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Of Valor in Men

Chapter Seven: Questions without Answers

My body was tired, I hadn't slept much these last few nights, ever since waking up in that hospital in Rigel sleep had been difficult. Images of that specter still rattled around in my head, it made it hard for me to close my eyes and as of late it was showing, shadows forming under my eyes and a general decline in energy and focus. A bout of Ale in the tavern last night had briefly brought back some alertness but it had worn off thanks to the resent climb in the freezing cold.

Another thing that had my mood rather sour, first the boat ride, I hated it, I hated boats full stop as of this forced 'detour' to return me to my owner. I had been dizzy the whole time, not being able to stay steady on my legs, every bite of food or water I consumed would come back up an hour later and it went on for three weeks.

And only to arrive in a frigid, cold country I knew little if not anything about, the moment I had stepped off the boat my body told me I didn't belong here. Sure the heavy fur cape I had been provided with staved of the freezing cold but It did little for the wind. And then of course there was the even on the road were I was attacked by corpse-tree monster things.

The only positive things I had experienced were a single night of blissful sleep with one of my kin, meeting a Dragon and defending myself against monsters. And now I was here in this huge stone fortress in the mountains of a foreign country, following this stranger from one room to the other in order to hopefully get an answer or two for some of the questions I had. I had seen her back in Siricuse, she had dropped off food to Seht's room on the Palace grounds in Caprii, now I was discovering she was actually an Assassin, and seemed to know who I was.

“Who are you exactly, you were the maid that brought us food back at the Palace…"? I asked, the tone of paranoid exhaustion present in my feminine tone. At this point I had given up my act, my tail now dragging on the ground as I trudged along the stone halls after this woman.

“Yes I remember, I was paid to keep an eye on you" she said, turning down another hall, her pace not wavering at all as I trudged along behind her.

“Wait...what"? I asked, momentarily pausing on the spot with confusion, now I just had more questions, and this woman probably didn't have all the answers.

“Paid by who? Why"? I asked trying to shake off the exhausted feeling that had begun to settle over me, though I did still have one of the daggers I'd won neatly tucked up my sleeve, just in case.

“I don't know who paid me, some old guy in a sharp suit, never saw his face, thought you were dead though after that huge attack on Siricuse. I looked all over the Palace and that Naga's Zeppelin for you" She said, shrugging and turning down yet another hallway then into a small room, personal dwellings of some sort, empty save a hammock and a simple desk.

“Wait! You saw my Owner? My friends? How were they? Please…" there was some desperation in my voice upon disgorging those questions, I was genuinely worried about them, Bastille, Tahl, even that prick Mathias and his boy toy Neil.

“There all fine, they looked all over for you to but the Naga wound up getting escorted home with the others. Well all save two, lizards like you, one red the other pink, they ditched Siricuse on a trade vessel headed to Havenfell." she explained, turning to face me and leaning back against one of the walls, arms crossed, stern expression.

“What about Seht…"? I asked after a moment's pause, of course Mathias would ditch Master Virgil, he'd probably wind up dead in a gutter, or at least I was hoping.

“The Satarian you were staying with? Hes fine to, little shaken up last I saw him, worried about you as well, he's had a detachment of the Aunt Vedn looking for you ever since you disappeared" she told me, her posture lightening a little bit but that stern calculative look on her face remained and it made me uncomfortable.

“Why are you traveling with Roderic…"? She asked me a moment later, her voice sounding irritated, it was clear the two of them knew each other to some extent.

“I didn't have a choice, he was supposed to keep an eye on me while I stayed in Rigel but instead he whisked me away here for some reason…" I replied with my own irritated tone of voice, I was more than over this whole ordeal, I just wanted to go home, not that I knew what home was presently. I had a rough picture in my head of what it looked like but at this point and time, brining it forward to view was difficult due to my tiredness.

“You look exhausted, you should get some rest." The woman said after a lengthy pause, notioning to the hammock behind me. It was tempting, more then tempting, but I wanted answers, and I was hungry, stiff and in need of a hot bath.

“You might as well, Blizzards set in, won't clear for a while, if we're unlucky it'll settle in for a good few Scores." she stated, moving from the wall to the door, intent on leaving me be for the time being before turning to look me over once again.

“I'll be keeping an eye on you again now that I know you're alive…" she added before disappearing, her footsteps nearly to faint for even my ears to pick up. After making sure she was gone I would duck out of the room and wander, following my nose, sniffing out the smell of soap, musk and hot water to find a bathhouse of sorts, upon which I was quick to strip of my belongings and run a bath for myself. The baths here made entirely of stone, carved from a solid slab by the looks of things but the hot water was delightful on my scaled hide and It did good to wash away some of my aching and tiredness. It was nice to finally spend some time alone with myself, as I scrubbed the bar of soap along my stiffer limbs I had time to think and clear my head formulate a plan and hedge my bets.

Some time later when the water had begun to cool I would slip from the bath, instantly wincing at the freezing stone floors, missing the insulative aster flooring of my Owners Zeppelin something dearly as I went about drying and redressing in the clothes I had. The simple leather and cloth tunic given to me at Rigel, as well as the bearskin cape and Tahls gift, stowed preciously away from sight. I tucked the daggers I had away as well before following my nose down the maze of halls once more to find food.

I found myself once again at the huge entrance hall, two heavy carved wooden tables stretching the entire length of the room nearly, though only a few feet toward the back end of the room would be graciously laid out with fresh food and unfamiliar faces. I approached cautiously, hungry and ill wanting for speach or company at the moment. I found many a pair of eyes on me however, mostly that of men as I went about crowding a plate with foodstuffs. Favoring what I was familiar with over the unfamiliar, roast chicken, bread, cheese and as I was reaching for something round and red a scaled face appeared before me, smiling and curious.

“Greetings kin"! Exlaimed a Vermian like myself, velvety black scales all over, light milky grey skin on his underbelly and jawline, with the brightest purple eyes I'd ever seen. I felt at ease seeing his face, something familiar to me in this foreign freezing place.

“Greetings, didn't think I'd see another Vermian up here" I said, setting my plate down to talk more comfortably with this stranger. He seemed happy to see me as well, obviously not having seen his kin in some time.

“Oh yes oh yes, not many of us around these parts, no no no" he said, chirpy and quick, he gave me the impression that he was not all there in a scene. I went to say something but was rudely interrupted by the growling of my own stomach, I forced an awkward smile.

“Hungry hmm, long travel I bet, company of man isn't bad but lonely without kin around, not as much fun, lots of rules here, lots of things Digger isn't allowed to do" he continued, his face and tone of voice going through moods rather quickly, it reminded me of Neil in a way, only more exacerbated. He gave me a smile, scratching at his arm as he rapidly went about loading a plate of his own with various things.

“You should try the roasted tomatoes, don't have those back home" he said, a little quieter this time, as if afraid that his presence was off putting me. I tilted my head though, not knowing what this food item he mentioned was, id never heard of it before though judging by his plate I guessed it was the soggy looking grilled red object I had been reaching for earlier.

I added it to my plate as well as some sort of sweet smelling bready thing before I turned to leave, wanting to eat in peace back at the room the Assassin had offered me, I hesitated for a moment before turning back to Digger.

“Wana join me"? I asked him and he darted rather quickly under the table on all fours, standing on the other side and snatching his plate up again, falling instep behind me with a wide smile.

“Oh yes yes yes Sir, Digger happy to join kin for feasting" he said with excitement, together we strode off into the maze of halls, though Digger began to ramble I would be lost in deep thought, wondering what was next.