Delial stood alone with her back to the road, her dark silhouette starkly contrasted against the white canvas of the northern mountains beyond. Beneath the woman’s boots, the icy ground seemed thinner, slipperier, and few trees nearby looked charred, marred with blackened spots. The woman’s shoulder rose and fell with heavy breaths.
Roen paused momentarily to study the Highlander’s frame before she approached, her sabatons crunching the frosty ground. Something about her seemed... different, but she could not put her finger on what it was.
“Of all the places, I did not expect to meet here.†Roen broke the silence as she scanned the snowy alcove around them. Delial always hated the cold.
The Highlander turned her head slightly to give her a sidelong glance. “Could do worse than this, I think. Not by much, but… well. Necessity, regardless. It has been sometime, my dear. It is good to see you again.â€
Roen came to stand next to the woman, both the skirt of her armor and her ponytail whipping about as the north wind whirled around them. "The fact that I had not heard from you, I assumed at least there was no bad news." She tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear, looking to the road behind Delial that led to Whitebrim. "How is my brother?"
“Gharen is… he's well. Focused. Helping me focus. Though I think he's got -- surely you have heard. Of the happenings in the Shroud."
“The news of the war that may be brewing.†Roen nodded. “Kiht paid me a visit to voice her concerns on the matter. I suppose such news would interest him." She paused a moment, before turning back to Delial. "And you too, I would imagine."
Delial snorted. "We saw it on our way here -- hanging, silent. Wretched. And still he has thoughts of joining in the resistance. Again." Her eyes rolled and her lips thinned. "That Kiht -- she does not help with it. But I suppose he will do what he thinks is right, foolhardy as it may be. She mentioned that you had similar thoughts."
"I feel that it is something I cannot ignore." Roen’s voice lowered. "Although... I fear, my intentions or my hopes for what happens may not be exactly the same as it is for Gharen and Kiht." She bowed her head to hide her doubts. “I do not know what I would seek to do, in truth. What would you do? Could you simply stay out of it?"
The Highlander shifted. "I know not, either, truth be told. What could I do? I have been... disgraced, I suppose, from either side. I do not think I belong any more. But it is still home, and it would... I long to see it. I miss it too much to sit back." She exhaled. “There are things yet to attend to, here. I cannot stray for now, as much as I may wish to. And I am not certain if I do."
Roen nods. "I suppose we will all find out what is to come in due time."
Delial raised an eyebrow. "It is quite plain to me what is going to happen, but -- ah." The woman paused as both of them turned to the sound of another approaching from the road.
"So tha's where ye've gone an' snuck off te. Remind me te teach ye how te hide yer tracks, Delial.†Roen recognized the voice immediately and it was only after hearing it that she realized she had missed it so. Her eyes squinted as her brother appeared through the heavy snowfall. “Did ye stop te check on our comatose friend on yer way?"
Delial shrugged, giving her heels a bit of a shuffle. "You would have found me regardless, I think. And I did not, alas -- did not wish to keep our guest waiting."
"Well, I thank ye fer th' trail o' breadcrumbs te follow lest I miss gettin' te see my dear sister." Gharen came to stand next to them both, giving her a small but warm smile.
Roen found herself returning the expression, and it was easier than she thought. There had been a nervous flutter in her stomach lately whenever she anticipated seeing her brother; it was a strange feeling that was both unfamiliar and unwelcome. But their last parting had not been so cordial, with most of the blame falling at her feet. She quickly directed her attention to his physical well-being as she gave him a careful look over; his gait was steady, his stance strong, and he no longer needed the aid of a walking stick. And in that, she felt the anxiety within slowly fading.
"Gharen." She uttered his name quietly. "You look well."
"Eh, no worse fer th' wear. Nothin' gettin' a boot te th' ass from Osric offa cliff could nae' fix." He shrugged.
Roen slowly blinked. Twice. "What was that?" She must have misheard.
