"Something's wrong."
Â
Shaelen's blue-grey eyes narrowed, her gaze a darkened, stormy hue. She crossed her arms and stared down the road again. The fairway past the Coffer and Coffin tavern remained as dusty and dry as ever, desert winds sending the sands up into an occasional swirling, chaotic dance. From her vantage point at Black Brush Station, the smuggler could see down the road, well past the run-down tavern, following the trail back to the Gate of Nald. She glared at the long desolate road, as if her will alone would make the missing Highlander materialize out of thin air. But as time ticked by, Aylard Greyarm was nowhere to be found.
Â
A growl behind her made her turn. She frowned at Axe, her stalwart companion and bodyguard. Shael shook her head at him. "He wouldn't forget. The tankard of ale was always our trade word. Meet up five bells before the actual arranged time, to finalize things. Aylard never forgets."
Â
Thaliak's Axe let out a pitiful gnarling whine, his thick brows furrowing. Worry was clear on his expression as well, which only made that knot in her stomach tighter. Â
Â
Where are you, ol' man... Shaelen turned back one more time to the road, her fingers tapping lightly on her arm. Now it was four bells before the meeting at the Nanawa Mines for the exchange. Aylard was never this late.
Â
Shaelen tried to recall the last time the Highlander had not shown for one of their rendezvous. It was just before the Battle of Carteneau, and she was to meet with him to discuss smuggling out some Garlean magitek weapons. There was a war going on, after all, and who was going to miss a few weapons from a vast arsenal? But Aylard had gotten wind of something else that would happen that day, and he did not show five bells before the smuggling operation was to take place. Shaelen did not hear from him why or how, but his absence was signal enough to abort the mission. So she did. Â
Â
It saved her life. Dalamud fell from the sky that day.
Â
But something else troubled her about his absence now. Was it the fact that there were too many involved in this deal that she did not know? Or the involvement of Alabrous Tane? Or the fact that Aylard mentioned he and his son was being sought out after? Something nagged at her thoughts and it made her uneasy.
Â
"That's it. We've waited long enough." She looked to the sun above then back to the road. She turned as Axe gave a displeased howl.Â
Â
"What do you want me to do, Shooey? We can't wait here all day!" She placed her hands on her hips. "What, look for him? I don't even know where to start."
Â
Axe jutted his chin forward and let out another rumble. He was looking to the Gates of Ul'dah.
Â
"That’s not our deal. If he doesn’t show up five bells before to reassure me everything is okay, the deal is off." Shaelen snorted as she walked past him to the Aetheryte crystal. "That's how we work. That's how we make sure we don't get screwed. Have you forgotten that?"
Â
The tongueless Roegadyn murmured behind her. He had the same bad feeling about this as she did, and did not like it at all. But still, he liked to complain.
Â
Shaelen grabbed her pack from the ground, dusting it off. She patted it down harshly, her own movements betraying her apprehension. "I'm sure he's fine. He'll let me know tomorrow what happened. Or whenever he is good and ready to set this up again." A part of her didn't like how much his absence bothered her. Usually an aborted mission slid off her back like water. But this was Aylard. She didn't like admitting she owed anyone anything, but...
Â
Aylard. She did owe him. Big time. He took her in when she had no home. He gave her a family when she had none. He had to be fine.
Â
Another grunt from the Roegadyn drew her eyes back towards him. She shook her head. "I don't know, Shooey. Maybe it's off altogether." After a pause, she muttered under her breath. "Maybe the Flames found out."
Â
To that Axe said nothing. And that meant something entirely different. Shaelen turned back to the Roegadyn, a deep frown twisting her face. "No, Shooey. We don't go look for them. They don't need our help. That's not what we do." She held up a hand at Axe to stop any further arguments. "I know it's Aylard. We gave him over a bell to show. But this is how we conduct business. This is how you and I survive."
Â
Axe murmured again, quietly. She just shook her head again.
Â
"Let's go, Shooey." She slung her pack over her shoulder and started out toward the chocobos, her fists swinging angrily by her side with each determined step.Â
Â
"The deal is off," she muttered. "Pretty damned sure no one is gonna be at those mines now."
