Blind Devotion

by dnd4evr

While on the run from a haunting past, a half-orc warlock finds himself the chance companion of a blind elf doctor. Despite her quirks, he finds great comfort in her company, and the two make fast friends...even if their enemies are never far behind. All original characters that are HIGHLY INSPIRED by the cast of Critical Role.

3. The Gambit

The morning rolled in with a whisper. Fog hung low over the mountains, quickly burning away in the sunlight. The clouds carrying the rain had spent their stores and dissipated along the length of the Dividing Plains to the east, crowning the rising sun in wisps of red and gold. The ocean of mist around them receded like the tide, revealing the damp earth of the southern face of the Ironseat Ridge below them.

Al had trouble sleeping, and so he was already up. As was his morning habit, he checked the pouches and pockets on Gauth and Yosxim. As was usually the result, he couldn't find the necklace.

He really hoped Jayce and Dahlia could help him.

Al gently roused the goliath and then the gnome, who were both groggy from a somewhat damp night. Al quickly reminded them that it could have been far worse, and at least Yosxim begrudgingly agreed.

Gauth immediately began his morning duties, rekindling the fire with whatever he could find, including tearing off some of the wooden planks from the walls, and throwing together some sort of breakfast meal. Al watched Yosxim sit back and watch the goliath with a smug smile, which immediately turned to exaggerated pain as soon as the gnome noticed he was being watched.

Al grimaced and turned away. He couldn't wait to leave.

Gauth toasted some flatbread over the fire, topped with slowly melting cheese. "Will we leave with them?" he asked.

Yosxim considered it. "Yes, I believe we will. I think we will be able to convince them to speak to our employer, and hopefully gain two extra shares from it. After all, he was offering 150% the price of the first."

Gauth's face screwed up in concentration as he tried to mentally calculate the percentage. "Because three hundred is half of two hundred plus two hundred!" he beamed.

Yosxim rolled his eyes. "Yes, Gauth. It's simple math. Well done."

Gauth bit into his toast with a smile.

"So how do you assume you can convince them to backstab the man who already promised to pay them?" Al asked, checking his disarming tools were still in good condition.

"Details in good time, my friend. However, what works in our favor is while that half-orc is suspicious of our intentions, they have no direct notion of our quest or original plan."

Al worked more fastidiously on his tools.

Yosxim didn't notice and continued. "As such, it is possible we could manipulate the situation to our advantage. We could mention we were sent by Oakenhelm, after an eloquent apology on our part, as backup for the two of them. Upon learning we all work for the same man, they will be far more likely to allow us to collect the bounty, which will allow us to bypass Oakenhelm entirely."

Al grunted, again keeping his eyes to his tools. "I'm not sure they're that gullible, Yosxim."

"Oh please. One is practically half goblin and the other is a woman. They'll be easier to convince than Gauth."

"Because I am learning!" Gauth immediately piped up.

Yosxim sighed. "Yes, Gauth. Because you are learning under my tutelage. You're so lucky I took you in, having found you bumbling through the streets of Whitestone."

Al looked up, hoping Gauth caught the sarcasm in Yosxim's first statement, or the annoyance that bled from his words...but Gauth seemed quite pleased, and in fact somewhat honored to be tutored by such a brilliant man.

That's when Al spotted shapes coming toward them from the depths of the mine.

His mind immediately went to what he had seen last night, and Al felt his cheeks flush. He caught his breath, immediately panicking that he had been seen…

Then Jayce stepped into the light, and Al could once again see his green-hued skin. Al turned away, repulsed with himself.

"We've got company," he grunted, prompting Gauth and Yosxim to look down into the mine.

"Ah! Good morning!" Yosxim called out cheerily. "Please, join us for breakfast!"

"Thank ya kindly, but we'll decline on that," Jayce called back, leading Dahlia to the edge of the camp. "We both had a little somethin' before we came over, so as not to impose on ya."

Al almost did a double take. Was Jayce talking like they were old neighbors on purpose?

"Ah. I see. Well, I hope you've given the offer for recruitment some thought," Yosxim continued, seemingly unphased. "It would be a shame to part ways after talking to Oakenhelm."

Jayce crossed his arms and had a sly smile. "The first time? Or did ya go back after we walked off?"

Yosxim put on airs of abject humility. "Of course, Sir Jayce. I was completely out of line in how I spoke to the man from whom I wanted employment. I rectified that mistake and so my merry band and I were offered the job as a sort of...bolstering force to your own abilities. And of course, if you wish to speak to Oakenhelm first, I would completely understand; However, since we have taken the lion's share of the wounds, I believe it would be prudent to allow us to discuss our involvement before any rash decisions are made."

Jayce stepped over and motioned to the ground next to Yosxim. "May I?" he asked.

"Oh, of course, of-!" Yosxim smiled, but was cut off and winced heavily when he twisted too far against the stitches. He gasped from the pain.

Dahlia twitched, nearly jumping from Yosxim's rather obvious ploy for attention. Instead, she reached for Jayce and, finding his arm, sat in the space he had previously indicated.

"Yosxim, I'm very sorry I left you last night without my healing magic. If it's alright with you, I'd like to make that up to you now," she said, already digging in her bag for what they all assumed to be her medicine kit.

"Absolutely, Lady Dahlia," Yosxim grunted, acting as if the pain was crippling. Jayce rolled his eyes and happened to catch Gauth's gaze. The goliath looked somewhat embarrassed for his friend's actions.

"Alright, lift your robes. I'll need to remove the stitches before I heal you."

"If I may," Yosxim hesitated, apparently still at least a little nervous to partly disrobe in front of his companions, "why must you remove the stitches before you heal me? And another point, why did you twist my arm before healing me yesterday?"

"Those were both for the same reasons," she said, pulling out a thin pair of silver scissors from her kit. "If I were to heal you before I set your arm, there was a high chance you would have retained some pain or deformity that would not be fixable without breaking your arm a second time. In the same vein, if I were to heal your wound without removing the sutures, your skin would form around them, potentially causing an infection and making them impossible to remove without surgery."

Yosxim was completely at a loss and stuttered some sort of approval for her to begin.

Having set her scissors where she could easily find them, Dahlia then pulled out a small tin jar. Inside was a type of cream-colored balm with a light green tint, and she applied a thin smear around the wound.

"Oh! That's very cold. And...interesting. I feel as if my skin has fallen asleep." Yosxim struggled to see over his bunched up robes.

"It's a topical anesthetic. Now please hold still."

Dahlia easily found her needlework and snipped through the knot, then gently removed each stitch, one by one, snip after snip, until the wound threatened to reopen from its own tension. While the wound had scabbed somewhat, it wasn't enough for a laceration that long to stay closed.

After the last stitch was out, Dahlia immediately placed a hand over the wound and whispered a single word, causing a pulse of light to fly across her fingers and into Yosxim's chest. As they watched, the wound began to glow, then seal, then fade, and when the light was gone, there was no trace of the wound.

"Truly a marvel, Lady Dahlia," Yosxim beamed. "You are incredibly knowledgeable in your field!"

"You're welcome, Yosxim," was her only reply.

Dahlia cleaned up her tools as Jayce sat down next to her. "Now that that's settled, I suppose y'all be heading to town?"

"Yes, of course, but we still need to discuss our meeting with Oakenhelm," Yosxim said, hurriedly shoving his robes back into place.

"What's to discuss?" Jayce shrugged. "We did the job, not you. You got the lion share of the wounds, sure, but we, and by that I mean my companion, reversed all that damage. Pretty sure you ain't short a drop of blood by this point."

"Then allow us to extend our services as a courtesy," Yosxim continued, without missing a beat. "We shall meet with him on your behalf, and tout your skills to the best of our abilities. You and Lady Dahlia could take the time to rest and rejuvenate, and perhaps resupply."

Al and Gauth watched those two talk with fascination. Who was going to win this verbal battle of wits?

"Now that is mighty kind of you, but I'd prefer hearin' such praise first hand. If ya come along, it'll be with us already at the table." Jayce smiled disarmingly, clearly noting Yosxim's frustration. "In fact, probably the only reason I'd step away from the table is if I had something curious. Ain't that right, Dahlia?"

Dahlia's face turned away. "You are insufferable sometimes. You've been talking about that book you couldn't put down."

Jayce laughed easily. "It's my curse. Give me somethin' to read, I won't stop 'til I understand it. Got me in trouble more'n once as a tyke, let me tell you!"

Yosxim gave him a curious look, one that was clear to Al that the gears were turning. A small smile creeped across the gnome's face as he sized up the half-orc in front of him.

"What topics do you read, Sir Jayce?"

"Just Jayce, if ya please. An' like I said, anything I can get my hands on. Fiction, history, mystery, theology… I ain't picky."

"How fortuitous! I happen to have a spare book on me. Unfortunately, it's written in Gnomish. Would this be a problem?" Yosxim said, tapping his pointer fingers together.

Jayce was the picture of relaxed confidence. "Nope."

Yosxim was surprised. "You know Gnomish?"

"An' Elvish, Zemnian, Markesian, Dwarven… I'm somethin' of a…" Jayce rolled his hand, searching for a word. He turned to Dahlia. "What'd you call it this morning?"

"Literal polyglot," she said simply, keeping herself busy with respooling her surgical thread and cleaning her tools.

Jayce held out his hands to indicate that was exactly what he was looking for. "Pretty much ain't a language I can't read."

Al wondered if Yosxim's eyebrows could leave his face, as they were already quite high and in danger of doing so. Then he had an idea and hoped it worked with what Jayce and Dahlia were already planning.

"Actually, if you can read 'anything'," he began, packing away his own tools, "I gave Yosxim an amulet with a line of text that I needed translated. Perhaps you could take a look."

Yosxim was immediately defensive. "Oh, of course, if you wanted a crude translation. It is a remarkably nuanced language. Besides, I can't imagine you," he spat, turning to Jayce, "would know Celestial."

Jayce casually shrugged. "Ain't a language I can speak, but I can damn well read it."

That man was far too confident to be lying, but Yosxim refused to believe a green skinned monster-born man had the education and comprehension to read the language of the beings beyond the Divine Gate. Unfortunately, he had no readily available examples of the language beyond Al's special amulet, and he was hesitant to reveal where he had hidden it in front of the half-elf in question.

Yosxim decided to put the onus on Jayce. "I demand you prove it to me!" he shouted, hoping to his feet. "There is no possible way you could have learned that language outside of an education, and I happen to know absolutely no school on Exandria that would accept a creature like you!"

Dahlia jerked away from Yosxim, appalled at his comment. "What is wrong with you?! Jayce is a good and intelligent man! Any school would be lucky to have him!"

"Madam, I have it on good authority-!"

Jayce immediately jumped in. "Whoa whoa whoa! Hot blood ain't good to start a day of travel, an' I'm speakin' from experience. Look, I'll prove to ya I can read it, provided you can produce a sample of Celestial text. I'd offer to write one, but how could I possibly make anythin' with the subtlety and nuance of the masters of the language to prove my skill?"

Gauth and Al were absolutely captivated by the exchange, for different reasons. Al had his fingers crossed behind his back, praying his necklace would be revealed. Gauth was simply entertained, although he wondered if Yosxim was not the smartest man in the world, as he had originally claimed.

Yosxim sputtered in frustration, fighting with himself. He couldn't reveal Al's bait. He couldn't keep the thief on a hook without it. Instead, he dug in his bag and ripped a page from his journal, frantically scribbling on it with a charcoal pen.

"There, read this," he hissed.

Jayce took the piece of paper and looked it over, hoping and praying that the one time he could read Dwarven really did mean he could actually read anything. Sure enough, the text on the paper swam and settled in the common language, and he chuckled to himself.

"Cute," Jayce smiled, and then read. "'Luck favors the prepared.' That's an old sayin'. Although if ya read it differently, luck becomes an actual entity, who seeks out the prepared to reward them. Subtle. Rather appropriate for Kymal, eh?"

Yosxim, his face red, ripped the page back from Jayce and scribbled a new note in the Celestial language. He practically threw it back at Jayce, who had to scramble to catch it. This time, Jayce looked confused.

"Fish, tree, basket, firepit… These are just random words." Jayce looked confused as he held out the paper for Yosxim to take back, being far more polite with the handing off of the piece of parchment than Yosxim had been previously. Yosxim replied by snatching it back.

Yosxim was beside himself with frustration. Did he dare show the amulet to Jayce? No. He couldn't. As soon as Al heard the translation, he'd be gone, and Yosxim needed Al's talents for his own purposes. On the other hand, Jayce was clearly showing him up, and Gauth was obviously becoming intrigued by this anomaly in the group. The goliaths believed that only the best should lead, and Yosxim had presented himself as the best, offering a way for Gauth to rise above the rabble of his own kind, to challenge the goliath in ways he had previously been lacking. Somehow, by showing off this strange talent for translation, Jayce was threatening to sweep both men simultaneously from Yosxim's hands.

A thought struck him. Jayce's strange talent was almost...supernatural. Could the man be cheating? Yosxim was well aware of a spell that allowed the caster to speak, read, and understand any language presented to them, but it came with a catch. The spell would only last an hour. As he had not seen or heard Jayce cast any sort of spell, Yosxim was confident that hour was already underway.

The gnome visibly relaxed.

"Alright, just Jayce," Yosxim smiled, "I'll play your game. I have one more test for you, but it will fare better in brighter light. Let's break camp and head back to Kymal, and along the way, I'll hand you something else to translate for me."

Jayce nonchalantly shrugged even though Dahlia was clearly put off by Yosxim's tone. "Ain't a problem. Maybe I'll take a look at that book of yours in the meantime, eh?"

"Oh no no no," Yosxim chuckled, waggling a finger at Jayce. "If you read my book, it will be where I can watch you. I don't want you scribbling in the margins like some uncouth child."

Jayce rolled his eyes as if bored with Yosxim's attitude, which caused the gnome to flush red with anger. Jayce marveled at how absolutely easy Yosxim was to read.

"Suit yourself," Jayce said, picking himself up and brushing off the dust from his coat. "Want us to wait, or see you on the road?"

"Oh, please, wait for us. I think I speak for all of us when I ask if you could accompany us back to Kymal," Yosxim smiled through his teeth.

Gauth nodded, finishing his cheese on toast and fascinated with the less than subtle clashing of power. Al grunted his approval, packing up his own bedroll and belongings.

"Good. Then, pending the breaking of our camp, we head to Kymal!"

Dahlia finished packing up her own kit as well, tense and worried. Her comments had been too close to lying. In fact, if Jayce hadn't regaled to her his love of reading, especially a particular book he had once read while still a cabin boy on his first trawler, she would indeed have lied to them. When it came to her vows, they had pushed too many boundaries. She needed to pray, to find answers.

She stepped past the camp, past the dying fire, and into the sunlight. Even through her grease paint coating, she could feel the warmth of the sun. Once again, she was back in Pelor's arms.

"Pelor," she whispered on the gentle breeze, "Dawnfather...can you still hear me?"

XxXxX

With the sun slowly rising to their left, the two groups headed back south to Kymal together. The air was still heavy from the recent rain, a soft breeze wafting the scent of petrichor past them. The morning was chilly but clear.

Jayce stretched and sighed contentedly, his shoulders still popping slightly as he rolled them, but they felt much better than they had before. He glanced over his shoulder at the people behind him, Al and Yosxim, Gauth, and Dahlia bringing up the rear. More than once he had noticed she would pause each time she stepped into a puddle, and he had offered to lead her along like before, but she gently refused him in favor of walking alone.

The walls of Kymal stood in the distance, already a beacon in the morning light as the wet stones reflected the sunlight of the dawn. Almost there, Jayce thought to himself. Just another hour and change and he could drop these men, show Dahlia what he found, and continue travelling to Westruun.

Maybe he should wait until he arrived at Westruun first. He was pretty sure the glitter stone was actually gold ore, and after everything she had been through, Dahlia deserved to get something nice. She'd probably really appreciate the surprise. Besides, once they were actually in Westruun, it could be exchanged for actual gold and there would be plenty of shops. Maybe she could get a coat that fit, or a new bag, though he wouldn't blame her if it was something completely frivolous, like a new dress. In his experience, even the most stingy of women liked to feel pretty.

There was also the thought that a happy healer was an effective one. If his power was linked to his emotions, he wouldn't be surprised if her more divine abilities were as well.

His thoughts drifted to the image of Dahlia in a dress. He barely knew what she looked like under that baggy coat. What kind of shape did she have? Was she practically a stick like most elves he had met before? They tended to be quite thin and tall, but she was almost an inch shorter than him, and he was barely tall to begin with. Maybe she was considered stubby for an elf.

Of course, it was impossible to tell while she wore that coat of hers.

The thought of asking her what she looked like under her many layers jumped to the forefront of his mind without warning, and he blushed and rubbed his face. That could be misconstrued in a thousand horrible ways. He was glad he was ahead of the group and they couldn't see his face.

