Chapter 10: Roles reversed

"That was surprising easy" Zeida chuckled to herself as she watched Bjorn and graum drop to the ground, unconscious. "As for you two..." Zeida then walked over graum to get to the Imalidae twins, kneeling down next to them she placed a hand on each of them.

*vitality surge*

"Rheske, Rheila. Wake up, you bums" zeida called out to them.

Then like slowly waking from a deep sleep the two Imalidaes began to slowly move on the ground.

"Huh... what happened.." the yukata wearing Imalidae murmured. "Wait where's Rheske!" She panicked.

The fox eared Imalidae worried because the last thing she remembered was seeing her sister getting stabbed by the goblins.

"I'm here Rheila." The cat eared Imalidae yawned. "what happened?" She followed up, rubbing her eyes.

"You two scared me! Don't do that again" zeida spoke up reminding them of her presence.

"ZEIDA!" The twin Imalidae's exclaimed hugging her.

"I'm glad you both are alright considering..." zeida remarked looking them over gesturing at their lack of armor and tattered clothing, she then looked over at the unconscious bodies of bjorn and graum.

"What the hell, where did my armor go?" Rheila gasped finally noticing she was wearing only her yukata, no armor. "Who are they?" She followed up.

"They showed up as the goblins ambushed us... don't you remember?" Rheske asked running her fingers over her stitched up wound. "Zeida, I didn't know you were proficient with a needle. Thank you" Rheske looked over to see a frustrated expression on Zeida's face.

"I'll let that comment slide, since you are already injured" zeida gritted clenching her fist.

Of her many feminine talents, needle work wasn't one of them, this caused Zeida to develop a small complex over it.

"It must've been him, the one with the quiver. He was carrying you when he happened upon the campsite " Zeida pointed to graum, who was face first into the ground.

"So does that mean the one with the plate

body carried me?" Rheila asked surprised by his short stature.

"Yes he was carrying you when he happened upon the campsite... but as to why they stripped away your armor, that's something we would have to ask them." Zeida explained walking over to Bjorn and Graum's unconscious bodies.

"I know you two just woke up, but what do you last remember?" Zeida asked standing in between bjorn and graum

"Well, we killed some goblin, I think 8 or so" Rheila recalled as she placed a finger on her chin.

"Then we made our way to that clearing where we killed another 6... then the Hobs came" Rheske added placing the bottom of her fist on her open palm, in a gesture of remembrance.

"Wait, did you say Hobs?" Zeida asked abruptly.

"Yeah, 6 of them I believe" Rheila answered.

"And you two killed the Hobs, that's quite impressive for some C-ranked adventurers" Zeida praised her two guild mates with a proud smile.

"No, we were ambushed by regular goblins before we had the chance to take on the Hobs." Rheske answered with shame in her tone as she once again ran her fingers over her stitched up wound.

"So they killed all 6 Hobs?" Zeida asked in bewilderment as she gently kicked Graum's body.

"I really can't say... I began losing consciousness. I think I was hit by a poisoned arrow." Rheila answered holding her shoulder which was still in pain from the arrow wound.

"We will figure everything out back at the guild. Eat up so you can recover your strength" Zeida gestured at the skewers.

"Does this mean we failed the promotion exam?" Rheske asked, her ears folding to the sides in shame.

"While I was suppose to be proctoring your exams, there were way to many unforeseen conditions. The Hobs, these two, and me getting separated from you two... I'll have to talk to the guild master" Zeida explained with a shrug.

'As well as this Maltreesh...' she thought to herself.

"Wait how are we suppose to get THEM back to the guild..?" Rheila asked pointing at graum and bjorn with one of the finished skewers.

"I'll set off at first light and procure a wagon." Zeida replied sweetly.

"Sounds like you already thought this through" Rheske remarked walking over to graum and rolling him onto his back. "I guess It's only fair that I watch over this one" Rheske smiled as she brushed off the dirt from his face.

"And I'll watch over this one" Rheila remarked walking over to bjorn, who somehow managed to fall onto his back.

Zeida stayed up all night on watch. The fire flickered and crackled through out the peaceful hours deterring any potential threats. Just as she said, once first light came Zeida went to procure a wagon. Rheila woke up first. She found her self using Bjorn's chest as a pillow. Embarrassed she quickly stood up.

"What is wrong with me, I don't even know him" she whispered to herself. 'Although... he does seem kinda cute...' she thought, shaking the intrusive thought out of her head; Rheila turned her attention to Rheske. Rheske was cuddled up to the unconscious graum.

"Rheske!" Rheila exclaimed out in embarrassment.

"Huh, what happened?" Rheske yawned sitting up, unsure as to why her sister yelled out her name.

"What are you doing? You don't even know him?" Rheila interrogated, still embarrassed with her sisters cavalier sleeping arrangement.

"I don't see what the big deal is, he's unconscious, and I'm wearing clothes" Rheske yawned rubbing her eyes.

"That's not the point!!!" Rheila replied flustered.

"I can't help it. He is just SO warm. Especially for someone who is unconscious" Rheske explained placing her hand on Graums forehead.

"Is he running a fever?" Rheila quickly asked

"I don't think so, but he does seem hot for a human" Rheske smiled sweetly.

"Wait! do you mean hot as in temperature, or attractive?" Rheila asked. She wasn't prepared for Rheske's statement and Rheske didn't elaborate her answer.

"What about yours? Is he hot?" Rheske smirked lewdly, poking fun at her sister.

"No he isn't hot.... I mean... he is attractive.... but...he isn't running a fever!" Rheila embarrassingly stuttered.

"If you two are done fawning over our CAPTEES, I've brought some extra hands to lift these two to the wagon" Zeida seemingly appeared from out of nowhere with 4 men who appeared to be simple farmers.

"Oh yes of course!" Rheila remarked quickly as two men walked over to Bjorn to pick him up.

"Be careful with them" Rheske said aloud to the men who picked up Graum. And to the men carrying Bjorn.

Zeida walked over to the smoldering cinders that was the campfire and emptied her water pouch over it. Extinguishing the remaining coals.

The group made their way out of the small forest and to a 2 horse drawn wagon.

"Eh, just toss them in" Zeida ordered

"Carefully!" Rheila and Rheske quickly added.

The four men did the best they could carefully putting both Bjorn and Graum in the wagon. They managed to carefully put Graum down, but they ended up dropping Bjorn... Rheila and Rheske climbed into the back with the STILL unconscious bodies of bjorn and graum

"Thank you gentlemen 20 irram as promised" Zeida tossed them a small pouch.

"Thank you Ms." they all replied in unison.

"Heeya" Zeida exclaimed cracking the reigns of the horses. The horses began trotting at first slowly, then they began to pick up speed.

"When we get back to the guild. It's up to you two to secure them in the basement; is that understood?" Zeida called back to the twins.

"Yes Ma'am" Rheske and Rheila replied at the same time.