Gypsy Rose
A Ragnarok fanfiction by Steph O'Dell
Author's Notes: That last chapter scared me. No, really, it scared me. I have never written such a horrible scene with such gusto before. Apparently, according to several people on lRO (Seph and Sariah especially) it was really good. Well, at least that's good for something. XP Hopefully, I'll get into a rhythm now, and it won't feel so sluggish. I may even have more chapters soon. Art is coming, I just need more time to get inspired, is all. Lately my art has really been suffering. Dx I really need to go back to art school…
Chapter Three – This Town is a Gathering Place, Honey, You Just Don't Know Why YetDear Umi;
It's been a couple of weeks or so since I left. I know I told you I'd write every day, but I can't really promise that. Once a week or so should be okay, right?
Anyway, a lot has happened since I left. I met some knight in Payon woods. Wow, he was really something else. Together, we took out Vagabond Wolf. Unfortunately, he left without telling me, and his name got blurred out of his note, so I don't even know his name. Bummer. I really wanted to thank him for all he did.
I also ended up in Morroc instead of Izlude, and got heatstroke. Thankfully, I met this really cool Assassin named Seph. He was really nice, and his friend, Khalid, was a really nice guy too. He wanted to be an assassin as well.
Unfortunately, I ended up picking up a pet—this really perverted Drop named Trent. He's getting on my nerves, but he won't leave. I get the feeling he was someone's pet once, but he insists that he wasn't.
At any rate, I finally made it out of Sogart Desert, and am on my way to Prontera. I should get there tomorrow morning, where I can restock my supplies, and mail this letter. I still haven't dipped into the silver arrow quiver you gave me! b(.)d
I'm also sending a bit of money your way to help with things on your end. It may not be very much, but please use it any way you want. Adventures make quite a bit of money, so I won't starve or sleep out in the cold without reason.
With much love,
Your big sister
Steph 3
Steph finished her letter, and folded it carefully, putting it away in her bag with a satisfied smile. She felt a little better than she had in almost a week.
"What'cha doing?" Trent asked, looking up into Steph's face with a curious look.
Steph was momentarily startled by him, but then recovered, and scowled. "Writing my sister."
"You have a sister?" Trent asked, amazed. "What's she like?"
Steph blinked. "Well…" She chose her words carefully. "She's really sweet, and a good cook, and everyone really likes her."
"So, she's your total opposite then?" he quipped sarcastically.
Steph growled. "Watch it, blubberbutt." Her eyebrow twitched.
"Dinner tasted a little overdone," Trent said somberly.
Steph grumbled. Trent ate her food instead of the pet food she had picked up in Morroc, much to her disappointment. Other than the yellow herbs he seemed so fond of, Trent ate human food, and acted very much like a normal person would. Steph decided finally to figure out why.
"Hey, Trent?" Steph asked, poking the orange blob. "What's with you, anyway? You don't act like a monster. You act like a person."
Trent made a face. "So? What about it?"
"You told me you weren't anybody's pet," Steph said darkly. "But I'm thinking you're a big fat liar. There's no other way to explain your behaviour."
Trent seemed nervous suddenly. He didn't say anything, but his face was clearly agitated.
"Well?" Steph pushed, trying to corner Trent until he finally confessed.
Trent grumbled. "Okay, fine…I was someone's pet."
"Ah-HA!" Steph cried out triumphantly. "I knew it!"
Trent looked deflated. "I didn't tell you because I was desperate. I figured you wouldn't take me with you if you knew I was someone else's pet."
Steph poked Trent casually with her foot. "Well then, if someone owned you, why are you alone? I bet they got tired of you, and abandoned you, am I right?"
Trent looked upset. "No way! My…my owner disappeared. As if…as if he was kidnapped…or worse…"
Steph looked shocked. "Okay, you have to be pulling my leg."
Trent shook his head, a funny motion on him, as it required his entire body. "No, I'm dead serious." He looked at Steph, and his small eyes were hard and serious. "One day I woke up, and he was gone. No note, no warning. All his stuff was still there, and no one saw him leave." Trent looked upset. "I was…so scared. No one would help me because…because I'm a Drop…" Trent actually looked on the verge of tears.
