10 T E N
Remus stared at the horse as one of the two guards assigned to go with him offered the reins.
They seemed decent for guards. Remus had a checkered enough past that he preferred to avoid guards as much as possible, especially since, until only a few yers ago, they'd been led by the most unreasonable, vindictive bastard the city had ever seen. The new leader of the guard was slightly less of a pain in the arse, and was elected when the Potter's regained favor over the Realm— always willing to let people go for minor bribe after several hours behind bars or in the stocks. The old one, Umbridge, who was appointed by the House of Black and her favorite goons had taken far more unpleasant bribes, and usually they were just as happy to be as mean and brute as they could get away with.
But Caradoc and Benjy were friendly and willing to chat, which was unusual for guards in Remus' experience. Benjy was a head shorter than Remus and thinner than most guards tended to be, lean muscles lined his chest and back, and constantly smiled like he'd heard a joke no one else had. Caradoc reminded Remus a great idea of Andy's late husband, Ted— friendly, and straight laced but willing to have a good time when appropriate, and very, very tall. Tall enough to make Remus feel small.
The horse, however, looked like evil incarnate, and he wasn't getting anywhere near the damned thing. "I have gone over twenty odd years of my life without needing a horse. I wouldn't have ridden one yesterday if Their Eminence hadn't insisted. I'd much prefer to walk."
Caradoc and Benjy shared an amused glance and then tossed their heads back laughing. Then, Benjy clapped him on the arm. "Walk, indeed. We'd be gone for the better part of the year."
"I don't see a problem with that," Remus said sourly. "I won't have to ride the horse, and nobody will want to kill me."
Benjy's demeanor immediately fell, "Why would someone want to kill you?"
Remus almost didn't say; he should have kept quiet. That was what he got for not guarding his tongue. But they were meant to keep him safe, and it seemed malicious not to warn them of possible danger. "A coupe of guys roughed me up before the challenges started, said I should quit or I'd regret it. They haven't done anything since, but they can't be happy I've made it this far— especially after I told them I'd quit."
"Wait here," Caradoc said and strode off back to the gate, where Lady Minerva and a cluster of other guards were talking while they watched the competitors depart. Minerva's face fell as she listened to Caradoc speak quickly by her side. They conversed for several minutes, then Minerva looked at Remus, gave a nod, and then turned and vanished through the city gates with the rest of her guards at her heels.
Caradoc rejoined Remus and Benjy. "Lady Minerva is going to look into the matter and will see that your family is protected. Competitors should feel safe at all times, and we apologize you were attacked."
"Thank you," Remus said. "I'm sorry for the trouble."
"It's why we're here; no trouble at all." Benjy's smile returned. "Now, onto the horse, Master Remus. You don't want to lose because you are bested by a harmless beast."
"I'm not entirely convinced it's harmless."
"Oh, now," Benjy scoffed and patted the horse's side. "She's a good girl, this one. Thief, we call her, because if we don't keep watch and make sure she's securely in her ropes, she'll wander around stealing whatever food she can."
Remus gave the horse another glance. "Really?"
Caradoc and Benjy laughed. "Really," Benjy promised. "Come on, I'll help you up. In a few days, you'll have the hang of it and wonder how you ever lived without her."
Remus very much doubted that, but he surrendered to the inevitable and let them help him up. After a brief lesson, still half-convinced he was going to suffer a horse-related death, Remus and his guards headed out.
Lady Hooch had told each of them the villages they were to visit in private, with strict admonition not to tell anyone else where they were going. They were to visit each village, complete the task, and move on to the next, in the order Lady Hooch had given them.
"You'd think the highest-scoring competitor would look happier about his quest," Benjy said with a laugh, drawing Remus from this thoughts. "What's wrong, Champion?"
"I'm not a champion," Remus muttered, then said more clearly, "I've not really left home before. I don't think I like it."
Benjy smiled. "The homesickness will ease, don't you worry about it. First time I left home, I was stuck on a boat for six months. I cried and cried the first few days. The other sailors teased me mercilessly, but the captain was kind. After a few weeks, I just got used to it."
"I spent most of my first trip away from home getting blinding drunk," Caradoc admitted, much to Remus' surprise. "Was either so drunk or so sick I didn't have time to miss home, and the rest of the time, I was being yelled at for my deplorable behavior. By the time I eased off the drink, I didn't miss home quite as acutely. I think Benjy was smarter about it, but don't tell him I said that." Caradoc mock whispered from his own horse that was keeping a steady pace on his right. "Don't worry. You'll be so busy with your tasks and such, you won't have time to miss anything. If you want something to occupy your thoughts, just think about how much you're the talk of the castle! Talk of the Realm, really. Your family and friends must be so excited to know you're doing well. And granted a request from His Majesty, no less. They say Lady Hooch swooned in shock."
"Which is saying a lot since I don't think I've ever seen that woman without her face pinched in disgust." Benjy added brightly from this left.
Remus hunched his shoulders and wished he were back in bed. "That sounds like an overreaction."
"His Majesty doesn't hand out requests to just anyone," Benjy said. "The last time was ten years ago to a soldier, and he asked for a truly impressive number of crowns."
"That probably would have been a smarter thing to ask for," Remus said. But money could be taken, lost, foolishly spent. He'd rather his mother have a house she'd never lose. Merlin knew, they'd never had that before.
"I think it was sweet," Benjy said, smiling, a little flush to his cheeks rising when Remus glanced over at him. "Your mother must be excited."
Remus shrugged. "Probably, but she lives above the tea shop she works at in High City, and I haven't had a chance to go see her. Hopefully, when I get back, I can visit her in the new house." He smiled then, at the thought and clung to the warmth that curled through him, easing the sting of the city fading from sight and the unknown looming before him. "How far is it to the first village? Cartina, right?"