"Oh, I started trainin' under Osric nae long ago since my other lead dried up.†His tone remained ever casual, as if to purposefully not raise any alarm. “Bastard planted his boot upon my arse an' shoved me inte Nophica's wells." He met his sister’s gaze and grinned, as if amused by the befuddlement he saw there. "So. How've ye been? An' tha' lanky significant other?"
"Ah? Is that -- the au ra fellow?†Delial also chose that moment to pipe in. “Or perhaps someone new?" There was a strange hint of mischievous curiosity to the woman’s tone. Clearly, she could not resist gossip.
Roen’s brows shot to the sky and she coughed to clear her throat. "Signifi--" She glared back and forth between them. "He is no such -- there is no such thing." She made one slashing motion of her hand as if cutting through the air. "Besides, he has gone home," she said more quietly. "Back to Othard." She also gave Delial a pointed look as if to chide the woman. "And I have time for anyone new. There is a reason I wanted to meet with both of you.†Her head swiveled back and forth, giving both of them a stern reprimanding look.
It did not seem to deter Gharen. "Well I thought ye'd make a cute couple." He was met with a dead stare.
“A strange boy, that was," Delial said flatly, looking somewhat disappointed. "But... there was news, yes, as I recall."
“Well, anyroad.†Roen cleared her throat. “What is this about a comatosed patient? Are you in need of looking after someone?"
"You recall that Tengri fellow.†Delial crossed her arms. “A lead he gave us brought us here, and to this... man."
Roen frowned. "A man?"
"A cavern with a secret room with even more secrets. Least of all, a man simply..." The Highlander woman trailed off, raising her hands to gesture vaguely at herself -- trailing her fingers down, like drapery. "Tubes in his body. Some sort of magitek. We pulled him out of it, and have been keeping him here ever since." She nodded in the direction of Dragonhead, to the east. "He has not yet woken. I am not certain he will."
"He looks familiar if'n ye ask me.†Gharen scratched his chin. “I've taken it upon myself te name him Bob if'n only because it'll confuse th' shite out o' him when he awakes, if'n he is who I suspect."
"Who do you suspect?"
"Jameson Taeros."
Roen stared at Gharen wordlessly, her lips parted. It took a moment before she was able to gather her thoughts. "No wonder you have kept a watch on him then. I knew he was in Ishgard. I had learned of it from Edda, when they were still engaged. But... as far as I know, he had disappeared again without a trace." She narrowed her eyes, her thoughts jumping from one thing to another. "They had known each other for a long time, Taeros and Banurein.â€
"Could nae tell ye anythin about how he got there. But when yer thrown in an underground cell te sweat it out under th' desert, ye tend te remember faces.†Gharen tapped a finger against his temple. “I will say I was pleased te see him jump like a fish out o' water when we tried te wake him ourselves."
Delial gave a slow shake of her head. “He was plugged into these... machines. The cave collapsed while we were trying to get out, else we could show you."
Roen frowned. "I wonder if she was experimenting on him as well,†she thought out loud. “When did the cave collapse?"
"Over a moon ago now, I think. I know not if you have scouted it again.†Delial glanced to Gharen, "But I know I have not bothered myself."
"Th' tunnel we took out remains. But I've nae entered again lest there be more surprises waitin' te bury us in th' mountain.â€
"Then that was not the underground laboratory that I found.†Roen sighed. “There must be multiple facilities. There was another lab that we came across, this one under the Pillars. I am certain that the one we found also is no longer used, our presence there must have been discovered by now." She glanced between Delial and Gharen. "I believe she has made some influential connections within Ishgard. She worked for a cult under the guise of an alchemist. I believe she promised them unnatural results."
"I am of the mind she knew of us well before we arrived.†Delial muttered. “Tengri's promise was hollow. It would not be so simple.†She turned her amber gaze toward Roen. "Unnatural results? Of what sort?"
“There was a group I was looking into in Ishgard. They had looked to sever their blood heritage with the dragons.†Roen reflexively looked about even though they were only surrounded by ice. “We found some evidence of experimentations that were being done with the Elezens, the Au Ra, the dragonkin… and some ancient artifact." Her gaze darted between Delial and Gharen. “I suspected Banurein to work for them, because I found evidence of both research into the Void and the use of magitek by this group as well. And I know that they hired an outside alchemist for the job.â€
"It would not be much of a leap, no. Not for someone like her,†Delial growled.
