Mage X Orc Chapter 11: Strange Faces

The next day was rather relaxing for the pair. Aside from the horrors Necun dragged out of the brush for meals.

Nickolas still shivered at the memory of the lizard thing.

He made up for it by teasing Necun by going topless, the afternoon grew too warm for the top half of his robe anyway. It was interesting for him to see just how deep the green skinned woman's blush could get in proper lighting. Eventually he redressed, both because they expected the caravan to arrive soon, and because his wife had given up on pretending she wasn't staring.

Only the caravan didn't arrive.

Night fell, the forest came alive with noise, and there was no sign of the caravan.

Necun pulled out her bravado to dismiss Nickolas's worries, but he saw the glint of worry in her eyes. They slept soundly that night, but there was little talking, both of them consumed by their thoughts. The silence of the morning wasn't better, and Nickolas was left with two possible conclusions.

Either his wife was very wrong about where they were, or the caravan wasn't coming. A delay was possible, but unlikely. Anything that could hold the caravan up for a day would also likely wipe out it's members. The only real hope remaining in that scenario was that the remaining Hunters felt the need to lure away another overwhelming beast, leaving the caravan stranded at a campsite, waiting for the result.

Of course there was no way to confirm any of that without trying to track the caravan down.

"We just have to make for the city." Necun said on the afternoon of the seventh day. "If they're ahead of us we'll catch up. If they're behind they'll meet us there."

"And if we're lost we're going to die anyway." Nickolas agreed. "Sounds good. How fast can we move?"

The Hunter winced at the dour statement, but didn't disagree.

"We can take it slow if you want." she mentioned. "To make the ride easier."

"I'll be fine if we're not camping on a branch." the Mage dismissed. "I'll have time to dry out properly so the robe doesn't chafe. If we move as fast as you can carry me straight for the city, only stopping at campsites how fast can we get there?"

"Four days? Maybe?" Necun said. "Straight there is sort of hard to judge."

"Not as bad as I thought." Nickolas admitted. "At least I won't get too tired of unseasoned meat. Alright. I'm ready."

He hoisted a bundle onto his back. Tearing up his robe had been an obvious choice once the couple realized what a mess they were in. It was the sturdiest material around that they could actually spare. Necun had spent some time crafting the bundle while Nickolas had overcooked some meat, the food would last them a few days, allowing the pair to travel longer.

Silently Necun offered her back, and Nickolas clamored on.

They were off in a flash, the campground disappearing as Necun leapt into the branches. Soon the great tree's raced by, little more than a blur of brown studded with green to Nickolas's eyes. The Mage focused on his breathing, clutching his lover tight, arms shaking every time she launched back into the open air.

After the days spent staring into the Green while resting against Necun's shoulder Nickolas could see a hint of what his wife meant regarding the beauty of the forest. For all that it was the subject of every terrible tale from his homeland the endless untamable trees held a special beauty to them. Even the memory of his first viewing of the mind bending horizon of green had lost it's bite.

Though he wouldn't be volunteering for what Necun called the 'braggart's climb' anytime soon.

All in all I can't think of a better place to die. Nickolas considered. At least I'll be free, not stuck in some tower raising a dozen brats while my wife cavorts with the serving staff. Instead I'll die screaming as a dozen venomous lizard birds eat my heart because I got cocky and overextended a spell. Like a proper War Mage. Well that, or some horrible beast will rip me in half because it doesn't like blonde haired men at dusk that particular day, and no one thought to warn me.

A loud crash originating from below jostled Nickolas from his thoughts.

He glanced down and caught a brief glimpse of a two legged furry critter rushing away from a twelve legged furred creature before line of sight broke.

This place would be so much better without the animals. the Mage decided grimly. If it was just trees as big around as a fortress is tall it wouldn't be so bad. Wait. Was that snare beast an animal, or a plant? It looked like an animal, but there wasn't a body. Well, hopefully. If a body is big enough for all those tendrils I'm not sure I want to know.

The rest of the day's journey passed in slightly anxious silence as Nickolas kept an eye out for horrible beasts that could snatch them both out of the air. Meanwhile Necun swatted the occasional bug that got too close for comfort while focusing on pushing her body to keep up with the dreadful pace she had set herself.