"Yes, Cartina," Benjy replied. "Good ale and bread— they have a watermill there that provides flour for the whole area, even sends some to the city. One of the smaller villages of the Realm, easily overlooked and no military base like Canten, but friendly people all the same. Should reach it tonight, hopefully before dark, but at worst, shortly after. It's the other two cities, closer to the Realm's center, that will take days to reach. Trenmark is about six days from Cartina, and Falton is about two weeks further on from there. The whole trip will take even longer if we get heavy snowfall. We're going to be sleeping on the ground a great deal." He sighed. "Wouldn't be so bad if winter wasn't coming on. Hope you brought a warmer cloak, Champion."
"I dont suppose there is any hope you will stop calling me that?" Remus asked. Benjy grinned, and he sighed. "As to my cloak, this is all I've got. This is my only jacket, too."
Benjy looked at him in horror. "That won't do! We're headed for the mountains— it'll be snowing there. You need proper winter gear."
"Yes, well, not all of us can afford to buy clothes whenever we want," Remus replied, feeling stupid, even though he knew very well it wasn't his fault. "This is always enough to get me through winter in the city. I'm sure I'll manage just fine."
Benjy's frown deepened. "But what about the ten marks you were given at the start of the Tournament."
Remus' cheeks burned, and he stared at his horse as he tersely replied, "Taken by my father's creditors." There was only silence as he finished speaking, and Remus didn't need to look to know they weren't quite certain what to say. He sighed. "I'll be fine."
"You won't," Caradoc said. "The mountains get cold enough your fingers and toes will freeze right off. Snow can come down so hard and fast in the mountains around here that you're warm one moment and frozen solid the next. We can buy you supplies in Cartina, and what we don't find there, we'll definitely be able to obtain in Falton." He grinned, winked." Can't have our Champion getting frostbite."
"I am three challenges away from being a champion," Remus said. "It's ill luck to brag about what's to come. I could fail miserably at this challenge. I must be the least qualified to go gallivanting about. I can barely ride this damned horse."
"Aww, now don't take it out on our Thief. She's sweet as can be when she's not stealing carrots. And you are the champion so far— you preformed the best in the first two challenges and did well in the preliminaries. Everyone is excited for you. None of the other groups have such strong, stand-out leads, though to be far, there's a lot more of all of them."
Remus made a face, but didn't say anything. Even he knew he sounded ungrateful and cranky about a situation so many envied. "If I'm succeeding, the Fates favor me for reasons beyond my comprehension."
"I think more than a bit of skill is involved," Caradoc replied. "Come on, I think you've got the hang of riding enough that we can go a little faster."
"We're going plenty fast!" Remus protested and held on for dear life as he was overridden and his force increased her pace alongside the others.
They stopped for a brief lunch a few hours later, sitting by the side of a large stream that teemed with fish that Remus wished he knew how to catch and clean. Fish was one of those things he didn't get very often, even though the city was right against the ocean, and he hauled the damned things from time to time when fishermen needed help. His favorite pub sold a decent fish chowder for cheap, but otherwise he mostly didn't eat it.
"Come on then," Benjy said as he came to kneel next to where Remus was starring longingly down at the brightly colored school of fish passing by. "You'll have to get your hands wet if you want to catch these clever buggers."
And without a second thought, Benjy's arm cast into the water and Remus was left blinking in awe as a flushed pink, wiggly fish came out when he puked back.
"How—"
Benjy was grinning madly over at him. "Didn't I say I spent a good bit of time at sea?"
Remus couldn't reply, instead he leaned closer and nodded at the water. "Show me."
Benjy's eyes grew bright with excitement at the request and nodded once. "Let me toss this one in the bin for Caradoc to prepare for us and your wish is my command, Champion."
Remus didn't even bother rolling his eyes at the title as he eyed the fish below, bright colors dancing in the dying daylight filtering through the tree line. He found himself feeling slightly giddy with anticipation of acquiring the new skill. It would certainly be worth knowing when he returned to the city. A strange thought occurred to him— that had it not been for the Tournament he wouldn't have this opportunity to learn such things, riding a horse, catching fish with bare hands, even meeting Benjy and Caradoc. He had thought himself too old to learn anything new worth noting, but he was finding how wrong he was the longer the torture of the Tournament challenges stretched on. Though, not all of the new things he was learning were all good.
"Ready then?" Benjy asked as he returned to his side.
"Ready." Remus nodded and listened intently for the next several moments as Benjy explained the process of watching the fish and timing it just right. By an hour or so later Remus had managed to catch three of his own. He smiled proudly as they ate around the small fire before packing up.
"Shall we push on?' Caradoc asked, patting down his own horse.
Remus groaned at the reminder of getting back on his horse, already sore in places he wasn't accustomed to being sore and still a long way from convinced that the horse, no matter how sweet, wouldn't be the death of him.
He felt like an idiot, being timid about riding a horse, as if it was the stupidest thing he had done as of late— and not, oh, say, having an affair with a noble, but that hadn't stopped him either.
And there was the main source of his misery. He hadn't gotten to see Ori before leaving, had been too exhausted to go out in the hopes that Ori would find him as he always seemed to. Bad enough he'd barely seen his friends and hadn't had a chance to visit his mother, but now he would be missing Ori as well.
They stopped for one more break to refresh the horses and stretch their legs, then made the last stretch quickly as Remus could manage, reaching Cartina village just as the sun was setting. "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do now. It seems a little too late to trouble the village chief. I suppose we should find a place to rest for the night and speak with them in the morning?"
"Whatever you feel is best, Champion. I certainly wouldn't mind a meal and a bed before we go traipsing off to slay a dragon."
Remus laughed, and Caradoc rolled his eyes at Benjy. "There'd better not be any dragons. I'd have to figure out who imported them," Caradoc said. "And we'd have plenty of delay to quest to arrest smugglers."
"Is that common?' Remus found himself genuinely interested in his two companions, after all, they were much more pleasant than he had dreaded two guards to be.
"What?' Benjy asked. "Smugglers? Or Dragons?"
"You having to hunt them down—" Remus said and then clarified, "the smugglers."
