"It seems wasteful to all go separately," Aesir sighed, "And to clarify, I was literally just reading until I fell asleep. I'm not really sure what his problem is unless it's just my presence that gets on his nerves."
Castor glanced at his feet. "Maybe I just shouldn't have said-"
"I don't really give a damn. My feelings aren't hurt. I'm not for everyone, and I'm well aware of that? And have I maybe struck a nerve with you a few times? Yeah. But getting all huffy about it has helped exactly none of us. To be fair, I don't know you all that well. I don't know what makes you tick."
"Guys, fighting isn't conducive to… anything, either. Okay? Let's just… let's just drop it." Finn insisted, looking a bit nervous to see that there was infighting with the group already. "It's not a big deal. We can switch up the rooming and it'll be fine. Let's see, um…" He looked at the other members of the group, trying to think of a solution. "How about… Castor, you room with Delta. They're really quiet and they go to bed early, so they shouldn't do anything that bothers you." He looked to Delta for consent, and they nodded. "And Nich, Aesir, and I can share another. I can sleep anywhere, so if I need to sleep on the floor or a couch or something, that's fine."
"That- that's fine," Castor sighed under his breath, shoving a hand in his pocket.
Aesir shrugged. "Also fine with me. We could set up a bedroll on the couch, and it'll be comfortable enough."
They took the head of the group, trying to steer them back towards the farmhouse so they could get their pay and their forms signed.
"Sounds good. Let's- let's get going now…" Finn sighed softly in relief, glad that he had seemingly defused the situation. He carried on in the midst of the group, occasionally glancing around at the others to make sure they were alright. Delta followed along quietly, and Nich chatted idly with anyone who would reply to him.
Aesir turned their head back to chat with the others, and Castor held up the rear again, staying pretty quiet. He didn't feel nearly as bad as before, but something about getting hurt in battle made him want to close off again. They all seemed to get along so well, but he had to cause problems. Maybe if Aesir would just keep their damn mouth shut-
"So, Nich," Aesir said, twirling a dagger in their hand, "D'ya know Bud the Violent? The half-orc who runs that bakery in town? He apparently was an adventurer for a while. Attended the academy at some point. I wonder why he didn't help out with the gnoll situation."
"Oh, yeah! I know him. I go to the bakery all the time." Nich hummed thoughtfully, his tails swaying behind him. "Good stuff. It is weird that he didn't help out though, now that I think about it. He runs the bakery by himself, so he could always close down for a day to go handle it. I bet he could've dealt with those things in no time." Finn and Delta listened curiously, but didn't contribute. "Why do you think he might have chosen not to? Surely he knew about it."
"Well, upon further thought, I guess if he didn't have the backup, it would've been nearly impossible. He's a bard like Finn," Aesir explained, "More of a healer than a fighter."
Castor finally spoke up from the back. "A… half-orc who's a bard… and runs a bakery? That's almost unheard of. Most of the orcs at the academy are fighters or something like that. Maybe learn a handful of healing spells or wards for tight situations."
"Well, yes. But that's because orcs have larger statures than most of the rest of us, giving them the edge in fighting. They also on average have a lower affinity for magic. But that doesn't mean they can't do those things. It's just a lot of them have to work twice as hard. Actually, my half-orc half-brother is a sorcerer. Bud's not the only of his kind."
"Aesir, with all due respect, you always sound like you're fucking lying."
Aesir threw their head back and laughed. "Right? I wish I had the imagination to make this shit up."
"I suppose so. Weird that his moniker is 'violent' when he's a bard, though." Nich laughed softly and looked over his shoulder at the rest of the group. Finn yawned and toyed with his hair, which was falling into his eyes. Delta appeared to be preoccupied with their thoughts, or otherwise tuning out the conversation. "I know he's got some friends who aren't bards, though. I mean, whatever… you guys dealt with it well enough, so I guess it doesn't really matter in the end anyway."