"Lady Dahlia!" Yosxim called suddenly, "may I pick that fascinating brain of yours?"

There was a pause, and Jayce stepped to the side to look back at Dahlia at the back of the group. She tensely sighed, as if resigning herself to something.

"Yes you may, Yosxim. What do you need?"

The rest of the group, unconsciously following Jayce's lead, also came to a stop in the road.

"How long has it been since we left the mine?" Yosxim asked innocently.

Dahlia calculated the figure in less time than it took to actually say it. "One hour and four minutes. Why?"

"Oh good!" Yosxim beamed. "We're over halfway. Oh! And it seems to have slipped my mind. Jayce, I did offer you a challenge once we were in better light, correct?"

"Yessir," Jayce smiled. Perhaps this was it! Perhaps Yosxim would produce the amulet to prove Jayce couldn't actually read Celestial! "Sun's up. I don't figure we're gonna get better light than this."

"And it seems we have already stopped. How fortuitous!" Yosxim headed to the side of the road, where the only available seats were wet stones and small boulders. He grimaced, pulled out his journal, and wrote several words once more with the charcoal pen.

"Now, if you would, please read this for me," Yosxim said, holding it out to Jayce, intentionally remaining on the side of the road rather than walking over to him.

Jayce was disappointed, but took it in stride and came over to read the paper, taking it politely from Yosxim's hand. He waited the moment it took for the words to form into something he could read, and immediately grimaced.

"I ain't sayin' that," he said, holding the paper back to Yosxim.

"Then how will I know you can translate it?" Yosxim asked with a smug smile plastered all over his face.

"It's in Abyssal, Celestial, and Gnomish," Jayce responded, more emphatically holding the paper out to him.

Yosxim waved away the comment. "Anyone can recognise characters from another language. Prove to me you can read it by actually reading it. Out loud."

Alright, if the gnome wants to be immature, I can play too, Jayce thought to himself.

Jayce sighed and dramatically snapped the paper in front of him, clearing his throat like a professional orator to get the rest of the group's attention.

"Ahem. The great Yosxim has written thus: 'I am an ignoramus with the intelligence of a pea and the face of a warthog.'" He then turned to the gnome before anyone else could speak. "You really shouldn't talk down to yourself like that. Ain't healthy."

Al burst out laughing as Yosxim turned multiple shades of red.

Embarrassed and furious, Yosxim ripped the paper out of Jayce's hands while Jayce just shrugged, flashing a relaxed smile.

Gauth was not amused, but said nothing and returned to his quiet conversation with Daliah.

"Do you see what I mean?" she asked him. "What he just did to Jayce, the way he speaks to him...that's what I hear when he speaks to you."

"I don't have much choice," Gauth grumbled, watching Yosxim reprimand a barely listening Al for the laughter. "I am a goliath, a giant-kin from the northern reaches of Tal'Dorei. Anyone who speaks to me assumes I am stupid and simple, and expects nothing from me but my strength of body. Yosxim taught me there is a strength of mind as well. I wish to learn this strength, and return to my tribe with it. I want to lead them to greatness." Gauth shook his head, even though Dahlia couldn't see it. "No one but Yosxim will take me as a student."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Yosxim was the one who told you that," Dahlia said, tapping Gauth's massive arm, "but I can disprove it right now; I will take you as a student, if you will travel with me."

"And what will you teach me?" As far as Gauth could tell, it was a fair question. What did Dahlia know about the planes of reality or the intricacies of magic? "Do you know magic and science like Yosxim?"

Dahlia shook her head. "I doubt I understand the arcana the way he does, but I do know science. In fact, I know the kind of science that saves lives. It's what I used on Yosxim to stitch up his stomach."

"I am not a healer," Gauth said simply.

"We're moving!" Yosxim screamed out to the group.

Dahlia began walking forward, easily hearing Gauth's steps at her side. "I wouldn't expect you to be. I expect you to learn what interests you, and for you to tell me what that is so I can teach you. And then I would expect you to do something I imagine Yosxim has never asked of you; correct me."

Gauth nearly paused in his step to look at the little elf by his side. "Correct you?"

"Of course," Dahlia nodded. "If the answer to your question doesn't satisfy you, or is unknown to me, find the answer wherever you can. Find proof, and then teach me. I am not so ignorant to believe there is nothing more to learn, but I can't read. Just as Jayce will act as my eyes for the world, I would be honored if you could read for me when you find something interesting."

Gauth's eyes fell to the road. "I can't read either."

Dahlia smiled. "You can't now, but I bet you could if you tried. If Jayce has proved anything, it's that he can read anything. I'll get him to teach you. Then you won't have to rely on someone like Yosxim or me to help you learn ever again."

"I need to think on this," Gauth grunted.

"Of course. We can talk again in town. Just know I'm here for you," Dahlia said softly.

Both fell into silence as they walked, listening to Yosxim audibly grumble for several minutes before even he went quiet. Dahlia was confident she had made progress with Gauth, but she couldn't push him. Only time would tell if she truly had won him over, or if she had already pushed him away.

If she was actually successful, then all that remained was for Jayce to get Yosxim to reveal the amulet. Unfortunately, Yosxim was quite stubborn, and his latest attempt to belittle Jayce may have backfired a little too well. Dahlia was concerned Yosxim would no longer utilize Jayce for assistance with translation, and was instead threatened by him.

The remaining time to Kymal was quickly running short, and Dahlia knew Jayce would have to pick his moment carefully. She hoped they wouldn't have to spend too much time with Yosxim, but if they truly wished to help Al, they may not have a choice.

XxXxX

The businesses and people of Kymal took the dampness of rain in stride, modifying the glamorous magics of their signs and decorations to glitter off the films of water that clung to everything. Today, on this bright, post-storm day, Kymal truly shone like gemstones and sparkled like gold, offering their shops and gambling halls as bastions against inclement weather. The buildings seemed to speak for themselves, beckoning visitors to come inside with ever more insistent voices.

Even the hawkers took advantage of the recent rain, dancing through puddles to show off the unadulterated joy that came with visiting their particular patron gambling hall. Jayce hung back to walk next to Dahlia at the back of the group and nudged her arm in the only place he knew he could touch.

"Hey, Dahlia, so, remember how you said it ain't good to be childish and giddy?" he smirked.

"Of course I remember, and I apologize in advance if you have to deal with that," she sighed.

Jayce called out for the group to give him a minute, and despite Yosxim's frustration, they came to a stop. Jayce then turned to Dahlia.

"Listen. Tell me what you hear."

Dahlia sighed again and listened, hearing the voice of the city around her. The closest sounds were those of complaints and annoyances, men and women griping about the early hour and the shuffle to work. Several offended comments against wet and muddy boots. Irritations caused by the cold.

Music began to creep through the voices as she listened farther, and she unconsciously turned toward that. A drum, a flute, a viol. The sound of splashing through puddles reached her ears, accented with giggles and squeals of laughter. These voices didn't sound like children.

"What…?" she asked, leaning toward the strange sounds of joy.

"That," Jayce said with a smile, noticing she had clued in to the hawkers, "is a bunch of grown adults splashin' in puddles and dancing to music. They're actin' childish and giddy, and it's their damned job."

Dahlia shook her head. "You're kidding."

"Nope. Those are hawkers for...looks like the Maiden's Kiss. It's their job to act happy, but today it looks like they're actually havin' fun. Look at that, childish an' giddy, and they're gettin' paid."

Jayce watched what he could see of Dahlia's face as she tried to process the dissonance between what she had known and what she was just told. To his surprise, rather than be overjoyed to hear this new revelation, Dahlia hugged herself, gripping her own arms and going tense, closing off from the world around her.

Shocked, he tried to grab her arm, and she flinched away. "Dahlia, I'm sorry. Just...forget I said anything."

She grunted something in response, but he couldn't hear her. He tried again to grab above her elbow, and this time she let him. He led her back to the group.

Yosxim and Gauth were currently distracted by a rather gaudy dancer just down the street, but Al had been watching the two of them. As far as he could tell, Jayce had been attempting to describe the city to Dahlia, but instead of being grateful, she seemed to shrink away. What was wrong with her?

As Jayce led her back to the group, he really fought with himself. Should he tell her about the glitter stone? Would that help her? Or should he wait on that? Would the candied fruit help this time? Was this because of the "demon in her soul" again?

How much of a grip on her did it actually have?

Al intercepted them. "Whatever is going on with your healer, she has to snap out of it now!" he hissed, worriedly peeking over his shoulder at Yosxim and Gauth. "Yosxim will use anything he can find to make her stay, and any weakness is something he can use!"

Jayce shifted Dahlia further behind him and steeled himself, giving Al a hard glare. "She's fine, Al. He won't be able to get anything on us."

"Don't be so sure," Al warned, his voice taking on a more anxious tone. "You already know you're expendable to him."

"Yes, I know-!"

"Jayce!"

They both turned to Dahlia, who had pulled up her hood and was holding her stomach while still gripping Jayce's arm. "Just...stop. I don't want to be what hurts you...and I'll be okay. Let's get to the Lucky Lady before Yosxim can convince us otherwise."

Al and Jayce shared a worried glance before walking down the street, quickly leaving Yosxim and Gauth behind. Intentionally waiting until they were nearly too far to hear a call for their attention, Jayce yelled for them both to catch up, causing the two of them to nearly panic and for the gnome to fall behind.

Unfortunately, the Lucky Lady was far enough from the main gate that Yosxim had plenty of time to catch up, and when it was in sight, Yosxim called for the party to halt.

"Good friends and companions!" Yosxim puffed from exertion. "Before we enter the tavern, I request we wait a moment."

"You can wait inside, in a chair." Jayce was losing patience. "I ain't sure if you're aware, but it's gettin' close to noon, and we're hungry."

"Yes! Indeed! I have noticed!" Yosxim said, trying to keep his breathing more even. "In that case, why don't you and Lady Daliah order warm food for yourselves, and we'll handle the business dealings."

"Why, Yosxim," Jayce said, facing the gnome and resisting the urge to adopt the tone of talking to a child, "you seem quite eager to speak to Sir Oakenhelm. I'm startin' to wonder if ya got ulterior motives."

"I doubt you even know what that means," Yosxim hissed under his breath. Back at his normal volume, he continued. "Is it really so suspicious of me to appeal to potential recruits? I have only your comfort in mind!"

"Then let us talk to our employer, get paid, and get food. Here," Jayce pulled a gold coin out of his coin pouch and passed it to Gauth. "Take your friend inside and get him somethin' to drink. He seems exhausted."

Yosxim called out for them to stop, and Jayce and Dahlia ignored him and headed straight into the Lucky Lady. Once inside, Jayce began looking for Desdreat Oakenhelm, in the hopes he could finish this whole mess quickly.

"Yosxim is getting desperate…" Dahlia whispered, barely heard over the din of the tavern. "I think he realizes we don't intend to stay."

"I think he's just frustrated we ain't fallin' for his tricks," Jayce whispered back, finally spotting Oakenhelm. The dwarf was speaking to another small group of adventurers, two other male dwarves and a human man, and it looked as if Oakhenhelm was going over a map with them. "Let's hurry; Pretty sure Oakenhelm's about to hire himself another group."

"Right, let's go."

Jayce led them both through the crowd just as Yosxim and Gauth stepped inside, followed by Al. Thankfully, it wasn't too crowded at the moment, and Jayce was able to head straight to his target.

"Sir Oakenhelm! We have indeed returned with good news!" Jayce called, beaming as he walked up.

Desdreat Oakenhelm nearly jumped with surprise, but looked immediately relieved. "Thank the Allhammer! That is one less weight on my conscience." He turned to the group of three. "If you would please give me a moment, I will continue your interview after I have spoken to these two."

The group grumbled, but stepped away. Jayce, as before, led Dahlia to a seat before taking his own.

"What a relief it is to see you!" Oakenhelm began before Jayce was fully sat down. "I trust your journey was fruitful? You seem unharmed, but you've been gone long enough…"

Jayce slipped his knapsack off his shoulders and untied the trophy bag. "Yes, we've been fruitful," he laughed, placing the trophy bag on the table. "That there is the tongue of every kobold in your mines. Should be clear, and thanks to an...inside agent of ours, the traps ain't a problem either."

Oakenhelm ripped out his handkerchief and dry heaved into it, but recovered quickly. "It will...take a few moments to count through them...unless you have a total?" he huffed.

"No, but I'll take a hundred gold for it." Jayce shrugged. He was sure that sounded about right.

"Done!" Oakenhelm nudged the bag until it flopped over the edge and hit the floor with a squelch. He dry heaved again. "Now… Ugh, now I'm curious who this...inside agent of yours was, and how they were involved."

Jayce looked over his shoulder and tried to spot the other group, and managed to see the three of them receiving drinks at the bar. Satisfied they were far enough, he dropped his voice to a whisper and leaned toward Oakenhelm. "Remember the group you threw out before hirin' us?"

Oakenhelm's face turned sour. "Of course I do. In fact, isn't that them by the bar?"

Jayce nodded. "I ain't claimin' to be an expert on your enemies, sir, but that group ended up followin' us and I got a chance to talk to that half-elf. Turns out, a rival of yours wants to buy the mine, and is hopin' the repeated deaths of whoever you send out would be enough to make ya sell, fast and cheap."

Oakenhelm sputtered in confusion. "What? Why?! It's a defunct mine! It's only value is historical!"

Jayce pulled his knapsack into his lap and put a finger to his lips, barely suppressing a mischievous smile. He opened it just enough that Oakenhelm could see the top of the gold ore inside. "Now I ain't an expert on these things, but I'm pretty sure I know what this is, and it came from your mine. It's a small piece, so I hope you don't begrudge me the chance to take it with me; after all, now that the mine's clear, ya got a chance to find, hopefully, a lot more."

"Jayce, what is 'this'?" Dahlia asked, finally cluing in to the conversation.

Jayce momentarily panicked, hoping he could come up with something to prevent ruining the surprise. "Dahlia, I promise I'll tell you, but you gotta keep an ear out for that group. I don't want 'em sneaking up on us."

Dahlia nodded and pulled her hood back down, tilting her head slightly to more easily hear behind them.

"So," Jayce said, turning back to Oakenhelm, "the way I figure it, four hundred gold between me and my companion, one hundred for the bag, and one little keepsake in exchange for clearin' out your mine and givin' you a heads up. Sound fair?"

Oakenhelm rubbed his face with his handkerchief and started pulling out small pouches of gold. "Absolutely. I believe that sounds completely fair. Let's see...this should be five hundred to split between the two of you. Once again, it's been an absolute pleasure, and I hope fortune favors you at the Academy."

Jayce pocketed the pouches inside his coat and shook Oakenhelm's hand with a kind smile. "If we happen to pass this way again, I hope you won't mind us droppin' by to say hi."

Oakenhelm smiled in return. "I actually insist."

A thought struck Jayce, and he had to ask as he let go of Oakenhelm's hand. "Actually, if you don't mind a rather strange question, let's say you knew a wizard who was hidin' something of yours. Ya wanted it back, but it ain't in his pockets. Where would ya look?"

Oakenhelm sighed. "Honestly, I have no idea. In his books, maybe? Wizards tend to be a rather tricky sort, and I know almost nothing about the arcane arts."

Jayce stood, tapping Dahlia's arm so she knew they were leaving, and then mimed tipping a hat to Oakenhelm. "Thank ya anyway, Sir Oakenhelm. Allhammer keep you."

"And you!" Oakenhelm beamed as they walked away.

"That was interesting," Dahlia said as they stepped away.

"And? How so?" Jayce asked, trying to spot if the other group had seen them get up yet.

"Well, you managed to avoid admitting we never found the survey crew, you toted some sort of keepsake which I'm still trying to figure out-"

Jayce briefly wondered if it was worth trying to keep the surprise.

"-and, he mentioned Yosxim's books. That actually makes a lot of sense. From my experience, which, granted, is not extensive, a wizard and their spellbook are nearly inseparable. That might actually be a good place to start to find that necklace."

"Ya know, that's actually a good idea." Jayce rubbed his chin in thought as he recalled what Yosxim had said that morning. "He was talkin' about that book of his in Gnomish; Probably wouldn't've offered it if it really had the amulet, but he called it a 'spare'. Now I'm curious what other books he's got in that bag of his."

"Exactly, but I'm not sure how we'll get access to his personal library. He practically hates you and I obviously can't read text."

Jayce paused halfway to the door of the Lucky Lady, glancing back at Al, Gauth, and Yosxim at the bar. The three of them were in a tense discussion that probably included how they would attempt to speak to their own employer about how they failed, or if they would speak to the man at all.

"Also a good point." Jayce sighed. "Seems like we're invitin' the crew to lunch."

"On the upside, it's a hot meal?" Dahlia said, trying to sound encouraging.