"Oh, sure." Caradoc replied with a heavy scowl. "Plenty of shady business happening within and around the Realm at all seasons. If were not tasked to protect the royal families then were out ensuring the troubled type don't get too close to city limits. It isn't always easy, but it can be exciting."
"Not as exciting as dragons, though." Benjy clarified.
"Right." Remus nodded, feeling his gut tighten at the type of 'troube' they probably faced in their line of work. "Well, it'll probably be something much simpler," he amended after a thought. "Or so I hope, anyway. Where should we bed down for the night? I have no idea where to go. This place is so small."
"This way, Champion. Follow the sound of drunk people singing. Those can be found in even the tiniest of villages." Caradoc said with a smirk.
"I hadn't realized places like this even existed. I doubt anyone here is a stranger to the other. I can count all the horses, even in the dark."
Benjy snorted. "Come on." He led him down the street— if it could even be called that— to a building that seemed larger than all the rest, with raucous laughter and the smell of roasting meat drifting out. Dismounting, Benjy tied his horse to a post in front of the building. Remus tried to follow suit, but in the end, Benjy had to help him because the knots he used were beyond his ability to duplicate.
The chatter faded into silence as they slipped inside, and Remus tried not to notice— or show that he noticed— the stares that followed them as they took a seat at an empty table. They'd barely done so when a tall, broad shouldered man with graying brown hair and dark skin with scattered, paler patches strode up to their table. His neck and hands were covered in ink that Remus assumed were Runes of some language he couldn't place. He thought her recognized a few symbols related to the Realm Founders, but was trying not to be caught staring.
"Begging pardon, weary travelers, but one of you wouldn't happened to be a Tournament competitor, would you?" He looked at Remus.
"That's me," Remus said with a laugh. "Are you, by chance, the village chief?"
"That I am, son," the man said with a grin and pulled a much-folded, smudged piece of paper from his jacket. "What's your name?'
Remus winced. "Romtayen Lupin."
The man laughed. "Devout parent of the Founders, huh?"
"Just a romantic and sentimental mother." Remus said. "Though, Remus is fine, if it wouldn't be inappropriate to request so."
"Not at all, Remus. Nice to meet you. I'm Gareth, and if you're not too tired, then I think we can get you some food and get right on with the challenge. We've been having a bit of a village-wide squabble, you see, and when we were approached by His Majesty's caller to participate in the Tournament, well, we knew just how to settle the squabbling once and for all." He winked and motioned for them to stand. "Everybody, everybody, the royal competitor has arrived!"
The pub went silent for a beat, then everybody cheered and lifted their cups, then rose and started moving the tables and chairs around. Several went around the bar and through the door behind, appearing shortly thereafter, rolling out small barrels and stands that they set up against the far wall.
Remus stared as Gareth guided them out of the way. "Um. What did you say the challenge was again?"
Laughing, Gareth clapped him on the back and said, "Why you're going to select a few ales for us, of course."
"I'm going to what?"
Gareth clapped him on the back again, hard enough that Remus wondered if he was perhaps related to Hagrid in some way. "The biannual market competition is comping up this spring, and we've got a whole slew of new ales to submit to the ale competition. Only problem is, we've got too many, and the village is so divided between them all that no clear favorites shine through. So, competitor, you are going to select the three ales we'll submit to the competition."
"You want me to drink ale and tell you which ones are the best," Remus said slowly, glancing around and half expecting Frank or Marlene to jump out at any minute to mock him mercilessly. "Is this some village prank?"
"Not at all. Sit, sit." Gareth laughed as he ushered Remus into a chair at a long table that had been improvised from three small ones. The tavern was much more crowded than it had been when they'd first arrived. Tension coiled in Remus' shoulders, and he ducked his head to avoid all the staring. He felt firm fingers rest upon his shoulders, kneading at the tense muscle there, and glanced back to see Caradoc smiling down at him.
"You'll do fine, Master Remus. You're here because you deserve to be. Stop fretting."
Remus shot him a grateful grin as he stepped to join Benjy once more off to the side. Benjy was giving him two thumbs up, his eyes brighter than usual as he eyed all the excitement around them.
Sensing their confidence in him, well, it was difficult to stay completely miserable. Even more so, as people carried trays full of cups of ale poured from the barrels they'd set up. Caradoc and Benjy moved to sit to his right, and Gareth to his left, rambling through introductions to the various brewers and all about the difference components of ale. It went al right over Remus' head; the only thing he cared about when it came to ale was that it was cheap and not too sweet.
"All right, then, that's that. Now try the first one." Gareth pushed the first cup toward him.
Remus vaguely remembered being told there'd be food, but he let it go, unable to refuse when so many eager faces were watching him. The first ale was slightly sweeter than he liked, but there was a bit of apple flavor to it that was unusual. "Delicious," he said. "I like the apple." A small group in the corner cheered and shoved and squeezed each other.
"Next!"
This one was darker, less sweet, even better than the first. Remus said as much, provoking even louder cheering from another group. By the time he was done sampling the first, second, and third rounds, he was drunk. They were just getting started, however, and he had to do it all over again, whittling down the remaining six. That left his head spinning and his stomach so full of beer that it had momentarily forgotten the lack of food.
And by he time he had picked the three ales that would go on to the completion, he could barely stand, let alone walk. That was not going to make traveling fun in the morning. Caradoc and Benjy helped him to his feet, and he thought he heard one of them calling for food. He swayed as people came up to thank him, talk for a few minutes, and say things he barely understood.
At one point Remus felt Benjy completely holding up his weight, and bluntly frowning at every person who came up to speak to Remus.
"Drink this," Caradoc demanded sometime later, after he had Remus sit on the bed in their lodgings for the night. "It'll keep you from feeling completely useless in the morning." He turned to Benjy. "I could string them all up by their damned genitals for doing this to him the very moment he arrived. They couldn't wait until tomorrow, spread it out over a few hours with plenty of food and water? What were they thinking?"
