Breaking Tradition [SaberWolf & Baddamobs]

Violet watched as Selie approached, a mess of wind-whipped hair and heavy breathing as if she'd been the one sprinting away from the city instead of her stallion. She tried to stifle her smirk as Selie stopped the horse and then the look on her face when she'd mentioned stopping for the night. Apparently that wasn't exactly on the agenda. The woman yelped when she realized her hood was down and quickly flipped it back up. Violet hadn't paid too much attention to Selie before, since her hood was always up, but in the darkness, she did catch a glimpse of the woman's face and she didn't look like she came from a poor family.

"As Miss Asher wishes."
Violet mock-bowed before turning her horse back down the trail. "All right, once we pass through the forest, we'll find a clearing off the road and rest for a few hours. If that's all right with you?" The woman inhaled slowly before answering Selie's next question. "I doubt it, unless...you were looking back at them a lot. Why are you so worried about them seeing your face, hm? Am I harboring a wanted criminal?"

Violet could've laughed at her own insinuation. It was clear that Selie wasn't a criminal, but she was running away from something. And now seeing her worry about if the guards had seen her face really made the swordswoman suspicious. "So," The woman began to speak again, glancing over her shoulder. "How did Alexander handle for you?" Violet hadn't thought about naming her own horse, but, now really wasn't the time. And she made a point never to get too attached to anything. Mounts never lasted and if she needed money, she would end up selling the horse anyway.
 
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"I doubt it, unless...you were looking back at them a lot. Why are you so worried about them seeing your face, hm? Am I harboring a wanted criminal?"

“I…” Selie, not exactly helping her case, hesitated before answering. “It is, unfortunately, a complicated affair. I’m not a criminal, but there’s a good chance that the authorities will be looking for me all the same. I promise that I’ll explain all when have some time to sit down, preferably after we put some distance between us and the city.”

Selie fussed with the reigns of her horse. A part of her didn’t want to even think about the mess of anarchy that would no doubt occur following her retreat from the capital, but Donovan was right to be suspicious, and deserved some kind of answer. Now all Selie had to do was actually figure out how she was going to explain this whole mess…

The silence was starting to drag on, and Selie grappled with several failing ideas on how to restart the conversation when Donovan threw her a lifeline.

"So, how did Alexander handle for you?"

“Alexander was nothing but an absolute dear: I was rocking about quite a lot during that little escape, and he still managed to stay the course perfectly.” Selie petted along her horse’s withers, smiling. After a moment, a thought came to her, and she looked back up at her companion. “I have to say, you ride most expertly, Miss Donovan. Do you have formal training?”
 
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Formal training? Violet thought to herself as she continued to walk her horse down the trail. That was an odd question for her to ask. Of course Violet hadn't had any 'formal' riding training. She'd been on a horse since she had been a child. The question alone just caused more suspicion to build in Violet. What kind of person got formal riding training? Maybe military, or if Miss Asher was really from a more prestigious family, but even then.

"I'm afraid not."
Violet glanced over her shoulder at Selie and raised an eyebrow. "Did you, Miss Asher?" She examined the way that Selie was adjusting in the saddle and smirked. "It actually looks like you could use some."

Violet turned back to look down the darkened trail. The low hanging trees had finally given way to a higher canopy so the woman could sit up a bit straighter and the mare must've noticed because she lifted her head, perking her ears up. She leaned forward and gently patted the mare's neck.

"Tell me, Miss Asher," Violet gently pulled back on the reins so that her horse fell in line with Alexander. "Where did you grow up? Did you have any siblings? How are your parents? Do they know that you're running away?" She was more than curious about her ward's past. The clothing, the large pouch of gold that she was holding, and ineffectively hiding, and the large amount of gold that she was offering told her that Selie was more than just the daughter of a merchant.
 
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"I'm afraid not."

Selie let out a thoughtful ‘hmm.’ She shifted and moved in her saddle as she wondered what kind of a life a person would have to lead to spend so much time riding a horse until it became second nature to them. She couldn’t even begin to imagine getting as good at riding without some extensive teaching.

"Did you, Miss Asher? It actually looks like you could use some."

While Donovan’s tone didn’t change too much, Selie still managed to hear the trace of an amusement at the edge of the mercenary’s voice. Selie looked up in confusion, before she realised she was still shifting and fidgeting on Alexander’s back like novice rider. Selie felt the edges of her ears warm at being caught doing something so childish. Forcing herself to sit still, the hooded girl let out what she hoped was a resolute ‘hmph,’ and didn’t dignify the accusation with a response.

Selie took the moment of quiet to glance back. A part of her was feeling paranoid, like the capital’s guards might still be chasing after their heels, but a much larger part of her just wanted to try and see how far they were from the city at this point. Unfortunately, the tree line was getting denser, and it was becoming difficult to spy even the caste from this distance. Still, maybe that was a good sign: they were well and truly making trails now.

"Tell me, Miss Asher,"

Selie turned back around, realising with a start that Donovan had slowed until their horses were level. This is also meant that the two riders were, purposely no doubt, level with each other, leading Selie to bear the full brunt of Donovan’s eyes. The swordswoman’s eyes were, despite the darkness all around, clear and sharp. They seemed to blaze out through the dark, clear blue beacons that seemed to gaze into Selie as much at her. Despite herself, Selie was finding it difficult to meet Donovan’s look with any kind of confidence. Pretty quickly, it was more than just the mercenary’s eyes that were causing Selie distress.