"I'm sure he had his reasons," Aesir said with a shrug, "And it sounds like a name he may have picked up if he ever lived in an orc stronghold- maybe it's even his given name. But who knows?"
Castor went back to keeping to himself. It was a shame he couldn't really find common ground with the others, when even Nich and Aesir, who had never met before, seemed to be hitting it off.
"Yeah, I guess that's true. Just not something I think about since most people's given names don't include a title." Nich shrugged as well. Finn looked over to Castor and noticed how withdrawn and quiet he'd become. He was immediately a bit concerned and glanced at the others before he moved closer to Castor.
"Hey… um… are you okay?" He asked in a whisper so as to not alert the others.
Aesir kept chatting with Nich about the intricacies of the town and the people who lived in it. They smiled as they recalled everything- the secrets, the gossip, things that maybe the average townsperson wouldn't know.
Castor turned his gaze very slowly towards Finn.
"Okay? Yeah, of course," he murmured in response, "Why do you ask?"
Since Aesir hadn't been around for a little while, Nich caught them up on the most recent news and gossip that had been going around, always glad to give more information and details when prompted. He seemed to know a lot about the town, actually, even for someone who lived there.
"Well, um… I dunno, you just got real quiet." Finn replied softly, fidgeting with his hands. "I wanted to make sure you weren't upset or not feeling well or something."
Aesir was pleased to meet someone else who knew about the secrets and lore of the small town. They didn't want to be too straightforward, but they wondered nonetheless if Nich maybe had some dealings with any of the more secret guilds in the town. Probably not the thieves' guild, though, as he didn't seem the type and Aesir had never met him before.
Castor's eyes widened slightly. He didn't like that at all, how Finn pinned him right away. He was definitely still in pain from the previous day's fight, though the others didn't need to know that. He was exhausted from not sleeping. Again. And it was embarrassing to admit that he felt out of place. Dumb, childish even.
"I'm just tired, is all," he replied.
It was probably an obvious lie. "Just tired" is what people say when they're hiding something else. But it was partially true. Castor was pretty tired.
Nich was glad to offer pretty much any information he knew. He seemed a little less informed on smaller guilds, especially those that might not be exactly legal, but he did at least know a little about them from various news around the town. "Is there something you were wanting to know specifically?" He asked Aesir.
As the group's healer, it was crucial for Finn to be able to read the physical and emotional states of his team members. Therefore, Castor's vague response made him immediately suspicious. "Castor… if you're hurt or something, you gotta let me know. I can help. It's my job to help. Please." He insisted. If Castor was in pain and Finn did nothing to help, he knew he would feel so guilty about it. It would be his fault that his teammate was suffering.
Aesir shrugged.
"Not really, it's just interesting to meet someone else who knows the ins and outs of even the more private side of society here," they said, "I'm just curious as to how you know all of this."
Castor sighed. "I'm still hurting a little bit from yesterday. But it's really not that bad."
He looked away.
"I am very tired though. I've got awful insomnia. Unfamiliar places make it worse. But I'm alright, really."
"Oh, I get around…" Nich chuckled weakly. "And I'm friends with a lot of the older residents of the town, and they love to gossip. They know everything somehow." He scratched at the back of his neck and adjusted his hair a bit. "Their grandkids keep getting into trouble, and they want to talk about it. They just don't know that what their grandkids are doing is illegal."
"I can use a bit of magic to help you, if you'd like." Finn offered. "The pain is pretty simple to remedy, and I may be able to make a sort of elixir to help you sleep."
"Yeah, lots of thieves guild kids," Aesir sighed, "I know the type. Can't keep anything to themselves, think they're invincible… That's how you get killed, really."
They shook their head.
"I've seen it happen a few too many times."
Castor looked away. He was about to refuse, but something about Finn made him less reluctant to ask for the help, as long as no one else was looking.
