When they get to Stalwart - at least this time there's no blizzard to trap them under an overpass for shelter for three days - they find a veritable riot going on, a tense, angry, noisy one. One man is standing above the rest on a rock, and is talking about a group of delegates sent out a week ago that never came back from negotiating with some army called the 'Iron Flail' from Raedceras.
The crowd gets louder and angrier, and it looks like they're all about to come to blows when Cera lets out a shrill whistle to get everybody's attention. They all look angry at first, then it turns to relief in mere moments when they recognize the whistler. There's a million 'thank the gods!' and 'we're saved!' coming from the crowd - audibly and via their thoughts - but Cera says "Everybody calm down, and somebody calmly and rationally tell me what's going on here!"
They all nod, and the man up on the rock says "Stalwart got a flood of business and new blood shortly after you opened the White Forge - myself included - three months ago. But around two weeks ago, some army from Raedceras called the Iron Flail showed up. Demanded we give them the White Forge. We told them to shove off, go back up north. They did, about a mile north of the Battery - they set up a fort there, are likely building siege weapons even now. We sent a group of delegates up to negotiate a week ago, they never returned."
Cera nods and says "Ok, something we can work with. Missing delegates, a small army that set up camp near the Battery. We'll solve this."
There's a collective sigh of relief, a massive wave of it that could sweep Cera away if it was a wave on the ocean, and the crowd disperses. Deryan, the man that was on the rock, climbs down and points them towards an emporium that got set up where Keydy's house used to be - the woman Kana saved from the burning hut three months ago. When they get in there, it's a lot warmer than outside for one - that tends to happen when there's a roof over your head though - and its full of items to buy. Weapons, armor, potions, you name it, it's there - apparently, anyway.
Aloth notices the most unique crossbow he's ever seen - it fires two bolts before you need to reload it. Cera hasn't noticed it - but he's just found something to repay the gift of the incredibly powerful scepter she gave him. Cera herself is busy looking at some armor with Sagani - who with Pallegina has been insisting more and more that she actually wear something that can protect her even a little, as regular clothes don't - and hasn't even noticed the crossbow. He quickly buys it, hiding it in his bag for later - how he's going to surprise her with it is another question entirely though.
And that would be when he looks over at Cera and finds her looking at a beautifully decorated robe - even Iselmyr's voice doesn't really jar him back to any kind of motion.
Lad, get a hold o' yerself! Either tell the lass how ye feel, or stop daydreaming about how she'll look in tha' robe!
He can't make a response, his brain is melted like somebody used the Fan of Flames spell on it - he's stuck on the image of Cera in the robe. Given the sheer amount of times he's sat up with her late at night, either because she woke him by accident in her sleep or because he was staying awake with his own thoughts, they've gotten close - shared jokes, memories of this life for both of them, Cera once even connected his mind to hers and thought of a song one of the servants used to sing to her when she was very young. That particular memory is so old she can barely remember the words, but the tune and the tone of the voice is clear as if it was yesterday. She usually falls asleep at that point, unsurprisingly enough.
But if she sees his daydream of her in that robe, he'll likely die of embarrassment - surely she sees him as just a friend and no more, and she's got a lot bigger things to worry about than his feelings!
Lad, yer torturing yerself here. Grow a pair. One way or another. Get some kind o' answer!
He'd normally tell her to shut up, right now his brain is still struggling to form any coherent thoughts.
He can hear Iselmyr grumbling even now, but it's when Eder elbows him in the ribs a little harder than necessary that he finally looks away from Cera's form. "Been around long enough to know that look, Aloth. And I've been around the both of you long enough to know you've been casting them at her more and more as this adventure goes on. When exactly are you going to get on with it though?"
Aloth's mind immediately turns to a conversation he heard between Eder and Pallegina - he asked if her feathers were really a blessing from Hylea, then said people in Gilded Vale would immediately assume the dad got frisky with the hens. If that's what he's talking about… Aloth drags Eder over to a corner - one as far away from Cera as possible - and quietly hisses "Eder, I am not looking to take advantage of Cera. Especially not when we're going against the clock trying to find the Leaden Key and keep her from going as mad as Maerwald! By all the gods, get that particular idea out of your head - because if Cera sees it, I'll die of mortification and so will she likely!"
Eder's smirk screams 'I knew it!' loud and clear, and he says "I'll make sure not to think about it around her. But, your point is also my point. Not a lot of time to say the things you should. My advice, say them now before she's gone for good."
The thought makes Aloth's stomach drop into his toes, and his heart follow shortly after, then he realizes Eder's probably thinking of Woden. That helps his racing heart a little, right up until Cera's voice suddenly sounds right behind Eder's back asking "What's wrong?"
Both men jump, and Aloth says "Nothing, Cera. Just talking, is all."
Cera's eyebrow climbs into her hair line, but she spares him embarrassment and awkwardness by asking "About the Raedcerans? Eder's fought them in the past - maybe not these guys specifically - so he'd know at least some of their tactics. Or I could just mentally scout from a distance, find out if the diplomats are even still alive."