"Where did you grow up? Did you have any siblings? How are your parents? Do they know that you're running away?"

With each mounting question, Selie felt her grip on Alexander’s reigns tighten until her knuckles were turning white. These questions felt pointed, like Donovan already expected her to lie for an answer. Selie started to hear the thrum of blood flowing through her ears more clearly than the actual questions.

…Could…Donovan suspect…?

No, no. Focus. The swordswoman was probably testing the waters, seeing how far she could poke at her employer’s threshold. Selie just needed to reply calmly, and make it clear that nothing was amiss. Maybe she could deflect the whole issue if she answered just the most prominent of those questions?

“…Well, if you must know: no, no one from my family knows that I’ve fled into the night like a vagabond.” Selie hesitated for few moments, before sighing. “I do not take any pleasure in deceiving my family, I assure you. If I thought I there had been a better way, I would have taken it. But-” Selie gestured to the trees swaying in the night wind and their (probably ill-gotten) horses. “-here we are.”
 
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Though subtle it was, Violet noticed that when she started asking her questions, Selie's grip on her horse's reins tightened and she wouldn't meet Violet's gaze. A sign of anxiety that the swordswoman was used to seeing in her opponents or shifty people that were trying to stiff her out of a deal. Either way, she made a mental note of it as the hooded woman began to answer her question. She listened to what the woman told her how none of her family knew that she had fled the capital. It really made her wonder what could've pushed the young woman to flee so suddenly.

A few more moments silence, other than the sounds of hooves on the path, passed by as the trees started to thin and the moonlight began to shine brighter. As much as Violet enjoyed traveling, usually alone, she wasn't used to traveling so far at night. In reality, they'd probably only made it a couple miles when it had felt like longer. If they wanted to put distance between them and the capital, they would need to move a bit faster than they were. She glanced at Selie with a sly grin before shrugging her shoulders.

"How about a race?"
Violet tightened her grip on her mare's reins. This would be an entertaining way to pass some time and put some miles between the capital. Even though she was still skeptical of Selie, she was her client and Violet was offering a service. Regardless, she would escort Selie to the nearest city and then whatever else she needed if the coin was right. "Alexander looks like a sturdy mount, lets see if he has speed to match."

Violet kissed her to her mare, gently digging her heels into its sides of her mount. The black horse snorted before launching itself forward down the path. As they galloped, Violet's eyes caught a road sign that read the next town was five miles. Hopefully this little race would exhaust their horses. Or maybe they could at least get close enough to it and rest until the morning, perhaps longer since it was late into the night already. Violet glanced back over her shoulder and chuckled.

"Better catch up, Miss Asher." She shouted as the wind whipped past her ears. "The next town is five miles away." Violet was going to have to change her tactics if she wanted more answers from Selie. She would hold off from the questions for now and try her best to get closer to the young woman. If they were going to be traveling together for a while, they'd have to learn to trust one another anyway.
 
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Selie had to make a mental effort to not turn in her saddle after she was finished talking. If she made it clear that she trying to gauge Donovan’s reaction, she’d only drawn suspicion to herself. Instead, she made like she more focused on riding, even as she tried to sneak a glance at the mercenary. Her efforts were in vain; even if she could shoot more than just a glance at Donovan, the swordswoman’s face was too difficult to read.

Selie could feel a bubble of anxiety growing in the pit of her stomach. Was the answer she gave too vague? Was it clear she was just trying to dodge the question? What if Donovan actually did suspect-?

"How about a race?"

The hooded girl sat bolt upright in her saddle at Donovan’s suggestion, Alexander neighing in protest when Selie accidentally yanked on the horse’s reigns in her panic. She gave her escort a confused look, to which Donovan simply responded with,

“Alexander looks like a sturdy mount, lets see if he has speed to match."

Selie fussed with her reigns, looking somewhat uncertain.

While a race might have been a fun distraction, Selie was struggling to see in the dark it was. Trying to rush down the forest’s pathways at max speed sounded like a dangerous proposition, and sounded like it would be a fast way to getting injured. On top of that, charging through the woods would create a lot of noise, and the hooded girl still couldn’t shake the paranoia that they will be watched.

Then again, it would be a more productive use of all of this pent up energy than just letting it coiling up with worry in the pit of her stomach…

“Alright, but stay within line of sight of each other.” Selie nodded. “This pitch blackness could be dangerous, an - hey!” Selie cursed as Donovan kicked her horse into a gallop, and was soon storming ahead. Selie followed suit, and it wasn’t long before both riders were tearing up the forest path.

While sturdy he may have been, it quickly became clear that Alexander was the slower horse. It was taking all of Selie’s riding skills just to keep right behind Donovan’s mare, who’s black hide appeared almost ghost like as both horse and rider thundered on ahead. Despite clearly being the losing party, Selie had to admit that she was finding this race pretty exhilarating: the risks, the sound of the trees swaying and rustling in their passing and the healthy amount of adrenaline slipping into her veins was causing her heart to beat in rhythm of Alexander’s steps. Despite her previous reservations, she had to admit this was pretty fun.

"Better catch up, Miss Asher; the next town is five miles away."

Despite herself, Selie actually laughed out loud at Donovan’s taunting. She felt like she should be scandalised at the causal treatment from her bodyguard, but she had to admit that she as finding this escapade pretty great. She shouted back over the wind, grinning slightly.

