Walk in the Woods
The woods were serenely quiet as the three women followed one of the old trails, engrossed in a conversation that broke the peace. Inien had one hand on her hip, the other gesturing forcefully as she spoke. “Look, all I’m saying is that it’d be a lot easier to believe all of you if you could agree on terms.”
“Yeah, well, tell that to Thog,” Ashe answered, glaring at the witch. “Even though we scammed the Copyrighter pretty easily, he’s so scared of him that he won’t let us call the jackethingy by its actual name.”
“The jackelotare, you mean-” Firi provided.
“Yes, that, thank you!” Ashe said, before quieting as the blonde continued-
“Did we scam him, though? I thought that was aggressive haggling.”
Ashe chuckled to herself. “In most places, that is scamming.”
“Oh. Good to know.”
“Of course,” Inien said, her smirk matching Ashe’s, “When dealing with the Alaranni, any haggling is fair game.” They passed a bridge, and Firi paused, raising one hand to her cheek as she recognized something. The air here was chill, moreso than the night had been so far, and it clung to her, as if she’d put her clothes on too quickly after a bath.
Fox King, she thought, with longing, and then, Aryn. She remembered filling her journal with sketches from the swordswoman’s tales, and asking the spiritfolk to model for them both. Harsh words exchanged when she accidentally drew Aryn’s ire, and gentle arms embracing her afterwards, apologies placed upon her skin with the softest of kisses. She thought of comfort brought by the broadest knowledge, and the surety encased in details.
A hand on her shoulder startled her. Firi turned, a flash of white making her look up, before she realized that the one before her was amber-eyed instead of brown, the scars those of magic instead of fire.
“Are you alright?” Ashe asked, her voice quiet with worry.
“You’re being spacier than normal,” Inien added, from her other side.
Firi smiled at them, closing her eyes for a moment while she refocused her thoughts. “Of course. Sorry, I just got distracted for a moment. This place is really interesting!” She took a few steps away from the bridge, trying to ignore the sense of added weight tugging at her, knowing that once they weren’t under a tree’s shadow it would go away. “There’s a lot I can’t wait to see.”
Inien scoffed at that. “The Shrouded Isles aren’t any more interesting than anywhere else,” she said, earning her a glare from Ashe. “What? It’s true- other places are equally as boring as here.”
“You can’t ever let up, can you?” Ashe said, rolling her eyes. “You only say the world is wonderful when you’re trying to make a point, it seems.”
Firi giggled, and followed them, letting them both get a few paces ahead. When she was sure they were too caught up in arguing with each other to pay her much mind, she turned back towards the bridge and waved at it, hoping that it was enough for now. Then she hurried to catch up with Ashe and Inien, her heart pounding at how close those she valued truly were.
