Private Tales Something Amiss

[Lia]

"Helped you carouse and drink?" Lia said as she rolled her eyes, gazing into the mirror for half a second before she stepped over to her armor and clothes. She got dressed quickly, something that would be expected at this point.

The clank of her armor was sounding out rather quickly.

Her father had always told her that she would need a squire when she was within the Rangers. Someone that would help her put on the armor. He'd been a silly man of course, not realizing that Rangers were meant to be as self sufficient as possible, which included putting on their own armor.

"No thank you." The Sergeant said as she began to strap the metal plates into place. "There's better ways of keeping this thing safe."

She motioned to the bracelet sown into the pouch, though knew Kaska wouldn't see. "I want to leave before mid-morning."

 

[Kaska]

Kaska groaned, sitting up and clutching her head. She wasn't too hung over, she hadn't been unreasonable about it all. But there was a point where lines had blurred and memory had fogged... And perhaps she shouldn't have accepted that last drink from what's his face.

She rubbed her face, then looked to Lia. "And sometimes there's better ways to do what we do without being who we are. You're about as predictable as the sun." She slid off the bed and shuffled stiffly to the water bowl, eyes half closed as she went.

 

[Lia]

Lia finished securing the last strap on her armor, shifting her weight to balance the plates before she stepped over to the side of the bed and scooped up her blade.

"I'm a Ranger." The Sergeant said in simple retort, seeing no need to add anything else.

She had never wanted to be someone else, and she would certainly never pretend to be. With a quick flick she pulled her hair into a bun, pinning the two needles through it to keep it in place before she strapped the sword-breaker to her belt and turned around on a dime.

"I'll get us breakfast." She told Kaska. "Don't dawdle."

They had miles to travel today.

 

[Kaska]

"Don't dawdle," she mocked childishly once left behind closed doors.

She sighed, having to spend a moment coaxing herself back into the task of this mission. Or at the very least-- the task of getting ready instead of flopping back in bed. The pleasant buzz of the night was gone and it was back to the stark reality of her miserable existence.

"I'm a ranger." Mock mock.

Her clothing dropped and she bathed herself too, using the last of the water to help rangle the knots out of her hair and smooth it back into a tie at her back. She dressed, pulling on that armor with her eyes still half lidded, occasionally squinting grumpily at a strap or clasp.

She was ready by the time Lia returned, efficient even when hungover. She reached for the platter with a wordless grunt, taking the hot mug and sticking her face in it.

"To which town next?" Her muffled voice asked.

 

[Lia]

"No town." Lia said as she picked up some of the bread she had brought.

Though they had put up an air of being on a relaxed mission, Lia intended on driving them hard. Her route meant they were headed off the road and into the forest, traveling along a path that had long since been abandoned by most. It was a merchant trail the Dwarves once used, when Belgrath had still thrived.

"There is an old Dwarf hold a day and a half ride from here." The Sergeant explained, making it clear that she intended to be riding well into the night. "We'll stay there once we stop, then move on and camp for the next three or four days."

Chewing her food she took a small sip of water. "If we're lucky, we won't encounter a single person along the way."

If not a Hunter or something of the sort might stumble on them, but that was unlikely.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska sputtered, sitting up. "Geeze, you're going hard on this." She sigh heavily again, placing her elbow on the table and rubbing the steam off her face before supporting her head in the most un-enthused manner. "You know we're suppose to be blending in, right? Because- rangers just traveling home don't ride a day and a half."

She pulled at the bread, using it to soothe her stomach. "Wait- ...If it's... 15 days by hard riding, how long will it take coming back?" The implication was clearer than not. This mission was larger and longer than she had first been given the impression of. A month of hard riding? No, the horses couldn't do it. They actually would travel back at a more leisure pace, which would mean... this whole thing would take...

 

[Lia]

Lia shrugged. "I haven't thought about that."

Getting back hadn't really been part of the plan. She assumed that once they got to the Fortress they would be given new Orders. In her mind the return journey wasn't at all actually a part of the mission.

"They'll probably send us back separately." Lia suggested. "Or if we return together we'll take the main road."

There was no objection from her if they'd already secured the bracelet at the Fortress. "Either way It's nothing to be concerned with yet."

Lia said dismissively, continuing. "I mean for us to disappear for a while after today."

 

[Kaska]

"Uuuugh," Kaska groaned, her head flopping down onto the table. She missed the insinuation about them having to disappear after today, not catching the reasons why Lia would suddenly want to be off the map, or the lack of trust implied there.

It was fair enough, honestly.

"Whatever you want, Ma'am," she drawled, too hungover but to do more than have defeated acceptance for these overwhelming circumstances.

