- Posts
- 14
(( 18 Firstfall 35 Dragon, Night, @Celeste Monroe ))
“Tell it to me one more time, Harmon.”
“I’m a traveling apothecary from Tantervale, but I’ve been on the road with my family since I was young. My family was killed by thieves and so I decided to hire a mercenary as a personal guard. I’ve decided I’m tired of traveling and I’m going to settle in Kirkwall to start a shop,” Harmon’s eyes lit up at that part, “and I’m going to -”
“You’re going to say nothing else.” June’s words were sharp, like a yank of the reins of a horse.
“Right, right.” Harmon nodded as he adjusted the crate strapped to his back. It jingled and clanked and rattled with all the little bottles and supplements stored within. The sound was convincing enough to him considering it was barely half full. That didn’t make his shoulders any less sore from the weight of it all, though. They’d spent weeks traveling, winding their way through the wilderness in June’s paranoid way of deterring any would-be followers.
Harmon looked over at her and felt that same twinkle of something from Hope in the back of his mind. Ever since she was assigned as his escort years ago he still couldn’t make heads nor tails of what exactly Hope felt about the woman. She stood perfectly still, solid like a tree, but there was a tenseness beneath the surface like a bow pulled taut. Any mage worth their salt would know that sallow, cold look in her eyes, but most people weren’t mages, and most people didn’t pay attention to June, not unless she wanted them to. Harmon had spent so much time paying attention to her that he knew exactly what was going on with her now.
Impatience. Not for the meeting, no. Not to get inside the city and finally have a soft bed to sleep in. She was hardier than that, built of the toughest stuff Harmon had ever seen. No, she was impatient because this was it. This was her plan all along, the plan she’d spent weeks, months, years coming up with - she’d never told him exactly how long it’d been, but he could guess all he wanted - and the past few months finally executing. An ex-Templar like her knew the value of a Spirit Healer, and she was about to deliver him to the place where he could do the most good. She’d sacrificed so much. She was almost done. So close. So tense. So impatient.
“I feel like we could embellish it more,” Harmon said to break the silence. “Throw in something more interesting, like a big bear or a dra-”
“Hush!” June’s eyes focused on a figure not too far away, one Harmon hadn’t picked up on as his imagination almost took him somewhere else. She took a cautious step forward, making sure to place herself slightly in front of Harmon. There was a little burst of joy from Hope at June’s little protective gesture, enough that Harmon let it warm and calm whatever anxious nerves his companion had tightened within him. They were going to be alright. June always made sure they’d be alright.
“All things in the world are finite,” June called out to the figure. Harmon gave her a questioning look, but it was a look that would remain unanswered as June waited for...something. She still looked calm and steady on the surface, a tree rooted to the sands of the coast. Waiting. Harmon knew that slightly turn of her heel, though, the way one shoulder was further back than the other and her head turned just enough so one ear was angled more towards her valuable little mage. The image of the bow came back to his mind, taut and creaking and ready to spring.
Harmon turned his questioning gaze to the newcomer. Whatever this was about, June had been stingy with the details. We’re going to Kirkwall. You’ll be useful there. It was all she ever told him whenever he asked. Now that he was standing with her just outside the city, he had to wonder what exactly she meant by useful.
“Tell it to me one more time, Harmon.”
“I’m a traveling apothecary from Tantervale, but I’ve been on the road with my family since I was young. My family was killed by thieves and so I decided to hire a mercenary as a personal guard. I’ve decided I’m tired of traveling and I’m going to settle in Kirkwall to start a shop,” Harmon’s eyes lit up at that part, “and I’m going to -”
“You’re going to say nothing else.” June’s words were sharp, like a yank of the reins of a horse.
“Right, right.” Harmon nodded as he adjusted the crate strapped to his back. It jingled and clanked and rattled with all the little bottles and supplements stored within. The sound was convincing enough to him considering it was barely half full. That didn’t make his shoulders any less sore from the weight of it all, though. They’d spent weeks traveling, winding their way through the wilderness in June’s paranoid way of deterring any would-be followers.
Harmon looked over at her and felt that same twinkle of something from Hope in the back of his mind. Ever since she was assigned as his escort years ago he still couldn’t make heads nor tails of what exactly Hope felt about the woman. She stood perfectly still, solid like a tree, but there was a tenseness beneath the surface like a bow pulled taut. Any mage worth their salt would know that sallow, cold look in her eyes, but most people weren’t mages, and most people didn’t pay attention to June, not unless she wanted them to. Harmon had spent so much time paying attention to her that he knew exactly what was going on with her now.
Impatience. Not for the meeting, no. Not to get inside the city and finally have a soft bed to sleep in. She was hardier than that, built of the toughest stuff Harmon had ever seen. No, she was impatient because this was it. This was her plan all along, the plan she’d spent weeks, months, years coming up with - she’d never told him exactly how long it’d been, but he could guess all he wanted - and the past few months finally executing. An ex-Templar like her knew the value of a Spirit Healer, and she was about to deliver him to the place where he could do the most good. She’d sacrificed so much. She was almost done. So close. So tense. So impatient.
“I feel like we could embellish it more,” Harmon said to break the silence. “Throw in something more interesting, like a big bear or a dra-”
“Hush!” June’s eyes focused on a figure not too far away, one Harmon hadn’t picked up on as his imagination almost took him somewhere else. She took a cautious step forward, making sure to place herself slightly in front of Harmon. There was a little burst of joy from Hope at June’s little protective gesture, enough that Harmon let it warm and calm whatever anxious nerves his companion had tightened within him. They were going to be alright. June always made sure they’d be alright.
“All things in the world are finite,” June called out to the figure. Harmon gave her a questioning look, but it was a look that would remain unanswered as June waited for...something. She still looked calm and steady on the surface, a tree rooted to the sands of the coast. Waiting. Harmon knew that slightly turn of her heel, though, the way one shoulder was further back than the other and her head turned just enough so one ear was angled more towards her valuable little mage. The image of the bow came back to his mind, taut and creaking and ready to spring.
Harmon turned his questioning gaze to the newcomer. Whatever this was about, June had been stingy with the details. We’re going to Kirkwall. You’ll be useful there. It was all she ever told him whenever he asked. Now that he was standing with her just outside the city, he had to wonder what exactly she meant by useful.