Bound by a Blade (PauPat)

Chapter Nine - The Exiled Prince

It has been exactly three months and twelve days since Pau Van der Velde was recruited.

"All you have to do is talk to him!"

"He doesn't want to talk to me."

"What's wrong? You scared?"

"Yes, quite."

Eriko groaned dramatically at his friend's lackluster response. "Pau, come on! You've been so mopey ever since you came back from the forest a few weeks ago."

That comment in particular made Pau's blood boil. "Bite your tongue, Eriko," he spat. "You have no idea what a witnessed while I was with the wolfskin."

"I mean, I'm guessing it was bad," the axe fighter said with a shrug. "The kid who brought you back seemed pretty messed up, too."

"'The kid who brought me back' has a name, Eriko." Pau was getting more frustrated with his friend by the second.

"Oh yeah. Todd, right?"

Pau let out a heavy sigh, recalling how stupid he felt the moment he woke up. He hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to Tord, or woken up in Pat's medical tent. He did receive an earful from Jaeger, however, which was the closest he could get to the opposite of his goal.

It had been three weeks, and he and Pat had still barely said a word to each other.

"I don't think he's very busy today," Eriko said in a suggestive tone. "Maybe you could go to his tent and talk things out?"

Pau went quiet for a few moments, taking a moment to think. "... What if he says no?"

"Then you try again some other time."

"Is this the tactic you've been using with Tyra? Because that would explain a lot."

Eriko's shoulders visibly tensed as he tried to hide his reddening face. "Can you go one day without mentioning her?"

"That depends on whether or not you're going to stop bothering me about Pat."

The axe fighter huffed with a childish smile. "But teasing you is so much fun!"

"And why is that?"

"Because you're so serious all the time!" Eriko waved one of his hands along with his speech. "You hardly ever smile, and you barely even talk to people besides me, Tyra and Pat! You're always training and you never take time to just... you know, let loose!" Pau flinched as his friend playfully punched him in the shoulder. "Kick your feet up every now and then. Everyone and their grandmother can tell you need it."

Pau only let his straight face fall when Eriko got up off the wooden bench and left.

————————

"Knock knock?"

Pau wore a friendly smile as he peeked into the small medical tent, only to see that the olive skinned cleric had his nose buried in a book.

The mercenary cleared his throat. "Sorry if I'm interrupting, but may I come in?"

"... I suppose," Pat responded coldly, not looking away from the book he was enthralled in.