Suddenly their progress was hampered by the sudden absence of branches.

Nickolas's body jerked as Necun sunk her hook into the trunk of a tree. Their bodies wound around the bark as it was stripped away in long chunks, winding around in a full circle before they managed to stop.

As they hung from the hook, Necun panting hard, Nickolas gaped at the clearing.

A stretch of churned soil the size of a farm stretched out before them before suddenly halting at a wall of gnarled roots still clutching soil. It was as if the forest itself wished to guard against an invasion with a fortress of it's own, the wall reaching into the sky.

Out of the corner of his eye Nickolas saw his wife whip her hand around in a strange symbol. It was too fast for Nickolas to make out, yet the motion sent a shiver down his spine.

Then Necun took a long hard breath, and fell towards the ground.

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This Giant's death is fresh. Less than a season old. Necun thought grimly. Need to move fast. At least this confirms that we're not on the caravan's path. Couldn't have missed this, they're still probably fine. Just need to rush back home.

As she approached the exposed roots of the fallen Giant she suppressed a shiver. Dozens of children's stories played in her head, all concerning the ill omens brought by fallen trees. No self respecting Hunter took such tales seriously, but every orc remembered them.

Reaching the base of the wall of dirt and roots Necun took note of the squirming things that were never meant to reach the surface moving across the massive edifice. Her bond rustled on her back, and she patted his hand for comfort while working out the best route up.

The climb was difficult, the worst danger was clumps of dirt falling loose, but a crawling creature leaping out at them wasn't out of the question. Necun took her time picking her route, avoiding movement wherever she could. She heard her bond's breathing grow hard as they moved.

Several times her hand or hook would close on a root that would snap free, or send a spray of dirt into her face. Necun bore it, simply clenching her teeth as she kept moving. Nearing the top the roots thinned out, splaying out in the sunlight.

Necun studiously kept from looking up, knowing the open abyss above her would bring on a dizzying headache. After a moment's hesitation she picked a sturdy foothold to jump off of over the final stretch. Nickolas pulled in a sharp breath as they passed over the sharp cluster of broken roots that crowned the upturned structure.

She lashed out with her hook to catch on the other side. It sunk into sturdy bark, and Necun took relieved breath. She hung there for a moment while she observed the main body of the fallen Giant. It's trunk had crashed into several of it's smaller neighbors, toppling another growing tree, and smashing through countless branches. The main body of the Giant was still held above the undergrowth by it's own mighty branches, but eventually it would slowly sink into the ground as they branches were forced down by the weight.

Her decent to the trunk was far smoother than her ascent, the safe perches were obvious, and the shining light of the sun in the open area revealed no dangers. Yet when they reached the bottom and Necun set foot on the Giant's corpse she still released a shaking breath, her hands flying through signs of respect.

Nickolas patted her shoulder and she glanced over to find he was staring at her with deep concern on his face. She offered a quick smile to assure her bond before starting her walk up the trunk. The sun felt warm yet eerie on her face, a reminder that she was not covered by the dense canopy, or any kind of artificial ceiling. There was brief respite as she passed under branches covered with wilting leaves reaching for the sky. It resembled a forest in and of itself as the branches grew denser even as the trunk thinned.

By the end she was pushing through a thicket of dense foliage covered in drooping leaves. The Hunter managed to break through the final few strides by slashing at the branches with her axe to carve a rough path. On the other side they saw a field of shattered wood and broken shells.

The torso sized fragments of eggshells were scattered across the broken terrain. They had obviously been picked clean by scavengers long ago, but the sight still caused Necun's heart to clench. The loss of what must have been several entire nests was a mighty tragedy for the great flocks of birds that called the canopy their home. Necun gently reached out to stroke the fragment of a life cut short, the light blue shell soft under her touch. The smallest piece fell away, and the orc snatched it up before it could touch the ground. The palm sized piece was stashed away in a small bag before Necun continued her journey, leaping from smashed root to shattered branch as she left the fallen Giant behind.

For the rest of the day Necun held onto her somber mood. The image of the smashed nest wounded her heart deeper than she wanted to admit, even to herself, and without any safe way to communicate with her bond she fell into brooding. At each break, while chewing on cold meat, and letting Nickolas rub his sore arms she stared out into the brush, barely listening to her surroundings. The mood lasted until dusk fell, when her body was finally too tired from the days journey to bother with emotions more complex than hunger.

