”Ugh. But then we’d be living with Volkbert.” She wrinkled her nose in an exaggerated display of distaste. The old man wasn’t all that bad, considering – but he’d talk for hours if you let him and ate little other than boiled eggs. He had a persistent sulfurous aroma to match his diet.
”Alright, we’ll do it. Those brigands better watch out.” She swung slowly around, pulling away at the last moment to slouch her way over to her cot. Esmé sat down heavily and turned her attention to a stack of books. It was so difficult to part with any of them, treasures all. Alas, some had much more use on the road than others. Pack space was too limited for a dogeared copy of Hard in Hightown.
”But mercenaries are pretty much the same thing, right? With an extra step involved.” Depending on who Caro let hire them. Still, she could imagine him looking quite mournful at the prospect of being called a brigand. Never mind that hired killers had brought them all together in the first place.
There was the wagon, though. Maybe she could? … No. Food and supplies for six people, that was the priority. Reference volumes only, right. She set the first book aside, thinking vaguely of how to find it a new home. Nothing and no one came to mind.
”Cer, you know them better than I do. How much do you trust them?” Sighing, Esmé ran her fingers through her long hair, massaging her scalp. Qunari, mages, they seemed fine enough. But she didn’t know them like she knew Ceren. What if it turned out that she hated this life?
There wouldn’t be any going back. And the only place lower than this was Darktown.
”Alright, we’ll do it. Those brigands better watch out.” She swung slowly around, pulling away at the last moment to slouch her way over to her cot. Esmé sat down heavily and turned her attention to a stack of books. It was so difficult to part with any of them, treasures all. Alas, some had much more use on the road than others. Pack space was too limited for a dogeared copy of Hard in Hightown.
”But mercenaries are pretty much the same thing, right? With an extra step involved.” Depending on who Caro let hire them. Still, she could imagine him looking quite mournful at the prospect of being called a brigand. Never mind that hired killers had brought them all together in the first place.
There was the wagon, though. Maybe she could? … No. Food and supplies for six people, that was the priority. Reference volumes only, right. She set the first book aside, thinking vaguely of how to find it a new home. Nothing and no one came to mind.
”Cer, you know them better than I do. How much do you trust them?” Sighing, Esmé ran her fingers through her long hair, massaging her scalp. Qunari, mages, they seemed fine enough. But she didn’t know them like she knew Ceren. What if it turned out that she hated this life?
There wouldn’t be any going back. And the only place lower than this was Darktown.
03-18-2024, 03:16 PM