“Is this how you treat all of your employers!?”
 
Violet always felt at her freest when she was galloping on a horse, and thankfully, her mare hardly had any objections. The mount seemed to be enjoying the free run as much as her rider. The swordswoman glanced back over her shoulder to see Selie and Alexander seeming to be having a bit of a struggle with speed. Violet was surprised how much endurance her horse seemed to have as she did her best to hold the mare back so Selie could still see her through the dark. She laughed as her horse took a curve and glanced back once more at her ward.

"I can't say I act as a professional since I'm a mercenary."
Violet called back as she slowed her mare to a calm jog to allow Alexander to catch up. "I'm not your conventional body guard, Miss Asher." She slowed the mare as she spoke and glanced at the hooded woman. "But surely you knew that when you found me in the alleyway this past night, right?"

Another sign appeared on the side of the road as the forest finally started to thin out. The sky was starting to turn a dark lavender as the sun began to rise slowly. Violet could see the end of the treeline and in the distance, the soft glow of village street lamps. As she reached the end of the trees, Violet slowed her horse to a stop and looked over the hill to see a small village tucked into a valley. The sun hadn't broken the horizon yet and the sky was turning from a lavender to a darker pink.

"Well, Selie, I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some sleep." She gently urged her mount forward into a jog. Violet was more than ready to lie in a bed and relax after the past few hours. As much as she wanted to know more about Selie, that would have to wait until she got a good night's...well, good day's sleep now. The last mile or so to the village wasn't long, but it seemed slower since she was thinking a bit more than normal. Maybe it was because she was getting so tired, but her mind was starting to wander.

"Did you ever get to travel a lot, Miss Asher?"
Violet asked finally after a short silence. "Being in a merchant family, I'd assume you'd get to travel a bit? Anywhere interesting?"
 
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"I'm not your conventional body guard, Miss Asher…But surely you knew that when you found me in the alleyway this past night, right?"

Selie chuckled slightly. She would have to admit, this entire night was playing out like one big showcase of Donovan’s unusual properties. Brawling in back alleys, forcing a potential employer to choke back that horrible drink at the inn, buying presumably illegal horses; Selie was very familiar with body guards, and Donovan was almost definitely the most unusual.

“I suppose I don’t have a retort for that.” Selie admitted with an amused smile.

Their horses continued their canter for a good while, the forest thinning around them as they path led them from its depths. It wasn’t long before they were clear of the tree line, and their destination came into view. Selie had heard the term ‘sleepy hamlet’ used a lot in the past, but this small, nameless and out of the way village definitely fit the bill. It was one of the many small settlements that rested just a stone’s throw from the capital, though the forest that separated the two entities stopped this place from seeing too much traffic. Still, for two runaways, it was perfect.

It took a second for the hooded girl to understand why visibility was good enough that they could even see the village; night was quickly receding. Selie glanced at the sky, frowning when she saw the first hints of dawn starting reach the horizon. It was quickly approaching morning.

"Well, Selie, I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some sleep."

The girl in question opened in her mouth to reply, but was cut off when only a yawn escaped her. With the initial rush of the escape from the capital and the race through the woods leaving her system, she was only just becoming aware of how tired she was. It made sense, she had never been up this many hours without end before, but it was still quite a shock to the system. In the end, the only thing Selie managed was a vague nod as she kicked Alexander to follow behind Donovan’s mare.

The two fell into a brief lull of conversation, with the resounding thud of their horses’ steps being the only sound to halt a total silence. Selie’s thoughts, perhaps tainted by her growing exhaustion, drifted back home. She wondered if anyone had noticed she was gone yet. It was inevitable, and Selie had comes to terms with the necessity of it, but she still felt a rush of guilt when she thought on how panicked everyone would be. She could only hope the letter she had left behind would placate the worst of it.

"Did you ever get to travel a lot, Miss Asher?"

Selie shook herself awake as she turned to meet Donovan’s curious look.

"Being in a merchant family, I'd assume you'd get to travel a bit? Anywhere interesting?"

“I’ll admit, my family has seen numerous expeditions to many different locations. In one sense, they were all interesting, but…” Selie thought for a moment, one finger reaching up to idly play with a loose strand of hair. “I once travelled with my father to a small country to the north, to an entire continent covered in a perpetual winter. It was like stepping into a land of giants: the smallest of their men towered over my father, and each one looked like they could wrestle a bull with their bare hands. It was a rough place, where the men and women where either hardened by the cold, or were killed by it.”

After a moment or two, Selie’s grim look fell away, replaced with an amused grin.

“Of course I was so young at the time; the only thing I cared about was their rather exotic candy. I was so smitten with the stuff that I practically forced my father to buy an entire crate for the ship-ride back home.” Selie giggled slightly, before shaking her head. After a moment or two, she focused again on the swordswoman ridding opposite her.

“But I’m sure you’ve seen your fair share of different places as well, Donovan? Surely the life of a mercenary has taken you fairly far afield?”
 
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Violet listened quietly as their horses followed the trail, almost on auto-pilot. She listened as Selie told her a story from when she had been young and she had traveled with her father to a continent in the north. Violet had never been that far north to actually leave the continent. At least not in that direction. She'd been to other continents to the west, south, and the smaller islands to the east, but never to the endless white lands of the northern continents.