"That's true. And remind me, once we get a room, you get two-fifty of the pay." Jayce began to head toward Yosxim and his companions, with Dahlia trailing on his arm.

"I'm fine with just two hundred," she said. "You did most of the work."

"Now don't you start with that again. Sure, I did a lot, but what you did was important. You're gettin' half, and that's fair."

Dahlia wanted to contest the point, but she was too tired and hungry to really try.

Al finally noticed them. "Welcome back. I don't suppose you got anything for us?"

Jayce shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. He only wanted to pay the people he hired."

"Now now, lies won't sit well between us," Yosxim said, turning up his nose. "Give us the decency of the truth, if you please."

"Fine. I didn't ask, because I didn't think ya did enough to warrant it," Jayce said, almost rolling his eyes. "However, as a courtesy, I'll buy y'all lunch. Got a place in mind, or should we eat here?"

"Actually," Yosxim smiled, rubbing his hands together, "I've heard the food at the Maiden's Kiss is absolutely exquisite. It is a tad expensive, so I understand if you'd prefer eating somewhere else. However, to celebrate the end of our first adventure in tandem, I believe it to be a fitting place."

"Ain't that the gambling hall everyone's talkin' about?" Jayce asked, recalling the hawkers at the gates.

"Yes indeed! The Maiden's Kiss is the de facto place to be in Kymal. It would behoove us to visit at least once before we leave for further destinations."

The way Yosxim spoke, the way Yosxim grinned, put Jayce's teeth on edge. Yosxim had some sort of plan, that much was obvious, but what was beyond him.

"Excuse me," Dahlia cut in, stepping up to stand next to her companion, "but the quality of food aside, the Maiden's Kiss sounds like it would be someplace both crowded and noisy. I'd like to avoid both right now. The atmosphere will do nothing for me as I won't be able to see, and therefore, experience it, and so if you wish to go on your own time, you may. Until then, as we are providing the coin, we will have the final say in the location of our meal."

"Couldn't've said it better myself," Jayce smiled, patting her hand on his arm.

"Actually, Jayce, why don't we head back to the Road's Respite?" Dahlia turned toward him as she spoke. "I'm sure the innkeeper would appreciate a token of our good fortune after what happened, last time we were there."

Jayce hadn't even thought of that. "Ya know, you're right. Ol' Bertrand deserves a break. Folks, sounds like we're takin' ya to the Road's Respite!"

Yosxim's face curled in contempt. "I can't say I've been."

"It's by the northern gate," Jayce smiled, thumbing over his shoulder in the approximate direction. "Nice place. We'll lead the way."

"Sounds as good a place as any," Al shrugged.

"Great! It's decided. Follow us," Jayce smiled, turning both himself and Dahlia to head out of the Lucky Lady. While Al and Gauth followed with relative haste, Yosxim began the trek by dragging his feet.

Jayce noticed and took an opportunity.

"Dahlia," he whispered, "can ya walk on your own for a bit?"

She nodded in response. "I should be able to. I remember the way to the Road's Respite from here, although I can't say it will be the most linear route."

Memorizing the steps from one place to another after only walking it once was already quite the feat, and Dahlia was doing it blind. Jayce shook his head in amazement.

"I'll keep an eye on ya, and if I see a better way to go, I'll grab your arm. Deal?"

"Sounds good. I'm assuming you have a plan?" she whispered.

Jayce noticed the other group catch up, Yosxim included. He hummed an affirmation and then turned to the group behind them.

"Hey, Al, I got a question about a few of those traps we passed. Mind talkin' to me a second?"

"Uh, sure," Al said, sounding as confused as he felt. He stepped up to Jayce as Dahlia stepped off to lead the group, somehow, on her own. "What do you want to know?"

"Those kobolds got pretty clever with their traps, but I got a feelin' it was still pretty simple compared to things you've seen around. That sound about right?" Jayce asked, checking to make sure Gauth and Yosxim were behind them. As usual, Yosxim seemed less than pleased about the way things were going, but this time said nothing.

Al shrugged. "Yeah, that's about right. Most of their traps were based off of rudimentary triggers-"

"Check his books," Jayce hissed under his breath, while still facing forward.

"...which...um…" Al had to mentally find his place in his own thoughts before he could continue, as he hadn't been expecting the interjection and had barely caught the last word. "Right, tension triggers. Most traps are tension triggers, but the ones we saw in the mine were all friction based. Basically, they go off, and then have to be manually reset. It really only works if you assume whatever you catch ends up dead from the trap."

"Fascinatin' stuff. You ever found anything more complicated?" Jayce acted genuinely interested.

"Well, once." Al shrugged again. "Spring loaded, with a winding coil to reset after it triggered. It was really impressive, although the poison needle was less fascinating to deal with."

"That sounds like a story," Jayce said, smiling. "You could probably fill a few books with the stuff ya know."

That smile. Al was trying very hard to pay attention to whatever Jayce was subtly hinting at, but all Al could think about was the previous night in the mine, and what he saw. He tried hard to concentrate on Jayce's green skin, those yellow, slitted eyes, that proof of his orc heritage, to distract himself.

It wasn't working.

"Maybe one or two," Al mumbled, looking away before he could blush. "Besides, I don't really consider myself a poet. I don't think I'd be able to write anything in a way to keep it interesting enough to finish cover to cover."

"Oh, I'm sure you could hide a bunch of interesting things in between a coupla covers," Jayce said, still smiling, and leaning just a bit toward Al with the emphasis in his words.

At first, Al wondered if Jayce was trying to subtly flirt with him. Of course, "covers" could have meant those on a bed, and Al could feel heat rising in his cheeks at the idea. However, the true meaning suddenly struck him; he was being literal. Jayce was asking him to try and find something interesting inside a book. The only books that he knew of, that he could easily check in good time, were Yosxim's...and he suddenly began to wonder if the books had been used to hide small possessions, such as a necklace.

Noting the look of realization across Al's face, Jayce briefly thanked him for the conversation and returned to Dahlia. He made sure to make his approach from behind obvious by commenting on her impeccable navigation before taking her arm.

"Thank you, Jayce," Dahlia said, badly hiding a smirk. "So, anything interesting?"

"Learned kobolds are pretty clever, but mainly stick to a single type of trigger," Jayce shrugged. "I did manage to get my point across, so hopefully that comes up with somethin' interesting soon."

Back behind them, Gauth was still musing about Dahlia's offer. It wasn't uncommon for Yosxim to speak around, or over, Gauth as the gnome planned anything involving the group, so Gauth was happy to take a backseat and just do what he was told, rather than think about anything else. Her offer was a direct contradiction to Yosxim, and she was so kind. There was no doubt that Dahlia was knowledgeable, and had proved as much in her care of Yosxim's wound. And her words were just as big as Yosxim's! Perhaps it would be better to be Dahlia's student…

Gauth's hand clamped around an arm that had been half inside Yosxim's bag, which of course Gauth had been carrying as a favor for his teacher. Expecting to find some random pickpocket, he was absolutely stunned to find he was gripping Al's limb.

"Al?" he asked, almost holding the half-elf high enough to suspend him in the air.

"Uh, I was looking for my canteen," Al winced, trying to grip at his own shoulder to somehow lessen the pain. "I think Yosxim grabbed it by mistake because it's not in my bag."

"Oh." Gauth put him down and they both jogged a bit to catch up to the others. "You could have asked. I would've looked for you."

"I know, but you looked deep in thought. I didn't want to bother you," Al said, rubbing his shoulder. "Mind if I take a quick look?"

Yosxim usually didn't want people rooting through his things, but Al was a friend, and Gauth really did want to just think for a while. "Yes. But be quick. Yosxim might get mad if you're in there."

Al nodded and quickly rifled through the bag as they both walked behind the gnome in question. Yosxim had four books, not counting the one he kept on his person at all times, and Al flipped through all of them, hoping to find a hidden compartment or hollowed out pages, or at the very least a hint for the location of his necklace.

He almost missed it, but hidden in the spine of one of the larger books was a small parchment package, stuck between the leather binding and the cloth that held the glued pages together. He slipped it out, prayed it was what he was looking for, and slipped it into a pocket inside his tunic before closing Yosxim's bag.

"Thanks, big guy," Al smiled, patting Gauth on the arm. Gauth, still deep in thought, said nothing.

"And here we are!"

On cue from Jayce's comment, they all looked up at their destination. The Road's Respite was two stories, small, and rather plain compared to the rest of Kymal, but it did manage to afford some magical glamor on its sign. The image of a bench at the side of the road looked almost real as the flowers around it seemed to sparkle in a way that made them move to some invisible breeze.

Without hesitation, Jayce led Dahlia inside. It almost looked untouched from the general upset the day before, with the exception of a noticeable gap in the arrangement of tables, as one had been damaged badly enough to require removal. Bertrand, still with his grandfatherly smile, was at the bar, talking to another traveler. This one was human, but her clothes were still damp from the rain, and the stories Jayce could barely hear as he walked up included the latest news from Emon to the far west.

"-a new museum, dedicated to the heroes!" the woman was saying as they approached. "It will include artifacts of the old king, and poetry written by his wife and children."

"If only my old bones could travel so far," Bertrand sighed, but still with a smile as he imagined a grand building. "Thank you, miss. I believe that pays for your meal."

"Is he givin' you the same ol' deal?" Jayce laughed, slipping into a seat next to the woman. "I was in here just the other day and got a free meal for stories of the road."

Dahlia sat on the other side of Jayce without comment.

"Well, I can't pass up free!" the woman smiled. "Talk is cheap, as they say."

"And it's good to see you again!" Bertrand said, reaching a hand out to Jayce to shake in greeting, which Jayce accepted. "And you, miss. I was worried about you after those men tossed the place trying to get you."

"I'm fine." Dahlia said flatly.

"Now that sounds like a story!" the woman said, obviously surprised and curious. "What happened?"

Jayce shook his head and his face went dark. "Three men, previous companions of my friend here, threatened to abuse and, as one put it, break her for disobeying them. She ended up in my room for the night, and it turned out our paths aligned for a time. I helped her escape, although I ain't one to spill the secret as to how."

He finished with a wink. The woman, intrigued, leaned toward him, her face curled up in a playful smile.

"I have the feeling you're fishing for a free meal yourself, sir," she said, returning to sitting straight on her bar stool.

"That's actually not my intent," Jayce said with a smile, and then turned to Bertrand. "A meal for five, please, and make sure this one," he indicated Dahlia, "eats herself silly. We'll be sittin' over with the goliath in the corner, and...this should be enough."

Jayce dug into his coin purse and pulled out ten gold coins, which he made sure to drop directly into Bertrand's hand.

Bertrand's eyes went wide. "Sir, this is...this is far too much! You wouldn't have needed half this to cover that much of a meal."

"The rest is a tip, for the trouble some pesky shadows of ours caused," Jayce beamed, already getting up to join the other group. "Think of it as a thanks for yer kindness the other night."

Bertrand tried to stammer some sort of response before just quickly nodding and then running to the back, yelling at someone to get a large meal going. The woman at the bar watched, fascinated, as Jayce nodded a farewell and took Dahlia to the table Yosxim, Gauth, and Al had chosen for their meal.

"So, what's on the menu?" Yosxim asked, clearly annoyed with the choice of venue. "Will it be gruel or mash?"

"Watch your tone," Dahlia hissed, slipping into the seat Jayce had led her too. "The man who owns this place is very kind, and will even put in an extra effort for our meal, unprompted." She turned in her seat to face Yosxim, appearing to stare him down despite being unable to make eye contact. "It's honestly amazing what a little kindness will get you."

Yosxim cleared his throat and failed to meet her gaze, even though it was hidden behind a blindfold. Gauth decided at that moment that he would be Dahlia's student, as Yosxim couldn't even seem to face off with a blind woman...but he kept it to himself. He would tell Yosxim later.

Al fidgeted in his seat, trying to think of some reason to step away. He needed to know what was in that pouch. It had to be his necklace. If it was anything else, he didn't know where to look, or what he would do. He was so close to getting out! He just needed to check that little paper pouch. He could say he forgot something, or needed to pick something up at the market, or…

"Gods, I'm dumb…" Al mumbled to himself, rubbing his face. It was a bit cliche, but it would work.

"What was that?" Jayce asked, turning toward him.

"Just me realizing I should've ducked out to relieve myself before we got here," Al smiled awkwardly. "If nobody minds, I'll be right back."

"Ah. Sure. Food'll probably be here when you get back," Jayce smiled. "If ya find any errant piles of gold, don't get caught bringin' it back."

Al nearly choked on a stifled laugh. That was a new one. "R-right. I'll be careful."

With permission obtained, Al stepped away from the table and headed outside. It was an absolute war of will to fight back his impatience and walk calmly to the alley and find a quiet spot to tuck into and check his pockets. After walking all the way around the Road's Respite, he found a few barrels to hide behind in the back lot, and finally took a moment to breathe. He pulled out the pouch. This was it. Either his freedom, or another red herring.

The little pouch was only folded over at one end; it wasn't even sealed. Al's hands shook. He so desperately wanted his indentured servitude to Yosxim to be over.

He opened it, and tipped it out onto his palm. There was a shifting sound, of small pieces bumping together, like metallic sand sliding through the paper...and a small, silver chained necklace with a flat, plain pendant dropped into his hand. He twisted it over almost frantically, only daring to breathe when he saw the Celestial letters on the back. His necklace. He finally had it back. He was free.

Free to find the man it belonged to, of course. Revenge was a dish best served cold, and he had been searching for quite some time.

And, as luck would have it, his new option for a companion seemed to have the ability to translate anything, so he no longer needed to find someone who happened to know the language of the divine. He wrapped the chain around his fingers, pressed it to his lips for good luck, and slipped it back in the inner pocket of his tunic.

Al was about to drop the pouch and forget about it, but an idea struck him. He scrapped the dirt and pebbles of the cobblestone beneath him until he had a handful of sand and a few small stones, and poured them into the paper pouch. He folded it shut, slipped it into a more normal pocket on his hip, and smiled as he thought of Yosxim opening it someday, down the road, and cursing the heavens above when he learned of the contents.

Al was tempted to run back to the group and shout his freedom at the top of his lungs, but he knew tipping off Yosxim would be a grave mistake. He had to control himself. He had to breathe, calm down, remember the part he was supposed to play. Then, once he could, he would leave Gauth and Yosxim and dedicate himself once more to his mission.

He hoped luck would be with him in the future. Having steeled himself, he returned to the Road's Respite.

Jayce's prediction was spot on, and food was indeed served by the time Al returned. Warm, hearty stew, pillows of fried bread, and a bottle of pleasantly dry wine were all laid out upon the table. Should they require more, which was likely as Gauth was devouring a massive share, the promise of a whole roasted chicken was offered, and Jayce accepted immediately. Dahlia had attempted to pass the meal as stoically as possible, but was unable to put on airs when warm, well seasoned food was finally offered, and she was able to take enough to finally have her fill.

Al tried his hardest to seem as grumpy as he usually seemed to be, but he failed to hide the bounce in his step and Yosxim became suspicious.

"Well, you seem particularly pleased," Yosxim said, only slightly annoyed that the food was actually better than he had originally assumed. "What has you so perky?"

Jayce leaned over and nudged Al, laughing, "I bet it has to do with defeatin' a dragon!"

Al rolled his eyes at the poor attempt at humor. "If you're talking about my private moment, then yes, I'm glad it's over. As for what I'm happy about, I...figured something out, something that had been bothering me for some time. That's all."

"Right…" Yosxim said slowly, scrutinizing Al's face for some sort of clue. Something suspicious was going on, and while Al was the current subject of study, Yosxim knew the cause was that damned green-skinned man and his blind healer. Perhaps they were more trouble than they were worth, and he should move on before they cause any rifts between him and his companions. Until then, the food was actually good, and he was pretty excited about that roast chicken. Not that he showed it on his face. He didn't want to give them the satisfaction.

"So, Jayce," Yosxim asked, barely realizing he was talking around a mouthful of food, "how did you and Lady Dahlia meet?"

Jayce managed to swallow his grimace and put on a pained grin, politely swallowing his food before he spoke. "No offense, sir, but I barely know you; I ain't yet sure you should be privy to that information."

"But I'm sure it's a rousing tale!" Yosxim said, finally swallowing his own food. "The way you dote on her, one might assume you're husband and wife, or at least lovers!"

Dahlia's fork slammed into the table, her shoulders tense and her face the picture of barely restrained anger. Jayce was glad she was taking the attention as he was pretty sure his face was beet red from the shock

"I...am not...some...toy, to be bandied about to any man who deigns to show me even a modicum of kindness!" she spat, her volume barely kept at a comfortable volume. "My physical limitations require serious adaptations or assistance, but just because I have to touch this world to see it, does not mean I fuck everything I touch."

