Before they headed out of the village of Maldobar, Hannah had to make a stop. "It will only take a moment," she told Castiel as they arrived at a storefront.
"We don't have time!" Roddy's ever impatient attitude was wearing on Hannah's nerves, and she could tell by the look Castiel gave her he felt the same way. Secretly, Hannah contemplated how easy it might be to lose this eccentric human in the forested rock face she knew they would head for.
"We have all the time we need," Castiel replied, glancing at Roddy who tapped his foot irritably while he tugged on his dog's leash. Waiting until he turned his attention back to her, Hannah motioned toward the shop.
"Come with me," she offered. "I'd like to show you something." Castiel nodded and the two of them entered the shop.
A chime sounded as Hannah pushed open the wooden door and strode into the shop, her booted feet clanking against the wood paneled floor. The interior smelled of leather and wood, and all around them was the master artisan's work. Bows of every variety mounted on the walls or spread out across the long wooden counter that ran the length of the room.
"Ah, just in time," came the unseen voice from the counter as Hannah approached. The messy counter was stacked high with wooden crates, burlap bags, and parchment paper listing orders and supply receipts. The clutter blocked the short figure from view, save for his curly hair.
Castiel raised a brow as he peered around the crates at the shop owner. The Halfling stood on a stool as he counted his receipts, but upon seeing Hannah, he beamed. He wore a simple tunic and trousers, and his dark curly hair was as unorganized as was his work area. "It's ready. And I think you'll agree it was worth the wait."
"I'm sure it is, Corrin," Hannah replied with a warm smile before motioning to Castiel who stood beside her, admiring the delicate bows on display. "This is Castiel. He is a friend of mine and one of my kind."
The Halfling regarded Castiel for a moment, scrutinizing his appearance. "Strange choice in clothing," he commented with a huff.
"He's not from around here," Hannah explained, trying to come up with a story that could satisfy the Halfling. She had patronized this shop on multiple occasions during her time in this land and she had made fast friends with Corrin, but she knew how suspicious he could be of others. At least at first.
"I hope you aren't planning to take him off to Sundabar dressed like that," Corrin pressed. "The city folk are weary of outsiders already. What will they say about him? He will draw every eye he passes."
"I'm afraid I don't have any currency," Castiel explained. "Or I would have gotten into something more appropriate."
"And you know I haven't any coin," Hannah pointed out. "We're to do a job for Roddy out there, perhaps enough to pay for some adventuring gear for Castiel here."
It was common knowledge to those who knew her that Hannah lived with a nomadic group of elves who didn't believe in accumulating wealth. She carried only enough coinage to pay for her passage, when and if she needed. She knew Castiel would need to blend in.
"Bah!" Corrin waived his hand at them. "You shouldn't waste your time with that ruffian, Roddy. He's been going on over that drow for days."
"Are his concerns justified?" Castiel asked. "Did the drow kill a family here?"
Corrin shrugged, his expression turning serious. "I'm not one to turn a blind eye to the sort of tragedy that came to the Thistledown family," he explained. "Something certainly killed them, and folk have spotted a dark elf in these parts. You know full well what sort of trouble that could bring."
Hannah exchanged looks with Castiel. She knew he would not understand what a drow elf was. She'd never seen one herself, but her Elven family had educated her long ago about the dangers in this region. They told her the tale of how, more than a decade ago, a drow raid had cruelly massacred an entire Elven village. Hannah had no reason to doubt the elves who had given her a home and a purpose.
But the doubtful look on Corrin's face gave her cause to doubt. She leaned forward across the counter. "Tell me what you know, my friend."
"We hired our own team of investigators to look into the killing," Corrin explained. "They're out there in the wilderness right now, tracking the drow, you'll probably meet up with them. But before they left town, they inspected the crime and their words cast doubt. Seems the killings aren't consistent with what we know of the drow. In any case, why should there only be one?"
Hannah frowned and took a step back from the counter. She contemplated the mystery and wondered about the wisdom of continuing after the drow. After all, she was on a mission right now and she didn't know what sort of delay this expedition might cause.