Kaska was not like Lia. While there was a time in her life when she would have appreciated these missions for all they were, now they just felt like punishments. They weren't, truthfully. Being sent out of the city wasn't a punishment anymore than being allowed a mission inside of one. But along the way, some things had crossed in her mind. In her struggles to maintain some sense of herself inside of this life, being a ranger felt more like being someone's child. And every time she had to do something hard, it was a punishment.

And with the way she treated people? No one was going to exert the effort to show her different.

She huffed in a silent fit, sitting up to finish her meal and looking utterly miserable the whole way.

 

[Lia]

Lia decided not to comment on the girls misery. At this point she thought that it would be much like poking a sleeping bear that was already rather angry.

It would be best to simply let Kaska sulk.

So they finished their meals in silence, Lia happily munching on the meager meal and shifting slightly before she finally stood and began to stretch. [color=#e3781]"Get the horses ready to go."[/color]

The Sergeant told Kaska. In her mind it was only fair after all, she was the one that had stabled them the day before, and thus it was the other girls turn.

"I'll settle with the Innkeeper." Then hopefully they could get moving.

 

[Kaska]

"A-" She nearly protested, but then Lia finished her next sentence and Kaska shut right up. Ahem.

Yes. Lia could settle with the innkeeper. Sure. Good. Kaska will get the horses!

She stood up with a little too much enthusiasm for her state, going to slip on her pack and hang her bow and arrows comfortably against her back. On went her sword and then she was gone without protest, leaving Lia to discover the pretty little tab she had left open last night.

Ahem.

She worked quickly on the horses, preparing hers first.

 

[Lia]

"SHE WHAT?!" Her voice boomed, and more than one passed out alcoholic in the common room seemed to shirk away from the boom of her voice.

A glower settled over Lia's features, her lips thinning and her fingers gripping the sheath of her sword a little bit too tightly. The Innkeeper sputtered for a moment, his face twisting in a mixture of fear and utter distraught. Clearly he was unsure of how to continue, but managed to stammer.

"Sh-she drank quite a bit, Miss. Bought a round for-"

"That little nit." Lia grumbled, her teeth gnashing. "Fine. Here."

The Sergeant dug out a few silver and copper pieces from her purse. Some of the money had been given to her by the Rangers, though most of it was her own. She grumbled again, dropping the money into the Innkeepers palms. "I'll kill her."

Lia said quietly as she stalked outside.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska saddle up her horse and strapped on her bag, petting down the snort of her mare. "Easy there." He nickered against he hand. She smiled softly and moved to Lia's tossing the saddle over easily and slipping the straps into place. She felt Lia's approach and didn't acknowledge it, mildly braced for the anger she suspected was there.

 

[Lia]

"Well I hope you enjoyed your night in the Inn." Lia was steaming as she stepped into the small barn, her fingers still gripping the sheath of her sword with white knuckles.

In truth this actually helped her a little bit, mostly because it would force them to camp rather than seek a stay at another Inn. Kaska didn't need to know that, nor did she need to know that Lia had spent her own money to pay the rest of the bill off.

"It'll be the only one." The Sergeants tone switched from angry to disappointment, like a mother who had just found her child had smashed a toy. "We have not the coin for more."

Her sword slipped into the holders on the back of her armor as she moved over towards her mount.

 

[Kaska]

"Oh pooh, you had intended to do that to us anyway." She handed over the reigns, going to hers and sliding up easily. She had coin of her own, a good amount too, but she kept it to herself. She had intended to pay the tab, but ...

Yeah, she didn't think long or hard on why she was like this. She just did it.

Kaska yanked the last strap across her foot, hiding a grimace of slight ... guilt? Still, she said nothing, unable to help the way she kept lashing out at the woman like this, unconsciously driving wedges between the partnership where ever she could.

"Let's go then. Lots of distance to do," she mocked subtly. She kicked off out of the barn in a brisk gallop.

 

[Lia]

Lia shook her head. "Fool girl, she'll tire the horse."

Though the beasts were grand for keeping the rider well rested, Horses had a tendency to fail over long distance. One had to make sure to take things easily, at least enough to give the animals actual room to survive.

Lia wanted to go fast, but she didn't want to end up with dead horses.

She could only imagine the horror that would come into being when Kaska had to walk the rest of the way. She imagined the girl would sound like a dying rat in a bucket. The Sergeant's head shook, and she quickly reached up and grasped the pommel of her saddle.

With one smooth motion she perched herself upon her horse, reigning it left and following after Kaska.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska didn't drive the horse hard for long. It had all been for dramatic flare. Still, she had forced Lia to keep up with her for fifteen minutes before she released her horse from the gallop and settled to a firm trot. Her exhaustion hit her then, but she didn't regret it. It might have been her last break from all this for a while. That stressed her out nearly as much as her father did.

