I know it's not exactly action packed yet, but please bear with me. Just a little more…
Chapter 5, Not your battle
The unstable state of the world and the recent closing of Byzen had harmed the amount of travelers passing through Maia, thus forcing the inn of the small town to lower the prices.
Kevin used a knife and fork really well, a little clumsy but not too badly. This was a slight surprise in Hawk's view; not that he was a racist or anything but the beastmen were… well, they were beasts. More intelligent than your everyday monster, but still beasts and not supposed to be used to the eating ceremonies of humans.
The half blood was crouching as he ate just as when he walked, it seemed as if his back had taken the hardest hit of his crossed lineage. That and his tongue.
Remembering what he had experienced in Jad, Hawk realized that the "true" beastmen had no speech problems whatsoever. Their voices had a collective grunting and snarling, but they said "I'll be fine" and not "me be fine".
Was it the mixed genes that caused the problems?
Or was Kevin just… well… stupid?
Hawk frowned and tried to concentrate on cutting a potato into two neat pieces to go with the stew.
He told himself that it was mean to even think such things. Without Kevin's help he could have been dead, killed by angered beastmen in Jad. Or at least he would still have been stuck there.
None of the three warriors said a word, tired after the escape's tension releasing them.
Hawk pondered if he should talk to Lise after they had eaten or wait until the next day. In the end he decided that he'd wait, since he felt like his brain was about to turn into cotton candy and it wouldn't hurt if her mind was clear as well. Then she'd have the energy needed to listen to and ponder his arguments. Talking to Kevin could wait to, for the same reasons. And Hawk hadn't really been able to think of something strong enough to convince the beastman.
He had to sleep.
They all needed that.
Kevin could smell that Hawk was bothered in some way, but didn't ask. He was so tired that he just wanted to finish his meal and get to sleep.
The half blood glanced at his friends past his thick, waving fringe. Hawk was frowning slightly as he ate, deep in thoughts. But Lise looked almost like a zombie. Her eyes were half closed, and she seemed to eat more because she knew that she paid for it and that she really needed to eat, than of real hunger.
Just like he felt.
Tired of the run and of the endless wondering about what the next step would be.
But she still kept up. Behind that exhaust in her eyes was a fragile but determined flame of will. Kevin held onto the wavering he saw far back in those green-blue eyes, finding a weak smile on his lips without really knowing what it was doing there.
As he laid on the bed in his own room later on, even though he could have slept standing… the sleep just kept at bay. So Kevin just watched the dark roof, his eyes soon getting used to the darkness.
Maybe he was just too tired, had past the wall and gotten so exhausted that it was impossible to sleep. Kevin grimaced at the thought.
The bed was too soft and smooth. He missed the kindly tickling grass in the forest; there he had never experienced troubles to sleep. The wind had whispered lullabies in the bushes and trees, Karl's warm little head on his stomach…
Kevin sighed and moved his arm from under his head to cover his eyes.
Ugh.
The arm fell away, its hand traveling down to the place where the wolf's head had used to be. The touch of his fingers almost burned Kevin's skin through his high belt, and he removed them. The memory was far too painful still.
When he moved his fingers he touched the bandage surrounding his torso.
Lise and Hawk…
As if the mere touch called for it, his sharp nostrils recaptured the even for him now distant smells of the cloth. The sweet scent of the ointment was pleasantly vague; at first it had made Kevin feel a little dizzy after a few moments. About the time that Lise began to cover his wounds with the bandage, actually. But it had worn off soon after.
The cloth carried a remaining scent of the exiled princess after the time in her backpack and her working with it.
Friends…
Kevin smiled a little and fell asleep, his mind embedded in the soft smell of his allies.
He slept so deeply that even his sharp ears didn't catch the low argument, late at night.
"I am so sorry, sir, we only have one room left. It's for three persons…"
"Not again! I'm so tired of sleeping in the same room as this snoring, armed peasant! As if the infernal boat ride wasn't enough!"
"Who are you calling a peasant!?"
"Carlie say Angela and Duran shut up and schleep now!"