"Let me go get your bow," Corrin offered as he stepped off his stool, giving Castiel a second glance as he disappeared into the back room behind him.
Once alone, Hannah glanced at Castiel. "Do you still want to go after this drow?" she asked. Castiel frowned, shrugging.
"I've only been in this world for a few hours, I'm not sure what I want," he replied truthfully. "Other than to get back to our own world. There were some things happening there, Hannah… although…" he sighed and Hannah noted the look of regret in his eyes. "I don't know how much I'm needed there anymore."
Hannah didn't know what Castiel had been through. It had been four years since she had seen him or anyone from her own realm. She had lived cut off from heaven for so long she often forgot she was an angel. His sudden arrival brought memories she wasn't sure she was ready to address. Feelings of remorse and guilt concerning her own actions. It all seemed like a lifetime ago, it was in the past. Yet here was this angel bringing her past back into relevance.
"We should question him at the very least," she offered. "I don't know the whole situation and I would rather not work with that loud mouth human. But I am curious about the drow, and it wouldn't be right to leave without assessing the danger to the town."
Castiel nodded his agreement just as Corrin returned, hauling a long bow wrapped in cloth. "Good as new," he said proudly as he hauled Hannah's prize possession onto the counter, shoving paperwork aside to make room. Hannah beamed widely as she took the bow, removing the cloth and gazing at it in all its splendor.
"Fine work," she complimented as she turned it over in her hands, thumbing the string. The deep red hue of the wood gleamed with new polish, and as Hannah ran her hand across the delicate gold leaf and vine design etched into the wood, she couldn't help but take in the weapon's beauty. Corrin waited, a proud smirk on his face as he held up a woven quiver of arrows.
"I might be of greater service," Corrin added as Hannah finally took the quiver from him and fastened the leather straps across her chest, securing the arrows across the back of her shoulders. The Halfling dipped under the counter and produced a long sword neatly tucked in a black leather sheath. He placed it on the counter and glanced at Castiel. "If you'd agree to do a job for me. It wouldn't bring you too much out of your way."
Castiel seemed confused by the weapons. Hannah understood his thoughts. He no doubt wondered what angels needed with these sorts of weapons. He glanced at her, the puzzlement clear on his face.
"The properties of this world differ from ours," she explained as she secured her bow to her back with the leather straps of the quiver. "Angel's powers don't quite work as they did before, at least not a lower ranked angel like you and me. We are vulnerable to weapons. This is especially true because magic is much more commonplace here, and even if they seem ordinary, we should regard all weapons with caution."
Castiel seemed satisfied with her explanation and reached out to take the sheathed sword. Pulling it out of the black leather, he gazed at the blade, clearly impressed by the craftsmanship as the steel sparkled in the light.
"It belonged to a paladin who can't find the coin to pay for it," Corrin explained. "He left a set of chainmail and some adventuring gear as well, you're welcomed to it if you agree to the job. You'd certainly blend in better."
"What job are you offering us?" Castiel asked curiously. Corrin glanced between the two angels.
"I have to deliver a parcel to my brother in Sundabar," he explained. "But I don't have the time to make the journey all the way there, and you know the road is more dangerous these days. If you will deliver the parcel in my stead, I will give you the sword and the chain mail."
That seemed a simple job for Hannah. She was already planning to go to Sundabar as soon as they completed this drow business. She and Castiel were quick to agree to the job and moments later, Castiel left the Halfling's shop dressed in a simple tunic, chain mail vest, and cloak. Hannah noted that the color of the cloak matched his beige trench coat and his sword hung from a blue dyed leather belt. He blended in much better with the crowd but he still retained his trademark color schemes.
Roddy lifted a brow as the two strode out of the shop, Hannah with the bow and arrows secured to her back and the small parcel in her waist pack, and Castiel now dressed in appropriate adventuring gear.
"Let's head out," Castiel suggested as the angels brushed past Roddy, finally making their way out of Maldobar.