Steph got off the log she was sitting on, and sat down beside Trent, and put a hand on him, pulling him closer. "Go on," she whispered softly.
Trent sniffled, and regained some composer. "Anyway, I didn't get any leads at all, so I figured that if I worked with a person, I would find him some day."
Steph petted Trent comfortingly, and he leaned against her thigh, still upset and troubled.
"I think I understand…but why not tell me from the beginning? Why lie?" Steph looked genuinely worried.
Trent sighed. "I dunno. I just figured you'd leave me too, like everybody else."
"Well, I want to help, okay?" Steph said. "So, tell me about him, and I'll do whatever I can to find him for you."
Trent looked up at Steph, his face brightening. "Really? Oh thank you! Thank you so much!" He leapt into her lap, and buried his face in her stomach, sobbing happily.
Up until that point, Steph had wanted anything to get rid of Trent, but now she felt a tiny bit of sympathy form in her stomach for the poor little thing. She figured it was the least she could do for him. I mean, after all, his master would take him back, right? And then he'd be taken off her hands, and she'd be rid of the perverted thing once and for all.
Trent finally unburied his face from Steph's stomach, and looked into her face again. "Okay, I'll tell you everything I know about him."
"Well, start with his name," Steph said.
"Trent."
Steph blinked. "No, not your name, Trent. His name."
"That is his name, Steph." Trent looked amused.
Steph made a face. "Why would he name his pet after himself?! That makes no sense!"
Trent laughed. "Don't ask me."
Steph recovered her composer. "Okay, so what else can you tell me about him?"
Trent took a breath. "Well, he's a rouge."
"Okay, I get it now." Steph finally understood why Trent had been annoyed when people had been bad-mouthing Rouges in Morroc.
"He dressed in black, see? And he wore the same sunglasses I do. In fact," Trent went on proudly. "He dressed me the same as him. We have the same piercings and everything."
Steph made a face. "Grrreeeaaaattttt…Hey, I'm all for customization and everything, but why go to such lengths to make your pet just like yourself? Makes no sense to me…"
Trent made an almost shrugging motion. "Anyway, we met shortly after he started his journey, so we were together a long time. I guess eventually I started picking up his mannerisms and stuff—the way he talked, the way he acted, that sort of thing."
Steph felt all hope slip from her. So, in other words, the owner is just like this pet? Great…
"Anything else I can work with?" Steph asked, sighing loudly.
Trent was quiet. "Do you have Khalid's picture still?" he asked suddenly.
Steph blinked. "Yeah, actually. Why?"
Trent sighed quietly. "Well, Khalid's friend, the one who ran off, the one in that picture…is him. My owner."
Steph fell over, in shock. "WHA-AT?!"
Trent nodded again. "Yeup."
Steph felt like crying. "No way…no way…that's too much of a coincidence! NO WAY!!"
Trent sighed again, each time he did so it seemed heavier and more hopeless. "See? See why I'm having so much trouble?"
Steph rubbed her eyes. "Okay, so, where did he go missing from?"
"I last saw him in Prontera," Trent answered. "He'd gotten into a fight with someone that night, but that was nothing new. It was about a girl too."
"Let me guess," Steph said slowly. "Also nothing new?"
Trent nodded.
"So my best bet," Steph said tiredly. "Is in Prontera…"
There was silence for a while, and then Steph got up and walked over to where her sleeping bag was set up. She took off her boots, and other gear, crawled under the covers, and was about to go to sleep, when she felt something warm and heavy on her chest. She pried an eye open to see Trent looking at her with a pitiful face. "Can I sleep in there with you?"
"No," Steph replied flatly.
"Why not?" Trent whined.
"Because I know you," Steph replied shortly. "And I know you'd try snuggling my boobs again. So no." She rolled over, knocking Trent off her, and tried to go to sleep.