“Blood heritage... with dragons?" Gharen scratched his head, clear confusion in his eyes.
Roen nodded. "Aye, I am not too familiar with the intricacies of Ishgard's ties with dragons, but historically, through blood of the Knights Twelve, the Elezens of Ishgard carry some trace of dragonblood in their veins. And there are zealots who wished to purge themselves of this influence. They would go through any means to do so.†She paused with an exhale. “I think Banurein may have promised them such results. Although as I understand it, she was only a new addition to their plans. But they had much resources she could have drawn from."
Delial squinted, looking puzzled. "Perhaps... what was being done to Taeros -- or whomever that is -- was but a test? I could not even begin to guess what it was meant to do. Perhaps something else entirely."
Gharen shook his head. "Tha' woman is like an insect ye cannae swat."
"Reeves.†Roen tapped her chin, recalling all that she had discovered in that lab. “That is the name she goes by in Ishgard, I believe." She gave Gharen a sidelong glance. "She may have lasted this long, but now we know the people she has allied herself to outside of Garlemald. And if what you say is true, you also have Taeros." She canted her head. “Do you think she will come for him?"
"It is a distinct possibility she already knows o' where he is. An' will come when she requires him."
"She has not yet.†Delial shook her head. “If she has been searching for him, surely she would know of a tube-riddled man brought out here. Hardly the sort of case one comes upon often I should think," she grumbled with another shake of her head. "Though I wonder now of Ishgard. If there are others undergoing such treatments?"
"I know not, only that there have been bodies that were found on the landscape.†Roen’s voice turned grim. “But none that seemed... experimented on. Only murdered in some ritualistic fashion."
“Well,†Gharen said dryly. “It sounds like somethin' right up her alley."
Delial hugged her arms a little more closely about herself, settling into a deep frown. "She knows us, of course. And I would wonder if there are those who still remember us -- or me, I suppose, from our last blunder in the Brume. To be frank, I care little enough for Ishgard. Taeros can rot, and I would not care. But if she has my brother yet -- I must know. I care for nothing else."
"Of course,†Roen nodded, her eyes lingering on Delial. She has been in her shoes before, so long ago. How strange now that the tables have turned. “I will make my way back to the city and see what I can find. For what it is worth, I have not heard of any Highlanders being found, hurt or otherwise. At least none that fits Harvard's description."
"What if we used Taeros as a bargaining chip?†Gharen crossed his arms. “We certainly have nae love fer th' man."
Roen gave Gharen a strange look, then stared at nothing particular beyond him. Something within her did not quite like that idea. But she could not say why. "Aye. Perhaps."
Delial offered a small nod, her gaze also not quite on either of the siblings. "Anything at all," she muttered. "I would wonder of Taeros' value if she has failed to seek him yet. Unless she is waiting for something."
"I know not of her madness,†Roen murmured.
“I think it’s worth it.†Gharen nodded in agreement. “She's hauled his fat out o' th' fire before."
Delial snorted softly, clearly lacking optimism for the idea. "If it pleases her, I could dress him up in bows, place some color back upon his cheeks. Whatever I must, I will do."
"I would rather see her no longer with the world of the living, but..." Roen set her jaw and stared intently at the Highlander woman. "Your brother first."
"Well, it is one more idea than we had previously. An a possibility o' gettin' yer brother back, regardless how slim."
"Of course. Of course." Delial nodded as she raised her eye to flit between Gharen and Roen. "As ever, you have my gratitude. Both of you. I think I would have gone restless and mad long ago without you."
Roen snorted quietly with a small smile, in an effort to reassure the woman. "There are suns, where I still find our circumstances remarkable. It is as if we have come to a full circle."
"I have never much cared for the Weaver," Delial muttered. "But at least I can expect I shall not be delivered a bloodied box."
