(A/N: I've gotten some interesting reviews about the ranger's obvious
distrust of Laguna. Trust me, the reasons will soon be made clear….
Wolf: Define soon, Boss.
Shut up.)
1 Chapter Three
Laguna was stirring up the fire when Jea rose. Wolf disappeared into the woods while she washed her face and hands, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
She straightened and reached for her towel to dry her face. Her eyes narrowed and she picked up her bow. She nocked an arrow and fired, the missile coming very close to Laguna's leg. He almost thought she'd missed and was going to try and kill him—until he heard the squeak form the arrow's true target; a rabbit.
The half-elven woman walked over and picked up the animal. Holding it up near his face, she asked, "Hungry?"
Blinking, he nodded. She skinned, gutted, and spitted the rabbit with casual efficiency. Within fifteen minutes it was done. Jea pulled it off and carved it up.
"Here ya go, paladin. Eat up. When you're finished, we break camp." She handed him a chunk of the meat, taking some for herself.
He took the rabbit. "Thank you," he said.
Jea looked at him with mixed emotions: surprise, and something else, so fleeting neither could identify it. "Ya know, you're not so bad, Laguna. You're the first person to ever thank me for anything…in my entire life. I've never once gotten any thank yous—'til yesterday." She grinned at him "And I want to thank you for helping me with those bugbears. I 'preciate it."
Then she turned back to eating, not saying anything for a very long time, remaining silent until the three companions and Furret had reached the town.
They returned to the inn to gather up the rest of Laguna's things and to pay their bills. As they began to leave town, they noticed children imitating the two strangers; the boys as knights, the as ranger women—and some as both, commanding their "wolves" to act as lupine warhorses.
The duo held back their laughter until they were out of the town. Then they burst into giggles, laughing until tears came from their eyes. Jea, gasping for air, remarked, "That was one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen…"
Laguna chuckled. "I know! That was like some very weird cross between the two of us! Imagine that—"
"—a knight who talks to animals and trees?" she finished, giggling again.
It seemed that the argument over the previous evening's watch schedule was forgotten. The group traveled north to Baron Chamberpot's manor, the unique friendship between the paladin and the ranger growing.
The trip to the baron's was uneventful, but it took eight days. When they finally reached the manor town, the friendships were firmly cemented, though neither would actually admit it.
The manor town was little more than a large village. There were a few more merchants than the last town, two inns, and a tavern, and more houses much closer together. On the hill at the end of the town was what could only be Baron Chamberpot's manor house.
It was a large, well made, expensive mansion, with large iron gates and a stone pathway. The group approached it, the ranger woman eager for her reward. A guard blocked the gates.
"State your name and business!" he declared in a superior tone.
Jea shrugged. "The Baron sent me on an errand a couple of weeks ago, and I've come back to collect my fee."
The guard sneered at her. "Why would his Grace be stooping to hire backwoods gutter trash like you? I'm afraid I can't let a ruffian wild woman in—especially with that disgusting animal that will probably make a mess on the—"
Jea growled softly, and reached out to grab the front of the man's tunic. Lifting him off the ground, she said quietly, "I don't give a rat's ass what you think. You are going to let me in or I'm gonna split you up the middle and use your innards for bowstring. Now, are you goin' to be a good little boy and let me in, or will I have to inform the Baron that he needs to hire a new gate guard—one with the manners his momma taught him?"
The man squeaked and hurriedly opened the gate. Jea stalked through, Wolf on her heels and the paladin close behind. When she knocked on the door, a stuffy elven steward answered. Recognizing her, he led them inside. Looking down his nose at them, he said, "His Grace has been expecting you. Please follow me."
The elf led them to the house's great hall, and left them at the door. Jea marched boldly into the room and Laguna followed. Seated in the high- backed chair was a man in his 70's with wisps of fluffy white hair, round cheeks, and twinkling eyes. He greeted the trio warmly. "Hello. Welcome back, ranger. I assume you were successful?"
Jea nodded and pulled out the leather bag she'd recovered. "I believe this is it, Your Grace?" She handed it to the baron.
