"I have a solution"
"Finally"
"It involves fire"
"Of course it does"
Ezio was now on his sixth drink. The bitter taste had subsided and it was as natural as drinking water by this point. He was never a heavy drinker despite his tolerance. Right now, in the dying candle light, he watched as Sera sat with her tankard in one hand while supporting her head with the other. He didn't know if it was the bad lighting in the room or the colour, but her hair shone a more vibrant glow this evening. The warmth from the fire added to the feeling. She always felt and looked like fire.
The tavern they were in was just by the town gates. The most unholy of rain could be heard pelting the windows but couldn't be seen, as the darkest night Ezio ever witnessed plunged them into a comforting dimly lit existence inside. Their small table seated four. Sera sat across from him with her legs propped up onto the chair next to him and crossed at the ankle. They sat so close to the fire that Ezio couldn't tell if it was the alcohol, the long day, the beating they took or the fire that made his head go fuzzy. The bard lazily played a more softer tune than the previous ones as the barkeepers ushered out drunken patrons and started to clear the mess from earlier. A few clearly sober patrons still sat finishing their final drink. Since Sera and Ezio got a room, they enjoyed their drinks with no hurry. It was the first time either of their hearts enjoyed a steady beat in a long while.
"It's fool proof this time"
"You said that last week"
"I know but---"
"And the week before that"
"Yeah Yeah but---"
"And the day we met"
"Fuck off"
Her shrieking laughter could be heard around the building. Patrons looked over at them convinced a seagull was being put on the spit tonight. Ezio casually sipped .It was entertaining. She was on her way to being plastered drunk.
"Okay seriously now, it is foolproof. Its almost genius" he noted the small cocky smirk creep onto her face. That never meant anything good.
"All you have to do is be on alert in case they have something planned. This also sends a message"
"What message?"
"Don't fuck about with us"
Ezio watched the dark black liquid stir around the tankard and splash against the surfaces surrounding it. Normally he would go for another drink, but sense needed to not only reassert itself, it needed to kick in the door and shake Sera in twenty different languages. Even then she would probably just flip it off and continue with a dead expression.
Despite himself, Ezio drummed his free hand on the table while avoiding her gaze. It happened every time they concocted a plan. Sera would sit there with her legs propped up and crossed at the ankles on the chair next to him with her hands behind her head. When he would look at her face, a smug smile and raised eyebrow would greet him as he would feel a spell of pure confidence wash over him like a cold bucket of water. She was mental. But also the same woman he saw punch a boar and live to tell the tale. No fear. That was Sera. He would never tell her that though. Modesty was not her virtue.
Biting his lip slightly, he downed the last of his drink.
"Fine. But I'm not telling Danahi or Ellisar. That's all on you."
She widened her big amber eyes at him. Their uncanny resemblance to real precious stones always kept him discreetly observing them for much longer than he should. They were unnatural. Her bottom lip quivered as she tilted her head to one side and tucked her arms together tightly. He chuckled under his breath with a slight head shake.
"Don't even try that. It didn't work when we were little its not working now"
She huffed and lay her head on the table on top of her crossed arms.
"It does work a little bit"
"Whatever helps you sleep at night"
_________________________________________________
Ezio woke up to the sun filtering through the open window as a breath of cold air kissed his face. The cold only registered with him then as he held his chattering teeth. Of course she took the blanket.
He turned his entire aching body to see Sera cocooned with the blanket covering her entire frame, even stretching over her head. The gap between them could fit two humans but he could still smell the stale alcohol from her slightly snoring mouth.
Scrunching his face together, he painfully removed himself off the bed and headed behind the wooden room divider. A wooden tub, thin metal chamber pot and a wash basin made of the same cheap metal stood in between the crumbling plastered wall and the wood rotted divider. He knelt down next to the tub and cast a flow of water from his finger tips, his fingers slowly evolving from ice cold to what should have been painfully hot for someone not used to the spell. When he was happy that the water was hot enough, he undressed and allowed himself to sink into the gloriously hot water. He didn't worry about Sera waking up and wondering behind the divider. They had done this so many times, she almost seemed traumatized to even see a room divider. He made sure to keep his clothes behind the room divider with him. He wasn't running butt naked through snow again. The memory was enough to send a shudder through his spine despite the heat.
After what seemed like half an hour, he heard the sound of a groan and movement from the bed behind the screen. He could hear Sera mumble angrily to herself. She was never a morning person. When he was dried with the old towel that sat beside the wash basin and dressed into his shirt and pants he stepped aside to see Sera sitting crossed leg with the blanket still wrapped around her. A few firey locks of hair fell messily in front of her eyes but Ezio could still see the fresh dark bags under them. When she finally opened one eye to peer at him the darkness only added to how bright her eyes still were despite a slight tired dimness.