The rhythmatic ride of the horses did little to help keep her awake, and by the time they stopped for dinner she looked dead on her feet, slipping down for her horse and landing clumsily. She didn't complain though, despite her heavy uncomfortableness, she hadn't leveled anymore trouble. She was a bitch, not a whiner.

However, Lia would be left to pull out what they had and set up the horses for the rest, the girl going to a grassy patch and collapsing face first into it.

"Wake me when you're done," she mumbled, intending to nap the break away.

 

[Lia]

"Eat." She told the girl as she slipped off of her own horse and patted the beast on the nose.

They had stopped once or twice before during the day, either to eat something quickly or to allow the horses a short amount of rest before they continued on. Lia of course had no intention of stopping, not now when darkness was beginning to fall. This was the point that if anyone had followed them things would become different.

If they left here again within ten minutes they would arrive at the old Dwarf Hold in four or five hours. Then they would at least be able to rest for a little while. "You'll need your energy."

Lia said as she took care of the horses and pulled out a piece of dried meat for herself.

"We've a ways to go yet." The Sergeant said, though oddly enough she almost sounded happy about it.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska ignored her, zoning out and half drooling while she did so. In truth she wasn't hungry, too tired to feel it. She could eat when on the road, not much a ranger right now with the state of her and the pace they pushed. Perhaps it was a good thing Lia would be keeping them from taverns. She might end up strangled if she kept this up.

 

[Lia]

When Lia was finished with the horses she wandered over to a large boulder and sat herself down.

There was a slight clink of armor as she positioned herself, biting off a piece of dried meat and chewing thoughtfully. There wasn't much else to do. Kaska seemed to have already fallen into some sort of slumber, and the horses weren't really much for conversation anyway.

So the Ranger just sat there idly, briefly dreaming about what would happen after they completed this mission. In her ideal she would get a promotion, her command, perhaps a squad of Rangers to do her own missions.

The last would be her preferred choice.

Suddenly a snorting noise, like a pug attempting to breath caught her attention. She saw Kaska shake slightly, her snoring beginning to echo within the clearing.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska jolted awake at the sound of her own snore, yanking at the sword at her hip and looking wildly about. "Huh- wha-" She blinked wildly, understanding falling after. She fell backwards, heat filling her cheeks. She sheathed her sword, attempting to play it all cool and reach into her pack for some dried meat strips.

>.>

 

[Lia]

Lia perked an eyebrow, watching as Kaska flailed around for a moment. "Bad dream?"

The Sergeant sounded almost amused.

Many of the Rangers had gone through one nightmare or another that settled them with near permanent nightmares. Lia guessed that Kaska wasn't one of them. A bad dream for that girl likely would have been getting a stubbed toe or perhaps some man at a bar rejecting her.

That was what she imagined.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska shot her a look, biting roughly into the meat. "No." She chewed slowly, the jolt awake giving her a shot of adrenaline that kept her alert and stopped her from flopping back over.

She didn't usually make it a habit of being this indisposed on a mission, but she had been under the impression that they were going to take this a lot easier. If so, she would have been just fine.

She rubbed at her face, trying to shake the fogginess from her limbs. "I will pay for the next inn," she grumbled, willing to pay anything to make this hell easier.

 

[Lia]

"That won't be for some time." Lia commented dryly, her face remaining impassive even though inside of her own mind she was singing with joy.

Apparently guilt tripping did work.

She would have to thank her mother for that particular trick when she visited home once again. There was no doubt in her mind that she would enjoy hearing that. Lia's mother had always said that certain skills she could impart were just as important as those tutors that had taught her the blade.

It appeared she'd been right. "But I appreciate the thought."

"We'll be camping for a while." A week or so.

 

[Kaska]

"But why?" Kaska challenged, swallowing the hard lump of meet and eyeing the woman.

"You know now one knows of this mission. There's no threat, no timeline, no pressure. Why do you have you to add in stakes?" It was a genuine question, one that was frustrating her. She hated pressure. She hated expectations.

 

[Lia]

"I'm not adding stakes." Lia retorted. "I'm ensuring that no one starts to follow us."

Kaska had a point of course, there was nobody following them and this mission was a secret, but precautions never really hurt anyone. Lia intended to keep this mission on track, and she would do it in the best way she knew how.

She shifted on the boulder, glancing at Kaska. "Anyone who tries will be taking the main road, we won't be."

Lia attempted to give Kaska a sweet smile.

"For all intense and purposes we'll be disappearing." That was the hope anyway. "Only to reappear a week from now."