The old man took it eagerly and opened it to inspect the contents. Dumping the necklace into his palm, he smiled gleefully. "Thanks to you both. I was afraid I would not be able to give my daughter her birthday present! The note with my seal is on that table. Give it to my steward and he will give you your reward. I must go now. Have a nice journey! Good luck!"
Baron Chamberpot disappeared out into the hall, leaving Laguna, Jea, and Wolf alone. Laguna commented, "Ya know, I think that necklace was worth three times what we're getting paid…."
Jea snorted and picked up the afore mentioned paper, motioning to her friends. They left the room and ran into the steward. The ranger handed him the slip of paper. "If you could divide the money equally into to bags, I'd appreciate it."
The elf looked at her arrogantly. "As you…wish…" he said distastefully.
He disappeared and reappeared with two sacks of money. He waited while the ranger counted the coins, then escorted the trio and their reward to the front door.
Once back on the evening streets, Laguna looked at his companion. She glanced back. She shifted nervously, before asking quietly, "Say, Laguna?"
"Hmm?"
"Listen, if you don't mind, maybe we could travel together for a while. I'm kinda bored—and well, it's been a while since I've had any friends besides Wolf. Whaddya say?"
Laguna's face broke into a relieved smile. "Sure. Shall we hit the inn?"
Jea grinned back. "Sure. C'mon."
They took rooms at the nicer of the two inns, and ate in the common room, earning stares from several locals.
Laguna trained for several hours in his room before going to bed. He woke early the next morning feeling well rested. Rising to wash and dress, he decided to go shopping for a better sword. He knocked on the ranger's door and informed her of his plans.
Jea nodded and spoke. "I'm gonna pick myself up some supplies today. How about we meet back here in two hours?"
"Sounds good to me. See you then, Jea." Laguna waved and skipped away.
Out on the streets, Laguna hunted for a blacksmith. He found one; a large, burly man with arms of corded muscle, wavy black hair, and a spotted leather apron.
"Excuse me, Good Smith," he said.
The man looked up. "Can I help you?"
Laguna nodded. "I'm looking for a new sword. This one," he said, pointing to his bronze weapon, "isn't up to the wear and tear."
The smith rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Let me think…" He looked through his wares, pulling out various swords and putting them on the table. After pulling out a dozen or so blades, the smith said to Laguna, "These are my better swords, Sir Knight. Would you like to look through them?"
Laguna smiled. "Thank you." He began to search through the pile, looking for one with the right feel. He found it near the bottom, a simplistic steel weapon with a well-made blade and leather grip. "How much?" he asked.
The smith eyed the weapon. "250gp."
Laguna saw the man's gleaming eyes—he wanted to haggle. "75," he commented, countering the ridiculously high offer with a ridiculously low one.
"200," the smith returned.
"100," Laguna offered.
"175."
"125."
"150." The blacksmith said it with a note of finality. Laguna grinned. That was more like it.
"Deal," he said shaking the man's hand. Laguna counted out the gold and gave it to the smith, taking his new sword.
He spent the remainder of the two hours stocking up on basics and supplies. Food, flint, and tinder, as well as maintenance items for his equipment.
Laguna returned to the inn, and after hunting for Jea for ten minutes, he found her in the stables, grooming two horses. One was Furret, the other was new. It was a dark, solid chestnut stallion, without a single trace of any other color on him. Laguna, who'd been raised on a horse farm, realized that Jea had chosen a mount who was sturdy and fast, as well as strong.
"Nice horse," he commented mildly. She whirled in surprise.
"Laguna! I'm sorry; I didn't hear you." She pointed to the chestnut. "His name is Lifeblood…Ya think he's a nice horse?"
Laguna came over to inspect him a bit closer. "Yeah. He's got good breeding. Where'd you get him?"
Looking around nervously, she murmured, "I've had him for a couple of years. I just had him stashed. Right, 'Blood?"
The horse whickered and butted her with his head. She scratched absently behind his ears and asked, "Ready to go, Laguna?"