"You're lucky," Donavan smirked as she shook her head. "I've always wanted to see the endless winter that the northern continents offer." Blue eyes glanced up to the sky that was starting to brighten. The stars started to fade as the light reached them. "I hear there's some lights in the sky that are just beautiful to see that are a variety of colors, and I've always wanted to meet a giant."

She glanced back at Selie and offered a grin. "I've been to the continents in the west, south, and some of the smaller islands to the east, but I didn't get to travel the entire country. I was there on just a job, transportation. I would love to go back. The land to the east was amazing. Great food, beautiful people. It was beautiful."

It had been a long time since she'd traveled away from the home country, but she'd hoped to make enough money to actually travel over seas again. Maybe if Selie needed a long term body guard and really wanted to get away from the capital, she would take her to one of the other countries. Someone had told her that the southern islands were a tropical paradise full of sparkling blue waters and white sand beaches. It did certainly sound like a place she could spend the rest of her days.

"Although," Violet continued as the village started getting closer. "I've traveled all over this country, different parts of this continent, but I hardly ever get to stay in one place for more than a couple days. I just follow the money." It was true. Violet just went where ever she could make the most money. Even though she'd been doing this for a while, the most she'd ever made in one job was around one thousand gold pieces. It would've taken her far, if she was the kind of person to stay in one place. Or if her equipment didn't need to be repaired and she didn't like to drink. Either way, whenever she made money, she always needed to find more. Nothing had ever captured her enough to stop being a mercenary.

The village entrance was finally coming into view and Violet sighed, her fatigue finally catching up with her from the capital. As they entered the village, there were already some people out and about, beating their rugs and opening up their shops. Violet looked around as they walked down the main road and saw an inn in the distance. It was fairly large and that always meant that they had a lot of rooms, usually large and comfy beds. That of course, made Violet very happy.

"Here we are, Miss Asher," Violet grinned as she glanced at the hooded figure. There was a small stall that was attached to the building and the swordswoman veered her mare in that direction. "Let's hope they have a room with two beds for us."
 
Selie nodded along as Donovan talked. She had heard of all of the lands that the swordswoman spoke of, and indeed had studied them in detail, though had only visited a few. The eastern lands in particular were a location that Selie had yet to have the pleasure of visiting; maybe she could ask Donovan for more details, when they had the time. Then again, Selie reminded herself, she should probably first focus on completing her original mission first, before worrying about matters outside of the country. Regardless, Donovan was still speaking, so Selie put the matter out of her mind for now.

"I've traveled all over this country, different parts of this continent, but I hardly ever get to stay in one place for more than a couple days. I just follow the money."

Selie listened in silence, looking at her bodyguard out of the corner of her eye. The hooded girl’s mouth started to open, before slowly drifting shut. She had been on the cusp of remarking that it sounded like quite a lonely way to live: never truly setting any roots, always making friends just to lose contact with them, forever wondering if any of the friends you do make are even still alive. It didn’t sound like the kind of life Selie would want to go through. But who was she to make a comment like that? Donovan looked fairly content, like she wouldn’t want it to be any other way. Maybe things make more sense to Selie after travelling with the sell-sword for a while, though a part of the girl had doubts.

By now, dawn was well and truly approaching, the stars fading away to make room for the light of day. A part of Selie felt some kind of guilt at the idea going to bed at the start of the day, though her drooping eyelids helped to clear such thoughts out of the way. Of course, while the two runaways were just thinking about going to sleep, the rest of the village was only just starting to wake up. Shops were opening their doors, the town’s meagre law-enforcement were beginning their rounds, and a least a few people we already gathering next to the town’s well. None of the villagers looked too surprised or disturbed at the sight of the two riders; being so close to the capital must have meant that the small hamlet wasn’t a stranger to visitors.

It wasn’t long before Selie and Donovan had found the small town’s inn. The large building looked so old and weathered that Selie wouldn’t have doubted that the place had been around since the village’s inception. It thankfully came with its own stall being horses, which the twosome steered their horses towards. As they approached, Donovan turned with a grin to Selie.

"Here we are, Miss Asher. Let's hope they have a room with two beds for us."

“Hmm. Let’s hope.” Selie nodded, somewhat uncertainly. If she was being honest, a part of her was hoping they could snag two separate rooms, since Selie wasn’t exactly used to sleeping with others being in the room with her. While it would be more expensive, and it would probably throw more suspicion on her, Selie wouldn’t deny that she was prepared to make the sacrifice if it meant increased privacy.

Regardless, soon they both had their horses tied and secure at the stall. Selie patted Alexander’s neck fondly as she dismounted, though her eyes caught something as she hopped off the stallion’s back. Namely, that there were quite a few other horses already resting at the stall, all looking freshly covered in dirt from the roads. The stall was nearly at capacity there were some many of the beasts resting in the small space. This didn’t bode well…

Misgivings aside, both Selie and Donovan made their way around the building to it’s entrance, pushing their way inside. The inn’s sign, proudly displaying the name ‘The Nobel’s Retreat,’ swung slight as they stepped into the building.

The inn’s interior was fairly murky, with all of the buildings candles and lights extinguished and the dull light of morning doing a poor job at illuminating the space. A scattered collection of chairs and tables dominated one side of the room, with a small bar situated at the very back of the space. The furniture looked like it had seen better days, being made of chipped and well marked wood, and some chairs looked about ready to just collapse under the few patrons that were up at this early hour. Selie’s eyes however focused on other feature of the room, the huge desk placed right next to the building’s staircase.

