Random 104

"I mean, just leave. We've done enough," he added, at which point Kord stopped and turned to stare at them.

"Well, well," the big man said, walking closer a few steps. Sebastian, for one, remained still, ready to do anything that needed to be done. A large finger pointed at Sylvie. "Will you tell him to just get some food from where we're going and tell him to get it over with?" He turned to look at Sebastian. "I've rode you as hard as I can, but rest assured, that's only 'cause of orders from up high. You know who I'm talking about."

Sebastian said nothing.

"So if you just want to leg it, bloody well do it. I won't apologise for anything I've done, but who cares? Far as I can see, the Sabas are gonna be in deep shit, and you're gonna be in some as well if the same happens as last time you were here."

Sebastian went white again, whereas Kord stared at Sylvie, coughed and cleared his throat. "Deal, Poppy?"

She gave him a neutral look before turning to Sebastian. "Food would be useful, but we could manage, I'm sure." She still had a bit left over, including dragonfood. She have liked to truly rest for a day or two at least, but was eager enough to get away from this late mess and the possible consequences that she ended up ambivalent. "Your call."

Sebastian closed his eyes tightly shut for a moment, looked at Sylvie and Kord and then at the horizon. It was there again, calling. "Let's just go," he said hoarsely.

Kord nodded, looked around, then offered a hand to first Sebastian -- who give it a minute grasp -- and then to Sylvie, smiling as he did the time he read the letter she gave him. "Hope you'll have it good. As far as I'll know, if anyone asks, we got drunk along the way and you snuck off."

Sylvie gave a little huff, but that last offer kept her from telling him to his face his gods made her sick. With a tilted but warm smile, she took Kord's hand. "Thanks."

As they followed the street, side by side - slowly, since it really wasn't in a good shape here and now - Sylvie informed Sebastian, "We head south at the next opportunity."

The handshake was firm but soft, only rough because of his calloused hands and the broken knuckles. "Good-bye," was the last thing he ever said to them, heading his own way.

The half-elf had barely even felt the touch of the man's hand. "South," he finally said. "Sounds good. Very good, actually." He thought for a while. "So... a river bend?"

"I promised Nico I'd meet up with her after my job here was finished." Different job, but, yes.

His last question made her smile. She gave a half-shrug, followed by a roll of the shoulders to adjust the position of her backpack. "Somewhere it hasn't rained for a week, hopefully."

"Nico? Well, I'll be happy to see her, then," he said, smiling slightly as well, then broader when it came to her latter comment. "That, I think, would suit me fine... no rain for a while. Only warm, balmy weather and nothing to worry about than whether or not I'll toast in the sun."

They walked on.

The road passed between farms, where people were now busy trying to mitigate or repair damages the rain had had left. In that light, what they had done seemed rather pointless to Sylvie, until she reminded herself that things would be worse if they had not stopped the rain. And two more pairs of hands here would not make enough of a difference to offset their personal risk.

Fragments of events of the last few days flitted through her head, creating a dizziyng mosaic.

At length, sounding dazed, she asked, "Did that really happen?"

Sebastian eyed the clouds, the busy birds trying to find things for their chicks and some sad-looking cows grazing at equally sad-looking grass, and only then paid attention to the human element. Feeling both angry and sad at these sights, he put on a frown.

But things other than sun shine on him; he knew his job was done, and for now at least he was able to enjoy Sylvie's company. He closed his eyes and smiled, taking her hand. "I've asked that same question many a time, love." He looked at the clouds again as they kept dispersing, resuming what was normal weather for the season. He found himself saying quietly, "Did we really happen?" and looking at Sylvie.

She returned a look of confusion, not entirely sure if that was a rephrasing of the question - the way she remembered it, they, or at least he, had happened to other people. No, he probably meant something else. She smiled and squeezed his hand, even as she looked at the ground in front of her again to not miss a puddle or other obstackle.

"That's the only thing I don't doubt, crazy as it is."

He really wanted to just pick her up and drag her off the road and share his sentiments. Instead, he walked on, smiling with a slightly vacant stare. "I feel the need to shut up, because I'll be gushing with words otherwise. Ought I?"

Sylvie hesitated so long it seemed awkward at least to her. "It feels like I owe you words already, but..." She shrugged, nervous, and fanned a look over the land ahead of them. Some things she'd rather talk about sitting down or otherwise not moving, and not in view of strangers. Oh, might as well. She put on a tilted smile and looked at Sebastian. "Don't want to break out in tears of any kind on the open street."

"Then I'll keep it to myself to tell you about it later," he said softly, glancing at Sylvie. "And whatever words you have, don't feel like you owe them, all right? In the meantime, know any travel songs? I'd hate for us to just be silent, and... well, I'd just be tempted to say things." He was smiling, even so.

The sudden change in topic drew a surprised chuckle. "Travel song? Travel song, maybe..." She hummed a melody, quietly, sometimes breaking off and adjusting when the tone seemed too far off, trying to remember enough of the words to not stumble over them all the time. When she thought she had it, she sang in her own language. The melody in her head always evoked images of light reflecting off waves for her, but how it went over with others was another question. She wasn't a good singer, and broke off soon, the second or third time her voice cracked.

"Sorry, I can't do that to you." She cleared her throat and coughed, grinning.

Sebastian smiled, squeezing her hand a bit tighter for a few seconds. Once she began the melody, the half-elf considered it, waited and never interrupted her until she spoke. "Well, but I liked it," he said sincerely, then searched his mind for songs he'd sang on the road. "Mind... what's that song about?"

"Ah, sammeh" - that words had cropped up more than once in the bit she'd sung - "is a white seabird that at least in the stories spends most of his life in the air. The song starts when a young one learns to fly, by plunging off a cliff, and then follows it as it rides the wind from island to island, never touching ground, even sleeping on its wing."

Five steps in cadence he considered that. "Sort of like me and... isn't it just?"

"Ah?" The thought hadn't crossed her mind before; it was simply a song she had heard frequently, and that fit the theme he had asked for. "Well, the bird wasn't pushed. Other than by its nature, I guess." She tried to guess what Sebastian was thinking, but just went with what came to her mind. "The last verse tends to have it start work on a nest."

Well, that certainly was food for thought. Passing another puddle and heading toward a bend in the road, he said, "I think I got myself into this." Then his steps slowed for a moment, watching Sylvie for a moment. "What would you say if I...?"

"If you... what?"