Waking up, I found myself sitting up and with my feet on the floor before I even realized what I was doing.
My heart thumped heavily as I heard things. Things I shouldn't hear in the dead middle of the night, let alone in the center of our encampnt. Stuff that had pulled from a happy dream, one where Vim and…
I blinked blurry, half asleep, eyes as an unsettling noise made my ears flutter. I heard tal clanging. Whispers of voices. The popping of a recently lit fire and…
Standing up from my cot, I found Vim's spear in my hand before I even realized it. Stepping towards my tent's exit flap, I reached out to grab it and open it… to fling it open and rush out. To catch whoever was outside off-guard and unaware. To kill them before they could do anything to any of my friends and family. Before they even got the chance to…
But right as I grabbed hold of the tent, my heart understood what my mind was still trying to believe as it finished waking up.
I recognized that voice.
Breathing out a deep sigh of utter relief as I heard Oplar's loud whispers, as she spoke to soone I didn't know… I groaned as I realized I almost charged out to attack a dear friend. A family mber, even.
The deep rush of relief made lean on the spear. The tal was very cool in the warm night, and made realize that I had a layer of sweat now all over my body… and not because it was warm.
Slowly putting the spear back down near my bed, where I'd been leaving it lately, I relaxed a little as I went to get dressed. I wore only a light shirt and shorts lately to bed, and although I knew Oplar wouldn't mind if I went to talk to her like this… I didn't know who was with her. It sounded like a young girl, but…
Getting dressed, I even put my hat on. Just in case it wasn't a mber.
By the ti I finished and stepped out of my tent, I realized it was likely only a few hours until the morning. The sky was still dark and full of stars but the world had that eerie silence to it that only ca before it woke up.
Walking to the center tent, which was slightly glowing thanks to the fire and lanterns lit inside, I realized I was the only one awake. At least, other than Oplar and her fellow. The tents I walked passed, such as rit's and Randle's, were quiet and dark.
rit sleeping through the noise was odd, but I knew it was likely because unlike myself she had realized who it was instantly. She had likely woken, heard it was Oplar, and then went back to sleep. I had simply… panicked, I guess…
I wasn't sure why, but I'd definitely been on guard more lately than not. I'd bla the fact that Vim wasn't here, but the reality is I'd been feeling slightly… off even from before we'd separated again. Back in Lun, even while he slept right next to , I had been a tad… too aware of our surroundings.
Maybe it was just the fact I was hearing things better? Would I have jumped up and readied for battle as quickly back before I absorbed the heart…? I wasn't sure.
Entering the center tent, I smiled at the sight of my bear friend sitting at one of the tables. She had her back to , and was currently talking to the girl sitting across from her… who was in the middle of eating soup or sothing like it. The cook-place still had a fire going, but the real light source was from a couple lanterns that they'd lit up that were hanging off the poles that supported the tent.
There was a pile of bags near the entrance to the tent, which I didn't recognize… which told that they were Oplar's and the person who was with her. But the amount of bags seed a tad odd. Oplar usually traveled like Vim did, with only a single bag… were there more here maybe? Maybe they were using one of the empty tents? If so I hope they hadn't picked the one that rit had hidden that heart under…
The girl sitting with Oplar noticed as I approached and Oplar turned around and grinned at the sight of . "Renn!" she hurriedly got up, and before I knew it I was wrapped in a huge hug.
Enjoying the mont, I relaxed a little as I returned the hug and gave her a small squeeze. "Oplar. I'm glad to see you," I said, and ant it deeply.
Although a tad upset I had been so startled by her sudden appearance, in reality I was very happy to see her. Not only was her presence unexpected, and a pleasant surprise, it was relieving that the worst had not co to pass.
Ever since getting here I'd been worried about sothing bad happening… Especially since a few days ago that weird woman had shown up and gave us that box with a heart in it, amongst other things…
"Let look at ya…!" Oplar released , then while basically holding up by my arms she pushed back a bit and looked up and down. "Yer' belly's still flat!" she said loudly.
I wryly smirked at her. "I know. No baby yet, no," I said. Although I was kind of happy when people did this, it was also starting to beco a little hurtful too.
Yes. I know I wasn't pregnant yet. Please stop reminding .
Also I knew that Vim had wanted to keep it a secret, but I couldn't help it. I liked Oplar, and didn't want to lie to her. Plus, I knew that even though she loved gossip she'd never share such information with anyone… though the unknown person sitting nearby on the other hand…
"Eh, give it ti. Vim will eventually not be able to contain himself and just ravish you… or you him, so no worries!" Oplar teased , and I found myself smirking even more upon hearing one of Kaley's words. She had said sothing similar too…
"Maybe. How've you been? Was your trip south fun?" I asked. Last ti I saw her had been in Telmik. When she had left to go finish delivering the invitations to the vote next winter. The one we'd have about Vim and his role as protector.
