Random Encounter Story

"Oh, a few arrest warrants," Montmore said, examining his nails upon seeing Sebastian just glower at him and chew on his own thumb. "I shall be glad to read the confessions, of course."

"Yeah. Well, in any case, you've got witnesses already," Kord grunted.

"I won't play that game," Sebastian muttered, glaring now.

"I didn't expect you to. Are you worried I put out an arrest warrant for you and Sylvie? It's as I said earlier."

Auker tapped the mace against her palm. "Yeah, and what was it?"

"You'd try to kill me if I tried. But then, I reasoned, then they'd hang you, and that I don't really want, dead or not as I might be."

Sylvie looked at the ceiling and sighed. She muttered in intercommon, "Sweet. Let's have a double wedding."

"I'd rather n--," Sebastian began, froze to stare at her. He blinked a few times, signalling that he wasn't in one of those states. "You'd marry me then?" he said and swallowed.

The rest of the people in the room began to have their own conversation when they realised the foreigners had changed to another language.

She started to fidget when it became clear he wasn't taking the comment as a joke. "I'm not in principle opposed to the idea?" <em>oh shit I said both of that aloud I shouldn't have started now this is not the time I'm sorry, argh.</em> Of course she had meant to make the first comment; if it had just slipped out it would either have been in the language of the current conversation, or her mothertongue.

"Then, I think I'll go where you go, and if you'll have me after this all is over and you think I'm worth it..." he replied. A hint of blush had returned to his face. "I'll ask you, and you'll decide."

"When there's a bit less to worry about backed up, yes." She switched back to the local language for a general "Sorry", lips twitching as she tried to not laugh.

He merely nodded and trained his ears back to the other conversation. Montmore and Auker had mostly been debating, threatening and placating. Montmore doing the placating, and they too had somewhat missed the 'sorry'; Kord, gruff and impassive, grinned. "You didn't miss much --"

"...and don't think I'd have told anyone if you'd told about your job!"

"Well, I didn't expect you to, but I've my orders, too. Now that this became official business for me --"

"<em>You could have called on me any time and ask me if I knew what was going on!</em>"

"-- and up until now I only knew he's about, but wasn't certain you knew, and besides, you'd have covered for him."

Auker looked like she was going to scream, up until Sebastian, who was biting his lip, finally began to chuckle. It was far too much. This was far, far too much. "Sister!"

"<em>What?</em>"

"Could save the lashes for another day, or night, when he's more compliant and the both of you are addled with wine? He's here on business, and we just made our business his business."

"...men."

Kord cleared his throat, but only twiddled his thumbs.

"Fine," Auker hissed through her teeth and sat down. She left the mace on the table as a final punctuation mark.

What had they been talking about? Oh, yes. "Would you tell us who those arrest warrants were for?"

"Oh. Certain key Saba personnel. Brice, for one, his family if we can't reach him. And the most obvious of the lot, and a forceful raid on their records, letters and everything." He earned a long, long look from Sebastian for that litany. "And none of you, though I suspect there will be hearings with the clergy. I assume some of you are intending to take this to court in any case."

Auker groaned, shook her head and looked at Kord. "Where's the confession?"

Kord pointed at one of the cupboards.

"Well, go get it."

He did, grumbling.

Well, that might get awkward. Sylvie looked at Sebastian, trying to gauge his reaction, and for once did not readily spill information for Montmore.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes as Montmore was handed the confession. "So, you've sent that order already, hm?"

"Oh, yes. I assume it might take them a while to process it. Bureaucracy is how it is, even with my official mark on it," Montmore said, eyes firmly reading the text.

Sebastian's eye twitched, he stood up and walked up to Montmore, placing a hand on the confession. "I'm going to be very cross if Brice Saba or his <em>immediate</em> family get arrested."

Calmly looking back at him, Montmore smiled. "And why is that?"

Sebastian glared at him. "You read on, then make a guess for yourself."

Auker looked at Sylvie almost pleadingly. She was feeling a little conflicted about this.

