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?"938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr93XwkIuEA
"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."938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYf8XOyW7v
“Sounds like a plan,” I say, stretching. “Ugh, I have a crick in my neck.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo696hOYLe6
“Want me to massage it out for you?” Klef asks.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX00sZGwI66
“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.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9wiZMv4w0V
“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.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCWHVDib7O
I nod. “Okay. Sounds like you guys have this all figured out. Sorry I missed out on the discussion.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4iQrv3BJo
“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.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOu7FAJn5O
I smile slightly. “You’re a little bit scary good at that, you realize?”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡURoLe2Yfts
Ama grins. “Ssh. Don’t tell Bobbi I said anything, they’ll kill me.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpX1fIM2rqK
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?”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfoMIGNaCqY
“Fair point,” Ama says, pointing at Klef. “I like the way you think, Mister Thief.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHt7tzKqfJ
“Why thank you, Miss Wizard,” Klef says with a laugh in his voice.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgpWkVCOctx
“Careful not to get too cozy,” I tease. “If you do I might get jealous.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaljxfGEPp
“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.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgCTgGvez0
“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.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrV4mL8TPi8
Klef laughs. “I love you, Ride. Platonically, romantically. I just love you.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnAIljqTfJ9
“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!”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1sjJcjN0V
“Aw, c’mon, Ride! Live a little!” he protests, continuing to tickle me.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalB8rYdnLF
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!”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eLxPzCGjw
“Okay, okay! I’m stopping!” Klef surrenders, holding his hands up.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMOeicmTb5w
“You’re ridiculous,” I tease, still laughing from the surprise attack.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvzr7ZchpB
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.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZyqJ6oAa3L
“Don’t be,” Klef groans, rubbing his back. “I’m fine with getting bowled over by you any day.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8IA9q0e7D
“Flirt,” I laugh. “You’re such a flirt.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivk7AIolnB
“Always, my dear,” Klef says with a wink.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmxRRcKFSM1
There’s a groan from the other side of the carriage along with a gag. “Do you two mind?” Hibiscus groans.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyq5V6msIm9
“Seriously, we’ve been over this,” Ama adds. “It’s only cute for so long.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVs3fLzy8b
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?”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg2p1tX8mmm
“I do,” Flo interjects. “Ryhte and I would not shut up the first time we met.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxWpLaP3f9
Rythe sighs. “Oh, those were the days. Back when you were fine with my relentless teasing you and flirting in general.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnSk1fnCZN
Flo rolls her eyes. “I’m still fine with it if you don’t embarrass anyone, but lately you’ve been embarrassing everyone.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBGaznLQFD
“What’s wrong with that?” they ask.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMnEozcBUF
“Everything,” Flo says. “You need to respect people’s boundaries.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXhF6VPDta
Rythe shrugs. “I can’t tell people’s boundaries if they don’t tell me when enough is enough,” they reason.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdoFzUEzwIX
“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.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9225qthMj2
“Not a thing,” Rythe teases, bopping a finger on Flo’s snout.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBG6FIx4Gg
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.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PwJo84YrF
She looks up and chews her lip. “Oh, I’d say… 10 minutes? Maybe 5, if Bobbi can convince the horses to go faster.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuuPglzFmOF
There’s the sound of yelling outside the carriage and we pick up speed suddenly. Ama smiles. “5 minutes.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43OTjZH9Zn
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.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHchGDt68ws
Klef blinks once, snapping to attention. “I’m awake,” he says. “I’m awake.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48VPzQS11C
“Barely. How much sleep did you get last night?”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KoJjc88BX
“Ugh. Not enough,” he groans. “I feel like death.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JUGWzHsUM
“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.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2h4Oo0htB
Lightning cracks a mile or so behind us, and everyone jumps. Ama groans. “Looks like we’ll be using my magic to teleport. Great.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrHrjzvRt0
Rythe groans in response. “Ugh, but teleporting makes me sick to my stomach.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSChfy4DGH
Ama shrugs helplessly. “If it helps, I doubt I have enough in me to take us all directly to the base.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGTw6Vca77O
“Could you use some of my Sight as sort of a boost?” I ask.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPv8S72rvA
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?”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupNrNgRWmE
Ama nods slowly. “I might know how to do it… it might be painful on your end, though.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvi0ON1FDq7
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.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwVF7w6lYw
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.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqYHrOHvQk
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.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡghmX6LKew9
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.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWl5sQ5lS1v
