[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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Tash caught the end of the conversation as she passed the wire door. Séa stood naked as Chantelle crushed herbs with her pestle. Insane? "She is," said Tash. Insane yet sensible and other contradictions. Injured yet desirable. Easily fooled yet indomitable.
Séa twitched. "By Koulaina's crooked kirtle, you startled me!"
Ghomarck wheezed from behind Tash's left elbow, "Lady Séa, you appear to be unclothed."
Zorexis emitted a long whistle of appreciation from behind Tash's right elbow. "Brilliant work, Chantelle, my love. You have uncovered something remarkable."
"Why thank you, dear." The princess laughed. "But shush. I need to finish my poultice."
Under all the eyes, Séa squirmed, then made a dive for the castoff bedsheet and draped it around her shoulders. With narrowed eyes she studied the trio that loitered in the doorway. "That didn't take you very long. What happened?"
She blushes. That's just so cute. Tash said, "Partial success. We found a secret compartment by the exit. There's a windlass inside that probably retracts the stone barrier, but we can't budge it. We need your muscles."
Séa's forehead wrinkled. "What's a windlass?"
"A wheel with handles." Ghomarck's eyes closed halfway as he lectured. "It is constructed of thick metal, on a shaft that penetrates the stone. We hypothesize that a chain is wound upon the shaft. Perhaps via pulleys, the chain lifts the block of rock that seals off the exit. We further surmise that the furion was capable of raising the barrier. Great strength is required to turn the windlass and lift the stone block."
"You can have her after I bind her wounds," Chantelle said in businesslike tones.
"Isn't she decisive? Isn't she enchanting?" Zorexis said, gazing moonily at the druid healer.
Tash dried out her tones to sand dune aridity. "The princess could teach sugar how to be sweet."
Chantelle knelt to wrap the paladin's knee with poultice-laced linen.
Tash's and Séa's eyes met. The warrior's eyes crinkled at the corners and the corners of her lips lifted in a bashful smile. Tash dropped her unscarred eyelid in a saucy wink and bared her teeth. Rawr, paladin. Blood flushed Séa's face like a flood.
A merry mood warmed Tash, and she snorted in satisfied amusement. I made her blush.
The rogue padded a few paces to investigate a rearing-horse statuette by the water pitcher. Its eyes glinted in crimson hues, and she discovered that faceted rubies produced the sparkle. Something felt off about the painted plaster animal and the rogue frowned at it for a moment. Her frown deepened and she muttered, "Horses don't have claws. How disturbing."
The horse's odd mutation didn't stop Tash from stealing its eyes. The dark pits of eye sockets only added to its freakish aspect.
In due course, Chantelle dressed Séa's wounds, none of which leaked blood after her treatment. After consuming a grape-sized "goodberry," the paladin shrugged into her gambeson, her boisterous energy seemingly restored. Her energy deflated when she piled what had formerly been her armor into a rusty heap. She kept only the metal shoes. Her mace had been laced with traceries of corrosion, but it remained serviceable.
