CHAPTER 10: IVARSTEAD
"You blew up the fucking lab!"
"You told me to put more snowberries into it!"
"I didn't mean that much!"
"You obviously weren't clear enough!"
Lucy jumped back sparks flew from the smoking alchemy lab. Shatters of green glass lay on the ground, as the dish had exploded from the excess steam building up inside of it. Natsu had intended to brew a potion of frost resistance from snowberries and mountain flowers, but the warming components had overheated. A cloud of black smoke rose from the remains of the table, the wind blowing it deeper into the forest.
"Gods…" Lucy sighed, coughing the smoke from her lungs. "You know any water or ice magic then, genius? We really gotta fix this before Erza comes back."
Natsu crossed his arms on his chest, staring into the flames with a grin. "Who do you think I am? Gray? And it's not like she'll come back yet. She probably went to take a dump, and she can't get out of her amour that fast –"
One spark cast a small flame on the dry grass. With her heart racing, Lucy stepped on it, something it before it could spread. "Ugh, quit it! Just put down the fire! You're the wizard here!"
The mage rolled his eyes and grunted. While Lucy viewed the accident as a minor catastrophe, Natsu didn't seem too bothered about it. If his eyes weren't already blacked, Lucy would have hit him, too. His recklessness had started to get on her nerves today.
"Natsu!" Lucy shouted and kicked him closer to the flames, urging him to solve the mess.
Natsu lifted his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, fine, calm down, just let me –"
"I LEFT YOU BRATS ALONE FOR FIVE – DAMN – MINUTES!"
Lucy shrieked, her eyes widening as the warrior emerged from the forest. Even Natsu was startled, he opened his mouth in shock to form some words of defence. Erza didn't give him a chance to explain as she marched to them, bustling in choler and frustration.
"How can you be this careless… By Ysmir, step away, now!" she yelled. Erza tore the waterskin from Natsu's belt and poured it on the smothering lab.
"Hey, that's my water –"
"Shut up! Lucy, give me yours, too."
Lucy handed her waterskin to the warrior without a second's hesitation. Gladly, it was enough to put out the flames before it would turn into a full-blown wildfire. Why didn't they realise they had water attached to their goddamn belts? They had just stood there like two children after a backfired prank. Lucy's shoulders tensed as Erza grabbed the mage from his hood, pulling him inside the shack. 'I've seen this before...' she thought, a bad feeling building up in her chest.
"What's … what is wrong with you!?" Erza yelled at him, the wooden walls mildly muffling her voice. The frustrated stutter revealed she was losing her composure. Gritting her teeth, Lucy pressed her nails into her palms as she listened, unable to do anything else. "Are you actually this stupid? Did your… did your mother drop you as a baby or something!?"
Natsu lifted his shoulders, the damned smirk not leaving his lips. "Maybe? I mean, I can't remember..."
She had been in a situation like this many times in her childhood. Her friend, the lumberjack's son named Loke always took the scapegoat's role whenever they did something stupid together. Like the time when they fed nails to the chickens. It had been Lucy's stupid idea, but Loke claimed it as his fault, saving her from the trouble. Torolf, Loke's father was usually a laid-back and funny man, but there was nothing funny when Lucy listened outside as his yelling echoed all across Helgen.
'Are they even alive anymore?' Lucy wondered by herself. She had seen Loke running past the store that morning, but she had no idea if they made it out of Helgen. If Lucy remembered right, their house had been set bright aflame. A lump formed in her throat, so she shook her head to cast the memory away from her mind.
Erza didn't appreciate the mage's playfulness a single bit. "You're going to get her killed!" she shouted, making him wince. She was serious, and wanted him to know it. "I – I can't supervise you all the fucking time, and when I turn my eyes for a goddamn second, you've already gotten her into danger!"
The mage cocked his head. "Hey, it's not like she's a damsel in distress. Man, the first time she held an axe, she shoved it into a bandit chief's skull. She can –"
"She's… she's not like your friend, Natsu! Not someone you can just mess around with! Where's that Igneel fella now anyway? Did you get him killed, too? "
Lucy gulped as silence fell. Her gaze moved from the smouldering alchemy lab to the open, glassless window. Distress strangled her heart when she found the mage. Natsu stared down with his hands clenched into tight fists. Igneel had been there too when Erza and Natsu had first met years ago – and Erza had no idea what had happened to him Helgen.
