Private Tales Something Amiss

[Kaska]

Kaska sensed she had reached a reasonable portion of Lia, one that would listen to her and actually consider what she was about to say. But then she thought about saying the worlds to Lia. Lia. And the girl's pride got caught in her throat, preventing her from doing more then half glaring in stress at Lia across the table.

"Can't you just trust me?" She asked through her teeth. There was no way in hell she'd get all vulnerable in front of the woman. Fuck it. She'd find a way to dig in her heels somewhere else.

 

[Lia]

"I trust you as I trust every Ranger." Lia found it somewhat surprising that she actually meant those words. Though she did not like Kaska, she was a Ranger in the end. That was really what mattered to her. Even if their personalities were almost directly opposite one another.

There was still a trust simply born of that.

"Give me a reason." Lia said, her hands coming to rest on the table in front of her. "I deserve that much at least."

This was quite literally the biggest assignment of her entire life. She would not just walk away from it because of whatever small doubt Kaska had. If the girl brought forth a good reason to her then she would consider it.

Otherwise? They would continue on the road tomorrow. Or she would go on her own.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska wavered, brows furrowing a little at the woman as she threw her for another loop. "Wait, are you serious? You trust me?" She asked like the woman shouldn't have, but it was more out of shock that the woman actually did. And that she was responding to her this way right now. It was disturbingly .... reasonable. No stubborn heals really being dug in. She made an effort not to dismiss her, she gave her a chance to change her mind?

Kaska looked on warily, distracted from her problem for a moment.

 

[Lia]

Lia shrugged.

"You're a Ranger." The Sergeant answered simply, her face remaining as impassive as always. In her head she didn't really need more of a reason than that. Though seeing how perplexed Kaska was she decided that she would explain herself a bit further. "You are insolent, disruptive and a brat."

Probably not the best way to go about this but Lia would be honest. "But you have never given me a reason to distrust or suspect anything ill of you."

In a way, that was a complement.

Lia wasn't blind enough to think that all Ranger's were automatically good people. She knew that there were as many villains as there were heroes, but Kaska, despite her failings, had never done anything to discredit herself entirely. As far as Lia was concerned, that was enough.

Though the girl would still have to give a reason if Lia was to abandon this mission.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska studied the woman for a long moment, trying to read past her stoic expression.

She chewed on her lip, struggling with her decision. Did she tell her? Would it even work? Would she listen enough to let them go back? KNowing the drive of the woman, she rather doubted it. Kasta couldn't just *leave* on her own. That wasn't how this passive aggressive, fuckup your own career thing worked. That wouldn't hold her back, she'd just risk getting released from duty all together.

Kaska was quickly realizing she had only one option. Thankfully, it didn't involve her having to spill her guts to Lia, even if she was seeming like a maybe okay human at the moment. The only thing she could really do is stay on, move forward, and hope to hell they don't pull out of this with flying colors.

It was one thing to advance on your own, for a moment back there she had considered committing to the mission just to see if she could do it. But to realize it's all her father's fabrication? That's she's just a puppet preforming on stage. Perfect little soldiers, doing what they should while her father shows them off to the world? She wanted to scream.

She grimaced instead, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again, her face slipping into indifference.

"Well. It's a good thing we got that out of the way. I don't have enough money for a month of inns." That would be the closest Lia would receive to an offer of truce, no explanation offered for Kaska's little moment back there.

 

[Lia]

Lia stared at Kaska silently for a moment, considering the girl and wondering if she was edging on insanity.

After a few seconds she simply nodded.

Perhaps she really was just concerned with what Lia had suspected in the first place, though she wouldn't press the issue. She and Kaska were the same age, or close enough to it, but she felt as though she herself was a tad more...mature. Not that she would say that out loud. "it will be fine."

Lia assured Kaska, though she was pretty sure that wasn't what the girl wanted to hear.

This was only the first of many nights on the road, and she hoped this little outburst would forestall any others from happening later. Though for some reason she doubted it would.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska snorted, not reassured in the slightest. "For you."

She shook her head, involving herself back in her early dinner. Lia would get no further comments from her, Kaska finding any further sass a waste of energy on Lia. The woman wasn't going anywhere. The mission was going to continue. Digging her heels in would gain her nothing here.