Trent bounced dejectedly over to the dying embers of the fire, and tried to get comfortable beside it. There was some shuffling noises, and then some quiet. And then the shivering noises started. Steph felt slight annoyance.
"What is it now?" she asked shortly.
"I'm cold," Trent said in a pitiful voice.
Steph knew it was a little colder than during the day, but she was grateful for the slight drop in temperature after the unbearable desert heat. However, Trent was a Drop, and probably liked heat, so the change in temperature probably bothered him quite a bit. She sighed.
"Okay, come here, you whiner. But nothing perverted, got it?" Her voice was a warning tone.
Trent bounced over to Steph, his face happy, and snuggled into Steph's arms under the blankets. Steph had to admit, the added heat was rather nice, and Trent was behaving, so she figured she'd better enjoy it while she could. She felt her eyes closing slowly, and sighed happily under her breath. As they closed, she heard Trent mumble faintly.
"Thank…you…"
—
"Just keep going north from here," Seph told Steph as he paused. Steph looked at the Assassin with curiosity. He had led her and Trent all the way from Morroc to here, the edge of the desert. "Aren't you coming to Prontera with us?"
"I'm afraid not," Seph informed her. "I have to be on my way to Gonryun. I have some things to attend to there."
Steph looked down a bit. "I remember you saying you had things to do…At least you stayed for the funeral…"
Seph looked a bit upset for a second, but it was a brief instant, nothing more. "It put me behind schedule, but I have no regrets about attending. Khalid was a good friend."
There was quiet for a bit. "I can't ever thank you for everything you have done," Steph said quietly.
Seph was silent for a long time. Then he turned to leave, and as he was walking away he said, "A bit of advice."
"Yes?" Steph asked quietly.
"As long as you live, you will be followed by misfortune," Seph said quietly. He looked at Steph over his shoulder. "It has nothing to do with you, you see. You were just born under an unfortunate star."
Steph stared at Seph in horror. She couldn't say a word to him.
"Try to distance yourself from others," he said as he disappeared from view. "Unless you want them dead."
—
Steph remembered the scene from earlier that day as she slept, and woke with a start. She was startled for a second, and then began to cry silently. If Seph's words were true…
Steph cried bitterly. It didn't seem fair.
—
Prontera was the capital city of Rune-Midgard, and was always bustling with activity and life. Everywhere you looked where merchant's shops, and adventurers from every corner of the world. Beautiful architecture stood high overhead, dazzling and beautiful to the eye. The air was filled with many voices, and smells, and strains of music could be heard from wandering minstrels and bards who entertained the masses to make a living.
Steph looked all about her in wide-eyed amazement. It was exciting and new, and she ran here and there, looking at this shiny thing, or that sparkling thing. She had never been so delighted in her life.
"You're like a crow," Trent joked. "You're drawn to shiny things."
"I can't help it," Steph replied. "It's so pretty!" She looked at a brooch for sale in a stall, but put it down when she saw the price.
"Well, first thing's first: you should unload your excess stuff, get some better armour, and rent a room at the inn." Trent seemed pretty knowledgeable about what to do, and Steph suppressed a smile.
"You've been here before, right?" she asked him.
"Yeup. Several times," Trent replied happily. "This was our centre point, see?"
"Centre point?" Steph echoed, confused.
"It's the point where we always returned after adventuring," Trent explained.
"Well, anyway, point the way for me," Steph said, grinning.
"Good idea," Trent said. "You'd get lost otherwise."
Steph stuck out her tongue at him, and followed the orange blob as it bounced along the cobblestone streets.
—
"3,000 zeny?!" Steph asked, disbelieving what she heard. "Just for this little stone?!"
"That's right," the jeweller told her, in a matter-of-fact tone. "See, this is a Topaz, and a good quality one at that."
Steph nearly fainted. And that knight just gave it to me! She felt herself get dizzy.
The next bit of the day went by in a daze—Steph bought some new armour, a lot more supplies, and mailed her letter to Umi with quite a large amount of zeny in it, and a pair of lovely earnings Steph had spotted in a shop that had been at a decent price.
"Where's the inn?" Steph asked Trent in a dazed voice.
