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Chapter 12
His head throbbed and his cheek felt as if its weight doubled. Ezabel’s strike was true. That much was obvious now that his consciousness crawled slowly back. He pressed himself upright, as much as he could, with his unbroken arm. If he had not been dizzy, then the rampant ring of steel surely ached the sensation into reality. Now seated on the floor and against a stool, the feeling in his limbs began to return.
As for his vision, the shaved sellsword struggled against a fuzzy collection of shapes and colors. It was not until his companion fell beside him, freshly incapacitated at the hands of a frying pan, that he recovered. Only a couple stools down, Ezabel smiled with delight. Their sword dawdled in her grasp. Both of his men now lay still, he smelled of spilled ale, and her back was towards him.
Hate swelled and mingled with embarrassment. It was clear on his glower, not that anyone could see. There was nothing he wanted more now than to have the last word. His longsword would be too clumsy a move. So, his able hand swept around his waist and drew from it a curved dagger. He had no intention of ever using it here, but he was left with no other option.
With a sudden jolt of energy, he lunged at Ezabel from below. The dagger, held tight in both hands, was trained at her spine. His legs pressed against the floorboards to close the distance. He was quick enough to catch her off balance. She could only manage a quick glance before the dagger sunk into flesh.
The sellsword had shut his eyes in the middle of it all. Whether it was from shame or uncertainty, no one could tell. However, neither were upon him when he felt his weapon make contact. Of the handful of times he had sunk a blade into a creature, this felt different. There was no blood. There was no give. He only felt a force he could not explain; it kept him firmly in place.
When he chose to raise his head and look, fear gripped his soul. His dagger had been caught as if it plunged itself into a wall. A man he had never seen before now stood between him and Ezabel. And, though he did not know who he was, there was no doubt as to what he was.
“Leland!”, Ezabel shouted, startled.
The Attendant looked down upon the man with empowered eyes, where the light of his knightstone surged white. He had caught the dagger with his bare hand, which itself was uncut and unbothered. This much was not lost on Ezabel. Such was the power of an Attendant. No matter the count of books under her belt, she still found the feat beyond amazing.
“Hey!”, Leland looked over his shoulder and smiled. “Could you hold this for me?”
Ezabel’s answer made no difference. A woven basket ended up in her arms. A white cloth closed it off, but a honeyed aroma soon filled her nose. With an empty look, she turned to Dani, then back to Leland who cracked his neck.
“Is this sweet bread?”, Ezabel practically shouted.
“The best in town!”, he nodded. “So, are you ready to head out?”
“You made me wait so you could go buy something to eat!?”
“I bought some for you too.”
“L-let go of my dagger!”
The sellsword tugged, but the Attendant’s grip was unlike anything he had ever faced. To his credit, the very moment he saw the glow in Leland’s eyes was the same moment in which he resolved to back off. Unfortunately, he was kept in place, where he trembled in uncertainty and fear.
“Sorry, friend. It just so happens that I’m responsible for this girl now. - I’d let you go, but then that’d make me look bad.”
Leland’s first instinct was to crush the dagger entirely. That much was easy enough against the common tools of the realm. However, he raised a brow. This weapon piqued his interest.
°°
Around a wooden bench outside of Benny’s pub, they gathered loose. Ezabel shared the seat with Dani. They say upright, curious about the basket between them. In front of them, on the dirt path, stood Leland with arms against his waist. At his request, a small handful of Angoulet’s town watch had come. They walked out of the pub that very moment. As expected of the village, they were not much to look at. Most of their equipment was old, put together and found wherever they could be. Of course, they were not to blame. There was simply no need for a town watch like those of bigger cities; not here in the northern countryside where one only traveled if there was business to be had with farmers.
One after another, the sellswords had been escorted off the premises. Their hands were bound and their weapons confiscated. The town watch counted that much among their luckier arrests. There was no telling if they would have been able to subdue armed mercenaries on their own. Fortunately, there was an Attendant in town. - Towards Leland, they gave a nod of thanks before disappearing around the curve of the path. Everything else had already been covered through brief conversation.
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“Did you fix the stove?”, Ezabel asked while she watched the storefront.
“Yup! I placed the sealstone and it worked like a charm.”
Ezabel breathed a sigh of relief. At the very least, they managed to give Benny something for the trouble they caused. Or rather, she caused. The entire ordeal may have been thrilling, but embarrassment won in the end. She had placed herself in a situation to be harmed. A dumb move by her consideration. If Leland had not saved her, she would have been stabbed outright. She had grown accustomed to the protections afforded to her in a spar. A real fight was different. A real fight was a risk every time. Only then did she understand that.
Beside her, Dani lifted the cloth atop the basket and took a peek. Staring back was a handful of pillowy portions of bread, from which a warm scent lifted to meld with the stream-side breeze. Even Ezabel could not look away. There was not a hint of fresh food since they had come to the pub. The basket was a treat they could not be disciplined enough to avoid. So, they each snatched a piece without a wasted second. Against their lips, they fell soft and sweet. Warm enough to ease their stomachs and delightful to the point of pure bliss. There was no surprise when their faces shone with child-like glee.
