I'm jerked back into reality for some reason I can't explain for a few seconds, until lightning cracks across the sky outside the carriage. "Woah," I say. "How long has that been going on?"864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCiRlXhlmX8
"You woke up from the first really loud one," Ama says. "So... maybe 10 minutes, at most? The storm's heading our way and we're running into it, because the nearest stop is maybe 20 minutes out from here at a horse's trot, and if we're lucky we can get there before the storm gets too bad."864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxxMtcU3px
“Sounds like a plan,” I say, stretching. “Ugh, I have a crick in my neck.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOpQ3cQuj5
“Want me to massage it out for you?” Klef asks.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKwBlPvBx6
“Please?” I respond, and he cracks his fingers before motioning for me to turn my back to him. As he starts to massage my shoulders, I glance at everyone in the carriage. Ama is reading a book disinterestedly. Hibiscus is reading over a map and talking in low tones to Bobbi on the other side of the carriage through a slot where there isn’t any canvas, probably giving instructions. Flo and Rythe and sitting next to one another, hands linked together. Flo is resting her head on Rythe’s shoulder and they are murmuring to her. All in all, everything seems pretty calm. It doesn’t do anything to make me feel any better, though. “What are we going to do once the storm dies down?” I ask.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKigZtFIda
“Eh,” Ama shrugs. “Really, it all depends on how bad the roads are. If they’re really bad, I’m going to see if I can scrounge up enough magic to teleport everyone to the next base, though I’d really rather not do that, seeing as how I’ll be down for the count for several days, at least. If they’re not, we’ll keep going until we hit the port in the werewolf territory, which will take about a day once we’re out of the mountains. From there, we might be able to find a teleporter, or we could travel by boat. Really, there are a lot of options in there, and I’m just hoping that the roads aren’t so wet that the horses can’t continue.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBTb9iSJKa
I nod. “Okay. Sounds like you guys have this all figured out. Sorry I missed out on the discussion.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByA4alOgQr
“I bet you’re not really,” Ama says with a little smile. “Talking strategy is all well and good, but only when you know what you’re saying. And you’ve said yourself that you’re not a very good strategist.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACsFVeUDVy
I smile slightly. “You’re a little bit scary good at that, you realize?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIHOAHPA7V
Ama grins. “Ssh. Don’t tell Bobbi I said anything, they’ll kill me.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKaiKUedesv
Klef snorts from behind me. “I bet they won’t. They’d never have you to talk with if they did. And besides, what would Luke think?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjZlKEyOoJf
“Fair point,” Ama says, pointing at Klef. “I like the way you think, Mister Thief.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3WB3ylHez
“Why thank you, Miss Wizard,” Klef says with a laugh in his voice.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vb0Nmsahz
“Careful not to get too cozy,” I tease. “If you do I might get jealous.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kT8UVnkXW
“Nah, you don’t work like that, Ride,” Klef says. “One of the reasons I love you, actually. You’re really nice and even if someone is hurting you, if they’re not about to do major damage and it helps them in the long run, you make sure that they’ll be okay. Even if it means that you’re injured more than you already are.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1odk4ghi1S
“Mm. I’m not sure if that extends to break- ups, though,” I muse. “I wouldn’t know. I was the one who called off my first relationship, and my second one seems to have been going strong for a month now.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfrNVMkGtq
Klef laughs. “I love you, Ride. Platonically, romantically. I just love you.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GdB3rtzxO
“The feeling is mutual, I assure you,” I chuckle. Then I full-out laugh, because Klef has moved from massaging my shoulders. “Klef! Don’t tickle my neck!”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPttEEapiG
“Aw, c’mon, Ride! Live a little!” he protests, continuing to tickle me.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmACZGvrBP
I duck my neck out of his reach and roll onto the floor, swatting his hands away when they reach for my sides. “Stop!” I yell. “Seriously, Klef! Stop!”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhwSgM4a61
“Okay, okay! I’m stopping!” Klef surrenders, holding his hands up.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATA6sgvXlo
“You’re ridiculous,” I tease, still laughing from the surprise attack.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLk0Cys4Ut9
