"You cannot be serious."
Rowena's smile only grew at Ornstein's words. "Why, do I sense a hint of dread, Dragon Slayer?" He remained silent at her question. She held back a giggle and kept her smile up, reveling in his discomfort. "Hmm. I thought someone whose duty it was to kill dragons would not have such trepidation over swamps and disease."
"It is the pit of Lordran," he replied, calm but clearly annoyed. "Frankly, I am shocked you did not become a part of their corpse population."
Her smile fell. "I reached the city of the gods on my own. Blighttown may be a pool of filth, but it was not enough to best me permanently. Neither of us would be here, otherwise." She folded her arms. "However, if you feel so inclined to forsake your given duty, then be my guest."
She watched Ornstein as he sat there in silence, refusing to answer her. Part of her hoped to the gods he would stand up and leave at that very moment, never to bother her again. But the other part was curiosity, and curiosity had an odd way of interfering with her initial plans. She was about to add on to her statement when he spoke.
"A valiant attempt to get rid of me," he said, "but a failure nonetheless."
Rowena rolled her eyes. "Fine. But there are a few people I would like to speak to before we go on our way. Most are here, but there is at least one out towards the Undead Parish." She stood up and brushed herself off. "And yes, I will change my equipment before we leave for Blighttown, if it so placates your irritation."
"It will take more than that to placate my mood," Ornstein retaliated.
She waved a hand, walking back towards the archways. "If you say so." When silence met her words, she stepped through the first archway and back up the stairs, this time turning left towards the dying tree.
Kind Laurentius, leaving time aside to teach her pyromancy. Well, it wasn't so much the time as it was everything else. Despite how much time passed between her visits, though, he was ready and willing to pass on different pyromancies. That and he was always happy to see her. It might have been because of the grim fact that she wasn't Hollow and he would take whatever sane being was around, but Rowena liked to think it was because she'd been kind to him before. Either way, it was more than she could say for the callous knight she currently had for a travel companion.
"There you are, Laurentius!" Rowena called, waving as she walked over to the pyromancer in question.
"Oh, hello," Laurentius replied, smiling. He glanced away for a moment. "Rowena, was it?"
She sat down and grinned. "You remembered! I must be doing something right if people know my name."
"Well, you did rescue me from that butcher." He shuddered, then cleared his throat. "Anyway, what can I assist you with?"
"I think my flame could use an upgrade," she said, "if you would be so kind."
"Of course."
Rowena procured her Pyromancy Flame, and Laurentius set to work inspecting it, as per usual. She tuned in to her surroundings. Firelink was quiet. Then again, it was always calm, with only the slightest hint of a breeze and the tiny crackles of fire. It was almost as if she had never been to Anor Londo, or she had never begun her quest. The only indications of her progress, aside from the obvious eyesore at the bonfire, were the other people migrating to the area. But she couldn't help checking in on them sometimes. She should have been proud, saving all of these people from grim fates. Twinges of fear pricked at her heart instead.
"Can I ask you something, Rowena?"
Laurentius' voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She blinked a few times, then nodded. "Yes, of course. What is it?"
He looked up from her hand, scanned his surroundings, then lowered his voice. "Well, um, if you don't mind me wondering...who was that knight that was following you around earlier?"
She took a quick inhale, then let it all out in a short sigh. There wasn't a good way to explain this.
"I...don't think you would believe me if I told you," Rowena started, "but I suppose I can, anyway." She allowed a brief pause before she continued. "I went to Anor Londo, dwelling place of the gods. It's beautiful really, but...empty. Despite all of the gorgeous architecture and the golden sun, there's a sadness to it all."
She stopped, thinking. Before now, she hadn't really made that sort of connection. But all of those empty halls and sprawling walkways, and no one was there to drink it all in except for her and the few souls she managed to help. Where there should have been joy, there was...nothing.
"Anyway," she went on, shaking her head slightly, "I was supposed to find this important object, but there were two beings blocking my path to it. The knight you saw was one of them. Once the other one was defeated, I decided I was done fighting and...well, as embarrassing as this sounds, I asked for mercy. The woman he was guarding granted it...and then decided it was best for him to accompany me. That led us here to Firelink."