The following day's journey was uneventful. When they arrived at the next campsite she laid on the stone without a word while Nickolas gathered fallen sticks for a fire. The reheated meat was better, if still too tough to be pleasant. Her bond stared at her over the small fire as they ate, picking at a handful of berries himself from a bush that extended into the campsite.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Nickolas finally asked.

"Nothing to talk about." Necun grunted back, tossing a piece of fat into the fire before rolling onto her back.

"I won't understand the full context." Nickolas said. "But I still want to hear your thoughts."

His voice was softer than Necun expected, and she ran a hand down her face to hide her surprise.

"A fallen Giant is...an ill omen." she said after a long silence. "Not something a lone Hunter carrying her bond through an unfamiliar part of the Green wishes to see."

Nickolas watched her for a moment longer, Necun shifted slightly before turning her head to meet his gaze.

He's gone all blank again. she thought, examining her bond's expression. Why? It looks wrong on him.

Reflecting back, Necun considered how he appeared in the feast hall, surrounded by foreign women watching his every move.

It was close to this. Necun concluded. But there was more pride there. And that lovely smirk he wears when he's thinking something clever. No, this is more like the tower. When he was asking for an oath.

"Why didn't we go around?" the human finally asked. "It wouldn't have been hard. We didn't need to walk across it."

"It's a sign of respect." the orc replied, laying her forearm across her eyes. "Have to walk up it. See it all. Only way to shake the bad luck."

"Then you saw the eggs." Nickolas said in that strange dull tone.

"Then I saw the eggs." Necun grunted back, teeth clicking together slightly.

For a long while no more was said, the only sound was the leaves rustling in the fading light. Necun's breathing steadied, she drew closer to sleep. Yet every rustle of cloth, or scuff of skin against stone from her bond seemed to drag her back into the moment.

She tried to focus on the natural sounds around her. Small animals started chittering in pools of shadow deep enough for them to feel secure. Insects took to flight as they sought to eat, or mate, or both. The image of smashed branches, and broken shell faded.

"Are they important to your people?" Nickolas asked, his voice slamming into her.

"The Giants? Obviously." Necun said, annoyed.

"The birds." Nickolas replied, ignoring her tone. "Are they important?"

The Hunter let out a long sigh, and opened her eyes again, turning over to look at her bond.

"No." she said. "Birds are only mildly important. "We can't farm them. We don't bother hunting them. They're just..."

As she trailed off Nickolas set his chin in his hand while raising an eyebrow.

He looks like a child waiting for a story. Necun thought with a spark of amusement.

"They're not important. They could all disappear tomorrow, and most people go on." she continued. "But, well, there's all the art."

"What kind of art?" Nickolas whispered.

"Murals." Necun said, sitting up and folding her legs. "Well there's carvings too, but that's mostly for children. Hunters make them from memory of long climbs."

"Long climbs?" Nickolas interrupted.

"When you climb all the way to the top of a Giant." Necun explained. "It has a couple of different names. Sky climb. Braggarts climb. I mentioned it before."

"It's sometimes veteran Hunters will take the younger ones up." she said with a shrug. "They claim it's a kind of bravery test, but I think they just want to share the view. Either way it's unforgettable."

"Bravery test?" the Mage cut in again. "You're scared of the sky? Not just being away from the Green?"

"You were scared of the Green when you first saw it." the the Hunter retorted. "The whole caravan had to stop so the humans could shake off the terror."

Necun watched as her bond puffed up at the jab, only for him to pause, and slip back into his blank expression.

"And at the top you see the birds?" he asked, ignoring the insult.

"Sometimes." Necun said. "Depends on the season, and the Hunter's luck. They don't nest anywhere near the city."

For a moment the orc stared off into the growing darkness.

"Seeing one flap it's wings, diving into the Endless Blue without a care in the world." she continued, voice growing soft. "It burns into you. Deep into your mind. I can still see it, if I focus."

The Hunter jolted slightly, then refocused on the fire.

"Was never any good at crafts though." she muttered. "Iron working? Sure, but I'm useless with paint. Even clumsy with a carving knife. I could never get the image right."