"I'm right, am I?" Erza asked, lacking the tiniest bit of compassion. "Get a damn grip, mage. You said you can protect her, but you clearly can't! You can barely look after yourself. You're the worst possible company for her. She deserves better than being dragged to an early grave by you!"
Natsu raised his head to face Erza's blaming stare, and Lucy flinched. Anger sparkled in his eyes like fiery embers. Lucy stepped back, afraid of the mage's answer, already knowing it would be bad. She hadn't seen him like this before. The whole man changed into a choleric, blazing vessel of rage, as if he'd turn into a flame atronach himself. His fists shivered as he tried to keep from exploding.
"I should take you to the Jarl, after all," the warrior scoffed. "He'll know better what to do with you, because I don't fucking know. I've had enough."
Natsu shoved away the armoured hand about to grab his robes again. "Get off me, bitc… beast!" he spat out as all his respect for her began to slip away.
Erza glared at him as he backed away, fully aware of what he intended to say. She reached for her sword when the first flames sparked in Natsu's hands, ready to clash with him once again. Except that this time they wouldn't be fighting with their bare fists.
"You want to get rid of me?" Natsu asked, his voice scarily low. "Why bother the busy Jarl? Do it yourself, o' honourable Companion."
Erza drew a part of her sword out of the seath, as the last warning to not cross her lines. Instead of intimidating the mage into submission, it agitated his anger. Lucy raised her hands over her mouth. Neither of them seemed to remember she was there watching.
"It's a part of my job to track down escaped criminals and bring them to face the law, but if there's resistance, I'm permitted to kill them," the Companion told, ignoring the mage's mock. "As a Helgen survivor, you're too valuable to waste like that, but too dangerous to be left free to wander and lead innocent maidens at death's door."
Natsu grinned, still not admitting his fault. "Did you fucking forget what I'll tell them if you arrest me?"
Erza sighed and drew out her sword. "You've committed crimes against Skyrim and her people. What say you in your defence?"
Lucy cringed in shock. Could she be that serious? Guards used that line when they arrested people, giving the person one last chance to make up for their mistake. The options were scarce. You could go to jail, pay off your bounty, or die at the guard's sword. Lucy didn't know if what Natsu had said was true, but if it was, Erza would be a fool.
The grin left the mage's face. "I'd rather die than go to prison," he said, enveloping his fists in flames.
'I have to step in before someone gets hurt.'
"Stop it, both of you!" Lucy shouted as she rushed to the shack, causing their heads to tilt towards her. "It was my fault! I told him to add more snowberries into it, and it overboiled! Please, don't hurt each other!"
She panted heavily for she had held her breath since Erza mentioned Natsu's friend. The mage and the warrior stared at her, their clash interrupted. Flames died in Natsu's hands, but Erza was the first to open her mouth.
"Don't you realise how much trouble this mage has given you already? If you want to go to the College, let me escort you there. I –"
Lucy shook her head rapidly. "No!"
"He's a criminal, Lucy," Erza said and glanced at the mage. "I made a mistake trusting he would've changed, but so did you if you saw him in the execution line. Why'd you ever stick with him? Do you even know why he was going to the block?"
"I would have died if not for him!" Lucy raised her voice, afraid to stand against the Companion she respected so much. This time, she just could not stand back and watch them fight over such a stupid thing. "He saved me that day. He might have broken a few laws, but he's not a bad man!"
"I don't want you to end up dead, like his –"
"The damn Imperials killed his friend! I watched as they chopped his head off, so shut up about that already!"
Lucy saw from the corner of her eye as Natsu shuddered, turning his face away. He stared at the alchemist's storage cabinets as if the dried leaves and flowers suddenly became the most interesting thing in his world.
"I just… I just want all of us to get along. I… I hate it when my friends fight!"
As warm drops rolled down her cheeks, she realised she was crying. Natsu turned towards her, eyes suddenly wide, the anger in him switched into something Lucy couldn't understand. Erza let go of the hilt of her sword, her tension erasing as she reached for Lucy. Lucy closed her eyes, feeling a hand of cold steel touching her shoulder. Fading steps sounded in the room as Natsu left the shack, driven away by her tears.
"I… I can't join the College if… if I can't use any magic… So I asked him to… teach me," Lucy spoke between her quiet sniffles as she tried to hold her emotions back. "I… I really… want to be… a mage, so please… do not arrest him, or…"
"Lucy, it's okay. I... overreacted," Erza consoled, rubbing her shoulder. "It's okay now."