Klef grins and pulls me up so I’m sitting again, just as we hit a bump in the road and I fly forward into him. I grunt as I ram into Klef, and he yelps when he hits the railing on the back of the carriage. I push myself off him and blush. “Sorry,” I say.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkxxj0kqQh
“Don’t be,” Klef groans, rubbing his back. “I’m fine with getting bowled over by you any day.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMUtT8qiQp
“Flirt,” I laugh. “You’re such a flirt.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0Z2uLmrGD
“Always, my dear,” Klef says with a wink.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJacZS0tSoC
There’s a groan from the other side of the carriage along with a gag. “Do you two mind?” Hibiscus groans.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHUSbGOj1z3
“Seriously, we’ve been over this,” Ama adds. “It’s only cute for so long.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1m1ivH3Lm
I look at Klef and he shrugs. “I don’t really know how to stop the banter,” he says. “It just… sort of… happens, you know?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl58foFu0F1
“I do,” Flo interjects. “Ryhte and I would not shut up the first time we met.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShN4zEH5Sa
Rythe sighs. “Oh, those were the days. Back when you were fine with my relentless teasing you and flirting in general.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOqT4jpD6t6
Flo rolls her eyes. “I’m still fine with it if you don’t embarrass anyone, but lately you’ve been embarrassing everyone.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHqVqmWZIf
“What’s wrong with that?” they ask.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOduwhprfD0
“Everything,” Flo says. “You need to respect people’s boundaries.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZEKS4otVp5
Rythe shrugs. “I can’t tell people’s boundaries if they don’t tell me when enough is enough,” they reason.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaZqYIWs6Nl
“That’s why I’m here. To tell you when your joking has gone to far and you’re making people uncomfortable. Without me you’d be dead of embarrassment.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Opp8FSeJZ
“Not a thing,” Rythe teases, bopping a finger on Flo’s snout.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43lJIWrQFq
Flo mock-growls at them with a sly grin, before the carriage lapses into silence. I turn to watch the rain falling. It’s picking up speed at an alarming rate, and wind whips around the sides of the carriage, adding to the feeling that we’re stranded in the middle of nowhere with no hope of weathering out the storm. “How much longer until shelter?” I ask Ama.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6YtBWsqSWM
She looks up and chews her lip. “Oh, I’d say… 10 minutes? Maybe 5, if Bobbi can convince the horses to go faster.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsr7R8AvUHp
There’s the sound of yelling outside the carriage and we pick up speed suddenly. Ama smiles. “5 minutes.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4bOCkId10
I nod and look at Klef, whose eyes are starting to droop, despite everything going on around us. I nudge him lightly. “Melisma to Klef,” I say quietly.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIehs9jwmxG
Klef blinks once, snapping to attention. “I’m awake,” he says. “I’m awake.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbulX38mtwM
“Barely. How much sleep did you get last night?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSOO9QJOTU
“Ugh. Not enough,” he groans. “I feel like death.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eV4Z6Hnx4
“You look a little like it too,” I say. :Your eyes are a bit glassy. Why don’t you try and relax some until we get to our rest stop? After that we can decide who gets sleep and who is taking care of what next.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JH7fQzfbB
Lightning cracks a mile or so behind us, and everyone jumps. Ama groans. “Looks like we’ll be using my magic to teleport. Great.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PmC2MXt1e
Rythe groans in response. “Ugh, but teleporting makes me sick to my stomach.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUf7xoQkCf
Ama shrugs helplessly. “If it helps, I doubt I have enough in me to take us all directly to the base.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJkA6cx54s
“Could you use some of my Sight as sort of a boost?” I ask.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFbmNDSgYV
Everyone looks over at me confused. I shrug. “In my dreams, I think my magic- sensing abilities act as a conductor for the use of magic as well as simply just being able to see magic being used. I don’t know how we might achieve it, but we can try, can’t we?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ784FqBg81i
Ama nods slowly. “I might know how to do it… it might be painful on your end, though.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEp7tIaUT4
I shrug and give a little grin. “What could possibly go so wrong that I’d never want to try channeling Sight again, short of the world ending or everyone I love dying? If I get a little sick, I get a little sick. It happens.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiANfM1sJrY