"Rather eventful, actually. I have quite a few letters for you. Before that though, co et…" Oplar paused a bit, and then grinned. "Your new friend! Guess her na," she said as she pulled towards the table she had just been sitting at.
My… new friend…? And Oplar wanted to guess her na…?
I frowned softly as I was taken over to the table, and the girl who sat at it sat up straighter upon my focus of her. She had a mouthful still, one she quickly chewed and swallowed as she gave a shy smile. "Um… hello," she greeted , and I could tell that she had not said her na on purpose. She knew Oplar wanted to play a small ga and was playing along… which told she was long used to Oplar… and so, maybe she was not as young as she appeared.
She looked younger than Lellip, but not as young as rit or Sharp. Though I knew that wasn't a very good indicator of her actual age, of course. She was kind of scrawny, and dressed in typical traveling clothes. She had slightly unkempt hair that reached her shoulders, which was a dull brown in color…
Oddly my first instinct was to say she was definitely one of us. Her eyes were just a tad too blue, and her teeth a bit too sharp. Plus when she touched her bowl or spoon I heard a familiar sound. One I'd not heard since my ti at the Crypt with Sharp.
She had rough skin. The kind of abrasive skin that was not from age or wear but sothing else…
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Plus, now that I was near her, I noticed a rather obvious scent. One that made it clear, at least within reason, what she was.
She slled of the sea. "Hello. My na is Renn… I'm going to assu you're nad sothing I'd know, otherwise she'd not tease us so…" I introduced myself and humd for a mont, and then went ahead and gestured lightly at her. "You're either nad the sa as , or soone I know. Is your na Oplar too?" I asked.
Oplar snickered. "You're the first to assu it's she's nad alike," she said.
"So you're not?" I asked the girl.
The sea-slling girl gave a kind smile as she shook her head. "I'd tell you, but she gets upset when I do. She likes to hear people guess," she said with a small gesture at Oplar with her spoon.
"She likes such things, yes. If not Oplar… and not Renn?" I asked, since I didn't yet get a confirmation if she was or not. The girl shook her head, telling it wasn't, so I went ahead and guessed another. "rit, maybe? Sharp…? Would make sense with your skin and all," I said.
Oplar chuckled at as she sat back down at the table across from the girl. "How'd you know she has skin like Sharp already?" she asked .
The girl also seed shocked that I'd known. She frowned unsurely at , as if I'd just revealed a secret that I wasn't supposed to know. "So it's neither of those…?" I asked.
She shook her head.
Hm… "Vim?"
Oplar then laughed. Loudly. I flinched as she tried to cover her face and mouth, as to muffle her laughs, but I knew it was likely too late. She had just been noisy enough that I doubted even Krass the old woman had slept through it. "Vim…!" Oplar's muffled laughs and voice teased as I groaned and glanced at the girl in question, who was now smiling at .
"My na is Celine. It's nice to et you Renn, I heard a lot about you from your husband," she said as she stood a bit and extended her hand out to .
Oh…? She didn't seem to be a saint. I took her hand, verified she wasn't, and nodded. "Celine… you t Vim recently?" I asked. Maybe she was from the other continent…? Was she then a new arrival…? Had she been on the ship that Vim had gone to save, then? If so why wasn't Vim here too…? I didn't sll or sense him at all! Maybe he was in town or sothing?
Growing a tad excited over the idea that Vim was here, I barely noticed her rough hand that I shook. Barely. "Yes… a few weeks ago. We ran into him in the south," she said.
Our hands separated as I frowned… and realized what that ant.
He wasn't here.
Feeling defeated all of a sudden, as if I'd just been given sad news, I decided to join the two at the table. I sat next to Oplar, who was still happily snickering away, and nodded at Celine. "Are you from the other continent then?" I asked.
Celine blinked at and then quickly shook her head. "No…? You an the ship and those people? No."
Oh…? I glanced at Oplar who was starting to calm down. She huffed and breathed deeply, and sounded almost as if she was in pain as she did so. Did she laugh so much, and so hard, that it had hurt? "We t so of them on our way to Telmik, and traveled the rest of the way with them. Vim saved the ship, they're all fine, as I assu that's what you're really asking," she said to .
Thank goodness…! "That's wonderful," I said.
Oplar smiled and nodded. "So it is. I found Celine in the south; she's a new mber like you Renn. Fresh and new!" Oplar said with a gesture at her.
A… new… "You are…?" I asked, a little shocked to hear so. That ant she was the… third? New mber I've ever t. Fly and Wool of course being the two before her.
