The plain they crossed was covered with short grass and only little bushes so they could head in a straight line for their destination. Clinkz asked questions about the woods they were heading to, about the other warriors who guarded it and again about the goddess and the high priestess. Luna told him everything he needed to know to be of help in a fight later and then asked him about what he would have done if he hadn't accompanied her, what he had done before they had met at the town war.
They ran at a leisurely pace that wasn't too tiresome for her cat. Outside of the war between the two towns they had to think about such things again, just like Luna needed food again. While in the war, physical effects like fatigue, hunger or exhaustion were completely extinguished and it took a while to get used to them again. No wonder some of the heroes jumped from war to war. For some it was an easier way to cope with life. And you couldn't die in those wars. There were definitely positive aspects to fighting one after the other. The real world was much harsher but, as she had said before, Luna had a responsibility here and she was no one to skirt it only because something else was easier.
They stopped at the house of the merchant, which was standing at the side of a road. It wasn't the only house but was flanked by an inn, where you could get a room for the night, and several other merchants' shops for different kinds of wares. A little further back were the houses the merchants lived in with their families. Luna had been at this resting point several times in her live so she knew where to go and what to buy.
"Do you need to sleep?" she asked Clinkz. Because of him being a skeleton, who couldn't die, she didn't know if he needed anything like a normal person.
"No, I don't need to sleep. I like to rest, though. I do feel exhaustion if I don't make a break now and then."
"Okay. I will need to sleep eventually but we can go onward and rest on a clearing in one of the smaller forests. If you want to rest sooner just tell me and we will stop. We, Nova and I, prefer not to be encased by a building not belonging to night elves while sleeping and I know a few spots on our way which are suitable. Any preferences of yours I need to know?"
Clinkz shook his head. "One place is as good as the other."
Luna supplied herself first and then showed Clinkz to the weaponry where she browsed through the blades on one side while he discussed with the merchant what he wanted and how much it would cost him. Luna registered that the man, a human, avoided looking directly at the skeleton. Just like Clinkz had said, people were uncomfortable with him being a skeleton and got nervous when his black eye sockets focused on them. Though she was sure Clinkz didn't find it funny in the least, Luna smiled. Some creatures where just so pathetic. What did they think Clinkz would do? Kill them? That he could do without looking at them. If he was near enough for them to look into his face, killing was clearly not his intention. Couldn't they see that? Stupid man, Luna thought.
As the merchant dropped the arrows he had fetched because of his nervousness, Luna could feel anger stirring in Clinkz. His face betrayed nothing and he waited patiently until all arrows were collected and the man gave them to him. He still avoided looking at him and as Clinkz gave him the money, more than he had asked for, his hands were shaking. Without another word the skeleton left the shop and Luna, giving the man an evil look that had him nearly dropping the money as well, followed.
Clinkz stood next to her cat, which was lying on the grass at the corner of the house, as she left the building. "Stupid human." He muttered as he tucked the arrows into his quiver.
"At least they are afraid of you." She said. "Sometimes I would like them to fear me without me proving to them how dangerous I can be."
"I can't fathom why you would want that." He was still angry and Luna decided for a little "I am so envious of you" story to distract him. Maybe with a little "I am such a poor woman" and "You are so cool" woven into it.
"Well, when I walk into an inn, for example, there is always more than one male who is of the opinion I need a man at my side. One to protect me, or so they say, and of course to bed me. And sure enough they are this male I have to choose for that. It is not uncommon for one to grab me, slap my ass or grab my tits. And I can tell you, I could clearly do without groping from nameless men. A little more fear when looking at me would be highly welcome. And inside of a shop it is not better. Merchants tend to try to cheat women they think weak or helpless. I am more than sure I never encountered one who charged me less than my purchased wares were worth. And you didn't even have to do something! He was just so afraid of you that he sold his arrows cheaper to you!"
"They grab you?" He seemed a little shocked but his anger had lessened. "I hope every one of them paid for touching you." And that was the best about it, he knew that she was able to help herself, to defend herself.
A grin spread across Luna's face. "Only because they think I'm not dangerous doesn't mean they are right about that." Then she sighed. "It would be a little easier, though, if they were afraid before I have to show them what I can do if they overstep the boundaries."
"You wouldn't like it if everyone was always afraid of you."
"Yeah, I believe I wouldn't. But sometimes it would be nice. Good riddance I have you at my side now. Nobody will dare touch me when they see I am with you." Luna grinned. She really liked the idea of Clinkz keeping away unwelcome males and of merchants being more respectful towards her. She didn't care if they only did it because they saw Clinkz. It was way too tiresome to always show them why she should be treated with respect.