The woman behind the front desk yawned as Selie and Donovan approached, making only a token effort to cover her mouth. The brunette’s eyes looked so bleary that Selie wondered if she had only just woken up a second ago, or if she had also gone the entire night without rest. In either case, the woman didn’t look too enthusiastic to greet her new guests, only managing a small nod as Selie stepped forth.

“Salutations!” Selie waved, forcing some energy into her voice. “As odd as a request as it might be, my companion and I were looking for some lodging for the, uh, day. I don’t suppose you have any rooms available?”

If the woman thought that it was a strange request, she didn’t make any comment on it being so. In fact, all she did was silently reach for a huge ledger, flick through several pages, and run her finger down its worn pages. Selie continued to smile hopefully, though she was starting to be a bit put off by the woman’s continued silence.

After what felt like several seconds too long, the inn’s proprietress looked up.

“We have a room available.”

“…As in a room? A single room?” Selie’s fingers drummed along the desk’s top as she gave the woman a sceptical look. “What happened to all the other rooms?”

“Big band of travellers came here just a night ago, all wanted separate rooms. Staying for a few days. Had coin and big weapons, so I didn’t argue.” The woman shrugged. “Do you want the room or not?”

“I…” Selie hesitated. Looking increasingly concerned, she asked, “Is it a room with a single bed?”

The woman was silent for a moment, glancing between Selie and Donovan for a few moments. After a few seconds, something seemed to click for her, and she nodded in understanding.

“You’re in luck; it’s got a single bed and is the room with the thickest walls. Make as much a noise as you want.”

“I-what?” Selie did a double take, blinking in confusion. “’Noise?’”

The woman shrugged, eyes still thoroughly neutral.

“We don’t judge here at The Nobles Retreat. Discreetness is in the name.”

Selie was about to demand a straight answer, before sighing. She didn’t understand what was happening here, but she was far too tried. She would just have to let the matter rest.

“Fine, we’ll take the room.”

After exchanging the coin necessary (and a little extra, with the instructions that the woman ‘forget’ that they were ever at the inn), Selie took the key for their new lodgings.

Turning back to Donovan, Selie suddenly found it pretty difficult to meet the swordswoman’s eyes.

“So…I suppose…Err…” Selie struggled for a second, before settling on, “I hope you have an idea of how this is supposed to work?”
 
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Violet made sure that their horses were taken care of by slipping the stable boy an extra gold coin before following Selie towards inn. It wasn't anything special, though the building was large which was nice, but it wasn't extravagant in the least. Oh well, all Violet needed was a comfy bed and a solid roof over her head to sleep soundly. She wasn't paying too much attention, examining the lobby of the inn as Selie took care of the room. The mercenary did, however, hear the change in Selie's voice from when she so eagerly greeted the woman behind the desk to a tone of hesitation and disbelief. That of course, peaked her interest in the sort of conversation that was going on at the moment. So the woman took a few steps closer to Selie so she was looking over the woman's shoulder at the woman behind the desk.

“You’re in luck; it’s got a single bed and is the room with the thickest walls. Make as much a noise as you want.”

The rose haired woman froze when she heard the implication of the woman and then sighed. A smirk soon grew on her lips though when Selie didn't quite understand what the woman behind the desk was talking about. So she decided to play along. When Selie turned around, and wouldn't meet her gaze, Donovan chuckled before draping her arm around the woman's shoulders. She glanced at the desk lady and grinned brightly before heading towards the stairs.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" She said, a bit louder than she needed so the woman at the desk that was so obviously eavesdropping could hear. "Of course you'll be sharing a bed with me, why wouldn't you? I'm just glad we were able to get a room with thick walls so we don't...disturb anyone. And to be able talk to someone who values privacy."

She moved the arm that was around Selie's shoulders down so that it was wrapped around the woman's slim waist. Violet pulled her a bit closer as they walked up the stairs until they were out of earshot of the innkeeper and the mercenary chuckled, not releasing Selie. "Well that was fun." Donovan really did enjoy toying with people in anyway that she could. Not to mention, if Selie was going to get used to her, she needed to act like herself. "That woman seemed to be very interested in what was going to transpire between us." Blue eyes glanced down at Selie, and Violet just couldn't resist pushing things a little further. "We could always follow through, if you're up for it."

Violet wasn't exactly sure how Selie "swung" romantically, but there was no harm in joking around with her. And if that joke actually hit home and something happened, she wasn't going to argue with that either. "So, where's our room, Miss Asher?"
 
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Selie jumped in place slightly when Donovan wrapped an arm across her shoulder, the swordswoman’s gauntleted arm feeling heavy across the girl’s slight shoulders. Selie shot her bodyguard a confused glance as Donovan started to move the two of them towards the inn’s well worn staircase.

"What do you mean, sweetheart?" Donovan’s voice was oddly pitched, like she was intentionally speaking louder than she necessarily needed to. "Of course you'll be sharing a bed with me, why wouldn't you? I'm just glad we were able to get a room with thick walls so we don't...disturb anyone. And to be able talk to someone who values privacy."

“Sharing a wha-” Selie let out a squeak of surprise when she felt her bodyguard’s arm sliver down from her shoulder and onto her waist, Donovan’s fingers leaving a tingling trail across her body in the motion. Selie was shocked enough that she didn’t even react as the rose haired woman pulled her closer to her side, simply focusing entirely on putting one foot in front of the other while trying to process the proceedings.

