[While on a rescue mission gone crazed, a holy warrior and a rogue fight bandits, demons, and the urge to rip each other's clothes off.]
The mission, rescuing a princess, could be going better.
Séa is an earnest paladin, honest and gullible. Tash is...
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The cock's crow unglued Séa's eyes enough for dawn's light to register in her fuzzy brain.
"Righteous Torugg," she mumbled, "I love you and all, but this is really early."
She closed her eyes tight for a single heartbeat, then sprang from the sleeping mat to begin her energetic regimen of calisthenics. "As you ask, so I do, oh Endurer."
Flushed with invigorated blood, she joined the younger acolytes for the morning chant. I'm not an acolyte anymore, she thought. I'm a full paladin. It's hard to get used to. After prayers came a breakfast of porridge and water, followed by archery practice.
Friar Obel came to visit her there. Understandably, perhaps, the swine and fowl that roamed the Priory avoided the archery range, and so gave the good Friar no reason to complain as he and his questionable knees traversed the grassy strip. "Lady Séa, what did you learn?"
A paladin of the Holy Order of Torugg is not, in fact, a Lady in the sense used for female persons of noble lineage. However, the terms "lady," "dame," or "knight" were acceptable shorthand in this particular corner of the world. Lady Séa lived in the country of Omnius, the village of Brook-upon-Tricklewater, and the pig-overrun compound known as the Priory of Torugg.
Séa let one more arrow fly before answering. With a satisfying thock the arrow buried itself in the target. "Good morning, Friar. It's a rescue quest, and seems noble enough. I agreed to it. I'm to meet my companions at nine bells."
"Ho!" The good friar's rounded cheeks bulged as his face lit up. "Torugg looks upon you with favor, Séa. He has provided the next lesson in your education."
Séa couldn't help it. A grin split her face and she gave Obel a one-armed hug, the other being occupied by a recurved war bow. "May the one-eyed god bless you, Friar. You always know what to say."
"Let go of me, you overgrown little squirt. I'm fragile. You'll snap a rib." But his merry expression never faltered even as he attempted a ferocious squint. "I know what to say, eh? Well, now I say get off the archery field and find your armor. The quartermaster should have a pack for you, but go through what's there, eh? Make sure there's some rope and some jerky. And you might as well take a horse, unless they told you otherwise."
Séa's smile faded and she pursed her lips. "Father, one of the party is a liar."
Obel's eyebrows climbed his bald forehead. "I see. Well, if I'm required to say wise things about it, I guess I'd say enjoy the experience. Liars can be hilarious."
"What?" Séa's mouth dropped open in protest. "But demons lie."
"Even the deer lies, yes?" Obel's eyes squeezed to happy arcs. "The deer says, look, wolf, I'm just a brown smudge. I'm part of the forest. You don't see me. Furthermore, I don't smell like anything."
"That's for survival."
"Yes, that's how it starts, for us humans."
Séa's lower jaw jutted forward. "Lies are destructive. Lies are evil."
