Lariss' Return

The next day I spent the morning training in the Union courtyard and had the chance to spar with a few other adventurers. After a good lunch chatting with Raginhard I continued my training. Closer to dinner, a familiar voice called my name.

"Lariss, you made it back." I ended my sparring match and joined her at the edge of the courtyard. What I hadn't noticed until then was Vesta watching me train from the balcony. I only saw her turning and hurrying away after I greeted Lariss.

"Yeah, Svanhildr told me I should wait a few more days but I wanted to see you. To ask you about what happened. I remember going into the forest but the next full memory I have is waking up at Svanhildr's, you were gone and there was a baby. You can imagine my confusion about the whole thing." She had an awkward smile as she rambled.

"How about we go for a walk?" I started to notice a few other adventurers listening in and giving me the stink eye. I already had to run from something like this and I didn't need any rumors starting.

We were a few streets away when she started asking me what had happened. I answered her questions in the manner that Svanhildr and I agreed on. Leaving out certain information left me feeling guilty but I had agreed with Svanhildr that some things just needed to be forgotten.

"But it's finally over, isn't it?" She asked.

"It's over. It will still take years for the monsters to be thinned out enough that people can move back into the forest but the source of the corruption is gone." I said.

She was quiet for the next block. "Thank you." She finally said. "My entire life has revolved around that forest. I can finally let it go and start living my own life."

"What do you plan to do?" I was planning on asking for her help in dealing with Skadi's tasks but if she wanted to give up adventuring I wasn't going to try and convince her to stay.

"Long term, who knows. I do enjoy adventuring, so I could still see that in my future." She said.

"What about the short term?" I asked.

"Mostly just resting. Maybe spend some time with you to see if any of my memories come back." She said.

"I'll try to see how I can help with that. But I may be in and out of the city for the next few weeks." She was still recovering and I realized I didn't want to put her in a situation that could harm her. Also something felt off.

"What is it? Maybe I could help?" She said.

"It's my own mess that I need to sort out. There's no need for you to get involved." I said.

"Nonsense, you helped me when I needed it. And it wasn't an easy favor like borrowing sugar. You went into a place filled with corruption and saved my life. I'll always be in your debt." She had an intensity to her look.

I was conflicted as I stared into her eyes and realized what was off. We had spent a few weeks together in life or death situations. Even though we didn't know everything about each other, those types of events create a deep bond between people. That's why I originally wanted her to watch my back. I couldn't think of anyone else that I trusted more. But I could see something behind that determined look in her eyes.

She didn't know me.

Svanhildr told her what had happened and I confirmed it, but without her memory, it didn't truly happen to her. How could I ask someone that had only a few days of travel with me to risk her life like this? More than that, I knew that she had only approached me because of prophetic advice from her mother. Advice that turned out to be a trap. The Spiritual Mark told me that our fates were intertwined but I couldn't make her follow me into danger under these circumstances.

"It's just a personal matter, there's no need for you to worry." I said.

"I don't believe you. I might not remember everything we've been through but my instincts tell me that I know you are hiding something." She said.

"You're one of the few people I trust to have my back. If I really needed your help I'd ask for it." I said.

After looking me in the eye for a few moments, she smiled. "Okay, just as long as you know you can count on me."

We then made our way to the Flask and Anvil where she caught up with the owners. Since it was dinner time, they invited us upstairs where we had a meal. They had asked her about what happened and I ended up having to fill in most of the details. They didn't look too pleased at the fact that she suffered memory loss in my care but were just happy that we survived.

Afterward we walked around the city a little more before I dropped her off at her apartment not too far from the Union. I asked about the spider brains that I had left her, hoping to buy them from her, but it turned out they had been used to help repair her memory. As I was about to leave she gave me a peck on the cheek before turning and rushing to the door. She turned back to give me a smile before heading inside.

"She seems capable enough. I can see why you wanted her to watch your back. I can also see why you don't want to put her in danger." Thelora said from my side.

"You don't need to worry about her. She's still recovering from her injuries. For now I'll just have to watch my own back." I turned and headed back to my place.

I was up early and made it to the eastern gate right after sunrise. Thelora flagged me down and brought me into an inn near the gates. There we met up with two others. Hrothgar was an older man with a heavily scarred face. He was wearing worn leather armor and had a bastard sword on his back. The other man, named Feadr, wore light armor and carried a staff with a red crystal on top.

We didn't stay too long in the inn after introductions. Thelora had horses ready for us and we soon left the city. No one spoke as we made our way east. I was waiting for her to fill me in on the details of our task but it never came.

That night we stopped in a village and again, no one spoke as we ate dinner. It was uncomfortable. I didn't need to be their friend but this was a little much. The next morning we left early and shortly after we set out Thelora looked behind us. She then turned around with a smile before approaching me.

"You might want to invite your girlfriend to join us before I go over the job." Thelora said.

Looking behind us I saw someone on the very edge of the horizon. Even with my enhanced vision from my auras I couldn't make anything out about them.

"I saw her entering the inn late last night. If she had just camped outside I wouldn't have even noticed." Thelora said.

"I'll catch up." I turned my horse around and started back towards her.

At some point she must have noticed me doubling back and she picked up her pace. When we finally met up, she tried to hold her head high but had a guilty look on her face. I wanted to tell her to head back but if I was honest with myself I was happy to see her. The two other members of our party had only deepened my distrust of the situation.

"I can help." She finally said.

"I know you can." I replied.

"Then you're not going to try to send me back." She said.

"No. But you need to understand that what we're about to do is going to skirt the edges of legal. Also at some point the people we're working with will most likely try to betray and kill us." I said.

"All the more reason you need my help. Don't you trust me to watch your back?" She looked hurt.

"If you remembered what we went through, then you'd know I trust you with my life. But you don't remember and I didn't want you to feel like you owed me." I said.

"Well I trust you. My…" She stopped what she was about to say but I had a good idea what that was. I had avoided telling her that her mother's advice was part of a trap to spare her feelings but that might not have been the best course of action.

"If you want to help, I'll accept it. But it has to be because you want to. You can't live your life based on what someone told you in the past. It's your life to live." I said.

"I told you about that." I nodded in response. "That doesn't matter, I want to follow you for my own reasons."

"Then come on, I'll fill you in on what's going on." We went at a quickened pace but slow enough for me to tell her about the Bandit Queen retiring. She did remember that some bandits tried to kidnap me and that I thought it might have something to do with her. She even asked if the woman I was with was Wassa. By the time we caught up to the others, I had filled her in on the most pertinent information.