That brought an oddly shocked look from the paladin. Just when she thought she understood the woman, Delial would prove her wrong. There was a pause before she spoke again. "Alright. I should get going then. Sooner we know where this Reeves is, sooner we can get your brother back."
Delial gave a nod to Roen, a bit more deeply than usual -- quiet and perhaps even a humbled sort of gratitude.
"O'course, need te be gettin' in touch with Osric eventually te continue my trainin,†Gharen nodded. “An' th' whole cliff thing had te do with openin' what th' monks call Chakras. Would have been much worse if'n mine had nae been opened before hand."
Roen slowly narrowed her eyes at her brother, in scrutiny. "Well, if he throws you off another cliff as the training goes on... I will be very vexed."
"I can't expect he would do it twice," Delial added, a note of finality in her voice.
Her brother grinned. “Why do ye think I let th' two of ye in on it? Best form o' revenge short o' directly returnin' th' favor."
Roen exhaled slowly, but the furrow to her brow eased, just a little. "Well, good. I think." She fell quiet for a moment, just taking some measure of comfort in their familiar presence. "Well, I shall be off. I will send word when I have something to report."
"If there is any way I -- we can help you... do not hesitate.†Delial took a step forward. “We will be near."
"Aye, we're at th' inn in Dragonhead.†Gharen thumbed over his shoulder eastward. “Already caught Kiht passin' through nae long ago."
An amused grin curled Roen’s lips. “Perhaps she is still keeping an eye on you, in her own way."
Gharen smiled back. "I don' mind. She is a good ally te have on our side."
She was about to turn when one other thought crossed her mind. “Does… Ser Crofte know? Or Edda? Anyone? About Taeros?â€
"I've nae seen Crofte in... well I'm nae sure how long more'n a cycle I think?" Her brother shook his head.
"I have told no one,†Delial said flatly. “I did not think that it could be him."
“Hm.†Roen hummed in thought. “No matter. It is entirely possible he will never regain consciousness from what you have said. Perhaps waiting is best.†She nodded to them both one more time before turning and making her way toward the road with haste. There was still much to be done, before the leads they had disappeared like tracks in the snow.
Roen paused momentarily to study the Highlander’s frame before she approached, her sabatons crunching the frosty ground. Something about her seemed... different, but she could not put her finger on what it was.
“Of all the places, I did not expect to meet here.†Roen broke the silence as she scanned the snowy alcove around them. Delial always hated the cold.
The Highlander turned her head slightly to give her a sidelong glance. “Could do worse than this, I think. Not by much, but… well. Necessity, regardless. It has been sometime, my dear. It is good to see you again.â€
Roen came to stand next to the woman, both the skirt of her armor and her ponytail whipping about as the north wind whirled around them. "The fact that I had not heard from you, I assumed at least there was no bad news." She tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear, looking to the road behind Delial that led to Whitebrim. "How is my brother?"
“Gharen is… he's well. Focused. Helping me focus. Though I think he's got -- surely you have heard. Of the happenings in the Shroud."
“The news of the war that may be brewing.†Roen nodded. “Kiht paid me a visit to voice her concerns on the matter. I suppose such news would interest him." She paused a moment, before turning back to Delial. "And you too, I would imagine."
Delial snorted. "We saw it on our way here -- hanging, silent. Wretched. And still he has thoughts of joining in the resistance. Again." Her eyes rolled and her lips thinned. "That Kiht -- she does not help with it. But I suppose he will do what he thinks is right, foolhardy as it may be. She mentioned that you had similar thoughts."
"I feel that it is something I cannot ignore." Roen’s voice lowered. "Although... I fear, my intentions or my hopes for what happens may not be exactly the same as it is for Gharen and Kiht." She bowed her head to hide her doubts. “I do not know what I would seek to do, in truth. What would you do? Could you simply stay out of it?"
The Highlander shifted. "I know not, either, truth be told. What could I do? I have been... disgraced, I suppose, from either side. I do not think I belong any more. But it is still home, and it would... I long to see it. I miss it too much to sit back." She exhaled. “There are things yet to attend to, here. I cannot stray for now, as much as I may wish to. And I am not certain if I do."
