A Mage and Her Warrior (clean version, complete)

[Wig_Powder]

I recently finished writing and posting the original version of this story over on the Adult board (thanks again to everyone who stuck with it over my various delays!) but while there were absolutely some chapters that qualify as 18+, most of them would have been perfectly fine on the main board. As such, since I think the story is decent, I decided to repost it here for everyone else to read, though of course I'll be editing the more explicit chapters. I also plan to post one chapter every other day, in order to give each chapter time to breathe.

Three things before we begin. One, there isn't going to be any sneezing for the first few chapters, since I have to set the scene. I'll let you know when it's about to appear.

Two, this is a fantasy story, and as such, occasionally has fight scenes or fantasy style evil plots. This first chapter in particular has some of those darker elements--nothing that I think qualifies as 18+, but enough to offer a warning to those who don't like violence.

And three, any similarities between our male hero and a certain video game character is...absolutely not coincidental. In my defense, I took the character arc that developed over the course of the game and made it the starting point, with my fic dealing with the aftermath. So perhaps we can consider it an homage rather than a ripoff...?

And after all that preamble, it's time to get the ball rolling!

Chapter 1

 

To outsiders, Obeis Tower looked like just the place for an adventurer to cut his teeth. Set on an island in the middle of a lake at the southernmost end of Quaysit, its isolation combined with its height gave the impression of being an enchanted structure, where a beautiful maiden was held against her will, waiting for a hero to overcome all obstacles to rescue her. As it happened, it was an enchanted structure, but the people inside it were more than happy to be there.

Obeis Tower was, in fact, the foremost magic school in Quaysit. When a person’s magic manifested (usually in their early teens), they were brought to the tower to hone their skills, through reading and through lots of practice. While it was advised they remain in the tower for a few years until they had a handle on some of the wilder spells (there was a reason the rooms and books had all been charmed to be fireproof), they were allowed to communicate with their families via letter, get occasional visits from them, and then make their own visits once their tutors deemed them ready. Once they’d passed a series of tests, the students were declared full spellcasters and given the freedom to do or go wherever they liked. Some chose to remain in the tower to continue honing their skills or teaching the next generation, others left to explore and look for new items or techniques that could be useful for wizards, a tragic few let the power go to their heads and would leave and attempt to gain power for evil ends, and a good number decided to offer their skills to the wider world, as healers, crafters, or warriors.

One of these adventuring souls was Siofe Harrier, who had decided as soon as the first sparks of lightning had come from her fingers that she would put those skills to use travelling all across Quaysit, solving problems for the towns she came across and possibly earning some coin for her troubles. After she’d mastered the basics, she’d focused her studies on offensive, defensive, and healing magic, wanting to be prepared to hold her own in a fight. Her tutors chuckled at her enthusiasm, but would be the first to admit that she had the drive and energy to succeed. When Siofe decided at twenty-one that she was ready to go out and live her dream, they even gave her a bag of gold to start her off and watched her depart with waves and smiles.

It didn’t take long for Siofe to start making a name for herself. She would walk (and later, once she’d acquired a beautiful chestnut horse named Hartwin, ride) into a village, town, or city, and ask if they needed any assistance. Sometimes, it was relatively simple, like tracking down a lost calf. Other times, she would just be an extra pair of hands to help with the harvest. And sometimes it was for just the sort of things adventurers craved; defeating enemies who were harassing the inhabitants in one way or another. While she always accepted help if offered, Siofe proved that she could deal with most of these tasks on her own. This competence, and the fact that she would accept room, board, and fresh supplies in lieu of more substantial payment, gained her a positive reputation. After two years, people were more than happy to send messages to her asking for aid, or to inform her of rumors of trouble in nearby areas if she stopped at a roadside inn or tavern for the night. All in all, Siofe thought it was a nice little arrangement. They got help, and she got adventure and a little money. There wasn’t much more she could ask for.

***

One day, Siofe rode into a mid-sized town called Mandam. Hartwin’s red-brown coat and her green robes must have been recognized by someone, because she had barely entered the tavern to get a drink and ask about any jobs that needed doing when a man and a woman approached her. “Are you Siofe the Spellcaster?” the man asked.

“I am,” Siofe said, “What can I do for you?”

“Our daughter’s gone missing,” the man answered, “She didn’t come home from work at the weaver’s yesterday, and no one’s seen her around town today.”

“Is there any possibility of a secret romance?” Siofe asked, hating to ask something so personal but needing to get a full picture of her task.

Both parents shook their head firmly. “She’s being courted by the jeweler’s boy, Eric. He was at the shop today, and assured us he and Beatrix haven’t had any sort of falling out. And she hasn’t fought with us either. There’s no reason we can think of that she would have run off.”

“Have there been any reports of similar things befalling other people or animals in town?” Siofe suspected the answer was no, because she almost certainly would have heard something about it during her travels, but it didn’t hurt to ask.

They shook their heads again. “No. We haven’t had any problems like that since the Tynto dealt with a pack of wolves roaming too close to Mandam last year.”

“The Tynto?” Siofe repeated.

“They’re an order of warriors who help protect Lord Illet’s home, as well as dealing with larger threats that the town guard aren’t able to manage on their own. I’m surprised you haven’t run into any on your travels; they’re fighters of some renown, and often go out to right wrongs in other areas of Quaysit, like you.”

“Can’t say that I’ve met any. Have you spoken to them about this?”

“We didn’t think it had reached that point yet,” the father said, “Our plan before we heard you’d arrived was to get as much information as we could, and present it to the town guard if we hadn’t found her by evening. If they failed to find her, then we would all approach the Tynto.”

“Understandable, though in my experience, the faster you can find a missing person or animal, the better,” Siofe said, “Having what sounds like a good deal of resources to aid you could only be to the good.” Then she nodded at them. “Tell me anything else you think could be important, and I’ll see what I can do.”

They smiled at her gratefully, and the three of them moved to a table in the corner to talk things over a little more privately. Though in truth, there wasn’t much more to tell; Beatrix was a pleasant girl who had no history of causing trouble, she didn’t have anyone with a grudge against her as far as her parents (the Minsets) were aware, and they’d already asked around in the few places Beatrix spent her time. Armed with that knowledge, Siofe offered some reassurances to the Minsets, then headed straight for the headquarters of the town guard to get a little more information.

While the guards were happy to assist her when they realized who she was, they couldn’t offer up much help. They hadn’t seen or heard of any unusual or suspicious strangers arriving in Mandam, there hadn’t been any dangerous wild animals sighted in or near the town, and there hadn’t been any reported crimes or major incidents the night before, save for a brawl at one of the taverns that was quickly broken up. They promised to keep an eye out and ask around to speed up the search, and Siofe left to make a few more inquiries.

Most of the people she talked to—Eric and his father, Beatrix’s friends, various shopkeepers—didn’t have any information they hadn’t already related to the Minsets. However, when she went to the weaver’s shop where Beatrix worked, something caught her attention. Mistress Feltrin, the owner, said that the shop had been putting in longer than usual hours thanks to a large order from the Tynto, and as the job was nearly finished, Feltrin had allowed Beatrix and the other outside help to leave at the usual time of five pm, figuring they could finish the job and deliver it the next day. This second mention (and now somewhat direct connection) to the Tynto was enough to tell Siofe that their offices should be the next stop.

It wasn’t hard to find the Tynto’s headquarters. It was a grand building, second only to a manor that was probably where Lord Illet lived. The guards outside the door, dressed in bright silver armor emblazoned with a stylized infinity symbol, were about what she expected based on what she’d heard—they stood straighter and asked her to state her business when she approached, but relaxed their grips on their weapons and stepped away when she explained about Beatrix. Nodding to them, she entered the building.

The interior of the building had more of a feel of a military barracks, though there were still traces of finery in the décor and the quality of the wood and stone. To her slight surprise, Siofe met with the man in charge, Captain Vess, fairly quickly. “Quite the operation you have here, Captain.” Siofe said with a smile, figuring a compliment would make him more receptive to helping her.

“Thank you,” Vess said, bowing his head modestly, “Though I can’t take any credit for it. I’m only in the lower echelons of the Tynto’s power structure. You’ve come along during the bi-monthly meeting between the senior members and Lord Illet. I’m just making sure the place runs smoothly while they’re gone.”

“I see,” Siofe said, “Well, perhaps you and the junior members will be able to help me.”

She explained the situation, including the fact that Beatrix had been assisting in an order for the Tynto. “Have you seen her recently in regards to this work, or heard talk about this order?” she asked.

Vess thought for a minute. “No. I hadn’t heard of any new orders for us. Most of our clothing is armor, not cloth.”

Siofe found that odd, but decided not to comment. “Well, it was worth a shot,” she said, bowing to him, “How long will this meeting be?”

“It’s generally three or four days,” Vess replied, “They should be finished tomorrow. But sometimes one of the Masters returns to check on things. You can wait for an hour or so to try to speak with one of them, if you like.”

“That would be ideal,” Siofe agreed, “They may not be able to do anything right now, but getting the word out so they can start assisting in the search as soon as possible would be wise.”

“I’ll have someone fetch you if one of them returns,” Vess said, offering his hand, “In the meantime, why don’t you look around our grounds? Some of the newer recruits are training, and you can get a sense of the way we run things.”

“Thank you.” Siofe said, shaking his hand and making her way out of the building. Once outside, she began to walk around the grounds, admiring both the well-maintained lawn, the wide and beautiful assortment of trees, flowers, and shrubs, and the architecture of the building. When she finally turned the corner, she saw a wide expanse of ground that was divided into sections, each one clearly used for a different sort of training. Men in the same gleaming silver armor barked orders and a few insults at younger men in more tarnished armor, who sprinted, climbed, sparred with swords, rode horses, and other courses designed to make them battle ready. Most of the men didn’t even seem to notice her, focused on the matter at hand. A few of the instructors nodded their heads at her briefly, then returned to yelling instructions. And one or two of the trainees gawped at her, only to be called out for it and berated. It felt a bit harsh to Siofe, but then again, her brief encounters with military types suggested that it was normal, so she tried to move along quickly to provide less of a distraction.

When she turned the corner again, disappearing from the view of the training grounds, she paused when she felt a faint crackle of magic. All spellcasters were trained to identify magic close by, either to seek aid or sense danger. Ordinarily, Siofe would have dismissed this as benign magic, probably the Tynto’s healer, but the fact that she hadn’t felt any magic on the grounds prior to now seemed odd. She closed her eyes, seeking the source, and realized it was low to the ground. Having an idea of what to look for, she began to walk up and down the length of lawn, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. At last, she spotted a patch of ground that looked more worn than the rest of the lawn, and knelt down by it, casting a spell to illuminate any hidden magic. Sure enough, a trapdoor appeared in front of her, painted green to help with the illusion. Grabbing onto the ring in front of her, Siofe pulled the door open, slipping inside and closing it quickly so as not to arouse suspicion.

As soon as she was down in what turned out to be a dimly lit corridor paved with cobblestone, she heard noise in the distance. She tensed, readying a shield spell, but then she realized that the noise didn’t seem to be approaching her, nor did it sound threatening. Siofe remained on her guard, but started moving forward, keeping to the shadows. There was no telling what she’d encounter down here, so caution was the best option until she knew what sort of spells were needed.

The noise she’d heard grew more distinct as she walked, turning into the rattling of metal and a male’s voice, which sounded simultaneously angry and bewildered. When she got a little further, she could finally make out what he was saying.

“…beg you, Osgar, don’t do this! Think of your own sisters! Would you want them to be in this situation?”

Siofe immediately began to suspect what was going on, and quickened her steps. When there was no response from Osgar, the man spoke again, accompanied by another rattling of metal. “You don’t honestly think you’ll be able to get away with this, do you? Her parents will ask questions! The town guard will get involved!”

“Master Dunne has assured me that we won’t be discovered,” another man answered, his voice curt, “As I said, this has been going on for quite some time.”

The rattling of metal redoubled. “I’ll find a way out of here, Osgar!” the first man declared, “I won’t just sit quietly and wait for my fate! I’ll report on what you’re doing, or die trying!”

Siofe approached the doorway where the voices were coming from just as Osgar replied. “If that’s the case, so be it. Though I hope we can sway you to our way of thinking before it comes to that.”

Siofe peered into the room to take stock of the situation. The place was laid out like a prison, cells on either side. A man in the left cell was gripping onto the bars tightly, clad only in the undertunic armor users wore to protect their skin. All his attention was focused on the other cell, where another man, wearing the Tynto’s silver armor, was winding golden chains around the arms of a gagged and terrified young woman. Just as the man in the cell spat “Never!” Siofe decided to take advantage of the element of surprise. Leaping into the doorway, she lifted her hands and hit Osgar with a stunning spell, then a paralysis bind. As he froze in place, she came into the room proper and touched the back of his neck, putting him to sleep. As he fell to the ground, Siofe looked at the woman, who was frozen in fright. “Beatrix?” Siofe asked.

The woman nodded, and Siofe moved into the cell, undoing the gag. “I’m a friend,” Siofe said as she did so, “Your parents are worried about you. Are you all right?”

“Y-yes,” Beatrix said weakly, “Two men grabbed me and gagged me when I was leaving Mistress Feltrin’s, but other than some scrapes from being roughly handled, they haven’t hurt me.” Her eyes filled with tears. “But they were going to…going to…”

“Sacrifice you,” Siofe finished, nodding grimly, “I’ve heard of this before. Human sacrifices in exchange for power. The younger and purer the soul, the better.” She started to remove the chains (which looked more decorative than binding now that she was closer), then thought better of it; it was more evidence of wrongdoing. “Do you know how to get to the town guard’s headquarters from here?”

Beatrix nodded again. “Good,” Siofe said, “I’ll lead you out of here and get you on the main road. Once you’re there, run straight to the guards and tell them what happened. Show them these chains as partial proof. Get them to mobilize as many men as possible to come stop whatever ritual is going on here. I’ll do what I can to make sure the entrance remains visible for them. You!” she said, turning to the man in the cell, who had been staring at her in amazement this whole time and now took a startled step backwards, “You said you were willing to die trying to report on what’s happening. How about risking your life to actively fight against it?”

The man hesitated, but just for a moment. “Yes,” he said, “I’ll do what I can to stop this. Even if it means going against the Masters.”

“All right,” Siofe said, raising her hand and pointing it at the cell door, “Stand back.”

The man moved out of the way immediately, and Siofe shot an ice spell at the lock. “That should do it,” she said, “See if you can force that door open.”

The man threw his shoulder against the door, which opened immediately with a resounding crack. Siofe spared a moment to be impressed; she wouldn’t have expected that much power from the man’s wiry build. Then she returned to the matter at hand. “We don’t have time to get you properly armored,” she said, taking the gag that had been used on Beatrix and using it on Osgar instead, “So you’ll have to make do with his. Dress yourself in his gear, then tie him up and lock him in this cell so he can’t alert anybody. I’ll be back once I’ve seen Beatrix to the road. Clear?”

“Yes, Ma’am!” the man responded immediately, almost automatically. She nodded at him, then steered Beatrix around Osgar’s unconscious form before moving as fast as she could out of the room.

To Beatrix’s credit, despite no doubt being confused and scared, she gamely kept pace with Siofe as they hurried back down the hall to the trapdoor. Siofe flung the door open without ceremony, and climbed up the ladder first to check for danger. There was no one else present; no doubt the junior officers were still training the recruits, and the senior ones…Siofe shook her head and gestured for Beatrix to come up. Not wanting to take any chances, she led them around the corner to the side of the building she hadn’t explored yet, which turned out to be where the Tynto’s horses were stabled. There were a few people there tending to the horses, but they didn’t appear to be armed, so Siofe didn’t pay them much mind other than registering their lack of weapons and their startled look as two women hurried past them. Returning to the main courtyard, Siofe signaled for Beatrix to wait, then moved up quietly behind the nearest guard at the gate and pressed her fingers to his neck, putting him to sleep. She’d done the same to the other guard before he had a chance to fully register what had happened. She beckoned Beatrix forward, then pointed down the road. “Run to the guards as fast as you can. The sooner we deal with this, the sooner we can stop these rituals from happening again. And the sooner you can be reunited with your parents.” Beatrix was still pale, but nodded resolutely and ran off down the road. Much as Siofe wanted to watch her until she disappeared from view to make sure she was safe, there was still work to be done. So she turned back the way she’d come, hoping it would be a while before the unconscious guards were discovered. More importantly, she hoped her ally really was her ally.

Her concern was unfounded. When she returned to the cell (after burning a strip of grass around the trapdoor and leaving it open for good measure), she found the former prisoner waiting for her, dressed in Osgar’s armor, while Osgar himself had been locked in the cell as instructed. The armor was a little big on her friend(?), but it would hopefully be adequate protection for whatever they were about to face. She nodded at him. “Let’s go. The guard will hopefully be here soon to provide reinforcements, but we should make sure there isn’t anyone else we need to save.”

“I don’t think there is,” the man said, even as he followed her down the unexplored part of the corridor, “From what Osgar said, it seems there’s only one sacrifice every meeting.”

“Even so, we need to keep them contained, or at least distracted long enough for the guards to come and apprehend them.” Siofe uncorked one of her flasks of energy regeneration and downed it as they went. “How many senior Tynto members are we facing, and how strong are they?”

“Twenty. Five Masters and fifteen high-ranked soldiers. Most of them are in excellent fighting condition.”

“Didn’t think it would be easy,” Siofe said with a grimace, “So we’ve got a mini-army and a dark spellcaster to deal with.”

“‘Spellcaster?’” the man repeated, sounding confused.

“You generally don’t do a human sacrifice without some magic being involved. And given that the entire upper echelon of the Tynto is going along with this, I think I can hazard a guess as to who’s responsible.”

There was a brief silence, and then the man said “Lord Illet?”, sounding shocked.

“Your primary function is to serve as his bodyguards, despite the fact that this town seems pretty peaceful. And unless I’m very much mistaken, this tunnel runs from the Tynto’s headquarters to Lord Illet’s manor. The directions seem right based on what I’ve seen. Have any experience fighting spellcasters?”

“We’re taught how to defend ourselves against them and a few disarming attacks if we can get close enough, but it’s all been theoretical. We haven’t run into any dark spellcasters since I became a Lieutenant.”

Siofe chuckled mirthlessly. “Not that you knew of. And I can’t help but wonder if I may have found myself being used as your lesson had things turned out differently. I wouldn’t put it past your Lord Illet to try to make sure I wouldn’t be a threat.”

Her companion had no response to that, and Siofe didn’t elaborate, preferring to save her breath. After a bit more running, the two of them came in view of some thick iron doors, and she signaled for them to stop. “Let’s not jump in and put them on the alert,” she murmured, “They’re probably waiting for Osgar to return with Beatrix. Once they decide he’s taking too long, they’ll probably send someone to see what’s keeping him, and that’s when we’ll strike. Be ready.”

She glanced over just in time to see the man nod, pulling his borrowed sword half out of its sheath and assuming a fighting stance. Siofe smiled approvingly. “One more thing.”

He glanced at her curiously. She smiled a bit wider, even as she prepared a stunning spell. “I might as well know who I’m diving into a foolhardy battle with. What’s your name?”

He blinked, then gave a faint chuckle. “Baldric.”

“Siofe.” Siofe offered in return, then turned back to the door. “You take care of whoever comes through the door. I’ll try to hit Lord Illet.”

“Right.” Baldric replied, and they fell silent, waiting. Siofe used the time to consider her next few steps after she loosed her stunning spell, while also trying to figure out how long it would take for their backup to arrive. Since she didn’t have many frames of reference of the layout of the town, the former was easier than the latter.

All too soon, the doors began to creak open. Siofe only just caught a glimpse of a vaulted ceiling, a silver altar, and a circle of men around it before she spotted her true target—a tall, thin man in flame colored robes standing above everyone else in a twisted approximation of a pulpit—and shot her stunning spell at him. As it had had time to build, it hit him with a great deal of force, knocking him backwards. Cries of anger and confusion rang out, but Siofe ignored them, jumping into the room, clapping her hands together, and then sweeping them outwards as far as she could. At least half a dozen men were blown back, scattering their numbers and hopefully disorienting them a bit. Spinning around, she took just enough time to identify Baldric and cast a shield spell around him, compensating for his lack of the real thing. Then she began to move around the room, throwing spells at whoever was closest to her, hoping to knock them out or at least prevent them from getting close enough to hit her. She could feel both her physical and her magical energy flagging the longer she kept at it, but she continued to dart around the chamber, casting spells with one hand while she felt in her pouch for another energy regeneration flask. She didn’t know where Baldric was, neither did she much care. All that mattered was staying alive and keeping the group busy until help arrived.