And even if the half blood had heard the short discussion, it hadn't meant more to him than a swift sort of irritation before he'd turn over and fall asleep again, forgetting about it. So in the end it didn't matter that he didn't hear the Mana heroes speak right then. Of course the three blessed ones would be important to him at a later point, but right then it was more important that he got the rest he needed.
Lise closed the door behind her and went down into the main room of the inn. It was rather early in the morning; she had gotten to sleep so early that it was natural to awake with the sun. Her spear bounced gently against her back; just by habit she had brought it with her.
Somebody snored peacefully from on of the other rooms; it didn't sound like Hawk nor Kevin. Besides, she didn't think that either of them had gotten a room on the lower floor since that of tradition was for three people.
"Good morning, lady…" the innkeeper drowsily mumbled as she walked past him.
He was almost lying across his desk.
"How are you?" Lise asked, following her character as a caring person.
"Well there were these late guests… came with a ship from the goddess know where, didn't tell and I don't care… and they argued with each other until they fell asleep, kept me awake through half the night…"
He yawned and waved with a hand.
"I appreciate that you care, m'lady, but don't worry. I'll just sleep when my brother comes here, let him handle things here for a while. Breakfast is ready, it's included in the price."
"Thank you."
Lise opened the door to her left went into the dining room and found Hawk working on a bowl of porridge. Finding that a good idea she found her own bowl and served herself breakfast. It was some time ago that she had eaten two proper meals in a row; the beastmen had taken almost all sort of supplies in Jad.
"Morning," the thief said with a wry smile as Lise sat down on the chair on the other side of the table.
"Good morning," Lise kindly replied, "is Kevin still sleeping?"
'Would she ask Kevin that if I was the one still in the hay?' Hawk wondered deep down.
"I think so," he said aloud with a shrug of his shoulders, "either that or he's up very early."
Lise nodded and began eating. After glancing around a bit just to assemble the little bit of courage he needed, Hawk opened his mouth to speak again.
"I need to talk to you, by the way," he said, "but it can wait until we've finished breakfast."
Lise looked surprised for a moment, but nodded without questioning.
A short while later she put her spoon in the now empty bowl and straightened up.
"What gives?" she asked.
Hawk finished his sandwich and glanced around again out of habit. Nobody else had showed up and the innkeeper had fallen asleep.
"Look, now you're gonna tell me I'm crazy," the thief said in a low voice just in case, "but at least hear me out."
Lise nodded, waiting for him to continue.
"I've been thinking," Hawk mumbled, "I think the only way I possibly can save Jessica is by capturing Isabella and forcing her to remove the curse. And I'm pretty sure that she's still in Rolante."
The young, blond woman before him startled, staring at him.
"You can't go there, it's madness!" she hissed, bending slightly forward so that only Hawk would hear her low voice.
"It's my only hope," the thief grimly said, "and…"
He pursed his mouth, hoping his attempt to pull a few strings would work out.
"She might know where Eliott is, after all she's the one commanding the troops that kidnapped him," he ended the sentence, "what if he's still in your castle, held captive in his own home?"
Lise fell back on her chair, her whole being showing signs of raging doubts, hopes and worries within her. The friend on the other side of the table almost held his breath.
"I can't… I can't allow you to go there alone," Lise finally said, grimly, "but you were hoping I'd say that, didn't you?"
She didn't sound too bitter saying that, so Hawk dared to nod.
"A bit," he admitted, "but that's your decision. I'm going whether you're coming too or not."
'Come with me, please come with me,' he grimly thought, 'sneaking into that place will be hard enough, but it'll be easier if I have a company who knows the area.'
'Who are you trying to fool, you hopeless flirt?' some hidden part of him sighed.
The exiled princess watched the table, frowning and leaning her cheek in her hand as she wrestled herself. Afraid to irritate her into neglecting his suggestion, Hawk kept from trying to encourage her even more. He knew the delicate weighing of a woman's mind through a few more or less painful experiences.
'He's got a point…' Lise hesitantly thought, 'I know that Eliott wasn't in the castle when I left, father told me that and he'd know, but I don't have clue where I should be searching. Isabella must know… but I can't go back! It's too painful!'