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.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsnwFPWL6i
I shrug. “Eh, nobody’s trying to kill us yet, let’s see where this cave takes us.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi6MG9qstDv
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.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuhFHgUHjo
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.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhC1DXkxBk
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.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4yPg6JycQ
Klef looks down at me innocently. “I know, Ride.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjIbDJCgvC1
I narrow my eyes. “I know what you’re doing. Stop patronizing me.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsjOj9yFTwd
“Me? Patronize you? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Klef laughs, continuing to move forward and upward.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE4Upv4rAVZ
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!”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgZUdpQOSD
“But you wanted to be my protector so bad, and I didn’t want to hurt your feelings!” I tease.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OJk9Vc2qK
“What?” Flo asks from behind me.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5igo54LQn
“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.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ22Sag0tNIe
“It’s not that they did that, it’s that they said those songs were the real ones!” Klef calls down.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNF7KhhRkzE
“Hey! Is that my favorite thief I hear?” Ank calls. “You’re not still mad at us, are you, Klef?”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡul8y796D9V
I giggle as Klef pulls a face and glares at me. “This is your fault,” he mutters half-heartedly at me.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoF39WKBPWr
“Why, I have no idea what you’re talking about, Treble,” I tease.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVNrbU0yja
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?”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmP3fOsMZCz
“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.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9I35pjR9f
“Ugly?!” Ank asks indignantly.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAFJHEVs5o
Klef grins. “Like I said, hard feelings.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2ZXwx7S3c
I walk up behind him with a smile. “Long time no see, Ank.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcfBqWoRJPC
“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?”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNydHujBHB8
“Shut up!” I laugh. “Just Miss, thank you very much.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6RiMJTjW56
Ank clucks his tongue. “Shame. I was hoping you had found a man who would treat you right since we met last.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVFTqncNbV
“I never said I was still looking, I just said I wasn’t married,” I point out to him.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwv3ok0VGLK
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?”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡumQ3Yab3AU
“Depends on your definition of settling,” I say vaguely. “Half you crew wouldn’t seem to think so.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxReUM8bIUG
Cheers erupt around the room. I hold up a hand. “And Geo treats me right.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkePD3vr0D
The other half starts cheering, and Ank shakes his head at me. “You, my dear, are devious to the extreme.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SroeGeNdQ
“Thank you,” I say with a curtsey. “I’m glad you think so highly of me.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGncQQu1HX0
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.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSQZ3X3YOj
I sigh. “Yeah, sure, fine. Tell ‘em.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ywB8PP4vH
“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!”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa8fdPS4PcF
I nudge him as soon as the room erupts again. “Did you have to phrase it like that?”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtImlsTSSlR
“Did you have to say Geo?” Klef retorts.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8TwgRaNTy
I roll my eyes. “You. Are. Ridiculous.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkOoym5MZD
“Thank. You,” Klef says, turning and leaning towards me with a smirk.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRw7mkxBz1r
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?”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYA34cLXhi
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.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjzw7nxfQg
I nod. “You’ve got it, ma’am.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAfe4GcqgsE
She nods and leaves, and I take a shallow sip, coughing slightly. “Strong,” I rasp. “But it’s not bad.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGh3E0ifwdU
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.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5p8XbcHjdN
I nod and laugh a little. “Thank you for the offer, I’ll keep it in mind.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYuxNCPCSL
Klef’s lips twitch a bit as he sits next to me. “Can I have a sip?” he asks.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHtPBNHHP3w
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.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhV6RkdR0S9
“That’s something alcohol will do, yeah,” I say, taking another sip.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFtKiDecCFW
Klef glares at me and sulks on the counter, waving to the bartender. “Could I have a root beer, please?” he asks.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp77IrVeRF8
I grin. “Aw, how cute. You’re still asking for soda as a grown adult.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa53Wnmbbbi
Klef sticks his tongue out at me. “Root beer is good, no matter your age.”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLBXB4J5Kx
I shake my head and take another sip of my rum. “Agree to disagree,” I mutter.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3QBTyYtgs
Ama walks over and sits next to us at the bar. “You two know what we’re doing next?” she asks.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWtS6wYHMc4
“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?”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OvdWwoHqU
Ama nods. “Maybe you have thought this through more than I originally assumed you did,” she admits.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvjcctb2td
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?”938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHy2GJ8wgsP
Ama smiles.938Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8SeLILkXi
Penana
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