Another bounce.
Ina felt her entire body float for just a moment, before crashing back down onto the rough wooden seat she tried to get some rest on to no avail. With a sigh, she brushed her damp hair out of her face before she sat up, slowly pulling away the cloak she used as a makeshift blanket. It didn’t take long for another jolt in the small carriage she found herself in, to cause her to shift back and forwards before the wagon righted itself.
“Sorry ‘bout that lass!” A voice shouted from the front of the wagon. “Tha’ road ‘ere is right awful.”
Ina only grunted in response, knowing the old dwarf who piloted the wagon wouldn’t hear her, but she was grateful for the words regardless.
It had been days… or maybe a week since her run-in with the horde from before. The time when she finally realized what she had deep down known all along.
Swallowing dryly, the half-elf looked down at her hands. Dirty and caked with mud and dirt from the countless days she had been on the road. Eating whatever rations she had left in her pack and foraging fruit and berries she found on her long journey. She flexed each of her digits, almost trying to *see* if she could see the stain of magic on her somehow, but all she saw was dirt and sweat coating them.
She didn’t seem to look any different on the outside. Though she still felt like every moment she was around others, they’d somehow know that she was a witch, someone tainted with the foul aroma of the weave.
With a tired exhale, Ina wrapped her cloak back around her, feeling the heat from outside starting to cause the inside of the shaded carriage to become stuffy. Moving to the rear t o open one of the flaps to let some fresh air in, the girl spoke up to the Dwarf.
“How far are we from Murann?”
Opening the flap, she could see that it was close to midday, perhaps a bit later as the sun painted the landscape in a bright light, illuminating the surrounding forest. Though even over the galloping of the hooves of the horses and the steady sound of the wheels turning, she could still hear the critters of nature alive and well, filling the area with a sense of peace. As if the drums of war didn’t quite seem to reach this far into the lands.
“I’d say we be about…” The Dwarf shouted back, drawing out the last syllable as if he were thinking. “About a tenday, mayhap less.”
Ina nodded to herself, contemplating while still looking outside the flap of the carriage, the green bushes and trees passing her by.
About a week to Murann. The port city of Amn. She had always wanted to go when she was younger but never had. It seemed as perfect a place as any to start a new life. Her new life. Just the thought sent a shiver down her spine. It’d surely be safe there, right? Though she didn’t know how safe she’d be with her newfound abilities.Hopefully she’d learn to better control this… affliction of hers.
“Ye more than welcome to stay wit’ me on tha journey there, lass.” The gruff but friendly voice continued from the front of the carriage. The thick accent easily cutting through all the other noise.
“These days, any friendly company is a sight for- oh!”
Ina perked up at the sudden man’s cry of surprise before she gripped the wooden bench she sat on for support as she felt the carriage slow followed by the loud whine of one of the horses pulling the burden.
“Ho there Travelers!” She heard the familiar dwarven man’s voice cut in loudly, speaking to someone Ina couldn’t see.
Straining to hear though, the half-elf leaned her head close to the dirty curtain flanking the entire caravan that enclosed the read, hoping to hear who the man was speaking to. Though she didn’t have to try for long.
“Greetings master Dwarf.” She heard another voice. “My companion and I are hoping we can secure transport West.”
Ina felt a chill travel down her entire body, though she wasn’t quite sure why. The man’s voice sounded friendly enough, but she got an odd feeling from him.
“Ah, we’re heading that direction now. Towards Murann even.” The driver’s voice bellowed loudly. “Hop on in back, ye lot are more than welcome aboard!”
She heard the man from earlier mutter a thanks before Ina quickly moved back to her original spot, drawing her hood over her head. She wasn’t quite sure why but she still felt uneasy around other people. Especially these days.
She could hear the metallic clang of armor with heavy footfalls sound around the caravan, before two figures stopped at the open flap in the rear of the caravan. Immediately, she could spot a man and a woman, both human and both dressed similarly. Donning platemail that seemed to encompass their whole body, Ina couldn’t help but wonder how they weren’t drenched in sweat moving around in such adornments.
