The Inspector had been a harder man to track down than Warren intended. At least a bell and perhaps two had passed by before he was able to get a firm lead and even that was due to his persistence and not any sort of lucky break. He wasn't surprised by this; He had only yesterday been caught sneaking into a secured building belonging to another nation and he had no doubts his name and description had been circulated. Still, he spared no detail of what his quest actually was and eventually a bleeding heart let slip where the Inspector could be found when he took his late-morning tea.
The wind whipped around him as he scaled the final set of steps to the bell's housing. Warren possessed no fear of heights but even he was leery of the dizzying altitude he was standing, and he didn't trust the ground to not slip away from him if he stepped away from the wall. He was sheltered from only from being seen; the open nature of the structure meant no heat from below survived to reach the "room" he was hiding in.
What kind of fool comes HERE for respite?
Warren kept his arms folded tightly across his chest and huddled for warmth. In the distance and visible through a haze of snow stood Ishgard. He wondered if the scenery was the reason. He didn't have to wait long before he heard footsteps coming up the heavy staircase beneath him.
Prauvaulient was alone and in his hands was a steaming cup of tea. He stared daggers at the highlander and a scowl stole across his face. Warren raised a hand in what he hoped was a peaceable expression, his expression soft and pleading.
"I need to speak with you, Inspector. It's not about the girl, but if you'll hear me out I think you'll understand why I did what I did. Please."
The inspector sighed, looking tiredly to his drink and then towards his nation.
"You are persistent, I will give you that. I will listen to you, and if I am not suitably moved I will either have you incarcerated for meddling in my business or I will have you executed for meddling in my business." He turned back to Warren and smiled politely, taking a sip from his drink with gloved pinky extended. "Choose your words wisely."
Warren didn't let the threat shake him. He'd had plenty of time to pick his argument and hoped he had made the best he could. He quickly ran down the series of events that had brought him to Coerthas, his searches in those initial, frenzied days, his exhaustion, his hopes and fears. He poured every bit of anguish he could feel into trying to change the Inspector's mind, to prove to the Ishgardian that he wasn't meddling in anyone's affairs but was looking for closure to his own.
It seemed to have some effect, as the elezen's demeanor went from icy indifference to captive audience. He reserved any thoughts or commentary for after Warren had finished, then looked towards the man with a measured grace.
"These two adventurers mean that much to you? If you are telling me the truth, you're nearly killing yourself to find them, hope against hope, after they've surely surrendered to the cold? You will not be deterred?"
Warren shook his head. "I will not. I will either find them, and get them back home, or I will spend my days looking until I've found them."
The wind picked up around them, Pravaulient's eyes staring fixedly on the hyur.
"If you will not be stopped, then I have no choice. In one sevenday's time I will be traveling in the direction you spoke of; Too far to go on your own but your likeliest bet if you are sure you would have found something by now. I will not wait for you, I will not look for you, I will not let you slow us down, but... If you truly intend on getting yourself killed in the wilds, I will take you there to die."
Warren glared back but nodded his head. "I can work with that. And I'll be here. If you're just trying to shake me loose, give me a false hope to get me out of your way, I will know it. I'll find you, and I will burn your country to the ground to get to you."
"Ser Castille," the elezen smiled at him cruelly. "If you had the ability to spread that much fire, you would not be freezing in the snow looking for corpses."
**
The wind whipped around him as he scaled the final set of steps to the bell's housing. Warren possessed no fear of heights but even he was leery of the dizzying altitude he was standing, and he didn't trust the ground to not slip away from him if he stepped away from the wall. He was sheltered from only from being seen; the open nature of the structure meant no heat from below survived to reach the "room" he was hiding in.
What kind of fool comes HERE for respite?
Warren kept his arms folded tightly across his chest and huddled for warmth. In the distance and visible through a haze of snow stood Ishgard. He wondered if the scenery was the reason. He didn't have to wait long before he heard footsteps coming up the heavy staircase beneath him.
Prauvaulient was alone and in his hands was a steaming cup of tea. He stared daggers at the highlander and a scowl stole across his face. Warren raised a hand in what he hoped was a peaceable expression, his expression soft and pleading.
"I need to speak with you, Inspector. It's not about the girl, but if you'll hear me out I think you'll understand why I did what I did. Please."
The inspector sighed, looking tiredly to his drink and then towards his nation.
"You are persistent, I will give you that. I will listen to you, and if I am not suitably moved I will either have you incarcerated for meddling in my business or I will have you executed for meddling in my business." He turned back to Warren and smiled politely, taking a sip from his drink with gloved pinky extended. "Choose your words wisely."
Warren didn't let the threat shake him. He'd had plenty of time to pick his argument and hoped he had made the best he could. He quickly ran down the series of events that had brought him to Coerthas, his searches in those initial, frenzied days, his exhaustion, his hopes and fears. He poured every bit of anguish he could feel into trying to change the Inspector's mind, to prove to the Ishgardian that he wasn't meddling in anyone's affairs but was looking for closure to his own.
It seemed to have some effect, as the elezen's demeanor went from icy indifference to captive audience. He reserved any thoughts or commentary for after Warren had finished, then looked towards the man with a measured grace.
"These two adventurers mean that much to you? If you are telling me the truth, you're nearly killing yourself to find them, hope against hope, after they've surely surrendered to the cold? You will not be deterred?"
Warren shook his head. "I will not. I will either find them, and get them back home, or I will spend my days looking until I've found them."
The wind picked up around them, Pravaulient's eyes staring fixedly on the hyur.
"If you will not be stopped, then I have no choice. In one sevenday's time I will be traveling in the direction you spoke of; Too far to go on your own but your likeliest bet if you are sure you would have found something by now. I will not wait for you, I will not look for you, I will not let you slow us down, but... If you truly intend on getting yourself killed in the wilds, I will take you there to die."
Warren glared back but nodded his head. "I can work with that. And I'll be here. If you're just trying to shake me loose, give me a false hope to get me out of your way, I will know it. I'll find you, and I will burn your country to the ground to get to you."
"Ser Castille," the elezen smiled at him cruelly. "If you had the ability to spread that much fire, you would not be freezing in the snow looking for corpses."
**
![[Image: yEROfKO.png]](http://i.imgur.com/yEROfKO.png)