Livid, Dahlia shoved herself up from the table and marched off, heading outside without any assistance and without bumping into a single chair. The whole table was shocked into silence, with every eye turning toward Yosxim.

Yosxim swallowed awkwardly. "I meant no offense! I simply thought the way you cared for her was…" He paused to search for the word. "Loving. But honestly, with outbursts like that-"

"Yosxim, fuck off," Jayce hissed. He also got up from the table, grabbed his bag, and hurried after his friend. He definitely didn't feel embarrassed now.

Jayce didn't have far to go as Dahlia was standing just outside, arms hugging her stomach as she forced herself to breathe deeply. In through her nose, out through her mouth in measured beats. He hesitated, unsure how to approach.

"I know you're there, Jayce."

That answers that.

"I was just worried, is all. Yosxim crossed a line and it ain't right to see you so upset," he said softly, coming up on her left. "And...I hate to even ask, Dahlia, but I feel like there's a story behind that one."

Dahlia's whole body went tight as she nearly folded over herself, as if her stomach was suddenly giving her great pains. Jayce almost recoiled from the visceral reaction. He knew her memory was sharp, but could it actually cause her physical pain?

"I don't want to talk about it," she gasped, fighting to stand up straight again. "I want to go. I want to leave them behind and just...just go. Go to Westruun. Get you to school. And then...move on. Like I always do."

"What?! No!" Jayce grabbed her arm, above the elbow like usual, but this time did not let go when she tried to flinch away. "I know we ain't well acquainted, but like it or not, we're friends! I ain't gonna leave ya in the lurch just because I got what I wanted. You deserve a shot at that too!"

"And what do I want, Jayce?! Do you really know me that well?!" she almost shouted at him, fighting to pull her arm away. He was too strong. She had let him get too close. She couldn't break his grip.

Jayce thought frantically over everything they had been through together, every word he could remember, what amounted to just over twenty-four hours of experience. The realization hit him like a cudgel across the face.

"Dahlia, please, don't run," he said softly, and then he let her go.

Dahlia nearly stumbled a step away from him, catching her footing at the last second. She turned toward Jayce, her body tense and ready to strike...but he deserved a moment, after everything he had done. She hesitated, her feet already turned and ready to sprint away.

"You want to be safe…"

He spoke so softly she almost couldn't hear him over the din of the street.

"...on your terms…"

The tension began to unconsciously fall away. She knew Jayce was talking, but the words were so clear, without the usual roughness of his voice.

"...and you're tired of fighting for it."

She was rooted to the spot. She, herself, didn't know what she wanted, but his words resonated so deeply with her. It made so much sense, and he was right. She was so very tired.

Jayce wanted so badly to comfort her, but how could he comfort someone he couldn't even touch?

"I can't…" Jayce fought with himself. Of all the times to have the right words, please let it be now. "I can't even imagine what you've been through. Even if you've only been fightin' since you were blind, that's still decades. That's a far part longer than I've been alive. Damn straight ya've got a right to be tired."

Dahlia began to close off again, to shrink in front of his eyes. How many people had taken advantage of her? How many people had demanded more than she wanted to give? Just how much did she risk, that first night, when she offered to thank him?

He had so many questions, but no idea how to ask them. He was also in a very public place with Dahlia having a breakdown. She was being quiet about it, but she was also starting to gather attention, and Jayce was suddenly struck with the thought that Malcolm, Sylas, and Gren might still be in town, and listening for incidents involving Dahlia's particular quirks.

"What's happened to Dahlia?"

Jayce whipped around, startled, to see Gauth and Al in the doorway of the Road's Respite. Al looked unsurprised, but concerned, while Gauth looked worried and seemed to be only just restraining himself from reaching out.

"She's just sick. Somethin' ain't sittin' right with her. I figure the rations we had this mornin' were about ready to be tossed out." Jayce sighed. "She ain't a fan of bein' touched, so she's takin' a moment, rather than lettin' me get her to a room."

"If you say so…" Al mumbled, wondering if that really was the case, or if Dahlia was having another...moment, like in the cave. "Oh, and I should mention, Gauth and I just quit. Yosxim's having a tantrum in the tavern right now."

Jayce was shocked. "You're jokin'. That fast?"

"If he follows…" Gauth cracked his knuckles and let their imaginations fill in the gaps. "He has a whole chicken to himself. A parting gift."

"Honestly, I almost made off with one of the legs, but Gauth insisted," Al huffed.

"Well, I'm happy for you both," Jayce said, too drained to really look enthusiastic about it. "The road's yours."

"Actually, if it's all the same, we'd like to travel with you, at least for a while," Al said, fidgeting behind his back. "I know Gauth wants to learn how to read, and I'm interested in what my necklace says."

"I did...promise to take you...as a student…" Dahlia wheezed, starting to unfurl herself.

"Thank the gods…" Jayce mumbled. He turned to her. "You alright, Dahlia?"

"No, but...I'll be okay soon," she replied, still breathing hard. "I would...appreciate a place to stay...for the night. Then...we'll travel in the morning?"

"More'n fair," Jayce smiled. "Al, Gauth, let's find a place to stay, and rooms ain't a problem; I'll cover it."

"That's really generous, but you don't have to," Al said. "We got some saved up on our own, and-"

"You will regret this!" Yosxim screeched from the tavern's doorway. "The world will not accept you as I have! You'll be lost without me!"

Jayce, already fed up with the gnome, presented his middle digit at the diminutive man, grabbed Dahlia's elbow, and started walking her down the street. Gauth and Al followed, both in step and suit, presenting their own rude gestures at the gnome.

"Based on how he's screaming, I'm going to assume you were really rude," Dahlia said as they walked down the road, although Jayce was able to catch the edge of a smile in her voice.

"Absolutely," Jayce smiled, feeling strangely proud of himself. "Sonuva bitch deserved it."

"You won't hear me argue…"

Jayce looked her over. Dahlia looked so tired. Perhaps it was worth getting a higher quality room for the night.

"Hey, Al, Gauth, how long've you two been in town?" Jayce asked, looking over his shoulder.

Al jogged to catch up to Jayce and walked at his side. "Little over a week. Why?"

"Know of any good inns? I ain't interested in anythin' too fancy, just somethin' with soft beds." Jayce glanced at Dahlia and then turned back to Al. "I figure after the mines, we could all use a treat."

"You just want to spoil our healer!" Gauth laughed.

"I'll admit, that thought did cross my mind." Jayce grinned at the goliath. "Sharp eyes there!"

"I may be simple, but I do catch on," Gauth smiled. "Al, what was that place Yosxim wanted to stay at?"

"The Velvet Chateau. Each room was two gold! I protested. Pretty sure all that money was coming out of my share." Al huffed and crossed his arms.

"You think everything is coming out of your share," Gauth teased, ruffling Al's hair. Al attempted to bat away Gauth's massive arm, but failed miserably, causing the goliath to laugh more.

"Well, that's what I would do! I hate spending money, especially when it's mine."

Jayce did his best to watch them as they walked along the road, but it was difficult as Gauth was walking behind them. "You two almost seem like different people now. Did Yosxim bother ya both that much?"

"I hate him," Al grunted, then spat to the side of the road. "What he did to take advantage of my skills is almost unforgivable."

"And I realized I didn't learn much when I was supposed to be his student," Gauth said quietly. "I learned some numbers, but after a year, I still can't read."

"Now that ain't right. Soon as we get our rooms, I'll get ya started on that," Jayce said. "Just gotta find those rooms."

"Are you interested in the Velvet Chateau?" Al asked, looking around for inspiration.

"It kinda sounds like a place that provides company, and I'm more interested in sleep," Jayce said.

"That's a funny thing to say just after noon," Al teased. "Although, having dealt with Yosxim for months, I can understand the sentiment."

They turned a corner on the street, and a small troupe of street performers were playing a band arrangement of a recently popular bardic piece. Jayce was nearly pulled backward as he realized only a second too late that Dahlia had stopped walking to listen.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry," she mumbled, trying to get back into step with him, but by that point Jayce had come to a stop as well.

"Hey, is that a Shorthalt piece?" Al asked, craning his neck to more easily hear over the noise of the street. "Which one is that?"

"'I Wish I Saved a Wish for Thee'," Dahlia answered without hesitation.

"Wow. A fan of the famous bard?" Al asked, genuinely impressed.

"Music in general…" Dahlia mumbled.

"I see our lodgings!" Gauth announced, pointing over the crowd. "The sign is a pillow!"

Al and Jayce glanced over to spot the sign in question, which belonged to an inn called "Downy Dreams." The front of the building was painted in white, light blue, and lavender, with golden filigree delicately etched along the wooden supports like metallic flowering vines. Potted plants, such as lemon button ferns and daisies of multiple colors, lined the doors and sat beneath every window.

"There certainly seems to be a lot of inns in this town…" Al mumbled, wondering if he really wanted to walk into a place that was so bright and delicate. It really did look like it would be soft and comfortable, but it seemed so...feminine.

Jayce shrugged. "Probably because a lot of people head this way to gamble."

"So what inn is this?" Dahlia asked.

"A place called Downy Dreams. It's painted white and blue and light purple, and there's flowers by the door and every window. Even got gold flowers painted on the beams," Jayce said, looking over the facade again. "If any place is gonna have a soft bed, this sounds like it."

"I'll, uh, pop in and see if they have something more Gauth sized, and what the price for the rooms are." Al braced himself for an overly feminine interior and briefly wondered if being blind was preferable in a place like this. He ducked inside.

"That was nice of him." Jayce was surprised. With Al's dark clothes and grumpy demeanor, he almost assumed the half-elf would avoid a place like Downy Dreams like the plague.

"Al is a good person. He is easily frustrated, but clever and loyal," Gauth said, looking after his friend. "And he is obsessed with gold. I think this is something all thieves do."

"Oh, so he is a thief," Jayce smirked. He had figured as much.

"Al prefers a different name, but I can't remember it."

"Probably rogue," Dahlia cut in. "As it also describes a well-rounded, entertaining, and sly individual, usually male, it carries less negative connotation than 'thief'."

Gauth tilted his head. "What is 'negative connotation'?"

"It means a bad meaning, but not a meaning you'd find in a diction- I mean, a book that defines words," Dahlia responded, obviously unsure how simple she should make her speech. "Like if I said 'I smashed that glass', it sounds like I was angry, but if I said 'I chipped that glass', it sounds like an accident. Both mean I broke the glass, but the connotation, the implied feeling of the word, is different."

Gauth nodded slowly, internalizing the lesson. This was already better. If Gauth didn't understand a word and asked Yosxim about it, Yosxim would usually tell him it would be defined later, when he had time. Later would almost never come.

Al returned, looking shocked, almost as if he had seen a ghost.

"What happened to you?" Jayce asked, resisting the urge to laugh at his rather entertaining expression.

"We need to sleep here," Al said gravely, looking over his companions.

"Okay, why?" Jayce said, chuckling.

"They gave me a pillow to try. It's so damn soft! It was like holding a cloud made of silk and satin. It just formed right to me! It's five gold a room, but by the gods those pillows are amazing!" Al hugged himself at the thought, then coughed awkwardly when he noticed and pretended he was just crossing his arms.

Gauth chuckled at his friend's weak moment but said nothing.

"Well, I'm intrigued," Dahlia said, her body still visibly exhausted with her shoulders slumped. "I don't think I've ever held a pillow that felt like a cloud."

"And, considerin' our current funds, we've got some to spare," Jayce mumbled, thinking it over. There may have been half a day left, but he was really concerned Dahlia would need rest, and the idea of hitting the road in the morning definitely seemed like the better plan. "Speakin' of funds, how're you two on stores?"

"I...don't understand," Gauth grimaced.

"He's asking how much gold we have on hand. I'm pretty sure Gauth and I have about thirty each," Al said, jumping in so Gauth wouldn't have to strain himself. Of course, he actually knew Gauth had exactly thirty-two gold pieces due to his morning check of the goliath's pockets. He himself had closer to fifty, but it wasn't that much of a stretch and he'd like to have some buffer to his own budget.

Jayce nodded. "I'll buy rooms tonight. You and Gauth head off and get rations or whatever you need for the road; we'll be travelling about two weeks to get to Westruun, and it's all through the Dividing Plains. My map ain't got anything on it between here and the city, so better be prepared for a fortnight on the road. Oh! And, if ya find a good one, grab a bedroll for Dahlia. Her previous crew didn't think she needed one, and that's gotta be fixed."

"Honestly, I can sleep sitting up. It's fine," Dahlia mumbled.

"You're fucking kidding me," Al said. "After we saw what she could do, her last group had her sleep sitting up? Did they even care if they ended up dead because she was exhausted?"

"Please, Al, it's no big deal. I-"

Jayce patted her arm to interrupt her. "She said it herself; she has to help when she can. Her last crew took advantage of that, and we ain't gonna do the same, so grab some gear for her and I'll pay ya back."

"You guys really don't need to-"

"Dahlia, I ain't gonna take a no for an answer. We're gettin' you gear," Jayce said. Happy healers were good healers, after all.

"Well, technically, Gauth and I are getting you gear. Jayce is getting you a bed," Al smiled, crossing his arms.

"Al, I'm payin' ya back. So in a sense, you're usin' my money, so I'm gettin' her the gear," Jayce smirked.

"It seems to me you're both trying to seem better for Dahlia," Gauth also smiled. "So, if you both get stabbed, which one will she help first?"

"Can we not talk about that right now?" Dahlia asked, sighing with annoyance. She really wanted to sleep.

"I'll get her a really great bedroll, and then it'll be me," Al whispered to Jayce.

"I'm already her friend, asshole," Jayce whispered back, snickering.

Gauth rolled his eyes, clamped a hand on Al's shoulder, and yanked him away. "We will return!" he called over his shoulder, heading off to find food for the road and, what he had thought was essential, travelling gear for Dahlia. He couldn't believe anyone would force any person, let alone someone he would have to rely on, to sleep sitting up, night after night on the road.

After watching them leave, Jayce took Dahlia inside. It was just as bright and soft inside as it seemed on the outside, with overstuffed chairs scattered about for those who were waiting for service and a warm fire crackling cheerily in a cobblestone fireplace. More potted plants added soft edges to the corners and filled the room with the gentle fragrance of flowers.

"I like how this place smells," Dahlia said absentmindedly.

"Eh, it's got its charms," Jayce smiled, taking her over to one of the chairs. "You sit an' rest a bit. I'll get rooms."

Dahlia reached out and found the edge of the chair, her fingers squeezing the forgiving plush of the chair arm. "Wow. What kind of chair is this?"

"A believe it's called 'overstuffed' for a reason," Jayce chuckled, watching her explore the edges of the chair. He wondered what it was like, having to physically build the world in her mind, rather than just seeing the world like he did.

Dahlia found the edges that defined the chair and gladly sat, marveling at how she sank into it. Just from the mental exhaustion of fighting off her own mind, she felt herself begin to nod off almost immediately.

Jayce noticed, despite her face being half covered with the blindfold. "Am I gonna have t' carry ya to bed?" he chuckled.

"I'm sorry, really!" Dahlia twitched, immediately sitting up. "I'll walk myself to bed. And, I should have mentioned this earlier, but when possible, I'd like my own room. If it's not too much trouble. And I'll pay for it! I'm not expecting a handout."

Jayce sat in a chair next to hers and leaned on his knees, his fingers intertwined. If it was anyone else, he wouldn't have given her words a second thought, but he already knew she harbored a darkness that constantly threw her mind into war. He paused, parsing through her words. Which ones were her, and which ones were that...demon?

"Payin' for yer own room's fair," he said softly, trying to sound encouraging. "Honestly, that was the plan anyway, you havin' yer own room. I've been stressin' your trust enough as it is, and I went too far earlier, when I thought you'd run. I should've trusted you."

"I'm sorry about that," she mumbled, hugging herself again. Jayce was briefly concerned she'd fold into herself again, but she seemed to remain lucid. "Yosxim...I wasn't prepared to deal with him. His way of speaking was far less direct than my previous companions, which, admittedly isn't much...but it was enough to make it difficult to deal with him."

"Yeah, about that," Jayce huffed, wondering if saying the questions on his mind was going, once again, a step too far. "How'd you survive with those assholes, foldin' into yourself like that? I can't imagine they took it well."

"Do you remember how I said I tried to pace myself?"

Jayce's face went dark as he realized the implications of her words. His past was no cakewalk either, and he somehow survived it with a smile, but he didn't have a demon to deal with.

"I know it's part of yer vow 'n all, but I want to thank ya for being so candid with me." He spoke softly, not really sure how to take the new information. "Let's get the rooms, and you can rest for the journey tomorrow. I wouldn't mind a long chat with Al and Gauth, to see what kinda people they are."

"Especially if they're going to be sharing the road with us," Dahlia nodded. "Al said the room was five gold, right? Please take mine out of my share."