"Eager… to please—" Remus mumbled between a hiccup, before adding, "—royals don't ever pay much attention to Low City, I doubt they'd ever really noticed people out here. They're probably lucky if they see any sort of royal official. Think how much they'll get to brag if I win the Tournament." He laughed a bit and then frowned. "Unless they lose the market competition." He distantly felt his head thunk against something, but paid it no mind, vastly more interested in letting exhaustion have him.
He heard the faint chuckle and the surface below his cheek shift with the sound. He peered an eye open to see Benjy smirking down at him, where Remus suddenly realized his head rest in the other mans lap. "Leave it to you, Champion, to consider the commoners. Eager to please, indeed."
Remus let his eyes flutter shut again, feeling a small proud smirk tugging on his lips before he no longer heard anything else.
When he woke later, it was because his stomach was protesting the way it had been treated the previous night. Remus retched into the chamber pot until his stomach hurt and his throat was raw. He stumbled over to the table and sat down, picked up the small hunk of bread on a plate and slowly ate it, chasing bites with some of the strange tonic he vaguely remembered Caradoc trying to make him drink.
It was then that Remus realized the other two sleeping forms in the room, Caradoc on the small pallet beneath one of the two windows in the room, and Benjy, much to Remus surprise, had fallen asleep on the single bed Remus had just arisen from. Shaking the slight embarrassment that Benjy had perhaps fallen asleep while making sure he didn't choke through the night, he relented that he was just glad he hadn't woke them.
Shoving another bit of bread in his mouth, he wandered over to the window Caradoc was not inhabiting, and looked out at the village below. There wasn't much with only moonlight to see by, but he could sees shades of the houses, movement of some stray animals darting from one shadowy corner to another. It was so quiet. They city was always noisy, even in the deadest hours of the night and morning.
He yawned and padded back over to the bed, laying down carefully as to not disturb Benjy, and settled comfortably, pleased that his stomach did not try and act up again.
"Feeling better noble Champion?"
Remus felt his head throb at the sudden motion that it took to glance over to see Benjy's sleepy smirk and half-lidded eyes on him, half teasing, half concerned.
"Well, I was, until you called me that." Remus whispered back, tilting his head back and shutting his eyes. He drifted back to sleep easily to the sound of Benjy's soft amused chuckle playing into the dimly lit room.
The next time he woke up, it was to sunshine and noise. His room was empty, but given it looked to be fairly late morning, even early afternoon, Caradoc and Benjy had probably been up and about for some time. He hauled out of bed, found his bag where someone had put it at the foot of his bed, and used a basin of warm, soapy water left on the table to wash up before pulling on clean clothes, shrugging into his jacket, and packing the rest. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he headed downstairs.
In the tavern, practically everyone there lifted their cups or called out greeting, a few playful jibes. "Like none of you have ever gotten that drunk." Remus retorted. "You make the ale. Don't try and tell me you're not at least partially drunk all of the time." That got him several laughs and a bowl of porridge with honey and cream, along with a cup of hot ale that he almost refused, but in the end, it was too good to pass up, even if his stomach tried for a moment. "Thank you," he said when he was done, and pulled out a penny.
"You're paid up, dear, don't bother with the coin," the barkeep said with a smile. "If you're looking for your friends, I think they went in search for supplies for the next leg of your trip."
"Oh, all right. Thank you, again." Remus said tucking the coin back in.
"Might want to get used to that, darling. I have a good feeling it'll become quiet the reoccurring event."
Remus frowned, uncertain as to what the woman was referring to.
"Not having to pay your tab," She explained with a knowing smirk, "You know, being a prince and all." She shrugged, "'Suppose it has it's perks."
"Right." Remus nodded, not sure how else to respond.
"Are you nervous?" She asked without missing a beat.
"Nervous?"
The woman tossed her rag aside and rolled her eyes, though she was smiling. "To marry the prince."
"I haven't won anything, yet."
"Hm. No, suppose not." She nodded, and then tilted her head as if examining him anew. "You won't be disappointed, I think. He's quite agreeable."
"So I've heard." Remus muttered.
"Met him once myself. He was traveling a few years back and stopped in for a pint believe it or not. Didn't take no for an answer when I told him he needn't pay. He even covered the entire taverns bill for the night. Not many nobles like that. It was surprising to say the least."
Remus only nodded again, feeling a strange stirring in his stomach at the thought of the prince doing anything. He couldn't let himself think about it without needing to vomit, and it would be a waste considering how much effort it took to actually refuel himself after last nights events.
"That is something." Remus finally amended and then stood from the stool to excuse himself. "I really should be going though. Thanks again and may the fates see you through the winter."
"You as well, Champion!" She called merrily after him. Remus managed to hide the slight cringe filtering all through his body as he left the tavern.
He could not get over how small the village was. Did they all know each other? Remus knew his own little circle of friends and shops that he saw and spoke with nearly every day, but he knew almost no one in West End, and nobody in High City, except Ori and a couple of the people his mother worked with. It would be strange to know every single person he encountered; no wonder they'd stared so hard at him and the others last night.
He tried to imagine the royal prince here and it startled a laugh out of him. What could he have possibly been doing here? And how brilliant was the villagers reaction to someone so unbelievably noble, practically revered in the same way the Realm revered the Founders.
The sound of Caradoc's laughter caught his attention, and Remus followed it around the edge of a small house to what proved to be an open area featuring a large well and several open cook fires, where people were busy baking and roasting food enough for at least half the village. Must be their equivalent of the way everyone in Low City took what they made to the nearest baker to have them cook it.
Caradoc and Benjy stood near one of them, speaking with the two women watching over the food. Remus headed toward them, keeping to the edge and well away from the fires, and lifted a hand in greeting when Benjy's eyes sparked up at seeing him approach, a wide grin overwhelming his youthful features. He couldn't have been much younger than Remus, most likely early twenties, possibly twenty-two, and his cheerful attitude and always present smile made it obvious that he had not yet been hardened by years of living.
"Merry morning! How are you feeling?"
"Too old for this nonsense," Remus replied, smiling when they laughed. "Thank you for tending to me."