She didn’t know how long she fought. All she knew was that she was in the process of trying to find a third flask when she heard loud shouts and the clanking of metal, more than there had been before. Firing another stunning spell at the man running at her with a sword, she looked over her shoulder in time to see a new group of men in armor charging into the room. Heart leaping in relief, Siofe made her way over to them, still casting spells as she went. With the town guard providing a buffer, she drank her potion, then used the new burst of adrenaline to support them in rounding up both Lord Illet and the senior Tynto members. Thanks to their help, the twenty enemies were easily subdued, and the battle was decisively won.

As the men were being chained up, Dagget, the captain of the guard, came over to her to thank her and ask for more details about what had happened and what exactly Lord Illet had to do with all this. They stood by the entrance to the chamber, Siofe trying to tell the story with only a minimum of exaggeration, while the other guards led the prisoners away. Just as she was describing her suspicions of what Lord Illet was using these sacrificial rituals for, she glanced over at the men filing out, and her eyes widened when she saw Baldric among the group being led away in chains. “Let that one go!” she said, pointing at him, “He helped me keep the others busy until you showed up. He doesn’t deserve to be among them!”

Baldric gave her a grateful glance, but Dagget shook his head. “Given what you’ve said, it’s better to lock up the entire Tynto until we can determine how many of them were involved in this business. Though if you vouch for him, that’ll make it easier on him at the trial. You’re going to have to stay and give testimony, of course; really, you’ll probably be the star witness behind Miss Minset.”

Siofe nodded. “Of course I’ll stay. In fact, I can contact Obeis Tower and ask them to send a spellcaster adept in determining the truth, to make absolutely sure you separate the guilty and the innocent.”

“That would be appreciated,” Dagget said, as the guards led Baldric away, “In the meantime, I’ll need you to finish your initial statement. I’m going to need all the material I can get to explain to the town why we just arrested the whole of the elite peacekeeping force.”

***

Siofe spent another two months in Mandam thanks to the trial. One month was spent waiting for the judicial spellcaster to arrive, while the other was dedicated to the trial itself. Siofe didn’t mind hanging around too much, if it meant that justice would be done. Besides, she and Hartwin were being well looked after, bunking in the finest inn in town and always given free drinks (or in Hartwin’s case, apples and sugar) wherever they went. There were some people who looked at her askance, clearly unwilling to accept the idea that the Tynto had been up to no good, but mostly, she was regarded as a hero. And she certainly didn’t mind basking in the accolades.

When Nijoy, the spellcaster, arrived, the trial got underway immediately. There were so many defendants and so much public interest that the proceedings were held in the town square, everyone donating spare tables and chairs to help make things easier. After the logistics were figured out, things settled into a cycle; someone was called up, and they’d give their story and answer questions from the prosecutor, while Nijoy stood beside them, casting a truthfulness spell that would make the speaker glow red if they lied. It started with Beatrix, Siofe, and Dagget telling their accounts of what happened, and then Lord Illet and the Tynto began to be questioned. At which point, the full story gradually came to light.

As expected, Illet was a spellcaster who had decided he wanted to use his powers for personal gain. Once he’d gained money and a title, the next step was to gather a power base. Thus, he established himself as an important figure in Mandam, and used his wealth and influence to create the Tynto. For the first decade or so, the Tynto functioned exactly as everyone thought it did; a peacekeeping force to supplement the town guard and deal with larger threats, complete with travelling to other areas to gain experience and renown. But after that, Illet began to enact his master plan.

In order to gain more strength and energy for spellcasting (not to mention prolonging his life), Illet had been regularly making human sacrifices every two months. Up till now, he’d been taking people who wouldn’t be missed, but with his own personal army on hand, things would be easier. He convinced the Masters to assist him, eventually encompassing the senior Tynto members as well, promising them more strength and longevity for their efforts. Many agreed readily, and those who didn’t were used for the next sacrifice and replaced by more agreeable men.

The plan was brilliant, in a twisted way. The Tynto was seen as a prestigious position, so there was no shortage of recruits. Prospective members would be tested once a year, and the Masters would secretly divide them into three categories. One group were genuinely talented, and would be brought into the fold. A second group, those that were clearly unfit for the job or had talent but weren’t quite up to the Tynto’s standards, were rejected—many of these men would go on to join the town guard instead. And the final group were just talented enough that they could be accepted without suspicion, but were really intended for the sacrificial altar. They’d warned potential recruits and their families in advance that the training would be hard and might lead to death. So when a trainee was sacrificed, all they had to do was dip into their small collection of excuses to explain what had happened. Some popular ones were “He overworked himself”, “He snuck off to prove himself and met a bad end”, or “We sent him on a mission elsewhere in Quaysit and he was tragically struck down.”

Occasionally, however, they would run out of recruits, which meant that they’d need to find an outside source for their sacrifices. Generally, this meant fabricating a crisis (Illet’s magic helped a lot with that) and “heroically” solving it, but not before a member of the town met a tragic fate. Such had been the case with the wolf attacks the previous year, and something similar would have been cooked up to explain Beatrix’s disappearance. It was just their misfortune that Siofe had come into town before they could put that explanation into motion.

One by one, the senior members of the Tynto confirmed and added to the story, such as the detail that in time, Lord Illet hoped to expand the Tynto across Quaysit, until he had enough men and power to try to mount a coup. By the time Osgar stepped down from the witness stand, it was obvious the crowd had completely turned against the once-respected group. They wanted blood, and it seemed likely that the judge would grant them that wish.

Then the recruits and the junior members began to take the stand. And every single one of them had the same story, just stated in different ways; they had had no idea of what was going on in the upper echelons of the Tynto. They had truly believed they were part of an elite fighting group that was intended to fight evil and protect the good. Even without Nijoy’s spell, their shock and horror at what they’d unwittingly been a part of was too raw to be faked, and the audience’s anger cooled a little. After Baldric explained how he had wound up learning the truth—he’d thought he’d heard screaming while tending to a horse after riding practice, and then stumbled across the trapdoor by accident—Siofe could hear murmurs of sympathy. While it was pretty clear the Tynto as an organization would be disbanded, its members would not be entirely wiped out. Well, not the junior members, anyway.

Sure enough, after all the testimonies had been given and the judge had been given a day to deliberate, he returned with a very clear verdict. Lord Illet, the five Masters, and six of the senior guard were all to be put to death. The remaining nine senior members were to be jailed for life, let out only to do hard labor. But the junior members and the recruits were all absolved of any wrong-doing, and were free to resume their lives. The crowd applauded the decision, and then heartily booed and hissed at Illet and the twenty guilty Tynto members as they were led away. Siofe just nodded in grim satisfaction, and waited in her seat, accepting the occasional compliment for her part in proceedings, until the crowd had thinned out.

As she was leaving, she was a bit surprised to see a familiar face leaning up against a tree, staring up at the sky. “Enjoying your freedom?” she asked.

Baldric jumped, then looked over at her. “No,” he said, shaking his head, “If anything, it’s the freedom that’s the problem.”

Siofe was startled by that response. “How so?”

“I’ve been part of the Tynto since I was thirteen. And I’d wanted to be a part of it as soon as I was old enough to understand what it was. The possibility of one day earning the title of Master was the goal I strove for. I was so proud to be a part of such a noble organization, helping to protect people. And now…I’ve lost my goal, my home, and my good memories.”

“I’m sorry,” Siofe said, moving to lean up against another side of the tree, “You’re right, this can’t be easy for you and the others.”

“For me especially,” Baldric said, before shaking his head again and laughing faintly, “I’m sure this makes me sound horrible, but while I’m glad to have exposed Lord Illet and the others and prevented more deaths, there’s a part of me that wishes I hadn’t ever found out. Does that even make sense?”

“I think so,” Siofe responded, “I can’t imagine what that feels like, but I can see how you’d feel conflicted.”

Baldric sighed, then abruptly changed the subject. “I never thanked you, did I? For rescuing me and standing up for me.”

Siofe shrugged. “Anyone else in my position would have done the same. Besides, I needed extra help in distracting the group long enough for help to arrive.”

“Even so, you came to my aid without hesitation, and you trusted me not to join with the others. I appreciate that.”

“And I appreciated your help. Granted, I had no idea what you were up to until you gave your testimony, but you clearly gave it your all, despite the circumstances.”

“At least my training was good for one thing.” Baldric said bitterly, looking up at the sky again. Siofe looked him over, noting his tense shoulders and pained face, and an idea took root in her mind. Though there was one thing she needed to know before she let it sprout.

“Do you have any ideas on what you’re going to do with yourself now?”

“No,” Baldric answered, “Captain Dagget came to the junior members last night and told us that, assuming we were acquitted, we would be welcome to join the town guard. A lot of the others seemed happy to take him up on it, but I don’t think I’d feel comfortable there. Not only would I have to see the faces of Osgar and the other eight senior members staring at me from their cells, but I know I’d be looked at askance by some of my old comrades, who probably feel a lot like I do right now. I’m not sure I want to be faced with that reminder day after day.”

That settled the matter for Siofe. “Then why don’t you come with me?”

Baldric turned to look at her again. “You mean…become an adventurer?”

“Why not? You said you wanted to help people. You’re brave, you’re skilled, and you clearly need a change of scenery. Seems like the perfect solution to me. And while I’d suggest you stick with me for a bit so you can learn the ropes, you can leave whenever you’d like to forge your own path.”

Baldric seemed uncertain, so Siofe tried a different approach. “Nothing will ever restore the Tynto’s reputation, but maybe having someone out there wearing their symbol and doing good will allow you, and Mandam, to start to recover from this blow.”

Baldric was silent for a moment. Then his posture straightened slightly and he nodded. “Perhaps that would be the best course of action, at that. When do you want to leave?”

“In this case, it’s more dependent on when you want to leave. You should probably gather some supplies, get your hands on a horse, and say any goodbyes you want to before we head out. So probably no earlier than tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow afternoon, then,” Baldric said, stepping away from the tree, “That is, if you’re willing to help me get the items I need this evening. Mandam has confiscated all of Illet’s and the Tynto’s property to redistribute among the citizens; it’ll probably take your clout to convince Mayor Nist to give some of it up to a former Tynto member.”

“Of course,” Siofe said, moving to join him, “Why don’t we head over there now? There’s a good chance Nist will be in a good mood, and thus more receptive, now that the trial is over and people are praising him for handling the situation so well.”

***

It was actually fairly easy to talk Nist into letting Baldric have his old armor back (“One less set to melt down”) and buying one of the old Tynto horses at a reduced rate. Baldric selected a grey and white-spotted mare named Milburga, who seemed pleased to see him. After that, Siofe gave him some money and a suggestion of things to purchase, including a tent, a bedroll, and a water flask, then left him to spend it as he would. He knew the area better than she did, after all, and it seemed like a good way to ease him into the concept of being allowed to make his own decisions. Besides, Baldric struck her as being practical; he probably wouldn’t spend it rashly.

Baldric had said he’d meet her at the edge of town no later than two the next day. Siofe took advantage of the late start to sleep in, pack her things, write and send a letter to her parents to tell them of her latest adventure, and eat a good meal before setting out. She rarely advertised her departures from a place she’d helped, not wanting to get a reputation as egotistical, but it seemed especially prudent today to leave with little fanfare. Not only did she suspect Baldric wanted to avoid attention, today was the day of the executions of the senior Tynto members, and she didn’t particularly want to be dragged into watching them. While it would be cathartic for the town, they would also most likely be applauding the deaths and encouraging the executioner not to be merciful, and that sort of thing left a bad taste in her mouth. So instead, she took side streets to the outskirts of Mandam, then dismounted from Hartwin in the shade of a nearby tree and waited.

Shortly after Mandam’s clock struck Noon, the breeze began to carry the faint sounds of cheering to Siofe’s ears. It was far enough away that she only caught scraps of it, but the sound swelled at regular intervals, telling her when another of the prisoners had gone under the blade. She just grimaced and tried to concentrate on her book.

The cheering finally stopped sometime after the clock struck one. Twenty or so minutes after that, Siofe heard the sound of a horse and armored rider approaching, and got up to greet her new companion. “You’re early,” she said with a smile, “That’ll serve you well.”

“We were taught punctuality as well as battle strategy,” Baldric answered, smiling faintly despite his ashen pallor, “And besides, my business concluded faster than I’d expected.”

Siofe nodded, before turning to mount Hartwin. “Then let’s get going. And I wouldn’t recommend looking back. It generates mixed emotions.”

Baldric nodded. “You’re probably right.” Siofe flicked the reins and clicked to Hartwin, and he moved off at a trot, Milburga quickly moving to keep pace with them.

Siofe knew better than to overwhelm Baldric with information on his first day, so she kept discussions of adventuring to a minimum. Instead, she explained a bit about how she personally operated—riding in whatever direction looked interesting until sundown, then making camp for the night—and inviting him to ask questions. He did ask a few, but he mostly stayed silent. Based on his expression, Siofe could tell that he was lost in his own thoughts, so didn’t take it personally. She just hummed to herself and looked around the road for anything that caught her eye.

As the sky started to redden, they came across a small grove of trees, and Siofe determined that that was a good place to make camp. They travelled into the grove until they found a little clearing, and Siofe nodded in satisfaction and stopped her horse. After securing Hartwin to a tree, she got to work setting up her tent, urging Baldric to follow suit. Happily, he already knew what to do, explaining that the Tynto training included learning to survive in the woods with and without gear. In fact, he was even quicker at finding wood and making a fire than she was. While he was stoking the fire, Siofe began casting spells around their camp, both to make it difficult for people or animals to stumble across it and to make it hard for them to attack if they did find it. “That way, I can sleep soundly, since I don’t have someone else to help keep watch. Well, up till now, that is.” she explained.

Baldric nodded. “It does seem better than the keeping watch method. Though I’d be happy to stand guard for a few hours if you wish.”

Siofe started to shake her head, then thought better of it. “Only if you want to. I know it can be hard to quit old habits. Besides, if you decide you want to strike out on your own, it’s probably best to keep in practice.” Baldric nodded again, and then went to tend to his horse while Siofe looked through her pack to decide what they should have for a meal.

Dinner was cooked and eaten in the same semi-silence, though at least Baldric did seem willing to talk when Siofe started up a conversation, and even started one of his own when he asked how she dealt with bad weather while travelling. Having spent most of her travels alone, Siofe didn’t mind any of this, but she hoped Baldric would become more talkative relatively soon. Otherwise, these long pauses would quickly start to get awkward.

Once their plates were cleared, Siofe cleaned the dishes with a combination of water and magic, then gave Baldric a slight smile. “Well, unless you’re in the mood for some conversation or song, I guess we should turn in. I’ll let you decide if you want to stand watch.”

“I’ll sleep for a time,” Baldric said, getting to his feet, “I might as well try to get used to the way you do things. There’s a good chance I’ll wake up in the middle of the night anyway, as that’s when…that’s when I usually was woken up to take a turn at the watch. If that’s the case, I may come out to stoke the fire and stand guard for an hour or two.”

“Whatever strikes your fancy,” Siofe said, “And thank you in advance if you do decide to stay up. My spells have served me well so far, but it never hurts to have an extra bit of protection.”

Baldric gave her a small smile. “I’ll do what I can. I always have.” Something glinted in his eyes for a moment, and then he turned and moved towards his tent. After feeding the fire a little more wood, Siofe followed suit.

It didn’t take long for her to change into her nightclothes and settle down on her bedroll. She watched the shadows from the fire dance on the side of her tent, waiting for them to lull her to sleep, listening idly to the noises around her on the off chance of there being trouble. But all was well; the horses’ noises indicated that they were calm, there were a few last snatches of song from the birds, and the fire’s crackle was steady. The only unusual noise was the faint clank of metal, presumably Baldric removing and possibly cleaning his armor. Eventually, that sound ceased, and Siofe assumed that meant he’d settled in for the night. That must have been a concern in the back of her mind, because it was only now that she truly began to feel sleep tugging at her.

Just as she closed her eyes, a new sound caught her attention, and she opened them again immediately, trying to gauge the situation. Everything else looked and sounded the same as it had been a second ago, and while she hadn’t fully registered what the sound was, it hadn’t sounded actively threatening, just something out of the ordinary. Siofe lay still and listened closely, waiting to see if the sound came again.

After a few moments, it did, and this time, she was able to identify it as a gasp of air. A wounded or dying animal near the camp, perhaps? No, the horses probably would react to it in some way. More likely, it had come from Baldric. But what did it mean? Had he picked up on a danger? Or was he in the grip of a nightmare?

Then the gasp came again, and Siofe’s heart softened when she heard the watery shudder in it. Everything was clear now. After turning things over for a minute, she raised her voice. “Baldric?”

A brief pause, and then “Yes?” Siofe had to commend him for managing to have only a touch of strain in his voice. She only hoped it wasn’t due to Tynto training.

“I think the wind might get a little loud tonight. I was planning on casting a silencing spell around my tent to block the sound. I can do the same for you, if you’d like.”

Another pause. Then, “Thank you, but I’d…I’d rather not. It’s better to hear if there’s a potential threat.”

“I thought you might say that, but figured I should ask. Good night, then.”

With that, she cast the silencing spell, adding a little flash of light that Baldric would hopefully see through the tent wall. Then she closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep, leaving Baldric to his own devices.

When she woke up the next morning, it took her a minute to realize why she wasn’t hearing any birds, and she chuckled lightly before undoing the spell. Then she stretched and dressed before emerging into the daylight.

Baldric was sitting by the fire, already in his armor and in the process of making some eggs. He looked up as she approached, and smiled, a much broader smile than any she’d seen on him previously. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” she said, sitting down across from him, “Sleep well?”

“I did. Even though I stood watch for a few hours, I feel…I don’t know, invigorated. Maybe it’s the newness of all this.”

“Maybe.” Siofe agreed, smiling. Baldric’s face looked less drawn, and his smile was reflected in both his eyes and voice. It seemed that her hunch had been correct; leaving Mandam really had been the best thing for him.

Standing up, she went to feed the horses. “Well, since it’s all new and exciting to you, perhaps you’d like to be the one who decides where we go.”

“If you don’t object…”

“Not at all,” Siofe said, “Like I said, this is about you learning the ropes. What better way than to choose your own path?”

Baldric chuckled. “True enough. Thank you for the opportunity.”

