Katula blocked a low blow from Kelevandros's quick sword; I must train...
she thought. If I am to ever beat Kithal, I must train. Katula, much to
Kelevandros's dismay, has insisted on training at least a good hour every
day, and it had been a week since her run-in with Kithal. Katula wiped her
damp hair out of her forehead, almost ready to stop, but when she looked
back down at the scar on her shoulder, she gritted her teeth and began
fighting harder than before.
"Maybe we should stop now," Kelevandros said as he nearly had his head impaled by a quick jab from Katula. "Fine," She said as she sat down and began to sharpen her spear. "You know you never have to sharpen that, right?" Kelevandros asked. Katula glared at him and continued to sharpen her blade methodically. "It helps me concentrate." Kelevandros shrugged and began to ready himself for the day ahead, they were close to Beryl's lair now, he could feel it.
"If memory serves me right, there should be a small town a few hours in the direction we've been going, would you like to stop there for the night? A hot meal and clean linens sounds good to me." Kelevandros extended his hand to Katula, "Shall we head out?" Katula tried to glare at Kelevandros, but sighed and let him help her up.
A few hours later, after the sun had already begun to set, they happened upon a small town with an inn in the center. "Now, we'll have to hide our weapons," Katula said. Kelevandros nodded and pulled his black cloak over his sword and quiver, while Katula fished her cloak out of her pack and did the same. They walked through the town, surveying the cozy cottages and petite gardens. "How can such a place survive this close to Beryl's lair?" Katula asked. Kelevandros replied, "Ignorance lets them have peace. They have no idea a great dragon overload lives near here, and for some reason Beryl's never bothered this town." Katula nodded as they approached the tiny inn.
The inn was named the Dragon's Basket, which Katula deemed appropriate, and she squinted as the bright light of the common room pierced her eyes. She was expecting a hoard of rowdy less-than-sober men like she had seen at other inns, but this inn was strangely... quiet. She noticed a few half- hearted looking men sitting at several tables, but not much more than that, and she only saw about four serving maids, when there should have been at least a dozen.
As Katula surveyed the inn, the innkeeper walked up to Kelevandros and said, "Good evenin' to ya sir, can I get a nice room for you and your lady?" The innkeeper was an older man, portly and balding. He wore a white apron that struggled to stay tied about his girth. Kelevandros was about to stammer out that Katula wasn't his lady, when Katula said, "Yes, a room would be splendid, and I assume you're still serving food at this hour?" "Of course, M'Lady," The innkeeper said, "But first, let me show you to your room, the name's Borik, just tell me if you need anything at all." Katula smiled graciously at the innkeeper, "Borik? Splendid, I once had a favorite pony named Borik. Oh, could you help me carry this to the room?" She said as she handed him her bundle, "Of course!" Borik said as he hobbled up the stairs, with Katula following smoothly behind him.
Kelevandros stared. He had never seen Katula act like that, it had to be a cover-up, but still! He quickly snapped out of his delirium and hurried to catch up to Katula's shadow flowing up the stairs. As he reached the top of the stairs, he saw Borik walking down the hallway, about to go back downstairs, "A lovely wife you have, sir, a right pretty flower for any man's garden." Kelevandros stammered out a muttered, "Thank you," and walked down the hallway to the room.
Kelevandros opened the door to Katula; sitting on her bed and sharpening her spear as if nothing had happened. "What was that?" He asked before sitting on a separate bed opposite the room, Good thing there's two beds, he thought. "What was what?" Katula asked coolly. "You know what I mean! That... act you put on down there?" Katula just smiled, "That, my friend, is how you get the best room in the inn, for the price of the stable loft. An assassin must know these things to keep a low profile." Kelevandros began to smile, "A pony?" Katula turned grim, "I never said that, got me?" Kelevandros laughed, "Fine."
Katula got up and stretched, "Now, if you are done with questions, I am off to get a hot meal." Kelevandros stood up, "I must escort you to the common room for food, my lady," As he said this, he opened the door to the hall and held out his hand, which Katula took on the brink of laughing. They walked down to the common room, and Katula was relieved to see more people in the room, and some of them already eyeing up the serving maids on the brink of drunkenness. It's about time, she thought. Borik saw them come down the stairs and yelled to the kitchen, "Two servings of the best ale and meat we have, for the happy couple!" Katula just smiled her whimsical smile and graciously accepted the food that looked like a mix between beef and some other meat Kelevandros couldn't name. He was just thankful the ale was the right color. Borik brought them the food himself, "It's on the house," He said, and Kelevandros was sure he saw him wink at Katula, although she seemed to not notice.
