Had she not been so terrified, Asteria would have let out a laugh. Despite feeling like she was being watched, she had brushed it off as paranoia. She had told herself that there weren’t actually eyes stuck to her as she spoke with the barkeep. But there they were. Those watchful eyes were staring directly into hers. The man was sitting across the case from her, observing her still.
His expression was stern and focused. His gaze was cold and calculated, and it made her feel ill. Carefully, she reached out into the darkness, her hand gliding along the floor. There was a small blade in her bag; she just needed to find where she had tossed it down. Ideally, the dagger would be in her hand by the time the next flash of lightning lit up the now-cramped cave. She found the worn leather strap and slowly pulled it towards her. Her fingers fumbled around inside the bag, searching. For what felt like ages she rummaged quietly through it until finding the handle of the short steel blade.
Asteria’s body shook violently as she pulled the dagger from its sheath. Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm herself and focus on where he sat in the shadows. Any moment there was going to be a bright flash, and she was ready for it. Quietly, she raised herself off of the hard floor and got into a crouch. Her grip around the handle grew firm as she tensed, prepared to make the first move.
Near blinding white lit the cave, but it was useless. The stranger was no longer perched on the rock in front of her. Before she knew it, warm orange light flooded the cave. It absorbed all of the cold in the confined space, and she was left stunned. Behind her stood a tall figure, an orb of light sitting in the palm of his hand. A Sun’s Stone was rare all the way in The Outskirts, and she wandered where he would have found one and how much he had spent on it. She turned to see him standing there- or so she assumed it was a man because of his towering, muscular frame. Slowly, he pulled away the hood of his cloak, revealing his face.
He was younger than what she had expected at the moment, looking to be only a few years older than her. His skin was lightly sunkissed. Rich, deep brown locks of hair formed what she could only describe as a mane. As he took a step toward her, more details became apparent. Across his face were hints of freckles, barely visible in the dim light. His eyes were the color of oak, but there was something else. She couldn’t be certain with the lack of lighting, but Asteria swore there were flecks of gold.
“Forgive me,” the stranger was quick to apologize, possibly seeing how he’d frightened her. “I’m not sure what you must think of me, but I assure you I wasn’t intending to be so ominous.”
It took her longer than she’d care to admit to form the words, “I am going to have a hard time believing that if you are the one whose eyes have been observing me, watching my every move for the entire evening.” Her grip remained firm around the dagger’s handle, and she narrowed her eyes at him.
“That’s a fair assessment. While it’s understandable that you’d probably want to take great caution around someone you believe has been watching and following you, I implore you to maybe sheath that blade and listen to my reasoning,” As he spoke, he nodded toward the weapon.
She cursed herself for not doing a better job keeping it hidden and carefully tucked it into her waistband. It would have to do for now; she would not turn her back on him. They stared at each other, sizing one another up. Hesitantly, she leans against the wall and motions for him to make his case.
The stranger nodded and explained, “Back in that small town, Silvville, I saw you when you entered the tavern. Not that I was keeping an eye out or anything of the sort- I just noticed you speaking with the barkeep. The manner of the conversation caught my attention; the old man seemed distressed towards the end. It’s an understandable reaction if you ask me. Bringing up such matters as cult activity in a small town is risky behavior. Well, anyway-”
“How much did you just happen to overhear?” Asteria cut him off, her mind finally caught up with everything that had been said.
“Not much,” he answered. His brows furrowed as he thought back, trying to recall what he had heard. “Something about a missing brother. You are adamant that he didn’t run away or leave of his own accord. I heard some of what you asked; I heard some of what the old man answered with. Then you had the guts to mention cult activity and ask about that. Again, risky behavior.”
So everything, she thought. You could have just said that you overheard everything.
However, none of that made sense. The only people within earshot were the drunks passed out on their bar stools, and he certainly wasn’t one of them. He wore a cloak with intricate embroidery, something she was certain she would have noticed on any of the nearby patrons during her conversation with the barkeep.
“I don’t understand. I don’t recall seeing you at the tavern, and I observed the patrons there when I entered. While I may not have the eyes of a hawk, I think I would have noticed anyone in my vicinity with such good quality clothes. So if you weren’t one of those within earshot, how could you have overheard what was said between the barkeep and I?” As she asked, she tilted her head slightly. She listened eagerly for an answer, curious as to how he could have managed this.
A smirk crossed his face, and he brushed hair away from his face and tucked it behind his ear. He tapped on the pointed tip of his ear and clarified, “Abnormally good hearing, possibly. It’s something I was born with. Thanks to it, I could hear you from practically across the room.”
Her eyes narrowed. It was bizarre enough seeing the few elven guards earlier in the evening, but to see a lone one all the way in the Outskirts was completely unexpected. They usually kept close to the capital, Foras, but they could also be found living in the larger cities of each region. Asteria remembered learning small bits and pieces about the elvish people, though it was because of her brother’s hyper-fixation with the cities that she knew where they preferred to live. He’d always wanted to leave for one someday- traveling to a city and making a new life for himself far away from their small village and all of the closed-minded residents.