“My pleasure,” Siofe replied, stroking Hartwin’s mane as she fed him some oats, “I look forward to seeing where we go from here.”

~~~

Next time: Our new pair of adventurers learn to work together.

[Kolen]

Nice very nice. I like the set-up and the general scenery. You paint a vivid image in my brain.👉❣👈

[Wig_Powder]

@Kolen That's great to hear! Hopefully the worldbuilding and the characters continue to work for you!

 

MILD CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains a fight scene, something akin to what you'd see in a video game.

Chapter 2

 

Baldric took to the adventurer’s life faster than Siofe had expected. Indeed, she suspected Baldric hadn’t thought it would go so smoothly either. Perhaps the fact that there was still a certain amount of routine and discipline amidst the freedom had made it easier. Mornings needed to be spent eating and breaking camp, and evenings involved setting up camp and making sure it was protected, not to mention tending to the horses and supplies, particularly Baldric’s armor and weapons. Then there was the fact that he continued to stand watch for a few hours every night, even though he freely admitted that he never saw or heard anything unusual. Or how he kept track of the days and made sure to spend the morning of every fifth day paying tribute to Artet (Siofe had never put much stock in religion, but she wasn’t one to mock those who did). And he’d requested that they make camp an hour earlier than Siofe normally did so he could use it to practice and keep his fighting skills sharp, which Siofe readily agreed to, taking advantage of that time to make and replenish her various potions and do other minor maintenance. This also had the benefit of freeing up her evenings to read and truly unwind from the journey.

Sometimes—in fact, fairly often—that unwinding came in the form of just sitting by the fire and talking with Baldric. He’d become more engaged and talkative almost immediately, eager to hear stories of her adventures and the tricks of the trade. Siofe was happy to oblige; after all, it was nice to brag a little, particularly when she knew she’d have an appreciative audience. And Baldric certainly seemed appreciative, listening with rapt attention and reacting at just the right moments, be it a laugh or a wince. Siofe found herself getting more animated in her retellings, starting with expansive gestures and eventually moving to a point where she’d stand up and act out some of the more dramatic moments, complete with a few spells to add a little flash. It left both of them smiling and let the day end on a high note, which was always ideal in her opinion.

Not wanting to hog the spotlight entirely, Siofe did try to offer Baldric the same opportunity, but he declined. “Not out of modesty,” he said with a wry smile, “In other circumstances, I’d have been delighted to tell of my exploits. But, well…those exploits feel a bit less noble now.” Understanding completely, Siofe let the matter drop, but tried to make it clear that he was always free to tell his own stories if he wanted to. In the meantime, she had plenty of tales to tell, so they wouldn’t be lacking for topics. And with luck, they’d eventually have some experiences together that they could reminisce over.

***

It was about a month after they’d begun travelling together that Baldric got his first true taste of what being an adventurer was all about. They were riding beside a river, enjoying the view and the sound of the running water, when they both heard a scream and immediately turned their heads in the direction of it. Baldric glanced at her questioningly, she nodded, and they both urged their horses to quicken the pace.

As they kept moving, they caught a few other noises. There was no more screaming, but there was the whinny of a horse, a loud metallic clatter, and then the sound of creaking wood. “Bandits attacking travellers, I’d guess,” Siofe said quietly to Baldric, “We’ve got the element of surprise, so we should take advantage of it. How fast can you dismount and get your sword out?”

“Oddly enough, we didn’t cover that move in Tynto training,” Baldric responded, “But I think I can do both things individually fairly quickly.”

“Best not to take any chances,” Siofe said, casting a shield spell on him, “That should keep them from doing any damage to you for ten minutes, though they can still knock you down or back if they hit you with enough force. I’ll leave the rest up to you.”

“Do we take them prisoner?”

“According to the map, we’re five days from the nearest town. That’s too long to have to keep an eye on a group of prisoners, especially if there’s more than two. Better to permanently deal with the threat than risk an escape.” Baldric nodded, his eyes glinting with a combination of determination and nerves, and quickened Milburga’s pace a little more. After conjuring up a shocking spell, Siofe did the same.

A minute later, they rounded the bend and finally saw what they were up against. A small wagon was sitting near the river, the horses unhitched and currently in the grip of a man. Two other men were in the process of unloading the wagon of any valuables, and three more were surrounding a man and two women, swords and knives drawn. Siofe took all this in in the span of a few seconds, then sent Hartwin on a charge. Just as the men looked towards her to see what the noise was, she sent out the spell, which caught one of the knife-holding men in the side and sent him flying. Siofe slid off her saddle, shot the man holding the horses with a less powerful shock spell, then turned her attention to the other two men surrounding the travellers. Their surprise had already worn off, and they advanced on her. She conjured up a spell in each hand, one fire, one stone, and walked backwards a few paces, drawing them away from their former targets. Then she launched the spells, catching one in the head with the rock spell and dropping him while setting the other’s clothes on fire. The man on fire ran for the river to put himself out, taking him out of the fight temporarily, and Siofe took advantage of it to look for Baldric.

Baldric was by the wagon, blocking a sword with his shield while he used his own sword to slash at the other bandit. As she watched, he caught the bandit in the shoulder, causing the man to yell and drop his sword to clutch the wound. Baldric pressed the advantage, shoving the second bandit away with his shield and moving to dispatch the injured one. Satisfied, Siofe returned to her own fight.

The man in the river was struggling to climb out, and the one who had been holding the horses was now advancing on her, although he looked dazed and in pain. She used a magic blast to knock the first back into the river, and hit the other with the shock spell again. This one caught him in the face, and was enough to take him down. Glancing back at Baldric, she saw that he’d killed the two bandits he’d been dealing with and was now checking to make sure the others were dead. “Leave off that for a moment and fish this one out,” Siofe called to him, “We need to know if there are more where these came from.”

Baldric nodded and moved towards the river. Siofe paused long enough to check on the one she’d hit with the rock spell (dead) and then approached the travellers. “Are you all right?”

“Yes,” the man said, helping the two women up, “They frightened us more than anything, threatening to kill us if we didn’t comply. But I think they were going to take our horses and strand us, so they were probably going to end up killing us anyway, just not in the same way.”

“Where are you heading?”

“Yuilthran.” the man said, waving back the way Siofe and Baldric had come.

“We passed by there a week ago. The route we took was safe. We could lead you there if you…”

“Look out!”

Siofe looked up in surprise, just in time to see a man drop from the wagon, a knife in his hand. Siofe shot a shock spell at him, but since her magic had been drained from the fight, all it did was cause him to grimace and pause for a moment. It was enough time for Baldric to sprint forward, drawing his sword and positioning his shield as he did so. By the time the bandit composed himself, Baldric had reached him, and quickly struck him down. “Thanks,” Siofe said, “I figured we’d got all of them, and didn’t bother to check for more. I’d probably have noticed his movement out of the corner of my eye, but better not to risk any injury.”

“We didn’t know he was there,” the younger woman piped up apologetically, “We were too distracted by the ones who were threatening us.”

“It’s all right,” Siofe assured her, as she moved towards the bandit Baldric had pulled from the river and then unceremoniously dumped on the ground, “In a case like this, survival is the higher priority over seeing how many there are.”

Drinking one of her energy restoration potions, she grabbed the bandit by his hair and yanked his face upwards to look into hers. “Now then,” she said calmly, another shock spell building in her free palm, “Why don’t you tell me about your camp?”

***

Things went smoothly after that. The bandits were camped in the nearby woods, and there weren’t any others they’d need to worry about. After talking things over with Baldric and the travellers (a merchant family named Iress), it was decided they’d tie up the one surviving bandit and bring him to Yuilthran to be prosecuted, since five people would probably be able to keep an eye on him. Once he was firmly bound, Siofe and Baldric recovered the Iress’ horses (who had bolted in fright when the bandit holding them had dropped their reins), then located the bandit camp. Once there, they dismantled the tents and gathered up all the ill-gotten gains, bringing them back to the wagon. “When we arrive at Yuilthran, we’ll wait there for a week or so to see if any of the goods are claimed,” Siofe explained as they rode back to the Iress’ wagon, “Then we’ll take what’s left to Ambter and repeat the process. We’ll take enough of what’s left of that to reimburse ourselves for expenses and replenish our supplies, and then leave the rest for the town to do with as they see fit.”

(While some adventurers kept all the items they found after dispatching bandits, Siofe didn’t want to risk depriving people of items of sentimental value, hence her policy. Besides, her parents had been traders until they retired; she didn’t want to indirectly contribute to anyone’s loss of livelihood if she could help it.)

Baldric nodded. “And if there isn’t any left?”

“In my experience, towns are inclined to give you something for your efforts. Even if we don’t recoup expenses, I’m sure we’ll get some sort of payment. And if all else fails, we’ll ask around Ambter and see if there’s anything they need help with, or if they’ve heard of anything going on nearby.”

That seemed to satisfy Baldric, and they rode in silence for a few moments. Then Siofe said;

“You did well for your first time out. Well done.”

It was hard to tell in the dappled light of the forest, but it looked like he was blushing a little. “It wasn’t much. I only took on three bandits. You brought down four.”

“Yes, but it would have taken much longer if I’d had to face them all alone. Not to mention I’ve been doing this for six years. I’d never have dared try this when I was just starting out. But you moved quickly, didn’t panic, and even rescued me in a way. I knew you had the makings of a good adventurer.”

Baldric smiled and straightened up a little in the saddle. “Thank you.”

Siofe smiled back. “You’re welcome. And keep up your training in the evenings; if this is how you handle your first fight, we’ll make for quite the team after about a dozen or so of them.”

~~~

Next time: Things go in an unexpected direction. Well, for Baldric and Siofe, at any rate...

[Kolen]

😋 Yes I love the way this is written and how the story is progressing. It's enough to keep my eyes glued to the screen and not stop, reading with a hungry gaze until I reach the end. Thank you for the continuation.

[Wig_Powder]

@Kolen Hopefully you'll find it worth the wait when the sneezing finally shows up! Which won't be too long now, I promise.

Chapter 3

Things did indeed go smoothly for the next few months. Thanks to a combination of reward money and doing a few odd jobs, Siofe and Baldric made a profit from their stops at Yuilthran and Ambter. After that, they made their way to Nicbak, since there were rumors that they were having a rash of burglaries, which was unusual for a small town. Once they’d determined the cause was a group of boys from a rival town who were doing it out of a combination of town loyalty and adolescent bravado, they set out southward to see what they might come across. That led to fighting two more groups of bandits, a mage’s spell gone awry (giant cows had seemed like such a good idea in theory…), and—mostly—peacefully dispersing a mob that was angry at the mayor’s decree that roofs could no longer be made out of straw. It made for good stories to chuckle at when they were camping on the road, and continued to prove to Siofe that Baldric was well on his way to becoming an adventurer. He was patient enough to investigate, yet could immediately leap into action when necessary. He knew how to intimidate, but didn’t get violent unless the situation called for it. And while he could look a bit imposing in his bright armor, the warmth in his voice and readiness to smile quickly made him seem approachable, meaning he’d be able to get clients of his own once he decided to make a go of things solo. Siofe wasn’t sure how much of it was lessons from her and how much was from Tynto training, but she was glad he was shaping up so well.

It was during their fifth month of working together when things unexpectedly changed. They’d agreed to help with Cortey’s peane harvest in exchange for room, board, and some fresh peanes for their supplies, and while the work was strenuous and the hours long, there was plenty of singing and talking to pass the time. After two weeks, the work was done, and the townsfolk celebrated with a public dinner featuring the fruits of their labor. When the meal was done, they cleared a space for dancing, and Siofe enthusiastically joined in. She had no formal training in dancing, but spinning around and clapping your hands to the music was always a decent fallback move. At any rate, no one around her seemed to object. Once or twice, she glanced around to see if Baldric had joined in, but he seemed content to sit and watch. So she left him to his own devices and focused on enjoying herself.

Once the stars had fully come out, the party came to an end, and Siofe went to where Baldric was seated, laughing and smoothing her hair and clothes. “That was lovely,” she said, smiling at him, “And I think the combination of the work, the food, and the dancing will guarantee I get a good sleep tonight. What about you?”

In the light of a nearby torch, she saw Baldric blink at her before abruptly shaking his head, as if she’d caught him lost in thought. “I…er…yes! Yes, I think so. Nothing like exertion and a good meal to help you to bed…” His eyes widened and he quickly corrected himself. “Sleep! That’s what I meant.”

Siofe cocked her head at him. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine!” Baldric said brusquely, getting to his feet, “Let’s get back to our inn, shall we?” Still confused but unsure exactly what to do about it, Siofe shrugged and followed after him. He’d probably gotten a little tipsy from the wine they’d served, so his thoughts weren’t particularly clear.

When she came downstairs for breakfast the next morning, Baldric was already up, as usual, and didn’t look much the worse for wear. She sat down across from him and smiled. “Morning. Sleep well?”

He made eye contact with her and then immediately looked back down at his food, his cheeks reddening. “Yes, thank you.”

Siofe shook her head and chuckled. “Baldric, If you’re feeling embarrassed about last night, you can put your mind at ease. You were a guest, not a guard, so getting a bit drunk is nothing to be ashamed of. No one’s going to hold it against you, least of all me.”

Baldric looked back at her, still blushing, but with a mixture of surprise and relief in his expression. “I…thank you. That’s a relief to know.”

She smiled again and patted his wrist. “Anytime. Now then, let’s eat and collect our peanes before heading out. I think it’s your turn to decide which way we go, so you might want to look over the map to figure out what looks interesting to you.” Then she stood up to get some food, leaving him to do just that.

Two hours later, they’d packed away the peanes, saddled their horses, and were on their way. Once they’d reached the outskirts of town, Siofe looked at Baldric. “So? Where to?”

“Er…” Baldric fumbled with the map for a few moments, “Westward. I like the sound of Voyen’s Dale. I’m sure it’ll be a lovely view, if nothing else.”

“It’s as good a reason as any,” Siofe agreed, “Let’s get going.”

Ordinarily, they would have passed the ride by talking or singing, but Baldric was strangely reticent. He responded when she spoke to him, but he always stumbled over his words and gave short responses, blushing almost every time. Siofe found this odd, but was willing to chalk it up to him either still having lingering embarrassment about getting drunk or dealing with the ensuing hangover, and decided to give him some space to recover. He’d probably be all right by tomorrow at the latest.

Except he wasn’t. While almost everything else remained the same—he followed his normal routines, and there was no sign that his fighting skills were slipping—his interactions with her were decidedly different. He seemed reluctant to talk to her, never starting conversations and making excuses not to linger after dinner. Occasionally, she’d notice him looking at her, only to look away the moment he realized she’d seen. Yet there was nothing about his posture, tone, or expressions that suggested he was angry at her. It was as baffling as it was frustrating.

After a week of this, Siofe decided that whatever was going on needed to be out in the open. So when Baldric came to the fireside after he’d finished his practice, she handed him a plate of food and then immediately said;

“Baldric, if you want to leave and make your own reputation as an adventurer, you’re free to do so at any time. I’d rather you not pack up and leave in the middle of the night, but I won’t be upset if you tell me you’d like to go.”

Baldric stared at her. “I don’t…what? What makes you think I want to leave?”

“You’ve been quieter than usual, and don’t seem to want to talk to me. I thought maybe you were worried about upsetting me, or maybe feeling resentful of being in my company.”

Baldric looked horrified. “Never!” he said emphatically, “I enjoy your company! You’re the best mentor and companion anyone could ask for!”

Siofe felt her chest heat up a little at the praise, but she focused on the matter at hand. “Then what’s going on? Why the silence and odd looks?”

“I…” Baldric sat down and looked at his plate, his face going red, “It’s nothing. Something I need to sort out on my own.”

Siofe reached out and touched his hand. “Baldric, we’re friends and partners. If something’s bothering you, I want to help you. Please don’t push me away, even if you think it’s for my own good. At least let me decide for myself if this is something I want to get involved in.”

Baldric was still for a long moment. Then he gingerly reached out and put his other hand on top of hers. “I’m sorry,” he said, looking at her with anxious eyes, “I didn’t mean to upset you. That’s the last thing I want to do. I just…I’m not entirely sure of things myself. Can you give me a few days to try to get my thoughts in order?”

Siofe nodded and gave him an encouraging smile. “If that’s what you need.”

He smiled back tentatively. “Thank you. I…I appreciate you…it,” he corrected himself, blushing deeper, “I mean, I appreciate your patience.”

“I try,” Siofe answered, gently sliding her hand from his and turning her attention to her meal, “I presume you’d rather focus on your thoughts than have a conversation?”

“If you don’t mind…” Baldric said apologetically.

“At least I have some idea of what’s going on now,” Siofe said, “I won’t take it personally. Best of luck sorting things out.”

Baldric gave a half-laugh and started eating as well. Siofe left him be after that, though she couldn’t stop herself from glancing at him every now and then, wondering what exactly it was he was grappling with and if she’d be able to help.

She gave him some distance the next day, wishing him a good morning and thanking him for breakfast but otherwise allowing him space to think. During their travel time, she hummed quietly to herself to pass the time, occasionally looking to Baldric to see if she was disturbing him. They made eye contact each time, and Baldric gave her a small smile and a nod, his cheeks flushing a little. She’d smile back and turn back to the road, glad that they were able to be somewhat comfortable with each other again.

When they made camp that evening, Siofe started setting up the campsite while Baldric looked around the area for firewood. Just as Siofe had finished making the firepit and was looking through her bag to decide what to make for dinner, Baldric returned with a load of wood in his arms. He quickly deposited it by the pit, then turned to Siofe, rubbing the back of his head and shifting his weight nervously. “Er…”

“What is it, Baldric?” Siofe said, wondering if he was ready to talk.

He took a deep breath, pulled something from his scabbard, and held it out to her. “Thank you for putting up with all this. I know I’ve been…difficult. I hope you’ll accept this as an apology.”

Siofe’s eyes widened at the flower he was offering her. It was a deep violet, the upper petals speckled with white, as though it was trying to approximate the night sky. “It’s beautiful, Baldric,” she said, taking it from him and smelling it (sadly, there wasn’t much of a scent), “Where did you find it?”

“It was growing near the trees I got the wood from,” Baldric replied, putting some of said wood in the firepit, “I thought it was lovely, and then I thought of you, and…and I thought you deserved a token of my appreciation.”

He turned red again as he said it, and a suspicion took root in Siofe’s mind. She smiled at him and tucked the flower behind one ear to keep it safe. “Well, thank you very much,” she said, “Both for the gift and for the apology, though it’s not really needed.”

Baldric nodded, blushing even deeper, and moved off to do his hour of practice while Siofe lit the fire and started to make dinner. Once the stew was bubbling, she cast the protective spells around their camp, then sat down again to stir the meal. In between stirs, she looked over to where Baldric was training, using a nearby tree as a target. She’d passed the time by watching him before, but this time, she looked him over more intently, trying to put the pieces into place. His eyes were locked on the target, his movements quick and decisive, as if it only took him a second to decide on the next move. Other than when he was retreating and defending himself with his shield, his posture was always straight, projecting an air of strength and (at least during this “fight”) determination. He was everything the Tynto claimed to be—brave, loyal, and tough. But that didn’t mean he was cruel, as his time with her had demonstrated. He had all the makings of a good adventurer, but it was even clearer that he had the necessary qualities to be a good man.

She saw him lower his sword and wipe his forehead, and quickly looked down at the stew, not wanting him to catch her looking and become self-conscious. Indeed, she was starting to suspect that was a large part of the problem. When he approached the fire, she handed him a bowl with a smile and said nothing. She suspected they’d both be doing some thinking this time.

They ate in a companionable silence and retired to bed after Siofe had cleaned the dishes. While she listened to Baldric polish his armor in the adjoining tent, she took the flower out of her hair and traced its petals with a finger, turning everything over in her head. Then she smiled, nodded decisively, and set the flower on top of her pack, where it would be safe. She knew how to proceed now.

***

The next day passed much the same as the previous one had, with the exception of Siofe keeping Baldric’s flower in her hair. But once they’d finished their dinner, Siofe spoke up.

“You know, Baldric, there’s something I’ve been wondering, if you’re willing to answer it.”

“I’ll answer to the best of my ability,” he responded, “What is it?”

Siofe didn’t even allow herself to take a deep breath, not wanting to give him time to raise his defenses. “What was the Tynto’s stance on relationships? Were you an order of celibates?”

Baldric’s cheeks immediately turned scarlet, and Siofe had to lightly bite her cheek to keep her expression neutral. But based on the flustered look on Baldric’s face, her suspicions had been absolutely correct.

“N-no,” Baldric stammered at last, “Well, not exactly. The younger and newer recruits were expected to dedicate their lives to the Tynto, focusing on their duty. But once you were a senior member, you were actually encouraged to take a wife, in the hopes that you would have a son and bring him into the Tynto as well when he was old enough. The thought was that if you made it that far, you’d most likely produce strong warrior stock.”

He turned even redder as he said it, looking down at his empty plate. Siofe smiled, set her own plate aside, then came around the fire to sit beside him. “I see,” she said, “And you said you joined the Tynto when you were thirteen, correct?”

Baldric nodded, shifting uncomfortably. Siofe reached out and rested her hand on his, feeling a flash of both amusement and regret when she felt and saw his whole body tense up. “So I’m guessing, because of those requirements and the fact that you were probably training to prove yourself worthy of joining, that you don’t have a lot of experience courting women?”

Baldric shook his head, all words seeming to have deserted him. Siofe shook her own head and decided to end his suffering.

“Well, you’re doing a good job for an amateur.”

Baldric blinked and looked at her. She smiled and squeezed his hand as best she could through the armor. “Offering flowers?” she said, indicating the one in her hair, “That’s always a good first step.”

“Artet’s grace…” Baldric groaned, burying his face in his hands, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For being such a fool. I just…when I was watching you dance in Cortey, your hair catching the light of the sunset and the sheer exuberance and joy you were radiating, something changed. I saw you as a woman, not just a companion. But because I knew you as a companion, I knew that I liked everything about you. And I had no idea what to do about it.”