Ama nods as thunder rumbles overhead. The carriage comes to an abrupt stop and Bobbi ducks into the carriage from the hole in the driver’s side. “The storm is nasty, you guys. We have to get inside, now. I’ll take care of the horses, you guys keep moving.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIe33rwDEa
Everyone jumps out of the carriage with their things and run to an overhang in the mountain, which reveals a cave underneath, fitted with lightbulbs on the ceiling every so often as it continues. I take a few cautionary steps inside and inspect it. “It’s dry, and we won’t get zapped, and I don’t think we’ll get killed. Let’s go inside.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyyUkff9tQ
Klef nods and follows me inside, and Hibiscus and Ama mutter to themselves as they follow after. Flo and Rythe are silent save for their footsteps.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbSFboT3jG
The cave, for its attempts at being modern, is still woefully primitive. Whereever the lightbulbs fail to work, which is often, 2 candles on either side of the cave on the walls are burning, giving the rocks disfigured and sometimes disturbing shadows. Klef inches closer to me and draws his knife. “I don’t like this, Ride,” he whispers.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvMZ5CBpNT
I shrug. “Eh, nobody’s trying to kill us yet, let’s see where this cave takes us.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDp2VdH1A4Q
The hall narrows until only 2 people at a time can scrape through together, and a staircase spiralling up marks the end of the cave. “Going up!” Ama yells, walking to the bottom of the steps and taking the lead.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7luy2JUMsU
Hibiscus laughs and shakes their head. Somewhere behind us, a horse whinnies. “Well, Bobbi made it inside safe, let’s go up and see what awaits us.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSSR4fX79U
Klef moves towards the steps in front of us before I can, and I huff but follow behind him as he acts as a shield to me. “I can handle myself, you know,” I grumble.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloLMkI2HkH
Klef looks down at me innocently. “I know, Ride.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYduDdnRJY
I narrow my eyes. “I know what you’re doing. Stop patronizing me.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6YxdKjjXc
“Me? Patronize you? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Klef laughs, continuing to move forward and upward.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡll8ARRpFAH
I growl under my breath until my hearing catches some familiar voices, including Ank. I smile, knowing Klef can’t hear them yet with his ears. I few steps later, he groans loudly. “C’mon, Ride, you should have warned me!”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0f9ikl2tY
“But you wanted to be my protector so bad, and I didn’t want to hurt your feelings!” I tease.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJWLOOC3VtV
“What?” Flo asks from behind me.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiZqYmu4yc
“Old friends,” I say drily, arching my eyebrows and nodding to Klef. “He’s not been a fan for a few weeks, because they made kid-safe lyrics to their sea shanties for him when he was a young one.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7nmX2DFG5
“It’s not that they did that, it’s that they said those songs were the real ones!” Klef calls down.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGphLBQpCG
“Hey! Is that my favorite thief I hear?” Ank calls. “You’re not still mad at us, are you, Klef?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCprd2g90sM
I giggle as Klef pulls a face and glares at me. “This is your fault,” he mutters half-heartedly at me.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRC9MKM0LdD
“Why, I have no idea what you’re talking about, Treble,” I tease.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0O4JzP9UjM
Klef pulls a face but walks up the last of the steps, and I follow. In front of us is a wide open room, set up like a cross between a bar and a tavern, with glass windows overlooking the trail we came up on, and old wooden tables thrown up against it. Ank is standing by the bar, grinning. “Well hello, there, my little thief! No hard feelings?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAFxywDkFmB
“Oh, there are hard feelings,” Klef says with a smirk, going over and hugging Ank. “It’s good to see your ugly mug again, Ank.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIvEw7rswB
“Ugly?!” Ank asks indignantly.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx4JL53qNg3
Klef grins. “Like I said, hard feelings.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi5PA3YMeF9
I walk up behind him with a smile. “Long time no see, Ank.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfZpT3MZx6
“My favorite death wish girl!” Ank cheers, lifting a glass of some alcohol or another up in my direction, before knocking it back. “It’s good to see you again, Miss Rides. Or is it Missus?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5fg1CxzkP
“Shut up!” I laugh. “Just Miss, thank you very much.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM1tsBV37zv
Ank clucks his tongue. “Shame. I was hoping you had found a man who would treat you right since we met last.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJYkGTLSDM
