Chapter 12 #3
Sonja rose from her chair. “For Kitten and me. Put them all down in front of her.” She swooped around the table, yanked a stool away from another table, and pushed it directly beside Luna.
“Before the party joining rituals,” Garrett said, looking at Alsen. “Do we have an agreement?”
“Of course,” Alsen confirmed. “We’ll be delighted to travel with you and loot the vault together.”
Luna shot a glare at him, but was interrupted by Sonja dropping onto the stool beside her, close enough that their knees almost touched.
"So," Sonja said. "Since we're grouping up now, there's a crucial entry ritual you need to do with me." She moved one shot to herself and another between them. "We each drink a shot to our new partyship, and whoever makes more of a face, drinks the remaining one."
Alsen moved his chair a bit to give them a bit of space, ending up closer to Garrett. "Is this how it always goes?"
Garrett shrugged. "Yeah, though we usually drink shots at the end."
"I know," Sonja said. "But Kitten looks like she might pass out after the first beer, so she needs to do the ritual early to make sure it gets kept. It's a crucial ritual of our party."
Luna looked at the shot. Then at Sonja. Then at the door, weighing something. With the expression of someone choosing the shorter of two wars, she took the glass.
"Cheers," Sonja said, throwing back the shot the second Luna did.
Luna acted tough for precisely a third of a second, before her face twisted. "What the heck is this?"
Garrett's group laughed.
Theron leaned over to pat Luna on the back as she coughed. "Apologies for that. Everyone used to complain the local booze was too weak, so the adventurer's guild of Vellhorn makes its own, extra-sharp brew."
Sonja grinned. "Loser drinks the second one."
Luna rolled her eyes, and tossed back the second shot.
The conversation loosened up. Garrett talked about how his group formed, a story that involved him and Sonja turning teen love into an adventure. They broke up but stuck together. They teamed up with Theron and Marena here at the adventurer’s guild a few years ago.
Theron had been a farmer’s son until he decided he wanted to get more out of life. Marena had trained under a village healer, except that she had nothing to do as the community was too small for two healers.
“What about you two?” Garrett asked, picking up a fresh beer. “What’s your story?”
Alsen gave the version they’d rehearsed, that he grew up isolated in the mountains south of Ambervale, he trained magic alone, and they set out to see the world.
“And Luna?” Sonja asked. “Kitten doesn’t look like the mountain village girl. She’s too pretty for that.”
Luna spared her a glare. “I need to check the toilet.”
Garrett laughed. He had a good laugh, full and honest. “That I believe. It’s really rare to meet a mage out here on the Realm’s outskirts.”
As the drinks flowed, Alsen found himself genuinely enjoying the company.
Garrett had a way of making everyone feel like they belonged at the table.
Theron told terrible jokes that were somehow funnier because he delivered them with perfect sincerity.
Even Marena opened up a bit, asking Alsen about his spellbook.
Her questions were basic, practical. Could he make light?
Could he scan for traps? Could he hold a barrier long enough for the group to retreat?
Yes, to all of those, he said. No, of course not, but he could invent the spells he needed before they got there. Four days were plenty of time.
His surety calmed her down.
Luna, meanwhile, had gone quiet. She sat as far away from Sonja as she could upon her return from the toilet.
It didn’t help for long, as Sonja moved her stool directly next to Luna’s in under one beer’s time. She pulled it so close that their shoulders touched.
"You have such cute and delicate hands," Sonja said, laying her own hand flat on the table between them. "Look at that. Put yours next to it. Mine are like twice the size. Have you ever even fought before?"
Luna's hands stayed exactly where they were. "I have."
"Aww, don't worry, Kitten, I'll make sure to keep you safe."
"That's unnecessary."
"I could help you braid your hair. It's much better for the wilderness and combat when the hair isn't flying around all over the place like yours are now.
I'm really good with my fingers, so I can make you some really nice braids.
" Sonja reached for one of the crystal-woven chains in Luna's hair.
Luna tilted her head, a small, precise motion, and Sonja's fingers closed on air.
She didn't look discouraged in the slightest. "Those are gorgeous, by the way. Where did you get them?"
"In a shop." Luna leaned away. Sonja leaned after her, stopping just short of contact, as if some invisible collar held her back.
Alsen caught a glimpse of this exchange and nearly opened his mouth. But Garrett was explaining something about trap geometry typical for the period the vault had been built in. A much more entertaining discussion, plus Luna could always handle herself.
He turned back to Garrett.
Something about this whole discussion soothed his soul. After all that traveling through the beautiful, but terrorized land, having a few drinks with a group of newfound friends truly helped.
Garrett and his group were a team that had survived enough together to argue about it comfortably. He and Luna had been partying up together for a few weeks. The difference between that and the years Garrett’s group had was staggering.
Another round of beers appeared. Alsen was on his fourth cup. The ale tasted like it was brewed from leftovers and good intentions. It did the job, anyway.
“So,” Garrett said, voice dropping to the business end of casual. “We leave tomorrow morning. Early. If we push it, we can make the vault in three and a half days.”
Alsen nodded. “Sounds good.”
Luna’s head turned. He felt it more than saw it, a sharp movement at the edge of his vision.
“Great.” Garrett extended his hand. Alsen shook it. “Glad to have you.”
The evening wound down after that. Theron was the first to leave, claiming his bed called louder than any ale. Marena followed shortly after, offering a quiet goodnight. Garrett lingered, nursing his last drink, going over a few more details about the march and supplies.
Sonja didn’t move.
She had migrated her stool so close to Luna's that no light passed between them, leaning into her space with the casual confidence. Luna sat perfectly still. Tense everywhere, moving nothing, ready to explode in any direction.
"We should go too," Luna said, her voice carefully neutral.
"Already?" Sonja pouted. "The night's young. We could go for a walk. I know a spot by the river that's really pretty at night. Almost as pretty as you, Kitten."
"I'm tired."
"I'll carry you if you'd like that."
"That won't be—"
"I'm serious. You weigh like nothing. I've carried full deer carcasses."
Alsen looked at Luna. She glowered back.
He could feel the implied plea in that look, though he wasn't entirely sure what for. He was about to say something when Garrett stood up.
"Sonja, let the poor girl sleep. It'll be a long march tomorrow."
"Fine." Sonja leaned back with visible reluctance, and the space around Luna reopened. "But I'm holding you to that walk."
Luna stood up the instant it did. "Goodnight." She was already walking toward the exit.
Sonja watched her go with the kind of smile that lived somewhere between admiration and a hunting strategy. She turned to Alsen. “She’s coming on the quest, right?”
“She is,” Alsen confirmed.
“Perfect.” Sonja stood, stretching. “I’ll bring a collar and a leash for her. So she doesn’t get lost.”
Garrett snorted. “Sonja.”
“What? It’s a joke.” She paused. “Mostly.” She headed for the exit, collecting her bow and spear from behind her original chair as she went.
Garrett shook his head. “Sorry, she’s not like that most of the time. Tomorrow. Dawn. Don’t be late.” He left.
Alsen sat alone for a moment, finishing the last of his ale. The guild hall was nearly empty now, just him and Maggie behind the counter, who was pointedly cleaning the same mug for the third time.
He headed out to catch up to Luna. They still needed to find an inn.
He met Luna straight outside the adventurer’s guild.