She focused back on her food, her brows furrowed the whole time. Once done, she pushed away her empty plate and ordered another drink, ruffling through her pack and pulling out a book. Perhaps Lia was right about one thing. There were worse missions than traveling leisurely up the coast side.

Half the point of this mission was to make it not look like a mission at all. So true to their cause, she kicked up her feet on the chair next to Lia and cracked open the book, seeming content with the rest of the day being peaceful for both of them.

 

[Lia]

Oddly enough, Lia did the same. Though she did not stay at the table.

"I'll be in the room" She told Kaska. The common area of a Tavern was simply too noisy for her to concentrate on much of anything, and truth be told she was somewhat itchy to get out of her armor. Though she was more than comfortable within it, after an entire day of trotting around the metal began to dig into her shoulders and push against her skin a bit too much.

Better to have some reprieve.

Plus, she wanted to be a bit more comfortable while reading. Thus she snatched up her blade and the sword breaker she had leaned against the table, cradling both weapons in the nook of her right arm as she wandered over towards the innkeeper and struck up a short, but fruitful conversation.

Then without further hesitation Lia headed upstairs.

 

[Kaska]

Come dinner time Kaska entered the room, a glow to her cheeks and a smile on her face as she closed the door behind her. She huffed in exertion, or perhaps winded pleasure, and pushed off the door she had leaned against. "Dinner is being served," she told Lia, tugging on her armor as she made for the empty bed. She let her bag and weapons clatter at the foot of it then sat down, starting the slow process of weasing her way out of it all.

"There's music, and someone brought out cards," she told her partner, ducking out of her chest plate to reveal the skin was red and flushed. She had been drinking, but she was not drunk, and it lended to her looser tongue, inviting the woman without really thinking on it.

 

[Lia]

Lia was sitting on her bed, a pillow behind her back and a book in her hands. When Kaska stepped inside she looked up at the girl her expression as deadpan as could be.

"I see." Oddly enough the Ranger did not feel too hungry, perhaps because of the meal they'd had only a shortwhile ago.

In truth though, the idea of going down into the common room at the moment was about as unappealing as eating an old sock. She was enjoying her book, and it was easy to keep an eye on the Bracelet without many people around her. "I'll have the Innkeeper send something open."

Lia commented as she flipped to the next page in her book.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska blinked, then shook her head, peeling off more of that armor. "Suit yourself."


Clunk, plunk, thunk.


She sighed in relief as all the metal components were off her, letting her skin breathe. She cracked open her pack, grabbing a fresh shirt she hadn't sweat in and switching them over. She splashed her face and hurriedly combed her hair. "Don't wait up," she dismissed, slipping out.

 

[Lia]

Lia rolled her eyes.

Someone had to stay behind and watch the Bracelet. There was a line between acting like you were at ease and actually being at ease. No matter how much they were supposed to look like they were taking it easy Lia most definitely did not want to actually take it easy.

This was the assignment of her career.

There was no way in hell that the Sergeant was taking any risk in screwing it up. So as Kaska closed the door and headed down stairs Lia simply shook her head. "That girl will trip over her own feet before she gets anywhere."

It was a saying her mother used to say about girls that were less...put together.

Something more than befitting the moment.

 

[Kaska]

It wasn't until early dawn that Kaska returned, stumbling over herself and clutching her untied shirt closed inside her fists. Well that had been a night worth traveling for. Her father wasn't even in her thoughts as she tried her best to creep across the room and flop quietly down into bed. If there was even such a thing. She yawned to herself and turned to press her face into her pillow, her shirt falling open to reveal hickies.

She would sleep until noon, if allowed.

 

[Lia]

When Kaska opened the door Lia woke up. There was no way around it really, she was a light sleeper to begin with and part of watching the bracelet was watching it all the time.

One eye peeked open, spotting the girl falling onto the bed.

Lia couldn't help but roll her eyes slightly, though they quickly closed and she shifted away towards the wall. The small bag that had been sown onto the inside of the platemail was sitting next to her, kept tight and secure.

She was more than a little paranoid.

