- Invitation Status
- Looking for partners
- Posting Speed
- 1-3 posts per day
- Multiple posts per week
- One post per week
- Slow As Molasses
- Online Availability
- On fairly regularly, every day. I'll notice a PM almost immediately. Replies come randomly.
- Writing Levels
- Adept
- Advanced
- Preferred Character Gender
- Primarily Prefer Male
- No Preferences
- Genres
- High fantasy is my personal favorite, followed closely by modern fantasy and post-apocalyptic, but I can happily play in any genre if the plot is good enough.
It was well after dark when Bruce finally led him out of the house. They had talked for several hours, as he had made his way over long before dinner. In unknowing imitation of Kaya, he had helped Bruce prepare the meal, and they had talked for a time after they had both eaten. Once again, he left with a piece of paper in hand. This one, though, was not a letter, but rather a map on a piece of durable paper, which would be able to survive numerous trips through the desert. This one was old and worn, and although Bruce had not said anything it was likely the very same map the man had used when he had still been an escort.
Bruce paused just outside his doorstep, and he turned towards the former escort, allowing his hand to be bobbed by Bruce's one remaining hand. "Good luck out there," he said, softly. "And try and keep what I told you in mind. It will make things a lot easier for both you and Kaya."
Once again, Kaya waited outside, though now, instead of sleeping, she traced a single straight line back and forth in front of Bruce's steps. Her pack, much smaller this time, waited at one end; there was a canteen slung over one shoulder. She looked up as the two appeared on the doorstep, eyes wary as they were excited. She looked first to her companion, scanning him slowly, carefully, before she turned to Bruce, her expression notably cooler.
"Can we go now?" she said bluntly. "It's late."
Bruce quirked an eyebrow at Kaya, although whether in disapproval or amusement was hard to tell. He reached up, way up, to clap Eli on the shoulder. "Thanks for stopping by again." He turned back to Kaya. "Do whatever you please."
Kaya sighed noisily, rolling her eyes back to her new partner. "Let's leave before he changes his mind, please?" She reached down to swing her pack over her shoulders and had actually started to walk away before she appeared, however reluctantly, to think better of it. When she turned around again, her expression was less neutral, more...carefully suspicious.
"What's that?" she pointed, flinging a finger at the new parchment in Eli's hand. She looked at her companion again. "Can I see?"
Eli handed it over just as willingly as he had passed over the letter yesterday evening, and waited quietly as Kaya unrolled the map to reveal several sheets of paper that were covered in an intricate network of lines that connected local cities. A route had been bolded, which connected Meeros and Essen, the center of the Escort Guild. Noticeably, the route skirted around the three cities that could have been stopping points along the way.
Kaya studied the map only briefly before turning the thing in her hands to inspect the parchment itself. She ran a hand almost reverently over the fine lines crossing this way and that under her fingers, then folded the whole thing back together. Carefully. She handed it back to Eli, but she did not look away from Bruce.
"That's practically a relic," she said coolly. "Yours, I assume?"
"Once," Bruce agreed. "It's been gathering dust for fifteen years now, so no one will notice it is missing. You'll get a new one from the guild if your license is approved."
"Then why hand this one over?"
Bruce shrugged. "I have no need of it anymore, and I won't have to fill out paperwork explaining why I handed out a guild map to non-licensed escorts since it is out of date."
"How convenient," Kaya said sagely. "In any case, I suppose even an ancient map is better than no map at all. But we would have made it there eventually." Now she glanced back at Eli briefly, her expression softening to something very near pride. "I think you know that now."
The silence went on for a beat before she seemed to catch herself. "We should go," she said again. "God forbid more of your people try and sneak after us again." She hefted the bag over her shoulders and nodded at her companion. When she spoke again, her tone was conciliatory. Almost kind.
"With any luck, your words will carry even half as much weight in Essen as they do here. Then we won't have to come back." She smirked. "You're welcome."
Bruce didn't comment, but simply sighed, shook his head slightly, and walked back into the house. He did everything except literally brush his hands clean of Kaya.