Siofe could feel her own face heating up, but kept going with her plan. “Look at me, Baldric.”

He hesitated, then finally obeyed. She softly cupped his cheek in one hand. “It’s all right. We figured it out eventually.”

“W-we?” Baldric said, eyes widening.

“We,” Siofe repeated, “Because while I didn’t have a moment of realization like you did, I’ve decided I like quite a lot about you, too. We might as well see where that goes, eh?”

Baldric’s eyes glowed, and he smiled shyly, which Siofe decided she very much liked the look of. “That would be lovely.” he said.

She grinned. “Not your typical adventure, but one I’m still interested in trying out.” Then she leaned in and gave him a light, quick peck on the lips, hand still on his cheek.

Baldric didn’t react in any way, his lips firmly closed. Confused, Siofe drew away and realized he was frozen to the spot, a stunned look on his face. As she started to withdraw her hand, chiding herself for moving too fast, his hand quickly came up and kept it in place. He was still blushing deeply, but there was no mistaking the eagerness in his voice as he said “Could we…could we do that again?”

Siofe smiled and obligingly leaned in once more, this time puckering her lips slightly. Now that he was more prepared, Baldric’s lips moved against hers, not quite opening but definitely responding to the kiss and trying to answer back. Meanwhile, his hand slid along the small of her back and came to rest at the center of it, his fingers steady but tentative. When they broke apart, she smiled and nodded. “Not bad. We’ll need more practice to get it perfect, but I don’t think I’ll mind.”

Baldric somehow managed to blush even more, but he smiled back. “Perhaps we can set some time aside after dinner each night.”

Siofe chuckled. “I believe that’s an excellent idea. However, we probably shouldn’t overdo it tonight. I think we need to let all this settle in our minds.”

Baldric nodded. “You’re probably right. I need to spend an evening kicking myself for my tongue-tiedness anyway.”

“Don’t do it for too long,” Siofe said, squeezing his shoulder, “It served its purpose and got my attention, after all.”

They retired to their tents shortly thereafter, though Baldric did lightly grab her hand and kiss it before wishing her goodnight, which caused both of them to blush. While she listened to Baldric cleaning his armor, Siofe hummed in satisfaction and removed Baldric’s flower from her ear, carefully pressing it between the pages of one of her books. It seemed like a memento well worth preserving.

~~~

Next time: It's Siofe's turn to get flustered, and sneezing finally makes an appearance in this story...

[Kolen]

Yay I can't wait! Thank you for the lovely romantic update. Out of sheer curiosity []and the need to please my fetish[] I wanted to know what Baldric might sound like when he sneezes? I'm hoping it's soft but also wet and idk how to ask because I know you already had it written and stuff. But I'm a frickin sucker for a big male with a soft sneeze. 😣❣💗😃😋

[sneezyfeather338]

Oh my gosh. This story is so cute. The adventures, the romance and the magic alone have me hooked. Now add some sneezing scenarios and it’s reached perfection!!🤩😍🥰😘

[Wig_Powder]

@sneezyfeather338 I'm glad you're enjoying it! I hope this next chapter is exactly the sort of thing you were looking for!

Chapter 4

Surprisingly, things didn’t change all that much once Baldric and Siofe were in a relationship. They’d worked together long enough and well enough that they didn’t openly fret about the other’s safety when they encountered danger, and they already had plenty of experience sitting and talking by the fire. The biggest change came to their evening routine; they’d still set up camp and Baldric would practice for an hour while Siofe cooked and cast the protective spells, but after he was done, Baldric would briefly disappear into his tent to change out of his armor. Then, after the meal was done and the dishes cleaned, Siofe would sit next to Baldric and let things play out from there. Sometimes they would chat normally, sometimes they would do it while holding hands (hence the reason for Baldric changing, a combination of wanting to properly feel Siofe’s touch and not wanting to make it too uncomfortable for her), and sometimes they would just lean against each other and watch the fire. There was kissing too, of course, but more often than not it was either a single goodnight kiss or Siofe teasingly kissing Baldric’s cheek unexpectedly, causing him to blush. She liked the competent, noble Baldric, but she enjoyed getting glimpses of the flustered version of him as well.

That being said, it didn’t take much to get him flustered when it came to romance. Apparently having focused his attention on fighting instead of courtship throughout his adolescence meant that everything romantic was relatively new to him, leading to a fear of doing something wrong despite Siofe’s assurances. At the same time, it was clear that he liked the idea of getting closer romantically, but wasn’t at all sure how far he was comfortable going. Perhaps it was his inexperience, perhaps it was lingering loyalty for the Tynto that made him feel like being in a relationship before the “proper” time was taboo, but certain actions, no matter how innocent, were almost guaranteed to make him turn red. There had been more than one occasion when, while leaning against each other, Baldric would put an arm around her and end up touching her chest. He would immediately draw back, apologizing and blushing, despite Siofe’s assurances that it was both normal and welcome. While it was admittedly somewhat endearing, Siofe did what she could to acclimate him to the idea of getting more intimate, from mild innuendos to lightly caressing his own chest when they embraced. It was hard to tell if it was working, but as long as he accepted her gestures of affection, she’d take it as a step in the right direction.

(Though she was grateful that her shield spells and his armor were enough to block any serious injuries during their fights; having to touch his bare skin in order to heal the wound might have caused him to faint from embarrassment. The best she could do was warn him in advance that that was a possibility, and let him steel himself to the idea. He had promised that he’d tell her if he had a wound instead of trying to deal with it himself, which was encouraging. Still, she hoped they wouldn’t have to deal with that until he’d gotten a little more comfortable.)

***

A month or two passed, autumn slowly giving way to winter. The skies turned greyer and the weather turned colder, and Siofe warned Baldric that they’d probably spend more time fighting hungry animals than human foes. Most of the time, though, nothing much had changed; the only differences were that they now wrapped themselves in cloaks while riding and Siofe cast warming spells on their bedrolls in the evening to allow them to sleep comfortably. They agreed that they’d hole up in the nearest town (currently Green Shoals) should the weather get bad enough, but for now, they were content to keep wandering.

While it would drizzle sporadically, there came a three day period where there was a light but steady rain, which was mostly a minor annoyance except for the day when they encountered a group of bandits on horseback. They tried to rob Siofe and Baldric, only to be dissuaded by Siofe’s lightning spell. They turned and ran, Siofe and Baldric giving chase to prevent them from waylaying any other travellers. What followed was a long ride across first the main road, then across slick rocks and through muddy woods, Siofe firing spells at them whenever she got the chance and Baldric occasionally dashing to catch up with them to try to unseat a rider. When the bandits accidentally backed themselves into a corner (fallen logs and rocks blocking the way forward) the fight eventually became close-quarters, and although they were outnumbered (there were ten bandits total), Baldric and Siofe carried the day. Once the bandits were dead, they rounded up the horses, planning on bringing them and the bandits’ things to Green Shoals, which was five days away, and do their usual routine of seeing if any of the goods were claimed before taking a reward and moving on. Having to deal with twelve horses instead of two would be a bit of a challenge, but they were relatively calm after being stroked and fed, and seemed content to follow along, tied together but not weighed down by anything but saddlebags. And at least they could use the bandits’ supply of hay and oats instead of dipping into their own.

Things seemed to be looking up the next day. The rain had stopped (though it was still cold), and even though both Baldric and Siofe admitted to feeling sore from their exertions the day before, the knowledge that they’d made the path safer for others buoyed them up. Despite having to keep an eye on their new horses, they made good time, and found the perfect place to camp for the night, a wooded area that would shelter them from the rain and had enough open space for fourteen bodies, two tents, and a fire. Once they’d made camp and lit a fire, Baldric went a little farther into the woods to get some drier kindling, while Siofe tended to the horses and then went to prepare dinner. She had just stoked the fire and was opening her saddlebags to look at her ingredients when…

“HUPKRSSHHHH!!!”

A few of the horses looked up and around, but mostly remained remarkably calm. Siofe, on the other hand…if she hadn’t already been sitting down, she was sure her legs would have buckled. As it was, they trembled violently, her hand clutching onto the bags for dear life as a familiar warmth, one she’d practically forgotten about, started to spread through her stomach. She looked over in the direction of the sound, both nervous and excited about what she might see.

A minute or two later, Baldric emerged from the woods, several medium sized chunks of wood pressed against his chest with one hand while the other (Siofe’s heart skipped a beat) was rubbing at his nose. “Was that…was that you?” Siofe asked weakly.

“It was.” Baldric said, setting the wood near the fire and sitting down heavily across from her. Then he looked up at her, his cheeks reddening. “I’m sorry, I didn’t frighten you, did I?”

Siofe shook her head. “Startled me, yes. Frightened me, no.”

“That’s a relief. I’d hate to…oh, damn…”

Baldric began to rub a little more intently at his nose, while his now free hand moved to the collar of his armor. Slipping two fingers underneath it, he began to withdraw a large white cloth. As he did so, his eyes fluttered closed, and his breath started to tremble, the armor clanking softly in response.

“Uh…huhh…”

Siofe bit down hard on her bottom lip, forcing herself not to lean forward intently. That didn’t stop her from taking in every little detail, though.

Baldric successfully withdrew the cloth, which seemed significantly larger and thicker than most handkerchiefs Siofe had seen. Bringing it to his face, he cupped it around his nose and mouth with both hands. There was a moment’s pause, and then his brow furrowed and he snapped forward, his armor rattling and adding to the volume of the sneeze. “HURESHHH!!!”

Siofe’s heart fluttered wildly, and she found herself grabbing onto her robes for dear life. But for the sake of appearing normal, she swallowed and said “Gitsen.”

Baldric nodded in acknowledgement, letting out a soft groan and a thick sniff. “Thank you.” After a very wet sounding blow, he straightened up, groaning again. “Excuse me. I’m afraid I might be coming down with a cold.”

Siofe felt a thrill of excitement, even though she felt ashamed for it immediately afterwards. “Are you sure? Maybe there’s a plant nearby that’s bothering you.”

Baldric shook his head. “I’ve never had hayfever, thank goodness. And I’m feeling all my expected cold symptoms—heaviness in my head and nose, a lack of energy, and a chill. I was hoping it might just be from the weather and our fight yesterday, but, well…” he gestured to his nose, “This is harder to explain away.”

Siofe couldn’t stop herself from trying to learn more. Well, he had given her an opportunity… “Are they always that…loud?”

Baldric chuckled hoarsely. “Unfortunately, yes. The armor doesn’t help, but even in civilian clothes, my sneezes have a tendency to make ears ring. Caused no end of grief among the Tynto. No one wanted to stay in the barracks with me when I was sick, not because they were afraid of falling ill but because they didn’t think they’d be able to get any sleep. It was eventually decided that I should sleep in one of the prison cells—well, one of the known prison cells—when I was dealing with a cold, just so I wouldn’t disturb as many people. The Masters made up for this by taking me off duty until I recovered and sending me better rations to hopefully help me heal faster, not to mention that they didn’t actually lock me in the cell, so I wouldn’t feel like I was being punished just for having loud sneezing. Still, I did what I could to prevent illness, and it’s one more reason I’m grateful for my lack of hayfever.”

As he finished speaking, he grimaced and brought the handkerchief to his face again. “C-case ih…in point…Eh…hehh…HETKRRSSSHHH!!!”

His whole body shook, sending the armor rattling again, and Siofe was torn between sympathy and eagerness for more. “Gitsen.”

Baldric groaned again and nodded. “I apologize in advance for this. You’ll probably want to cast that silencing spell on your tent until we get to Green Shoals.”

Siofe would do no such thing. Not getting as good a sleep seemed more than a fair tradeoff for hearing something so magnificent. In fact…she smiled at Baldric as the idea came to her, though she knew she’d need to build up to it. If nothing else, she needed to make him comfortable in more ways than one, particularly given his last sentence.

“Why? Is there a reason I can’t make you a Condensing Draught?”

The bafflement on Baldric’s face told her all she needed to know. “Condensing Draught?”

Siofe started rooting through her saddlebags again. “It’s a healing potion meant to be taken at the onset of an illness, though it’s effective at any point in the process. It reduces both your symptoms and the duration of the disease. In the case of a cold, it condenses from a week into just two or three days. And as a bonus, anyone exposed to the illness can drink it as well and suffer only a day or so of mild symptoms, or maybe even avoid it all together.”

As she pulled out some of the ingredients, she glanced up and saw Baldric staring at her in amazement. “I wasn’t aware that was even a possibility.” he said.

“I’m shocked, honestly,” Siofe said, setting various bottles and tins on the log next to her, “I would have thought the Tynto would have wanted to make sure their men were back on their feet as fast as possible.”

“They did, hence giving me better rations. But they also told us when we were recruited that we had to learn to cope with hardship, meaning that only the most severe injuries would be seen to by a healer. Everything else, we had to learn to compensate for or patch up ourselves. I suppose that mindset extended to illness as well. Though now that I’m thinking about it, the Masters and senior officers never seemed to fall ill or suffer grave injuries. They must have thought they’d earned the right to bypass suffering.” Something dark flitted across his face. “And perhaps keeping us vulnerable made it easier to cull us when it came time for a sacrifice.” Fortunately, his cold decided to interrupt this train of thought. “Hah…HATKETSSSHHHHH!!!”

“Gitsen,” Siofe said, pulling the bag up closer to her face to hide her expression (and, she suspected, flushed cheeks), “Well, you’ll get to try it for yourself now. And if you’re anything like me, you won’t ever go back to just waiting an illness out.”

“It does sound wonderful,” Baldric agreed, “Any chance this Condensing Draught will reduce the volume of my sneezes as well?”

“I doubt it,” Siofe said, pulling out the last few ingredients, “Since you said your sneezes are always powerful, there’s nothing the draught can do about that. All it can do is make them a bit less frequent.” More’s the pity, she added to herself. But at least she’d still get a few days to enjoy this.

“Ah well,” Baldric said with a resigned shrug and a good-natured smile, “At least it won’t be bothersome for quite as long. Thank you for your help.”

“My pleasure,” Siofe answered, before mentally slapping herself for her choice of words, “Um…why don’t you go to your tent and change out of your armor? You probably shouldn’t be doing your practice tonight if you’re not feeling well, and you’ll probably feel more comfortable, albeit a little less warm. With luck, I’ll have finished making this by the time you’re done, especially if you clean your armor for the night.”

Baldric nodded and got to his feet. “For once, I’ll try not to be quick.”

Siofe laughed lightly at that and waved him off, turning most of her attention to making the draught. But she allowed herself a few seconds to enjoy the moment whenever Baldric sneezed (the fabric of the tent doing little if anything to muffle the sound), the heat in her stomach flaring up each time. How could she have forgotten this? Had she really spent so much time travelling alone that the memories of how enjoyable she found the sneezing of others had managed to slip her mind? Then again, not being in towns regularly did mean she didn’t often get opportunities to hear any sneezing, and the opportunities would be even fewer if the town had a spellcaster or apothecary who sold Condensing Draughts (magic made the Draught a little more effective, but anyone could learn to make it). Well, given the way she currently felt, she was making up for lost time. Not that she could tell Baldric about this just yet; if he still turned red when his hand brushed her chest, trying to explain this to him would just lead to embarrassment all around. Besides, given what she had in mind, she had another more important hurdle to overcome with him first.

When Baldric finally returned from his tent, wrapped up tightly in his cloak and still rubbing at his nose, the draught was bubbling over the fire. “Good timing,” Siofe said with a smile, gesturing for him to sit beside her, “It should be ready in another minute.”

He sat down next to her, allowing her to see both the slight trembling of his body and the pink tinge his nose was taking on, causing another flicker of warmth in her stomach. “How long will it take before I feel the effects?” he asked.

“An hour or so. Just remember, it won’t get rid of your symptoms entirely, just make you feel less cold and sore. It’s still advisable to drink lots of warm liquid, stay out of the cold, and rest. That way, you can help the draught work through the illness faster.”

Baldric nodded. “I’d planned on doing what I could in those areas anyway. In fact, before you told me about the draught, I was going to ask if we could rest a day here, since Green Shoals is still a ways away. It’ll mean having to tend to the horses a little longer, but…”

“We can still rest here even with the draught,” Siofe assured him, stirring the mixture before carefully ladling it into two cups, “No need to tempt fate and risk coming across something to fight while you’re not at your best.”

“True enough,” Baldric said, accepting the cup from her, “Do I have to drink this immediately, or can I wait for it to cool?”

“It needs to be drunk while hot, but taking a few moments to let it cool so you don’t burn your tongue is acceptable,” Siofe answered, blowing on her cup for emphasis before lifting it towards him, “Well, to good health.”

Baldric laughed and lifted his own mug before downing the contents in two swallows. He made a face and coughed twice, massaging his chest. “It doesn’t taste as bad as I expected,” he said, his voice a little strained, “But I wasn’t expecting that much of a burn.”

“It’ll pass,” Siofe assured him, her own voice having gained a rasp after swallowing the draught, “Besides, I’m sure you feel a little warmer now.”

He considered, then nodded. “Though that’s causing a different issue.”

“What do you…” Siofe began, before noticing his newly runny nose. Moments later, he brought the handkerchief back to his face. “EGSSSHHHHH!!!”

“Gitsen,” Siofe said, placing a hand on his shoulder and rubbing it soothingly, “Well, at least it makes it a little easier for you to breathe.”

Baldric chuckled softly in agreement before blowing his nose, the sound simultaneously grating and sensual (to Siofe’s ears, at least). “Ugh, excuse me. I’m probably a wreck to look at.”

“Not to me.” Siofe responded honestly, squeezing his shoulder before leaning in and kissing his cheek.

She was rewarded with his cheeks turning pink. “Yes, well, um…thank you?”

Siofe laughed gently and slid her arm around both his shoulders, pulling herself closer so their sides were pressing against each other. He responded by leaning towards her and resting his head against hers, a silent encouragement for her to set her head on his shoulder. She did so, allowing a contented silence to fall for a bit. It seemed like the right time to put her idea into motion, but she'd need to wait until the right opportunity presented itself.

Disappointingly, said opportunity came not via a sneeze, but a gust of wind blowing through their camp. Baldric shuddered, pulling his cloak around him a little more, and it suddenly occurred to Siofe that she’d been so distracted by Baldric’s sneezing that she hadn’t put up the protective spells for the evening. “Maybe you should head to bed,” she said, “Rest is still the best thing for a cold, and you’ll be a little warmer in your tent, if nothing else.”

Baldric nodded and started to shift away from her. Siofe took a deep breath and made her move. “Can I make a suggestion, Baldric?”

“Of course.” he said, looking at her curiously.

“Why don’t I stay with you in your tent tonight?”

Baldric’s cheeks went bright red this time. “Siofe, I…that would…”

“It would just be to keep you warmer,” Siofe explained, “You could draw off my body heat, I could bring in my blankets to put over us both, and I’d be an extra shield against the elements. Even with the Condensing Draught, there’s still a chance your cold could get worse. Better to prevent that by any means possible, right?”

“I…suppose,” Baldric said, rubbing his arm in a way that had nothing to do with being cold, “But still…”

“It wouldn’t hurt to try. And besides, if we continue down our current path, there’s going to come a point where we share a tent anyway. Isn’t it better to adjust to it now, rather than deal with a whole lot of awkwardness in what should be a romantic moment?”

Baldric managed to blush even more. “Y-yes. You raise a good point. I just…being so close…”

Siofe reached out and gently laid her hand on his, light enough that he could easily pull away. “You can set the rules. We can sleep back to back, I can sleep at one end of the bedroll while you stay at the other, you can kick me out if you feel too uncomfortable…whatever makes it easier for you. I can’t promise I won’t shift around in my sleep, but at the start, at least, I’ll follow your lead.”

Baldric looked at her hand, then at her face. She smiled encouragingly. He blinked, then turned his head to the side and brought the handkerchief to his face. “HRISHHHHHH!!”

“Gitsen.” Siofe said, lightly squeezing his hand.

“Thank you.” Baldric replied automatically. Then she saw him square his shoulders, and her heart leapt. “All right,” he said, “We can try.”

She smiled warmly and squeezed his hand again. “Thank you. Head to your tent and get ready for bed, and I’ll cast the spells around the camp and join you as soon as I can.”

Baldric gave her a smile, albeit a faint and hesitant one. “Sending me to bed without supper?” he teased, though she could hear the underlying nerves.

That’s when Siofe remembered that in addition to forgetting about the protective spells, making them dinner had slipped her mind as well. Baldric’s sneezing really had thrown her off-balance. “Are you hungry?” she asked.

“Not particularly,” he admitted, “I generally lose my appetite when I’m ill.” He laughed a little. “Those better rations I mentioned were somewhat wasted on me, though I did force myself to eat them since they couldn’t be served to someone else. And you do need to keep your strength up, especially when sick.”

“Well, we can make up for it tomorrow, and if nothing else, we’ve got rations that can be eaten as is. You can eat some of those while I’m casting if you want.”

Baldric nodded. “We’ll see how I feel. But I suppose I shouldn’t keep you from casting. The last thing we need is someone or something wandering into our camp on top of everything else.”

She smiled reassuringly at him, squeezing his hand one more time before standing up, Baldric following suit a moment later. Not wanting to make him feel more awkward then he already was, she focused her attention on casting the spells, allowing him to make his way to his tent at his own pace. She even managed to (mostly) tune out his sneezing as she concentrated on getting the spells right. When she was done, she quickly swallowed a few handfuls of dried berries to keep her stomach happy, fed the fire, then went to her tent. After changing into her nightshirt, she gathered up her pillow and blankets and crossed over to Baldric’s tent, tapping at the canvas. “Baldric? Can I come in?”

“Y-yes.” Baldric said, though she wasn’t sure if his stutter was due to nerves or the sneeze that followed a moment later. “Ehh…EHIHSHHHH!!!”

“Gitsen.” Siofe said, pushing through the flaps and looking around. Baldric was already lying down, a few handkerchiefs perched on the corner of his bedroll for easy access, blankets pulled around him protectively. Siofe smiled and knelt down, starting to spread her blankets over the bedroll. “Have you decided how you want to do this?”

Baldric swallowed and nodded. “For now, we can try having me lie on my side while you press against my back. That’ll allow for more warmth. But…I have to ask that you not put your arm around me. I normally find that pleasant, but, well…" he flushed, "That feels a little too intimate at the moment.”

“I understand,” Siofe said, gently touching his cheek, “Getting to be so close was more than I was expecting. And if you decide that’s too much, let me know and we’ll find a new position.”

Baldric nodded again. Siofe patted his shoulder and finished arranging her blankets. “All right, I think that should do it. Are you ready?”

“As ready as I can be.” Baldric responded, turning his body so his back was to her. Siofe slid under the blankets and maneuvered herself so her head was level with Baldric’s neck. Then she carefully began to press her body against Baldric’s, her legs brushing against his and her bellybutton against the small of his back. Baldric tensed up immediately, but she could hear him exhale slowly and feel his muscles start to relax, though his back still looked and felt far too stiff for her liking. Figuring that giving him a reassuring touch wouldn’t help, Siofe instead tried to make her voice low and soothing. “Feeling any warmer?”

Baldric took another slow breath before responding “Yes. Though perhaps it’s a combination of you, the blankets, and the Draught taking effect.”

“Ah, you can tell?”

“I think so. My mind feels clearer and my limbs don’t feel as heavy. Though my…my nose still feels ah…AKPSHHHH!!!”

Siofe was so close to him that she could feel his whole body shake with the force of the sneeze, his hips jerking slightly and pressing against her waist. Her toes curled, and the heat in her stomach flared up stronger than ever. “Gitsen.” she said faintly.

“Thank you,” he said with a sniff, some of his back muscles moving in a way that suggested he was rubbing his nose, “But you don’t have to keep that up. Bad enough I’m probably going to keep you up with my sneezing without you having to rouse yourself to bless me.”

“I don’t mind,” Siofe said, “But you do raise a point. And I’m sure I’ll make up for it in the morning when you wake up and have to deal with the congestion that’s accumulated during the night.”

Baldric actually laughed a little. “True. I’ll try not to deafen you.”

It might be worth it, Siofe thought to herself. Out loud, however, she merely said “I appreciate it. But until then, sleep well.”

“You as well.” he said, settling his head on his pillow. Siofe immediately followed suit, closing her eyes and trying to set a calming example to let Baldric drift off.

Unfortunately (though somewhat expectedly), it wasn’t that easy. Siofe had always been the sort who needed to shift around a bit to make herself comfortable, and every small movement she made was enough to cause Baldric to tense briefly, no doubt undoing any progress he’d made in falling asleep. And on the few occasions when that wasn’t the problem, Baldric would sneeze, jerking against Siofe’s body and making them both more alert. Siofe enjoyed the sensation and didn’t mind the disturbance, but it was unlikely to be doing Baldric any good.

“This isn’t working.” she said, after she had turned slightly and bumped her shoulder against Baldric’s back, causing him to seize up yet again. She sat up and began to move away from him. “I appreciate your willingness to try, but I’m doing the opposite of helping you rest. We can try this again when you’re feeling…”

“No,” Baldric said, “Stay.”

Siofe blinked, surprised at the firm note in Baldric’s voice, hampered only slightly by his congestion. Baldric shifted on his side to look up at her. “You were right earlier. It’s better to try to overcome this hurdle now. And my illness provides an excuse for you to stay; the part of me that feels nervous and embarrassed about such close contact can at least be quieted by arguing that you’re doing this to help me stay warm. If we try this again when I’m well, that might be harder to silence. Now is honestly the best…p-possible…” He turned away and sneezed into his handkerchief. “TIKRRSSSHHHH!!!”

“Gitsen,” Siofe said, more than content with his reasoning and flattered that he was willing to stay the course, “All right, if you’re sure. But we need to find a way to help you relax a bit. Any suggestions?”

Baldric shook his head. “Unfortunately not. About the only cure I know for being too tense to sleep is going out and doing some sort of physical activity until tiredness sets in. And I don’t feel well enough for that at the moment.”

Siofe nodded, trying to think of solutions from her own experiences. It didn’t take long for one to come to her, and she simultaneously smiled in relief and felt a pang of sympathy that Baldric had apparently never had this experience himself. “I have an idea. But I do need to ask one thing of you. You don’t want me to put my arm around you…but how would you feel about me stroking your hair?”

Baldric was quiet for a moment, considering. Then he said “Show me.”

Siofe immediately reached out and lightly placed her hand at the top of his hairline before moving it downwards, lightly grazing his ear before coming to rest at the nape of his neck. Then she did it again, trying to make out Baldric’s expression. While she couldn’t see the position of his mouth, she saw his eyes close, and heard a small exhale. “I think I can manage that.”

Siofe smiled again and lay beside him again. Once she was sure they were both reasonably settled, she began stroking his hair again. After three or four passes, she started to hum softly, recalling the melody of one of the lullabies of her childhood. When Baldric started to turn towards her, no doubt puzzled by her humming, she said “Just concentrate on the motion of my hand and the rhythms of my singing. Focusing on those will hopefully take your mind off…more distracting things.”

Baldric huffed in mild amusement, then turned towards the tent wall again. Siofe started humming again, closing her own eyes to concentrate on the tune. It was hard to tell if Baldric was relaxing, though the fact that he sneezed three-quarters of the way through the song made it clear he was still awake (Siofe’s humming briefly jumped by a pitch when that happened, but she figured Baldric would take it as her being startled). When she finished the first song, she moved on to another, unable to stop her head from swaying in time with the melody. It brought back childhood memories of lying in the back of her parents’ wagon after a long day of walking, the motion of the wheels soothing her to sleep almost as much as her mother’s voice and her hand on Siofe’s hair. It felt nice to be able to return the favor to someone.

She kept humming, keeping her attention on remembering the songs and maintaining a consistent rhythm with her stroking. She definitely noticed it when Baldric sneezed, but otherwise let herself get lost in the melody. It was only when she paused after the fourth song to try to recall another that she realized that Baldric hadn’t sneezed in a while. Continuing to stroke his hair just in case, she took stock of the situation and heard his breathing, which was low, steady, and calm (albeit a bit congested). His body had also, finally, relaxed. Smiling in satisfaction, she rested her head on her pillow and began to hum another song, not wanting to wake him up with her movements. When she was done, she carefully took her hand away, humming one more song. She was probably halfway through it when she fell asleep herself.

***

Siofe was awoken the next morning by the feeling of something abruptly moving beside her and a puff of cool air. Blinking groggily, it took her a moment to recall what had happened the night before, and turned her head upwards. Sure enough, Baldric was sitting up beside her, blinking himself. Then he exhaled and nodded at her, giving a sheepish smile. “Good morning.” he said, the congestion thick enough that her stomach twinged pleasurably.

“It is indeed,” she answered, stretching, “But one of the more pressing questions is, did you have a good night?”

“In the end, yes,” Baldric said, “You were right. Keeping my attention on your singing was enough to let me…”

He broke off, pressing two fingers to his nose while his other hand reached behind him for a handkerchief. Even with the assistance, his nose twitched slightly, and the heat returned to Siofe’s stomach at the sight, even more so when he finally got the handkerchief to his face and bent forward. “HIHESSCHHHHH!!!”

“Gitsen,” Siofe said, sitting up and resting a hand on his shoulder, “How are you feeling?”

Baldric considered for a moment. “I still feel a little chilled, but that may be due to the weather. And I can tell I’m not at full strength, not to mention a low but persistent itch in my nose. But for all that…I feel well, for the most part. I might even be willing to travel.”

Siofe shook her head. “Better not to take the risk. A full day of rest is probably the wisest course of action. If you feel the same way or better tomorrow, then we can continue towards Green Shoals.”

“Very well,” Baldric said with a more relaxed smile, “I’ll defer to the more seasoned adventurer. What do you propose I do with myself?”

“I’ll leave that up to you,” Siofe answered, “If you want to stay in bed all day and let me bring you food, I’m willing to play servant. If you want to get up and dressed and do some light activities, I’ll trust you to know your limits.”

Baldric nodded. “In that case, I’ll probably get dressed, but mostly stay in my tent. I will come out to eat, though; I don’t want to put you out any more than I already have.”

“Don’t worry too much about that,” Siofe said with a reassuring smile, “It’s what you do for someone you care about.”

She caught a light blush on Baldric’s cheek before he brought the handkerchief back to his face. “KETISHHHHH!!!”

“Gitsen. I should probably get dressed myself and get started on breakfast. But before I do…should we try all this,” she waved a hand around the tent, “Again tonight?”

Baldric looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, holding her gaze even as he blushed. Then he nodded decisively. “Yes. If we do the same thing, it should be easier.”

Siofe kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

“I believe I should be saying that to you. You’ve done much more for me than I expected.” Siofe just squeezed his hand and left the tent.

The day passed pleasantly enough. Baldric mostly stayed in the tent, reading or dozing, coming out to eat and help Siofe feed the horses. Siofe briefly dispelled her protective spells to give the horses some exercise, but mostly stayed in camp and did some reading of her own. While she was tempted to join Baldric in his tent and let him get used to the idea of just spending time close together even if they were doing separate things, she decided not to take things too fast. Instead, she savored his sneezes from a distance and rejoined him in the bedroll that evening, where she immediately got to work stroking his hair and humming. This time, it took much less time for him to fall asleep, and his body didn’t tense up nearly as much.

The next day, Baldric said he felt almost entirely well, with just a lingering itch in his nose that produced perhaps five sneezes throughout the course of the day. Since it wasn’t raining, Siofe agreed they could start travelling again. They still took it a bit slower, however, and made camp even earlier than usual, despite Baldric deciding he’d wait until tomorrow to resume his hour of practice. As Siofe was starting to remove her tent from her saddlebags, she felt Baldric’s hand on her shoulder.

“I imagine the weather will only be getting worse from here on out, don’t you?” he said, his voice light but an underlying steeliness in his tone.

“Most likely.” Siofe said, glancing up at him in some confusion.

“And while I believe we’re both hardy individuals, we should probably take every precaution we can to keep ourselves from falling ill. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Siofe stared at him in amazement, even as a smile started to play on her lips. “That does seem like the wisest course of action.”

Baldric returned her smile. “In that case, we can probably only put up one tent every night, keeping the other handy in case of damage. When we’re in town, we should still take separate rooms for propriety’s sake if nothing else, but out here, we might as well do what makes the most sense.”

“And come the spring?”

“We’ll have to wait and see. But I suspect that by then, we’ll be so used to the arrangement that we won’t want it to change.”

Siofe stood up and kissed Baldric deeply. He was blushing when she pulled away, but he was still smiling and seemed almost perfectly at ease. “I’m glad we’re in agreement,” he said mildly, “Now then, why don’t I put up the tent while you see to the firepit?”

