A Close Call (Gwaine)

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Had she been giving too much away? Revealing that she had not seen a man in such a fashion before was not only a personal statement, it revealed or could reveal much of the kind of world she had been living in, maybe even too much. And Yassia was not sure what Gwaine would make of her telling him she was a princess, made to be queen even. Something kept her from confiding in him, even after all they had been through. It might have spared her a lot of embarrassing moments, as Gwaine surely would watch his behavior more closely had he known he was entertaining royalty, but what was the prize of it? If she told him right now for example, Yassia feared he might die from shame or shock. It wasn’t something to be said lightly. Maybe he would think differently of her, maybe he didn’t like nobles. Few actually did, that much she had learned. And even if she felt nothing for him but friendship, she didn’t want those feelings destroyed just by who she was either.


Contrary to her own expectations, him almost calling himself a gentleman – ridiculous, truly, she probably knew no one who was further away from that than Gwaine – didn’t rile her up even more. Instead, she felt a very unladylike giggle build in her chest, rising up into her throat. The picture was just too funny. Gwaine, barebreast and only clad with a towel, talking about wronging a woman. Couldn’t he see that his very appearance was made to send any lady into either a swooning or a coughing fit? But then again, how should he know. If that what had happened last night was what he normally lived by, who was she to bask into his life and try to change his ways? She just had to make sure she wasn’t dragged down along.
“No need for that Gwaine”, she replied, much more irenic now. “I think most part of this constant wrangling between us is me being too sensitive by far. I will try to be better. Promise”

With interest Yassia listened to his explanation about the route they had to cover. It was good to finally have someone by her side knowing what was behind the next slope or the next turn of the street. She wouldn’t have to be on her toes all the time, a welcome change from the previous weeks. There were dangers ahead, he had said, but with Gwaine by her side Yassia felt much less nervous.
“Alright. We’re gonna see what awaits us then”, she concluded and smiled slightly, her eyes straying towards the butter. Just bread was a bit meager for breakfast, especially for a princess. She might be on the road for so long, but some habits had a harder way of dying than others.

His laughter once again was quite contagious, and a growling stomach was nothing to get riled up on. She had experienced that too often herself, to begrudge anyone a healthy appetite. Taking from the butter now as well, she shushed him though between two chuckles. “You might have, once or twice. But shh, Gwaine, tone it down. You’ll wake Linda!”
A part of her still felt very uncomfortable around the unreserved woman, and waking her up meant she most likely would be all over Gwaine again in seconds. Resulutions or not, Yassia didn’t want to put her new found ease to test quite too soon. With Linda still out of sight, it was so much easier to forget last night’s ‘events’.

[shonz]

“As long as it doesn’t end with you throwing things at me or slapping me, you can wrangle with me anytime you want. I do enjoy bickering with you, truth be told,” Gwaine told her with a chuckle. That was true. Yassia knew exactly how to retaliate to his every word and action. It was refreshing to find a woman who can spar with him that way and not be the least affected by his roguish charms. Oh yes, she was affected, but it was a different effect that he had on her, one that almost always offends her sensibilities thereby catching her ire. Like he told her, he rather enjoyed the squabbling minus the slapping and the throwing.

He took generous bites from his bread as Yassia mulled over the outlook he was giving them of their travel to Camelot. He smiled at the optimistic and expectant way she was looking at it. “Brace yourself. It’s going to be full of surprises. At least, you won’t be alone traveling through those dangerous forests,” he said. Gwaine could only imagine the surprises that await them indeed, not just from outside them, but from between them. Given his and Yassia’s relationship, the dynamic between them was anything but calm and peaceful. This should be an interesting journey indeed.

Gwaine shushed himself when Yassia told him he might wake Linda. He turned to look at the light outside the window, to see if the sun had already fully risen. “She should be awake soon. She knows we’re leaving early today, and she promised to prepare some food for us to take,” he told Yassia.

