Touch of Honor

Touch of Honor: A Red Web - Chapter 8

     "What will we tell Sildar?" Lemli asked.

     "That his brother is dead, I would assume." Spruce replied as if speaking to a child.

     "Is that what you'd prefer someone say to you?"

     Spruce didn't respond for some time. He just smiled at Lemli. He then waved his finger in the air. "Lemli, you surprise me. You can't succeed in every mission." The monk took a step closer and patted his friend on the shoulder, to which Lemli quickly jerked away. "With every failure comes a lesson. There is wisdom to be gained from such."

     "I take it you must be very wise by now." Lemli said as he stormed off in the direction of Phandal.

     Spruce, who didn't take a second look at the fallen dwarf, caught and overtook Lemli's pace. "Yes, another reason why we're so much alike. What are you so grumpy about? Don't tell me you started to care for the dwarf and his brother?"

     "What am I so grumpy about? How about that our one ticket to getting paid is dead in the ground? Or that we almost died to a black knight with superhuman strength, who was obviously after you? Or, and this one pisses me off the most, you still are holding things back about this red wizard and grand conspiracy."

     "Look who's talking." Spruce muttered, knowing Lemli could hear him.

     The half elf looked appalled and slightly confused.

     "You still haven't answered my question either."

     The half elf's confusion lingered.

     "About your family."

     Lemli promptly delivered a swipe at Spruce's face, but was met with the monks' fearsome agility.

     "What are we gonna do about all this?" Lemli asked, gesturing to the expanse of burnt and collapsed wilderness.

     "You want to start planting trees? Be my guest."

     "What about Gwenivere? She might have made it out." Lemli said, feeling his throat close with doubt.

     "If she did, she can't help us now. Our best option is to return to the town and break that bastard dwarf out of jail, collect our fee, somehow. Then I suppose we can go our separate ways as you have wished for so long. There is one small problem with us being wanted criminals now. I hadn't thought of this before but maybe Skame can help clear our names. He seems well initiated with the guards of Phandal."

     "Skamos is gone. Fled town after we were arrested according to Lesgard."

     Spruce stopped and tilted his head. "He fled? Skamos? As in, he ran away?"

     Lemli returned his questions with a stony glare. "Yes."

     "That doesn't sound like Skame." The monk said, returning to the path. Spruce turned to the sky and put his hands around the back of his head as he thought.

     "Do you mind? You reek." Lemli muttered, his nostrils clenched shut.

     "Skamos wouldn't leave. Somethings not right."

     "Something hasn't been right since I got in that cart with you."

     "Most people would be counting themselves lucky to go on a great adventure with me." Spruce said, growing his sly smirk.

     "Well thankfully I hadn't known you until a few days ago."

     "Thankfully?" Spruce asked, feigning emotional damage at the half elf's words.