Though the most eye-catching of the pair was the color of the armor. It was an odd looking dull grayish black. As if the armor itself was a void to swallow any and all color. Which made the bright scarlet of their tabards stand out quite proudly. A stark contrast of the metal they wore.
“Ah, ho’ there, friend.” The dark clad man greeted Ina, his smile seemingly genuine. “I was wondering who else was in here when our driver let us abroad.”
Climbing up with no effort, despite what he wore, Ina couldn’t help but bend her head in greeting, though not quite smiling as wide as the man was. He seemed to be around her own age, with shoulder length muddy brown hair. His skin seemed smooth, too smooth to have seen battle but he carried himself with an air of confidence that told Ina he was both skilled… and potentially dangerous.
Once he was inside, he offered a hand to the other woman behind him, though she ignored his gesture and instead lifted herself up into the back of the caravan, earning a slight chuckle from the man.
As they both seated on the bench lining the back of the wagon, Ina couldn’t help but feel the sense of despair building in her stomach, though she still couldn’t place her finger on why. Still, she did slide away from the pair, as they took their seats, opposite each other, with the woman across from her and the man seated to her left.
“Forgive us for cramming up the space back here.” The man chuckled out, unclasping the blade at his side and leaning it next to himself. “My name is Leonar, and my dour companion over there is Tessa.” He introduced, earning a scowl from the woman.
Nodding to the man, Ina couldn’t help but let her eyes trace Tessa’s own face. The woman seemed older than both she and Leonar, with dark hair, almost the same color as her armor, with sharp green eyes. Though the most striking feature about her was the scarred flash that seemed to encompass the whole left side of her cheek and mouth. It seemed seared or burned but Ina quickly looked away once she spotted the woman turn her sharp gaze towards herself.
“My name is Ina, good to meet you.” She made out, quickly clearing her throat afterwards as she looked everywhere but towards Tessa, though she could still feel the woman’s steely gaze upon herself.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ina.” Leonar exclaimed, much too loudly for being in such an enclosed space. “Are you also making your way towards Murann? Fleeing the war perhaps?”
Though before Ina had a chance to answer, her mind reeling to find a way to respond to the question, the Dwarf’s voice cut in from the front, a small saving grace for the young girl.
“I think we’re all tryin’ ta flee the damned beasts.” He croaked out before continuing. “Though how ‘bout you twos? Are ye soldiers or summin’?”
At that, Ina finally heard Tessa make a sound, which was a mix between an annoyed grunt and a scoff before Leonar shot his female companion a look before answering.
“We aren’t quite soldiers as you’re probably thinking, but we are tasked with a mission. One we are currently on right this moment as a matter of fact!”
Ina felt something pierce her mind which froze her in her seat. It was an alien feeling again but one she had become all too familiar with these past few weeks now. One she couldn’t help thinking about.
“Ah, I see. An’ it’s taking ye ta Murann?”
Ina stole a glance towards the pair again as Leonar brushed his hair out of his face and answered with an easy smile.
“Somewhere near Murann, yes sir.”
It was then that Ina noticed that Tessa has never looked away from her. Her green eyes locked in on her face. Trying her best to ignore the piercing hot stare, Ina felt her hand trail down to her side, where her blade lingered on her belt. The very same one she picked up on that fateful day she learned of her… abilities. It almost felt like the female knight could sense it too somehow, which furthered the anxiety Ina felt.
A loud bang startled Ina out of her sudden trance as both she and Tessa jumped at the sound, to which a gentle laugh filled the air after.
“Forgive my compatriot, Ina.” The armorclad man chuckled out, his eyes flickering to his companion. “She has no social skills, not to mention she has the face only a mother could love.”