"An honor to assist you, Champion," Caradoc said, giving him a playful half bow.
"Oi, I did most of the heavy lifting while you got your precious little shut eye." Benjy interjected with mock affront.
"I do believe you volunteered. Eagerly. If I remember correctly." Caradoc said bringing his glass of water to his lips, a teasing grin forming before he took a sip. Remus didn't miss Benjy's eyes narrowing into an embarrassed glare, his cheeks flushed as he glanced away.
"So what are we about today?" Remus asked to break the awkward, though playful tension.
"Leaving," Caradoc replied, "Unless you'd prefer to linger here today and leave tomorrow."
"Tempting, but I should probably press on."
"We bought you a cloak and some boots that seemed about your size," Benjy said eagerly. "Already packed with the horses. We just have to add your bag to the pile and we'll be all set."
Remus frowned. "Isn't that against the rules? You aren't supposed to help me."
Benjy shook his head. "Our duty is to keep you safe and healthy. If you don't have proper equipment when we get to those mountains, you will die. That's not exaggeration. Buying you necessary supplies is no different than buying food and seeing to room and board when we stop."
"It's appreciated," Remus said quietly. Caradoc and Benjy smiled. They bid farewell to the women they were speaking with, and Remus fell into step between them as they let the way to the stable behind the tavern.
Benjy pushed open the door, throwing a grin over his shoulder at Remus. "You look—" he broke off as someone slammed into him, and made a faint, pained noise before dropping to the ground.
The man who'd run into him scowled and looked up, a bloody knife gleaming in one hand.
Caradoc shoved Remus out of the way and drew his sword. Remus fell to the ground, face in the dirt, and by the time he managed to stand, the man was dead, Caradoc's sword wet with blood. His face was drawn tight as he dropped down next to Benjy. "You stupid bastard, you'd better be alive."
Benjy groaned, clutching at his side, blood seeping from between his fingers. "Not for lack of trying on his part, fucking prick-bastard. He got me good, but I don't wear armor just to look pretty."
"You could wear royal temple garb and you still wouldn't look pretty, Benj," Caradoc said with a slightly-wobbly laugh. "Get on your feet, you sorry excuse for a solider." He didn't give him a chance, however, simply set his sword aside, got hold of him, and hoisted him up himself.
"Come on, let's get you to a healer." He looked to Remus. "Can you help him so I can stand point and take care of anyone else who might come after us?"
"Of course," Remus said and traded places with him, both of them ignoring Benjy's grumbling that he could walk just fine on his own. Whatever he said, Benjy's skin had taken on a sickly green-yellowish undertone, and there was still blood dripping from between his fingers.
Because of Remus. His heart was drumming so loudly in his ears he could barely hear his own thoughts. Someone had tried to kill him, and if he'd gone first into the stable, they might have succeeded. What if they had succeeded in killing Benjy? It was one thing to beat up Remus in an alleyway and threaten him with worse, quite another to hurt people who had noting to do with the matter.
Then again, everyone knew Remus had nothing to do with his father, but they still harassed him time and time again, both to get their money and to punish his father by hurting the people he cared about. Supposedly cared about, anyway. Remus would have corrected the mistake if anyone ever bothered to ask or listen to him.
It took them what felt like an eternity to reach the healer, and when they did, Benjy was closer to unconscious than awake.
"Put him there," said the healer, a half-breed by Remus' guess, noticeable by the piercing almost luminescent white eyes, and red-brown skin and stiff, curly, reddish brown hair. Her fingers were long and slender, but steady as she worked. Her movements were almost enough to pull Remus into a trance they were so fluid and effortless, as if she were floating.
Caradoc hovered near the doorway. "Master Remus, I'm going to take care of the dead man and speak with some people about him. Lock this door behind me and let no one in until I return, all right? I'll knock three times and tap my boot twice for confirmation that it's me."
"All right," Remus said and did as he requested once he'd left. He stood near the bed, but well out of the way, as the healer briskly set to work, removing the layer's of Benjy's clothing and armor, then clucking and tsking at the wound. Remus winced as he got a good look at it: a slash that angled slightly downward along Benjy's slender, toned abdomen— like the assailant had meant to stab, but had wound up slicing instead. A very near thing. If that kind had gone deep like intended, Benjy would have already bled out. "I'm so sorry, Benjy. This is my fault—"
"Bugger that," Benjy said. "The only ones to blame are the bastard who stabbed me and the arse who paid him to do it. Stop looking so upset; I've had worse."
Remus shook his head but remained quiet, not certain what to say, anyway. He felt the healer's hypnotizing gaze on him and when he stared back he saw something flash over her features as if Remus was a puzzle. Her chin dropped so subtly that Remus would have missed it had he not already been paying attention. Remus instinctively flinched, lacing his fingers over the faded scar in the crook of his elbow beneath his tunic. He didn't think it possible for her to know, but he wasn't entirely sure what type of half-breed she was either. Some had senses that were beyond Remus' comprehension. Before he could question her, she was already returning her gaze to Benjy's wound.
"Must be favored by the fates," she said gently, her voice oddly raspy. "This wound requires stitching, and you will need to stay abed a day or two, but after that, you should be well." She rose and turned away, mixed something together at her work table.
Remus tore his gaze away from Benjy to watch her, and noticed her fingers pause a beat before unlocking a small compartment in the wall. She reached in and extracted a small vile of some sort of glowing elixir. Remus had to stop himself from gasping at the sight of it, unsure why the air suddenly felt thirty degrees colder. She still had her back to them, and Remus tried to pretend he hadn't been watching her, or seen her tuck the strange elixir into her front pocket. She turned quickly then, with a more subtle looking potion in one hand and another tube in her other. The tube that Remus was familiar enough with as it resembled the ointment Lily had put on him to help heal his thigh. Before he could help it, he took a slight step backwards at the memory of pain and unconsciousness that swept over him that night.