Drawn back to the present, she shook away thoughts of the past. He was staring at her, a look of intrigue written on his face. What he was curious about, she couldn’t tell.
“I didn’t realize that was an ability elves could have,” she stated, breaking the silence that had grown uncomfortably long. “Must make you rather adept at eavesdropping then.”
Letting out a soft laugh, he said, “No, not in particular. It can be handy when I need it, but I didn’t mean to listen in. Your conversation caught my attention, and when you sounded so resolute that your brother had in fact not run off… well, I knew I had to get involved; I had to help.”
“You didn’t need to get involved,” she corrected, a bite to her words. “You chose to get involved in something that is none of your business. Do not take this the wrong way, but how could you possibly help? Do you know of matters regarding the occult? Have you happened to see something odd and suspicious occur recently?”
“No, but I can help nonetheless,” he insisted. Giving a slight bow, he continued, “My name is Oren Therion, and I am a tracker.”
“Oren,” she said, letting his name linger in the air. It was a fitting name for someone who looked so regal. “And you truly think that you could help?”
Without a second thought, he affirmed, “Oh, most definitely. I do have some experience in the realm of missing people. I’ve helped others look, as well as having to track down someone from my own life.” She had to admit that her interest was piqued, and she considered how nice it would be to travel with someone with such experience. His face became serious, his gaze meeting hers. It looked like he was trying to read her emotions and see what she was thinking.
“How much do you normally charge people for your services as a tracker?” Asteria hoped it wouldn’t be too much. She was running low on coin as it was, and part of her was afraid that she could not afford his services.
She had been saving everything she earned before she left her village. After working long mornings on her family’s farm, she would go and work at the bakery for the rest of her day. Some days she had been out before the sun rose and did not return until well after it set. The pay from the bakery was far from what she needed it to be, but over time she had managed to stash away a good deal of coin. Knowing that all of that hard work was now nearly gone caused disappointment to take root in her and weigh her down.
“How much do you have to offer?” His tone was soft when he asked her this, as though he felt bad over it. When she took out her coin purse and emptied it into the palm of her hand, she could see the pity in his eyes. Three silver was all that she had left. He shook his head, and a bolt of panic shot through her.
Asteria fumbled over her words, pleading, “Please… Please take it. I know it may not be what you are used to receiving in compensation, but I implore you to help me. I’ve been on the road for weeks, and I have come no closer to finding my brother than I was when I left.”
“No, you misunderstand,” Oren stated. “I just don’t want to take what little you have left. I can’t in good conscience take your coin.”
She tilted her head, confused. What sort of tracker would turn down the coin she offered, even if it was a measly amount?
Noticing that she seemed lost, he clarified, “Oh, I should be more clear. I won’t take that much coin off of you. You have only a few silver left - barely enough for a room. I cannot take all that you have left. I will take one silver from you as an investment in my services. Then, someday, you can pay the rest… whatever that may end up being. It could be another silver, it could be some gold. For now, though, the one silver will do. A simple arrangement to save you from losing all of your coin. You’ll especially need it for the journey ahead.”
Still confused, she accepted his offer. She was not sure what his aim was. Why he was so willing to help left her feeling unsure. She could not see a reason behind it. Sure, he had personal experience in searching for a loved one, but plenty of others would have used that to their advantage and likely demanded more. Her eyes wandered over him, observing him more closely. Everything he wore seemed of good quality and remained in good condition. But upon closer inspection, there were small tears and patches in his clothes from at least some wearing down. His apparel tells her that he must be good at what he does, not just anyone could afford such; and he had a Sun's Stone, something most would have to pay far more coin than she could make in a season. So, what reason could someone like him have to make such a bargain with her?
Before she could speak, Oren explained, “I can see that you feel cautious - perhaps even suspicious- of my offer. That’s fair, and I understand. However, I do truly want to help you find your brother.”
“I suppose I just don’t see what you get out of this deal other than a silver or two, which is probably nothing compared to your regular rate. So, what do you get out of this?” She tried to sound polite, but there was a bite in her voice that she could not suppress. He was right when he said that she was suspicious. Who wouldn’t be?
“That’s…” his voice trailed off. After a brief moment, he cleared his throat and continued, “That is not an easy question to answer. I suppose there is the adventure and mystery of it all. You mentioned cult activity when questioning the barkeep, so that plays a role in my decision; I haven’t dealt with anything occult yet. It could be fun.”
Fun? Asteria thought to herself. She had to hold back a laugh of astonishment. What about any of this is fun?
She felt a burning frustration, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. There would be plenty of time to sort that out later. While Oren was an odd character to pop up, he was the only person who has extended a helping hand to her through the couple of weeks that she’d been on this journey. Besides, something in her knew that there was more at play than just him thinking that searching for her brother and his possible ties to the occult could be “fun”.
Extending her hand toward him, she declared, “Then it’s a deal. I give you one silver; you help me find Adrin.”
His hand was strong and rough like bark, but he shook her hand gently. Their contract was sealed in that moment.
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