"Huh? Oh…" Trent turned, and started bouncing in a new direction. "This way…" He looked back at Steph. "You okay?"
"A little overwhelmed…" Steph said quietly. "A lot has happened in a short time, you know."
"True," Trent agreed. "You need to rest, is all."
Steph entered the inn, and the innkeeper greeted her with a smile. Steph smiled back, and put some money on the counter.
"I need a room for one, please."
"Certainly. You're name?"
"Steph," she told the innkeeper absently. She looked about her with a sort-of mindless look. Finally, she looked at the innkeeper as he handed her a key.
"Room 1903, last room on the end of this hall, to the left."
"Thank you," she said, and then paused before saying, "Umm, have you, by chance, seen a knight come through here, dressed in black? Long reddish hair?"
The innkeeper paused, and thought. "Oh, I think so. Left with a gunner not thirty minutes ago. I think I heard something about orcs. They must be headed to Orc Village out west."
Steph's stomach sank. "Oh…thanks."
—
Not too far off, a knight clad in black sneezed violently. The gunner walking beside him looked over at him.
"Catching a cold?"
"Nah," the knight replied. "Someone's probably talking about me again."
—
Steph looked down at Trent as she sat on the bed. "Where does one go to get information?"
Trent looked thoughtful for a moment. "Probably the pub."
Steph looked nervous. "Aren't those bad places to go?"
Trent looked at the ceiling, and then at a wall, and then the floor, and then Steph again. "Well, sort of…but if you know what to do, you're fine."
Steph looked more nervous. "But I don't."
"That's what I'm for," Trent replied, grinning.
Steph sighed. She felt trouble brewing…
—
The pub was a noisy, crowded, dark, and smoky place. Most of the tabled in the establishment were full, and many groups of people were seated here and there. Steph looked all around her nervously.
"You lookin' for someone in particular?" a voice behind Steph asked. She jumped a bit, startled, and saw a Lord Knight standing behind her. The man's black eyes focused on Steph with a gentle intensity.
"Oh, uhh, yes…well, no…actually…" Steph got flustered.
The Lord Knight stood patiently and waited for her to finish. Steph finally got relaxed enough to speak coherently.
"Yes…I'm looking for someone named Trent. He's a rouge who went missing recently. Have you seen him at all?"
The Lord Knight was thoughtful. "What did he look like?"
"Uhh," Steph looked at Trent for a moment, and then she reached into her pocket, and pulled out Khalid's picture.
"I'm sorry it's old, but it's all I have. He's this one," she pointed to Trent in the picture. "Have you seen someone like him?"
The Lord Knight shook his head apologetically. "No, sorry. I'm afraid I haven't."
Steph looked crestfallen. "Oh…I see…" She smiled sadly. "Thank you anyway."
"Good luck, miss," the Lord Knight said with a smile. "And I hope you find him." He then walked into the pub, and sat down at a table with a sniper and a paladin.
Steph looked about her, and slowly made her way over to the bar, and sat down. Trent smiled up at her.
"So you struck out the first time," he told her. "Keep trying, and something will turn up."
"Okay," Steph said sadly. The whole thing was rather overwhelming.
"What'll you have?" a voice asked behind her.
Steph turned around to see a man behind the bar, smiling at her. He brushed a bit of pale brown hair out of his face, and Steph noticed his odd-coloured eyes, but couldn't decide on what colour they were.
"Uhh, oh no, I'm here to look for someone," Steph said nervously.
The bartender chuckled. "Sorry, but…patrons only. You need to be drinking, or I can't let you stay." He cocked his head to the side, and smiled. "No matter how cute you are."
Steph turned six shaded of red.
The bartender laughed. "Anyway, who are you looking for?"
Steph recovered, and showed him the picture. The man was quiet for a second, and then snapped his fingers and pointed at the picture.
"Oh yeah, him. He was in here a few months ago. Made a big scene, hitting on this one married woman. Can't forget him." The bartender looked amused.
Steph looked excited. "Do you remember what happened after that?"