"Yeah. I've gotten everything I need. You?"
"Yup."
"Let's go then."
Wolf: Define soon, Boss.
Shut up.)
1 Chapter Three
Laguna was stirring up the fire when Jea rose. Wolf disappeared into the woods while she washed her face and hands, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
She straightened and reached for her towel to dry her face. Her eyes narrowed and she picked up her bow. She nocked an arrow and fired, the missile coming very close to Laguna's leg. He almost thought she'd missed and was going to try and kill him—until he heard the squeak form the arrow's true target; a rabbit.
The half-elven woman walked over and picked up the animal. Holding it up near his face, she asked, "Hungry?"
Blinking, he nodded. She skinned, gutted, and spitted the rabbit with casual efficiency. Within fifteen minutes it was done. Jea pulled it off and carved it up.
"Here ya go, paladin. Eat up. When you're finished, we break camp." She handed him a chunk of the meat, taking some for herself.
He took the rabbit. "Thank you," he said.
Jea looked at him with mixed emotions: surprise, and something else, so fleeting neither could identify it. "Ya know, you're not so bad, Laguna. You're the first person to ever thank me for anything…in my entire life. I've never once gotten any thank yous—'til yesterday." She grinned at him "And I want to thank you for helping me with those bugbears. I 'preciate it."
Then she turned back to eating, not saying anything for a very long time, remaining silent until the three companions and Furret had reached the town.
They returned to the inn to gather up the rest of Laguna's things and to pay their bills. As they began to leave town, they noticed children imitating the two strangers; the boys as knights, the as ranger women—and some as both, commanding their "wolves" to act as lupine warhorses.
The duo held back their laughter until they were out of the town. Then they burst into giggles, laughing until tears came from their eyes. Jea, gasping for air, remarked, "That was one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen…"
Laguna chuckled. "I know! That was like some very weird cross between the two of us! Imagine that—"
"—a knight who talks to animals and trees?" she finished, giggling again.
It seemed that the argument over the previous evening's watch schedule was forgotten. The group traveled north to Baron Chamberpot's manor, the unique friendship between the paladin and the ranger growing.
The trip to the baron's was uneventful, but it took eight days. When they finally reached the manor town, the friendships were firmly cemented, though neither would actually admit it.
The manor town was little more than a large village. There were a few more merchants than the last town, two inns, and a tavern, and more houses much closer together. On the hill at the end of the town was what could only be Baron Chamberpot's manor house.
It was a large, well made, expensive mansion, with large iron gates and a stone pathway. The group approached it, the ranger woman eager for her reward. A guard blocked the gates.
"State your name and business!" he declared in a superior tone.
Jea shrugged. "The Baron sent me on an errand a couple of weeks ago, and I've come back to collect my fee."
The guard sneered at her. "Why would his Grace be stooping to hire backwoods gutter trash like you? I'm afraid I can't let a ruffian wild woman in—especially with that disgusting animal that will probably make a mess on the—"
Jea growled softly, and reached out to grab the front of the man's tunic. Lifting him off the ground, she said quietly, "I don't give a rat's ass what you think. You are going to let me in or I'm gonna split you up the middle and use your innards for bowstring. Now, are you goin' to be a good little boy and let me in, or will I have to inform the Baron that he needs to hire a new gate guard—one with the manners his momma taught him?"
The man squeaked and hurriedly opened the gate. Jea stalked through, Wolf on her heels and the paladin close behind. When she knocked on the door, a stuffy elven steward answered. Recognizing her, he led them inside. Looking down his nose at them, he said, "His Grace has been expecting you. Please follow me."
The elf led them to the house's great hall, and left them at the door. Jea marched boldly into the room and Laguna followed. Seated in the high- backed chair was a man in his 70's with wisps of fluffy white hair, round cheeks, and twinkling eyes. He greeted the trio warmly. "Hello. Welcome back, ranger. I assume you were successful?"
Jea nodded and pulled out the leather bag she'd recovered. "I believe this is it, Your Grace?" She handed it to the baron.