"I need to think about it," she said aloud after several moments in a tight silence.
"Okay," Hawk nodded, "take your time."
"Thanks. See you later."
Lise stood up and left the inn. The owner of the place was still sleeping, and she heard snores from the three persons' room again. Well, it was understandable since those people had come to Maia in the middle of the night. The princess swiftly wondered where the late travelers had come from, but her mind was too occupied by other matters to truly bother.
For a couple of minutes she just leaned against the wall of the inn, staring at nothing while trying to sort out her inner chaos.
She had to find Eliott, and Isabella could be a certain road to him; the only road she had to chose from. Where else could she really search?
A movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she turned her head at the golden road. A gigantic, green bumblebee with knives as legs soared backwards through the air and disappeared into the greenery beneath the mountains rising up from the land. It came back, buzzing furiously and loud enough for Lise to hear it despite the distance. The buzz called a couple of other monsters of the first one's kind, cleaving leaves with their claws as they busted out of the bushes to help their friend with whatever foe he had encountered.
Well, Kevin's appearance around the corner of the road proved that he wasn't a sleepover after all. He came walking down the road, as if he was moving in a completely safe place where there were no angry insects of the size of a barrel.
But on the other hand, Lise figured, when it came to the very core that young man probably could feel completely safe. Still she reached back and freed her spear from the metallic rings of her armor and went to meet him.
One of the green, tubby monsters turned around as it heard her steps and knitted its claws at the sight of a less strong-looking human. The first bumblebee to get attacked and the other acquaintance kept their concentration on Kevin and flew towards him.
"Morning, Lise," he said in his slightly grunting way of speaking while clenching his fists to meet the two attackers.
"The same to you."
The words sounded dull and meaningless in her mouth; she was still bothered with Hawk's ideas. She frowned and grabbed her spear with both hands in order to face the violent insect. Think later.
The monster zoomed back and forth a few times, trying to confuse her before sending out a thorn of the size of Lise's thumb. But she leaped backwards and forth again, sending out her spear to smack the creature's side. For a moment she considered if she had any real reason to kill it; after all it hadn't caused her any harm. But on the other hand these monsters were complicating the land-bound trading between Forcena, Maia and Byzen, and her daily patrols in Rolante had been meant to keep the paths safe for travelers...
Would she ever be back in Rolante?
Lise clenched her teeth. Not now!
The bumblebee raised its claws, but she parried with her spear. Her foe drew back and tried to get around her, forcing Lise to turn and dance backwards. The sound of Kevin's battle came closer. A glance over her shoulder showed that he was backing in her direction, with only one enemy left. The other one was lying on the road, twitching a little and clearly alive; just a bit dizzy.
"Hawk still sleeping?" the half blood asked as they almost stood side by side, looking in different directions while preparing for the next attack.
"No, he's still in town," Lise said and tracked her deep worry by her own, tired voice, "he was saying…"
She sighed and fell silent.
"Bother?" Kevin asked with a distinct trace of concern in the single word.
By the sound of it he sent the bug of his flying a few dozen yards away.
"I'm sure he didn't mean to…" Lise muttered and knocked out her own foe with the flat end of her spear point, "I just don't know what to do."
She turned around to face him. Kevin was rubbing the back of his neck rather sheepishly while watching her with that shyness which could only be described as cute.
"Lise help me, gah," he mumbled, obviously not knowing what to say, "if I can help, I try."
The exiled princess smiled a little before she even knew about it.
"Thanks, Kevin," she said and glanced at the dizzy bumblebee by her feet, "let's talk somewhere where there's no monsters."
"Good idea."
They began walking back into town.
"Me just check on birds," Kevin explained to fill up a silence he found unpleasant.
"Are they alright after the long flight yesterday?" Lise asked, glad that he had stopped any concerned ice to form.
He nodded.
"Ah, not very used to flying that far, but we three not heavy as many beastmen."
They entered the town and went over to sit on the same bench as yesterday. Lise placed her spear in her lap again, just as before. She needed a moment to think about what she could say, and Kevin waited in silence.