Something rattled outside the shack. Lucy realised it was Natsu, picking up his stuff in haste. "Where's… where's he going?" she wondered in worry. She didn't want him to leave yet, not until everyone's spirits had been lifted. Fights left a hollow, heavy feeling in her chest until the quarrel had been reconciled.
The mage said nothing, so Erza called his name. "Natsu?"
"Off to Ivarstead," he answered from a distance. He was already on his way.
"We'll see you there. I hope you've calmed down by then."
"Whatever."
Lucy wanted to tell him to stay, but knew it would be a bad idea. He needed a moment to rewind far from Erza. Maybe a little time separated would be better for both of them. Lucy had already trained enough for the day. Wiping her face, she collected herself. Though she hated when people around her fought, being the mediator was exhausting.
Erza led Lucy out of the shack to catch some fresh air. "I thought I'd scare some sense into his head, but kinda it backfired."
"Kinda? You pissed him off bad time," Lucy sighed as she sat down on the grass. She glanced at the alchemy lab, pitying its fate. Many travelling alchemists had used it appropriately before them, but now it was no use to anyone.
"I can't let him destroy everything he touches. This can't continue. He has to learn some discipline. Self-discipline, to be exact."
Lucy muffled a chuckle, knowing it would be easier to teach a goat to dance than teach Natsu to behave. "You really should apologise to him," she said. "Bringing up his friend was tasteless, even though you didn't know he has died."
Erza sighed. "I know."
Something else than a smoking alchemy lab had upset her first. Lucy knew Erza would have just ignored their mess unless something was already bothering her. However, she didn't want to seem too curious. Erza would tell her once she'd trust her enough.
"He would have won that fight," Erza admitted after a moment of silence. "I can beat him in a brawl, but what can I do against his magic? What can steel do fire? Nothing. And what could my sword do to a fire-breathing dragon? Less than nothing. Even though most of us Nords won't admit it, we need people like him. We have to fight fire with fire."
A flash of memories entered Lucy's mind. Erza's face faded into the flames and smoke and flying stone. Screams of terror and agony echoed in her head once again, making her legs tremor in fear. She still remembered the unreal feeling striking through her heart when the dragon's shade covered the entire plaza as it flew by. Gods, let this be only a nightmare, everyone had thought, but reality grabbed that hope from the throat and laughed. Yes, a real nightmare.
Fighting fire with fire? The dragon had landed on the watchtower, and that insanely brave idiot had shot a fireball at it. And what had it done? Nothing.
"What can humans even do to a dragon?" Lucy whispered, hearing her own voice as if it sounded under the water. Slowly, the flames turned into autumn leaves as she returned to the present moment. Her eyes locked with Erza. She hadn't answered her question. Lucy focused on her face, pushing memories from Helgen aside. Was Erza shivering?
The warrior turned away, leaving the question lingering in the air.
"We should get moving," Erza said. "We'll be in Ivarstead before him if we leave now."
Lucy found no words to express her gratitude when she and Erza had reached Ivarstead.
It had been an early evening when the sun hid behind the Throat of the World. The townsfolk finished their daily tasks and headed home, the lone street that passed through the village almost crowded with people. Seeing a glimpse of a normal life brought Lucy's heart to peace. Life carried on as usual outside Helgen's ruins. The dragon hadn't destroyed every settlement in Skyrim.
Yet.
Vilemyr Inn was almost empty when they stepped in. The innkeeper called Wilhelm had been surprised to hear they were just passing through. Usually, the inn served as a rest stop for pilgrims, but Lucy had no interest in climbing those steps. All she wanted was a warm bath, warm food, and a warm bed – and all of them she got.
There was a smoke sauna behind the inn's main building, standing by the river. It was warmed once a week, and luckily today was the day. All Lucy and Erza would have to do by themselves was to carry the water from the river and boil it in the hot pot. Using it cost them some extra, but Lucy was happy to spend that gold. For five septims they got a room with two beds and permission to use the sauna for the whole evening if they wanted.
Lucy released the bow from her back before taking off the backpack. Even though she didn't have many belongings, carrying it the whole day made it feel like it was filled with iron ingots. She straightened her back as she dropped her things on top of a chest, and then she collapsed on the bed, letting out a sigh of exhaustion. The fur blanket upon a hay mattress welcomed her into a soft, warm embrace.