Laurentius simply blinked. "Incredible. And you're not...frightened at all?"
Another thing she hadn't really given much thought to. At first? Of course. Constant revival meant nothing when the wrath of the gods was contained within one knight. However, even in this short span of time, her emotions were...muddled.
She shrugged. "Maybe a little. I'm more angry than anything else, though."
He gave her a puzzled look. "Why angry? It could be good to have someone that powerful on your side."
"I wouldn't go so far as to call him an ally," Rowena replied. "He is simply fulfilling the request of his charge, and his methods of doing so are...less than desirable." She shook her head. "But no harm will come to you or anyone in this shrine. And if he attempts to do so, I will kill him like I was meant to in Anor Londo. I hope that's reassuring."
"In a way," he said, patting her hand to let her know the upgrade was finished, "but I hope it doesn't come to that. There's enough sorrow without more bloodshed
She placed her hand on her lap, putting her flame away. "I suppose you're right." After a moment, Rowena got to her feet. "Thank you again, Laurentius. I don't know how I would hone my pyromancy without you."
"It's no trouble, honestly," he insisted. "And if that knight does give you trouble, you can always give him a taste of your flame. The Great Swamp teaches one to burn many things, after all."
Rowena let out a short, ugly laugh, then covered her mouth to suppress the giggles afterwards. She lowered her hand and sucked in a few bouts of air before responding. "I, um...I don't know if that will work on him, but I appreciate the advice all the same. Best advice I've heard yet." Laurentius smiled at her words. She turned to leave when he spoke again.
"Rowena."
She stopped. "Hmm?"
"Don't you dare go Hollow."
She took a breath. "You stay safe, too."
Rowena willed her feet to carry her forward. She meandered down the stairs and through the archway once more, focusing on how the grass rustled and crunched under her armor. The pauldrons of this Silver Knight Armor were really beginning to press into her shoulders. Briefly, as she wandered over to another set of stairs, she wondered if being Undead rendered her immune from bruising. Somehow, she'd never gotten the chance to check.
A quiet mumbling drew her towards the adjacent set of stairs. If she remembered correctly, it was the way she always took to find the elevators back to the Undead Parish. A group of people, guards for the most part, were standing at attention before she went into Blighttown. There was a young lady, as well, although she wouldn't tell Rowena anything about what she was up to. Now, all that remained was Petrus, standing amidst some old pottery.
"Well, this is curious," Rowena began, startling Petrus out of his stupor. "Where did your guests from earlier wander off to?"
"Uh, oh, you again?" he asked.
Rowena quirked an eyebrow. "Yes, me again. I heard you mumbling to yourself. Is everything alright?"
"Well…er, I've become separated from M'Lady. I've scoured near and far, but no sight of her..."
She frowned. "How terrible. Do you have any idea where she might be?"
He shook his head. "None. This land is so massive and sprawling, I can barely begin to recall where we were when she became lost. All I know is it was dark and...quite frightening."
"Hmm. That could be a great many places." Rowena bit her lip briefly. "I have some traveling to do myself. I can keep an eye out for her, if you'd like. She's bound to turn up somewhere. Are the other guards with her?"
"Last I checked, yes. But must you burden yourself with this?"
"This is not a burden," she insisted. "Someone important to you is missing in a land swarming with monsters. I'm surprised you have such composure, but nevertheless. Let me look for them. I know Lordran well enough by now...or, at least I should. You stay here in case they come back, alright?"
"Yes, of course," he replied quickly. "I can only hope for M'Lady's safe return."
"And that you shall have."
Rowena gave Petrus one last nod before wandering back out towards the bonfire. She sighed, mulling things over. Missing people, wandering Undead trying not to go Hollow...it was all so disheartening. However, there wasn't much else to do except press on and-
"Running errands for the damned, are we?"
She shot a glare at Ornstein, who was just as still at the bonfire as when she left. "They are not damned. Not if I can help them."
"While you actions are admittedly admirable for someone of your ineptitude," he started, "you cannot help every being you come across. You have your own quest to embark upon."
"That doesn't mean I have to let others suffer along the way." She turned on her heel and walked away from the bonfire again, attempting to reign in her temper as she descended the stairs across the way. Once she reached the bottom, Rowena took a few deep breaths, clenching her hands into fists. Glancing over at the now empty spot near a crumbling wall did her no favors.