"Oh yeah," the man continued. "He left when her husband showed up, and called him out for a fight. Never came back in."
Steph looked worried. "Who was this person, may I ask?" She figured she'd better ask this man who last saw the Rouge.
"You mean that High Wizard? He's been out somewhere for a while now. No one's seen him." The bartender shrugged. "Sorry."
Steph sighed sadly. There went her lead.
"Well, what can I get you?" the bartender asked again.
"Get her a Vermillion Sunrise, on my tab," a voice said beside Steph.
She looked up to see a pretty woman standing beside her. The woman had long lavender hair that reached her ankles, and was plated in a lovely braid down her back. She was dressed in rather lovely clothes, and Steph realized she was a Gypsy. The woman smiled at Steph.
"One Vermillion Sunrise, coming right up," the barkeeper repeated the order with a smile.
"Umm, thank you," Steph said nervously.
"Oh, it's no trouble," the woman said, sitting down gracefully beside Steph. "No trouble at all."
Steph eyed the drink the bartender put in front of her. It looked harmless, but…
"At it again, I see," the bartender said to the Gypsy.
The Gypsy laughed. "I can't help it if I see a poor, pretty thing in distress. I feel obligated to assist."
"Same old Somine," the bartender said with a laugh. "You never change."
"Kvasir…" Somine purred. "Are you mocking me?"
"Me?" Kvasir replied, grinning. "I know better than that."
Steph blinked. Somine had carefully pulled her whip out as they were talking.
"Don't worry about him, dear," Somine said cheerfully to Steph. "He's a lonely man who can't catch a break. Watch yourself, or he might take you home with him."
Steph laughed nervously. "Oh really…"
"Really," Trent muttered darkly under his breath.
"I'm Somine. Somine Hellfire," the Gypsy said, offering her hand to Steph. "And you are…?"
"Steph. Steph O'Dell," Steph replied, taking Somine's hand.
"Ooh, cute name," Somine purred. "You're so adorable, I could just eat you up."
Steph felt nervous suddenly, and didn't know why. Somine seemed a bit too friendly all of a sudden.
"You here alone?" Somine continued. "Or do you have someone…special?"
"Uhh…" Steph said, nervous. "Well, actually…" There was an awkward pause. "I…have to use the restroom. I'll…be right back." She stood up, and carefully made her way towards the restrooms.
Somine watched Steph go with an amused face. "Ooh, I like her."
Kvasir chuckled to himself, amused. "Scared another one off, did you?"
Somine smiled. "I can't help it. She's rather shy. But I'll get to her yet."
"She's way out of your league," a woman sitting next to Somine said, after taking a puff from her cigarette holder.
"Oh?" Somine asked, curiously.
"Yeup," the woman replied casually. "She's covered with bad luck."
Somine smiled. "Sounds like a challenge if I've ever heard one."
"Oh, Somine, I think Ethan just arrived," Kvasir informed the gypsy as he pointed to a bard that had just entered the pub.
Somine sprang to her feet, waving, and ran towards the bard calling, "Oh Ethan!" in a singsong voice. The woman with the cigarette holder watched Somine leave with a small, amused smile.
"She never ceases to amuse me."
Steph came back from the restrooms to find the seat next to her empty. She blinked, and then sighed, relieved.
"She seemed a bit too friendly."
"You have no idea."
"Huh?"
"Never mind. Just finish that drink slowly. It's a real nasty one." Kvasir grinned.
"Oh…okay…" Steph carefully took a sip of the drink, which was actually rather tasty. The woman two seats down stared intently at Steph, until Steph finally looked up, and blinked.
"Uhh, is something wrong?"
"You have very curious Hitsuzen," the woman remarked.
"Huh?" Steph asked, confused.
"Hitsuzen. It's a naturally, foreordained event. A state in which other outcommes are impossible. A result which can only be obtained by a single causality, and other causalities would nessecarily create other results. Basically, it's what most people refer to as fate." The woman took another puff of her cigarrete holder, and smiled.
"Are you saying you can see my fate?" Steph asked dubiously.
