conversation proved he was anything but simple. She still wasn’t sure exactly what, and she might never know considering his Gift, but it was a start.
*****
The barge carried on throughout the night and Rowan caught her first glimpses of Næmyris as the sun rose. It filled her with glee to see it so close. Even though it was still a few miles away, Rowan felt like she could almost touch it.
As they got closer, it was clear that something was different about the town. There was a large lakeside memorial. Rowan couldn’t see the details, but she understood its purpose. The ferrier took his hat off and held it to his chest at the sight of it. Rowan could even see a tear in his eyes, a stark contrast from how he had been the day before.
"Did you lose people during the eclipse as well?" Rowan asked.
"My grandson and daughter in law," the old man replied, his voice clearly pained. "He was just a wee blighter. My son took his own life not long after."
"I'm so sorry," Rowan almost cried.
"Don't be, lass. There's nothin' ye could a done about it. I'm guessin' from ye words that ye lost people too?"
"I was there when it happened. They killed my mother and captured me. I only just escaped."
"I heard some rumours of that nature. Somethin' bout the Princess and her giving out lots of money to some people. Explains the gold. Take two of it back, lass. It's the least I can do."
"Thank you."
"Just don't let it get too cozy. It'll be out in a hair when the time comes to pay the shit charge."
"I'm sure they're behaving."
"Trust me lass, I've never met a horse that would pass on the chance to shit all over a boat. Happens all the time."
"I'll take your word on it."
Rowan actually took his warning to heart all because of Nami. She would do it just because she heard it costs extra. Lo and behold, she was looking particularly smug as Rowan led her out of the hold and handed over the gold. Then she took a deep breath.
She was home.