Knight Lautrec used to rest there, biding his time. Thinking. Staring at the Fire Keeper across the way all the while. Everything happened while Rowena slogged through poison and spider webs. Just thinking about his actions made her want to bring him back to life just so she could kill him again. But Anastacia was safe now...as safe as a Fire Keeper could be, anyway. The poor thing was locked away in a tiny cave blocked off by a set of black bars just underneath the bonfire. Anastacia wasn't really one for talking, but she never complained about Rowena sitting down in front of the bars and chatting about her adventures. At that moment, Rowena desperately craved that sort of company.
"Hello again," she said softly, situating herself in the grass in front of Anastacia, who kept her face hidden as per usual. "I, um...I don't really have anything for you to upgrade, but I thought I would bring you something, anyway." Rowena opened one of her pouches and produced a small collection of fruit. "Berries from Darkroot. No worries, I checked them over for poison already." She slipped the batch of berries through the bars, then sat back. "I hope your days have been better than mine. I traveled to Anor Londo and came back with an aggravating knight." She blew a strand of hair out of her face. "I wonder if I can poison him in his sleep."
"You would be better off poisoning yourself, Undead."
Her right eye twitched. "Pardon me for a moment, Anastacia." She glared towards Ornstein's location. "You are not a part of this discussion!"
"Then perhaps you should learn the art of subtle conversation," he countered.
She growled under her breath, then turned her gaze away from the direction of the bonfire. "Anyway," she continued, "it has been quite the interesting time since I came back here. It's hard to believe I have to go back out so soon. But...I suppose this is what has to be done. According to others I've talked to. If it helps people like you and me...well, then it should be worth it." Rowena smiled a bit. "But I hope that, no matter how far I go, the people here will treat you with kindness. What happened to you at the hands of Lautrec will never happen again. Not as long as I have a say." A small sigh escaped her mouth. "Well, I should go before the knight above starts to get testy. He tends to do that." After a slight pause, she got to her feet. "Please take care, Anastacia. I hope those berries are to your liking."
Rowena started her ascent up the stairs once more, letting out another sigh along the way. Perhaps Ornstein had a point, although she hated to admit it. It was exhausting, talking to everyone and making so many promises. But aside from her quest as the supposed Chosen Undead, what else did she have to strive for? Her former life was fading from memory with every passing day. Slower than some she'd come across, but it seemed inevitable that she would go Hollow unless she continued forward. Despite the hundreds of deaths she had endured, Hollowing was not an outcome she strived to attain.
And if she could help, it would happen to no one else, either.
She took her seat across from Ornstein, staring into the flames once more. A slight tilt of his head was the only indication she had that he acknowledged her existence at all.
"Quite finished?" Ornstein asked. For once, there was a lack of annoyance in his voice.
Rowena nodded. "Yes. I, um...I was about to thank you for your patience. Well, despite your occasional comments. I wouldn't have been surprised if I came back here and you were gone."
He shook his head. "Believe it or not, duty means something to me. You may prick at the very fabric of my tolerance, but Her Majesty's command is Her Majesty's command."
"In other words, there is no possible way I can be rid of you."
"Unless Lady Gwynevere deems so, yes."
Rowena blinked. "Does poisoning count as forsaking your duty?"
"You would not succeed. Gods have attempted far worse against Lord Gwyn's confidants."
"And what became of those gods?"
Ornstein leaned forward, the dancing flames reflecting in the teeth of his helmet.
"They died by my spear. Compared to the Executioner's methods, that was a mercy. In the end, most would beg for it."
Her eyes widened. She swallowed hard, wringing her hands together. Images from their fight in Anor Londo briefly rushed through her vision.
"I...can only imagine." She hated the hesitation in her voice. Rowena cleared her throat. "We should be off, though. The Undead Parish is only a short walk from here. It will be a simple trip."
That is, if the drake on the bridge finally vacated.
A/N: I intended this chapter to be the one where they head off to Blighttown, but conversations went a little longer than planned (thanks Rowena). Blighttown will be next chapter. Stay tuned for the duo's adventures in...disgusting swamps. That sounds about right.