"But others managed to get their own image on canvas." Necun continued. "Even if some are as clumsy as me every hunter who tries the long climb takes up a brush at some point or another. They're always a favorite to hang up on walls, or near doorways."

"That's really sweet." Nickolas replied quietly.

"It's something we all share at one point or another." Necun muttered. "I'm even named after a birds call."

"They make calls?" the Mage asked, surprise showing in his voice.

"Not during this season." she explained. "Rot season. To warn each other."

Necun released a shiver at the thought.

"I can be beautiful, but more than a few bad memories start with a bird's call." she said, glancing at Nickolas's confused face.

"Rot season." the golden haired Mage said slowly. "I've heard about it a few times. How...bad is it?"

"Bad." Necun growled back instantly.

Nickolas recoiled at the sudden shift in her tone.

"You'll be in the city the whole time." she followed up quickly, trying to reassure her bond. "Probably running the fires. You'll be good at that. I just-"

The Hunter took a moment to collect her thoughts.

"Let's not talk about the rot right now." she finally decided, releasing a sigh. "I'm too tired for it."

Nickolas nodded slowly, his face perfectly calm.

"I'll let you bring it up when you think I need to know." he said, tossing another small branch in the fire. "Would you like to go to bed now? The fire should burn for a bit. Hopefully that will keep the chill down."

While grunting her assent Necun rolled over to shift to a more comfortable spot. She felt a pit in her chest, and she knew she would have more than one nightmare before the night was through.

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As the pair lay there in the dark Nickolas stewed in his own thoughts.

I can't imagine what it was like. he considered. Not enough context. But why do they all shut down when I mention the rot? The caravan master was one thing, but Necun?

In the distance an unlucky animal screamed.

Another thing to work on when we reach the city. Nickolas thought bitterly. One brick at a time I suppose. At least we'll be getting there fast. Should give me some time to get settled, and since I'll have at least a little while without Molly breathing down my neck I might be able to get something done. Need to operate with the assumption that they'll lose the iron though. Can't risk handing out favors I won't be able to deliver.

As the Mage drifted off to sleep, he considered what bargaining chips he could actually use. It wasn't a long list.

By the time he woke the forest had returned to silence. A chill went down his body as he felt the cool morning air on his face. His neck had a pain that he couldn't quite get out no matter how much he massaged. It was the best morning he'd had in days.

"We need to leave soon." Necun said, tossing him the waterskin. "The next camp feels far away, only a single marker to guide us too, so it might take a bit to find."

Nickolas gurgled his understanding as he filled the waterskin, blinking at the beam of light shining onto his chest.

"Also sorry for last night." Necun muttered a moment later. "It was...I was tired, and sore."

Blinking up at her with a frown on his face, Nickolas's mind caught up with the apology.

"What?" he asked blearily.

"I was too short with you." the Hunter explained.

"Necun." Nickolas said slowly. "You don't have to bed me at every campsite. We can wait until we're rested up in the city. Even if the privacy is nice."

"No! I. What?" Necun stammered out. "I meant our conversation!"

"Oh. Yes." Nickolas said while he rubbed his face. "I was digging. My fault. You didn't do anything unreasonable."

He let out a long yawn before smacking his lips.

"Let's get clean before we go." he suggested.

"I-fine." Necun said, dropping the point.

Magic always had a way of perking Nickolas up in the morning. Something about the rush of energy in his core as he snapped runes into place with practiced ease set his internal gears turning. The water spell was nearly as simple as it could get, the only complexity was drawing the water from the air instead of a ready source. It was detail that had caused early Mages no end of trouble. They knew it was possible, that was demonstrated with ice spells that ended up with more water than they started. Yet no mage seemed to be able to work through the many complications inherent to pulling water from thin air.

Then a lucky Mage cracked the problem, and died horribly for it.

As it was determined later the man had pushed far too much power into the new runeset, and hadn't waited to put in safety measures. No one in his manor had even heard a scream, his horrified wife had simply discovered the Mage's desiccated body floating in a foot of water.

Later attempts at weaponizing the more dangerous effects had failed. Pulling water from the blood of a living creature proved cost prohibitive in the vast majority of circumstances, and far too dangerous for the edge cases.