"Oh no," the woman said. "That's impossible. But your name tells a lot about you. For instance, it tells me you were born under an unlucky star."
Seph's words to Steph rung in her ears at this comment, and she looked at the table, upset.
"Yeah, and? So what?"
The lady smiled, tilting her head. "I find you facinating. Let's be friends, you and I. How about it?"
Steph looked at the woman hesitantly. "I suppose…if you really want to…"
"I'll take my chances," the woman said. "Anyway, I know your name. My name is Yuko. Yuko Ichihara."
Steph moved a seat over so she was sitting with Yuko. "That's a nice name. What do you do for a living, Ms. Ichihara?"
"Please, just call me Yuko," she replied. "And as for what I do, that is difficult to explain. I am, officially, an alchemist, but I'm also a merchant of sorts."
"Of sorts?" Steph seemed puzzled.
"Yes," Yuko explained. "I have what you are looking for….for a price."
"Ahh…I see." Steph seemed to understand, but her face was troubled.
"Come now, don't look so glum." Yuko nudged Steph, smiling. "Finish that drink and I'll get you another."
Steph looked Yuko over. She wore elaborate, and beautiful clothes of silk and other rich materials that hung on her in an elegant way. Her long ebony hair fell down her arms and back like silk threads, and her piercing violet eyes held your attention when you looked into them. She was pale, but not sickly so, and her jewlery was tasteful and lovely. All in all, a woman of taste.
Steph felt the knots in her stomach loosening. Yuko didn't seem like a bad person.
"I think I will take you up on that offer, Yuko-san."
—
Evening came faster than Steph expected. By suppertime, she had had two Vermillion Sunrises and her first Tropical Sogart, which she ended up liking better. Many people had come and gone out of the bar, and Trent had actually taken to snoozing at Steph's feet. Yuko had eventually moved them both to a table, and they were observing the other people with interest. A scene was unfurling at a table near the door, and the two women watched with morbid fascination.
A Paladin sporting an Ullie's cap and a pair of dark sunglasses had gotten into a yelling match with a dark-haired whitesmith, and had now risen to their feet. The Paladin knocked his chair over as he did so, and the Whitesmith viciously jabbed the Paladin in the chest with his finger.
"A lazier bastard I have never known!" he barked. "Made me do all the work on that last raid!"
"I did not!" the Paladin retorted. "I did my fair share, like I always do! You were just to preoccupied to notice!" He looked livid by this point, and pushed his face into the Whitesmith's.
"You lying prick!" the Whitesmith retorted, shoving the Paladin roughly backwards. The Paladin grew angry, and shoved the Whitesmith forcefully back, and the man stumbled backwards, and almost out the door. The paladin used this to his advantage, and pushed the Whitesmith out the door, and into the street.
"Oh boy," Kvasir muttered, and threw his towel down on the counter. "Better put a stop to this before it gets too bad." He then jumped over the counter, and ran outside. Most of the bar, including Steph and Yuko, followed.
The Whitesmith threw a mean right hook at the Paladin, and the man stumbled back a step or two from the blow. Wiping his mouth off with the back of his hand, he launched his own right swing at the Whitesmith, who blocked it, but could not block the Paladin's counter attack. The heavily armoured boot connected with the smith's side, and he gave a coughing sound as the air was forced out of him.
Kvasir managed to step in between the two men, and pry them apart. "Break it up! Break it up! That's enough you two! Hey!" He shoved them arm's length apart, and the two men glared at each other as Kvasir gave them stern looks.
"I don't care how or why you two want to kill each other, but don't do it in this pub. Go to the Arena if you want to beat each other senseless." The bartender took a cautious step back. "You two got it?"
"Lazy bastard!" the Whitesmith screamed, and threw another punch at the Paladin's head, knocking him to the ground, and causing his sunglasses to fall off.
The Paladin's light eyes flashed angrily. "Wrong move, pal."
"What are you gonna do?" the Whitesmith taunted.
