Northbound Pilgrimage III

Chapter XXVI - One Down

Author's Note:

TRIGGER WARNING!

Another trigger warning. I guess it's probably expected by now when we're dealing with the clan :D Check out the bottom of the chapter again if you want to.

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It was disheartening to think about, but Bishop was starting to hate hunting.

Or maybe he just hated doing anything for Ost and Duful's benefit. Or maybe he was just frustrated with his lack of progress. All the days had been the same so far – hunting, giving whatever he would normally use or sell to Ost, then spending the rest of his day either with the two brothers, trying to pull useful information out of them like teeth or waiting for any opportunity. There was none of that. Or he sometimes stopped by the cave to see the rest of the clan. Only after that he could go back to Aeyrin at last.

She seemed just as frustrated. Maybe more so. She said that the things she would like doing in town were not nearly as fun without him, and to be frank, Leyawiin was not exactly a cultural hub. There weren't many plays she could go see, or bard performances, or anything like that. There wasn't that much to do in the city.

He really did love coming back to the inn to her though. It was like the constant stress and mistrust got wiped away at the end of each day.

But it was always renewed the next day. Today was no exception. But the hunt went well at least. He got a mountain lion pelt. It was surprising to find it so far south, but it was lucky. The pelts fetched a lot of drakes. And of course, he got plenty more boar meat in the wilderness, along with several tusks.

Ost wasn't paying him for his hauls yet. He promised to do that at the end of the week, though Bishop couldn't give a shit about the money. He wouldn't say 'no' to it, obviously, but it was the last thing on his mind, even though he had to pretend like it was the only thing he was interested in.

He came back to the tavern again after his hunt and located Ost promptly. The two brothers were almost always there, but then again, they did most of their business like that – talking to other shitheads in this place and then forcing their siblings into doing the real work.

"Hey, got some good stuff today," he grunted at Ost as he sat down next to him and tossed the sack of his yields on the table.

"Did ya?" Ost scoffed while he gave Bishop a strange look. What?

"Yeah. Got a mountain lion pelt," Bishop nodded. Was that really something to question? He gestured towards the bartender to get himself a drink. Hopefully Ost wouldn't keep him too long today. Just one drink. But before the barkeep managed to notice him, Ost grabbed his arm and pulled it down, preventing the gesture.

"You know, I was kinda thinking I'd like to see those hunting skills you keep bragging about," he gave him an interested look.

"You... wanna come hunt with me?" Bishop gave him a shocked look back. He didn't see this coming. Why would Ost wanna do that? He shouldn't care, right? It was not like he came with Liesl or Galric to see with his own eyes how they made the money. Not that Bishop minded though. Just the two of them, out there in the woods? That was... that was weird. It hadn't been nearly long enough for Ost to trust Bishop to leave the relative safety of the public eye in the city with him, right? Or maybe Bishop was overestimating Ost's carefulness. He wasn't sure. Or maybe Duful would be coming with them. Where was he anyway?

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Ost's expression turned challenging.

"No, I don't care. I assume you still know how to fucking behave on a hunt and won't scare shit off," Bishop smirked. Ost really seemed serious about this.