Nickolas's father had used the tale as a lesson about safety in rune research.

Nickolas had taken it as a lesson in the sort of Mage who makes real discoveries.

Either way the story came to mind every time Nickolas used a water collection rune, regardless of how mundane the purpose. He sometimes wondered if the Mage who developed the rune would be proud of it's widespread use, or angry at not having his name remembered alongside the useful magic.

With a practiced hand Nickolas ran the water through his wife's damaged armor, careful to collect all the fluid as he passed. While the moment was still intimate it had lost the exciting charm over the last few sweaty days, and was not a simple mechanical chore.

He was still grateful he knew the spell, he didn't want to imagine hanging off of Necun's back this long without a way for either of them to bathe.

Once they were both clean he assumed the travel position on the Hunter's broad shoulders. His arms protested, but he knew they would be numb to the sensation shortly. The long journey of the prior day had proven that.

Necun leapt into the branches, jolting Nickolas's body, and a long day of counting the heartbeats until they reached the next campsite began.

Three thousand four hundred fifty seven heartbeats later an axe was thrown at his head.

Nickolas had only a brief moment of realization before Necun twisted, her aura blazing to make the sudden motion possible. The impact rattled her body as the axe struck her in the shoulder, and Nickkolas felt a sting in his own forearm. In the next instant they were plummeting towards the ground. Necun waited, arm poised for the perfect moment to stop their fall. When her hook sunk into the bark they were sent into a spiral around the great trunk before the Hunter leapt to a tangle of roots.

When landed Nickolas released a spell he had formed. The composition of the air changed, a thick mist forming to obscure their position. Blanketed by the sudden fog Necun was surprised for a moment before she glanced over her shoulder. Nickolas gave a small nervous smirk, and nodded.

In the branches above Nickolas heard several strange rustles that sounded wrong even to his ears. Rather than rushing to cover Necun took a few slow deliberate steps, careful not to jostle the man on her back as she slipped towards a pair of roots that had grown intertwined forming a large overhang.

As they stepped beneath the cover of the roots Necun tapped his hand twice, and gave a hand signal, a steady wave of her hand.

Taking that as a sign to clear the mist Nickolas dropped his spell, readying others for a possible attack.

In the warm forest, with trees ever thirsty for what water they could grasp with their own magic, the mist didn't last long without his runes sustaining it. As it cleared Nickolas could see shapes, little more than shadowed blurs leaping through the branches. He reflected on the hunt of the giant serpent he witnessed days prior, how orc Hunters swarmed around their prey, confusing it, or trying to bait a foolish mistake.

Over his hand an incomplete rune for a lightning bolt formed, ready for immediate use. It was unlikely to kill a fully prepared opponent, but Nickolas found very few people could prepare for a lightning strike to the face.

Necun pulled at his fingers, and he dropped to the ground, wincing at the noise. Sheltering in Necun's shadow he watched the shapes grow closer. In front of him his wife's aura was pulsing low, close to her skin as her head twitched slightly, watching.

One of the shapes dropped behind a large stone. A moment later a woman slowly emerged with empty hands. Out of the corner of his eye Nickolas watched as Necun's breathing grew shallow. She shifted her grip on the axes held at the ready.

The woman facing them jumped up onto a root, and started flashing hand signs. Nickolas couldn't follow them any better than he could Necun's, but he noted Necun's posture shifting from openly hostile to wary. While her hands never dropped the axes she lessened her grip enough to do simple signs back.

Assuming they weren't about to reengage in combat Nickolas took a closer look at their assailant. The woman was thinner than average for an orc, her hair bound in a single giant braid then wrapped around her neck. It was unusual, as every orc Nickolas had seen had instead kept their hair bound tight, short enough to barely reach the shoulders. The woman's face was harsh, and scarred worse than his own mother's fierce visage. One tusk was even broken, giving the woman a lopsided appearance.

His gaze drifted down the woman's body, and while the armor was similar their attacker seemed to have far fewer weapons then Nickolas would expect. Every Hunter prided herself on the plethora of weapons they carried at all times, outside of formal events. This woman had only three, an axe, and two long knives. She possessed sheathes for more, but the leather straps were empty on her chest and side.