~~~

Next time: Baldric has a run-in with his past.

Also, @Kolen, I'm afraid you've caught me writing the one scenario where I prefer the guy to have big, powerful sneezes. Most of the time, I prefer softer sneezes, but it just felt right for Baldric to have this type of sneeze. Hopefully the story's still enjoyable to you, though!

 

[Kolen]

Ahh.. still wonderful. And I thank you for at least reading my comment, it makes me happy. This update was amazing per usual, and I am perfectly okay with the outcome.

I was however, wondering if maybe we could do a story trade or something.. idk what it would be called but where we like say what we like and then write the other's preference into a story? I have no idea this idea just popped up into my head somehow. I also don't know if that's allowed. Again, thank you for update.😀🤤🙃😎😏❣😋

[sneezyfeather338]

This chapter was FABULOUS!!!!! 😍😍😘🥰 I was so excited when you mentioned my name at the start, so thank you for reading my comment. While I was thinking the scenario would turn a little more towards deliberately making someone sneeze, this scenario was perfect for the story. Keep up the great work. And good luck with the next chapter.

[Wig_Powder]

@sneezyfeather338 In that case, I think some of the later chapters will be at least somewhat up your alley. Hope you keep enjoying the story until we get there!

 

Chapter 5

The next three months were relatively uneventful. The cold weather was keeping most people, virtuous or otherwise, indoors, and while snow covered vistas looked spectacular, they weren’t very enjoyable to travel through. After dropping off the bandit’s spoils and the horses at Green Shoals, Siofe and Baldric agreed they’d head for the nearest large town (Turner’s Way) and wait until the seasons started to change. After all, a larger area meant they might be able to find work here and there to earn their keep. It would take them about a month to get there, but it seemed likely that they would arrive before any serious snowfall, which did indeed turn out to be the case. In the meantime, they rode as far and as fast as they could every day, dressed in their warmest clothes, and Siofe cast warming spells on their tent to reduce the risk of one of them falling ill again. As much as she’d enjoyed Baldric’s sneezing, she didn’t have any desire to deliberately cause him discomfort just for her own pleasure. That wouldn’t be particularly heroic of her, after all.

As for the decision to keep sharing the tent, it actually went far smoother than Siofe expected. Baldric still blushed a fair bit and continued to insist she didn’t drape her arm around him, but they were able to share warmth and relative intimacy without losing sleep. Once Baldric felt well enough to resume his habit of standing watch for a few hours, they agreed that Siofe would enter the bedroll first, so Baldric could get out of it without disturbing her. After that, it was just a matter of sleeping either back to back or having Siofe press against Baldric, which she wasn’t complaining about. They were still only using the tent to sleep by the time they reached Turner’s Way—no pleasant conversations before bed or cozy reading—but the experience was positive enough that it was likely that Baldric would be willing to go back to it once winter ended.

At Baldric’s request, they took two rooms at the first inn they found. It was more expensive, but Siofe understood his reasoning, and didn’t complain. Besides, it made them more likely to spend some time in the evening cuddled by the fire, and guaranteed that they’d kiss each other good night and good morning. As long as they were still able to spend time with each other and help Baldric grow more accepting of romantic intimacy, it seemed like a fair tradeoff.

They spent two months in Turner’s Way, Siofe paying their way by helping the apothecary while Baldric offered combat or riding training to anyone who was interested. Siofe also built up goodwill by telling tales of their adventures in the evenings, always glad for an audience. Baldric didn’t join in the tellings, but every so often, she would look over and see him watching her with a smile, apparently enjoying the story as much as he had when she’d told it to him at camp. Or maybe he was just enjoying watching her. Either way, it made her body warm, and she’d give him a brief smile in return before focusing on her story, not wanting to look at him again until the feeling had subsided somewhat.

There were sporadic snowstorms over the next two months, but Baldric and Siofe both avoided falling ill thanks to keeping warm, staying active, and eating properly. Once all the snow had melted and no more had taken its place after a week, they agreed they’d take the chance and move on. There was still the chance of snow, and the cold weather would probably linger for at least another month before spring officially arrived, but they devised a route that meant they could easily take shelter in a town if the weather turned bad. Thus agreed, they set out two days later, with a small crowd gathering to see them off and wish them well.

To Siofe’s delight, Baldric hesitated only for a moment before agreeing to resume sharing a tent when they made camp that night. “After all,” he said with a shrug and a faint smile, “The weather’s still cold enough that we shouldn’t take any chances.” Siofe just smiled back and left him to set up one tent while she cast the protective spells.

All went well for about a week. Siofe was glad to be back on the road, and Baldric seemed content too. They didn’t run into any trouble, their supplies were plentiful, and the views were lovely. Then they reached Waterbird’s Lee.

They didn’t plan on staying there for more than a day. The weather was still good, and Manquay was only two days ride away. Barring some urgent or particularly interesting request for help, all they intended to do was top off their supplies, ask if they’d heard of anything interesting going on in the area, and then staying the night. They attracted some attention when they rode into town, probably due to a combination of Siofe’s reputation and Baldric’s bright armor, but none of it was hostile. Children ran down the street, calling out about the new arrivals, and the people they passed glanced at them curiously. Siofe was used to this, and some smiles, nods, and waves were enough to dispel any potential anxiety. It didn’t take long for them to find the center of town, and they stopped into a nice looking inn to get a meal and ask about rooms, rumors, and replenishing.

While nothing of particular note was going on in Waterbird’s Lee, the innkeeper said he’d heard about two interesting incidents elsewhere in Quaysit. One was at the northern border, a whisper that the towns there were getting harassed by bandits. The other was more eastward, a portal that currently hadn’t done anything menacing but had also appeared out of nowhere. Siofe and Baldric agreed that they should head north, then return to deal with the portal, assuming it hadn’t been resolved by the time they were done with the bandits. That settled, they arranged for two rooms, then got directions to the various shops.

The two of them walked to the shops, holding hands and enjoying the ambience of the town. Then they split up, Baldric going to pick up the more traditional supplies while Siofe went to the apothecary to get ingredients for her various draughts. Happily, the apothecary had almost everything she needed (and the two items she didn’t have weren’t urgently required), and the two women chatted pleasantly about magic and brewing techniques while the ingredients were weighed and wrapped. Siofe had to admit she lost track of time a bit, but she didn’t think Baldric would mind waiting a few extra minutes.

As Siofe stepped out of the apothecary, she saw Baldric across the way, in the process of shifting his saddlebags from one shoulder to the other. Siofe lifted a hand and began to make her way over. But just as she was starting to cross the road, a man abruptly darted out from the space between the general store and the tailor shop and struck Baldric with his fist. Baldric lost his grip on the saddlebags, a hand coming to his injured cheek, and Siofe immediately sprinted over, hitting the man with a stunning spell. “Are you all right?” she asked Baldric as she drew level with them.

Baldric nodded, massaging his cheek. “I don’t think he did any serious damage. A little swelling and soreness for a few days, perhaps, but not much more than that.”

Siofe briefly touched his arm before turning her attention to the attacker, who was still lying dazed on the ground. “Explain yourself, sir,” she said coldly, preparing another stunning spell as both threat and protection, “Why would you attack a man who has shown no sign of threat to you or your town?”

The man groaned and shook his head, trying to come back to himself, and Siofe heard a sharp intake of breath beside her. Before she could look over at Baldric, he said “Hulfrid?”, in a tone of surprise and wonder.

“You know him?” Siofe said, glancing at Baldric briefly.

Baldric nodded. “Hulfrid Everday. He joined the Tynto a year after I did. We weren’t friends, but we got along well enough.”

“Apparently not,” she said, turning her attention back to Hulfrid, “I repeat, explain yourself. What grudge do you carry?”