Clinkz stared at her and Luna raised her brows. "What?" He wasn't angry anymore but she didn't know what he was thinking now. When his emotions were strong she could feel them but without any facial expressions she definitely couldn't read him when she wasn't able to pick up on his emotions.
He just shook his head. "I'm ready. Are we off?"
And on they went. It didn't take them long to enter the first of many small forests. It would slow their advance but Luna preferred the shadows of the trees to the plains they had been crossing. She always felt vulnerable in the open and the trees gave her cover. But today, she realized, she hadn't even felt uncomfortable. She glanced at Clinkz, who was running at her side, from time to time venturing in one direction or the other to check their surroundings. He, she realised, made her feel safe. She had a feeling of comfort and security that she only knew from her encounters with the goddess. It wasn't as if she was helpless and she often travelled alone. But she was sure that Clinkz would do everything to protect her and though she was a warrior and able to look after herself on her own, she didn't feel offended by his care. She rather liked it. Maybe because even when he protected her, he let her fight, too, respected her strength and instead of fighting for her he fought with her.
When he appeared at her side again, after running to the left, she smiled at him. "Care to tell me how you got to be the best archer I have ever seen? Why did you choose archery? It isn't the most respected weapon since it is used from a greater distance and such." She was curious about him and they had lots of time now to get to know each other better before they reached the Nightsilver Woods.
"I didn't have much of a choice in the beginning. I wasn't one of the most muscular or tallest men but I had to learn to fight. So my father decided I should learn how the use a bow rather than a sword since I was barely able to hold the blade. I would never have been able to fight with it. At the beginning I resented being an archer. I had been chosen to become one because I was too weak to do something else and not because I was good at it like some of the others. But soon I realised that shooting arrows from a bow required strength as well. And a high measure of skill. And after months of training, when I was finally strong enough to use one of the most dangerous bows, I found I was good at archery. And that I somehow had begun to like it. My reluctance to train a weapon I had never really wanted to learn turned into the opposite. I was in the training yard every minute I could spare and I asked our best archers how to improve my stance, my aim, my breathing, everything I would need to get better. I took all the advice I got and merged them together to create my own technique. And I kept practicing. At some point I even decided I needed a better bow and I searched for the best crafter of bows to get it. When I came back with that bow I proudly showed my father what I could do with it. I had become one of the best archers of our tribe, then. But as you have said, archery isn't the most respected of ways to fight and my father thought just like that. He told me he didn't care if I was the best archer in the world, that as long as I couldn't swing a sword, it was nothing to him. At the time I was crushed. I didn't understand how he couldn't be proud of what I had achieved. I almost quit archery just to please my father but I was called to fight in the war that we were involved in at the time and since archery was the only thing I had learned, I had no choice but to use it. I was assigned to one of the archer groups. It didn't take long for the leader of that group to realize I was more skilled then he or than any other man in our group and he kept giving me additional tasks so I wouldn't get bored. I was always the one who got the more difficult targets and the stronger opponents. The men started to look up to me and ask me for advice, just as I had done at the beginning with my teachers. And I realised that I didn't need my father's approval. I had the approval of half our tribe and from day to day I got known to more of them. At some point in the war I was released from my group and that was when I started to hone my skills into perfection. I moved through the fighters on the battlefield, avoiding the enemy while using my bow and arrows to kill as many as possible. I saved more than one life on this strives of mine. I have to say, I was saved from time to time as well. I never was home long after this first war but went from one fight to the other. I avoided seeing my father because he still made me feel small and weak, not like the men I fought with. I became something of a legend and when the commanders of our tribe decided I had to take a role as leader I accepted. That is how I came to fight against the demon, which burned me."
"So you didn't want to become an archer at the beginning."
"No, definitely not. But I am the best now, nonetheless."
Luna laughed. "And not the least arrogant, are you?"
"Well, I am the best. Why should I disregard that?" That made her only laugh harder. Of course he was the best, she knew he was right, but it was kind of funny to see him with his expressionless face declare it. She liked that he was confident and knew exactly what he could do.
"I don't know why you think this is funny. But maybe you want to tell me why you decided to fight with a glaive and a shield?"
"That was no decision of me, either. When we join the goddess we all have to learn to fight with the same weapons." She shrugged. "They are not easy to handle but we all learn it eventually. And we learn how to use the power she bestows on us, the ability to use the moonlight as a weapon, as well. That is the real challenge in becoming a protector of the Nightsilver Woods and the Goddess of the Moon. Unlike you, I'm not the best. I have the reputation to be ruthless, but the best? Even leaving the high priestess aside that wouldn't be me. But over the centuries I have much improved my abilities and I'm sure there aren't many left who can best me."
"I have seen you fight and I was impressed. How you wield the power of the moon while throwing your glaive… Maybe you are not the best, but you are definitely one of the best."
Luna smiled. He was sweet.