"By Kynareth, it feels so good to have a roof over my head," Lucy said, closing her eyes for a moment as she floated in the relaxation spreading across her limbs. "And walls around me. And a bed. It's true when they say you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."
Lucy heard Erza on the other side of the room, placing her stuff in the chest. Her bag had been the largest and heaviest to carry, for she had the tent with her. However, she didn't complain at all. She had to be used to having a lot of things with her when she travelled. The warrior's armour clinked as she took it off.
"Enjoy yourself now," Erza answered. "The next inn will be in Kynesgrove, and it's a long way from here."
Lucy rolled to sit on the edge of the bed. She averted her eyes as Erza slipped out of her linen underclothes and waited until the warrior dressed into a brown, belted tunic. Seeing her in a long dress felt strange to Lucy. Erza no longer looked like a warrior. Maybe even she would get out of her armour if she considered herself to be safe enough. Nothing bad would happen in a small lumbering village. At least Lucy hoped so.
Erza noticed Lucy's quizzical gaze. "I have a spare tunic if you want to change after the sauna."
Lucy kept staring at her in silence before she understood what Erza had said. She felt tired, as if she hadn't slept in a week. Answering with a nod, she got up, preparing to make their way outside. She grabbed the linen towels and the dress Erza handed to her. It was a lot longer than her dresses had been, but Lucy didn't mind. It would be more comfortable nightwear than leather armour.
Lucy stopped at the porch as she waited for the warrior to follow. She leaned against the wooden railing, looking to the bridge which was already being swallowed by blue twilight. Sadness carved a hole in her chest as she found the road empty.
'What if Natsu won't come?'
She had believed they'd meet in Ivarstead as he had said, but what if he had lied? He was supposed to be there already, but he had been so angry it was likely for him to just leave. What did he even gain for sticking with them and teaching her magic?
Nothing.
Erza patted her shoulder as she appeared. Lucy flinched a bit, awakening from her melancholic state. "He'll come, eventually," she consoled as if she read Lucy's thoughts. "Don't worry about it. Let's go, I'm dying for a bath."
Lucy smiled shortly and tore her gaze from the bridge, then followed her.
The river gushed wildly as Natsu stopped at the stone bridge, the deafening sound of running water almost burying his thoughts.
The lights of Ivarstead fluttered in the night, torches moving in the dark as guards patrolled the street. He stood still, hesitating to step further. What if the guards knew his face? Ivarstead sided with the Stormcloaks, but Natsu wasn't sure where exactly he had collected his plentiful bounty. The gold he found in Embershard mine and Clavicus's shrine could barely cover a fracture of that.
He had chewed a dried piece of meat for a while now, and was getting thirsty. Repeatedly stabbing a birch had been exhausting, but at the moment he hadn't found a better way to channel his anger. Setting the entire forest on fire did cross his mind though. Natsu hoped he wouldn't need his dagger anytime soon. The poor blade was ruined, all blunt and bent. If a man would have spoken to him the way Erza did, the steel would be covered in blood instead of tree sap.
For a moment Natsu had been sure he'd head right back to Winterhold, leaving those lovely ladies on their own. He wasn't a teacher, no matter how much Lucy wanted him to be. She already knew enough to be accepted as an apprentice – she'd surely pass Mirajane's, the Master Wizard's, test. Conjuring a familiar was all she'd need to do to get in. But when Natsu had let out most of the steam, it dawned on him how sad Lucy would be if he'd just disappear without saying anything. Damn, she had followed him all the way to the forest just to bring him back to their camp. Natsu couldn't overlook that, and so he decided to choose the road leading to Ivarstead instead of Winterhold.
Letting out a long, exhausted sigh, he finished his meal and walked across the bridge with his hood pulled over his head. He passed by the first guard with his breath ragging in nervousness. Igneel was a master of distracting the guards, always knowing the right words to say to get them out of trouble. Natsu shared none of that talent, so he hid behind silence.
"You a pilgrim or just passing through?"
Natsu winced as a man spoke to him. He halted and turned to the speaker, a guard leaning on a wooden wall of a house. A helm covered his face hiding his expression, but he sounded relaxed and friendly to Natsu. Torchlight danced on the guard's armour, revealing the purple colours and the emblem of Riften.
"Just passing through," Natsu answered, his voice dry and quiet. "Actually, I'm looking for an inn."