"If you insist. I'll be right back with the room keys," Jayce said, standing up. "You rest."

Dahlia nodded, and Jayce headed to the long maple desk across from the door. A young human woman, with a light red tint to her brown hair, was busy working at a ledger as he walked up.

"Afternoon, ma'am," Jayce smiled, his hand up in greeting as he approached. He secretly hoped she didn't make a big deal about his heritage.

The woman looked up and immediately put on a generic smile. "Good afternoon! Are you here to inquire about a room? We have several available, and we are within a comfortable distance of the Maiden's Kiss, as well as the Dragon's Hoard if you prefer a change of venue. And, available to anyone who purchases a room, a meditation garden with shrines to all the major deities are available in the courtyard in the center of the building. Please, let me know how I can help you!"

Jayce had to pause. That was far more information than he was expecting, and his shock must have been evident because she quickly continued.

"The rooms are five gold each, sir. How many can I assign to you today?"

Jayce recovered quickly. "Uh, three. One with two beds, if ya can. An' for one of the beds, the guy takin' it is about seven feet tall. Could ya make that work?"

The woman finally had an expression beyond generically friendly. "Oh! That's...a challenge. I don't think any of the beds accommodate that size, but I could provide extra pillows to pad the footboard...if that would work."

"Famously. Thank ya kindly," Jayce smiled, pulling out the coins. "Fifteen gold."

He made sure to be polite and place them in the woman's hand, which she seemed to appreciate. She handed him the ledger and Jayce wrote in the names of himself and his companions, and when he finished, she handed him three small brass keys etched with numbers.

"The even number has the additional bed," she said with that nondescript smile. "Sweet and downy dreams, good sir."

Jayce thanked her again and walked back to Dahlia, honestly surprised she had been so pleasant. He did catch she had mumbled something under her breath, but he gave her the benefit of the doubt and tapped on Dahlia's lower arm.

"Huh?" She twitched, obviously startled. Perhaps she had nodded off.

"Apologies, ma'am," he smiled, trying not to laugh a bit. "I've got yer room key. You keen on...nine, or eleven?

"I'm going to assume the lower number is closer to the stairs, in which case I'd prefer nine," she replied. "And is it alright if I stop by the desk? I'd like to ask for some things sent up to my room."

"That's fine. My arm's next to yours." He held out his arm and waited until Dahlia was both standing and solidly gripping his arm above the elbow, and then led her to the front desk.

"Ma'am?"

The young woman immediately looked back up and gave that same generic smile. "Yes, sir?"

"My friend would like to order a few things for her room. Can she do that here?"

The woman quickly suppressed a grimace, but Jayce still caught it. It took a sheer force of will not to react unfavorably to the crack in her otherwise ironclad facade.

"Absolutely. What will your friend require?"

Jayce stepped to the side so Dahlia could speak up for herself. The woman's demeanor quickly changed the second she saw Dahlia was blind, and the woman swallowed nervously.

"Could I order a bath and a bottle of very dark wine, please? Something made from a local berry, if possible, rather than a typical red," Dahlia asked. "Plum is a particular favorite, but I'm not picky."

Jayce's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he looked at her. "I'm shocked. I thought you didn't drink," he said.

"I don't drink beer. I can't stand the taste of hops," she explained.

"Ah. Makes sense."

The woman cleared her throat. "While you can order a bath, it's not...exactly our typical procedure to set up the bath in one of the rooms. We do have a private bathing suite you can rent for an hour…" She paused, looking over Dahlia, and then sighed. "But seeing as traveling to and from your room will be more of a challenge than is typical for our guests… I'll speak to my mother, and see if a tub can be brought to your room."

"Thank you, honestly. How much do I owe you for both?"

The woman did some quick figures in her head. "Twelve for the bottle, and three for the bath...so another fifteen."

Dahlia nodded. "Thank you. Jayce, I believe you're still carrying my share."

Jayce nodded back and pulled out the money for her. "Soon as I get ya to your room, I'll hand it over."

"Thank you, Jayce. I've been keeping track if you need a total."

"Alright, that's all I need, save for the room number. Which room will you be using?" the woman cut in.

"Room nine, thank you," Dahlia replied.

"Perfect. If you'd head up, I'll send the wine up shortly, as well as news on the bath." She held out her hand to their right. "The stairs are behind that door. Please enjoy your stay, and have sweet and downy dreams."

Jayce fought valiantly to keep from laughing as he led an obviously confused Dahlia to the stairs.

"'Sweet and downy dreams'? What was that all about?" Dahlia asked, once again having to pull Jayce back to stop him from climbing the stairs before she was ready. "And why are you giggling so much?"

"Pretty sure she's required t' say that," Jayce snickered, feeling bad that he forgot about Dahlia's issue with stairs but otherwise in a good mood. "The place is the Downy Dream, remember?"

"Ugh. Talk about branding," Dahlia gagged. "Although, it will be nice to get a bath. It's been a while."

"Eh, might get one myself," Jayce shrugged. "Depends on if I feel I really need it after the other two get back."

"I'd offer to share mine, but I barely know you. I don't even know what you look like...except for the right side of your face."

Jayce cleared his throat awkwardly at the thought of sharing a bath with Dahlia, but then he grew curious. "You'd need t' touch my face, right? To 'see' me?"

Dahlia hummed an affirmative. "It's not required. I know your voice well enough, and that's really all I need."

They reached the second floor, and Jayce noted the odd numbered rooms were all on the left, and the even numbered ones were all on the right.

He turned to her. "Would ya like to?"

Dahlia stammered something under her breath, turning away. She seemed embarrassed, flustered. Was she just one of those people who didn't blush?

"What was that?" he asked, walking toward room nine. It was closer to the stairs, as she had assumed.

"No offense, but I don't trust you that much. Maybe...some later day, I'll ask to 'see' you, but for now, your voice is enough."

Jayce nodded, unlocking Dahlia's room and opening the door. "That's fair."

The room was clean and soft, with an actual desk and padded chair in addition to a plush, heavily quilted bed and set of drawers, complete with a washing basin and a pitcher of fresh water. The curtain-framed window was quite large, and even opened, revealing a window box full of flowers and the meditation garden below. The lamp in this room was free standing on the desk, and Jayce made sure to mention all of it.

"Although I'm pretty sure the mirror by the washing basin is pretty much useless to you," he smiled.

"In fact, that particular piece of furniture is useless to me," Dahlia smiled back, "but thank you for describing the room. I should be refreshed and ready to go by tomorrow."

"Well, if I saw the numbers right, I'll be right across the hall," Jayce said, stepping away to give her some space. "You need anything, stop by. Or, if the bath was particularly good, feel free to let me know so I can order one."

Dahlia suppressed a chuckle. "If it really is above and beyond, I'll let you know."

"Thanks. I'll see ya tomorrow." It seemed odd to say goodnight so early in the afternoon. "I'll leave your key on the desk. Oh, and there's a box of flowers outside yer window. Might be nice to open it, even if it's a bit chilly right now."

With that, Jayce turned and left, and Dahlia set about learning the dimensions of the room. The bed was soft and smelled clean, the water pitcher was full, the lamp was oil based and unlit, the desk even had parchment and ink provided. She was impressed. Perhaps the room was worth the five gold, as exorbitant as that seemed.

She still couldn't believe Jayce had made such a big deal about her comfort. Her comfort wasn't that important. She wasn't that important. More often than not, she didn't even need to sleep a full eight hours; she could comfortably get by with half that, and was actually shocked to learn most races needed eight hours or more to rest at night, as that was not typical of the elves.

Dahlia pulled off her shoulder bag and placed it on the padded chair before heading to the window. It took some searching to find the latch, but she was able to unlock and open the window, which, confusingly, opened inward. Immediately the room was filled with the wafting scent of flowers and damp earth, and she sighed contentedly as she took a moment to bathe in the breeze.

A knock at the door startled her deeply, and she scrambled to shut the window. "I'll be right there!" she called, fumbling with the latch on the window. Once that was in place, she jogged to the door, but in her haste miscalculated the distance between the desk and the chair and crashed into it. She stumbled hard and yelped in pain as she slammed her knee into the floor.

The lock immediately clattered as some sort of master key was jammed in and forcefully turned. Dahlia managed to get into a kneeling position where she could nurse her knee before the door was yanked open.

"Are you okay?!" a male voice called into the room. Dahlia made a guess he was one of the staff of the inn.

"Just...a little bruised," she winced. "I'm sorry. I forgot I had pulled the chair out and, well, didn't see it."

"Oh," the voice said, surprised. She could hear his footsteps wander into the room until he was just a few feet from her. "Do you need help getting up?"

"I'll be okay," Dahlia said, awkwardly rising to stand. "Thank you for your concern. Are you here to drop off the wine or the bath?"

"Both, miss." The footsteps retreated back to the hall and returned with the subtle scratch of something wooden rolling across the floor. "It's not as fancy as the brass tubs we rent downstairs, but it will be private, and you won't have to wander around to find it."

"Thank you. And where is the wine?" She hadn't heard the man put it down yet, but that may have been because they were talking.

The wooden tub clattered to the floor and the man swore under his breath. "It's on the-!" His breath caught as he realised he was being short with a guest, and Dahlia heard him take a deep breath to calm himself. "It's on the desk, ma'am. Uh, next to your hand."

Dahlia began patting the desk, trying to find the bottle's exact location, but it wasn't as close to her hand as she had assumed.

"Uh, farther to the left- No, sorry, my left. Uh, little farther…"

Just give me a measurement. I don't care if it's wrong! She was so tempted to scream at him. She was reaching right, farther and farther, as he had commented an actual left was incorrect. She found the edge of the desk before she found the bottle, which was apparently to her left, as she had assumed before.

After finally finding the bottle more from a wild guess than his instruction, she easily caught his snicker of amusement. Dahlia was so tempted to throw the bottle at him. She already knew exactly where he was standing. It would be so easy.

"If you'll be patient, I'll have the water ferried up," the man said, snickering under his breath.

"Actually, please don't bother." Dahlia slid out her foot until she bumped the side of the wooden tub, and then walked over to the washing basin and picked up the pitcher. "I can handle it."

She dunked her hand in the pitcher and flicked droplets of water toward the basin, whispering the elven word for "rain". A surge of water dropped in a deluge from a thin wisp of cloud that instantly formed above the bathtub, splashing enough to threaten a mess, but thankfully stayed entirely within the wooden basin.

The man swore and Dahlia heard him crash into the wall next to the doorframe.

"Now if you don't mind," Dahlia smiled to herself, imagining his discomfort for her own amusement, "I'd like to take a bath. And, if you are expedient in your retrieval of some scented soap, I won't mention your abhorrent behavior to the lady at the front desk, and her mother."

"If you could find the front desk," the man mumbled, the doorknob shuddering as he grabbed for it.

"Step into the hall, turn right, nineteen steps to the stairs, eight stairs down, two steps forward, open the door, turn left, desk straight ahead."

The door was ripped open and a pair of feet pattered down the hall in extreme haste. Dahlia sighed, kept a hand out for the edge of the tub, and headed over to the door to close it. As soon as the door was closed, she paused, rubbing a thumb into her palm. Soon, she could lock the door and have some privacy. She could pull the curtain, darken the room, finally take off her stifling clothes and that damnedable paint. And then, after she had her moment to let her body breathe, she would put it all back on, and that wine would recolor her hair. Or...maybe in the morning, after she slept. She already knew she wouldn't sleep all night. She'd have plenty of time.

She forgot to ask what kind of wine the man brought. She sighed. That might make for some awkward questions tomorrow.

XxXxX

Jayce settled into one of the overstuffed chairs and waited for Al and Gauth to return. It really was the softest chair he had ever sat in, and it was a moment he planned to thoroughly enjoy until his new companions arrived. Then he swore to himself, because he had forgotten to leave Dahlia's share with her.

He picked up his bag and dug through it for his journal. He wasn't quite good at remembering to make writing in it a daily habit, but the paper was useful for organizing his thoughts when things got complex. He began with some math to figure out exactly how much Dahlia was owed from the total share, and the effort of remembering the purchases of the day quickly passed the time.

"Jayce! Writing a bestselling novel?"

Jayce badly suppressed a laugh at the surprise and looked up from his work to see Al and Gauth, the latter holding a deep green woolen bedroll, walking into the Downy Dream.

"If only," he smiled, closing the book and slipping it back into his bag. "Just doin' some math. How much was the bedroll?"

"Five gold-"

Gauth nudged Al hard enough to throw him off balance and he had to stumble to stay standing.

"One gold," Al muttered.

"Sounds about right. Nice t' know your friend can keep you in line." Jayce smirked and dug into his coin purse and tossed the gold to Al, who easily caught it and slipped it into his own purse. "Got yer keys, too. One room's a single, one's a double. Who's bunking with who?"

Al suddenly took a deep interest in the fascinating decorations of the Downy Dream's interior.

"I would like to have my own room," Gauth smiled, obviously excited at the idea, but then turned serious. "I snore. Loudly. Often. I am a terrible bedmate."

Al was honestly surprised. Gauth spoke with such conviction he actually sounded like he was telling the truth. As far as he could remember, Yosxim was the one who snored, and he often just blamed it on the goliath.

"Seems like you 'n I are roommates," Jayce said, standing up and shouldering his pack. "Hope ya don't mind, but I'll keep the key on me. Gauth, here's the key for your room."

The key was comically small in Gauth's massive hand, which caused the goliath to hesitate. "Perhaps you should keep it, Jayce. I may lose such a small thing."

Jayce shrugged and took it back, slipping it into an inner pocket of his coat with the other key. "Sounds fair t' me." He turned to Al. "So you n' me'll be sleepin' together tonight."

Al nearly choked on his own saliva at the thought but managed to keep a straight face. That night at the mine was still haunting him. He just had to remember that Jayce was half an orc. Half a monster. There was nothing attractive about yellow, slitted eyes and sickly green skin.

Although Jayce was missing the signature tusks of his race. That was odd, in and of itself. He'd have to ask about that.

"Yep. Yes we will. And that's half the day away from now so what's the plan until then?"

Jayce's eyebrow raised in curiosity. Al said that rather quickly.

"The...plan...is up for discussion." Jayce gave Al a rather intense look. The man was acting very suspiciously. What was he planning? Maybe sharing a room with the thief was a bad idea. "Dinner'll have to happen eventually, but beyond that, I ain't gonna put limits on what ya can and can't do. We are in Kymal; You wanna gamble? That's fine with me. I just ain't lendin' ya anything beyond the rooms I bought for the night. Only thing I wanna know is if you're comin' with us, and if so, I wouldn't mind a heart to heart to know who's gonna be sharin' the road with me."

"That's fine, as long as it goes both ways, Jayce," Al said, crossing his arms. "You'll have to answer our questions, too."

"So that makes me think yer plannin' on joinin' us." Jayce said, shifting his focus to Gauth. "Is that the plan?"

"I am Dahlia's student, and you are supposed to teach me to read. I'm not so stupid to think you could do that if I left," Gauth growled.

"Just makin' sure!" Jayce said quickly, his hands up to show he meant no offense. "Al?"

"I'll admit, I'm kind of fond of Gauth by now, but we'll see if I stick around after you translate my necklace."

"Which I can do now." Jayce held out his hand to Al, palm up.

Al almost couldn't believe it could be over that quickly. He pulled out the necklace but held it firmly, not willing to give it up. He made that mistake once. Al wasn't keen on making that mistake again.

"You can read it from here, if you're that good at translation," Al said, turning the Celestial phrase toward Jayce.

Jayce shrugged and looked it over. Once again, the letters swam and shifted, settling into the common language of Tal'Dorei.

"Child of the chains, speak my name; My will is revealed to the faithful." Jayce stood back up and shook his head. "If that ain't cryptic, I don't know what is."

"Holy shit. Is that really it? That's all it says?" That ordeal was over so quickly Al's head was almost spinning. He could leave.

"Well, I ain't big on the subtlety of Celestial, but that's what it says," Jayce said, crossing his arms. "Ya want a second opinion? Pretty sure there's at least one expert in Westruun. I'm headed there anyway to get an opinion or two on a personal matter, so that's my plan."

"Then I'll follow," Gauth cut in. "And Al will come too."

"Guess that was decided for me," Al chuckled. It was like a burden was lifted from his shoulders. Finally, he could make progress; after so very long, he could take a step forward in his search. It wouldn't be too much trouble to lend a hand, after Jayce had so freely helped him, both with the translation and his previous employment troubles. It was only fair.

"Great. So this'll be our last day in Kymal. Anythin' ya wanna do before we leave?"

"Jayce, you really do have the strangest accent." Al said. "Where are you from?"

Jayce shrugged again. "Lucidean coast. Worked as a sailor for a while, came inland when I needed that opinion."