A flicker of movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Another shadowed figure had stopped, this one clearly missing an arm. The other strange woman was crouched on the edge of a branch, watching Necun, and the first woman sign each other.

Bandits? Nickolas pondered. They seem a bit too well put together for that, but things might be different out here. Certainly there's no lack of food, or even a degree of safety. The campsites ensure that even a ragtag group of women could survive for at least a bit. Even cleanish water could be gathered if one was desperate. Could be exiles then.

Nickolas thought back to the only bandit's he had ever seen in person. The woman were former mercenaries who ran out of options when a heartlands war ended abruptly. They had proved less successful at banditry than they had at mercenary work. They stood little chance against his bodyguard. Molly hadn't let him watch the hanging.

The question is why attack us? he mused. Necun doesn't look like a merchant. Are they interested in stealing her weapons? It's the only thing of value. I suppose the armor might be worth something too. Or me.

The Mage stomped down on the thought immediately.

They wouldn't bother with negotiation. he reassured himself. Any self respecting Hunter would never just hand over a man in her care, regardless of their relation. No point in a bandit risking herself unless it was a ploy.

Their assailants slowed down, each one perching around their chosen ground. Which led credence to the negotiation being genuine.

So what are we losing here? Nickolas considered. Necun could get by with a single axe. Even without her armor.

Rubbing his stinging forearm, Nickolas waited for his wife to finish whatever negotiation was occurring.

The woman who was signing towards Necun grew frustrated. Nickolas watched carefully as her face twisted up, and her signs grew harsh. By the end she was almost clawing at the air. Then she offered one final sign that looked rude to Nickolas's eyes before turning on her heel, and leaping onto a branch.

Necun let out a long breath, glancing back at Nickolas. She gave him a small smirk, and patted her shoulder.

While confused, Nickolas did as he wife indicated, never letting the runes drop as he clamored onto her back. Necun stepped forward confidently, striding under the glares of the perched bandits as if she had put them in their place. With a hop she reached the top of a tall root before launching herself back into the branches above.

A few heartbeats later they were back on track as if nothing had happened. Nickolas took a moment to examine Necun's shoulder, breathing a mild sigh of relief when he found the wound as shallow as such things could be. The axe had barely breached a torn part of the armor before it bounced. Only a trickle of thick blood indicated that Necun had been wounded at all.

With the speed they were moving Nickolas assumed he could risk dropping one of his attack runes to clean out the wound. An equally small trickle of water mixed with the blood. Necun's only indication that she noticed the work was a small twitch between jumps. The Mage had to focus to keep the water from spraying behind them as they moved through the great trees, but a small wind magic rune solved the issue.

From what Nickolas understood of beasts, many tracked prey through smell. Many of the Knights had mentioned using blood lures for some beasts clever enough to hide from anything with an aura. As he pulled the water from the wound he made sure to start at the edges, letting the blood thicken and set before starting the next stretch. When the sphere of dark water was free the wound could fully close, and Nickolas's brow as soaked with sweat from concentration.

Then he flicked his hand, sending the concentrated packet of blood into a small nook near the branch they had landed on.

Once the task was done Nickolas found his nerves had settled. The sudden attack wasn't too rattling. Every fight they had been in since entering the Green had been sudden and brutal. What weighted on his nerves now was the strange orc Hunters who struck at them, only to mysteriously let them pass unharmed after a brief negotiation.

Were they from the city? Nickolas wondered. Exiles? Bandits? Or something else entirely? Necun had mentioned that some orcs sill traveled without a destination, just wandering the Green forever. I would believe they fit that description I suppose. They all looked so tired.

He reflected on the figure that had perched on the branch above them. The stump of her arm tightly bound in what looked like twine. It had been dripping blood.

Why would she be out with a raiding party? he considered. She wasn't even that young. Certainly older than Necun. Why bring her? Even if she was capable she could hunt, and keep camp instead.

Nickolas stewed in his own thoughts, going over every detail of the encounter as the light started to fade. By the time they made it to the next campsite he was practically vibrating with excitement, desperate to discover what Necun had said.

He hoped he would get the chance. His wife looked exhausted.

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Necun was exhausted.