Last night, Gwaine thought Yassia and Linda would hit it off right away and be chummy buddies. What Gwaine didn’t know was that Linda had missed him so much she had all but ignored Yassia and just threw herself all over him. Not wanting to have the same scene repeated this morning, Gwaine quickly finished his bread off and downed his glass of water. “I’d better go wash up and get dressed,” he told Yassia as he stood up and took his plate and glass to the sink before disappearing behind the curtains to where he slept with Linda last night.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

The reminiscence of actually throwing that wooden slipper and laundry ball at him sent Yassia chuckling. Oh my, how furious she had been! It was a good thing Gwaine had taken it with such good humor in hindsight, another man might have been mortally wounded in his pride. Yassia knew she was a fury whenever her hot temper got the better of her, and most of the time there was not much she could do about it, only sit it out and hope there was no irrevocable damage done.
But there was truth to Gwaine’s words. Even through her annoyance and unease, Yassia had to admit she enjoyed the banter with Gwaine. Maybe it was the total lack of delicate feelings she had towards him, which made her view him as a possible brother only. She was not immune to his charms, but they didn’t have quite the desired effect for whatever reason. She had to count her blessings! A confused heart was nothing she needed on her full plate now as well!

“Yes, minus that it can be quite enjoyable”, she laughed and shook her head. “Though, to be honest, throwing that shoe felt GOOD! I like to throw things, I’m famous for it!”
Oh yes that she was, but she would not go into it now where she was famous. Oh no, that would lead to too many akward questions now! That was a story for another time, if even at all.
“Surprises? Huh…” Yassia trailed off and looked around the room, deep in thoughts for a second before she pulled herself together again. “Can’t say I like them much, so yeah, I am QUITE glad I have you with me as my travelling guide and companion.” A smile spread over her face and she lifted her cup of water in a toast. “To a safe and sound journey – and to two companions hopefully not at each other’s throats all the time.” That this was a possibility she didn’t doubt for a second.

Yassia only nodded and got up as well, thinking it best to not even comment on what she had begun to call ‘the Linda issue’ inside her head. Had things been different her and this woman might have got along well enough, as Yassia usually was easygoing around all different kinds of people. But the way both women had reacted only made things awkward even now.
She disappeared behind her side of the screen and took up the neatly folded dress she had been wearing for so long now. It once had been a decent riding gown, made for travels but still giving away some considerate wealth. Now it was worn and slightly dirty in some spots, and putting it on wasn’t Yassia’s favourite part of the day. Not because of it’s state, but because she, as a princess, had always had a dressing maid at hand. She had learned to dress on her own over the past few months alright, but some days were out to get her.

Like this one. She was half way down the simple lacing, when suddenly both arms started to cramp. With a hiss, Yassia let go of the lacing thread and leaned forward, screwing up her eyes in pain and annoyance. There was no way she could complete the task on her own now!
“Gwaine…” The awkwardness just kept coming! “Gwaine… I hate to say this, but could you maybe come over and help me?” she called out in a hushed voice.

[shonz]

Gwaine was taking his time putting his pants on, a smile spreading across his face as he thought about the light and easy conversation that he had just had with Yassia over that quick meal of bread and water. While getting hit by a wooden slipper wasn’t exactly the most memorable highlight of their acquaintance, Gwaine knew he deserved it for having stolen that kiss from her last night. It was a good thing that Yassia had put all his transgressions behind her now, and they were on the road to becoming pals, at the least.

He was glad, too, that she still wanted him to take her to Camelot. Gwaine couldn’t imagine letting her go all by herself knowing the dangers that lurk in the forests, both from man and animals alike. His conscience would never let him live it down if anything happened to her. Somehow, after having sort of taken her under his wing, he felt responsible now for seeing that she made it through her journey alive and well.

“Gwaine… I hate to say this, but could you maybe come over and help me?”

Her soft voice that called to him from the other side of the curtain made him jump out of his thoughts, and Gwaine cast a glance at Linda, who was still sleeping naked under the sheets, to make sure he had not woken her up. He pulled the blanket up her shoulders before walking out towards where Yassia was, his shirt still hanging loosely over his shoulder.

He saw that Yassia already had her dress on and a partly laced riding girdle of sorts. Gwaine stopped in his tracks when he realized what exactly it was that he wanted him to do. No woman had asked him to finish her lacing for her before. “Are you sure you want me to…I can wake up Linda…” he said trying not to stammer a bit. He just stood there looking at her, and then he realized that he was merely being stupid. He heaved a sigh and finally walked up behind her.

He gathered her long lustrous locks of hair in his hand, trying not to focus on how soft it felt through his fingers, and then hung them over her shoulder so he could see the lacing on her back clearly. Then his fingers moved gently down her spine to start tightening the lacing thread there. Standing hunched behind her, Gwaine weaved the thread through the holes carefully and slowly. Since he hadn’t exactly done anything like this before, it was no surprise that he would fumble at it once in a while. His hand had to pry the bodice a bit to get the thread through a hole, his hand brushing or touching more of Yassia’s back than he should be.

