That One Time I Went on a Quest

Arkai (1/2)

Killisan is ignoring the mountain of hay and chewing instead on an old boot. That fall he took could have killed us both, yet somehow I'm the one with more scratches.

The tiny stable is hopelessly crowded; with three horses squeezed inside there is not even room for an extra pony. We are lucky that this rundown inn in the back-est of back alleys of Iris has a stable at all. No one would think to look for the hero of the Realms in a place like this, and if no one shows up...Kathanhiel wouldn't have to kill them.

'It was really scary, wasn't it?' I ask Killisan, who is shaking his head and nipping at my sleeve. 'Didn't know she could be like...that. I think I'm in over my head. What do you think?'

He bites a hole in my shirt and says nothing.

'You know how bards usually talk about this kind of stuff? "A great thrust to the heart!" "Thus the blade its skull parted in two!" Sounds silly now, doesn't it? People who sing stuff like that have never...never...'

Never taken down the body of an old recruiter that had been nailed to a tree. Never witnessed a hero slaughter fifty people in five minutes.

Killisan tosses his mane wisely, and tries to eat my belt. The attempt is partially successful.

I walk into Haylis' room without knocking so she doesn't get to ignore me. She shoots me a poisonous look from under the sheets, and puts her arms over the wet spots around her head. It's been three days. Three days.

'Had the stable boy buy these.' I set the bowl of dates in front of her. 'Better pay me back later.'

She blinks. 'You got them for me?'

'For sharing.'

She begins to pick her nose. 'You're just trying to be nice.'

I grab her hand and put it in the bowl instead. 'What's the difference between that and actually being nice?'

After pondering that for a moment she takes a date. 'How is she?'

'Just about to check on her again.'

Suddenly she drops her head into the bowl like it's a wash basin. 'I was so stupid! So stupid!! Setting up camps...might as well put giant signs telling everyone where she'd be every night. And for what? A...a mattress! I almost got us killed because I wanted to sleep on a nice mattress!'

The entire bed trembles as she hammers her fists on the frame as if she's trying to fly.

'That's not your fault,' I say without really meaning it. 'We all agreed to it, so it's not on you.'

As her face re-emerges from the bowl I count four dates rolling in her mouth – no, five. Somehow she is still intelligible, talking through them: 'It didn't even matter though, in the end. She just waved her sword and so many...they all just...' She mimes brushing dirt off her shoulders.

So glad I'm not the only one disturbed by that. 'Should we...talk her about it?'

'What? Are you crazy? Why?'

'So that we can...um...help her...I don't know...'

She gives me look that reads you don't know what you're asking for so stop.

We sit in silence for a while, then she snatches up seven dates in a blitz and shoves them into her mouth all at once. I try to slap her wrist and miss by a mile.

Afternoon rolls by; it's time to check on Kathanhiel again. She has not left her room since we got here.