Rotting questers. she seethed internally. Always dragging everyone else into their moronic nonsense. Throwing an axe just to get us to stop. Rotting morons. Should have chopped her up into beast fodder. Next time I'll just let Nickolas set them on fire. Maybe then they'll think farther than the tip of their knife.

She began to doff her armor, pulling at the straps slightly too hard in as her aura bubbled around her. It demanded a fight, but she had none to give.

Once again leaving her bond to start a fire, Necun focused on calming her boiling blood, pacing the edge of the camp.

At least they had the sense to avoid asking about Nickolas. Necun thought. If they were that stupid I might have offered a duel right there. Rotting tactless fools.

"Meat's ready!" her lovely bond called out.

With a deep sigh Necun returned to the golden haired Mage, dropping into a cross legged position as she took a sizzling strip of meat off a rock. She tore a chunk off, and nearly gagged as the meat sprayed her mouth with boiling juices.

Flaring her aura slightly to help with the pain she took a long swig from her waterskin to douse her tongue.

"So who were those women?" Nickolas cut in as she started to cough. "I assume not friendly since they stuck an axe in your arm, but letting us go without stripping us of valuables confuses me."

"Nothing valuable on us." Necun replied with a snort.

"Your axes for starters." Nickolas said. "And, well, I like to think of myself as a lovely prize."

Necun froze, it was as if her blood had turned to ice. Then, slowly, she shifted her face up to look Nickolas in the eye.

From the way he flinched she assumed her emotions bled through her expression.

"I can't quite imagine a woman so lowly she would rob another Hunter of her weapon." she said, voice barely above a whisper. "To take a bond...there would have been blood."

"That's...generally the idea with bandits yes." Nickolas replied slowly.

"Bandits?" Necun asked, blinking as she tried the unfamiliar word.

"Bandits. Yes." the Mage responded, baffled as well. "Do you not know the word? Those that rob passersby, usually merchants? Take what they have and sell it somewhere else? It's usually exiles, or violent people who made one too many mistakes."

"We don't have those." Necun replied. "Exile is rare for one. No one lasts longer than a few seasons. And how would they rob a merchant? If they're exiled they can't re-enter the city."

"Ah." Nickolas mumbled something before taking a bite of meat. "Yes, I suppose it doesn't work the same in the Green. Do you even have traveling merchants?"

"No?" Necun said, flabbergasted. "Unless you count the tithe caravans. Where would they go? Also why do you allow these bandits to rob merchants?"

Her bond wiped his chin with the sleeve of his robe as he considered her words.

"It's not like we allow them." he explained. "The Knights try to hunt down anyone who comes to their attention. As a practice exercise if nothing else. That or as a way to show off for their lovers back home. Most of the smaller groups are stopped by caravan guards far before it gets to that point."

"But you still have groups?" Necun asked. "Groups that just...steal from others? As a profession?"

"Well that's more of a general statement." Nickolas said. "Every city has it's thieves. Even the fortress has a few. Most have a real profession, they just steal to prop themselves up. Bandits specifically attack travelers."

"And that's enough of a problem that you had to invent a specific word for certain kinds of thieves?" Necun said, her confusion growing deeper by the moment.

"It's not like they were everywhere. They usually just hid in rough country." the Mage replied, growing defensive. "The heartlands had it much worse than us. Our people don't tolerate that sort of thing, but a few groups got big enough that most merchants just pay to get past their territory instead of fighting it."

"That's fairly rare though." he tacked on at the end.

"A group of thieves." the Hunter muttered back. "A group of thieves so organized it's not even worth chasing them off. And your merchants, who travel around for some reason, just pay them?"

"That's the idea yes." Nickolas admitted sheepishly. "It sounds strange when you put it like that, but that's the gist. It's why I'm so surprised that they let us just leave."

"They weren't thieves. That's why!" Necun exclaimed. "Just Questers!"

"Questers?" Nickolas asked, frowning.

Necun let out a long breath, running a hand down her face.

"It's....never mind. I'll explain when we reach the city." she sighed. "It will take far too long, and I need the sleep."

Nickolas shrugged, looking thoughtful.

"Sure. Glad to hear I wasn't in as much danger as I thought." he commented. "Want a massage before you sleep?"

Necun did in fact, want a massage.

Even if her face burned the whole time, and it took twice as long as it should have to quiet her thirsty aura before sleep took her.