“Tell me if it’s too tight,” he told her as he started to pull the lacing tighter behind her.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

The seconds that passed between Yassia’s call for help and Gwaine’s appearance were like years to the embarrassed princess. Years during which she opened and closed her mouth what felt like a hundred times over, wanting to call out to him to stay where he was, wanting to stop him in his tracks, but yet the seconds trickled by and she said nothing, until it was too late. Her hurting arms dangling useless on both sides, she closed her eyes when she heard a little intake of breath. Of course he had not been expecting anything like that, how could he! Backing out now, that might make things even more embarassing, and yet the thought of Gwaine touching her in this intimate way send cold and hot showers down her spine. Would it have felt different if it was any other man? Perhaps not, as the incident alone almost made her want to be swallowed up by the earth. Yassia doubted Gwaine knew about these kind of things, but where Yassia had grown up there were strict rules that evolved around a man doing a woman’s lacing.

A husband might to so to help his wife though that hardly ever occurred. There were chambermaids for such a thing, but there was a custom that allowed a man to touch a woman’s lacing for the very first time: After the wedding night they spent together. Of course that implied he had been UNdoing the very same lacing the previous night, and the sheer thought alone made Yassia’s face turn bright crimson. The symbolism of this comparably simple act was just too much, even more after what the princess had been witnessing this very night… What a player, really, she thought and had to fight down a hysterical giggle. Undoing the figurative lacings of one woman in the room, the next morning doing the lacings of the other…
“No…” she forced out between her lips, careful to hide her crimson face beneath her long hair. “It’s… nothing after all… no need to bother her!” Nothing… perhaps the understatement of the year!

She tried to brace herself for what she knew had to be coming, the touch of his fingers on her bare skin, and yet, even though she had expected it, it still felt like a shock that sent her skin tingling wherever he grazed it. It was a similar feeling taking over her than when he had kissed her the night before, her body acting on its own account without her being able to do a thing about it – and it nearly killed her with embarrassment. She tried to take slow, levelled breaths to calm herself, and for a short time it worked – until his hands did something unexpected again when he was fumbling with the bodice. Her only consolation was that it probably was as embarrassing for him as it was for her.
“There’s nothing like too tight, believe me”, she tried a lame joke. Of course there was always a too tight, she had seen women faint en masse in her days back in Ailantha and sometimes had been even among them, especially when her temper had risen once again. “Don’t worry, it’s fine until now. Better than I could have done it myself.”

She just hoped it would be over soon, without Linda waking up and seeing this… there was only so much awkwardness a woman like Yassia could bear.

[shonz]

Gwaine knew too well the customs and principles behind doing and undoing a woman’s lacings. Of the intimate action between a groom and a bride on the first night after their wedding. Of husbands helping their wives. Of chambermaids assisting the lady of the house. Of these, Gwaine witnessed the second the most as his sweet and caring father would never fail to insist on doing his mother’s lacings. He could still vividly remember being a little boy, barging into his parents’ room in the morning too see the rather sweet interaction between them. He remembered offering to do his mother’s lacing only to be told by his father that he will have his own chance someday. He never understood it that time, but his mother had been kind enough to explain the practice to him when he was old enough to appreciate it.

He wondered if Yassia knew any of these mores for her to openly ask him to help her with tightening her lacing. His mind also went on to wonder if any other man had helped her do this exact same thing for her. As for the former, she probably didn’t. Such customs were only too strict among the nobility where traditions and rituals are more than a way of life. If Yassia were some princess or duchess, she would ask any woman to assist her. Maybe even risk waking Linda up. Anything other than to ask him. Gwaine have had enough of these customs, and had left them all behind when he, too, turned away from his previous life.

Ignoring how Yassia had slightly stiffened at the touch of his hand on her back and how her breathing had started coming out in slow gaps, Gwaine continued focused all his attention on the task at hand. There was no use getting all worked up now. Yassia was simply in need, nothing more. There was nothing there to suggest she had other reasons for asking him to do this for other other than she needed him to. Plain and simple. Damn the principles behind lacings, Gwaine told himself.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine until now. Better than I could have done it myself.”

“What’s better now?”