“I would think that would be obvious,” Hulfrid spat, as he gingerly sat up, “He ruined everything.”

Siofe kept her spell trained on him as a warning not to make any sudden moves. “I presume you hold that same anger towards me?”

“Not particularly,” Hulfrid said, “I just hold you in contempt. He bears much more of the blame, as far as I’m concerned.”

“Why?” Siofe asked, “I can understand being somewhat upset by everything that happened, but…”

Baldric cleared his throat and lightly touched her arm. “Perhaps I’d better be the one in charge of the questioning.”

Siofe felt chagrined at once. “I’m sorry,” she said, “Too used to taking the lead, I guess. Go on.”

Hulfrid stood up slowly, keeping an eye on Siofe’s spell the whole time. Since he seemed disinclined to attack (all the more so because a curious crowd was gathering), Siofe allowed it, but kept the spell active. She stepped aside a bit, allowing Hulfrid and Baldric to face each other. Hulfrid glared at Baldric, while Baldric looked at Hulfrid with confusion and more than a little guilt. “Hulfrid,” he began, his voice calm and even a bit apologetic, “I understand some of your anger, I really do. It was hard to lose the security and structure of the Tynto and its cause. But I was reminded that I could keep their good qualities and continue to act the way they should have, by protecting people. Perhaps in time, we could all restore the Tynto’s reputation and create a second, more honorable version.”

“Pretty words,” Hulfrid answered, “But easier said than done, especially in Mandam.”

Baldric tensed. “Has something happened there?”

“Not as far as I know,” Hulfrid said, “Once ‘justice’ had been served and our headquarters and Illet’s mansion were stripped of everything useful, the town rapidly moved on. The town guard was able to keep order, perhaps bolstered by advice from the new Tynto recruits, and everyone in town seemed to become a little wealthier. No one openly spoke of the Tynto, and those who were sent to prison are treated reasonably well, but widely ignored by the larger populace. But wherever I went, I could feel gazes lingering on me, and I’m sure there was plenty of whispering behind my back. Oh, I and all the junior members had been cleared beyond a shadow of a doubt thanks to that sorcerer, but that’s only half of it. With something of this scale, questions naturally arise. ‘How could they have not suspected anything? With so many people involved, it’s hard to believe nothing was accidentally let slip on occasion. And surely they should have questioned the deaths or disappearances of their fellow recruits.’ And if they don’t suspect you of being a fool, they pity you for being tricked, either unsure how to talk to you or treating you like you’re fragile. I even got that look from my parents, for Artet’s sake!”

“Hulfrid, I…”

Hulfrid cut Baldric off. “I couldn’t stand it anymore. After two months, I packed what little I could call mine and made my way here, where no one knew who I was and was barely aware of the Tynto. Now I work at the stables, since exercising the horses is familiar but not too painful. But even if I’d taken an entirely unrelated job, I’d feel the same way I do now; that I’ve come down in the world. A year ago, I was part of something noble, something that commanded respect. Now, I’m just like everyone else, and it’s hard to be the latter when you’re used to the former. And it’s all because you decided to investigate some screaming.”

“Would you have rather I ignored a person in need?” Baldric responded sharply, “Or gone along with the Masters?”

“I don’t know!” Hulfrid said angrily, “Of course I’m upset that they weren’t as noble as they claimed to be, and part of me is glad they were caught. But your discovery didn’t just punish the guilty—you damaged innocents too. And then you left without having a care for them.”

“Because I felt much like you did!” Baldric answered, “I was at a loss for what to do with myself, unsure how people would treat me, especially since I was the one who brought the whole thing tumbling down. I was given an opportunity, and I took it. And up until now, it’s helped me feel more at peace about the matter. I know I have worth outside the Tynto, and I know I’m doing good for Quaysit.”

“You always were committed to ideals,” Hulfrid sneered, “No wonder you did so well in the Tynto. I don’t know how the Masters would have ultimately convinced you to go along with the sacrifices once you were promoted to Major, but perhaps the right appeals to noble causes would have been enough.”

Baldric’s eyes widened, but he had no verbal response to that. Hulfrid glanced around at the crowd that had formed, and shook his head. “Perhaps I’m going to have to move again after all this,” he said, “Or perhaps I can salvage this situation. Either way, you should go. Be happy with your new life and your new…” his eyes flicked contemptuously to Siofe, “Master. But don’t ever let me see you again. Let me forget, as much as I possibly can.”

With that, he took a few steps back, then turned and forced his way through the crowd. Siofe dissipated her magic and lifted a hand reassuringly at the crowd. “I’m sorry,” she said loudly enough for them to hear, “Just a small score to settle. Nothing more will come of it, I assure you.”

She and Baldric got a few odd looks, but the crowd began to disperse. Siofe turned to Baldric, who was staring after Hulfrid with a tight look on his face. She gently laid a hand on his shoulder. “Come on, let’s get back to the inn and see if we can get our money back. It’s probably best if we head towards Manquay early.”

Baldric nodded weakly and managed to break out of his daze enough to retrieve the saddlebags. They walked back to the inn in silence, Siofe knowing it was unwise to say anything. Besides, what exactly could she say?

Baldric remained silent during Siofe’s negotiation for a return of their money (they got most of it back, minus a few expenses for the brief stabling of their horses), during the preparation of their horses, and through their ride out of town. Siofe let him be, suspecting it would be better if he was the first to speak. As much as she wanted to offer some form of reassurance, she wasn’t sure what words would be most comforting. Furthermore, there was a chance he’d take Hulfrid’s words about her to heart and lash out. He might still be angry at her after he had his thoughts in order, but this way, she wouldn’t force the issue.

However, Baldric still hadn’t said a word by the time Siofe looked behind her and saw that there was no trace of Waterbird’s Lee behind them. Deciding to take the risk, she looked over at Baldric and said;

“How far do you want to go before we make camp? We’ve probably got two or three hours before it starts to get dark. Would you rather get as close to Manquay as we can, or stop early so you can get your practice done in decent light?”

Somewhat to her surprise, Baldric didn’t take very long to respond, even if his tone fluctuated between curt and pained. “Let’s continue for one more hour, unless we find a good place. The closer we get to Manquay, the better, but you’re right that I could…I could probably benefit from better light for my practice sparring today.”

Siofe gave him a quick once-over. He still had the tight look on his face, and he kept twisting his bridle in his fingers. While the cheek Hulfrid had struck wasn’t facing her, she suspected it was already starting to bruise, and wondered if Baldric would want her to heal it. But that was for when they made camp. For now, she merely nodded and said “That’s fine. Onwards, then.” Then she let silence fall again, keeping herself distracted by looking for a good place to camp.

It was probably around the hour mark when they saw a glade that looked ideal for camping. “There?” Siofe asked, gesturing to it. Baldric looked it over and nodded, and they steered their horses towards it. Once they found a suitable clearing, Siofe set to work making camp, while Baldric gathered firewood. Then, while Siofe lit the fire and cast the protective spells, Baldric began his practice. While she tried her best not to watch him, suspecting he wasn’t in the mood for an audience, she could tell just from his exertion noises and the clash of his sword that he was throwing himself into it with more ferocity than usual. Letting him work out whatever was on his mind, she finished her spells, then took the saddlebags Baldric had dropped to the fire and started looking through them to make sure nothing had been too badly damaged.

She had just finished the first saddlebag when she heard Baldric sheathe his sword. She glanced over just long enough to see him starting to remove his gauntlets, then returned to her examination. But then she heard a frustrated shout, and looked up in time to see Baldric slam his bare fist into the trunk of a tree, only to pull back and grab onto his fist with his other hand, hissing in pain. Siofe immediately got to her feet and moved over to him, taking his injured hand and gently leading him to the fire. “I understand your hurt,” she said, passing her hand over his knuckles as blue-white healing magic flowed from her fingertips, “But try not to make your pain physical as well. He doesn’t deserve that.”

“Someone does,” Baldric answered, a ragged edge to his voice, “I just don’t know if it’s him or me.”

“Neither,” Siofe said firmly, “As much as I dislike him for his words and his treatment of you, Hulfrid’s just as lost and confused as you were after the trial. You were both hurt by Illet and the Tynto, but you’re able to accept that the blame lies with them. He needs distance, time, and perhaps a purpose before he’s able to see that for himself.”

Baldric swallowed. “You may be right. But I think he may have been right too, somewhat. I was selfish, focused only on my own discomfort over the situation and fear of judgment from the town and my former brothers in arms. I was a Senior Lieutenant, on track to make Captain in a year or two. That would have put me in a leadership position—mostly planning the training of the recruits and giving orders to the lieutenants, but still someone many of the men would look up to. If I was really committed to the nobler side of the Tynto, I would have spoken with the others before I left, just to make sure they were all right. They may still have blamed me, but it might have reduced the ill-will.”

Siofe finished healing his hand and then cupped his cheek in her palm, both to provide comfort and to heal Hulfrid’s strike. “I can see that point of view. But I don’t think any of the former Tynto were thinking clearly at the time. You’d all been arrested, learned the horrible truth about the cause you’d pledged yourself to, and then were suddenly set free, with only minor consideration given by the town as to how to assist you. It’s not a surprise that you ended up thinking of yourself more than others. But while some like Hulfrid may resent you for it now, in time I think they’ll be able to sympathize, or at least acknowledge that you were just as lost as they were.”

Baldric started pressing and flexing his formerly injured hand, checking to make sure it was fully healed (and probably giving him something else to focus on). “I doubt I’ll ever know. Not unless I go back to Mandam in a few years. And right now, that doesn’t sound very appealing.”

“I can’t blame you.” Siofe said, trying to inject a little levity into the conversation.

Baldric did laugh, but it was more like a derisive snort. “That’s the least of my concerns right now. I keep wondering if he was right about what would have happened had I not found the underground prison. Osgar seemed devoted to righteousness just like I was, and yet he seemed perfectly content to sacrifice Beatrix. Would the same thing have happened to me?”

Siofe sighed and moved her hands to Baldric’s breastplate, wanting him to at least be physically comfortable. “I don’t know,” she said honestly, “Maybe Illet would have cast a subtle mind control on you to make you more accepting of the sacrifices. Maybe the Masters would have eased you into it with half-truths about the people they were sacrificing, disguising the unpleasantness as a necessary evil to do good in the long run. Then, once enough time had passed, you’d be inured to it and not inclined to object even when you knew the sacrifice was innocent. Or maybe you’d have been horrified and refused to participate, and then been sacrificed yourself. We’ll never know, and I think it’s better if you don’t spend time considering alternate paths that can never be taken.”

“Easier said than done,” Baldric said dryly, working on the other side of his armor automatically, “Especially at the moment.”

“If you’re worried that choices you might have made are a sign that you’re a bad person, I want you to try to drive that thought from your head,” Siofe said, “No one can be wholly good; we all have dark thoughts and occasionally act out of self-interest rather than altruism. That’s what makes us human. All that matters is that we do more good than bad. And I’m willing to say that that’s definitely true in your case.”

“You aren’t exactly an unbiased source,” Baldric said, trying to smile, “But thank you for trying.”

They worked together to remove his breastplate. Then Siofe put his cloak around him again to keep him warm. “I don’t want to seem uncaring,” she said as she smoothed out the wrinkles, “After all, I can’t particularly imagine what you must be feeling right now. And I know that it can be hard to ignore a wound, re-opened or otherwise. But if I could make a suggestion…let what happened in Waterbird’s Lee motivate you to do even more for Quaysit. Even if you aren’t doing it to clear the Tynto’s name, you can do it for yourself, to prove to anyone who doubts you that you’re a good man. If we keep working together, I think we’ll ultimately put anything you would have done in the Tynto to shame.”

“I want to believe that,” Baldric said, “But it’s hard to look to the future when I’ve just had a close brush with my past. A past I may never be able to make right, at least when it comes to Mandam. I suppose I thought I could return there someday. Maybe not to make a home there, but to make sure everything was all right there and, perhaps selfishly, to show the town that I hadn’t let what happened destroy me. Now, after what Hulfrid said, I can’t help but feel like I’ve been barred from ever going back. I was born there, spent most of my life there, and now I think I may never see it again. I’ve enjoyed seeing more of Quaysit, but it’s nice to feel like there’s a place with roots that you can go back to on occasion.”

“I think I understand that,” Siofe said, “I didn’t feel that way for quite a while, since my family moved all across the country to sell our wares, but after spending nearly a decade at Obeis Tower, it’s comforting to know I can always go back there to ask for advice or have a safe place to sleep.”

Baldric nodded. “Something like that. But now I’ve lost my roots. And while it would have been bad enough if it had been burned to ashes, it’s worse when you know it’s there, but can’t access it. Especially when it’s because of your own actions. I…I…”

His voice, which had continued to waver throughout the conversation, broke entirely, and Siofe was engulfed by a wave of tenderness. Reaching out, she pulled him into an embrace, resting his head against her neck and shoulder before softly caressing his back. “Let it out,” she murmured, “Feel no shame.”

She felt his hands grip onto the fabric of her robes, and a few moments later, there was a wetness against her skin. She began to sway in place, continuing to stroke his back, feeling his body tense and relax with suppressed sobs. She planted a light kiss on his hair. “I’ve already cast the protective spells around the camp,” she reminded him quietly, “No one will hear except me.”

There was a pause, and then Baldric pressed himself even closer to her, muffling a sob against her collarbone. She responded by tightening her hug and starting to hum one of her lullabies.

She wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that. All she knew was that the sun was unquestionably lower in the sky, and the robes around the length of her collarbone felt damp, before Baldric drew away. His eyes were red and his cheeks still shining, but his breath was steady and his posture was tall and proud once more. “Should I thank you or apologize?” he asked with a half-laugh, pulling his handkerchief from his tunic to wipe at his face.

“Whichever you’d prefer. But I don’t need either. It’s what you’re supposed to do for someone you care about, after all.”

“Well then, thank you. For saying that, if nothing else.”

Siofe rested her hand on Baldric’s knee. “It’s true. And while I don’t know if it’s much comfort right now, I’m willing to be your safe haven. If you choose to strike out on your own, there are magical means of keeping in touch. If you ever want assistance or just some company, contact me and I’ll be there as fast as Hartwin will allow. And if you want to stay, I’ll be by your side for everything. Be it a fight with bandits or an autumn harvest.”

Baldric looked over at her as he put his handkerchief away, eyes glittering. She squeezed his knee and smiled reassuringly, hoping she hadn’t made him cry again. It wasn’t good for him to keep things pent up, but he’d also been through enough for one day.

But instead of turning into tears, the glittering seemed to become harder, sharper, and Baldric squared his shoulders, taking a deep breath. Just as Siofe was tilting her head in curiosity, he leaned forward and grabbed onto her shoulders. “Marry me.”

Siofe blinked. “What?”

Baldric loosened his grip, but kept his hands where they were. “You said it yourself. With your help, I can do just as much good as I did in the Tynto, if not more. Even if we spend the rest of our lives travelling, I’ll never be lonely, and your presence will keep me from dwelling too much on Mandam and the Tynto. Besides, I feel like we’re halfway there already; it makes sense to make it official.”

Siofe blinked again. “This is…abrupt.” was all she could think to say.

Baldric laughed softly. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t very romantic, was it? Let me try again.” He slid one hand down to take hers, while the other cupped her cheek. “I love you, Siofe. You’ve been a protector, friend, and lover all rolled into one. It’s hard for me to imagine life without you; your saying you’d keep in touch even if we separated made me realize how much I don’t want to be separated. I want to stay with you and see what Quaysit has to offer together. And maybe someday, we can find a place to truly put down roots and get the best of all worlds.”

It was a testament to his determination that Baldric got through his whole speech without once stammering or blushing. Siofe’s surprise faded away, her heart starting to beat rapidly instead. She had begun to wonder if this moment would ever come, but here? Now? It still felt a little unreal.

Baldric lifted her hand and kissed it. Squeezing her fingers, he looked back at her. “Allow me to ask instead of demand this time. Will you marry me?”

Siofe swallowed, hoping she’d have the voice to give her reply. She put her free hand on the one Baldric had to her cheek, looked directly into his eyes, and gave her answer.

