Eight Intertwined

102 - Eyes

Unsurprisingly, everyone was as ready as it got to get out of Quarrycrest when morning arrived. 

In fact, Cyrus would even go so far as to say this was the fastest they had all prepared to leave a town since they had started traveling together. Everyone had packed their things the night before as chaos began to reign over the streets, giving people the confidence they needed to stand up against the others in the upper class that had stepped on them for so long. With Morlock gone, the others at the top of the town's social pyramid began to scramble, and a good chunk of them even fled before the night was over. When morning came, a strange sense of calm had settled over the city. 

While waiting for the last few members of the group to finish with their packing, Tressa and Alfyn stood near the entrance to the town. Tressa had just gotten back from a visit to Ali, and he had wished her the best before saying he would be leaving later that day. With a promise to see one another again soon, they parted ways. Alfyn was back on his feet again after the difficult battle the day before, thanks in no small part to the healing skills of Ophilia, Cyrus, and H'aanit. Still, Tressa watched him with a wary eye, always peering at him out of her peripheral vision. "Are you sure it's a good idea for you to be up and about so soon?" Tressa asked. "If you're still feeling bad, I'm sure it would be fine for us to take a bit of a break before we left."

"I'm feeling fine, Tress," Alfyn assured her with a wave of one hand. "I don't think I've slept that soundly in years. As it turns out, your body loves it when you finally crash after a rough day like that." He cast her a sideways smile, and Tressa laughed to herself, though she wished she actually found any of this funny. If anything, she was just worried. 

"Still, I worry about you," Tressa told him, her smile starting to falter. "If you really feel fine, then that's great to hear, but I don't want you to push yourself too hard if you still feel bad. I mean, Omar hit you pretty hard yesterday."

"I wouldn't have said this yesterday, but I feel fine enough to get to Victors Hollow," Alfyn said. "I needed the rest, and now that I've gotten it, I know I'm goin' to be alright. We're going to be in Victors Hollow before we know it, and we can see what the tournament there has to offer us when we arrive."

Tressa smiled, reaching out one hand to take Alfyn's fingers between her own. "Just tell us if you wind up feeling bad along the way, okay?" she instructed. "I don't want you to make yourself sick because you didn't want to slow us down. If you. need to rest once we get there, please do it."

"Tress, I'm fine," Alfyn insisted again. "If I really felt bad still, I wouldn't be standin' here. I know how bad of an idea it is to push yourself when you're sufferin', and I'm not goin' to do that if I think it's gonna put me at risk. I'll be okay, Tress. You don't need to worry about me."

The merchant let out a hefty sigh, and she pressed her free hand against her forehead. She laughed at her own dramatic gesture. "Wow, look at me. I never thought I would turn into such a worrier," she admitted. "I'm sounding just like my father now, and I really never thought I would say that."

Alfyn just laughed, the sound hearty and full. "It happens to the best of us, but it's all fine now. You have nothing to worry about. Victors Hollow awaits, and I'm not going to be the one who stops us from getting there," he said firmly. 

Before Tressa had the chance to protest any further, the other members of the group streamed out of the inn. H'aanit stroked at Linde's head as the door to the inn closed behind her, and Primrose adjusted the straps of her bag before nodding to the rest of the group. "I think that's our cue," she announced. "Whenever you're ready, everyone."

Cyrus, who was currently positioned at the front of the group, nodded as he turned his focus back to the entrance of the town. At long last, they were heading to Victors Hollow. It felt like a lifetime ago that they had last discussed traveling to the wooded town, though he was glad they had decided to stop in Quarrycrest for as long as they had. After all, it had given them the chance to defeat Morlock and save the people who had been captured in the sewers, and Cyrus knew that was a benefit nothing could ever hope to compare to. Even if the travelers couldn't stick around long enough to see what the town became from there, Cyrus was confident this would be a Quarrycrest they could all be proud of. They would have to return one day after their other business was finished. But for the time being, they had other things to take care of, and that meant heading for Victors Hollow.