Eder says "They weren't real big on taking prisoners back in the Saint's War - course, they were led by a homicidal lunatic claiming to be a god, so I don't know if that's typical or just what was commanded." Eder shrugs, thankfully saying nothing about what the two were actually talking about. He does cast a wide-eyed look at Aloth when Cera turns back around though, responded to with a glare from Aloth - why, for the gods' sakes, is he trying to play matchmaker here?!
Aloth pinches the bridge of his nose - as Pallegina pointed out, you can always trust a farm boy's mind to go there first. And then Cera is suddenly in his mind and says Guys, I'll be right back. Got something a little warmer than the stuff from the rest of the Dyrwood. Given the fact that its year-round snow here, right along with three months of the year for the rest of the Dyrwood, probably a good idea.
Pallegina blinks, then lets out a snort of laughter and says "She is full of surprises, our Watcher friend. At least we know she hasn't been kidnapped by any Leaden Key agents."
Sagani says "And she won't get frostbite. I bought one of the thicker skins last time we were here - must've gotten soft with the warmer weather up here."
Aloth is wondering what exactly she picked out to wear in lieu of her Dyrwoodan outfit, then notices an empty spot on the rack she was at before - and one less decorated robe. And of course, she comes out wearing the robe she was looking at before - his chances of not making a fool of himself in front of her have just, as Iselmyr would put it, been 'scuppered.' Whatever that means, he's not entirely certain but knows for sure it means something like screwed. He quickly exits the emporium before she can notice his face is quickly turning as bright red as Kana's brigandine - Iselmyr's comments definitely aren't helping right now though. At least outside he can say the redness is from the cold.
"You know, I know a friendship turning into more takes some time, but considering the distinct 'race-to-find-the-Leaden-Key' constraint so she doesn't end up like Maerwald has been described to me, you might want to speed it up just a bit."
Aloth jumps nearly a foot in the air - it's a good thing spells have to be activated with the Grimoire! - and turns around to find Sagani standing there. "You nearly just gave me a heart attack, Sagani!"
"Hm, sorry 'bout that. But you didn't mention anything about what I just said. It's Kallu and I all over again, but you two don't have the luxury of getting to know each other all your lives. Or having all your lives to get to know each other, at the moment." He darts a glance at the tent he's about twenty feet from, and Sagani says "Relax, Cera's still inside. And no, nobody's told her about what all the rest of us can see clear as day."
Aloth relaxes, and says "Thanks for that. So why are you out here?"
"Because you're out here. Because your trying to play off the redness in your face that's the color of a fresh deer flank off as being from the cold. And because your face turned that shade of red when Cera walked out in her new outfit that's got to be a thousand times warmer than what she's been wearing through the Dyrwood. My husband and I were friends years before we were married, but given the circumstances you may want to rethink that particular idea."
"If she feels the same way about me," - why in the world is her eyebrow raised that high? - "then I can court her after we save her sanity and stop the Leaden Key. If she doesn't," - Sagani, please wipe the incredibly amused and shocked look off your face - "then she doesn't and I'll still have helped her save the world and make up for my mistakes."
After a very long silence on the dwarf's part, she finally says "Your both clueless sometimes, you know that right? She clearly doesn't know because she was looking around the room for you. And given how its plainly obvious that she tries to keep her mind…well, in her head, I guess you could say, she has no clue of your feelings for her. Despite the hundreds of looks you've given her when she's not looking, despite how you always immediately try to help her - no matter what it is, be it her nightmares or when she's overwhelmed by the people around us, or when she's had another vision."
Aloth groans softly and asks "Is it really that obvious?"
Sagani pats his arm sympathetically, and says "I won't tell you if she's head over heels for you, but I will say this. You've been getting looks of your own from her when you're not watching. My advice? Gather up every bit of courage you can muster - ask Iselmyr for some help if you really need to - and do something about the whole thing. Because watching you two pretend you either don't have feelings for each other or that the other doesn't feel the same way is getting maddening for me at least."
Pallegina comes out first right then, with everyone else in tow, and says she's curious about the cannons Deryan mentioned. And then Eder says "Aloth, I think you dropped this back in the Emporium." and tosses something to him.
The Aedyran Wizard catches the small item out of the air easily, then opens his hand to find it's a ring very similar to the one Cera gave him back in Defiance Bay - silver-looking and with a ruby instead of a sapphire, but with the same kind of enchantment as the first on it. Eder's smirk at him tells him exactly who bought it for him - because of course it isn't his! - as if Cera's absolutely mortified expression wasn't enough of a clue.
AN: Alright, next chapter is up! Gotta write a Lab Report, so that's definitely going to keep any updates and chapters a little slow. Sorry! At any rate, hope you like the chapter! Cera and Aloth have no idea about each other's feelings, but at least Aloth has a very clear idea of his own - and given the fact that his in-game character seems like he wouldn't trust anyone with his secrets - Iselmyr, mainly, as he didn't seem to have any clue what the Leaden Key was really doing - he probably wouldn't want to screw things up with his closest friend in Eora. Am totally planning on getting the two of them actually together before the end of the story, but be patient for a bit! Enjoy! More updates coming! reviews appreciated!