“No.”

~~~

Next time: The aftermath of Siofe's response.

[Wig_Powder]

@Kolen Given the question at the end of your comment, I figured it was better to post my response separately. Unfortunately, I have a lot going on (both in real life and when it comes to writing stories), so I don't think I'll have the time to do a trade with you. However, if you go here (https://www.sneezefetishforum.com/forum/51-observations-stories-amp-art/) and scroll down, you'll see a sort of general discussion area where a lot of people ask questions and make requests in regards to fic or art. If you make a post there, you can lay out what sort of things you'd like to see in a fic, and what you'd be comfortable writing in exchange. I can't promise you'll get any takers, but at least you'll be getting the word out.

Good luck, and thanks so much for reading my story!

[Kolen]

19 minutes ago, Wig_Powder said:

@Kolen Given the question at the end of your comment, I figured it was better to post my response separately. Unfortunately, I have a lot going on (both in real life and when it comes to writing stories), so I don't think I'll have the time to do a trade with you. However, if you go here (https://www.sneezefetishforum.com/forum/51-observations-stories-amp-art/) and scroll down, you'll see a sort of general discussion area where a lot of people ask questions and make requests in regards to fic or art. If you make a post there, you can lay out what sort of things you'd like to see in a fic, and what you'd be comfortable writing in exchange. I can't promise you'll get any takers, but at least you'll be getting the word out.

Good luck, and thanks so much for reading my story!

Ooo~ Thank you!

[Kolen]

Wait.. WHAT?! why'd she reject him??? Nooo 🥺🥺🥺

[Wig_Powder]

Chapter 6

Baldric stared at her in shock, and Siofe’s heart gave a guilty twist. “But…” he said, pulling back from her, “But you just said you’d stay by me!”

“I know, and I meant it. But I’m not sure if you mean it.”

“What are you talking about? Of course I mean it!”

“You think you do,” Siofe corrected him, forcing herself to maintain eye contact despite her guilt and the confusion and pain on Baldric’s face, “But your emotions are running high right now. You just had a painful reminder of your old life, and that’s what you’re really responding to. Maybe you really do think marrying me will help you redeem the Tynto, or that it will help give you a better reputation. Or maybe you’re trying to distance yourself even further from the Tynto by getting married before they would have thought it was appropriate. Regardless of your reason, you’re rushing into this without thinking it through. I don’t want to agree to something we may regret later.”

Baldric kept staring at her. Then he pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes, and Siofe’s heart sank. “I see,” he said coldly, “Do you really think so little of me? Even after all this time?”

“It’s not like that, Baldric…”

“It certainly seems that way. I bear my heart to you, and you try to destroy it. Just as I told you I’d lost everything, you take away the one bit of comfort I had.”

Siofe tried her best to keep her voice even, though she couldn’t stop it from rising in volume. “I’m sorry for that, but that wasn’t my intent. It’s worth a bit of pain now to avoid a potential larger, longer pain further down the road. And just because I said no now doesn’t mean I will later, after we’ve both had time to really think it over.”

“You say that as if there will be a later,” Baldric said stiffly, “Perhaps it would be better if I didn’t leave myself open for such heartache again.”

Siofe could feel her anger and frustration starting to rise, but knew that that would just make the situation worse. So she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she reached for the saddlebags and started searching for her map. “I don’t believe either of us will get the other to see reason. So allow me to make an alternate suggestion.” Finding the map, she spread it out on her legs, illuminating it with a bit of magic. “The two incidents we heard about in Waterbird’s Lee are a good fifty miles apart in almost opposite directions,” she said, indicating the areas with her free hand, “You can go north and deal with the bandits, and I’ll head east to investigate the portal. While we can’t know how long the situations will take to resolve, I imagine it’ll take about two months to travel there and back. We can use that time to think about how we really feel about each other. Once we’re finished, we can meet back here and talk. If you still feel as you do now, we can part ways again for good.”

“You’re just trying to assuage your guilty conscience.” Baldric scoffed.

“No,” Siofe said through gritted teeth, “I’m trying to keep things from getting worse between us. If we keep working together at the moment, our frustration and resentment will build, and our ability to fight enemies will suffer. Distance is absolutely the best thing for us right now.”

Baldric looked at her skeptically. Then he shrugged. “Very well. I’ll leave in the morning.”

Siofe passed over the map. “Take this. I’ll get another one in the next big town. How much money do you have on you?”

Even though his body was still radiating cold anger, she could tell Baldric’s blink was one of surprise. “I haven’t done a count recently, but probably around three hundred gold,” he answered, “Why…”

“I’ll count out my money and figure out how much to give you so we have an equal amount,” Siofe answered, “After all, we generally worked together to earn the money, so you deserve half of it. I just happened to be the one the gold was handed to.”

“Yes, well…thank you.” Baldric said, eyes sliding away from hers.

Siofe nodded. “All I ask is that you return the favor by taking inventory of our saddlebags and making sure we have an equal amount of supplies. I’ll keep the herbs and you can take all the healing potions, but otherwise, I think things can be evenly split.”

“I suppose that’s fair.”

“Good. Now then, one more thing…”

She stood up and moved to the nearest tree. Then, with her magic, she traced a symbol into the bark, an approximation of a fire with a half-circle above it to represent their camps once she’d cast the protective spells. A quick touch turned the symbol white, and she stepped away and gestured to it. “Look for this tree and symbol when you return from the north,” she said, “I’ll set up camp next to it, and won’t put up the protective spells until sundown to make sure we can find each other. You do the same if you get here before I do. All right?”

“Yes.”

“Fine,” Siofe said, “I’ll leave you to take inventory, then.”

Part of her wanted to try to offer an apology or some other kind word to try to help the situation, but based on their earlier conversation, she didn’t think Baldric would be receptive to anything she had to say. So instead, she just exhaled and moved past him to retrieve the other tent. It was obvious they should get used to spending time apart, after all.

***

Siofe had hoped that a night to let things settle might have made Baldric more understanding of her point of view. Sadly, when she emerged from her tent the next morning, she saw Baldric saddling Milburga, his tent already packed away. “Have you eaten?” Siofe said, approaching carefully, “I can make some…”

“I’ll eat while I travel,” Baldric said, “Besides, I don’t feel particularly hungry at the moment.”

His voice and posture were still stiff, but Siofe tried to take comfort in the thought that they seemed a little less cold than they had last night. “If that’s what you want. Here.”

She held out a handkerchief that she’d filled with his share of the money. “I hope you won’t need much of it,” she said, “Or that you end up making more than you spend.”

He took it from her (making eye contact briefly), then opened his saddlebag to transfer the money to his coin purse. “I transferred your share of supplies to your saddlebags,” he said, “Though you may want to organize them to your own liking.”

“Thanks for the warning.”

Baldric turned around and held out the handkerchief. Siofe shook her head. “Keep it. I have others. Besides, I think they’re more useful for you then they are for me.”

She’d meant it as a joke, and even managed to smile while she said it, but the words caused a deep pang in her as they left her mouth. Not only did she worry that being flippant would make things worse, not only did it suggest a certain finality to their partnership, but it was a reminder to her that she might never hear Baldric’s sneeze again. That was a small loss in the wake of everything else, but it was just one more thing that was going to make this a difficult parting.

Baldric looked from her to the cloth, then shrugged and tucked it in the saddlebag. “I suppose you’re right. Thank you.”

Closing the bag, he climbed into the saddle. “If you wouldn’t mind…” he said, indicating the area where her barrier would be.

“In a moment.” Siofe said, not wanting to draw things out and irritate him but also wanting their last interaction to be relatively positive. Stepping a little closer, she held her hand up towards him. “Good luck, be safe, and take care of yourself.”

Baldric hesitated, then took her hand and shook it, his grip light to avoid damaging her with his armor. “Thank you.”

She waited a moment to see if he’d offer any well-wishes to her, but when none seemed forthcoming, she stepped away and removed her various spells. When she lowered her hands and nodded at him, Baldric nudged Milburga’s flank and moved forward. He glanced over at her once, then turned his attention to the way ahead, and Siofe had no idea if he’d even seen her raise a hand in farewell. She watched him ride away, part of her hoping he’d look back again, but he kept his eyes forward. Only when even the sound of Milburga’s hooves had disappeared did she move to her saddlebags to make breakfast and see how disorganized it really was. She had to admit she didn’t have much of an appetite herself, but she needed to keep her strength up, especially since she’d be going it alone and would need to be more alert for threats.

(It wasn’t until she took down the tent that the tears started. In the back of her mind, she was mildly impressed that she’d held out that long.)

***

The next few months were simultaneously easy and difficult. The weather finally warmed, bringing with it sweet smelling flowers and beautiful sights to pass the time while travelling. The roads were easy to travel, both in terms of terrain and in terms of encountering anyone with evil intent. And her reputation had preceded her enough that she managed to either get a free room or cheaper goods at nearly every place she stopped. But for all that, Siofe felt like a pall was hanging over her.

She had always been glad to have some time and space to herself to gather her thoughts or make plans for the next day, of course; she wouldn’t have struck out to adventure alone if that hadn’t been true. But having to go back to it after a year of companionship was jarring, to say the least. She could fill the silence while travelling by singing or talking to Hartwin, and she could keep herself busy when she made camp for the night, but she was still acutely aware that something was missing. It was nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of, or to reminisce with, or to speculate about what might be encountered the next day. It took her longer to settle in for the night, since she now had to do everything by herself. And even if she hadn’t managed to get that close to Baldric when they shared a tent, it still felt wrong when she woke up in the morning and didn’t feel warmth beside her. The worst pangs faded as the days went on, but all that meant was that there was a dull ache somewhere inside her that flared up whenever something jogged her memory of how things used to be.

Siofe was actually grateful when she encountered a group of bandits three weeks into the journey. She may have needed to pay a little more attention to make sure they weren’t flanking her, and she needed to use her spells more sparingly, but it both provided a distraction and allowed her to expend some of her frustration. Fortunately, the bandits in question were amateurs, so it didn’t take long to take them down, and a combination of them being scared and being just one day away from a town meant that she was willing to bring them in alive. It was a good way to ease her back into solo combat, and a reminder that she could still do this alone, should it come to that. Even if that wasn’t the ideal option.

Eventually (indeed, it was almost exactly a month), Siofe made it to Segar, where the portal was. Inquiries revealed that the small handful of spellcasters in the region had already examined it and been flummoxed, and a party had been sent to Obeis Tower to get help from those more versed in magic. Siofe immediately used her contact crystal to speak to the scholars there, in order to let them know of the arrival of guests, to get their opinion, and to make sure this wasn’t something they were already aware of. The scholars said they had nothing to do with the portal, but they had an idea of who did. “Just stay there and keep an eye on it,” she was told, “Everything should be resolved in a week.”

Sure enough, a little over a week later a fluttery sorcerer named Duihet came into town, apologizing profusely. It turned out that he’d been experimenting with teleportation spells, ideally in order to transport people long distances. What he’d thought had been a failed spell had actually caused a portal to open, but only at one end. “That would explain some of the odd things I’ve found in my garden, now that I think about it,” he said with a laugh. The portal was dispelled in a matter of minutes, and the townsfolk even bought Duihet a drink to show there were no hard feelings. As for Siofe, she accepted a small payment for having sped up the resolution of the problem, but waved off anything more since she hadn’t actually done much of anything. She’d spent more than she’d earned in Segar, but thanks to the bandits she’d caught and the reduced prices she’d had elsewhere, she believed she’d still earned money during this venture. After sending a message to Obeis Tower to let them know the matter had been settled and writing a letter to her parents to keep them up to date (she used a contact crystal with them too, but she knew they enjoyed physical letters as props to brag to their neighbors. Besides, this way she could hide what was going on between her and Baldric until she knew where things stood) she saddled Hartwin once more and turned back towards Manquay.

The trip back was uneventful, which normally might have been something of a relief but in this case just meant that Siofe had a lot more time to dwell on her thoughts. Since she hadn’t had the time to procure another contact crystal and there was no firm location of the bandit attacks, there was no way to check in on Baldric. In the first few weeks, that wouldn’t have been a wise idea, but now she hated not having that option. What if the bandits had been too much for him to handle on his own, and he was injured or dead somewhere? Unless he’d managed to tell someone to seek her out and give her the news, she’d never know unless she went searching for him. She had faith that Baldric could best any challenge that came his way, but that just led to her other fear. What if he was angry enough that he decided to strike out on his own and not even bother coming back to the meeting spot? That would leave her with the unpleasant options of going her own way and hoping they crossed paths one day, or seeking him out to confirm he’d taken on the solo adventurer’s life, most likely leading to a less than happy reunion. Thinking about the negative possibilities made her insides twist, but there was only so much she could do to keep them at bay. The best she could manage was to find ways to keep busy, and tell herself that she’d get enough supplies to wait at their arranged spot for a month, to give him plenty of time to arrive. If he hadn’t appeared by then, she’d go after him, if only to give herself partial peace of mind.

By her calculations, it had been nearly three months by the time she finally located the symbol she’d drawn. She set up camp directly across from the tree, arranged her supplies to her liking, then settled in to wait.

True to her word, she’d wait until it was starting to get too dark to see before she’d cast her protective spells for the night. Then she’d remove them as soon as she woke up in the morning, even before getting dressed for the day. In between those moments, she’d exercise Hartwin, keep track of her supplies, and do her best to read. All the while, she kept an ear open for a voice, another pair of hooves, or even just a nearby snap of a twig; anything to indicate that someone was approaching. While there was never anything that falsely got her hopes up, every day without any sort of sign made her anxiety spike just a little more.

And then, one evening, just as the sun was starting to set, Siofe was attempting to read in her tent when she heard the sound of hooves. Her heart simultaneously leapt eagerly and twisted nervously, and she immediately left her tent, conjuring up a stunning spell just in case it was a bandit instead of who she thought it was. No one was in sight when she emerged, so she moved to stand beside the marked tree and waited, trying to take deep, steady breaths so she could at least look composed.

Nothing came into view for a few minutes. Then, at last, a horse and rider appeared. Since the horse’s head was at her eye level, Siofe was able to recognize the white patch on Milburga’s nose, and smiled, dissipating her spell. Milburga must have recognized her too, because she made a pleased nicker and flicked her ears. Siofe gave a nod of acknowledgement, then turned her eyes upward to give a greeting to the rider.

Siofe hadn’t been sure what she would say when she saw Baldric again (despite having all that time to try to come up with something), but any attempt to speak was temporarily driven out of her head when she saw his armor. Instead of the silver armor and infinity symbol of the Tynto he’d left with, he was now wearing a suit that appeared to be made of burnished gold, bearing the symbol of Artet (a stylized end of an arrow with the fletching made to resemble the branches of a tree). It was a beautiful piece, and more importantly at the moment, it contrasted magnificently with Baldric’s skin and dark hair. To many, the sight would be imposing. To Siofe, it was wondrous.

After staring at him for a few moments, during which time he’d drawn level with her, Siofe managed to compose herself and decided to start with a neutral greeting to test the waters. “Hello, Baldric.”

He nodded and dismounted, giving Milburga a pat. “Hello, Siofe.”

The words were stilted and said a little awkwardly, but there wasn’t any coldness in his tone, which Siofe took to be a good sign. “I assume you resolved the bandit situation satisfactorily?”

“I did,” Baldric said, “I had some help from the local guards on both sides of the border, but we eventually managed to find their headquarters and put a stop to them. The region seemed grateful for my assistance. What about your portal?”

“A misunderstanding,” Siofe said, moving into the campsite, “Apparently it was a well-intentioned experiment gone wrong. Fortunately, there was no harm done.”

She looked back over her shoulder and saw Baldric standing by the marked tree, his expression neutral but his posture suggesting hesitance. She managed a faint smile and beckoned him forward. “Come on, get settled. I’m sure you want to get out of your armor, and Milburga no doubt wants a rest. Besides, I think she and Hartwin have a lot they’ll want to catch up on.”

Baldric nodded and stepped into her camp, leading Milburga in after him. “Have you eaten?” Siofe asked.

He shook his head. “I had a meal this afternoon, and that’s been enough to sustain me. You don’t need to cook anything on my account, especially if you’ve already eaten.”

“It wouldn’t be any trouble,” Siofe said, “But if you’re sure…”

“I am,” Baldric said, leading Milburga to where Hartwin was tied (the two horses immediately exchanging what sounded like pleased greetings), “But thank you anyway.”

Siofe watched as he secured Milburga’s reins, then decided she might as well go a little deeper. “It’s good to see you again. I was a little worried you…”

Baldric held up a hand. Siofe’s heart sank, afraid he wasn’t willing to talk about that aspect of things…but then she saw his other hand move to his collar and start to tug out a cloth. Biting her lip, she watched as he quickly withdrew a handkerchief and brought it to his face. “HERSHHHH!!!”

“Gitsen,” Siofe said, her heart now racing for more than one reason, “Are you all right?”

“The fastest path to the north is through the mountains, which still get snow despite it being summer,” Baldric answered, rubbing the handkerchief against his nose, “So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that I fell ill. Still, I’d hoped to avoid it, or at least be well again by the time we met up. A failure on both counts, unfortunately.”

For you, perhaps, Siofe thought, But at least now I’ll get a little bit of enjoyment even if we end up going our separate ways. Out loud, however, she said, “It’s all right. Illnesses have a mind of their own. How long have you been sick?”

“Four days. It came on just before I left the mountains.”

Now that he was closer and she wasn’t distracted by his armor, Siofe could see the edges of Baldric’s nose were noticeably pink, which didn’t exactly help her compose her thoughts. She swallowed quickly and said “Well, you’re probably on the tail end of the illness, but I’ll make a Condensing Draught anyway. With any luck, your symptoms will clear up by tomorrow evening.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Baldric said, giving her a smile (it was hesitant, but appeared genuine), “I appreciate it.”

“Of course,” Siofe answered, “I wouldn’t do anything less for you.”

Baldric looked at her for a moment, the neutral expression back on his face but his gaze telling her he was considering what she’d said. She twisted her hands nervously and then gestured to an empty spot near her tent. “You should probably prepare your tent and change out of your armor while I cast the protective spells and work on the draught. If I do it right, we’ll be finished at about the same time.”

“All right.” Baldric said, moving to undo Milburga’s saddle. It almost felt like he wanted to say more, but when he didn’t speak again, Siofe went to start casting the spells.

The next few minutes simultaneously felt familiar and off-kilter. On the one hand, it was a lot like old times, Siofe casting spells and preparing things over the fire while she could hear Baldric setting up camp behind her. On the other, instead of the comfortable domestic feel that ordinarily came with this moment, there was a mild but noticeable tension in the air. Siofe knew the only way to dispel it was to get things out in the open, but she was afraid to make the first move. The fact that she could hear Baldric sneeze every few minutes didn’t help matters. All she could think to do at the moment was to be friendly and open, encouraging Baldric to do the same. Then, perhaps, they’d both be brave enough to reach out across the gulf.

Baldric was nearly finished setting up his tent by the time she moved to get the ingredients for the draught, and emerged from his tent in more comfortable clothes just as she was putting the last touches on it. She glanced up when she heard the tent flap rustle, and tried to smile invitingly. Baldric hesitated, then moved to sit across from her. Siofe’s heart sank, but she knew better than to push matters. Instead, she finished working on the draught, then scooped out two doses and moved around the fire to hand one of the cups to him. As he reached for it, she shifted her hand so her fingers would lightly brush his as she released her grip. Just a brief touch of the warm if dry skin gave her a sense of comfort, but she didn’t dare linger, quickly dropping her hand and returning to her seat, letting it look like an accidental touch. Baldric didn’t comment on the contact, but he did lift the cup towards her. “To a quick recovery.”

Siofe smiled and raised her own drink. “And may things swiftly return to normal.”

The two of them downed the draught, Baldric coughing while Siofe quickly tapped her chest as she waited for the burn to subside. Once she regained her voice, she looked at Baldric again, trying to put a casualness into her voice she didn’t fully feel. “I’d be interested to hear about your confrontation with the bandits. Are you up for telling it? Or would you rather rest your voice and listen to my not-so-grand story of the portal?”

“I don’t think my story’s particularly grand, either,” Baldric said, “There were a few skirmishes and one larger fight when we found the main bandit camp, but no truly daring feats of heroism. I’d still be willing to tell it if you’re interested, but then there’s the matter of my…”

He broke off and pulled his handkerchief from his tunic, getting it to his face just in time. “Ehh…EPBSHHHHH!!!”

“Gitsen.”

“Thank you,” Baldric said, wiping at his nose, “Though that proves my point; I’m not sure how impactful or entertaining my story will be if I keep getting interrupted like that throughout.”

Siofe smiled again. “I think I could see past that. But if you’d rather wait until you’ve recovered, I understand. Would you rather I did the talking, then?”

She’d half expected Baldric to decline and retire to his tent, but relief swelled inside her when he nodded. “If you don’t mind. I’d enjoy a good story after three days of solitude.”

Siofe’s smile got a little wider, and she began to tell her tale. There wasn’t anywhere to add some of her magic to enhance the story, since the whole thing had been resolved with minimal spellcasting on her part, but she tried to put verve into her voice and use broad gestures to make it as entertaining as she could. While she was hesitant at first, she focused on telling the story and tried not to scrutinize Baldric’s reaction (though she couldn’t help but notice whenever he sneezed), and eventually got caught up in the retelling. Her efforts were rewarded by Baldric laughing when she revealed the true cause of the portal, the sound a bit hoarse because of his illness but unquestionably genuine. Encouraged, she continued the story, trying to play up Duihet’s mannerisms to coax another laugh out of him. Baldric did indeed chuckle two more times, and when she finished her story, she saw that he was smiling. “Not a grand adventure, perhaps,” he said, “But it certainly makes for a fine story.”

“I try,” Siofe said, “Though it helps to have an appreciative audience. I appreciate the appreciation, as it were.”

Though it was a joke of sorts, it must have brushed a little too close to sensitive topics, because the tension from earlier made itself felt again. Not wanting it to grow too oppressive, Siofe said, “It’s getting late, and you could probably use some rest. Complete with not standing watch tonight.”

“I think I can manage that,” Baldric said, getting to his feet, “It’s been a long few days, and a deep, uninterrupted sleep may be exactly what I need.”

“Well then, sleep well, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

Baldric nodded. “The same to you. Though it may end up being a little harder for you.”

“Why…oh.” Siofe broke herself off as Baldric pulled out his handkerchief again.

“Uh…UHKRISHHHH!!!”

“Gitsen. Don’t worry, I’ll manage. Just focus on your own rest.”

“I’ll try.” He nodded to her again and then moved towards his tent. Siofe fed more wood onto the fire and then followed suit, though she went towards her own tent; given everything, there was no question that they should still have separate tents for the time being.

She spent what felt like an hour lying in her tent, listening to Baldric’s occasional sneeze, which at least gave her a small thrill each time. Her heart ached at being so close to him without being able to offer any help, but there wasn’t much she could do. The best she could manage was to start humming some of her lullabies, hopefully loud enough that Baldric could hear and take some comfort from them. It was hard to tell if they did any good, but it did seem like he’d stopped sneezing by the time she drifted off to sleep.

***

“EPKIRSCHHH!!!”

The sneeze, combined with a loud rattle of armor, was enough to jolt Siofe awake. After a moment’s disorientation, she identified the sound, her heartrate picking up while her stomach tingled pleasantly. Composing herself, she got up and started dressing, wanting to be able to have an excuse to encounter Baldric (and his sneezing) in person.

She emerged from her tent just in time to see Baldric pitch forward with another sneeze. “GRISHHHH!!!”

“Gitsen.” she said, walking past him to the fire and starting to look through her food supplies.

“Thank you,” Baldric said, “I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“It’s all right. Better I don’t sleep too late anyway, even if I do have the protective spells up. How are you feeling?”

“Despite what it sounds like, fairly well. I think I’m sneezing every ten minutes instead of every five, and most of my other symptoms seem to have vanished. I think you’re right that the draught should speed things along and get rid of the last remnants of this cold by tonight, tomorrow at the latest.”

“Excellent,” Siofe said, mostly meaning it, “Do you feel up for travelling today, or would you rather wait until you’re sure you’ve fully recovered?”

“I think I’d like to travel. Movement combined with fresh air and sunlight will probably do me good.”

“Any preferences for which way we head?”

“Not back to the mountains, that’s for certain,” Baldric said with a slight laugh, “West seems as good a direction as any, since it’s the one direction neither of us has travelled to recently.”

Siofe nodded. “West it is, then. Now then, to the matter of breakfast…”

Once she’d made a simple meal of eggs, toast, and dried fruit, they sat on opposite sides of the fire to eat. While the silence was more comfortable than it had been the previous night, Siofe still wanted to break it and try to bring things back to a sense of normalcy. And given that Baldric’s armor looked absolutely radiant in the light of day, she had the perfect topic.

“Baldric?” she said, after letting him swallow his current mouthful.

“Yes?” he said, looking at her.

“Can I…ask about the armor?”

“I’d have been surprised if you hadn’t,” he said with a faint smile, “I admit it’s a bit of a dramatic change.” He traced Artet’s symbol for a moment, then said “After thinking it over, I decided that, as much as the Tynto will always be a part of me for good or ill, wearing its symbol on my chest ran the risk of further confrontations like the one with Hulfrid. So I sold it to a blacksmith and used that and part of my payment to have him craft me another set. I decided to go with the polar opposite of silver, and to add a symbol I’m much more likely to feel pride in wearing.”

“Well, it’s excellent work. You look wonderful in it.”

Baldric gave her another look like the one he’d given her when she’d offered to make him the draught. She felt herself blushing, but managed a smile. “It’s true. The bright silver of your old set caught the eye, but this really sets off your hair. And it practically glows in the light. Anyone who sees you will know without a doubt that you’re both on the side of good and not to be trifled with lightly.”

Baldric considered her for another moment. Then, just before it began to feel awkward, he smiled a little wider. “Thank you. It’s good to know my instincts about what makes a good set of armor were correct.”

Siofe’s own smile relaxed and became more natural. “You’d know better than I. I just respond to what looks good.”

The conversation gradually shifted to other things, but from that moment on, things began to feel a lot more normal between them. They chatted about things with ease through the rest of breakfast, and continued to talk once they’d saddled their horses and had set out westward. They didn’t talk about anything significant, but there were fewer and fewer hesitant pauses, and a lot more lightness in their tones. When conversation flagged, Siofe had no hesitation in singing to pass the time instead, and while Baldric didn’t join in, he didn’t object to it either. The only two things that kept it from feeling how it used to was Baldric’s occasional sneeze and the knowledge deep down that things hadn’t fully been resolved. But for now, it was easy to pretend, and Siofe intended to take full advantage of that.

This truce of sorts continued all day. When they finally decided to make camp for the evening, they divided the labor the way they used to, Baldric setting up the tents while she tended to the horses, then gathering firewood while Siofe made the firepit. Afterwards, he did his usual hour of practice while she cast the protective spells and then began making dinner. The only thing that was odd was that instead of retiring to his tent to change and polish his armor, Baldric merely removed his gauntlets before joining Siofe by the fire to wait for dinner. Siofe noted the change, but didn’t think too much of it; maybe he needed to recover some strength, since his cold hadn’t fully abated yet.

They ate dinner, still talking about this and that, and all seemed well. It was only as Siofe was finishing cleaning the dishes that the moment finally came.

“Siofe,” Baldric said softly, “I think it’s time we talked.”

Siofe’s blood went cold, but she nodded and forced herself to make eye contact as she put the dishes away. “All right. But I think a lot of this hinges on you.”

“You’re not wrong,” Baldric agreed, “In fact, you were right about a lot of things.”

Siofe swallowed and waited. Baldric rubbed his handkerchief (which he’d removed and kept on his leg for easy access) between his fingers for a few moments, looking down at it. Then he looked back at her and started speaking.

“After I left you, I remained angry for probably a good two weeks. Even if the worst of it faded, there was still a lingering bitterness, a conviction that you had been unnecessarily cruel. But gradually, even that began to pass. You were right that separation allowed my thoughts to settle a little faster.”

Siofe smiled weakly. He gave a tiny nod and continued. “As time went on, I started to notice how different it was to travel alone. I felt a little more tense in the evenings, knowing I had to rely on my senses instead of having the assistance of your protective spells. During my fights with the bandits, I had to exert myself more, since I didn’t have you knocking men down with your spells or the protection of your shield spell. Even when I had others to assist me, my odds of injuries increased. I was never seriously hurt, but the few scrapes I did receive were an acute reminder of what was missing.”

He stood up and moved around the fire to sit beside her. “But it was more than that. I’d catch myself humming some of your songs to help me pass the time while riding, since I had no other way to stave off boredom. I’d retire to bed early and be at a loss for what to do with myself. And I always felt colder at night, no matter the temperature outside or how I arranged the blankets. It wasn’t a replacement for your warmth at my back.”

Siofe felt her heart pang, recognizing many of those feelings. His words were giving her a flicker of hope, but she needed to see how this speech ended first.

“By the time I was making arrangements with the town guard of Grobyn to seek out the bandit’s headquarters, I’d finally had to concede that you were right. My proposal had been made in haste, spurred on by Hulfrid’s accusations and a desire to distance myself from my past. But at the same time, spending a month or more without you made me realize that my feelings were sincere, even if my reason for expressing them came from an insincere place.”

He sighed, running a hand down his face, then through his hair before chuckling mirthlessly. “I’ve had a lot of time to come up with what to say to you,” he said, shaking his head, “And now that the moment’s come, I’m still not sure what the best words are.”

“Just say what feels right,” Siofe said, as best she could through the tightness in her throat, “They may not be the prettiest, but I’ll know they’re from the heart.”

Baldric nodded, cleared his own throat, and started speaking again. “Then let me start by saying I’m sorry. Sorry for lashing out at you, and sorry for forcing us to separate. I don’t regret that last one inasmuch as it allowed me to see what it was like to adventure alone, but I wish it had been in better circumstances.”

“You’re forgiven,” Siofe said, “And I’m sorry I caused you pain when you were already hurting.”

“I think my sin was greater than yours in the end,” Baldric said, “But that’s not important now. What is important is where we go from here.” Siofe nodded and waited. Better to let Baldric say his piece so she could fully get a sense of where she stood.

“I don’t know if our fight was enough to destroy what we had. Our interactions over the last day suggest that we can still at least be companions. And if you’ll allow it, I’d like to remain by your side, travelling Quaysit and helping those in need. Because even if we aren’t together, I care about you. I know there’s the possibility, given our line of work, that you’ll be struck down before you deserve. I may not be able to stop it if that time comes, but I want to be able to have the comfort of saying goodbye.”

The more Baldric spoke, the stronger the sense of hope swelled in Siofe’s chest. But she merely nodded and forced herself to stay quiet, sensing he wasn’t done yet.

“But if you’ll still have me…I’d be honored to be yours. Your friend, your protector, your assistant in adventuring…your lover. You’ve opened up my eyes to so much, and while I’m at the point where I can think of happy memories of my time with the Tynto, I think I can safely say that the best times of my life have been with you. I’d like for that to continue, for as long as possi…ihh…”

He broke off, raising his handkerchief to his face and turning away as best he could. “ITHISHHHH!!”

Siofe hesitated for just a moment, then put her hand on top of his free one. “Gitsen.”

“Thank you,” Baldric said, before quickly rubbing at his nose and setting his handkerchief on his knee, turning his full attention to her again, “You’re free to say no, and while it will hurt, I can handle this rejection with more grace. As long as we can still work together, I’ll learn to be content with that. But I ask again, with a clear head if not a clear nose; will you marry me?”

Siofe smiled at him, squeezing his hand as hard as she could. With her other hand, she softly touched his cheek. “Yes.”

Baldric’s eyes glowed, a tension that she hadn’t fully recognized immediately leaving his shoulders. With no hesitation, he pulled her into an embrace, placing his hand just so so her head wouldn’t knock against his armor. “Thank you.” he murmured.

“Thank you,” Siofe responded, feeling tears well up in her eyes, “I felt terrible for rejecting you, but I wanted you—both of us—to be sure. And after your initial reaction, I was afraid that my pushing you away might have formed a permanent rift between us.”

“I don’t think that would have happened,” Baldric said, pulling away just enough to wipe at her eyes with a finger, “Not after all you’ve done for me. You’d have deserved my friendship, if nothing else.”

“Even so,” Siofe said, lightly tracing Artet’s symbol on his chest, “It was hard to tell after that argument. And as time went on, I started to worry I wouldn’t see you again. Either because you decided to strike out on your own, or because something had happened to you. I hated that feeling, all the more so because we’d ended on such a harsh note.”

“At least we have a chance to wash it away,” Baldric said, carefully running his hand over her hair, “And as painful as the argument was, the memory of it may be enough to prevent similar ones from happening in the future.”

Siofe nodded and looked up at him, her own tension draining out of her when she saw his smile and glinting eyes. “That’s an excellent idea.”

“It’s a promise,” he corrected her, starting to tilt his face downward, “One that I intend to seal to make official.”

Siofe laughed, then brought her face towards his. Just before their lips could meet, however, Baldric abruptly turned his head to the side, wrapping an arm around Siofe and pressing her against his breastplate to keep her from being jostled too much. “AKTSHHHHH!!!”

Siofe chuckled and passed him his handkerchief. “Gitsen.”

Baldric accepted the cloth and loosened his grip simultaneously. “Thank you. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that I would ruin the moment. It fits in with my complete hopelessness at romance.”

Siofe laughed again, but as she did so, a feeling of certainty washed over her. It was accompanied by a large amount of nerves, but she knew that she had to speak up now. Leaving it longer would only make things more awkward.

“You didn’t ruin it, Baldric. Quite the opposite.”

He looked up from his handkerchief, blinking in confusion. Siofe took a deep breath and continued. “Now that we’re engaged, I think there’s something you should know…”