Â
Shaelen's blue-grey eyes narrowed, her gaze a darkened, stormy hue. She crossed her arms and stared down the road again. The fairway past the Coffer and Coffin tavern remained as dusty and dry as ever, desert winds sending the sands up into an occasional swirling, chaotic dance. From her vantage point at Black Brush Station, the smuggler could see down the road, well past the run-down tavern, following the trail back to the Gate of Nald. She glared at the long desolate road, as if her will alone would make the missing Highlander materialize out of thin air. But as time ticked by, Aylard Greyarm was nowhere to be found.
Â
A growl behind her made her turn. She frowned at Axe, her stalwart companion and bodyguard. Shael shook her head at him. "He wouldn't forget. The tankard of ale was always our trade word. Meet up five bells before the actual arranged time, to finalize things. Aylard never forgets."
Â
Thaliak's Axe let out a pitiful gnarling whine, his thick brows furrowing. Worry was clear on his expression as well, which only made that knot in her stomach tighter. Â
Â
Where are you, ol' man... Shaelen turned back one more time to the road, her fingers tapping lightly on her arm. Now it was four bells before the meeting at the Nanawa Mines for the exchange. Aylard was never this late.
Â
Shaelen tried to recall the last time the Highlander had not shown for one of their rendezvous. It was just before the Battle of Carteneau, and she was to meet with him to discuss smuggling out some Garlean magitek weapons. There was a war going on, after all, and who was going to miss a few weapons from a vast arsenal? But Aylard had gotten wind of something else that would happen that day, and he did not show five bells before the smuggling operation was to take place. Shaelen did not hear from him why or how, but his absence was signal enough to abort the mission. So she did. Â
Â
It saved her life. Dalamud fell from the sky that day.
Â
But something else troubled her about his absence now. Was it the fact that there were too many involved in this deal that she did not know? Or the involvement of Alabrous Tane? Or the fact that Aylard mentioned he and his son was being sought out after? Something nagged at her thoughts and it made her uneasy.
Â
"That's it. We've waited long enough." She looked to the sun above then back to the road. She turned as Axe gave a displeased howl.Â
Â
"What do you want me to do, Shooey? We can't wait here all day!" She placed her hands on her hips. "What, look for him? I don't even know where to start."
Â
Axe jutted his chin forward and let out another rumble. He was looking to the Gates of Ul'dah.
Â
"That’s not our deal. If he doesn’t show up five bells before to reassure me everything is okay, the deal is off." Shaelen snorted as she walked past him to the Aetheryte crystal. "That's how we work. That's how we make sure we don't get screwed. Have you forgotten that?"
Â
The tongueless Roegadyn murmured behind her. He had the same bad feeling about this as she did, and did not like it at all. But still, he liked to complain.
Â
Shaelen grabbed her pack from the ground, dusting it off. She patted it down harshly, her own movements betraying her apprehension. "I'm sure he's fine. He'll let me know tomorrow what happened. Or whenever he is good and ready to set this up again." A part of her didn't like how much his absence bothered her. Usually an aborted mission slid off her back like water. But this was Aylard. She didn't like admitting she owed anyone anything, but...
Â
Aylard. She did owe him. Big time. He took her in when she had no home. He gave her a family when she had none. He had to be fine.
Â
Another grunt from the Roegadyn drew her eyes back towards him. She shook her head. "I don't know, Shooey. Maybe it's off altogether." After a pause, she muttered under her breath. "Maybe the Flames found out."
Â
To that Axe said nothing. And that meant something entirely different. Shaelen turned back to the Roegadyn, a deep frown twisting her face. "No, Shooey. We don't go look for them. They don't need our help. That's not what we do." She held up a hand at Axe to stop any further arguments. "I know it's Aylard. We gave him over a bell to show. But this is how we conduct business. This is how you and I survive."
Â
Axe murmured again, quietly. She just shook her head again.
Â
"Let's go, Shooey." She slung her pack over her shoulder and started out toward the chocobos, her fists swinging angrily by her side with each determined step.Â
Â
"The deal is off," she muttered. "Pretty damned sure no one is gonna be at those mines now."