Sylvie still didn't care much either way what happened to Brice, but what with Sebastian and her being off the hook, and the matter being that important to Sebastian...

"Brice wrote this," Sylvie said, watching Montmore. "He saw the error of his ways."

Montmore considered this for a moment, then looked as Sebastian pulled his hand off the paper. "Hm. Interesting. I think I shall go on to read this. Is there any chance I might have some of that wine if Auker isn't having any?"

"No," said Auker, who was rather annoyed at how little she had in her. And the lack of sleep, of course.

"Too bad," he sighed.

Sebastian shrugged. Before long, Montmore was done reading -- he seemed quite the reader --, leaned back and cleared his throat. "Well. With what you've foxed out and I've ferreted out -- ah, my apologies, Sebastian --, I think we can safely say there will be enough to act on. Of course, if you were to testify..."

"No."

"...I thought as much, so I will simply say this. I'll treat this as an anonymous tip-off someone gave to certain clergies. But there is one thing."

"...yes?"

"My superiors know you're in town."

Sebastian's eyes glazed over for a moment. "I take it that's a recommendation to leave."

"Or hide," Montmore said, smiling affably. "They won't hear it from me, for... a couple of reasons," he continued, looking worriedly at how Auker's hand was squeezing the mace, knuckles white.

"Thank you very much for the warning."

With a grave look, he nodded at her, not looking at Sebastian nor Auker nor Kord. "I have to say, I was tempted at one point, to inform them that you were involved. I might as well say so, but <em>later</em>. For now, walk softly."

At this, Kord got up. "If the two of you want to, we can leave for a certain place soon enough," he said with carefully chosen words, so as to not inform Montmore where that might be. The mage merely smiled at that and nodded.

Sebastian stared for a while, and was about to say something when he heard that strange tinkling noise again. It came from right next to him -- the air between himself and Sylvie. So, he remained quiet.

Sylvie gave Montmore a slow nod, closing her eyes for a moment.

Then she looked at Sebastian and shrugged. "I just happen to have all my worldly possessions here." She frowned very slightly, thinking of Old Ivy.

"Me, too," Sebastian said quietly, staring at the scene in front of him.

The drunkard happy-go-lucky priestess, eyeing Montmore with a mace in her hand, but not altogether in a hostile manner.

The gruff, big man from the regions.

And one enigma that was eyeing him with a slight smile.

He contemplated this for a while, the room, everything. Suitable, maybe, that this is where he first came, more or less.

He felt no relief.

Since Sebastian and Kord were already standing, Sylvie got up, too. "So, shall we? Or was there anything left?" She felt like she had lost sight of the big picture a while ago.

So did Sebastian, but he merely went to fetch his satchel, shouldered it and nodded. "Fortunes to you two, is all I can think of to say," he said in general, nodding again at Auker.

He stood for a while, sighed and took Sylvie's hand. Kord kindly opened the door.

While saying her goodbyes and thank-yous, Sylvie remembered one more thing.

"Auker, would you mind if Ayu-Asra stayed? If he likes? He tends to follow me either way, but he seemed to like it here..."

Auker stopped in her tracks, as she was about to rise up and maybe shake someone's hand. "You mean I can... no. Really, I can keep him?"

Montmore and Sebastian both turned to stare at Auker, but it was the former who spoke: "Why, do you like him so much?"

Auker grinned. "He appreciates my cooking. And the booze."

"And I might have my hands full trying to keep Sebastian out of too deep trouble," Sylvie said, grinning back.

At this, the priestess began to laugh merrily, walking over to give her a crushing hug while Sebastian had the decency to look both pleased and embarrassed. "All right, I'll keep him if you want me to."

Kord looked a little nervous.

Sylvie returned the hug as best she could. "Thank you. As I said, so far he's always followed me, whether I wanted or not, but I hope he stays. So if he disappears, don't worry."

"Noted, Sylvie." Auker let go, then smacked Sebastian on the shoulder. Unfortunately, it was on the side that he had fallen on, so he winced a little -- but returned a slap himself. "Just so you know, it was the Regiment."