The old man took it eagerly and opened it to inspect the contents. Dumping the necklace into his palm, he smiled gleefully. "Thanks to you both. I was afraid I would not be able to give my daughter her birthday present! The note with my seal is on that table. Give it to my steward and he will give you your reward. I must go now. Have a nice journey! Good luck!"
Baron Chamberpot disappeared out into the hall, leaving Laguna, Jea, and Wolf alone. Laguna commented, "Ya know, I think that necklace was worth three times what we're getting paid…."
Jea snorted and picked up the afore mentioned paper, motioning to her friends. They left the room and ran into the steward. The ranger handed him the slip of paper. "If you could divide the money equally into to bags, I'd appreciate it."
The elf looked at her arrogantly. "As you…wish…" he said distastefully.
He disappeared and reappeared with two sacks of money. He waited while the ranger counted the coins, then escorted the trio and their reward to the front door.
Once back on the evening streets, Laguna looked at his companion. She glanced back. She shifted nervously, before asking quietly, "Say, Laguna?"
"Hmm?"
"Listen, if you don't mind, maybe we could travel together for a while. I'm kinda bored—and well, it's been a while since I've had any friends besides Wolf. Whaddya say?"
Laguna's face broke into a relieved smile. "Sure. Shall we hit the inn?"
Jea grinned back. "Sure. C'mon."
They took rooms at the nicer of the two inns, and ate in the common room, earning stares from several locals.
Laguna trained for several hours in his room before going to bed. He woke early the next morning feeling well rested. Rising to wash and dress, he decided to go shopping for a better sword. He knocked on the ranger's door and informed her of his plans.
Jea nodded and spoke. "I'm gonna pick myself up some supplies today. How about we meet back here in two hours?"
"Sounds good to me. See you then, Jea." Laguna waved and skipped away.
Out on the streets, Laguna hunted for a blacksmith. He found one; a large, burly man with arms of corded muscle, wavy black hair, and a spotted leather apron.
"Excuse me, Good Smith," he said.
The man looked up. "Can I help you?"
Laguna nodded. "I'm looking for a new sword. This one," he said, pointing to his bronze weapon, "isn't up to the wear and tear."
The smith rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Let me think…" He looked through his wares, pulling out various swords and putting them on the table. After pulling out a dozen or so blades, the smith said to Laguna, "These are my better swords, Sir Knight. Would you like to look through them?"
Laguna smiled. "Thank you." He began to search through the pile, looking for one with the right feel. He found it near the bottom, a simplistic steel weapon with a well-made blade and leather grip. "How much?" he asked.
The smith eyed the weapon. "250gp."
Laguna saw the man's gleaming eyes—he wanted to haggle. "75," he commented, countering the ridiculously high offer with a ridiculously low one.
"200," the smith returned.
"100," Laguna offered.
"175."
"125."
"150." The blacksmith said it with a note of finality. Laguna grinned. That was more like it.
"Deal," he said shaking the man's hand. Laguna counted out the gold and gave it to the smith, taking his new sword.
He spent the remainder of the two hours stocking up on basics and supplies. Food, flint, and tinder, as well as maintenance items for his equipment.
Laguna returned to the inn, and after hunting for Jea for ten minutes, he found her in the stables, grooming two horses. One was Furret, the other was new. It was a dark, solid chestnut stallion, without a single trace of any other color on him. Laguna, who'd been raised on a horse farm, realized that Jea had chosen a mount who was sturdy and fast, as well as strong.
"Nice horse," he commented mildly. She whirled in surprise.
"Laguna! I'm sorry; I didn't hear you." She pointed to the chestnut. "His name is Lifeblood…Ya think he's a nice horse?"
Laguna came over to inspect him a bit closer. "Yeah. He's got good breeding. Where'd you get him?"
Looking around nervously, she murmured, "I've had him for a couple of years. I just had him stashed. Right, 'Blood?"
The horse whickered and butted her with his head. She scratched absently behind his ears and asked, "Ready to go, Laguna?"
"Yeah. I've gotten everything I need. You?"
"Yup."
"Let's go then."