 

[Kaska]

Soon the soft sounds of her snores came muffles through her pillow. It wasn't something she normally did, but inebriated like this always made the soft noise fill the air. She slept nicely, not waking throughout the night. She didn't share Lia's light sleeping issue. She wasn't paranoid. The sun rised in the sky and still, she kept sleeping.

And sleeping. And sleeping. Hanging out of her shirt, drooling, hair a mess, sleeping.

 

[Lia]

Lia was the first to wake up the next morning, rather unsurprisingly. Her eyes opened and almost immediately she snatched the sword from the side of her bed. There wasn't any reason for it of course, she felt no danger, but the reflex was underlined within her entire being.

Slowly her gaze wandered around the room. She could hear Kaska snoring across the room, her lips thinning slightly as she allowed the blade to lower once again.

Perking herself up the Sergeant continued to survey for a moment, then kicked her blankets off. The morning air was cool, hanging within the room and creating an odd fog on the windows. A frown touched her lips, but slowly she stood and began to go about her morning routine.

It began with a work out of course, as it always should.

Before long Lia was doing push ups on the floor.

 

[Kaska]

The huffs and grunts made their way into Kaska's peaceful sleep, pulling her out of it with fitful tossing and a hung over groan. She didn't bother opening her eyes, she didn't take a chance to see the source of the disturbance. She just pulled her pillow out from under her and tossed it at the noise with a whine, trying to silence it.

Eyes still closed, she flopped back over, her face tilted away from the window to avoid the glaring sun.

 

[Lia]

Lia caught the pillow with little effort, tossing it back as she pushed herself up with one hand. "Wake up."

The Ranger called out to her subordinate.

"We have to go soon." She wasn't just trying to torture Kaska, they had a mission to get to and sleeping around all day wasn't an option. "Before people ask questions."

She didn't care how hungover the girl was either.

Kaska had made her own decesion the night before, and she would be paying for it today.

 

[Kaska]

"They already did ask questions," she groaned, taking the blanket and pulling it over her face. "Tenminutes."

...Soft snore.

 

[Lia]

Lia stopped mid push-up. "What questions?"

Her voice was stone cold, and slowly she stood from the floor. There was an impassiveness to her voice, as if she wasn't trying to already bite off Kaska's head.

If the girl had said anything...

This was her one chance to move up. Fail this mission and she was sure she'd end up tossed back patrolling the outskirts of the White Forest. It would take her months to get this opportunity again. This was supposed to be kept secret, all of it. If even a hint got out they could encounter a world of trouble.

 

[Kaska]

She snorted, jolting back too and wiping the drool off her face. She rolled over, snuggling deeper into her blankets. "Questions," she slurred. "S'nothing..." She committed to drifting off again, her mouth slipping back open.

 

[Lia]

Lia smacked the girl on the forehead.

"What." Her voice enunciated the words as hard as possible. It was clear that she was in absolutely no mood for playing any sort of games. "Questions."

The Sergeant wasn't going to dance around this. "It's important."

Had the fool said anything while she was drunk? Did some farmboy now know about the Bracelet? Was some Lord going to know by the time it was evening?

If so they would need to run.

 

[Kaska]

"Ow!" She flailed, flailing to whap her arm away and letting it flop back onto the bed. She squinted, half glaring at Lia in a a sleepy manner.

"What was that for? Nothing!" She protested, trying to whap her back for the assault. "People are just curious, I didn't say anything! " At least as far as she could remember. "What'syourproblem?" She let her heavy eye-lids rest.

 

[Lia]

"We have a job to do." Lia said simply, turning away from Kaska and going across the room to the washbowl. She quickly dipped one of the rags into it, wringing the cold water out a second later and wiping herself down.

It would likely be a few days before she would have another opportunity to do this, and she wanted to get it over with before they got back on the road. She doubted they would be staying at another Inn for quite some time.

"We're not on Vacation." The Sergeant continued. "And the more questions that are asked the more weary I become."

It was why she'd been leery of staying at an Inn in the first place.

The more people around the more likely someone would find out.

 

[Kaska]

"You're paranoid," she groaned, curling into herself. "No thinks we're doing much of anything, not with how I was last night. You're welcome, by the way." She rubbed her face, knowing she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep now. "You coulda helped."