As the twosome trudged up the stairs, Selie tried to stop the noise of panic in her mind long enough to figure out just what the heck everyone else was talking about. Both the proprietress and Donovan were speaking in a strangely measured way, like they were referring to some improper and clandestine activity that Selie should already be aware of. But for the life of her, Selie couldn’t get a solid grasp on just what the hell everyone seemed to be going on about. It didn’t exactly help that she was still trying to wrap her head around the idea of simply sharing a bedroom with another human being.

It was with a start that Selie realized that the two of them were standing outside of the inn’s collection of rooms, the thick carpet muffling their footsteps as they wandered down its length.

"Well that was fun." Donovan chuckled, her hand not releasing its casual grip around Selie’s waist. "That woman seemed to be very interested in what was going to transpire between us."

Selie felt more than saw the swordswoman’s sharp eyes turn to look down at the girl under her arm, her expression lightly amused and self confident. When she spoke, she spoke without a shred of hesitance or shame. "We could always follow through, if you're up for it."

Selie felt her eyebrows shoot up and disappear into her fringe as her confusion reached it’s maximum, missing the swordswoman inquiring about their room due to her sheer befuddlement. Follow through what!?

“I-wha-enough!” Selie finally found her functions enough to shake herself out Donovan’s grasp, pointing an accusing finger at her bodyguard after taking a step of distance. “I have no clue what jest everyone else is enjoying here, but I refuse to be the victim of it for a moment longer!”

Selie tried to ignore the fact that she stamped her foot as she spoke, very similar to a petulant child.

“Now before we take another step down this corridor or into any room, you’re going to explain to me exactly what everyone else but I seem to be aware of!”
 
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Violet was a bit surprised when Selie removed her arm and pointed a finger at her. She leaned back a little at the accusation, putting her hands up in defense. The body guard tilted her head to the side a little bit while furrowing her brow. Did Selie really have no idea what she and the desk woman had been discussing? Violet smirked and tried to stifle a chuckle when the young woman stamped her foot in frustration, it was very comical when you were one of the people that were in on the joke. After listening to what the woman said, Violet was almost positive now that Selie was being one hundred percent serious about not understand the jest.

"That woman," Violet started as she lowered her hands and took a step closer to the dark haired girl. "Was implying that we were lovers." The rose haired woman smirked before rubbing the back of her head. "She offered the single room with thick walls because...she thought," Donovan coughed and cleared her throat. Never discussing such things with someone who hadn't experienced them before. And it was crystal clear that Selie wasn't very...traveled. "She thought we were going to be...intimate...physically, with each other. Maybe a bit too loudly."

The swordswoman really couldn't stop her smirk from growing into a full on smile as she laughed and glanced down at Selie. "If it's not too...invasive," Violet had a hard time with phrasing after subjects like this, since her mind was already in the gutter. "Have you never been...physical with anyone before?" Donovan was pretty sure she already knew the answer, but she couldn't stop herself from asking.

It was really none of her business, but Selie was old enough, and attractive enough to have been with a man...or woman, already. But with how sheltered the young woman seemed, Violet just assumed that she wasn't very active in the romance department. Though, she could be very wrong. For all she knew, Selie could have had numerous lovers already, but that thought alone made Violet laugh harder.

"I was also implying," Violet got control of her laugh and took a few deep breaths. "That we should follow through with what that woman already thought we were going to do. Though, I was under the impression that you knew what we were talking about." The rose haired woman took a deep breath before putting her arm back around Selie's shoulders, to, if anything, fluster the shorter woman even more. "Now, lets get to the room, shall we? We don't want everyone to think we've had a lover's quarrel."
 
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Selie’s accusation had hung in the inn’s dusty corridor for a few seconds before Donovan, her hands raised before her, actually begun to laugh. Selie felt her already pretty considerable confusion gain a few more notches when she saw that her body guard was clearly as amused by her employer’s ignorance as whatever this current joke was.

"That woman," Donovan moved her hands from their raised position, taking a casual step forward to rectify the surprised step back she had taken. "Was implying that we were lovers."

….Oh.

…OH!

Selie slowly lowered her pointing finger, the energy and bravado of her demand leaving her. Very slowly, Selie’s face started to fill with red as she replayed the entire encounter in her head, the shame of her own ignorance starting to catch up with her.

"She offered the single room with thick walls because...she thought-"

Oh gods no. Even if the understood the implications of the situation, the girl didn’t feel ready to hear just how much had flown over her head in the reception. Selie half tried to halt Donovan’s explanation, but her voice got caught in her throat.

"She thought we were going to be...intimate...physically, with each other. Maybe a bit too loudly."

By this point, Selie was fairly certain her ears were actually on fire. At the very least, they certainly felt like they were pretty much burning with how red they were. Selie wasn’t ignorant to the idea of s…se…couples being intimate, but the idea that she was part of some loud tryst was utterly embarrassing. Selie planted a hand against her face, her palm feeling cool against her flaming cheeks, in some half-hearted attempt to hide her face from view.

"If it's not too...invasive," There was an amused edge to Donovan’s voice that made Selie wary. When the girl looked up at the swordswoman, she found a suspicious amount of glee in the taller woman’s eyes. "Have you never been...physical with anyone before?"