The healer glanced sidelong at him, a knowing gleam in the feral, bright white abyss of her pupils, though her expression remained flat, before extending the potion to Benjy. "Drink this. It will dull the pain while I clean and stitch you."
Benjy made a face, but obediently drank the unappealing, gray-brown concoction. His expression when he was finished said it tasted as awful as it looked. The healer took the vial, then sat on her stool once more and set to work. Benjy grumbled and muttered but within minutes, he was fast asleep. Pausing in her work, the healer glanced at Benjy, shook her head in amusement, then looked at Remus. "I had hoped the amount wouldn't have caused him to fall asleep. It's better if they stay awake to let me know if something is wrong." She turned back to stitching Benjy's side. "How long?"
Remus frowned at the question and then felt his shoulders tense as he realized where her glance had settled on his arm once more.
"Awhile." He responded curtly. The healer only nodded, not at all bothered by his tone. "How did you know?"
The smallest flicker of a bitter smile tugged on the corner of her lips, not entirely insincere but rather mournful. The longer the silence stretched, Remus wondered if she was going to answer at all. After several more moments she made this last stitch and cleaned the surrounded area of his wound before beginning to wrap it.
"Where do you go for Fulls?"
Remus crossed his arms over his chest, suddenly feeling raw and as cut open as Benjy had been.
"My Logan would roam the outer Forbidden Forrest, near the edge of the Realm's boundaries due South. I'm certain you've heard of it, though, it's location is difficult to pinpoint unless you've visited with someone before." She continued, completely unbothered with Remus' silence. "The closest village is more than a week's journey so there's little chance of being stumbled upon. It was tranquil there, not at all like the stories would have you believe about the many creatures inhabiting it. We lived there during most of our marriage and on the nights of the Full, I would accompany him."
This made Remus' eyes widen in shock. The healer noticed and gave him a small smile before blurring and shifting before his very eyes. Remus felt his feet stumble backwards slightly, only vaguely aware that he had steadied himself on the table behind him as his eyes took in the sight before him. Where the woman with brilliant white eyes once stood there was now a regal looking bird with translucent feathers, its wingspan stretching wider than twice of Remus' tall frame, filling the entire room, head brushing the ceiling. It was truly a breathtaking, terrifying sight. Remus could only stare in shock. When the healer was standing before him was more, Remus realized he had fallen into a seat, still staring in shock.
"Are you familiar with the term: therianthropes?" The healer asked calmly, as if she had not, in fact, just transformed into one of the most incredible beasts Remus has ever laid eyes on. "In ancient religions, some current depending on the village, believe in such magic existing in every person with a trace of magic still flowing through their veins. Though, our Realm has greatly diminished the possibility of such things since the widespread Curse extinguished most Magic Wielders during the civil unrest generations back. Well, perhaps, not most, but those who remain do make it a task to let it remain unknown."
Remus shook his head, still breathless as he shifted back to his feet. He could only take in so much at once, his mind slowly capturing each word and trying to understand what she was telling him.
"My ancestors preferred a different title, though. Animagus."
"You— You were just—" Remus tried lamely, brow furrowing.
"Yes, quite." She said with a small smile.
"How— W-why— how?"
"Animagus are not only able to shift form into that of their inner creature, Master Remus, but they are also capable of accessing that of which are the creatures' most inner instincts, and for the Roc, which is my inner creature and what you just witnessed me becoming, most inner instinct is Sight. I am telling you this because I believe it is no coincidence that you have been brought here to this village, more specifically my quarters."
Remus shook his head again, trying to clear it of the absurdity. "I don't understand what any of this has to do with my being here."
"It is not my expertise to understand why or interpret the greater destiny of the Realm, rather, that I simply know it to be true through Sight. You have a destiny, and as such goes, you also have the ability to deny it. From the moment you stepped into this room, though, I felt it apart of my own destiny to encourage you not to, as well as assist you as only myself and very few can. You're the first I've come across since my Lucas, and I made a promise to him and myself that I would gift this to them when the day came."
Then, the healer reached into her robes and pulled out the gleaming vial of elixir and extended it to Remus. He stared at it, unsure what to do.
"My Lucas, once told me that this elixir returned to him all that he believed he lost the day he was bitten." The healer's voice turned thoughtful then, taking a deep breath. "As I'm sure you know, becoming a monster every Full moon can drain humanity from you one scar at a time. When my Lucas found me, I had given him a piece of himself back because I was able to accompany him in my animals form, and then we discovered this while traveling…" she held out the elixir and placed it in Remus' hands, forcing his fingers to curl around it, "…and Lucas was able to remain himself, to keep his humanity during his transformations."
Remus blinked down at the vial, his throat feeling tight as he tried to breath. He had never heard of such magic. It couldn't possibly be true, and if it were how was he just now hearing of it?
"It's the last I have of it. I'd like for you to have it. It will last you for the next three, maybe four Fulls. Perhaps, by then you will have won your Tournament, and will be able to use your newly acquired resources to seek out where it can be recreated once more."
"This—" Remus tried and swallowed the thickness in his throat and tried again. "I won't have to shift? I—" he shut his eyes tighter and inhaled another shaky breath. "I can remain human with this?"
The healer nodded and gave him a sympathetic smile.
"Where did you find this? What's in it?" Remus asked, his heart rapidly thumping in between his ears, his blood suddenly feeling too hot in his veins at the possibility she was presenting to him— a possibility that was certainly too good to be true. Far too good to be true, but even more so for him to have it within his grasp.
"Lucas and I were traveling, outside of the Realm when we met the wandering travelers who had crafted it after centuries of trial and error. They lost many pack members during their venture to get it right. They wouldn't share with us the ingredients, but willingly gave Lucas enough to last him a year. We were grateful, but when we ran out and went to search for them again…" she trailed off, "Well, it was a beautiful year nonetheless."
Remus just stared at her for a moment and then the vial in his palm.
"You'll need two sips an hour before midnight." She explained to him, ignoring the way his chest still rose and fell unnaturally fast.
"You said you could accompany him." Remus heard himself saying, not sure why his brain was able to latch onto that information out of the rest. "—that you did. How is that possible?"