Roen nods. "I suppose we will all find out what is to come in due time."
Delial raised an eyebrow. "It is quite plain to me what is going to happen, but -- ah." The woman paused as both of them turned to the sound of another approaching from the road.
"So tha's where ye've gone an' snuck off te. Remind me te teach ye how te hide yer tracks, Delial.†Roen recognized the voice immediately and it was only after hearing it that she realized she had missed it so. Her eyes squinted as her brother appeared through the heavy snowfall. “Did ye stop te check on our comatose friend on yer way?"
Delial shrugged, giving her heels a bit of a shuffle. "You would have found me regardless, I think. And I did not, alas -- did not wish to keep our guest waiting."
"Well, I thank ye fer th' trail o' breadcrumbs te follow lest I miss gettin' te see my dear sister." Gharen came to stand next to them both, giving her a small but warm smile.
Roen found herself returning the expression, and it was easier than she thought. There had been a nervous flutter in her stomach lately whenever she anticipated seeing her brother; it was a strange feeling that was both unfamiliar and unwelcome. But their last parting had not been so cordial, with most of the blame falling at her feet. She quickly directed her attention to his physical well-being as she gave him a careful look over; his gait was steady, his stance strong, and he no longer needed the aid of a walking stick. And in that, she felt the anxiety within slowly fading.
"Gharen." She uttered his name quietly. "You look well."
"Eh, no worse fer th' wear. Nothin' gettin' a boot te th' ass from Osric offa cliff could nae' fix." He shrugged.
Roen slowly blinked. Twice. "What was that?" She must have misheard.
"Oh, I started trainin' under Osric nae long ago since my other lead dried up.†His tone remained ever casual, as if to purposefully not raise any alarm. “Bastard planted his boot upon my arse an' shoved me inte Nophica's wells." He met his sister’s gaze and grinned, as if amused by the befuddlement he saw there. "So. How've ye been? An' tha' lanky significant other?"
"Ah? Is that -- the au ra fellow?†Delial also chose that moment to pipe in. “Or perhaps someone new?" There was a strange hint of mischievous curiosity to the woman’s tone. Clearly, she could not resist gossip.
Roen’s brows shot to the sky and she coughed to clear her throat. "Signifi--" She glared back and forth between them. "He is no such -- there is no such thing." She made one slashing motion of her hand as if cutting through the air. "Besides, he has gone home," she said more quietly. "Back to Othard." She also gave Delial a pointed look as if to chide the woman. "And I have time for anyone new. There is a reason I wanted to meet with both of you.†Her head swiveled back and forth, giving both of them a stern reprimanding look.
It did not seem to deter Gharen. "Well I thought ye'd make a cute couple." He was met with a dead stare.
“A strange boy, that was," Delial said flatly, looking somewhat disappointed. "But... there was news, yes, as I recall."
“Well, anyroad.†Roen cleared her throat. “What is this about a comatosed patient? Are you in need of looking after someone?"
"You recall that Tengri fellow.†Delial crossed her arms. “A lead he gave us brought us here, and to this... man."
Roen frowned. "A man?"
"A cavern with a secret room with even more secrets. Least of all, a man simply..." The Highlander woman trailed off, raising her hands to gesture vaguely at herself -- trailing her fingers down, like drapery. "Tubes in his body. Some sort of magitek. We pulled him out of it, and have been keeping him here ever since." She nodded in the direction of Dragonhead, to the east. "He has not yet woken. I am not certain he will."
"He looks familiar if'n ye ask me.†Gharen scratched his chin. “I've taken it upon myself te name him Bob if'n only because it'll confuse th' shite out o' him when he awakes, if'n he is who I suspect."
"Who do you suspect?"
"Jameson Taeros."