“No! Gods, no,” Selie hoped back, her expression simultaneously scandalised and mortified. “J-just the idea that a member of…that a daughter of such a prestige house could have done such a thing out of wedlock…!”

Selie tried to put into words just how scandalous her taking part in such a thing would be, but any words were swallowed up by her embarrassment. In the end, all the girl could mange was a few faltering attempts at sentences, though thankfully (?) Donovan continued.

"I was also implying that we should follow through with what that woman already thought we were going to do. Though, I was under the impression that you knew what we were talking about."

Selie jumped slightly at Donovan’s words. The ride over had clearly shown the swordswoman’s somewhat casual attitude to her employer, but…she had actually joked about…?

Before Selie could digest that thought, Donovan wrapped a casual arm around the girl’s shoulder, causing a surprised squeak to slip out of Selie.

"Now, lets get to the room, shall we? We don't want everyone to think we've had a lover's quarrel."

“I-you-this is-” Selie spluttered, trying unsuccessfully to both put how shocked she was into words while also still trying to process just what this whole situation was implying. In the end, her attempts faded into silence and, with her face still uncomfortably red, she slowly guided Donovan over to the door that marked their room.

After a few failed attempts at sinking the key into it’s hole, Selie finally managed to calm her shaking hands enough to actually work the lock, and pushed the door open.

The room was, all things considered, actually pretty decent. Being a corner room, the space graced with two fairly sized windows, early morning light starting to slip in through the eastern most window. The floor was mostly covered by a grand if plain carpet, though the wooden board that made the floor peeked through just at the carpet’s edges. The room even came with a respectable sized wardrobe, a dresser with a mirror, and curiously enough a rack to place weapons in. Just what kind of cliental did this inn serve…?

All thoughts of the room’s other features went out of Selie’s mind, however, when her eyes wandered over to the room’s only bed. True to its description, it was king sized bed, almost big enough that you could have squeezed three people onto the thing. It was simple, with a mostly undecorated wooden frame and perfectly plain white blankets and pillows. Despite this, just the sight of the thing caused another flush to race over Selie’s face, and she very pointedly directed her gaze elsewhere.

After a moment, Selie realized that she was still stood under Donovan’s arm, and cleared her throat as she quickly stepped out of her bodyguard’s reach. For a moment, she busied herself with the mundane activities of placing her travelling packs on the top of the dresser, and throwing off her cloak and folding it up into the dresser: they may have only been staying in the room for a short while, but the activity helped to give her a second to gather her thoughts. When her cloak was finely folded and placed away, she finally gathered up what remained of her dignity. With a long breath, she pushed the wardrobe’s door shut, and twisted around to face Donovan.

“I will admit to not knowing if you were merely joking before, but I have to put my foot down.” Selie forced herself to maintain eye contact with the swordswoman, even as a hint of red started to creep back into her face. “I-I have to refuse your previous suggestion of…of us…doing anything explicit. L-let’s try and keep some professional distance.”

Gods above, she had argued about much more dire matters before with a completely straight face, but anything about…intimacy pushed her onto the back foot. She didn’t even know if Donovan had just been kidding around before, but her rapidly beating heart wasn’t going to settle until she at least made it clear she wasn’t planning to give up her chastity anytime soon. She wouldn’t deny that Donovan’s rather bold advances weren’t somewhat dashing, but that was neither here nor there.

“Besides all that,” Selie cleared her throat again, hoping to keep the subject moving swiftly along. “I have to confess that I’m not sure how this whole situation is supposed to work.”

Selie gestured between herself, Donovan, and the only bed in the room.

“Is…there some kind of boundary we have to draw for this situation to work?”
 
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Seeing Selie's reaction was more than entertaining. The woman at the desk hadn't lied about the room. It was very nice, nicer than what Violet was used to, at least. The bed was large enough for both Selie and Violet to fit comfortably. Violet sighed before moving to the table that was in the room and setting her pack down on it before removing her traveling cloak. She was still more than amused with Selie's reaction and how she had 'refused' her suggestion of anything explicit. The swordswoman chuckled to herself before she kicked off her boots and flopped down on the bed. The way she'd answered only pushed her suspicions that Selie wasn't who she said she was.

"That's a shame." Violet answered finally as she glanced at Selie and a playful grin. "But I suppose you're right, some professional boundaries might be a good idea." She folded her hands behind her head. "Or maybe you should make boundaries for me to follow. That might be more productive."

It had been a long time since Violet done a job that involved guarding a woman. Most of her jobs were just shaking people down for money or the occasional assassination, though she only took those jobs if the person hiring her had substantial evidence of the target being a horrible person. Usually murderers, or other sorts of neerdowells. It had been a while since she took a guard job and usually those were just for a couple days, at the most a week. But with the amount of gold that Selie was offering, Violet literally couldn't afford to turn her down.

"I don't usually have rules since most of my clientele tend to be men." Violet continued as she closed her eyes and settled deeper into the plush mattress. "So, what would you like our boundaries to be?"
 
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Selie huffed as Donovan casually fell back onto the bed, the mercenary already making herself right at home. The swordswoman was clearly at ease in this kind of environment. Not that Selie was exactly unfamiliar with travelling and staying in a number of different locations herself, but still.

"That's a shame. But I suppose you're right, some professional boundaries might be a good idea." Donovan folded her hands behind her head, a grin spreading on her face. "Or maybe you should make boundaries for me to follow. That might be more productive."