"Oh," Al mumbled, thinking over a mental map of Tal'Dorei. "If you were heading to Westruun, why didn't you take the Silvercut Roadway there? Doesn't that go straight to Westruun?"

Jayce grimaced and Gauth burst out laughing. "You got lost!" he teased.

"Okay, fuck you, and yeah, I did. I got a map now, so I'll be fine!" Jayce grunted, huffing in frustration and turning away from the two of them. "Turns out, I'd be a shit navigator. Good thing I got you two assholes to show me the way!"

Gauth couldn't believe it. Learning to navigate the land was expected of his clan, to the same degree a parent would expect their child to learn to speak. The fact that there was a being, an adult no less, who was less learned than him in such a basic skill was hilarious.

"Sounds like yer giant's got the giggles, Al," Jayce huffed, still annoyed.

"I don't blame him," Al snickered. "Although I'll cut you some slack; I imagine navigating on land is so very different from navigating the seas. Anyway, plans! I say we are in Kymal, we might as well gamble once. There's also the issue of dinner at some point, and as it's likely going to be one of our last hot meals for a while, I don't want to skip it."

"I'll come along for the ride, but I ain't gonna gamble. I just got a small fortune, I ain't about to burn through it," Jayce said.

"But you could get a bigger fortune!" Al smiled. "Think about it; get enough, and you could stay in a place like this every night!"

"Yeah, and I make the wrong bet, an' I'm sleepin' on the street," Jayce said, obviously annoyed.

"We're in Kymal. It's practically a law to gamble before you leave," Al said, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "Besides, the rooms are already paid for, so you won't sleep on the street."

Gauth started to pick up on Al's energy, and began enthusiastically nodding his agreement. Subjected to peer pressure, Jayce finally relented, deciding it would be easier to agree and just come along rather than continue to say no.

"Fine! We'll go gamble. But I ain't makin' a single fuckin' bet!"

A mischievous grin was already crawling across Al's face. "If you say so…!" he snickered.

XxXxX

The Maiden's Kiss was as opulent as they come, with deep red carpets, gilded columns, and dark foliage in massive marble planters hiding the dust and grime building up in the corners. Magical lights lit up not only the great chandelier in the middle of the gambling hall, nearly three stories above the patrons below, but also as dancing lights, shaped like pastel fae butterflies, flitted about the tables, illuminating the faces of intense concentration.

Despite his absolute confusion as to how he arrived in his current situation, Jayce was the picture of stoic boredom as he slid his first card to his seat, being absolutely careful to keep the number private. It wasn't a good one, but it would be a terrible idea to let his opponent know that.

The man opposite him was an infamous high roller, a human man named Vincentius Folkher, who had made the Maiden's Kiss his stomping ground of choice. Jayce wondered if the name was as fake as the man's smile. Despite a scrutinizing look, Vincentius was hard to read, so Jayce had little clue if that man's first card was any better than his.

Vincentius peeked at his card, his eyes obviously drifting across Jayce's own face and relaxed pose. Jayce felt as if the man was trying to scrape away an outer layer of indifference just with his gaze.

Vincentius wordlessly added twenty-five gold to the pot. Jayce smirked with confidence and did the same. It was subtle, but Jayce thought he saw the man grimace, ever so briefly.

The dealer drew the next cards, and it felt as if the silence in the room was stifling. Sounds of revelry and of fortunes won and lost could be heard, but the crowd around the table kept their breath to themselves, creating an almost palpable bubble of muted sound around the players. Jayce's eyes narrowed as he watched his opponent. Vincentius's card must have been a good one, because the man's eye twitched in the subtlest of mouthless smiles. Jayce had to fight to keep from giving his own card away, as it was, unfortunately, the lowest number he could get. As far as he could tell, his ruse was successful.

The game had simple rules, but that didn't change the fact that it was popular as a vehicle for gambling. Three cards, with the option to redraw one after the third reveal, and the highest total number was the winner. Simple. If only Jayce hadn't drawn a three and a one as the first two cards. His opponent had every chance to beat him.

He could see why the game was called King's Folly.

Vincentius rolled a coin across his knuckles, still staring Jayce down. If the half-orc won the game, not only would he absolve the debt of the half-elf in dark clothes, he'd also walk away with a cool two-thousand gold...not to mention what was being thrown on the table now. If that cocky green man lost, Vincentius' own fortunes would get a well needed shot of vitality to continue his career in Tal'Dorei's most prominent gambling house. He could afford to lose, but he very much did not want to.

Vincentius tossed another twenty-five gold on the table, his eyes digging for any sort of clue as to Jayce's cards. The half-orc was nearly impossible to read as he nonchalantly placed a matching amount. He was matching, but he was playing it safe. He wasn't adding anything to the pot. Perhaps Vincentius had the winning cards.

The dealer passed out the final cards, and each player took a peek. They both took a moment to consider their hand, and then pass back a card to redraw. New cards were handed out, and the men looked them over.

Al was watching and fidgeting in a panic, far off to the side as he had been forcefully removed from the front line of the spectators. Gauth was at his side, patting his friend's shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting manner.

Jayce felt his face wince and inwardly cursed. He had replaced his one pip card with another one pip card. He knew Vincentius had noticed because the man now sported a rather smug smile.

"It seems I'll be walking away with a fortune," Vincentius bragged. "I happen to be good friends with the guard; should I ask them to prepare the good cells for you? I've heard debtors' prison isn't all that bad, just, well, stifling."

"I ain't outta funds," Jayce smiled, placing his cards face down. "Are ya goin' to raise, or just brag about the money ya ain't won yet?"

Vincentius' jaw went tight, although his face stayed stoic and still. He placed one hundred gold on the table.

"It's okay to fold," he said to Jayce. "I understand if someone like you doesn't have the money."

Jayce tossed the money on the table, inwardly lamenting the lost gold. He had to think of something. "Good thing I ain't typical."

The dealer stood up. "Sirs, please reveal your cards."

Vincentius had a total of twelve. Jayce had a total of five.

Vincentius' stoney exterior finally broke as he scooped all of the money toward his seat, visibly smug. "Well, it seems I'm the winner today. It was a pleasure-"

Jayce stood and dropped his knapsack on the table, making a very audible thud against the velvet surface. The whole crowd went still.

"I've got one last bet, for everythin'. Everythin' I just bet, everythin' my friend lost...and a way to carry all that money out without gettin' mugged, in exchange for my last ace. Interested?"

Vincentius rubbed his chin, thoughtful about the offer. Jayce sounded desperate. He looked desperate...but Vincentius had gotten this far by being wise to the ways of card sharks. However...Jayce didn't seem to be a card shark. He just looked out of place and irritated that he was being subjected to this public display of gambling. Whatever he decided to throw in, it was obviously valuable, perhaps more so than anything he had offered so far. Maybe it was worth the risk.

"I won't accept until I see what I'm in for," Vincentius huffed, crossing his arms. How far could he push this half-orc interloper?

"Suit yerself." Jayce opened the knapsack, theatrically slow, pointed at Vincentius. The people behind him scrambled and strained to see, especially when Vincentius' eyes went wide with the sparkle of riches.

A heavy chunk of gold ore, nearly twice as big as the man's head. That must have been at least five pounds of solid gold, if not more.

"Hope ya don't mind if I keep this on my person. I ain't fond of flashin' it about," Jayce said, packing it back up.

"Absolutely not! If it's offered, it's on the table," Vincentius huffed. Now that he knew about it, he wasn't about to let that prize out of his sight.

Jayce fought with himself, but pulled it out to the gasps of the spectators around him. He set it gently on the table, right in the center.

I'm so sorry, Dahlia, he thought to himself.

The dealer collected and shuffled the cards, looking to Vincentius for permission. With a subtle nod, the first card was dealt.

Once again, Jayce got a one pip card. He fought with all his being to hide that from his opponent.

Vincentius inwardly smiled at his own card, as he was already off to a good start...but that damned half-orc looked as cool and relaxed as ever. He may possibly have a challenge on his hands.

The dealer motioned to the pot, and both men refused. The dealer handed off the next cards.

It was subtle, but Jayce was not surprised to see that Vincentius had pulled another good card before the man caught himself. His card was two pips this time. How was he going to win this?

The dealer again motioned to the pot. Both men held up a hand to refuse. The crowd was tense. Al thought he might throw up.

The final card. Jayce finally got a decent one, but he had no idea if Vincentius had anything good.

They carefully selected their cards, and slid them back to the dealer, face down.

Everyone watched, eyes glued to the scene. It was almost impossible to hear the general din of the hall with the current tension around them.

Jayce's final card landed in front of him. He felt sick to his stomach. He was gambling away the gift he had saved for Dahlia, and this one card was the only thing between him and losing it forever. Even if he threw in the towel now, it was gone. Keeping his face as straight as possible, Jayce prayed to every god he could name that luck would finally work in his favor.

Eight pips. Plus the two and four, that made fourteen. That was a rather good total.

"Hold a moment."

Jayce looked toward Vincentius, his palms sweaty. His smile was relaxed, even though his stomach was churning.

"Yes, sir?"

"For some added...drama," Vincentius grinned, steepling his fingertips as he looked Jayce over, "Let's reveal our cards, starting with the highest. I'll start."

Vincentius revealed a six.

Jayce felt himself relax, and then chastised himself. This was no time to relax! Even if that was his highest card, that was no guarantee the rest were low enough to make a difference.

Jayce revealed his eight. Vincentius' eyebrow briefly peeked in surprise.

Vincentius smiled, and flipped over another card. Five. Jayce matched his smile, inwardly feeling nauseous, and revealed a four.

Everyone held their breath.

The final card laid face down in front of them. Even the dealer was fidgeting.

"Are you ready?" Vincentius grinned, sliding his last card closer to the center of the table. Jayce, the absolute picture of relaxed confidence, did the same, never removing his hand from the top of the card.

If Vincentius had anything higher than a three, Jayce would lose everything.

They each matched their gaze, silently agreeing to flip at the same time. Al whined into Guath's side, barely daring to look. In unison, the men flipped their cards, but Vincentius dropped his palm on the face of his, making it impossible to immediately see.

Jayce's two, however, was revealed to the world.

"And that is a total of...fourteen!" the dealer called, motioning toward Jayce. Despite his confident smile, Jayce felt about ready to pass out from the stress.

With his cards revealed and his lot laid bare, Jayce turned a hard gaze to Vincentius.

"Plan on showin' us yer luck, sir? Ain't a problem if ya want to fold, ya know."

Vincentius growled at the half-orc, but revealed his card. A two.

"And a total of thirteen! The winner is Jayce!" the dealer announced, to cheers from the crowd. Several people immediately reached over and shook Jayce's shoulders in congratulations, or perhaps in a bid to gain luck via osmosis, as Jayce fought to stand from his seat. He held out a hand to his opponent.

"Good game, Sir Folkher. Had me on the edge of my fuckin' seat the whole damn time," Jayce smiled. "I can see why yer the big man around here."

Vincentius also stood, and put on a fake, but seemingly sincere, smile. Jayce wasn't fooled.

"Good game indeed...Jayce," Vincentius said, shaking Jayce's hand, "You seem to have a talent for games of chance. Would you be interested in a more...private game? Invitation only, of course."

"While that's mighty kind of ya," Jayce said, trying to glance around for his friends and already nervous with how long that gold ore had been on the table, "I'm more interested in tannin' the hide of a certain 'friend' of mine, an' I try not to make it a habit to gamble away hard-earned winnings. Next time I drop in, though, I'll look for ya," Jayce added with a wink.

"Such a shame," Vincentius sighed. "With your current winnings, you'd fit right in at the table."

"Let's just say it ain't my preferred vice."

The dealer waved over a female attendant, a well-shaped, blond human woman wearing a maroon silk dress than revealed far more than it obscured, to take Jayce to his winnings at the cashier near the back of the gambling hall. As Jayce had been occupied with stuffing the gold ore back in his knapsack, her sudden appearance at his side was a complete shock.

Jayce's eyes met hers, and he nearly jumped from the surprise, clutching the knapsack to his chest. His cheeks flushed with sudden heat as she nibbled her lip, her own eyes roving over his form with a hungry gaze.

"This way, sir," she breathed into his ear, her hand on his chest. Jayce locked his eyes straight forward and fought with every fiber of his being to avoid looking down her dress, as she was giving him ample opportunity to do so. Her finger hooked around the top clasp of his coat and gently tugged him along, and Jayce barely realized he was moving until several steps later.

"Would you like your winnings in gold, sir?" she purred, still leading him along like a well trained dog on a chain. "Or would you prefer platinum?"

"Uh, go-gold- I mean, um, both," Jayce stammered, feeling like he was steaming himself raw in his own coat and clutching his knapsack for dear life. He just had to collect his winnings, and leave. And figure out how to return to Downy Dreams without getting mugged.

Jayce tried to gather his thoughts just enough to be coherent, as sounding eloquent seemed impossible while watching that silken-clad woman sway in her dress. Two other young women, also wearing revealing dresses but of a less expensive fabric and complimentary colors, managed to sneak past the various attendants watching the path to the cashier and practically ambushed Jayce. They draped themselves over his arms, causing him to tense and clutch the bag tighter, but also causing the first woman to lose her grip on the front of his coat.

He immediately came to a complete stop.

"That win was amazing!" the first of the two complimentary women, in blue, giggled. "You were so calm and cool! That was some luck! What a close win!"

"My sister and I were rooting for you," the second, in purple, whispered, stroking the part of his chest she could reach around the knapsack, "but I bet that was so exhausting. Why don't you follow us to our room, so we can make you happy? We could make you happy as many times as you-"

The woman in the maroon silk dress caught the chin of the lady in purple and ripped her head to the side to match her gaze, eye to eye. Something was said about encroaching dangerously close to breaking the rules, but Jayce was fighting so hard to breathe he could barely hear it.

The matching women raced off, looking terrified and hiding their faces. The woman in silk came back to Jayce, stepping close enough to press her hips against his, one hand resting on his shoulder, the other on his hip.

"I'm so sorry for the interruption," she smiled, her teeth again playing seductively with her lip. "There's a reason this path is only for patrons with an escort. Now, let's get you those winnings."

"It's- It's a lot of gold, ma'am," Jayce stammered as he noted how deep her blue eyes were. "I ain't fond of my chances leavin' here in one piece, carryin' it all back with me. I, uh, I asked-"

"Yes, for a way to carry it. That has also been arranged," she whispered, having to twist herself around the knapsack to speak directly but softly into his ear. The hand on Jayce's hip began to wander, brushing ever so gently up the inside of his thigh…

Jayce caught her hand.

"Now, ma'am," Jayce said, disappointment evident in his voice, "that's crossin' a line."

The woman had to step back, looking over this man. Just a second ago he had been so easy to manipulate. A playful touch, a breathy whisper, and he was practically putty in her hands. She could have had quite a bit of fun with him, perhaps even until the early hours of morning. In fact, she had been hoping for it. What happened to that flustered naive boy she had been playing with?

Jayce let go of her hand, forcing himself to stay calm. His skin felt like it was covered in needles. His heart was racing, but no longer from attraction. His adrenaline was pumping through his veins. He needed to get out. He wanted to leave. He just had to force himself to go through the last few steps, get his gold, and go.

Jayce motioned forward, and added a small, polite bow. "Lead the way, ma'am."

The woman, completely confused, fought to regain her own composure and return to her feminine wiles. She didn't touch him this time, but turned with a playful look over her shoulder and a two finger motion to follow. "This way, good sir."

She led him to a man behind wood panelling and a caged window, and pulled a slip from her cleavage. Jayce assumed it was all part of the show, as the man didn't even flinch as he took it, read it over, and pulled out a single, very small pouch that would easily fit on anyone's belt. In fact, the only thing that looked to be special about it was the delicate embroidery of vines, wrapped around the edge of a gold coin on the front.

The woman handed the small pouch to Jayce, who hesitantly took it. He was still reeling from his hormones getting the best of him, but he was pretty sure the pouch would barely hold a handful of gold, and he should have won several thousand.

"I...don't mean any disrespect, ma'am, but...this seems damn small for my winnings," Jayce said, looking at the woman in maroon.

She smiled, obviously amused. "This is a Pouch of Infinite Wealth. A minor enchantment on the pouch allows it to carry hundreds of thousands of coins, so long as all that enters the pouch is, in fact, coins. Your entire prize, all five thousand-"

Jayce nearly choked on his own tongue.

"-six hundred and fifty five gold, are in the pouch."

"That's-" Jayce cleared his throat to prevent his voice from breaking. "That's impressive, although more than I figured I won."

"You did, in your last bet, ask for the whole total of your friend's debt to be added to the pot. Your friend was over three thousand down, and so, as it was agreed to by the other party, it was added to your total," the woman smiled. "It seems his gamble to double his amount owed backfired in your favor."

Jayce dumbly nodded. He vaguely remembered that.