After they had eaten their fill, Katula and Kelevandros walked up to the room the same way they had come down. They instantly blew out the lamp and laid down to rest. Both of them were very thankful for good mattresses, and neither of them was in the mood for idle chatter. They were both asleep as soon as their eyes shut, and they dreamed peacefully.
"Maybe we should stop now," Kelevandros said as he nearly had his head impaled by a quick jab from Katula. "Fine," She said as she sat down and began to sharpen her spear. "You know you never have to sharpen that, right?" Kelevandros asked. Katula glared at him and continued to sharpen her blade methodically. "It helps me concentrate." Kelevandros shrugged and began to ready himself for the day ahead, they were close to Beryl's lair now, he could feel it.
"If memory serves me right, there should be a small town a few hours in the direction we've been going, would you like to stop there for the night? A hot meal and clean linens sounds good to me." Kelevandros extended his hand to Katula, "Shall we head out?" Katula tried to glare at Kelevandros, but sighed and let him help her up.
A few hours later, after the sun had already begun to set, they happened upon a small town with an inn in the center. "Now, we'll have to hide our weapons," Katula said. Kelevandros nodded and pulled his black cloak over his sword and quiver, while Katula fished her cloak out of her pack and did the same. They walked through the town, surveying the cozy cottages and petite gardens. "How can such a place survive this close to Beryl's lair?" Katula asked. Kelevandros replied, "Ignorance lets them have peace. They have no idea a great dragon overload lives near here, and for some reason Beryl's never bothered this town." Katula nodded as they approached the tiny inn.
The inn was named the Dragon's Basket, which Katula deemed appropriate, and she squinted as the bright light of the common room pierced her eyes. She was expecting a hoard of rowdy less-than-sober men like she had seen at other inns, but this inn was strangely... quiet. She noticed a few half- hearted looking men sitting at several tables, but not much more than that, and she only saw about four serving maids, when there should have been at least a dozen.
As Katula surveyed the inn, the innkeeper walked up to Kelevandros and said, "Good evenin' to ya sir, can I get a nice room for you and your lady?" The innkeeper was an older man, portly and balding. He wore a white apron that struggled to stay tied about his girth. Kelevandros was about to stammer out that Katula wasn't his lady, when Katula said, "Yes, a room would be splendid, and I assume you're still serving food at this hour?" "Of course, M'Lady," The innkeeper said, "But first, let me show you to your room, the name's Borik, just tell me if you need anything at all." Katula smiled graciously at the innkeeper, "Borik? Splendid, I once had a favorite pony named Borik. Oh, could you help me carry this to the room?" She said as she handed him her bundle, "Of course!" Borik said as he hobbled up the stairs, with Katula following smoothly behind him.
Kelevandros stared. He had never seen Katula act like that, it had to be a cover-up, but still! He quickly snapped out of his delirium and hurried to catch up to Katula's shadow flowing up the stairs. As he reached the top of the stairs, he saw Borik walking down the hallway, about to go back downstairs, "A lovely wife you have, sir, a right pretty flower for any man's garden." Kelevandros stammered out a muttered, "Thank you," and walked down the hallway to the room.
Kelevandros opened the door to Katula; sitting on her bed and sharpening her spear as if nothing had happened. "What was that?" He asked before sitting on a separate bed opposite the room, Good thing there's two beds, he thought. "What was what?" Katula asked coolly. "You know what I mean! That... act you put on down there?" Katula just smiled, "That, my friend, is how you get the best room in the inn, for the price of the stable loft. An assassin must know these things to keep a low profile." Kelevandros began to smile, "A pony?" Katula turned grim, "I never said that, got me?" Kelevandros laughed, "Fine."
Katula got up and stretched, "Now, if you are done with questions, I am off to get a hot meal." Kelevandros stood up, "I must escort you to the common room for food, my lady," As he said this, he opened the door to the hall and held out his hand, which Katula took on the brink of laughing. They walked down to the common room, and Katula was relieved to see more people in the room, and some of them already eyeing up the serving maids on the brink of drunkenness. It's about time, she thought. Borik saw them come down the stairs and yelled to the kitchen, "Two servings of the best ale and meat we have, for the happy couple!" Katula just smiled her whimsical smile and graciously accepted the food that looked like a mix between beef and some other meat Kelevandros couldn't name. He was just thankful the ale was the right color. Borik brought them the food himself, "It's on the house," He said, and Kelevandros was sure he saw him wink at Katula, although she seemed to not notice.
After they had eaten their fill, Katula and Kelevandros walked up to the room the same way they had come down. They instantly blew out the lamp and laid down to rest. Both of them were very thankful for good mattresses, and neither of them was in the mood for idle chatter. They were both asleep as soon as their eyes shut, and they dreamed peacefully.