Selie rested her hand in her chin for a moment, trying to puzzle out the problem before her. After a few moments drifted by, her eyes turned to glance at the wardrobe.

It took only a second to root around in the very bottom on the wardrobe before Selie pulled out exactly what she was looking for: a thick quilt, presumably a spare for the bed. Selie took hold of the edges of the quilt, throwing it out to lie flat on the ground before rolling it up from one lengthwise side to the other. The result was a sausage of padded cloth, which Selie lifted up and carefully laid in the direct middle of the bed. Selie looked at her handy work with pride, cheerfully announcing,

“The boundary has been established! That’s your side of the bed, this is mine.” The young girl pointed at the respective sides of the bed, nodding. “The quilt ensures that we won’t accidentally encroach on each other’s territory, which solves one issue. There, err, is the issue of how we’re supposed to get changed into our night clothes with both of us in the same room, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

Apparently satisfied with her run down, Selie finally allowed herself to sit on ‘her’ side of the bed, letting out a relieved sigh when she was finally off her feet. Neatly slipping out of her shoes, Selie pulled herself up and onto the bed properly, laying back for a moment to test how the bed felt against her back. While probably not as comfy as her old bed, the fact that her eyes started feeling heavy was a good sign for its comfort level. That, or the fact that morning was techniqucally upon them and she hadn’t slept a wink the entire night could be starting to take effect. That was also a possibility.

Selie pushed back her desire for sleep. For one, she still dressed in her normal clothes, and it would do her any good to pass out fully dressed. For another…

Selie turned her head to face the impromptu quilt wall on the bed. Though Selie’s barrier hid most of her travelling companion, Donovan’s features were just see able over the plush territory marker. There was a nagging question that barked at the back of Selie’s mind, demanding that she put a voice to her thoughts. At the same time, there was a large part of Selie’s mind that doubted any good would come of actually asking the swordswoman if she…


“…Donovan, would you permit me to ask a…somewhat personal question?” Selie shifted, hands fidgeting over her stomach.

“You…err, propositioned me quite casually, almost without missing a step. I initially missed it, since I’m…unused to attention from other women. But you seem to be…” Selie shifted, looking determinedly at the ceiling. She could hope her ‘boundary’ was at least partly hiding her embarrassed expression. “I guess, I just want to ask if you actually have…been physically c-close to an-…another woman before?”

Selie’s voice gave way before she had fully finished her question, turning into not much more than squeak of air.

Such matters weren’t unheard of in the upper crust of society, indeed if rumours were to be believed it was far more common than one would think; a great many whisper of ladies of the court spending far too much time with other ladies of the court. But to speak of such topics was taboo, especially for a girl of Selie’s birth. It fascinating and intimidating that both Donovan and the inn’s proprietress would speak of such things as easily as they did. Was the world outside of Selie’s bubble really so…unbecoming?

As to why Selie asked the question, she wasn’t certain herself. Maybe the onset of exhaustion was making her mind wander too far afield, or maybe she just wanted to gain a better understanding of the mercenary under her employ. Maybe her curiosity about this brave new frontier she was trying to explore extended to even such personal matters about how the less wealthy even spent their love-life? No matter the cause, she wished it wasn’t quite so mortifying to ask about.
 
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Violet raised an eyebrow as she watched the young woman go to the wardrobe and retrieve the spare quilt. She lifted her head a bit and continue to observe Selie as she rolled the quilt up and put it the middle of the mattress to form a makeshift barrier between the two. Selie looked very pleased with her divider and Violet chuckled as she laid her head back down, settling deeper into the comfortable mattress. There was more than enough room on the king sized mattress for the two women, so she wondered if Selie thought that she was going to try and do something while they were sleeping. Of course, she wouldn't blame her after how Violet acted earlier.

“The boundary has been established! That’s your side of the bed, this is mine.” The young girl pointed at the respective sides of the bed, nodding. “The quilt ensures that we won’t accidentally encroach on each other’s territory, which solves one issue. There, err, is the issue of how we’re supposed to get changed into our night clothes with both of us in the same room, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

The rose haired woman opened one eye and glanced at Selie with a small smirk. "I suppose you'll just have to trust me to cover my eyes." Violet answered as she stared up at the ceiling. "Just let me know when you want to change and I promise that I won't sneak a peek." The phrase alone was enough to make Violet chuckle. It's not that she was a deviant of any sort, but she was human. One that favored the company of women over the company of men. Of course, judging from Selie's...sheltered upbringing, she was sure that the dark haired girl wasn't familiar with such appetites.

“You…err, propositioned me quite casually, almost without missing a step. I initially missed it, since I’m…unused to attention from other women. But you seem to be…” Selie shifted, looking determinedly at the ceiling. She could hope her ‘boundary’ was at least partly hiding her embarrassed expression. “I guess, I just want to ask if you actually have…been physically c-close to an-…another woman before?”

The swordswoman couldn't resist another opportunity to tease Selie on such an intimate matter. So she sat up, rolling onto her side and moving to push against the barrier, shifting it slightly so she could be closer to Selie. She rested her chin on the quilt and grinned. "My aren't you curious, Miss Asher." She hummed as she eyed Selie who was staring up at the ceiling and fidgeting. "Are you thinking about taking me up on my offer? Don't worry, if you're nervous. I have had a lot of experience with young women, I wouldn't be too rough with you." Violet smirked as she tilted her head and waited for Selie's response.