The mage hadn't visited Ivarstead too often. Maybe once or twice. The village was all about the High Hrothgar, for the seven thousand steps leading to the monastery started there. Natsu always thought it was insane to build a monastery on the top of the Throat of the World. The Greybeards, monks that lived there, didn't seem too bright folk to him anyway. From what he had heard, they lived in absolute silence, attuning themselves to the voice of the sky – but when they spoke, storms brew above the High Hrothgar, and even the mountains shake.
The guard gave him a happy look. Pilgrims rarely brought any gold to the city, unlike visitors. "Ah, a tired traveller. Vilemyr Inn is right on the left. A few other travellers are stopping by, but I'm sure there's a room available for you."
"Thanks."
A wave of relief washed over his tense body. First of all, the guard didn't recognise him. He was also glad to hear of other travellers, who had to be Erza and Lucy – who else would they be? Though he wasn't so happy about seeing Erza again, he was sure he could forgive her after a few good ales. Maybe he'd challenge her to a brawl to settle the score. A fair punch would be great.
Natsu nodded to the man as he headed towards the building on the left side of the road. He stopped in front of the inn's porch and raised his head. The silhouette of the mountain contrasted against the starry sky. 'Why would anyone even want to climb there?' Natsu wondered. The monks took no visitors, and the monastery's doors were tightly locked. Maybe the pilgrims were insane, too.
When Natsu lowered his head before climbing the steps to the inn, he saw a small bundle sitting on the wooden stairs. It was hard to notice, for the black cloth blended into the darkness, but there was definitely a person. Natsu frowned. Why would someone be out there in the cold at this time of the day? More importantly, why would a child be out there, all alone?
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Natsu asked the kid. "You should be at home."
A boy's face emerged from the shadows, young and pale. The corners of his mouth drew downward, forming a miserable curve. "I'm… I'm waiting for papa."
Natsu knit his brows together as he fixed his heavy backpack. His legs ached from walking and he'd do anything to lay down in a bed, but first, he had to figure out what the child's problem was. A missing dad? Surely nothing too serious. There was nothing else to do in this damned village than to drink all night.
"Is your papa in the inn? Should I go ask him to take you home?"
The boy shook his head.
"Is he working late?" Another headshake. "Does your mother know where he is?"
A quiet sniffle filled the night air. Natsu's throat tightened.
"He… He promised he'd be back in a week… but he still hasn't come..."
"Where did he go?"
"Papa said he'd… he'd go for a trip... and that he'd come back stronger… so strong he would lift three logs at once..."
Natsu didn't consider himself a very smart man, but there were times when his mind connected details surprisingly fast. This was one of those times. Natsu's heart dropped to his stomach as he realised what was going on. He fell speechless and just stared at the boy, not knowing at all what to do.
"I didn't mean it… when I said he's a weakling… for making me and mama do all the work while he's out there drinking… I didn't want him to leave us!"
The boy broke into tears. Natsu bit his lower lip. He sat down next to the boy, leaning his chin on his hands. If he barely handled it when women cried, he felt utterly helpless when the children wept. He didn't want anyone to cry, but the comfort he offered usually made them feel worse. 'Just how can I tell him what happened to his papa?' he thought, and realised he couldn't tell the truth to the small boy.
"Hey, uhm… Maybe your papa is out there training? It takes a long time before he can get strong enough to lift three logs at once. It might take a month or two or something."
"But I miss him!"
"I know, I know, but…" Natsu paused to think, nervously scratching his neck. "When he comes back, he's so strong you don't have to work at all. He can do all the work for you. He probably thought about that when he left."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You just… You just wait patiently, I'm sure your papa is going to return, sooner or later."
The boy looked down and smiled sadly. "I… I hope so..."
"What's your name, boy?" Natsu asked.
"Romeo."
"Okay, Romeo. Look, I'm a traveller. If I cross paths with your papa, I'll tell him to hurry back. Is that okay? You should go home to your mother before you catch a cold."
The boy nodded, wiping his eyes. Natsu patted the child on the back, urging him to rise. He smiled at the mage before running down the street, vanishing into the dark.
Natsu buried his face into his hands to mumble his curses. Now he had to bring the damn mutt back to the Clavicus to get the boy's father back home. But how could he find a single dog? It could be anywhere in Skyrim, or even worse, it could have crossed the borders. Natsu slammed his fist on his thigh.
'I have to tell Erza and Lucy.'