“I never said I was still looking, I just said I wasn’t married,” I point out to him.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCOknpDNHe
Ama wolf whistles from over by the windows, and the rest of our entourage are walking their way over to either us or Ama. Ank raises his eyebrows. “Didn’t settle, did you?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCXJvSq698
“Depends on your definition of settling,” I say vaguely. “Half you crew wouldn’t seem to think so.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTgEOP6Doy0
Cheers erupt around the room. I hold up a hand. “And Geo treats me right.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kSW0drc0o
The other half starts cheering, and Ank shakes his head at me. “You, my dear, are devious to the extreme.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnt1YuWXHD
“Thank you,” I say with a curtsey. “I’m glad you think so highly of me.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8mKyJqFaA
Klef ribs me and says, “You know, what’s the harm if we tell ‘em? You know everyone on Melisma is going to know in about a month anyway. Well, anyone who cares.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQoKfEuIRU7
I sigh. “Yeah, sure, fine. Tell ‘em.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFwHaefbaL
“Hey guys! Rides is a liar! She’s not going out with Geo! She’s going out with me!” he yells into the room. “I am a very happy trophy boyfriend!”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFX8Qp9Havl
I nudge him as soon as the room erupts again. “Did you have to phrase it like that?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtA4f2FYB7
“Did you have to say Geo?” Klef retorts.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvSrP13wbl
I roll my eyes. “You. Are. Ridiculous.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdBkVjhSoT
“Thank. You,” Klef says, turning and leaning towards me with a smirk.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6b9wS1j83
I shove him backwards just enough that he hits the bar counter before hopping on one of the stools and waving to the bartender. “Hey bartender? What do you recommend for a traveller who means business?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTB2OyoDteh
The aging woman walks over, taking the glass she was polishing and fills it with something from one of the barrels in the back. “Rum,” she says. “Don’t drink it all in one go if you’re not used to it, you’ll find yourself waking up in a pool of your own vomit tomorrow morning, and you’ll be the one to clean it up.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeYXK2wyHj
I nod. “You’ve got it, ma’am.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTDtRX7prb
She nods and leaves, and I take a shallow sip, coughing slightly. “Strong,” I rasp. “But it’s not bad.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40k2v8Tb7I
Ank smiles. “You sound like you have potential for drinking contests. If you ever feel like entering one on my ship, I’d be happy to train you.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnckwUfhRJ
I nod and laugh a little. “Thank you for the offer, I’ll keep it in mind.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhV7zirigpF
Klef’s lips twitch a bit as he sits next to me. “Can I have a sip?” he asks.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrcC2HYoij
I pass it over and he takes one, immediately staring to hack when he tries to swallow. I burst out laughing, taking the glass back as Klef desperately gasps for air. “It burns!” he exclaims.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVUYprTT7bD
“That’s something alcohol will do, yeah,” I say, taking another sip.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsEf6TG7Udh
Klef glares at me and sulks on the counter, waving to the bartender. “Could I have a root beer, please?” he asks.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WywMJSnbm
I grin. “Aw, how cute. You’re still asking for soda as a grown adult.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeNSyKxH9G
Klef sticks his tongue out at me. “Root beer is good, no matter your age.”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQO3MyBCc8
I shake my head and take another sip of my rum. “Agree to disagree,” I mutter.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5diZx2qyZr
Ama walks over and sits next to us at the bar. “You two know what we’re doing next?” she asks.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDO1fxV8kO
“Well a little break never hurt anyone,” Klef says, shrugging and nabbing his rootbeer off the counter. “And you could probably use some time to prepare your teleportation powers, whatever that entails. So I figure we rest for a bit, and then when we’re all ready, we try your teleportation powers. Does that sound reasonable?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWaL2JiwdTn
Ama nods. “Maybe you have thought this through more than I originally assumed you did,” she admits.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSr7UiXHLS
Klef lifts his root beer to her and smiles. “It’s okay, we all make mistakes sometimes. Let’s just get this show on the road. I’ll buy you a drink, if you want?”864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2PPhtmFxQ
Ama smiles.864Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIE33qxUDN
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