Remus shoved away the terrific nightmares he had most nights leading up to the full. Nightmares that resulted in him somehow ending up in the city during one of the fulls, fully transformed into a monster without any control over its rage; instead of lost within the depths of the dark forest where he would wake up cold and shaking, but incredibly grateful when he found no trace human blood other than his own.
"Werewolves are instinctively prone to seek out other animals and depending on the creature, dangerously possessive— their need for a pack can be overwhelming at times, as I'm sure you've encountered." She said with a nod at one of Remus' deeper scars over his collarbone. "I simply became apart of Lucas' pack in my Roc form." A wistful smile flickered over her face and the liquid that formed in her unnaturally white eyes was an even brighter white that Remus found himself starring shamelessly at, unable to look away, like stars spilling from her pupils. "Lucas ran while I flew. We were free."
Remus, despite every ounce of terror and excitement and fear tearing through his veins, smiled back at her, a soft barely there smile, but a smile nonetheless.
"I wish I had more, or could give you more information on the traveling potionineers that gave us our portion of the elixir, but all I knew is that they were nomads. Native to the outer Realm, a total of twenty to thirty, perhaps? Almost all of them bitten it may be a shock, but for them it is a right of passage, joining their pack."
Remus sputtered at that. An entire pack of nomadic werewolves? He suddenly felt very small and insignificant. All of his problems with the Tournament and his father and Greyback felt worlds away with this sudden information.
The Beyond Realm as his mother taught him to call it growing up was like a mystical, made-up land that people only spoke of if they were telling tales of the Founders or were, subtly put: bat-shit crazy. Remus had never considered what lay beyond, he could hardly endure what lay right in from of him.
"Thank you." He finally said and glanced up to see the healer watching him, patiently. A thought occurred to him suddenly and he felt his heart drop into his stomach. "And I'm sorry about your husband."
Her smile twitched and she waved a hand. "Don't be. We lived a wonderful life together. We made it count, no matter the cost, and we both promised each other to not grieve for the other. So, I won't. We'll be together again."
Remus heard the firmness in her confession, the surety of it caused Remus to believe it to be so as well. "Yes, well, you can extend my thanks to him as well then."
She let out a hearty chuckle and nodded. "Yes, I'll be sure to do so, Master Remus." As he eyed the elixir in his hands he heard her shuffling about the room. She moved back to him with a sturdy piece of yarn and tied it to the top of the vial and gently placed it over Remus head. "There. So you won't misplace it."
Remus gave her another grateful smile and opened his mouth to ask more questions, a million of them really— about the transformation into a giant bird that looked more like a dragon than any bird he'd ever seen, if it was similar to his own transformation, he doubted it, or what the Beyond Realm was really like, and why were the nomads willing to part with the elixir, did they have enough to spare a years worth, was everything in the outer realm in abundance?— but the sound of three knocks came to the door followed by two light taps of a boot. She moved to the door and revealed a slight disgruntled looking Caradoc.
"How is he?"
"Well enough," the healer said as she began to clean up. "He'll probably sleep most of the day, which is all to the good. A couple days' rest, not more than light movement, and he should be fine. The stitches can come out after about five days."
Caradoc nodded. "Thank you. Can I carry him back to the tavern to rest there, or should I leave him here? I can pay you for the trouble."
The healer scoffed. "A penny for the potion and the stitching, if it's no trouble. I'm sorry for whatever happened. Usually our village is so quiet. Why I settled here, actually. The worst we get is some young fool getting drunk and falling off something." She gestured at Benjy. "You can take him. Just have a care and see he doesn't do much moving until the day after tomorrow."
Caradoc set a penny on the little table by the door, then gently scooped Benjy up and headed out. "All should be safe now, Master Remus, but have a care and stay close until were safely back in our room."
Nodding, Remus thanked the healer one last time, placing his own penny atop the one Caradoc had left. The healer glared at him for it but then smiled when Remus placed his hand over the vial around his neck in response, trying to convey how grateful he was for everything she had just shared with him. A sudden pull in his gut urged him to stay, to ask the million and one questions bouncing around his mind. The Tournament suddenly felt ridiculous, well, more ridiculous, than ever. How could he care of such things when so much else was happening?
"Off with you then." The healer insisted, shooing him with her hands, similar to the way Bathilda did when he tried to pick at the food she was preparing in the kitchens at the brothel on his way out.
Remus hurried to catch up with Caradoc, surprisingly quick even with Benjy laying limply in his arms.
"I'm sorry this happened. You're supposed to be over-precaution, I remember Lady Hooch saying that. No one should be getting hurt because of me."
Caradoc snorted. "No one should be murdered because they're doing well in a Tournament they've every right to be in. Stop apologizing and instead be angry that someone dared to try to kill you for no good reason. Come to that, you've been remarkably calm about an attempt on your life."
"My father's creditors have been threatening to kill me, and leaving me half-dead in alleyways or the harbor, for almost as long as I can remember," Remus said. "It never stops being terrifying, thinking you could die, or that you almost died, but sadly, you still get accustomed to it." Not to mention the unnatural amounts of times he had practically felt himself being brought back to life because he was a werewolf and even injuries he inflicted on himself during the Full was not enough to stop the healing magic that ensued upon transforming back every time. He didn't tell Caradoc this, of course. He wondered if he and Benjy knew, if they were briefed that they would be protecting a monster, but if they did neither mentioned or made any point to.
"I suppose it's not so different than being a solider, but at least we're paid for the pleasure of being terrified," Caradoc said with a sigh. "I am sorry. I should have been more on guard. Hopefully it'll ease off the further away we get from the city."
They reached the tavern and headed up to the room they'd only recently vacated. "So who was the man you killed?" Remus asked.