Natsu rose and rushed inside the inn. A bald man stood behind the counter, his eyebrows rising as the newest customer made his entrance. Natsu greeted the innkeeper by quickly taking his hand to his temple. The tavern was empty, but he heard familiar voices coming from the room on the right. He listened closely, recognising Lucy's laughter.
Natsu hurried to the room's closed door, opened it and stepped in.
"Hey! I really have to tell you –"
"NATSU!"
Lucy screamed, covering her body with a linen towel. Water dripped from her fair hair, flowing down her bare skin. Natsu's gaze stopped at the curve of her lower back. Stunned, he stood in the doorway, unable to finish his sentence. Erza sat on the other bed wearing a towel around herself, murderously staring at the mage.
"IDIOT! You can't just burst into a ladies' room like that!" Lucy shrieked, squeezing her eyes closed and waving her arm towards him.
"But –"
"Get out!"
Awkwardly, Natsu stepped back and closed the door. Someone laughed behind him. The mage turned around, seeing the innkeeper hiding his mouth with his hand, trying to hide his amusement.
"What are you laughing at?" Natsu asked.
"Nothing," he answered. "I can get you a room of your own. Welcome to Vilemyr Inn, traveller."
Still not realising what he had done wrong, or what the man was laughing at, Natsu nodded. Maybe it was for the best. Natsu reached for the gold purse in his knapsack. It felt heavy enough, so he could easily afford his stay.
"Two gold for the room, five if you want to use the sauna. It's free at the moment."
A warm sauna sounded too good after the frigid wash he had yesterday. Natsu counted the septims and added some silver coins for food and ale. After he had paid, the innkeeper showed him to a small room. He left his belongings there and went back to the main hall to get the fresh ale he had been craving for days.
Natsu sat down at a table with this drink. Chatter and laughter echoed from the ladies' room. He deemed they had had some good time while he was on his own. Though he hadn't gotten a very warm welcoming from them, he was glad they all were in the same place again. It had been a surprisingly boring and lonely trip for him.
Halfway through his drink, the door opened. Lucy and Erza walked to the tavern, clad in long brown tunics. They both had braided their wet hair, looking strange to Natsu. He figured out they had been to the sauna before he arrived, their cheeks still red from the hot bath. Erza went to the counter to buy herself a drink while Lucy came to the mage, resting her arms on her hips.
"You really should learn to knock," she said.
Natsu gulped his drink. "Looks like I've got a lot to learn lately."
Lucy took a seat next to him and grabbed a loaf of bread from the basket on the table.
"What did you have to tell us?" she asked.
He had to gather his lost thought before answering. "The troll-man lives here in Ivarstead," Natsu whispered, sure that the innkeeper wouldn't hear. If an innkeeper knew something, it meant that the entire village would know too. "I met a boy who's looking for his papa, and figured it out."
Lucy's brown eyes widened, glistening in the candlelight. The oversized tunic made her appear smaller than she was. "Really? Then we really have to find that dog. But it could be anywhere..."
Natsu nodded grimly. He could see in Lucy's shrinking gesture how bad she felt for the boy. He felt terrible for that kid, too, but at least now he wouldn't carry that alone. Together they would find that dog and return the man to normal. The Daedra didn't ruin only the lives of the ones meddling with them, but the entire family as well.
The mage took another sip of his ale and heard footsteps behind him. He glanced over his shoulder. It was the warrior.
"Hey, Natsu," Erza started shyly. "I'm sorry for what I said. And… Sorry for your loss."
Natsu hadn't expected her to apologise. Confused, he looked at Lucy, knowing she had to be behind that. "It's okay," he said, smiling shortly. The birch had absorbed most of his anger.
"Is there any way we can make this up?"
His lips twisted into a grin. This he had been waiting for. While his mind was fast to forget, his rib bones still sought revenge.
"Fight me."
Erza blinked. "What?"
"Fifty septims says I knock your hide to the ground. Just fists. No weapons, no magic... no crying."
That probably hadn't been the reconciliation Lucy had hoped for. The blonde girl pinched her lips, sinking deeper into her chair. Natsu's smirk kept widening.
"Well..." the warrior rubbed her chin, grinning. "It has been said that a true Nord never misses a chance to miss her worth..."
Natsu poured the rest of the ale into his mouth, rose and punched the Companion to the cheek. A loud slam echoed in the hall. Damn, it felt good.
There was an old Nord proverb Natsu always agreed with: the heat of battle was the fire which forged the strongest blades. And that night when he finally won Erza in a brawl he felt like the strongest man in the world.