Ina felt her eyes widen at the disparaging comment but to Tessa’s own credit in some semblance of self-control, the older woman only leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. The metal on her armor grinding uncomfortably so.
“Well, sorry I can’t live up to your standards any longer, Leo.” Tessa spoke. Her voice was raspy and hollow, as if the scar on her face ran deeper than just skin deep. “Blame that damn witch from Crimmor.”
“Aye well, she surely looks worse off than you now though.” Leonar chuckled out again, seemingly relaxing once more in his seat as he defused the situation, shooting Ina a small wink.
Ina herself however felt her fear still ebb at her very core, though now curiosity was peaked a bit. Pursing her lips, she managed to find her voice, though trying her best to avoid Tessa’s ire.
“What… What exactly are you two?” She meekly asked, her voice barely audible over the creaks of the carriage and gallop of the horses.
Both Leonar and Tessa’s eyes both found Ina’s own, causing the younger woman to shrink back a bit in herself, but before either could answer, it was the gruff voice from the front that boomed out.
“Ye to be Pale Knights or some such, ain’t ya?”
The question earned a scoff from Tessa but a more tangible answer from Leonar.
“Ah, quite the eye you have, Master Dwarf. Yes, Palestone Knights.”
For the first time since she joined the Dwarven horsemaster, she heard the man laugh. The sound was a mix between clapping two rocks together and someone grinding nails on a blade.
“Hunting spell-flingers and soothsayers this far west?” He asked after a guffaw. “With the war with da mongrels, I’d think ye’d lot ‘ave more important things ta be doin’.”
Leonar never lost his smile at the dwarf’s words, though Ina noticed his eyes grew a bit colder as the man tapped one gloved hand against the mental legplate of his armor in a simple rhythm.
“Nothing is more important than our mission of cleansing the land.”
Ina found herself growing more and more confused but curious at the exchange, letting her instincts fall to the wayside.
“If not the Horde, what are you cleansing the land of then?” She found herself asking, realizing too late that she spoke outloud much too late.
Though despite her sudden innocent question, it was Tessa who answered, to Ina’s surprise.
“Of the weave… Of the blight that is magic.”
Ina felt heart skip a beat at the words.
Suddenly it was much too hot and cramped in the back of the carriage. Her eyes grew wide and breathing became difficult in a split second. Feeling her throat tighten though, Ina simply forced herself to nod and tore her gaze away from the pair, quickly moving her gaze to the floor as if it was the most important thing that required her attention now.
The fear returned tenfold, her jaw clenched to keep herself from drawing more attention to herself, as the quiet peace she had found herself earlier now shattered so suddenly. She knew they couldn’t have known, right?
She quickly glanced down at her hands once again, straining to see if there was some sort of mark on them. Something that led them to this very cart she was on, like some sick game of fate. There couldn’t have been, right?
They couldn’t … sense it, right?
They didn’t know?
“Are you alright?”
The sudden question drew Ina out from the dark depths of her mind and she shot a glance towards Leonar. His soft features from before doing nothing to calm Ina. Now all she saw was a threat.
A threat.
Fear.
Danger.
Eliminate it. Free yourself from fear. Conquer it.
Swallowing hard and forcing herself to clear her throat and her mind of the alien words, Ina only nodded.
“Alright, just making sure.” The knight finished before gesturing to her. “Your leg just started shaking, hammerin’ the floorboards!”
“S-Sorry.” Ina meekly replied, clamping her hands on her thigh. She wasn’t even aware of the involuntary movements. It took everything in her very being to not jump out of the caravan as she felt the sweat drip off her forehead.
And in that very moment, she glanced up, through her bangs and could only see Tessa’s face, staring intently back at her. The woman’s glare was unblinking, unwavering. Ina felt herself almost lose herself in those green piercing eyes, almost as if they were staring into her very soul, as if asking the very question to which she wanted to keep hidden. Buried deep in the very depths of her mind.
“Curious indeed.”