"No one recognized him." Caradoc explained as he settled Benjy on the bed. "Probably followed us from the city and was waiting until your death could be made to look like a theft or something, since killing us on the road from the city would have looked more than a little suspicious." He gently removed Benjy's boots and tucked the blankets around him. "I've sent word to the Realm Consort, Dumbledore, about what's happened. You and I can resume the journey; someone will come to watch over Benjy and see him home, and another will catch up—"
"Do we have to leave him?" Remus cut in, frowning down at Benjy. "I mean, he's injured, of course, he probably doesn't want to continue on, but I don't want to simply leave him here alone. What if the wound gets infected? It doesn't feel right to abandon someone who got hurt protecting me."
Caradoc just stared at him. "But the challenge—"
"Bugger the challenge. I would rather be certain he is well. I won't abandon someone who was hurt because of me. Not when I know I should be in his place."
Caradoc huffed softly, a smile tugging at his lips. "You know… if you weren't in line to win the prince's hand i'd recruit you to my division in the guard. You'd make a loyal solider."
Remus let out a bark of a laugh at the absurd picture that created in his head. Him a guard? Yeah right. He laughed again when he imagined Frank seeing him in a guards uniform and Caradoc rolled his eyes.
"All right, all right. It's not impossible, you know?"
"No. No. You're right." Remus shook his head, still laughing slightly, "Only as impossible as becoming a prince I suppose."
Caradoc grinned and shook his head as he stood. "Right, well, it's your challenge, Master Remus, and to be honest, Benjy would be crushed to be left behind. He was the first to volunteer to help with this challenge, and there was no containing him when he was assigned to look after you."
"Really? Why?"
"Benjy knew the little boy you saved from the cliff. Collin is his best mate, Dennis', little bother. And you should know, he isn't the only one rooting for you. Everybody I know is cheering for you to win."
"I never thought I'd get this far," Remus muttered. "It's more than a little disconcerting."
"Well, don't dwell on it too much. Keep moving and doing. Don't let thinking set you stumbling. I meant it when I said everyone I know is cheering for you. If you really insist on remaining here until Benjy is on his feet again, I promise we'll do all we can to make up for lost time."
"Thank you." Remus said and eyed Benjy's sleeping form.
"You're already failing."
"What?" Remus' gaze shot up to see Caradoc shaking his head.
"Thinking. Over thinking. It'll drive you mental. Trust me."
"I just don't want either of you getting hurt at my expense is all."
"I understand that." Caradoc said with a nod and then frowned, opening his mouth and then set his mouth in a firm line before opening it again. "Look, I probably shouldn't be sharing this with you, but it will do well to have every advantage if another attacker is hired to kill you."
Remus' shoulders tensed as he watched Caradoc wrestle with whether or not he should speak.
"The man who attacked you, he wasn't anyone I knew, per say, but he had the marking that branded him to an organization that I thought had long since died out."
"Organization?"
"I won't say too much, classified and all that— it's just that the marking on this man match the one I've seen on a previously secret threat to the Realm. I'm only telling you this much so that you know to look for it: the outline of a skull and a serpent. Often branded on the forearm, but it can be other places if the person intends to remain undetected."
Remus frowned. "A threat to the Realm? Why have I never heard of it?"
"The royal families, despite the appearances to the public, have not healed from histories past wounds. It would seem some threats will never cease to resurface so long as the Blacks disagree with the Potters way of doing things. That is all I will say on the matter. For now, the organization has been silenced and from what I know and heard from the Realm Consort himself, has been handled for the time being." Caradoc clapped his hands lightly together. "But enough of that. I've already said too much. Shall we go fetch our bags and settle in?"
Remus sighed, his brain throbbing with the amount of new information he received in the past hour. He really should have never joined the sodding Tournament. These weren't his problems, his concerns, but something tugged inside his chest, telling him to pay attention, that he needed to pay attention.
"I can't say I'm sorry I get to avoid the horse for another couple of days." Remus said instead of the heavy thoughts rattling inside his brain.
"You need to get over your fear of horses, Champion. Don't think because you're staying here a little longer that you won'r have to ride— this is the perfect opportunity to practice. If you become a royal hoity-toity, you'll be spending a lot of time on one so best get used to it." He laughed a the face Remus made and slung an arm across his shoulders as they headed out.
Remus eyed him wearily. "Why would I be spending a lot of time on a horse? The royal family never leaves the city, not that I've ever heard at least. Even if they did, don't they usually travel by carriage?"
"For one, it's easier to get around the city on a horse. Second point, that His Royal Highness Prince Sirius is going to be traveling the kingdom on behalf of the king and queen, visiting all the towns and villages to address problems and simply let the people see at least one member of the royal family."
"Is that common? Royals wandering the Realm?"
"Not at all, but Prince Sirius insisted. From the way I've heard it be told, he demanded it be a requirement if he was to be the Tournament prize instead of the younger brother, Prince Regulus. As it would be poorly perceived by the Realm to remove the promised hand of their eldest, the King and Queen were forced to accept the demand. It certainly didn't appease them either when King and Queen Potter also encouraged the venture, believing it to only strengthen the Realm. I believe their eldest is to either join him or take a similar journey the following summer."
"Why would the Prince insist one gallivanting across the Realm?" Remus asked, unable to believe the sort of man who Caradoc seemed to be describing. The same man who had ventured to this very village and bought the entire taverns tab without hesitation.
"Beats me." Caradoc hummed and shrugged. "Boredom, perhaps? Never met him so I couldn't speak of his character, myself, but rumors have been kind to his appearance and his actions only speak louder to his kindness it would seem. But the point still stands, if you're to join him— it will be by way of horseback. Some part of the Realm can only be accessed by horse, and others a carriage can reach but a horse it just easier."
"I see," Remus said. So much traveling sounding exhausting, but not as terrifying as it might have just a day ago. Though he had hoped it came with a lot less stabbing.
Merlin, why was he thinking about it like it was going to happen? It wasn't. He wasn't going to win the Tournament. Staying until Benjy recovered was going to set him back by days, and the trip had only begun. His luck had never been going to last forever. After this challenge was over, it would be back to life as usual.
When had thinking that started bringing disappointment instead of relief?