The Paladin stood up slowly, brushed himself off, carefully put his sunglasses back on, and then took a step forward so he was face-to-face with the Whitesmith. "I'll tell you what I'm going to do," he said, and grabbed the smith's shirt collar. He then pulled his head back, and slammed his forehead into the other man's face. The smith stumbled back, his nose bleeding.
"That's it!" The Whitesmith kicked the Paladin viciously in the stomach, and drove his elbow into the Paladin's neck, starting a grappling session between the two. Kvasir sighed, and rolled his sleeves up.
"Every bloody time…always the same…never listen…well, I did warn them…" He cracked his fingers. "Okay, everyone. You'd better go back inside. Things are about to get nasty."
Yuko pulled Steph inside the pub, and away from the door. Everyone was milling back over to their seats, and Steph wondered if they knew what was going to happen already.
"LORD OF VERMILLION!"
A loud "BOOM!" came from outside, and a bright flash of light, and Steph heard a few yells of pain. Then there was silence again, and Kvasir walked back in, slightly singed.
"Only thing with doing that is," he muttered to himself. "I always get hit with some backlash…"
Steph blinked, almost scared. She looked back at the door, and a few moments later, both men walked back in, their clothes and hair blackened and smoking from some great fire. Yuko chuckled.
"And again, another dramatic finish to a typical barroom brawl."
Steph sighed. "Does this happen often?"
"Almost once a week," Yuko offered up. "Believe it or not, those two are actually good friends."
Steph sighed. "I don't get men sometimes…"
—
Later still, after everything had calmed down from the fight, Steph was passed out on the table, and Yuko was going on her 14th drink of the night. She was flushed, and grinning from ear to ear, and poked Steph with her long fingernail, as if pleased with herself.
"We'll get you trained up yet, little one."
Kvasir chuckled as he leaned on the bar. "She's out cold, huh?"
"Oh yes," Yuko replied. "She's not going anywhere."
"Need a hand?" the bartender asked, coming around the bar to the table. "I'm closing up for the night."
"Good idea," Yuko said. "I don't think I could lift her."
Kvasir carefully scooped Steph up in his arms, and her head flopped against his chest in her sleep. She murmured something incoheirent, and settled in more comfortably, tucking her arms against her chest. Yuko bent down, and scooped Trent up from his place under the chair.
"She's pretty light," Kvasir pointed out, grinning. "I've carried a lot of women, let me tell you, and she's one of the lighter ones."
"Don't lie to me, Kv," Yuko said with a grin. "You couldn't be trusted to carry a woman any more than someone could throw you."
Kvasir looked insulted. "Well, I wouldn't carry you, that's for sure, you old lush."
Yuko kicked Kvasir painfully in the leg with a spiked heel boot. "Touché, Mr. Turtle. Touché."
Kvasir stifled a yelp of pain, and limped out the door towards the inn. Yuko plodded along beside him, smiling away as if the whole thing amused her.
"What are you so happy about?"
"Oh, well…it's just now I have someone to help me with things. I've been rather lonely lately, without anyone to assist me." Yuko grinned. "I think I'll have a lot to teach this little bird yet…"
Kvasir looked warily at Yuko. "Whoa there. Don't go teaching her a bunch of bad habits now. She doesn't need to know the proper way to drink herself stupid."
Yuko laughed loudly. "No, no, fool. I want to teach her to fight. She's as meek as a drowned kitten right now, but with the right nudge, she'll be a fierce fighter some day. And she's quite cute. Used the right way, that could be a very deadly tool for her."
Kvasir sighed. "And the old woman once again poisons the youth of society."
Yuko kicked Kvasir again, in the other leg this time.
—
NEXT CHAPTER:
A new day dawns, and Steph learns it takes hard work and a lot of begging to get anywhere in this town. Her new friend, Yuko, isn't making it easier for her. Between forcing her to work Yuko's shop, and dragging her to the bar, Steph doesn't seem to be making any headway. Or isn't, until she does something incredible dumb—even by her standards. Find out what that is exactly next chapter, in "It's Not Like I Don't Know What I'm Doing, I Just Haven't Realized That I Actually Do Know Yet."