Roen stared at Gharen wordlessly, her lips parted. It took a moment before she was able to gather her thoughts. "No wonder you have kept a watch on him then. I knew he was in Ishgard. I had learned of it from Edda, when they were still engaged. But... as far as I know, he had disappeared again without a trace." She narrowed her eyes, her thoughts jumping from one thing to another. "They had known each other for a long time, Taeros and Banurein.â€
"Could nae tell ye anythin about how he got there. But when yer thrown in an underground cell te sweat it out under th' desert, ye tend te remember faces.†Gharen tapped a finger against his temple. “I will say I was pleased te see him jump like a fish out o' water when we tried te wake him ourselves."
Delial gave a slow shake of her head. “He was plugged into these... machines. The cave collapsed while we were trying to get out, else we could show you."
Roen frowned. "I wonder if she was experimenting on him as well,†she thought out loud. “When did the cave collapse?"
"Over a moon ago now, I think. I know not if you have scouted it again.†Delial glanced to Gharen, "But I know I have not bothered myself."
"Th' tunnel we took out remains. But I've nae entered again lest there be more surprises waitin' te bury us in th' mountain.â€
"Then that was not the underground laboratory that I found.†Roen sighed. “There must be multiple facilities. There was another lab that we came across, this one under the Pillars. I am certain that the one we found also is no longer used, our presence there must have been discovered by now." She glanced between Delial and Gharen. "I believe she has made some influential connections within Ishgard. She worked for a cult under the guise of an alchemist. I believe she promised them unnatural results."
"I am of the mind she knew of us well before we arrived.†Delial muttered. “Tengri's promise was hollow. It would not be so simple.†She turned her amber gaze toward Roen. "Unnatural results? Of what sort?"
“There was a group I was looking into in Ishgard. They had looked to sever their blood heritage with the dragons.†Roen reflexively looked about even though they were only surrounded by ice. “We found some evidence of experimentations that were being done with the Elezens, the Au Ra, the dragonkin… and some ancient artifact." Her gaze darted between Delial and Gharen. “I suspected Banurein to work for them, because I found evidence of both research into the Void and the use of magitek by this group as well. And I know that they hired an outside alchemist for the job.â€
"It would not be much of a leap, no. Not for someone like her,†Delial growled.
“Blood heritage... with dragons?" Gharen scratched his head, clear confusion in his eyes.
Roen nodded. "Aye, I am not too familiar with the intricacies of Ishgard's ties with dragons, but historically, through blood of the Knights Twelve, the Elezens of Ishgard carry some trace of dragonblood in their veins. And there are zealots who wished to purge themselves of this influence. They would go through any means to do so.†She paused with an exhale. “I think Banurein may have promised them such results. Although as I understand it, she was only a new addition to their plans. But they had much resources she could have drawn from."
Delial squinted, looking puzzled. "Perhaps... what was being done to Taeros -- or whomever that is -- was but a test? I could not even begin to guess what it was meant to do. Perhaps something else entirely."
Gharen shook his head. "Tha' woman is like an insect ye cannae swat."
"Reeves.†Roen tapped her chin, recalling all that she had discovered in that lab. “That is the name she goes by in Ishgard, I believe." She gave Gharen a sidelong glance. "She may have lasted this long, but now we know the people she has allied herself to outside of Garlemald. And if what you say is true, you also have Taeros." She canted her head. “Do you think she will come for him?"
"It is a distinct possibility she already knows o' where he is. An' will come when she requires him."
"She has not yet.†Delial shook her head. “If she has been searching for him, surely she would know of a tube-riddled man brought out here. Hardly the sort of case one comes upon often I should think," she grumbled with another shake of her head. "Though I wonder now of Ishgard. If there are others undergoing such treatments?"
"I know not, only that there have been bodies that were found on the landscape.†Roen’s voice turned grim. “But none that seemed... experimented on. Only murdered in some ritualistic fashion."
“Well,†Gharen said dryly. “It sounds like somethin' right up her alley."
Delial hugged her arms a little more closely about herself, settling into a deep frown. "She knows us, of course. And I would wonder if there are those who still remember us -- or me, I suppose, from our last blunder in the Brume. To be frank, I care little enough for Ishgard. Taeros can rot, and I would not care. But if she has my brother yet -- I must know. I care for nothing else."