"And how will I know how much is in here?" Jayce asked, holding up the pouch. "If I stick my hand in, will some magic tell me the total gold?"

"No. You'll have to remember. As I said, it's a simple enchantment." The woman shrugged. "It's a favor, a gift, of the House. If you want something more comprehensive, you'll need to see an enchanter to make something more specific."

"Fair enough. Thank ya kindly. This'll do just fine for gettin' me home." Jayce slipped it into his knapsack for now; actually attaching it to his belt would happen later, hopefully in privacy. He briefly considered putting the knapsack back on his back, but after witnessing the hungry looks of the various patrons about the Maiden's Kiss, he decided to keep carrying it in his arms. It may be a heavy, large chunk of gold, but he didn't want to take any more chances. Not with Dahlia's gift. Definitely not again.

"Please do return to the Maiden's Kiss, Mister Jayce," the woman purred, testing the new boundaries by stepping close enough to place a hand on his arm. "Ask for Anemone, and I'll personally tend to you during your stay."

Jayce gently lifted her fingers from his arm, uncomfortable with her touch. His skin was crawling. "Thank ya kindly again, Miss Anemone. It's a beautiful name."

Anemone motioned to the side, where a path followed the wall and led directly to a corridor between the tables that made a straight shot for the door. Jayce nodded his thanks and began his exit by walking confidently, but quickly began increasing his speed to be just short of a flat out run by the time Al and Gauth could reach him.

"Jayce! Jayce, how much did you-!" Al wanted to know if they were still in the poorhouse, but it was difficult to get Jayce's attention.

"Not now let's go we're leaving we're leaving now!" Jayce huffed through his teeth as he continued to speed walk right out of the Maiden's Kiss, followed by his concerned companions. Gauth happened to look over his shoulder and even he noticed the hungry, roving eyes of the patrons of the gambling hall.

Jayce didn't stop until they were well outside and several blocks down the street, at which point he finally threw the knapsack back over his shoulders, ducked into an alley, and dry heaved while attempting to keep his quite well digested lunch down. Al and Gauth watched in shocked confusion.

"Are...you okay?" Gauth asked, shifting to stand in a way to block the alley and give his friends some privacy.

"I'm not-" Jayce coughed, tasting barely restrained bile, "I'm not okay. I feel sick."

"I can see that," Al said, concern present in his voice. He was tempted to pat Jayce's shoulder, but thought better of it. "What happened? We couldn't see much from back in the nosebleeds."

Jayce rubbed his face, fighting to repress old, old memories he kept hoping would be forgotten. They were stubborn in their persistence, despite weeks, months...at one time years between when they would come up again. They never seemed to go away.

"Just...had to deal with an old demon, that's all," Jayce huffed, trying to breathe. He leaned heavily against the wall of the alleyway as Al and Gauth looked on.

"I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you don't want us to ask," Al grumbled, crossing his arms. Damn his curiosity. He really wanted to know.

"Ya got that right," Jayce sighed, finally feeling as if his breathing was getting under control. "Give it a few weeks, and I'll probably trust ya enough by then. Until then, I ain't sayin' a word."

"Then we won't ask," Gauth said firmly, causing Al to grunt with frustration. "When we are better friends, you will tell us. Until then, you must tell us how to help, or we won't be able to help you."

"Damn fair," Jayce nodded, finally turning to face them. "Let's get dinner, somethin' for Dahlia to eat, and then head back to the Downy Dream. I'm fuckin' tired and I want a bath."

"Sounds like a plan. Where should we get food?" Al asked, mostly to Gauth. After the dry heaving, he couldn't imagine Jayce was all that hungry.

Gauth barely thought about it. "I want roast meat! I did not get any chicken and I want some!"

"I concur! Let's go get a roast bird!"

Jayce forced a smile and nodded his agreement, and followed when they headed into the street to find their quarry. His skin still felt prickly, and now he felt grimy too.

One last step. Find food. Then he could look into that bath.

XxXxX

Thankfully, by the time they had arrived at the Downy Dream, Gauth had actually finished all five turkey legs he had purchased. Each one was a massive thing, at least two pounds of meat, and the goliath had consumed them all with gusto. Al and Jayce were both thankful Gauth neglected to add the cliche blech that usually came after such a meal.

Jayce, out of the kindness of his heart, had given Al twenty gold as his allowance, as a way to limit his spending and hopefully limit any future attempts at gambling. Al insisted he would be better, and Gauth promised to help keep an eye on the thief-by-trade, which actually increased the original amount from five. Al was not happy with the paltry amount, but realized Jayce was justified in his trepidation when Jayce reminded him of the over three thousand gold of debt the half-elf had managed to rack up in a single hour, not to mention a single day.

It was with this allowance that Al bought a roasted chicken hand pie for his dinner, which steamed pleasantly when he broke the crust. Inspired, Jayce bought two, but neglected to touch either, claiming they were still too hot; In truth, his stomach was still settling from his ordeal at the Maiden's Kiss, and it would be some time before he could eat. Perhaps he could eat with Dahlia, if she was still up.

When they arrived, a much older woman with graying hair was sitting at the desk, going over a black book with both red and black ink. Jayce assumed it was a financial record of some sort, and briefly paused to allow the woman to finish whatever calculation she was working before he attempted to interrupt. Al, however, didn't care, and immediately called out to her.

"Good evening, madam! We're here for our rooms," he said brightly, stepping up to the desk. "Also, one of us would-"

The woman cleared her throat and stood, obviously annoyed at Al. "Will you be purchasing rooms, or are you already guests?" she asked, hitting each word a little harder than would be necessary for polite conversation.

"We're already guests, ma'am," Jayce cut in, pulling out the keys from his coat and holding them up for her to see. "What my rash but well-meanin' friend meant to ask was if I could rent a bath tonight."

The woman looked over her book and a timepiece behind the desk. "No, they're closed for the night. However, I can write you in for the first bath in the morning, deposit now. Then you could just head in as soon as you're up."

That wasn't ideal. Jayce's mind raced over his options, but then gave up. "Thank ya kindly, ma'am, but it was more for my comfort than my cleanliness. We'll be headin' up and leave ya be. Good night to you."

The woman softened somewhat as Jayce mimed tipping his hat and led his companions to the stairwell that led to their rooms. Her daughter had mentioned a green man, but she assumed it would be just like any other rough and tumbled half-orc who wandered in; just another guest who was destined to cause trouble. This one seemed to be a good sort, polite at least, even if his friends were a bit rude.

She went back to her work, looking forward to a quiet night.

Gauth was excited to have his own room, and only paused long enough to take his boots off after harried reminders by Jayce and Al from the hallway. As expected, Gauth's ankles sat on the footboard of the bed, but with the addition of several amazingly soft down pillows that had been left in the room, Gauth managed to make himself comfortable. With that sorted, Al and Jayce went across the hall to a similar sized room, which included all of the amenities of the single rooms, but with two thinner beds on opposite walls instead of the one larger bed.

Al immediately chose, on a whim, the bed on the right of the room and flopped across it, making sure his feet were hanging off the edge so his boots wouldn't muddy the sheets. Jayce had to chuckle as the man visibly sank a good half inch into the quilt and mattress.

"Oh I could get used to living like this," Al smiled, sighing with content. "With all you won, we could live in a place like this for a year! If not more!"

"This was supposed t' be a treat for Dahlia, since we ended up havin' to deal with yer old boss," Jayce said, shrugging off his knapsack and kicking it gently under the free bed. "He made some comments that cut her a bit deep, if ya didn't notice."

Al grunted and sat up, untying his boots. He looked up briefly, but became extra diligent with his laces the second he saw Jayce begin to peel off that dark coat of his.

"Yeah, Yosxim's pretty abrasive, although that insinuation that you and Dahlia were sleeping together… Was that accurate? Are you a couple?" Al managed to say the whole question with a straight face, despite a strange tugging at his heart.

Jayce shrugged. "We ain't a coupla lovers, I'll tell ya that much. Truth is, we met the day before we met you. I...want to say we're friends, but I ain't sure we're that far yet."

"You're joking!" Al's jaw was almost on the floor. "The way you two work together… I would have sworn you were old friends. You had all these little mannerisms, like leading her around in a specific way, or getting her attention before walking up on her. Don't think I didn't notice! You were being far more polite to her than I would be to a practical stranger!"

"Probably why she agreed to travel with me," Jayce sighed, sitting on his bed as he began to unclip his armor. "Honestly makes me sick, learnin' about all the shit she dealt with before I met her. It'd make your stomach turn."

"And?" Al asked, placing his boots gently by the foot of the bed and starting to unfasten his own cloak. "What did she have to deal with?"

Jayce shook his head. "Ain't my place t' say. I will say she's goin' far out on a limb to trust me enough to lead her around the way I do, and I already bruised that trust once. I ain't about t' do that again on a whim. Ain't fair to her."

Al huffed. Of course he was chivalrous. Maybe if he got Jayce drunk...but obviously some other night. Right now, they were too close to sleep to consider heading back out for a beer.

"Fair enough, I guess, but you're wearing my patience thin. I'm curious by nature and that's the third time today you've told me to not ask about something!"

"I thought it was two…?" Jayce mumbled, but then shook his head. "Anyway, that ain't even mentionin' that weird necklace of yours. What's the story behind that thing?"

"None of your business," Al grunted, perhaps too quickly.

"And there ya go," Jayce beamed. He unclipped his belt just enough to slip the new pouch on, then refastened it. "I'm gonna get Dahlia her food, probably talk for a bit. Don't wait up, and if any of my stuff's gone when I come back, I'm siccin' Gauth on ya."

"Wow. Turning my only friend against me. Woe is me," Al whined, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Go talk to your healer woman. I'm not going to piss off my meal ticket, and I'm not so stupid to think I can make it to Westruun by myself."

"Long as we understand each other," Jayce smiled, heading to the door. "G'night."

Al waved him off and started unclipping his own, surprisingly slim leather armor from under his tunic.

Jayce stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him, two hand pies balanced delicately in one palm. Just a step across the hall, and he could talk to Dahlia...if she was awake. The food was a good enough excuse, but what if he woke her? She had been so tired, she was practically falling asleep on her feet. How many months of exhaustion had caught up with her, at that moment? How long would she need to sleep to recover from that? So many questions.

He lifted a hand to knock and hesitated. Should he just head back to his room? Maybe if he knocked really softly, then she wouldn't wake if she really was asleep. Her hearing was quite sensitive...No, focused. Her hearing was quite focused. If he knocked softly, and she was asleep, she would probably stay that way and he could head back to his room, knowing he tried. But, if she was awake, she'd obviously hear it.

He rapped his knuckle against the door, gently and quietly, and then trepidatiously leaned his ear against the door. He could hardly breathe, trying to listen for movement.

Jayce didn't seem to hear anything…although he was briefly amused that he also couldn't hear Gauth's supposedly loud and rattling snore from his place in the hall.

Something shifted! Jayce held his breath. Had she just shifted in her sleep? He'd feel terrible if he woke her up.

"Hello?"

Dahlia's voice was soft and quiet through the door, but she didn't sound as if she had been asleep. Jayce hoped he had assumed correctly.

"I got ya food," he said through the door. "Ain't much, some chicken hand pie. Al got one, loved it. Had t' fight 'im off with a stick to get these two here in one piece." Jayce smiled, hoping the levity would help. "May I come in?"

There was another pause, and he heard the shifting of cloth, then the door unlatched.

He was just about to turn the handle himself when the door jerked away from his hand, and Dahlia's blindfold, bright and clean, stuck out of the gap in the doorway.

"If you come in, you'll need to put this on. I'm not fully dressed, and while I don't care what you look like, I do care how you see me."

Jayce was a bit shocked, but pulled the blindfold out of the gap. It was a bit of an odd request, but it made sense.

"Can I pass ya the pies? I'll need both hands to put this on."

"Sure. Pass them through."

Jayce briefly waited to see her hand stick out, but instead, nothing happened. Confused, Jayce tried to poke one hand pie through the gap, and it was quickly pulled out of his hand. He nearly yelped in surprise, but managed to keep his reaction in check. The second hand off was much smoother.

She was really making an effort not to be seen. Jayce began to seriously wonder why.

Jayce looked over the blindfold, then awkwardly tied it around his eyes. His world went predictably dark, and the weave of the blindfold was tight enough to block out even the smallest amount of light. Immediately disoriented, Jayce braced himself against the closest surface, the door, which was still unlatched, and ended up tumbling inside.

"Oh shit!"

"AH!"

All he knew was the world started to pitch around him as he tumbled forward, struggling to get his feet back under himself. He crashed into something soft and fell to the floor, taking it down with him, although he did manage to twist and hit the ground first.

"Ow…" he groaned, completely tense as he tried to make sense of what just happened. He nearly had it figured out when the soft thing moved.

It straddled him. She. Dahlia. He had crashed into Dahlia and she was on top of him. His breath caught and he went as still as possible as a pair of surprisingly soft hands, her hands, started shifting through his hair to feel the back of his head.

"Are you okay?! What happened? A dizzy spell?" Jayce couldn't bring himself to reply and just swallowed hard as he felt her fingers brush the knot of the blindfold and then the bruise.

"Ah! Shit. Ow!" Oh the temptation to move, to nurse the wound, was staggering, but he kept himself still. "Yep. Ya found where I hit my head. And...I think I just got off foot when I put the blindfold on, that's all. Turns out the door ain't that solid without a latch."

Dahlia sat back, seemingly unaware she was now sitting on his hips. He forced himself to breathe.

"Ha ha. Well, you're not bleeding...and I managed to save the hand pies. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Jayce laughed nervously, still refusing to move. "I'll, uh, wait for ya to get off first, though. I ain't as graceful as you are when I'm fuckin' blind."

"It is an acquired skill," she mumbled, rising off of him and stepping away. Jayce sat up, briefly wondering where she was headed, when he heard the door close. That made sense. "In that case, don't move. The hand pies are next to you and I'd rather not eat squished food."

Jayce nodded. "Fair. Honestly don't know if they're still warm, but they should be good. Pretty sure Al said they got cheese in 'em."

Dahlia giggled, her voice close to him. The back of her hand touched his arm, following its length until she discovered his hand. The next thing he knew, he was holding a hand pie.

"Well, they do smell good, so thank you. I...actually forgot to eat, so...this is nice," Dahlia said, shifting next to him. "And they are still warm. Thank you."

"Always be nice t' the healers, right?" Jayce smiled, lifting the hand pie in a mock cheer to...the darkness. He held it out in front of him because he was concerned he might accidentally hit Dahlia if he attempted an actual mock cheer. He took a bite, and it was warm. Chicken, spices, cheese, and small chunks of potato filled his mouth.

"If...that's the only reason…" Dahlia mumbled. He wasn't sure she had taken a bite yet.

"Dahlia, no. That ain't the only reason. I know we ain't known each other long, but I consider you a friend. That...thing does...some of the shittiest things I've ever seen happen to another person, and I can understand if wantin' to eat gets hard. Truth is…" He sighed. As hard as it was to talk, he wanted to talk to someone, and Dahlia already knew about his strange magic. Was it a stretch to talk about his other problems? "I've had a fuckin' rough few hours."

"Four and three quarters," she added matter-of-factly.

Jayce snickered and shook his head. "That mind of yours is a damn weapon."

"Yes, but your day is the focus here. I'll listen. I promise I won't talk," she said softly. He still hadn't heard her take a bite...but maybe she would if she didn't have to talk.

"Thank you. So...soon as Al and Gauth got back from shoppin', Al made it damn clear he ain't gonna leave Kymal without gambling. So...fuck. If Gauth didn't make a big deal about it, I probably would've said, 'hell no' and gone t' see the sights instead, but we ended up goin' to the Maiden's Kiss. Gauth was told he couldn't gamble, on account he's fuckin' tall, and I flat out refused...so Al jumped in and started bettin' his savings like it was ballast on a sinkin' ship."

Jayce paused and ran his fingers through his hair. Maybe talking about this was a bad idea.

True to her word, Dahlia didn't speak. Her fingertips lightly brushed his shoulder. For someone who didn't like unnecessary touch, it was a surprisingly deep attempt at empathy. Jayce took a deep breath and steeled himself to continue.

"Turns out, the table he was at didn't mind negative balances, and he quickly started t' lose. Fucker couldn't keep his emotions in check, and they read 'im like a book. Got to the point where even if we dragged him away from the table, he'd be headed to debtor's prison. Ain't sure what that is, but it sounded fuckin' unpleasant."

Jayce paused, gathering his thoughts, and he heard the crackle of pastry crust. She was finally eating.

"Al fuckin' begged me to play in his stead, to win back what he lost, and I would'a refused...but some high roller named...Vin-somethin' Fuc- No… Folker? Ugh. Sounded like 'fucker' if ya said it fast-"

Dahlia giggled but said nothing.

