Excalibur's Seven | ✓ [LGBT]

~ 25 ~

THE ONLY OTHER ONE with a clear head was Eurion, and Chalice stuck at her side as the others clung to each other behind them. They left their site and continued on their journey after the banshee let out its scream, because no one could sleep after they heard it.

They were on their horses again, riding directly north. It would take them a long time to get there, but they kept a steady pace to avoiding having to take too many stops. They hardly even took a break to eat, more eager to make use of the daylight they had.

Everyone was tired and hungry by the time they finally stumbled across a village. It was much colder now, and Chalice could only hope they were far enough north by now that no one would recognize them.

They searched the quiet village for a stable, and when they found one, the worker seemed a bit too excited about how much they paid him.

"You don't get a lot of visitors here, do you?" Chalice asked the man, who was still focused on the money in his hand.

"Not often, no," he said. "This is the most I've gotten all week. Thank you, my friend."

The druid nodded at him. They wanted to act surprised, but they knew just how the man felt. No one ever came to do business with Fells, so they'd never be able to afford nice things for the village. They had to work with each other to get what they needed, and they shared because there was no point in money.

At the very least, this town was not exiled by the King. Chalice was glad to help them, even if the money wasn't their own. It used belonged to Kit and Selene, but quickly became communal funds by now, considering the two had no real reason to keep it to themselves anymore.

Their next stop was a shop. Even with their fancy cloaks and capes from the ball, everyone was freezing already, and sought for more warmth.

The woman there was just as amazed with the money she was given. She certainly didn't get this much business on a regular basis. She almost didn't have enough cloaks to give them all, but she pulled a few from a chest behind her desk, old ones she thought weren't good enough to sell.

By the time they'd filled their bellies at a tavern and rented a room at the only inn in the village, they'd given more money to the village than the people there were used to. It was a town people had to go through to go north, but rarely was it this many travelers, and it wasn't often. There was seldom a reason to visit the North.

The druid was exhausted when they set their head on the pillow. They were lying between Eurion and Kit, who kept an arm around Lionel as he fell asleep almost immediately.

Chalice had gotten used to his buzz by now. Though it wasn't nearly so dizzying after he received his vision, it was still there, an ever-present hum that stuck up the fine orange hairs of their arms when he was close enough. The buzz was familiar, but Chalice couldn't identify how no matter what they tried.

They could feel it change when he did. When he was feeling brave, Chalice could sense it. They could sense his lust, too, an unpleasant bonus they got to enjoy when they were visiting the brothel. And now, they felt his anguish. His guilt and his fear and his anger as he fussed and whimpered in his sleep.

It wasn't his fault Morgana got left behind, and at some point he started to grasp that, but he was still terrified for the faerie and that would never change. Chalice was afraid for him, too, but they were trying to keep their mind on their goal. There would be no point worrying about Morgana if Avalon is destroyed.

They were last to fall asleep, but they often were. They woke up first, too, fully rested despite only getting a few hours. It was always like that, easy to refresh, and they didn't know why. They just assumed it came with their blessing, but several druids they knew struggled with sleep.