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chapter-160
“Argrave,” Anneliese called out, drawing him from a book. He read beneath the shade of a palm tree just beside the oasis. His Brumesingers stood near the buried bodies of the veterans that had fought at Sethia. He had thought the southron elves might be bothered by this, but rather, they saw it as an honor. They hoped the Brumesingers would replicate the forms of their fallen warriors, some day.
“Hey,” he greeted, shutting the book at once.
“Reading what Garm wrote for you?” she questioned, walking up.
“Yeah,” Argrave nodded. “The stuff about the soul. Galamon had said it might interest me, and… well, it certainly sounds familiar.” He weighed the book in his hand. “Just as he wrote, whenever I tried to learn a spell ‘Argrave’ knew, I learned it very quickly. I guess if I ever tried torturing people, I’d be good at that, too.”
Anneliese raised a brow. “I take it ‘Argrave’ was not a good person?”“If Felipe was their father, they’re a bother,” Argrave rhymed with a snap. “But what do you need? Some questions about our journey back north? About Orion? I was vague about him, but he’s… Christ, he’s my biggest worry. We stand to be here a couple more days. Plenty of time to settle anything that needs settling, I reckon.”
“Yet you are sad,” she noted.
Argrave turned away, then turned back. “I hope that isn’t obvious.”
“To me it is. To others… I know nothing of what they notice,” she shook her head. “What troubles you?”
“Just thinking… maybe if I had talked to Garm more, something like this wouldn’t have happened,” he admitted.
Her face fell a little. “Then it is not me alone thinking like that.”
Argrave gave a slow, bitter nod. “Ironically… heh,” he scratched beneath his nose. “If I had trusted him less, he’d be alive now.” He lowered his head. “Why was I so quick to bring Durran along? I smelled trouble. I knew something was brewing. If I had just…”“I would feel a hypocrite consoling you when I feel the same. But truly, these thoughts do nothing for us. Nothing for Garm.” Anneliese held her hand out. “Come with me,” she insisted.
Argrave looked at her hand. He decisively set the book down and took her hand, standing quickly. She led him through the oasis town, and they waved to the few acquaintances they’d made amongst the southron elves. Eventually, she ducked into a cavern. Her Brumesinger was lounging away from the sun there, fluffy ears twitching.
Argrave was perplexed, but he said nothing. The dark cavern opened up after not ten steps, revealing a plateau beyond. He sized up the place, searching for something she might wish to show him. He soon realized he was looking in the wrong place, though. The suns were setting.
“I hoped you would be willing to do this, for me,” Anneliese began, stepping towards him. “Every time the suns descend below the horizon… we could watch them, talk… for an hour or so.”
With things falling into place, Argrave couldn’t stop a smile from appearing on his face. She’s more sentimental than she lets on, he realized. But the fact she suggested this meant that moment back then had meant as much for her as it had for him.
He held his hand out. “What if we’re underground? That happens a lot,” he asked teasingly.
“Argrave, I—”
“Of course we can,” he interrupted her before she could misinterpret his answer as hesitance. “That sounds nice. Something to look forward to at the end of the day.”
Her small frown quickly turned into a smile. “That is… good,” she took his hand. “I feared it would be difficult to persuade you, especially since your health has improved. But I think this will be good for you, genuinely.”
Argrave furrowed his brows. “You’re not doing this out of obligation alone, I hope.”
“Well…” she paused, pulling on his hand slightly. “Even though you constantly joke, all you talk about is how we are to deal with Gerechtigkeit, the plague… how else am I to ask you questions, learn about you?” She led him towards the edge of the plateau, where she sat. “So, sit. Vincenzo,” she said pointedly.
Argrave scratched the back of his neck, and then obediently sat. “The only person that still called me ‘Vincenzo’ was my ma. Most people said ‘Vinny.’”
“Your mother?” Anneliese repeated. “A fitting point to start…”
“The point of this time, Argrave, is to avoid discussing these matters,” she said pointedly.
He let out a long sigh, then wrapped one arm around Anneliese. “You’re right. Sorry.”
She rested her head on Argrave’s shoulder, staring out across the vast expanse of black sand painted by the light of the setting sun.
“We leave tomorrow, though,” Argrave repeated himself. His voice grew quieter, and he continued, “I don’t really want to leave.”
“You will never again be sick,” Anneliese pointed out. “And travelling will come much easier to you, now. Moreover, we are not slated to traverse the Low Way again, if I understand you right.”
“Yeah, that is true,” Argrave nodded. “We’ll get those daggers for Galamon, a flying druidic bond for you to scout with… both of which aren’t especially dangerous. Relative to the Low Way, at least. That’s on the path.”
She lifted her head and rested her chin on his shoulder. “Then perhaps there is little to worry about.”
“Spending time with friendly people, learning fulfilling things… moments like these,” Argrave turned his head to face her. “It’ll be hard to get started again. An idyllic life like this…”
“You say that, but you are already prepared to leave,” she noted. “You never lack for willpower.”
Argrave laughed. “You’re not wrong.”
“Then what is on your mind?” she insisted. “Why are you worried?”
Argrave kneaded his palm. “You and Durran stand to be at the highest risk in the northwest.”
“You claimed you were going to take measures,” she pointed out. “And both of us are healthy. I am young, and I have been travelling with you. We Veidimen are a hardy people. And the winter will stifle the plague, you say.”
“I can take measures… but that isn’t immunity from the plague.” Argrave shook his head.
She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Do not worry. Do what you can, and that will be enough.”
He stayed silent, then nodded with a smile. “You’re right. I’ll do what I can. Not worrying, though? That’ll never happen.”
“I am not so helpless,” she refuted. “Mages of higher ranks are healthier than average humans. And despite your recent changes, I am still one rank above you—B-rank.”
He smiled. “I know. And you’ll rise further yet, I know.” He paused, staring at her awkwardly.
“What?” she pressed, staring steadily.
“Honestly…” he rubbed his hands together nervously. “The fact that you… that I…” he shook his head. “The fact that ‘Heroes of Berendar’ existed made everyone feel like an outsider. Everything was something foreign. Even… even you,” he said quietly.
Anneliese shifted but said nothing, waiting patiently.
“Now, though… it’s starting to feel like I have some connection to this place. This plane. This whatever,” he shook his head. “It always felt like the world was my enemy, and I needed to struggle against it to stay alive.” He held Anneliese a bit tighter. “Now, I’ve got a reason to keep living other than just staying alive. And I’ll make sure that we make it through this together.”
She kept her amber eyes fixed on Argrave, then returned his embrace just as tightly. “I understand,” was all she said. And that was enough for him.
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