"Of course,†Roen nodded, her eyes lingering on Delial. She has been in her shoes before, so long ago. How strange now that the tables have turned. “I will make my way back to the city and see what I can find. For what it is worth, I have not heard of any Highlanders being found, hurt or otherwise. At least none that fits Harvard's description."
"What if we used Taeros as a bargaining chip?†Gharen crossed his arms. “We certainly have nae love fer th' man."
Roen gave Gharen a strange look, then stared at nothing particular beyond him. Something within her did not quite like that idea. But she could not say why. "Aye. Perhaps."
Delial offered a small nod, her gaze also not quite on either of the siblings. "Anything at all," she muttered. "I would wonder of Taeros' value if she has failed to seek him yet. Unless she is waiting for something."
"I know not of her madness,†Roen murmured.
“I think it’s worth it.†Gharen nodded in agreement. “She's hauled his fat out o' th' fire before."
Delial snorted softly, clearly lacking optimism for the idea. "If it pleases her, I could dress him up in bows, place some color back upon his cheeks. Whatever I must, I will do."
"I would rather see her no longer with the world of the living, but..." Roen set her jaw and stared intently at the Highlander woman. "Your brother first."
"Well, it is one more idea than we had previously. An a possibility o' gettin' yer brother back, regardless how slim."
"Of course. Of course." Delial nodded as she raised her eye to flit between Gharen and Roen. "As ever, you have my gratitude. Both of you. I think I would have gone restless and mad long ago without you."
Roen snorted quietly with a small smile, in an effort to reassure the woman. "There are suns, where I still find our circumstances remarkable. It is as if we have come to a full circle."
"I have never much cared for the Weaver," Delial muttered. "But at least I can expect I shall not be delivered a bloodied box."
That brought an oddly shocked look from the paladin. Just when she thought she understood the woman, Delial would prove her wrong. There was a pause before she spoke again. "Alright. I should get going then. Sooner we know where this Reeves is, sooner we can get your brother back."
Delial gave a nod to Roen, a bit more deeply than usual -- quiet and perhaps even a humbled sort of gratitude.
"O'course, need te be gettin' in touch with Osric eventually te continue my trainin,†Gharen nodded. “An' th' whole cliff thing had te do with openin' what th' monks call Chakras. Would have been much worse if'n mine had nae been opened before hand."
Roen slowly narrowed her eyes at her brother, in scrutiny. "Well, if he throws you off another cliff as the training goes on... I will be very vexed."
"I can't expect he would do it twice," Delial added, a note of finality in her voice.
Her brother grinned. “Why do ye think I let th' two of ye in on it? Best form o' revenge short o' directly returnin' th' favor."
Roen exhaled slowly, but the furrow to her brow eased, just a little. "Well, good. I think." She fell quiet for a moment, just taking some measure of comfort in their familiar presence. "Well, I shall be off. I will send word when I have something to report."
"If there is any way I -- we can help you... do not hesitate.†Delial took a step forward. “We will be near."
"Aye, we're at th' inn in Dragonhead.†Gharen thumbed over his shoulder eastward. “Already caught Kiht passin' through nae long ago."
An amused grin curled Roen’s lips. “Perhaps she is still keeping an eye on you, in her own way."
Gharen smiled back. "I don' mind. She is a good ally te have on our side."
She was about to turn when one other thought crossed her mind. “Does… Ser Crofte know? Or Edda? Anyone? About Taeros?â€
"I've nae seen Crofte in... well I'm nae sure how long more'n a cycle I think?" Her brother shook his head.
"I have told no one,†Delial said flatly. “I did not think that it could be him."
“Hm.†Roen hummed in thought. “No matter. It is entirely possible he will never regain consciousness from what you have said. Perhaps waiting is best.†She nodded to them both one more time before turning and making her way toward the road with haste. There was still much to be done, before the leads they had disappeared like tracks in the snow.
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