Cassian was starting to think there had been something in his morning meal that made him agree to the thief’s ridiculous idea. It was the only reason he could think of as to why he’d agreed they should search for the staff’s fragments together. 

It was, in short, a decision he’d regretted immediately after making it. 

“So, where are we going again?” 

Cassian swallowed back the tired sigh that threatened to slip past his lips for what seemed like the hundredth time since they’d left behind the small town. He avoided looking at the thief. His face alone was enough to put Cassian in a foul mood and he was already miserable enough as it was. 

“I told you, we’re going to have to do something about getting you a better weapon if you want a chance at staying alive to face Ethelred. For that we need some materials,” Cassian didn’t elaborate, stopped by the thought of where those materials could be found. The thought of revisiting that particular location made him all that more regretful of ever letting the thief tag along. 

“That didn’t answer my question,” Elias prompted with an expectant look on his face. 

Cassian wondered if maybe it wouldn’t be better to leave the thief behind. It would be all too easy a thing to do. Just a little bit of magic cast when the thief least expected it and Cassian would be free to walk away. 

With my luck, he’d manage to hunt me down before the day was done, he thought, resigned to being stuck with his current companion. After all, there was little chance the thief would let him get away so long as he held a fragment of the staff. 

Cassian was too convenient a tool for the thief, his skill and experience dealing with the staff something Elias lacked. Aside from that, there was also his knowledge of Ethelred and his ways. Loathe though Cassian was to admit it—even if only to himself—the thief was right in thinking that the information Cassian held about Ethelred was valuable. 

It was this knowledge, after all, that helped him deal with Ethered’s tricks and the creatures he sent out to do his bidding. Much as Cassian wished it weren’t so, the thief seemed to have some amount of cleverness. It was definitely enough to want to keep Cassian close at hand. 

“There’s a place not too far from here where we can find what we need,” Cassian said, reluctant to tell the thief too much, but knowing he had little choice. At least, unless he wanted to end up being annoyed to an earlier than planned grave—granted, an early grave didn’t sound too bad at the moment. 

“Well, I hope it’s not too far. The longer we take in finding the other pieces the more people will be put in danger.” Cassian looked over at the thief, surprised at the show of concern for anyone other than himself. Apparently, he took offense to Cassian’s disbelief. “What? Is it surprising that I’d want to help people?” 

“Without pay? A little, yes,” Cassian said with a nod and not a shred of hesitation.

“You’re such an ass,” Elias grumbled. 

Cassian felt a little better after hearing that. He was also very happy when the thief remained silent for a while longer, seemingly wary of getting another one of Cassian’s insults—which was smart, seeing as Cassian had much to draw inspiration from. The quiet between them made the walk down the lonely road a little more bearable. 

“By the way—” Elias started, only to be interrupted when Cassian groaned at the sound of the thief’s voice breaking the blessed silence. The necromancer received a glare for his trouble. “I was going to ask about your arm,” Elias said in a sulky tone. 

It took Cassian a moment to figure out what he was talking about. In that time, he stared blankly at the thief while his mind processed the question.

“Oh. It’s fine,” he said, not really bothered by the slight injury. “It looked worse than it actually was.” Which was mostly true. It had been little more than a glancing blow, the amount of blood he’d lost being the worst of it. Of course, it would have been far more serious on an average person, but Cassian was anything but that. 

“It looked like that thing almost took your arm off.” There was a note of disbelief in Elias’ tone that Cassian thought was a little amusing. He just shrugged in response. 

“I have some skills in treating wounds,” he said when it looked like the thief was about to throw a fit, something Cassian didn’t want to have to deal with.

“Oh, right, you made that antidote you gave me,” Elias said after seemingly thinking back to that night when Cassian had saved his life. 

“I had to survive somehow and the only real skill I had was my knowledge of magic and natural materials.” Not to mention, they were the only things readily available to a half-dead former necromancer with little more than the clothes on his back.

Cassian didn’t like to think too much about those days, back when he’d been dealing with so much pain—both physical and mental—that he was surprised he’d survived for long enough to heal somewhat. After years of having what he’d thought was a home, he suddenly found himself alone once more and reeling from Ethelred’s betrayal and its effects. A lot of that period of his life was still a blur, or maybe Cassian just wanted to wipe it from his mind to avoid the pain thoughts of it brought.

He could barely recall stumbling through the world while missing a part of himself that had been so brutally torn away. In the midst of all of it, he’d found enough of a will to live to keep going. Cassian still wasn’t sure why that was—if maybe he stayed alive out of spite alone. Whatever the case, the bit of knowledge on herbs and healing magic he’d learned through the years was enough to help him survive. 

Over the years, that knowledge had grown, and Cassian took pride in knowing he was alive thanks to the one thing Ethelred had played no part in teaching him. For so long he’d seen himself as nothing more than a necromancer. To lock that part of himself away—the part that was so much like Ethelred it hurt to think about—was refreshing. Though his life in that small cabin in the woods had been simple, Cassian had found peace there. 

It was a shame that it was not to last. 

“So, what, you became some sort of medicine seller?” Elias sounded surprised. He’d likely not been expecting Cassian to choose such a way to make a living. Or maybe when the thief looked at Cassian all he could see was a necromancer. 

Not exactly the sort of person one would expect to help keep people alive.

“Essentially,” Cassian said. “Like I said, there wasn’t much else I could do and the woods provided me with enough materials.” 

He might have offered to heal people himself, if only to earn a little more in those early days, but he knew himself well enough to reconsider. If nothing else, Cassian would alway be honest about his dislike for people. It was, as far as he knew, usually mutual.

“Huh. Good to know you can be useful.” 

When Cassian turned to glare at the thief, he was taken aback by the look on Elias’ face. There was a grin, just as Cassian had expected, but it lacked the mocking edge it usually held. Instead, Cassian found a more relaxed expression and an almost teasing look in the thief’s eyes. 

For a moment, he found himself staring. Maybe it was just that Cassian was too used to seeing a more guarded look on Elias’ face—guarded and sharp much as the thief usually was. Or maybe it was just the drastic change the expression brought onto Elias. 

He looked just as wild as always, just as likely to trick you out of everything you owned with a laugh—and maybe a bit of stabbing. There was just something lighter there, almost like the clouds parting to let the sunlight through for just a moment. It almost felt wrong for Cassian to witness it. 

“What is it?” Elias asked, his grin replaced by a puzzled look at Cassian’s continued staring. A moment later, his grin was back, this time too sly for Cassian’s liking. He braced himself for whatever nonsense the thief was about to spew. “Dazzled by my good looks?” 

Cassian’s glare returned, this time accompanied by a scowl. 

“OW!” Elias jumped at the sudden shock that struck him and rubbed at his arm. “Will you stop using magic against me?!”

Cassian huffed while tucking his arm back under his cloak. He quickened his pace, leaving behind the thief and crediting the warmth on his face to sheer irritation. 

“So, where are we going?” 

Cassian was starting to think this would be a much longer trip than he’d expected. He just hoped he didn’t end up killing the thief before he proved useful enough to be worth the trouble.