"It's like this," the princess finally began, "Hawk thinks that the only way he can help Jessica is by capturing that Isabella woman, who probably is still in Rolante. So he wants to go there and I can't allow him to do that alone… he also pointed out that that Isabella could know where Eliott is."
She figured it all had tumbled out rather quickly and tried to calm down again.
"I realize that it might be the only way I can find my brother," she continued in a slower manner and shook her head, "but I don't want to return to Rolante yet, I don't know if I'll be able to face my home in whatever state the ninjas have brought it too…"
Her voice trailed off and she stared at the her spear for a moment. Kevin still said nothing.
"And what can it bring?" Lise finally muttered, "there's only two of us! I can't return before I have a chance to free my country!"
With a sigh she placed her cheek in her hand and the matching elbow on her knee.
"I want to go back there, I'm so worried about Palo too," she said in a low voice, "it's just a fishing village but they might have been attacked as well after I fled… but I can't do anything to help anyone as it is now!"
Frustrated she kicked at a pebble on the ground, not caring about it being childish. And Kevin finally spoke.
"Lise worry about everybody," he said, "worry so much that it hurts."
"I can't help it," she muttered.
"Me think we should go there even if not army. Try anything possible to win, gah."
Lise straightened up and looked at him, hesitating.
"'We'?" she said, a little bit hoarse, "oh no, Kevin… I don't want you to get entangled in a battle which isn't yours…"
He looked surprised, almost hurt.
"It's Hawk's and my problem," Lise tried to smooth the whole thing, "I'm really glad that you want to help, but should you get hurt because I got you into trouble... you're my friend, I don't want to bring you into danger."
Friend…
Kevin shook his head.
"Lise and Hawk my friends," he gravely said, the boyish sense in his eyes melting down beneath a frown, "me only have to get stronger anyway."
At first Lise didn't know how to face this sense of trust mixed with his practical wish to train in order to one day be able to avenge his friend. Training by fighting in a war he didn't belong in? It didn't seem to fit the Kevin she knew; the shy half blood. But on the other hand, she figured with a singe of ugly realization, she couldn't possibly know him that well yet at all. They had met only two days ago, come to think of it.
But despite that fact, he was still a friend. And she wouldn't drive him into danger senseless to him.
"Kevin, I understand that you want to help. But should you get killed by a ninja who wouldn't normally be your enemy you'll never be able to right the wrongs in your life and in the Beast Kingdom."
Too late she realized that that hadn't been the smoothest pick of words. Kevin's eyebrows twitched.
"Me won't let Hawk and Lise go alone if you can die," he grimly said, for every word less and less the timid friend she had met in Jad.
Lise shook her head again, trying to handle this change of personality. Maybe Kevin had a far more complicated character than she had thought, after all…
"It's not your battle, Kevin," she tried again, desperately seeking a way to talk him out of it, "would you want me to get killed by Beast King because I wanted to help you?"
Kevin frowned and looked away. After a moment he slowly shook his head.
"No."
The princess without a kingdom held back a relieved sigh as the two letter word left Kevin's lips.
She forgot about his extraordinary good sense of smell, though. But he didn't say anything about it, neither did her relief irritate him. Kevin was just sad to realize that even though he so dearly wanted to help his friends, Lise was right. He would never let anyone else at Beast King, so he could finally understand what the princess meant.
"But if you go, no be killed," he said, and as he turned his head again Lise once more saw and felt the deep sadness he carried within.
Kevin's eyes almost flashed with pain as he spoke. Before she had time to even have the nerve of pondering it Lise reached out and took the left one of his big hands. It was almost twice the size of hers, but it didn't matter at all.
"I promise, Kevin," she gravely said straight to his face without taking her gaze away from his warmly yellow eyes, "I won't die, and I won't let Hawk do it either. And you have to stay alive as well."
Kevin stared at her in surprise at first, then his fingers closed around Lise's hand in turn and he nodded.
"Okay," he said in a low voice.
Lise managed a weak smile.
