Adventurers

“I must have dozed off. When I woke up, I was still sitting in the circle of stones, but someone was kind enough to leave a mug of some kind of liquid in the circle with me. How nice of them! I hope it’s mead. I suddenly realized I have a powerful thirst. But why is Plucky still barking at me?!” 

Risala gave the letter a sharp swat with her hand before casting it away to drift down to land with the others on the roughly made table. “Are you a complete s’wit?!”

“For the hundredth time! I’m fine! Plucky got me out of there — awww, yes I was talking to you! Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy?” Valinka crooned at the mutt who licked happily at the Nordic woman’s face.

“Can you even count to a hundred?” the Dunmeri woman sighed, looking down her nose at Plucky. Still snuggled up to it’s young friend, the canine never came within a yard or two of her, and Risala couldn’t help the smug smirk that briefly tugged at her lips.

“That’s not important. What’s important is –”

“That you’re taking naps in strange circles? And pouring bird potions on yourself?”

Valinka’s head rolled with her eyes, and with a dramatic sigh she slumped back in her seat. “It’s called improvising?” she chimed sassily. “And you have no room to talk.”

“F’lah, you do not know half of what I’ve gotten myself into,” Risala repled, smoothly occupying a rickety seat as if it were a throne, the whole time never breaking eye contact with the dog.

“I know,” Valinka huffed. “It’s not fair.”

“Survive another year of adventuring and maybe then I’ll write you a letter. What’s not fair is that I happen to come around for business, and my hireling is managing to stay alive purely out of dumb luck.”

Valinka jutted out her bottom lip in an insincere pout. “And here I thought you were here to babysit me.”

Risala’s blue gaze narrowed as her smirk widened at the woman. “You wish. Or are you so successful now that you no longer need a patron?”

“No! No, no, I –” Valinka replied hurriedly, sitting up and clearing her throat. “I appreciate it. You’ve been great about the slow times, too.”

“Anything to stick it to your brothers, eh?” Risala noted with a sly wink.

Valinka scrunched up her nose and spat. “Damned straight. Horkers, the lot of ‘em.”

A rich chuckle spilled from Risala, and she slowly sat up to sift through the papers. “Good lass. Now, who was this you mentioned in your last letter?”

Valinka’s brows rose as she moved the mug of ale she had in one hand to let Plucky lap up a drink. “Eh? Oh! Hah! Yes, the dark elf?”

“Ilton Beran.”

Valinka swatted the table with enthusiasm before snapping her fingers and pointing to Risala. “Him! Yes, I got myself an appointment with that one tomorrow!”

Risala casually pulled out a folded scrap of a letter that had been their last correspondence, carefully filing the information away. If Beran was in town…. “Hmmm. You mentioned he’s a collector?”

“Sure is,” Valinka nodded heartily, lifting her mug to take a drink for herself. “If anyone knows where I might find a good adventure next it would be him!” The young woman then hesitated, and narrowed her eyes at the Dunmer. “Unless you know something…?”

“Young Stoneheaver, if I did, do you think I would tell you?”

Valinka tried to put on a sweet smile and it met her patron’s unmoving smirk. “But we could go on a grand adventure! Something daring, and there could be fire, and cultists to route and — oh! I can get us some mammoths! I told you about the mammoths, right?”

Risala laughed again, and with a flick of her wrist tossed the letter back onto the table. “You did. And my answer is still no. I have other matters to see to. I’m sure this… Brenon –”

“Beran,” Valinka corrected.

“Yes, pardon me, Beran, will steer you right and I will hear all about it.”

“Oh, you’ll be sure to hear about all the dirty details! Weh — Well, not all the details, I mean,” Valinka blushed in spite of her unashamed grin as she scrambled to amend her statement beneath the elf’s gaze. 

Risala’s violet-painted lips curled in a knowing, if not somewhat devious grin, and she rocked forward to rise to her feet. “The life of an adventurer is full of surprises. Stay alive, Stoneheaver.”

Valinka’s eyebrows rose as the dark elf did and she turned in her seat. “Taking off all ready?”

“Adventure waits for no one,” Risala noted practically as she took up her axe from where she’d set it aside. “And I’d appreciate it if you don’t mention me when you meet with Beran.”

“Competition, yeah?” Valinka laughed heartily. “Does this favor include compensation?”

Risala grinned as she sheathed her weapon, noting Plucky had slipped around to seat himself on the other side of Valinka. “You learn fast, I will say that for you.” A small pouch was pulled from a pocket and tossed onto the stack of letters. “With a collector around, we take our opportunities as they come.”

“And a party of Undaunted!” Valinka chimed in, clearly excited at the prospect. “Or so I heard. Headed out west two days ago. Whole lot of them after some delve a Khajiit dug up.”

“Where’d you hear that?” Risala asked lightly, glancing over as she fixed on her warm overcoat. 

“Oh, some loud-mouth Nords at the Inn,” Valinka noted with a dismissive shrug.

Risala’s eyes narrowed, and the fixing of her hood concealed the pleased look that passed over her face. Even better. “Well, don’t believe everything you hear? Good hirelings are hard to come by. And no more sleeping in convenient, mysterious circles, Valinka.”

Valinka gave a wide, ambitious grin, and saluted at the dark elf as the door was pulled open. “No promises!”