For some reason, Sebastian looked a little worried about that. "Well. And you survived. Good for you. But... uh, now... I suppose... we ought to go."

Sylvie picked up her backpack and gave Auker and Montmore a last nod before the three of them went out of the door.

Kord was mostly tight-lipped along the trip to the gates, and Sebastian looked like the toll of these past many days of sleeplessness, injuries and emotional highs and lows had finally begun to take effect. He stuck close to Sylvie, even when they came upon the road, blue skies and white clouds above, birds singing and insects buzzing.

Finally, on the road, just some five steps behind Kord, he said: "We can go, can't we?"

Sylvie looked at Sebastian's face, eyes wide. The question alone was a surprise, but the tone hit her worst. It sounded like the answer might be "no". She found herself considering taking down Kord long enough for them to get away, which didn't only conflict with the idea that he was on their side, but also Montmore's warning to tread softly.

"I mean, just leave. We've done enough," he added, at which point Kord stopped and turned to stare at them.

"Well, well," the big man said, walking closer a few steps. Sebastian, for one, remained still, ready to do anything that needed to be done. A large finger pointed at Sylvie. "Will you tell him to just get some food from where we're going and tell him to get it over with?" He turned to look at Sebastian. "I've rode you as hard as I can, but rest assured, that's only 'cause of orders from up high. You know who I'm talking about."

Sebastian said nothing.

"So if you just want to leg it, bloody well do it. I won't apologise for anything I've done, but who cares? Far as I can see, the Sabas are gonna be in deep shit, and you're gonna be in some as well if the same happens as last time you were here."

Sebastian went white again, whereas Kord stared at Sylvie, coughed and cleared his throat. "Deal, Poppy?"

She gave him a neutral look before turning to Sebastian. "Food would be useful, but we could manage, I'm sure." She still had a bit left over, including dragonfood. She have liked to truly rest for a day or two at least, but was eager enough to get away from this late mess and the possible consequences that she ended up ambivalent. "Your call."

Sebastian closed his eyes tightly shut for a moment, looked at Sylvie and Kord and then at the horizon. It was there again, calling. "Let's just go," he said hoarsely.

Kord nodded, looked around, then offered a hand to first Sebastian -- who give it a minute grasp -- and then to Sylvie, smiling as he did the time he read the letter she gave him. "Hope you'll have it good. As far as I'll know, if anyone asks, we got drunk along the way and you snuck off."

Sylvie gave a little huff, but that last offer kept her from telling him to his face his gods made her sick. With a tilted but warm smile, she took Kord's hand. "Thanks."

As they followed the street, side by side - slowly, since it really wasn't in a good shape here and now - Sylvie informed Sebastian, "We head south at the next opportunity."

The handshake was firm but soft, only rough because of his calloused hands and the broken knuckles. "Good-bye," was the last thing he ever said to them, heading his own way.

The half-elf had barely even felt the touch of the man's hand. "South," he finally said. "Sounds good. Very good, actually." He thought for a while. "So... a river bend?"

"I promised Nico I'd meet up with her after my job here was finished." Different job, but, yes.

His last question made her smile. She gave a half-shrug, followed by a roll of the shoulders to adjust the position of her backpack. "Somewhere it hasn't rained for a week, hopefully."

"Nico? Well, I'll be happy to see her, then," he said, smiling slightly as well, then broader when it came to her latter comment. "That, I think, would suit me fine... no rain for a while. Only warm, balmy weather and nothing to worry about than whether or not I'll toast in the sun."

They walked on.

The road passed between farms, where people were now busy trying to mitigate or repair damages the rain had had left. In that light, what they had done seemed rather pointless to Sylvie, until she reminded herself that things would be worse if they had not stopped the rain. And two more pairs of hands here would not make enough of a difference to offset their personal risk.

Fragments of events of the last few days flitted through her head, creating a dizziyng mosaic.

At length, sounding dazed, she asked, "Did that really happen?"