"Seems like I'll be going then, after all," she said, just as low as him, "thank you for helping me decide."
"Lise decide," Kevin replied, a bit shy again, "me just listen and talk."
"It was what I needed."
On the second try it was easier to smile. Especially since her friend made an attempt as well.
Kevin seemed a bit rusty when it came to smiles, which was fully understandable. But when he tried, all of his grim side and his warrior's mask melted away and he became that calm, slightly shy but honestly friendly half blood again. And Lise found that she thought that the boyish side suited him much, much better. At least she liked that side of him more than the grave one. When he looked grim and coldly determined he resembled too much to the beastman side he carried within.
She stood up and hooked her spear onto her back again, still not letting go of Kevin. Or maybe he was the one not letting go; by her movement he also stood up. After leaving her spear Lise placed her free hand on the reddish one holding her other one.
"Thanks Kevin," she said again, "I appreciate it."
"Ah… nothing."
When Kevin timidly rubbed his neck again with a sheepish look in his eyes she could smile kindly without any troubles whatsoever.
'Be like that, Kevin… you're not meant to be a cold warrior,' Lise warmly thought.
"I'll go tell Hawk," she said aloud.
"Do that."
He bent up his fingers so that she could take away her hand from his. Then he watched her go for a moment before sitting down on the bench again, leaning his cheek in the hand which had held Lise's. The reason was not any sort of exhaust, but thoughtfulness and…
He didn't know why he liked it.
His fingers still had a faint smell of Lise after the touch.
There was more sadness than happiness in the strange feeling now. And it didn't feel right at all.
The long, sharp locks of his fringe hung before his face, waving back and forth in the salty wind coming from the ocean. He let the hair shadow his face as he was lost in thought and the quickly fading smell of the blond princess.
No… it didn't feel right at all. He didn't want to leave his newfound friends alone in enemy territory, he didn't want to lose another one he was fond of. But… Lise had an important point. It really wasn't his battle, and considering it he was sure that if it had been the other way around he'd doubtlessly forbid her and Hawk to follow him.
Still, it was wrong!
He frowned deeper and had to hold back a growl.
It was wrong not to help them, they had saved his life back in Jad. He couldn't leave them like this after what happened there! What if Lise or Hawk would get killed if he wasn't there to help them?
He frowned deeper and let his hand fall, watching the fingers.
The soft smell of Lise was fading, but the memory of her touch still remained on his skin. Nobody had touched him like that before, like a friend. Except for Karl, of course, but he hadn't been another human being…
Kevin fought another growl.
She was right about that… Lise was right about that if he died, Karl wouldn't be avenged. Yet, that fact clashed with the fact that Kevin now risked to lose another dear friend, maybe even two. He didn't want to bear that.
Frustrated by the ever turning dilemma he got up and walked over to the northeastern corner of the small town and rushed out down the golden road, soon enough attracting the interest of a few rabites and giant bumblebees. It was just his intention.
For Kevin was half beastman after all, and when he got frustrated the side of him where the claws belonged tended to get the better of him. It hadn't happened while he had Karl, but before and after the wolf it had happened. He had friends now, but they were, by no one's will, the source of his anger. So he let out his anger by beating up anything stupid enough to attack him.
Meanwhile, Lise went into the inn to find Hawk. The first thing she found was that the sleepy innkeeper had been replaced by another man, probably his brother since he had mentioned that.
By the sound of it the guests in the three persons' room had finally awoken and was getting ready for departing. They seemed to be waging a minor argument, but kept their voices low enough to be strangled by the wall.
A glance through the door gave the information that Hawk had left the dining room. So the princess turned to the man in charge.
"Good morning," she politely said as she crossed the short area to the desk, "I'm looking for my friend. He's got long blue hair and foreign clothes."
"You say so, miss?" the man behind the desk said with a slightly amused look at Lise's armor by the 'foreign clothes' remark, "if we're thinking about the same person he went upstairs a while ago."
"Thanks."
Lise went upstairs and knocked on one of the two doors that didn't belong to her own room. A strangely scraping, familiar sound came from inside, so it wasn't much of a task to find the right place.