He went to move the makeshift hood of her head only for her to snap at his hands, cringing at the sound of her teeth smashing together. He chuckled before moving to collect his gear. Fastening his jacket and throwing his satchel over his shoulder, he took one look at the frost tinted windows, only knowing the rain was over from the lack of sound.
"Ill wait outside for you to waken yourself up. Its cold outside so try wear something that's warm. I don't believe the bullshit about you not feeling the cold"
Her voice came out more like a croak. The dead sounded louder.
"Did you drain the bath?"
"No"
"Ass"
"Love you to"
With the last sentence he was already outside the door, locking it just in time to avoid being hit by whatever she threw at him.
Walking down the wooden stairs without going through them was an adventure within itself. The main room of the tavern was smoky and even darker in the early morning than it was in the evening bar the few beams of early morning sunshine that came through the windows. The fire in the very center of the large space was choking and sparking dying embers that radiated a pleasant warmth. By the bar, Ezio could make out behind the smoke the silhouette of a pretty elf lass that he had been speaking to the night before. She lazily cleaned the inside of tankards from the night before, struggling to keep her eyes awake and only moved in slow motions.
Smirking he held his head and shoulders back whilst slowly strutting over to her. She noticed him when he got to one of the bar stools. She gave him a smile so sweet he could almost taste pastries. Her starlight hair was pinned back behind her ears which had a tint of pink at the pointed tops.
"Morning Iris"
"Morning Ezio. You're heading off today right?" Her usual bell like voice took a disheartened turn.
"Yeah Sera and myself have business to attend to. But I will be sure to come back around here eventually" He took a seat at the bar, leaning forward while resting his elbows on the counter. He said the last part with a dashing smirk that made Irises cheeks match the pink on her ears.
She straightened her back, continuing with cleaning a tankard whilst still smiling, he didn't miss the slight shake in her hands and the flush growing on her cheeks and neck.
"I hope you do. You make really lovely company. I do really appreciate your help from last week to. I know things get kind of out of hand but that's just the booze. A lot of the people are quiet nice"
"They had no right to speak to a lady in such a manner"
Her face flushed even more, tilting her head down, he could see the repressed smile growing on her lips.
"As I said I appreciated the help very much"
She dropped the tankard as she gasped.
"I just remembered I have something for you"
She scurried behind into the door behind the bar that Ezio presumed led to a kitchen given the most holy smell he ever experienced. She came back out with a bundle that was covered and tied with a blue cloth. She placed the clothed bundle in front of Ezio and when he picked it up his hands immediately warmed as the smell of fresh baked goods came more strongly to him.
"I made some bread rolls for yourself and Sera for the road. As a thank you for last week. Also for Sera dealing with the boar in the woods" she giggled slightly, her hands crossed over in front of her with her head down but her eyes darting up at him every now and then.
He flashed his most genuine smile, took one of her hands and planted a chaste kiss on her knuckle. If she was pink before, she was scarlet now.
"You're too wonderful. It was nothing honestly. Anything for a lady"
They continued to chat for a few more minutes before Ezio decided to embrace the cold and go outside to check on the horses. Pulling his jacket even more tightly over himself as he opened the tavern door and immediately felt himself awaken from not just the cold air but also the snow debris that fell on his head.
Shaking the bits of white diamond off his head and almost giving himself whiplash from his hair, he heard the crunch of snow as he walked to the small stables that attached to the tavern. Pepper trotted straight over to Ezio the minute she heard his boots, attempting to nuzzle up to him as he petted her gently.
"Didn't have a good night did you girl?" his voice taking a more softer tone. He took a carrot he swiped from the markets out of his satchel and laughed at the excitement on her face when she noticed it.
"Yep fresh and all"
Buttons ignored him mostly despite noticing him. She preferred to wait for Sera so he didn't take any offence. Horses have loyalties.
"Shes getting ready girl don't worry I wont go near yeah" he soothed her questioning look.
Saddling up Pepper and taking his time to eat one of the rolls from Iris, Sera's plan came into his head once again.
They had a friendship by now where they could call each other out without the fear of offence. Both knew it was for the others benefit. The plan seemed so stupid. He didn't even think a child would plan this. But, they needed something. It still didn't settle his stomach. The feeling was foreign and almost sent a wave of nausea through him.
Maybe he just needed to---
SPLASH
He jumped quick enough to avoid the contact with the filthy water but not quick enough for the splash back to hit his clothes. The cold seeped in immediately and a string of profanities he didn't even know that he knew came flying out like a fluent language. Peppers jumped back from fright while Buttons remained as emotionless as she were before.
Ezio heard that damn shrieky laugh before he could even question who done it. From an open window above, he saw Sera with the wash basin still dripping with the residue. Her pointed fangs were on full display and her face looked less tired than it was an hour ago.
"What was that for?!"
"I had to empty the bath its your own fault for standing there"
She grinned down at him as she hurried to close the window.
Bring it on Sera.
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