Gwaine was already tying the end of the lacing together when he heard Linda’s voice coming from behind him. He turned his head to see her dressed in nothing but a blanket around her chest. Knowing better than to look shocked or guilty, Gwaine casually greeted Linda, and continued to finish the task at hand. “Hey, good morning, Linda! My cousin still doesn't know how to tie her own lacing. Some things never change,” Gwaine said with a chuckle. Trust Linda to make an unexpected appearance when things are already getting a tad bit awkward between him and Yassia. Some things never change indeed.

“Well, you guys do what you need to do. I’ll go get dressed and maybe you can help me with my lacings, too, Gwaine?” Linda commented, a hint of annoyance in her voice, before disappearing behind her side of the curtain without even waiting for a response. As soon as Gwaine was done tying up the lacing, he straightened up and gave Yassia’s shoulders a small squeeze.

"Do you mind grabbing a couple of fruits from the market? You might want to catch a little sunshine outside before we leave," he said to Yassia with a smile. He fished out a few coins from his pocket and gave them to Yassia, before turning around and following Linda. From the tone of Linda's voice, he had a feeling she was having doubts about his and Yassia’s story about them being cousins, and Gwaine knew he needed to do some damage control before things get out of hand. Oh well, glad we’re almost out of here, perhaps a quick early morning romp would cure it, Gwaine thought with a sigh.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Had this been a bad juggler’s tale Yassia watched, she would have expected no other turn in the story. Of course Linda would come around RIGHT before they were finally finished. During the last few minutes she had been too occupied with keeping her calm to monitor her surroundings, perhaps seeing it coming or anything. How was Gwaine feeling about that? Apparently he hadn’t understood what she had been saying. Was that because what she supposed was logic in her own mind, had not come across as such, or was Gwaine somehow too distracted as well to keep track of what she was saying? But no… not Gwaine, right? He always was the superior one in a situation, and he might not have done the lacing before, but for that he coped extremely well! Perhaps because he knew how to do this the other way round? Nah, that was a thought she rather not dwelled upon too long. The embarrassment was enough as it was, without lingering on ‘interesting’ pictures in her head…

“I meant the lacing”, she rectified just the minute Linda showed herself behind their side of the curtain. Of course, just like Gwaine, she had not bothered to dress, as Yassia caught from out of the corner of her eye. Immediately she stiffened even more, praying to the stars for calm and composure. Again it was Gwaine who seemed to save the day. How could anyone be so collected in such a situation, so boldly assuming this was an every-day call? Oh right… they were posing as cousins. And between cousins there should be no awkwardness at all – in theory. Yassia could only congratulate Gwaine for his cheek, and she hoped with all her heart Linda would buy this – yet again. “I thought you were still sleeping, didn’t want to bother you, Linda”, she added with a hopefully genuine smile as she turned, adjusting the now laced up dress. Surprised how well it went in her eyes, she thanked her mannered upbringing for this special show. Gwaine’s ease was a real role model to follow suit.

Yassia might be naïve on many departments, but she was smart enough to realise when she was being sent away. It made her snort inwardly. Truly, like a father to his daughter: ‘honey, go buy yourself some sweets while mommy and I need to talk’… or do other things… After what had happened the previous night, Yassia wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. After all, Linda seemed more than just a little grumpy, and apparently Gwaine had something in mind that might cheer her up…or her thoughts were running wild.
In any way, it was nothing Yassia wanted to dwell on, so she took the money, saying: “No, of course not. I will go see what I can pick up and take my time about it. It’s truly a lovely morning!”

With that she grabbed her side bag and headed out of the door with a smile and a hopefully no too cheery and fake wave, wandering down the street towards the tiny market place. This was no big village after all and there was not much about to kill time with, but even if she had to sit at the well for a solid hour, she would not risk to bask in on them too early…
Buying five sweet apples, she stored four away for later and crunched down on the fifth while she waited for time to pass, watching the people going around their daily work idly. With the last coin she bargained for a handful of tiny woodland strawberries, hiding them inside one of her belt pouches as a surprise on the way. She didn’t know whether Gwaine had the same sweet tooth as herself, but there was no harm in trying.
The Yassia of yesterday might have been still angry at Gwaine for his repeated jabs at her delicate mindset concerning what was modest, but now she found it was just not worth the bother.