"Who is it?" Hawk called, his voice sounding muffled and distant because of the wood blocking the words.
"It's me," Lise called back, "can I come in?"
"Sure, go ahead."
She opened the door and found him sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, working on sharpening one of his daggers with a square, reddish stone. The scraping sound had come from that process. Lise found it familiar from her own care taking of her spear.
For half a second she pondered if she should close the door behind her. Maybe it would make him embarrassed? Nah, Hawk wasn't that much of a shy person… on the other hand, she knew as little about him as about Kevin.
Maybe she hesitated because she didn't want to become embarrassed herself.
For heaven's sake…
But she hadn't ever been alone with a man of her own age in a hotel room, with or without closed door.
Tch, she hadn't even been in an inn at all before the whole terrifying mess with everything began…
Lise fought back a frown at all the thoughts. What did a door matter among all her other problems? It wasn't like she or Hawk were planning on something more than talking. Well, she wasn't, and she was pretty sure the thief wasn't either. He had Jessica, after all.
But still, a closed door… it's just a piece of wood, for heaven's sake! And why even bother about closing it, are you afraid of spies or something?
'Maybe I'm just afraid to fully step over this border and seal my fate of returning to my home so soon…' she thought with a silent sigh, 'but it's already too late to turn back. I've decided. Calm down.'
She left the door open, but took only a single step into the room.
Hawk stood up and sheathed his dagger again, or rather made it disappear. The stone was left in his hand.
Instead of saying anything he waited, letting her announce her decision. Such courtesy fell in place naturally.
Lise needed to take a deep breath to get a better grip of herself after the silly hesitating.
"I talked a bit with Kevin, and he convinced me that I should come with you to Rolante," she said and tried an encouraging smile.
But once again it was hard to get the lips into the right position.
Hawk nodded with a glistening of relief in his eyes.
"I'm glad to hear that," he said.
"He wanted to help us," Lise told the thief in a lower voice, "but I don't want him to get hurt in our battle, so I talked him out of it."
At first Hawk just watched her, and she couldn't read the emotions flashing past in his eyes. Finally he gave another nod.
"You're right," he slowly said, "I admit that I wouldn't have been sad if he came with us, but you're right. It wouldn't be fair to him."
'Not smart, not smart at all,' Hawk thought, 'but it's the right thing. Still, it wasn't very bright.'
He silently cursed the holy codex of "right thing to do" and all its complications. Another ally, especially one with Kevin's strength, hadn't been too bad. Apart from that, Hawk was picking up a friendly liking of the werewolf.
"It's not like I don't want him to follow," Lise said and shook her head, "but it isn't his war."
"Right."
"I'll go see if there's any ships leaving for Palo."
"Good idea."
After Lise had left, Hawk tried to start working on his daggers again. But the excitement he couldn't help feeling about getting a good chance against Isabella made it hard for him to concentrate. It was his only hope, and with Lise's help he had a much greater chance to win.
There was something else, too.
… I don't want him to get hurt in our battle.
Our battle…
Hawk sighed so loudly that it almost was a groan.
Give it up already, you flirt!
But he knew he couldn't.
When Lise was walking towards the stairs she heard the sleepy travelers leave.
"Alright, let's move already!" a young man's voice boomed out enough to startle the whole town, "we're going to Forcena!"
"Yayies!" a squeaking voice squealed, "let'sh go!"
"I don't see why I keep up with you two idiots!" a young woman's voice groaned before the door to the inn slammed shut.
The man by the desk turned around as he heard Lise's steps, and the two of them exchanged a look of twisted puzzlement.
About twenty minutes later, Kevin happened to glance northwards and saw three people rushing into a cave in the cliffs surrounding the golden road. But by the distance he could only see that two were tall and one short, and that the leader seemed to have a sword in his hand. In any case, the half blood hadn't much time to care since he was giving three hooded foxes a lesson in picking their prey wiser:
One, if they move as if they were ready for battle, stay clear. Two, if they also are very muscular, stay clearer. Three, if they resemble to lions too, leave it! Especially if they are growling.