Chapter Two: Breeze
The sunrise was lovely, Al had to admit. Well, she didn't have to admit it, and didn't, but it was. If she squinted, she could just make out the murky green line that was Morytania, off to the east.
The lower half of her body was still numb from whatever spell had been cast upon it, but that beat the pain by a mile. She lay on her side, gazing off towards the dawn.
"Are you still awake, Al?" whispered a voice from behind her.
Al grimaced. "Seems that way, moonomancer."
"You need your rest. I didn't take away your injury—it's just fading faster than normal. It will come back if you don't sleep."
"Well, you're talking to me, aren't you?" Ali the Witch rolled over to face Dimka. Dimka was sleeping up in the cart, with only one thin blanket for warmth. "If you want me to sleep, that's not gonna help."
Dimka chewed on her inner cheek. "Well, you aren't sleeping anyway. Big thoughts?"
"Private thoughts. Personal thoughts."
"Right." Dimka gave a short laugh. "It's not like we've been sharing a bed for the last three weeks."
Al's face heated up. " Don't say it like that. There's only been one bedroll 'til recently. It was either you share it, or I sleep on the rocks."
"Well, I... um..."
Dimka trailed off. Al's eyes narrowed as Dimka visibly weighed her next words. "It's been a strange time in Misthalin," she finally said.
"Yeah, that's a truth and a half. That's what you get for runecrafting with strange women, Dimka."
"Is this how it always is for Zarosians?" Dimka scratched her nose. "Where I come from, no one cares about dead gods."
Her tone was light, but the words immediately put a hard edge on Al's mood. Al tried to keep her teeth from gritting. "Missing. Not dead."
"Mm." Dimka winced and nodded.
"And no," Al went on, "the goblin thing was definitely unique to me. I don't think a Zarosian's ever accidentally helped destroy the G.E."
"Neither of us had any idea they were an anarcho-comm tribe."
(cont.)
The sunrise was lovely, Al had to admit. Well, she didn't have to admit it, and didn't, but it was. If she squinted, she could just make out the murky green line that was Morytania, off to the east.
The lower half of her body was still numb from whatever spell had been cast upon it, but that beat the pain by a mile. She lay on her side, gazing off towards the dawn.
"Are you still awake, Al?" whispered a voice from behind her.
Al grimaced. "Seems that way, moonomancer."
"You need your rest. I didn't take away your injury—it's just fading faster than normal. It will come back if you don't sleep."
"Well, you're talking to me, aren't you?" Ali the Witch rolled over to face Dimka. Dimka was sleeping up in the cart, with only one thin blanket for warmth. "If you want me to sleep, that's not gonna help."
Dimka chewed on her inner cheek. "Well, you aren't sleeping anyway. Big thoughts?"
"Private thoughts. Personal thoughts."
"Right." Dimka gave a short laugh. "It's not like we've been sharing a bed for the last three weeks."
Al's face heated up. " Don't say it like that. There's only been one bedroll 'til recently. It was either you share it, or I sleep on the rocks."
"Well, I... um..."
Dimka trailed off. Al's eyes narrowed as Dimka visibly weighed her next words. "It's been a strange time in Misthalin," she finally said.
"Yeah, that's a truth and a half. That's what you get for runecrafting with strange women, Dimka."
"Is this how it always is for Zarosians?" Dimka scratched her nose. "Where I come from, no one cares about dead gods."
Her tone was light, but the words immediately put a hard edge on Al's mood. Al tried to keep her teeth from gritting. "Missing. Not dead."
"Mm." Dimka winced and nodded.
"And no," Al went on, "the goblin thing was definitely unique to me. I don't think a Zarosian's ever accidentally helped destroy the G.E."
"Neither of us had any idea they were an anarcho-comm tribe."
(cont.)
01-Jul-2018 21:43:37