[shonz]

Gwaine stepped out of Linda’s cottage all ready and eager to get on the way. He had smoothed things out with Linda, and the woman had been appeased enough to prepare a bag of eats for Gwaine and Yassia’s travel to Camelot. Despite Gwaine’s protests, Linda had been generous enough to stuff some bread, cheese, water, and even a bottle of mead for their trip, as well as a couple of blankets for when they needed to rest in the middle of forest. “As long as you promise to return to me as soon as she’s safe in Camelot...” Linda had coyly asked Gwaine. To which, of course, the wanderer quickly agreed to. Truth be told though, he wasn't sure exactly when he'd be able to swing by this part of the country again. Camelot was a long ways off, and the ever-wandering Gwaine just goes where his feet will take him after he had taken Yassia there.

If Yassia had indeed followed his earlier request, the maiden should just be in the marketplace getting them more provisions for the trip. Gwaine scoured the rows and rows of stalls. It shouldn’t be too hard to find her. The place wasn’t that big for one to be easily lost in it. Still, not wanting to waste precious time, Gwaine asked around the first few fruit vendors, and they easily gave him the information he needed. In no time, Gwaine found Yassia in front of another fruit stall just up ahead.

“I thought you already left without me,” Gwaine said grinning as he approached her from behind. He looked down at the haul that she had gathered, and smiled. He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Yassia was not looking all irritated that he had asked her to leave him and Linda. Gwaine hoped she had finally learned to accept his ways and just leave it be. It would be a long and tasking journey for them if Yassia was still holding that beef against him even though they had already agreed to forget about it.

“We should have more than enough for a day’s worth of walking. There should be another village a few miles from here where we could spend the night tonight and load up on our supplies,” he told her as he gently patted the bulky bag that contained Linda’s offerings. It was best not to talk more about what had happened in Linda's cottage anymore, and just focus on the matter at hand. “Are you ready?”

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Yassia was still deeply in thoughts when Gwaine’s voice from behind shook her awake. At first she hadn’t even recognized it at his voice and half turned around, preparing for a confrontation of some kind, like the one she had witnessed in the tavern the night before. Her long journey had made her more than wary on this subject and she better was two times safe than one time sorry. But only a second later she recognized Gwaine and a mischievous smile broke out on her face. “I took it into account, you know”, she teased. “More food for me and less companions to work my last nerve, but then again, I’ve had only myself to argue with for too long. Figured I need some change.”

She chose to simply blend out any thoughts on what he might have been doing while she was at the market. That would lead to nothing and only resume in a never ending tension between two people who had agreed on becoming temporary travelling companions. Gwaine had offered her his help when she needed it most, and it was not her place to be the moral judge. She was neither his mother nor did she have any claim on him – or wanted one. What he did apart from playing her savior should not be her concern – though that was a hard lesson to learn. To be confronted with the real world had been a shock for the Princess escaped from her golden cage.

Listening to his explanations, Yassia nodded slowly. What he said sounded reasonable enough, and he probably knew best. It was nice for a change to have a rough idea of what was over the next hill, behind the next corner. Of course, she had always asked for the way in the villages she had passed through, but that had resulted in her losing her path more than once. Did they mislead foreigners on purpose? Maybe that was some strange sport in Albion? But with Gwaine she didn’t have such fears. He really seemed to know his way around these kingdoms.
“That sounds all fine to me”, she agreed and cocked her head. “And maybe there will be any way for me to earn a little money. I can’t live on your generosity all the time, Gwaine. It’s not like I don’t appreciate it, cause I do”, she added hastily. “Don’t get me wrong, but… it feels wrong. I have to stand on my own two feet.”

With another smile, she pointed towards the way leading out of the village, towards their waiting journey. “As ready as can be! What are we waiting for?!” Energetically, she set out in her practiced firm walking pace.

[shonz]

Yassia looked surprised to see him, and Gwaine could help the laugh that poured out from him. The look on her face was priceless, guarded, like she was preparing for a confrontation of sorts. He had not meant to unduly frighten her like that. She had composed herself quickly from that, however, and gave her an impish smirk that looked quite fetching on her lovely face. “I will gladly give you the arguments and entertainment you require from this journey, my lady,” he told her, addressing her in the usual way he addresses women, lady or not, not knowing how spot on he was to the truth.