He watched her silently for a moment, wondering if that reaction might send her flying into another rage, but some combination of the fact that they were leaving, she'd gotten what they wanted, and that Bruce hadn't actually verbally responded seemed to keep her calm. They filled a couple more canteens of water at a pump, before navigating out towards one of the gates. It was a small one, and there was no one there except a couple of unknown guards to see them leave. That was certainly more preferable than last time.
He stretched in relief as soon as they made it through the gate, and all but smiled at the open desert. A moment later he glanced back at Kaya. He knew she liked the city, but it had been her choice to leave. Hadn't it?
Either way, she took off without a backwards glance, only pausing long enough to redistribute the weight of her pack on her shoulders and hips. They were off.
Bruce paused just outside his doorstep, and he turned towards the former escort, allowing his hand to be bobbed by Bruce's one remaining hand. "Good luck out there," he said, softly. "And try and keep what I told you in mind. It will make things a lot easier for both you and Kaya."
Once again, Kaya waited outside, though now, instead of sleeping, she traced a single straight line back and forth in front of Bruce's steps. Her pack, much smaller this time, waited at one end; there was a canteen slung over one shoulder. She looked up as the two appeared on the doorstep, eyes wary as they were excited. She looked first to her companion, scanning him slowly, carefully, before she turned to Bruce, her expression notably cooler.
"Can we go now?" she said bluntly. "It's late."
Bruce quirked an eyebrow at Kaya, although whether in disapproval or amusement was hard to tell. He reached up, way up, to clap Eli on the shoulder. "Thanks for stopping by again." He turned back to Kaya. "Do whatever you please."
Kaya sighed noisily, rolling her eyes back to her new partner. "Let's leave before he changes his mind, please?" She reached down to swing her pack over her shoulders and had actually started to walk away before she appeared, however reluctantly, to think better of it. When she turned around again, her expression was less neutral, more...carefully suspicious.
"What's that?" she pointed, flinging a finger at the new parchment in Eli's hand. She looked at her companion again. "Can I see?"
Eli handed it over just as willingly as he had passed over the letter yesterday evening, and waited quietly as Kaya unrolled the map to reveal several sheets of paper that were covered in an intricate network of lines that connected local cities. A route had been bolded, which connected Meeros and Essen, the center of the Escort Guild. Noticeably, the route skirted around the three cities that could have been stopping points along the way.
Kaya studied the map only briefly before turning the thing in her hands to inspect the parchment itself. She ran a hand almost reverently over the fine lines crossing this way and that under her fingers, then folded the whole thing back together. Carefully. She handed it back to Eli, but she did not look away from Bruce.
"That's practically a relic," she said coolly. "Yours, I assume?"
"Once," Bruce agreed. "It's been gathering dust for fifteen years now, so no one will notice it is missing. You'll get a new one from the guild if your license is approved."
"Then why hand this one over?"
Bruce shrugged. "I have no need of it anymore, and I won't have to fill out paperwork explaining why I handed out a guild map to non-licensed escorts since it is out of date."
"How convenient," Kaya said sagely. "In any case, I suppose even an ancient map is better than no map at all. But we would have made it there eventually." Now she glanced back at Eli briefly, her expression softening to something very near pride. "I think you know that now."
The silence went on for a beat before she seemed to catch herself. "We should go," she said again. "God forbid more of your people try and sneak after us again." She hefted the bag over her shoulders and nodded at her companion. When she spoke again, her tone was conciliatory. Almost kind.
"With any luck, your words will carry even half as much weight in Essen as they do here. Then we won't have to come back." She smirked. "You're welcome."
Bruce didn't comment, but simply sighed, shook his head slightly, and walked back into the house. He did everything except literally brush his hands clean of Kaya.
He watched her silently for a moment, wondering if that reaction might send her flying into another rage, but some combination of the fact that they were leaving, she'd gotten what they wanted, and that Bruce hadn't actually verbally responded seemed to keep her calm. They filled a couple more canteens of water at a pump, before navigating out towards one of the gates. It was a small one, and there was no one there except a couple of unknown guards to see them leave. That was certainly more preferable than last time.
He stretched in relief as soon as they made it through the gate, and all but smiled at the open desert. A moment later he glanced back at Kaya. He knew she liked the city, but it had been her choice to leave. Hadn't it?
Either way, she took off without a backwards glance, only pausing long enough to redistribute the weight of her pack on her shoulders and hips. They were off.