"I'd appreciate that, actually," he replied, finally shifting his gaze back up, "As long as it's not too much trouble."
"Yeah… definitely a lot of rough parts in this place, but it's overall pretty good, I think." Nich sighed softly, a sad smile on his face. "It's definitely better than my hometown. Much safer, anyway." He looked around as they walked, making sure that it was safe and clear before they continued.
Finn checked to make sure the others weren't watching before he performed a simple healing spell on Castor. "I won't be able to make an Elixir until later, so make sure you remind me, okay? I don't want to forget."
"Oh, for sure. I've been in my fair share of crime-filled cities that were too much, even for the likes of me," Aesir replied.
They looked ahead and then cast a small glance around the group. They vaguely noticed Finn and Castor, but chose to ignore.
Castor could immediately feel relief flood over his body. The pain faded, and even some of the muscle tension in the area went away. He lifted up the edge of his shirt and peered under his bloody bandages to see that it had all faded to scarring.
"Oh, um… thank you," Castor said softly, his voice breaking a bit.
"Mine was dangerous moreso because of it being a war zone." Nich chuckled. "Landmines in civilian areas and such. Let's just say I'm not the only kid who lost limbs in that city." He didn't notice Castor and Finn, simply content to walk. His footsteps had a dull, metallic sound to them due to his prosthetics.
"Yeah, of course. Make sure you let me know if you're hurt, okay? It's my job to keep you guys in tip top shape." He insisted, looking up to Castor with a warm smile. "Gotta make sure you're okay, you know? I care about you and your wellbeing."
"Oh, right…" Aesir sighed, looking down at Nich's legs, "Are all the landmines out of there now, or are some still left undetonated?"
They pushed a strand of hair our of their face and gently went to trace one of the scars on their cheek, suddenly conscious of their own reminders of brushes with death.
Castor smiled back halfheartedly.
"Yeah, I guess so," he said, "I'm not used to being looked after, so it feels weird to ask all that of you."
He bit his lip.
"As for the insomnia, it's that and… and I have nightmares when I am actually able to sleep. Aesir got frustrated when I stayed up practically all night- though I'm not sure how they knew that. Either way, it's a little touchy. I don't really- I don't know how to bring it up most of the time."
"Mm, most of them are gone now, but I'm sure there's still a few active ones around. I'm always worried I'll get news of someone getting hurt or killed because of one again." He laughed nervously. "I'm sure I'm just being paranoid, but… I dunno. I feel like it's justified paranoia."
"I don't mind, really. I'll feel bad if I find out you've been suffering and I didn't do anything about it." Finn's smile softened a bit. "There might be something I can do about that. It's something I've only heard of, but… I could attempt it. You've heard of dream catchers, right?" He asked. "They don't really work on their own, but I've heard of people enchanting them so that they actually function. I could always try something like that?"
"It is," Aesir agreed, "It's understandable you'd feel that way. But as long as people stay on the paths and all that- the places that have been cleared- it is quite unlikely."
Castor nodded. "Briefly, yes. Do you- do you know what you're doing there, though? It sounds like you haven't tried that before."
"My parents aren't willing to move away. They're very attached to our hometown." Nich sighed. "I wish I could convince them to live somewhere safer, but they won't listen to me. All I can do is hope they'll be alright, you know? Maybe they'll come around one day."
"Well…" Finn smiled sheepishly and looked away, rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand. "N-Not exactly. I mean… no, I haven't tried it. But it's not dangerous or anything!" He insisted. "The worst that could happen is that it just doesn't work. It wouldn't make anything worse if I didn't get it right."
"Maybe, but I'm sure at this point they know what it takes to stay safe there, now that the fighting is over," Aesir reassured him, "There are dangers everywhere if you look hard enough. They're probably just as safe there as they would be almost anywhere else."
Castor bit his lip. "If you're sure. It's just… experimental magic is not something I want to take part in."
He looked down at his feet.
"I've had my share."
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