“You better not eat all of that.”, Leland turned, slightly irritated.
“I’m just going to have one.”, Dani chewed. “Maybe two.”
Ezabel nodded, too busy to speak. Though, it was entirely lost on Leland whether or not her nod meant that she understood.
“So, are we leaving now?”, she asked.
“Yup. We should be able to make it with a day to spare. - Got your things?”
She did not answer, not when Dani began to take another slice. There was a smile on her face, but an obvious gloom behind it. If not from her, then from Ezabel. The thought of her friend remaining here whilst she left to pursue her future did not sit well.
“Are you going to be okay, Dani?”
“Hm? Of course, what’s up, Ezabel?”
“N-nothing..”
“If you’re still feeling guilty about that night, don’t be.”, Dani nodded. “Not every spell requires a knightstone, I can practice for another year and try again.”
It was a waste of her time and she knew it. Even Ezabel saw it in her eyes. Benny’s stove had been fixed thanks to Dani. She approached the entire problem with an answer already in mind. An answer which she employed with meticulous effort. This may have been the first instance Ezabel had ever seen of Dani’s ability, but something told her that there was far more. Was it naivety? She could not say. It was simply a gut feeling.
“Alright!”, Leland stretched out. “Since that’s all taken care of, why don’t we get you a horse and be on our way?”
He stepped forward to reach for the basket. His face was the same it had been since Ezabel had met him. Unconcerned and cool. A part of her had yet to believe, in its entirety, that this man was an Attendant, much less her sponsor. In fact, she had only now recognized his brief display of power in the pub. - She reached for the basket and pulled it into her chest, where she held it with a protective smirk.
“Aye! That’s mine!”, Leland exclaimed.
“Hey, Leland. How many people can a captain sponsor?”
“What are you talking about? Gimme that basket.”
He tilted his head in genuine confusion. However, it only took a moment for him to realize the way in which Ezabel withheld his treats. There was a crookedness about her face. A crafty, sly stare. She even began to slide the basket behind her.
“Not until you answer the question.”
“W-what..you little..”, he gritted his teeth. “Two at most. But, what does that matter? Everyone only has time for one.”
“You seem to have a lot of time.”, she commented with a gesture towards the basket.
°°
“Nope.”
“Oh, c’mon. Please?”
“Not a chance.”
Ezabel whined out a sigh. She had followed Leland like a duckling did its mother. The basket of bread was still tight in her arms. It was worth a try, she thought. If she could just get him to agree to sponsor Dani, then they could be off together towards Gracewind. It was a simple task, in her mind.
“Then I guess Dani and I will just have to finish off the rest of this delicious sweet bread!”, she teased.
“Knock yourself out. I’m going to buy a new one.”
Though Leland walked ahead and hid his face, his tone of voice was more than enough to recognize the tinge of defeat. He stomped along and grumbled where he could, often pausing to retrace his steps. Typical. Once he bought the first basket of bread, he simply made his way to Benny’s pub. And, having been too occupied with the treat, he gave the streets little heed. So little in fact, that he practically forgot where the store was.
“Ezabel, can he really do that?”, Dani asked.
“I guess.”, she muttered. “I’ll just think of something else once he buys another.”
“I meant to sponsor me. - I’m not anything special, and those in the sponsored rung are usually pretty talented.”
“I think you’re pretty talented. Besides, it would be a waste for you to sit for another year. - I think you would make him proud!”, a special emphasis was placed on her last point, just so Leland could hear.
“Forget it. I can already tell that you’re going to be a handful alone. I don’t need two of ya.”
Ezabel shot a glare into his back, and nearly a pebble. He was not giving in and the basket was getting cold. - They turned upon a dirt intersection where a medley of woodworking tools and log cabins neighbored. As they turned, a red sign shone in the distance against one particular storefront. It stood alone but was distinguished by a deeply trodden entrance. All about it were hedges and weeds, but the familiar scent of pastry filled the street.
“It’s fine, Ezabel. I’ll be alright on my own. Thank you for trying. I didn’t think I would make a friend here!”
“Sorry. - But, at least we have a story of our own to share, right?”, she replied and turned her head down in defeat.
“Yup! - Gracewind is a busy place! Make sure you stay focused, okay? You’re going to have your hands full with the selection trials as is.”
The dirt road slid into a bumpy slope, where patches of grass grew in between stepped upon areas. They passed in her view. When she parted her lips to reply, she walked right into Leland. It shook her back into the present. She stumbled backward and lifted her gaze. The dark, wooden storefront was before them and an old overhang shaded them in. The smell of dessert was now so potent that it was one and the same with the building.
As the three of them looked, one thing stood out. A bold sign was placed against the entrance. It was simple, effective, and above all, it put Leland in his place. ‘Closed’. He felt it then, a painful, vindictive grin. Two of them. Right at his back.
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