Celine nodded quickly. "She bought ," she said simply.
"Bought…?" I mumbled the word as I heard a tent open elsewhere. I reached up to take my hat off, since now with confirmation she was one of us and a mber I didn't need to worry about it. My ears fluttered a little as I heard footsteps heading our way, and judging by how soft and small they sounded it was rit.
"So you do have ears…!"
Looking back at Celine, I found her happily smiling at . I nodded gently as I made them flutter her way. "I do. Did none of the other mbers have any? From the other continent…?" I asked her and Oplar. A few amongst Light had similar traits to , so I had kind of expected it.
"Not like you… but a few had feathers, or other things. Yours are much cuter!" Celine said happily.
I smiled happily at that complint as rit entered the tent.
Glancing at my friend, I watched her approach with a scowl. One… I was surprised to find directed my way.
"rit…?" I greeted my friend a little cautiously a she huffed at and glanced at Oplar… who was grinning happily at us.
"I'd yell at her, but it's to be expected of her. You Renn however, should know better. Why poke the bear in the middle of the night? Are you stupid?" rit asked.
Oh. She was upset with since I'd made Oplar noisy and for waking her up.
"Sorry…" I apologized, since it was in fact my fault. Oplar was noisy, and she and Celine had been making noises… but hadn't been so loud as to actually wake everyone. Not until I had walked into the tent at least.
"And this tiny bundle of vehence is rit. Say hello, Celine," Oplar said happily, ignoring rit's comnt and complaint completely.
"Um! Hello…!" Celine greeted rit, but did so with a half-hushed voice.
rit glanced at the girl… and then sighed. "More trouble, is it?" she asked as she glanced around and then looked to the center of the tent, where the cook-place was. "Any left?" she asked.
"A whole pot full. This girl was hungry, but even when hungry she basically doesn't eat anything. I'm glad we're finally here, now Renn can eat all her leftovers," Oplar said with a point at .
"Hey," I said, but smiled anyway. This girl didn't eat much, did she? It had felt as if she hadn't taken a bite since I'd greeted her… I had thought it was simply because of our conversation but maybe it was for another reason.
"Hmph. And did I hear you right? She bought you, as in literally?" rit asked as she stepped away from us and headed for the cook-place nearby.
"Oh. Um… yes. She did," Celine said.
"As in… really?" I asked the two.
Oplar nodded at . "Aye. Purchased her for six hundred Renk I did!" Oplar happily boasted, as if she was talking about a piece of furniture she had gotten a good deal on.
Six hundred Renk…? What…? That was only twelve Penk at the current market rate. Silver ones, not gold ones. That was basically what we spent on a few days worth of supplies here. Hardly a lot.
"I'm going to need to hear a bit more to that story…" I said carefully. Oplar was one to joke and tease, but it didn't seem like she was doing so right now. Enjoying herself? Sure. But that smirk was not one that told she was lying or fooling around, but instead amused at watching my reaction. Kind of like how she had looked when I had been guessing Celine's na.
"I was being sold as a slave. I was caught stealing," Celine said simply as she went to take another bite of her soup.
Wanting to groan at that, I glanced at Oplar with a side-glance… and found her gentle smile as she nodded. That was indeed the story.
Just great. Just why were so many of us carrying such heavy pasts…?
"I assu you an in the nation south of Telmik," rit said as she returned. She had her own bowl of soup now, and she went to sit down next to Celine… who sat up a bit straighter as she did.
"Aye. That's also where we t Vim. He'd been on so quest set to him by Martin," Oplar said.
"Martin…? He left Lun?" I asked.
"Ah, no. The older. The father, not the son," Oplar corrected.
Oh…?
"An insufferable man, but better than the son I think. At least he can defend soone," rit said as she went to noisily eating. She seed half asleep still.
"Anyway, Vim said he had a few things to handle then would head back this way. Honestly I'm surprised he's not here already, we got a bit sidetracked what with us running into Tressi's group," Oplar said. Ah! Nasba's cousin! rit had ntioned her back in Lun! She had even given Vim a letter to deliver to her.
rit's head shot upward, and my ears fluttered as I watched her focus a little more seriously on our conversation. "You t Tressi?" Oplar asked.
"Aye. She's looking forward to seeing Nasba. Plans to head that way as soon as she can and everyone's settled. She wants to introduce her child to the rest of the ducks," Oplar said.
"Child…?" rit mumbled as she frowned in thought.
"A cute little girl. She's fascinated with Vim, by the way, so get ready for that Renn."
"Huh…?" I sat up a bit straighter as I found myself to be unexpectedly on guard. What'd she an by that!?
rit chuckled as she went back to eating. "Good luck with that."
Gah!
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