Hide and Seek

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Cage nodded. "He got there before me," he said. "He pretended to be Jack..."

Dom closed his eyes for a moment, taking a breath. "We were with each other the entire time. We... fled, while he was busy..." He opened his eyes again, his shame apparent. "I can vouch for these two," he said. "I figured there was nowhere else to go but here..."

Laura froze, surprised when he finally did stop and turned back to the fire with barely a word. Silence settled back in, and she stayed where she stood, uncertain. She couldn't read him, damn it.

She finally gave up, finding a tree near the fire and clambering up it to sleep.

Laura followed him in silence the following days, struggling to hide her growing exhaustion. He didn't seem like he was going to wait for her if she fell behind. Not like he was now.

Eventually she stopped training at nights when they rested, retreating quickly to sleep.

The first day, Laura was too exhausted to do anything but feel relieved when she saw the note. So no movement today. She immediately climbed back up her tree, passing out quickly.

The second day in a row, though, she got suspicious. What happened to moving with speed? 'Keep up or get left behind?'

She almost smiled, crumpling the second note in her hand. Was he being nice?

She continued her rest, starting to resume her own training while he was gone, until the morning three days later when he said they were going to continue. She did her damndest to hide the smirk on her face. Someone's got a soft heart still after all...

Laura grew more and more nervous as it appeared they were leaving the wilds and approaching some civilization. She shoved her hands in her pockets, silent, before she finally cleared her throat.

"Where are we headed?"

She fell silent. So they were almost there.

She still felt nervous. She'd thought maybe she wouldn't, seeing as he was Raziels mentor, but no such luck. Had he mentioned him being somewhat of a ladies man before? Maybe she'd just find a place to hide out while they talked.

The area around them got more craggy, slowly starting to slope up as they walked. It was midafternoon before they saw - or rather heard - the village itself. Music carried it's way down the mountain, some kind of flute or wind instruments.

They could see buildings up ahead, small huts decorated with bright banners. The village sat on the side of the growing mountain, some houses on the edge of small ridges, all of them bedecked with color and flowers. A few flowers had been blown down the mountain, coming to rest by their feet on the path.

Laura swallowed hard. Some kind of party going on?

Her anxiety only mounted as they continued to climb up the road. She couldn't see anyone by the edge of the village, but once they made it in they'd be everywhere - it's not the city, there can't be that many of them.

Still, she broke out into a sweat as they climbed, and finally she gave up as her hands started to shake, pulling a chameleon spell over herself as they started to reach the first houses of the village.

The outskirts of the place were largely empty, save one man standing outside a home, holding the door open as a little girl ran out to join him. He looked up as they approached, the smile on his face fading to be replaced with curiosity - and some suspicion. "Ho, traveller!" he said. "What brings you?"

The man relaxed at his words. "Yeah," he said. "Arcturus does good work. Last came through maybe two weeks ago."

The man picked up his daughter, and she clung to his side as he followed to meet Raziel as he passed. He raised his eyebrows, concerned as Raziel seemed to be talking to himself, but spoke anyway.

"Surely you don't mean to leave, traveler?" he asked, as from behind him in his hut a woman who appeared to be his wife stepped out. "Its at least a days walk to the next village, and the mountains are unforgiving by night. Why not stay? Today is the equinox, every man is welcome to the festivals."

Laura's anxiety spiked, and she glared back at him, shaking her head though he couldn't see it. The man looked over where Raziel was looking, seeing nothing, and grinned. "Aye, further in town is Rosalind's place," he said. "Only inn in town, but she's made it like home. It's got a green sign hanging out front."

The man blinked, still confused. "I... your friend?" he said, sounding almost suspicious, shifting the girl he carried in his arms. His daughter couldn't be much older than four, her hair short and sandy blonde, her eyes wide and green. "We don't need trouble from whatever friend you might bring," he said in warning. Seemed these parts weren't so peaceful as they looked, and the man eyed his sword with renewed uncertainty.

Laura, meanwhile, had to breathe hard to try and stay calm. Damn him. Damn him to hell, didn't he remember what happened last time he went to the inn in some town? Why should this be any different? What reason had she to trust anyone here on this tiny mountainside shithole -

She braced her staff against the ground to hold herself up, suddenly dizzy. Asshole, he found this funny. Hysterical.

The man stood for a moment, stunned, unaware of Laura standing across from him trying to keep herself together. That asshole. That asshole. It was stupid of her to think he cared back there, seeing as her fear was so hysterical now.

She left the confused man behind, following after Raziel but turning a different corner. She had to keep an eye on where he was, after all, thanks to his damn threat.

She leaned against the wall of one of the few huts in the town, realizing suddenly that she had tears in her eyes. Wuss. She knew by now people were assholes, but she'd thought Raziel was an exception. Why else would she leave her father behind now that she'd found him?

"That went so well last time," she managed, furiously rubbing at her face as he appeared, amusement lighting up his voice. He was not going to see her like this, she wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

Right. You have a job. That was also why she came with, a far more logical reason; kill him if he looks like he's losing it. She had to follow.

With a breath, she dropped her chameleon spell, still feeling light-headed.

Laura took a breath, closing her eyes a moment before she reluctantly followed.

The village didn't get any more impressive as they went further in, but they ran into more and more people - women in bright dresses, men in festively colored shirts and hats, children running underfoot. The buildings only barely got more dense as they reached the town square, the center of the nights upcoming festivities.

Tables were already set up in the square, long communal tables and benches, with an open space next to it for dancing. Colors decked the table, and people gathered around as some of the men were already making firepits for the later feasts.

The building with the green sign hanging by the door stood out on the right side, and Laura's eyes darted back and forth over the whole scene. There was nothing in the least threatening about the place but still she sweat; her heart pounded in her chest, her face went pale and she picked up the pace as they approached the inn, not bothering to hide her fear from Raziel. There wasn't any point in trying.