He was glad that Yassia didn’t ask too many questions. Perhaps, that was what drew him to her. It was best to just keep things in the now, and not dwell on what had happened or what will happen. Live in the moment, that was Gwaine’s mantra in life. He liked that Yassia seemed to want that as well.

When Yassia spoke about wanting to earn money and standing on her own two feet, Gwaine looked at her thoughtfully. She was an independent woman, and he appreciated that she was up front about it. While Gwaine would only be willing to help her out as best as he could, he wouldn’t mind giving her the independence and space she wanted. He admired women like that.

Still, he couldn’t help but be curious. As they started leaving the marketplace behind and towards the first rows of trees leading into the forest, Gwaine asked. “By all means, I wouldn’t mind at all. How do you plan to earn a little money? You don't plan to dance or sing at taverns, do you?” He was wondering what trade or skill she possessed that could earn herself some coins.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

The part of Yassia that was easy to provoke wondered for a moment if she should feel offended at his laugh that had obviously been directed to her defensive position. Did he think a girl like her couldn’t put up a good fight? Well, last night had clearly shown him how very much untrue this notion was, right? Though… that sentence sounded so wrong even in her head… this is really was one hell of a complicated matter! But again reason won out over any hurt feelings and she joined in the laugh, only to be sent wincing the next second as he called her a lady. She quickly pulled herself together but a wary feeling remained. Why had he done that? Was this simply his way of calling every girl, in some sort of overdeveloped courtesy, or had she given too much away?
“Very well, Mylord”, she took up the joke, hoping she was convincing enough, even added a little curtsy, trying to make it cruddy – not too well-mastered – to further mask her identity. “I shall say this journey will be interesting if nothing else. And there are enough trees ahead to hang you high should I finally grow sick of it all”, she suggested with a fake dangerous undertone.

She really had wondered what Gwaine would make of her request the minute the words left her mouth. Given, it might be unusual enough for girls to journey on their own, and now she also talked about a trade to earn money. No wonder his thoughts would immediately stray to THAT direction again, it WAS scandalous enough what she did after all. His actual reply though still send her gasping and laughing at the same time and she covered her mouth. “Gwaine!! Sweet stars, no! Of course not, how scandalous would that be!” A different girl than her might have taken up that joke and toyed with the idea just for fun, but there had been too many unseemly things going in on in Yassia’s life in the last two days. She needed to set her reputation straight!

“I’m glad you’re not offended though”, she commented while walking a few steps ahead, then turning around to face him, walking backwards in the process. “To satisfy your curiosity, I am a healer… of sorts. I mean, I haven’t practiced it openly too often, but I learned anything I need from my mother and I have remedies and herbs with me.” She shrugged, grinning. “If I learned anything on my journey it’s that anything can happen at any given time. Right around the next corner there could be someone needing my help and able to spare at least a penny for it.”

[shonz]

Gwaine gave Yassia a low bow like that of knight when she called him “my Lord”, and then laughed yet again when she went on to talk about trees to hang him high upon. Placing a hand over his chest, he composed his face into a serious one, and then spoke, “I will do whatever is in my power to make this journey an enjoyable one to avoid such dire punishment.” Then he gave her a wink and grinned, “Though I know for certain you’d rather have my charms accompanying you to Camelot than hanging up there in a tree.” It was all in good fun, and he hoped Yassia didn’t take that the wrong way. Gwaine had already learned his lesson the night before about innuendos.

When Yassia refuted his query about her possible singing and dancing talent, he pursed his lips trying his best not to laugh at her rather incredulous reaction. His mind tried to guess as to what exactly she could do to earn money now, and couldn’t help but wonder again about where she had really come from. She didn’t look like a gypsy, and besides, gypsies travel in caravans, and he hadn’t seen one recently.

His mouth finally opened in understanding when she told him she was a healer. While that surprised him at first because healers usually look like these wrinkly old women, he believed her eventually. “You’re perfectly right about needed a healer’s touch. I’ve been traveling for most of my life, and I’ve had my fair share of near death experiences. Always the healers who patch me up,” he replied as he followed her, his eyes flicking behind her, checking to see that she was walking on solid ground so as not to trip back.

“And why would I be offended? I’d be a hypocrite if I say I don’t need money. I’m not some rich knight with overflowing coffers of gold. It also makes me confident to travel with you more now, knowing you can put me back together should a bandit slash me into two,” he added with an impish little smirk. With that he quickened his step past two trees and past Yassia, trying to scout the roads ahead.