"Anyway, he came flouncin' up and offered to buy Al's debt, on the condition Al worked it off as his personal servant. Fuck no to that. That's fuckin' slavery. I...stepped up, and offered to play 'im for it. Almost lost it all. Even...bet more than I should've...but a damn lucky turn of the cards put it back in my lap. With a good bonus too. We ain't gotta worry about work for a while, with or without Gauth and Al comin' with."

Dahlia sounded as if she wanted to say something, but had to swallow her food first.

Even so, Jayce had to continue.

"Then… On the way to collect my winnings, some woman, Anemone I think? Silk dress, fuckin' gorgeous, eyes ya could get lost in, soft curves…"

Dahlia cleared her throat, sounding annoyed and as if asking him to get on with it. Jayce felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment.

"Right, sorry. So, she came up to lead me to the cashier. Got her hands all over me, touchin' my face, my chest, my shoulder. It was...a lot. More than I liked. I couldn't talk. I couldn't tell her to stop. Then…" Jayce fought for the words. He dropped his head in his hands. He couldn't even remember where he had dropped that damn hand pie.

Even after all those years, it was hard to talk about it, or anything similar.

"Are you okay?" Dahlia whispered, her full hand against his shoulder. Her ungloved hand. He was surprised how much it calmed him.

"Yeah… I'm fine. Last second, I finally got my voice back and was damn polite tellin' her to fuck off." Jayce was furious with himself. Here he was, dumping his problems on a woman he barely knew, and who had so many problems of her own. It wasn't fair. He shouldn't have brought it up.

"...It's not much, but the tub is still here, and it's...mostly full. There's soap left, and I can help work out some of that tension."

"There's a tub in here?" Jayce was honestly shocked he hadn't run into it yet.

"I had moved it closer to the window, so you missed it when you fell. And, honestly, it's more of a laundry basin than a tub, but you'll fit in it. I did. The water's probably cold, but you can still soak if you want."

"What happened to 'I ain't gonna share a bath with a man I don't know'?" Jayce snickered, trying to sound funny but definitely not feeling the levity.

"I won't be in the tub, you jerk. You just sounded like you wanted to wash today off of you. I know that feeling, and I have the tub. It seems stupid not to help you."

Jayce nodded, only remembering to grunt in agreement after an awkward pause had passed between them. "That's...mighty kind of you, Dahlia. You're a fuckin' treasure."

He could hear the smile in her voice. "Don't thank me yet. Like I said, it's probably cold."

Then a thought came crashing into his mind.

"Uh, that means… I'll, um…" Could someone hear a blush in a voice as easily as a smile?

Dahlia laughed. "Jayce, I'm blind! Literally can't see a thing in front of my face! I'm waving my hand in front of my face and I can't even tell how far it is! You could be running around in nothing but body paint and I wouldn't notice!"

Even with the blindfold, Jayce buried his face in his hand and looked away as Dahlia began to laugh harder. Then he paused. She was laughing. Actually laughing. It wasn't that suppressed laugh he had heard her use before.

Surprisingly, that was what made him feel more comfortable. "Well, if ya say so, I'll, uh...which way is the tub?"

Still giggling, Dahlia's fingers curled around his own and pulled his arm behind him and to his right. "That way. Considering how you entered the room, you might want to crawl to find it."

"Ain't gonna argue that." Jayce did want to find the hand pie though, and patted around himself. He had dropped it in his lap and quickly wolfed it down before making his way toward the tub.

Sure enough, it was more accurately described as the lower half of a very wide barrel than an actual tub. Upon finding the side of it, he slid his hand across it, thanking the gods that this particular wooden tub didn't have splinters. Jayce quickly found the top edge, stood himself up, and then slowly reached in for the water.

It was cold.

"That's...gonna be a shock, but ain't gonna be a problem," Jayce smiled awkwardly. He had gone swimming in colder water before, although it was usually due to necessity or a rather tempting dare. "What kinda soap ya got?"

"Chestnut. I rather like it." Dahlia's voice was close to him. "Whenever you're ready, Jayce."

"Can I please take off the blindfold?" He didn't really like the idea of losing his clothes after he took them off, and he was concerned he wouldn't remember where he put them.

"No. I know you can see in the dark, and I'm not wearing my day clothes. You don't have to worry about your privacy, so please respect mine."

"Yes ma'am," Jayce mumbled, cowed. He began pulling his tunic off, and then his belt. It still felt awkward, but...Dahlia was blind, and she had been professional so far. That would continue, right?

He left his clothes at the side of the tub, as close as he dared, and stepped inside. It was brisk, and he caught his breath, but it wasn't terrible. The water was soft and smelled of roasted chestnuts, which was quite pleasant.

Jayce settled himself in and rubbed the water over his arms. Without his sight, even such a simple touch seemed somehow exaggerated. He had never really paid attention before to how the water rolled off his arm, how his skin prickled from the cold but seemingly only where it had come in contact with the water. He curled his toes, feeling the flow of the bath water around his legs. It was somehow a completely different experience than any other bath he had ever had.

"Jayce, I'm behind you. The soap should be over your right shoulder."

Jayce nearly jumped out of his skin. Now he very much understood why Dahlia was always listening for incoming threats.

"Th-thank you," he mumbled, taking the soap. Immediately, it slipped out of his hands and disappeared into the water below. Of course it would do that. He swore and started tapping around for it, annoyed at how the water almost seemed to dull his sense of touch.

Dahlia snickered from some distance behind him.

"You're obviously enjoyin' this…" Jayce hissed through his teeth, still trying to find that damn piece of soap.

"It's entertaining, and it's a relief to know you still have the blindfold on."

"You can tell?" He faced her voice, not entirely sure where she was standing.

"If you could see, you'd have the soap by now," she giggled.

Jayce rolled his head back and forth. That made sense. Finally, he located the soap and proceeded to scrub that grimy feeling off his skin. Somehow, Dahlia's company made that easier.

The soap wasn't perfectly smooth either, and the rough bumps were also quite effective at helping him feel clean.

"Huh. Wonder why the soap's so rough," Jayce mumbled, taking a second to feel the surface of it. No doubt about it, there were bumps on the soap.

"It's probably pieces of-"

"Fuckin' hell!" He twitched so hard the water splashed around him.

Dahlia barely kept her laughing under control, and Jayce noticed it sounded as if she was by where he thought the bed might be.

"You forgot I was here again, didn't you?" she wheezed.

"I didn't forget! I just...temporarily didn't remember."

Jayce felt his face go hot as Dahlia obviously smothered her laughter in a pillow.

"Oooh Pelor, have mercy on me," Dahlia gasped, trying to breathe around her giggles. "Are you about done in there?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm about done," Jayce grumbled, trying to sound insulted but Dahlia's joy was pervasively infectious. "I'll-"

"Hold on! Before you get out, I wanted to ask you; Did you want me to work on your back again? You really seemed to enjoy it last night, and I thought it might help you sleep."

As tempting as that sounded, Jayce was getting nervous about taking so much of her time. "Dahlia, really, you've already done a lot for me, and I don't want to impose-"

"It's honestly no trouble. I actually enjoy talking to you," she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "I don't mind keeping you a bit longer, especially if it would help you sleep."

"It's gettin' late. Maybe next time I'm blindfolded in a tub in your room, I'll relent," he smirked. "You've already done enough."

Dahlia chuckled loud enough to be heard. "Fine. Then...hold on. I'm draping a towel on the edge of the tub. It should be dry by now. Can you find your own way out? Because I'd like to get to sleep."

"I'll give it my damnedest shot," Jayce mumbled, trying very hard to find the towel without knocking it off the edge, or worse, into the tub with him. His fingers brushed something soft and he immediately gripped it before it could shift in any direction, and was happy to learn it was the towel in question. "I may need to be pointed in the right direction, but once I've got my things, shouldn't be too hard."

Jayce had to fight a mental battle to remind himself that Dahlia was blind, couldn't see him, and didn't seem to care. Even with that knowledge, he toweled off his arms and chest and tried to maneuver the towel to keep himself covered as he emerged. Some habits were hard to break.

"I do want to thank you for the food, and the company," Dahlia said. "It's been...an extremely welcome change from recent patterns. So, thank you."

"Yer welcome, Dahlia. You were a damn treat yourself," Jayce replied. "Almost made me reconsider ever bathin' alone again."

"Almost?"

"Well, I ain't sure I could find other blind people t' talk to while washin' up," Jayce chuckled. "But it was good to talk. And...I can't find my boots. Where the fuck I put 'em?"

Dahlia continued to giggle as Jayce finished pulling on his pants and started patting around on the floor for his boots. He was sure he had placed them right next to his clothes, which had been right next to the tub. However, as far as he reached in seemingly any direction, he couldn't seem to find them.

Then Dahlia started giggling harder.

"Alright, what's so damn funny?" Jayce huffed, sitting back on his ankles. "You know where my fuckin' boots are, don't you?"

"I put them by the door for you," Dahlia said through barely suppressed laughter. "I just wanted to tease you a bit, and I've had my laugh."

Her hands slipped under his left arm and lifted him to his feet, and then she stretched his arm forward and slightly right.

"The door is that way. I'll see you in the morning," she said with an obvious smile. "And just leave the blindfold on the doorknob. I'll get it later."

"Thanks," Jayce said, trying to sound irritated but smiling anyway. He actually had a really pleasant time. He almost didn't want it to be over already...but it was late, and he already refused her help.

He slowly transversed the dark, completely without any confidence in his skills to move about the room. He knew he had seen Dahlia move about before, but somehow, with the imminent danger of bumping into literally anything, he couldn't think of her technique to save his life. Inch by inch, he moved forward, incrementally gaining ground, until his knuckles bumped into a hard surface.

"Good news. I found somethin' solid. This is either the door, or a wall. Or I'm hallucinatin'. Wouldn't surprise me if I was."

Dahlia, again, suppressed giggles into her pillow. "Jayce, you really are a good sport. If you want to take off the blindfold, you can do it now. I'm covered."

Jayce ripped it off with absolute relief. Within seconds, the room came back into focus, and sure enough, he had missed the door by about a foot to the left. Thankfully, that was where his boots had been left, and he quickly scooped those up.

He paused, his hand on the doorknob. He was so curious what she looked like, without those baggy clothes...but she trusted him to respect her privacy. As tempting as it was to turn around, he kept his back to her and placed the blindfold on the doorknob.

"Thanks again for your kindness, Dahlia. Sleep well tonight."

"You too!"

Her voice sounded so bright with a smile.

Jayce opened the door and stepped into the hallway, closing the door gently behind him. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, finally feeling relaxed. Now he could actually sleep.

He stepped across the hall and tried to open his own door, and was thoroughly annoyed to learn it was locked. He jiggled the handle several times, just to make sure, but it was, indeed, entirely fastened against entry. Jayce pinched the bridge of his nose and mentally debated the pros and cons of pounding on the door until Al let him in. On the one hand, it would be an appropriate reprimand for locking out one's roommate, but on the other, he would be intentionally pissing off the man he was going to be travelling with for at least a few weeks.

Jayce leaned on the wall. Deeper thought was required. On that first hand, his gift to Dahlia, and most of his stuff, was in that room, with a man he barely trusted. A man who kept acting suspiciously and avoiding eye contact when Jayce talked to him. Back on the second hand, this was a man Jayce would have to rely on for potentially scouting threats or disabling traps in the future, and he had no idea if Al was capable of holding a grudge. Although, considering the venom Al seemed to harbor toward Yosxim, perhaps he was quite well practiced in that kind of mental vitriol, and Jayce wouldn't put it past him to "forget" about a threat to cause Jayce harm.

Jayce sighed, and patted his pockets to find the key to his room. As was his habit for small items, he had kept it in his coat. Which was stretched over the chair in the room. Which was locked.

Dragging his feet, he returned to Dahlia's door and knocked softly.

There was a pause.

"Jayce? What's wrong?" Her voice was quiet through the door.

"I...got locked outta my room…" Jayce felt thoroughly embarrassed. He couldn't believe he was asking her for more help. "I don't suppose ya got an extra pillow I could borrow? Somethin' t' rest my head against. I was gonna try sleepin' sittin' up, like you could."

Dahlia leaned against the door, giving it some thought. The bed in her room was actually quite large, but she didn't trust him enough to share a bed...but she felt terrible that he would be subjected to sleeping sitting up like that. She could do it because she could sometimes meditate through the night, rather than flat out sleep. Of course, she would have to sleep tonight, as she ended up needing to meditate and rest to recover enough magic to half fill the tub, but...that also meant she wasn't likely to wake up before her companions, including Jayce...who, if she acted on her current knee-jerk reaction to allow him in so he'd have a comfortable place to sleep, might wake up before her...before she reapplied the paint or used the wine to darken her hair.

Was it too big of a risk, for a man who had gone so far out of his way to help her, even though he barely knew her?

"I'm...only doing this because you kept your word and left the blindfold on," she said through the door. "You'll have to put it on again, but I can set up a blanket and a pillow on the floor for me to sleep so you can have the-"

"Dahlia, no. It's your room. I'll take the floor," Jayce said, resisting the urge to lean on the door again. "It ain't a far stretch for me, and you've already gone outta yer way to help me tonight. Just, next time, I'm stickin' Al and Gauth in the same room. I'm pretty sure those two ain't gonna kill each other for a rude wake up if somethin' similar happens."

Dahlia chuckled to herself. She could see that. And those two had been traveling for a while anyway, so they were more tolerant of each other's quirks.

"Just give me a minute. I'll set up the blanket on the floor and get back into bed so you don't have to wear the blindfold. Although I would appreciate you putting it on first thing in the morning."

"That's more'n fair," Jayce said through the door. "I'll wait."

Dahlia returned to her bed, feeling the covers. The quilt on top was heavy and quite warm, and it would provide the best padding for Jayce, sleeping on the floor...but the remaining blanket was more of a sheet, and while it was thin, she wasn't sure if it was sheer. It didn't seem to be, as she rolled a corner of it through her fingers. The thread count seemed to be thick enough, and it should be enough if all he could see in the dark was shapes and shadows. If she had her own bedroll, she could have stretched that across the floor and given him the thinner sheet, but unfortunately, she hadn't gotten around to purchasing one yet. She felt as if her only choice was the quilt.

She chose a spot as close to the bed as she could afford, as she determined it would be more difficult for Jayce to see her without significant movement, which she should be able to hear. The quilt folded nicely three times, and while it wouldn't be a particularly soft or wide mattress, it should be enough slack for him to have two layers beneath himself and a third to cover against the autumn chill.

The final touch was one of the two amazingly soft pillows. She really didn't need two, although she did feel a short pang of regret as she knew she wouldn't be able to hug it all night.

She returned to the door, hooked the blindfold over the knob, and unlocked it. "Okay, the door's open. Please count to ten so I can get back into bed."

"You got it. Thanks again, Dahlia. I wasn't kiddin' when I called you a treasure."

Dahlia raced back to the bed and threw herself under the covers, making sure her back was to the door as much as possible and the blanket was even wrapped over her head. The bed was so soft and smooth against her skin, and she really did relish the feel of it, but she should have put her paint and clothes back on. She was risking too much this way.

Jayce entered the room, grabbing the blindfold and finally looking around. The small bed she had made was tucked right up against the large bed, almost under it, and he found himself amazed that the corners were actually straight. Beyond that, it was more open than his original room, simply because there was only one bed to contend with, even though it was wider. What absolutely shocked him was the lack of distance between the door and the tub, as he had assumed it was over double the length. He must have been walking really slowly.

He didn't realize where his eyes were roving until they fell upon Dahlia's form upon the bed. The thin sheet fell gently across the peaks of her body, her shoulder and hip, as she was laying on her side, her back to him. While it did not reveal much, it gave clues to her shape, and an instinctual part of him wanted to see more.

Jayce could feel that feral part of him starting to wake, reminding him that all that remained between his body and a flesh and blood woman was a thin sheet of fabric. His cursed heritage whispered temptation after temptation into his mind, and his mouth began to salivate with anticipation.

His hands were shaking. He began to reach out.

Jayce put on the blindfold.

Dahlia was listening. She heard him pause, and his breathing get heavier. She waited, her own breathing shallow, waiting for the sound of him stepping toward her. Maybe she had risked too much. Maybe she was in danger.

The door thudded softly as it closed. The lock clicked as it latched.

Footsteps.

The soft thump of leather heels coming to rest on the floor, near the foot of her bed. Rustling of cloth…

"G'night, Dahlia." Jayce's voice came from the floor.

"Goodnight-"

He was already softly snoring.

Dahlia's whole body unwound like a released spring and she sighed in relief. She could trust him. She finally found someone she could trust. He didn't even mind the fact that she was soul sick, or possessed, or...whatever she was.

But he used demon magic, and could lie well enough to make creatures kill each other for some imagined favor.

Could she really trust him?