~~~
Next time: The end result of Siofe's confession.

Also, if you're wondering what Baldric got up to while he was away from Siofe, I wrote a little fic about some of it. You can find it here.

 

[HPG]

This is absolutely incredible.  I'm debating requesting access to the 18+ board just so I can read it more quickly.

[EveP]

Oh, how I wish for access to the adult forum now, but I suppose I'll have to be patient. This is like reading great fantasy, playing a video game and enjoying my fetish at the same time.

[Wig_Powder]

@HarryPotterGeek Very flattering to hear! Regardless of what you do, I hope you keep enjoying the story, no matter what pace you end up reading it at!

9 hours ago, EveP said:

This is like reading great fantasy, playing a video game and enjoying my fetish at the same time.

I like that description! I'm glad the story's working so well for you!

In case anyone missed it at the end of my last post, I wrote a short snippet called "Innterlude" that shows us some of Baldric's POV during the time he was away from Siofe. Just in case you wanted to get a little more sneezing from him. Though I promise, you'll get a decent amount of it in this chapter too...

Chapter 7

Baldric continued to blink at Siofe, disbelief on his face. “Sneezing.” he said, speaking it almost as though he’d never encountered the word before.

She nodded, fiddling with a bit of her robes and maintaining eye contact despite her nerves and the heat on her face. “Sneezing. I enjoy almost all variations of it, but yours…they’re in a class by themselves.”

He glanced down at his handkerchief, then back at her. “Am I to assume that’s the real reason you wanted to share a tent the first time I fell ill?”

“Guilty as charged,” Siofe said with a sheepish smile, “Though in my defense, I meant everything I said that first night, and also wanted to be close at hand to look after you. It wasn’t entirely due to self-interest.”

Baldric cocked his head to one side, looking her over. Just as Siofe shifted uncomfortably, afraid that he’d been completely repulsed by the revelation, he gave a wry grin. “Well then…I guess I’ll have a new reason to enjoy winter.”

“You don’t mind?” Siofe said, wanting to make absolutely sure.

“It’s strange, and I don’t think you’d deny that. But despite your interest, you’ve done nothing to deliberately make me sneeze; in fact, you’ve given me medicine that reduces sneezing. It seems clear to me you have my best interests at heart. In which case, why should I mind if you get enjoyment out of something unusual? Besides, I admit there’s something…endearing about the knowledge that I can please you with something so small, so to speak. And it makes me feel a little better about my sneezes, which I’ve regarded as nothing but a nuisance up until now.”

Siofe relaxed and smiled, squeezing his free hand. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” Baldric said with a shrug, “The only question is, how do we handle this going forward?”

“I don’t think too much will change,” Siofe said, “I’ll enjoy it when you sneeze, and perhaps you’ll give me teasing looks or make some comments to rile me up, but I’ll continue to make you Condensing Draughts when you fall ill and otherwise make sure the sneezes aren’t making you too uncomfortable. The only difference will be that occasionally, there will be times when I’ll make you sneeze on purpose—with your permission, of course—in order to have a little fun. I may also take advantage of the times when you catch cold, though I’ll try not to exhaust you. And I certainly hope you won’t deliberately try to fall ill for my sake; my enjoyment isn’t worth several days of discomfort.”

“I appreciate that,” Baldric said, “And I won’t mind sneezing for you as long as you’re careful about it and don’t go too far. I admit, I’ll be curious to see exactly what it is that sneezing does to you.”

The thought came to Siofe immediately. “Maybe you can learn tonight.”

Baldric's cheeks turned pink. “Meaning what, exactly?”

“Meaning that since you’ve still got some traces of your cold, we might as well take advantage of it.”

Baldric considered for a moment, then nodded. “I can't really argue with that.”

Siofe grinned and rubbed his hand. “One more thing...do I have permission to make you sneeze? The Draught has reduced your sneezing to once every ten minutes or so, and waiting for one to come naturally will probably be a bit boring.”

“How would you do it?”

“I was figuring on trying a quill. If that doesn’t work, we may need to find something else, but that seems like a reasonable way to begin.”

“As long as you’re careful, I’m willing to try.”

“Thank you.” Siofe said, leaning in and finally kissing him. As much as she wanted to savor the moment, she forced herself to pull away after a few seconds. They’d have plenty of other opportunities, after all, and she didn’t want Baldric to lose his nerve. Stroking his cheek, she continued, “I suppose we should get started as soon as we can. Let’s change into our nightclothes. Call out to me when you’re ready and I’ll meet you in your tent.”

Baldric took a deep breath, then nodded. “I’ll try to be quick.”

He stood up, started to move to his tent, then stopped abruptly after only going three paces. “Heh…HEKIRSHHHH!!!”

“Gitsen.” Siofe said, smiling.

Baldric looked back at her, and even in the fading light, she thought she caught a flash of amusement in his eye. “Thank you.” Then he resumed walking to his tent, entering it without further incident. Siofe waited until she could hear the sound of him removing his armor, then got up and went to her own tent.

It didn’t take her long to change into her nightgown, or to select a quill to use on Baldric (she opted for one with a pointed tip instead of one with larger, softer strands; it seemed more likely to have an effect). To pass the remaining time, as well as to distract herself from her own nerves, she hummed softly, stroking the quill. She'd never been able to indulge herself like this before, and she hoped she'd be able to strike the right balance between enjoying herself and not making it too uncomfortable for Baldric.

Part of her had wondered if Baldric would change his mind during the time it took him to remove and clean his armor, but after a time (and two sneezes, which she didn’t bless for fear of drawing more attention to what they were about to do), she heard his voice. “All right. I think I’m as ready as I can be.” Siofe chuckled, then left her tent and went into his, quill in hand.

Baldric was sitting cross-legged on his bedroll, fiddling with a corner of one of his blankets and already blushing (or perhaps he hadn’t ever stopped). He nodded at her, and while his expression was encouraging and curious, she could see a bit of tension in his shoulders. While she could more than understand his nerves, she wanted to make sure he was relaxed enough to, if not enjoy himself the same way she did, then at least to feel more comfortable about proceedings. Fortunately, she’d come up with a method to do that.

“Before we begin, there’s one thing I want to do first that I think will put us both more at ease.”

He blinked in surprise. “What would that be?”

Siofe smiled, sat next to him, then draped her arms over his neck and pulled herself against him, resting her head on his shoulder. “I missed this,” she murmured, giving him a squeeze, “I missed you.”

Baldric had jumped a little when she’d first hugged him, but immediately put his arms around her once he realized her intent. “So did I.”

Siofe sighed contentedly and nuzzled his neck, shifting until she was pressed comfortably against his chest. All her lingering anxieties, from worrying about her relationship with Baldric to admitting her interest in sneezing, melted away as Baldric tightened his hold on her. He was warm, his body firm with muscle but still small enough for her to easily put her arms around. And his own arms encircled her perfectly, providing just the right amount of pressure—not enough to be painful, but enough to provide support and reassurance. It felt comfortable, safe…like home. She closed her eyes, moving her hands to rest against his back, losing herself in the simple pleasure of being close to him.

She wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, content to hold each other, only occasionally moving to shift position or lightly rub their fingers against the other’s back. Then, as she’d highly suspected, Baldric was forced to break the embrace in order to get his handkerchief to his face. “ERSHHKKK!!”

“Gitsen,” Siofe said, turning her head up and softly kissing his jaw, one hand coming up to lightly stroke his hair, “Perhaps that’s a sign from Artet that we should begin.”

Baldric sniffed, rubbing at his nose. “Perhaps it is, at that.”

“All right,” Siofe said, disentangling herself and moving so she’d be sitting across from him, the quill resting by her side, “Are you ready?”

“Yes,” Baldric said, even as his blush deepened, "Though I suppose we've technically already started."

“True, but now you'll get to truly see things for yourself.” Siofe lifted the quill, pointing the tip at Baldric’s nose. “May I?”

Baldric swallowed and nodded. She reached out and traced the outer edges of his nose, gratified when it visibly twitched despite her having barely touched any of the sensitive areas. Just the sight of it was enough for her stomach to start to tingle pleasantly. With a satisfied breath, she moved the quill and traced his nose again, this time brushing the insides of his nostrils. Baldric’s nose twitched again, his breath catching midway through. “Huh…”

Siofe was torn between pressing the advantage or drawing it out. She decided on a half-compromise, finishing her trace and then pulling the quill away for a moment. “All right?” she asked.

Baldric nodded and sniffed, the sound wet enough to make her squirm. Baldric noticed and raised his eyebrows, smiling faintly. She smiled back, feeling her cheeks redden, and brought the quill back to his nose. After a moment’s consideration, she slipped it into his right nostril and gave it a light spin.

Baldric’s nose gave a sharper twitch this time, and his eyes involuntarily closed, hand grabbing for his handkerchief. “Huhh…” Wanting to make it easier for him, Siofe withdrew the quill and allowed him to bring the cloth to his face unrestricted. “HUHKRISHHH!!!”

“Gitsen,” Siofe said, the word coming out as a half-sigh, “If I could ask…what does the quill feel like when I brush your nose?”

He rubbed his nose with the handkerchief, eyes flicking to the side in thought. “Soft and prickly at the same time,” he said after a moment. The barbs that weren’t in my nose felt pleasant, a light, almost soothing touch. It was still enough to tickle my nose at times, but it wasn’t too uncomfortable. Once the quill was in my nose, however, it was as if they became much sharper, poking everything they could reach. If I didn’t know better, I might have thought you enchanted it to increase the chances of my sneezing.”

“I don’t think there’s a spell like that,” Siofe said, “And even if there was, I wouldn’t do that to you. Not while we’re still figuring things out, anyway.”

Baldric gave another small smile and touched her knee. “I know. It was my attempt at a tease.”

Siofe smiled back, encouraged. “And not a bad one. I can tell I’m going to be in for a lot more like that in future. Now to a more important question; do you think using a quill on you will work even when you aren’t dealing with a cold?”

“I suspect it will, though it may take a little more time. Why?” he asked, the smile turning into a grin, “Is this something I should expect to be experiencing on a regular basis from now on?”

“Only if you’re willing,” Siofe assured him, “And even then, it’s probably best to do it sparingly to keep things from losing their lustre. Mostly I was trying to think ahead. If you think the quill will work on you no matter what, then this will probably be what we'll use most of the time, since it sounds like you aren’t prone to allergies.”

“No, thankfully. Or maybe not, in your case.” Baldric chuckled and continued, “Flowers and plants have never bothered me, I’ve never sneezed when handling dusty items or spending a fair bit of time in a dusty room, and strong spices can make my nose itch and burn a little, but they’ve never made me sneeze that I can recall. All evidence suggests I’m not allergic to feathers or fur either.”

“That’s fine, on the whole,” Siofe said, briefly touching his knee, “I may enjoy your sneezing, but I’d rather you not suffer. And as long as I have some way to make you sneeze ‘on command’, I won’t complain. Speaking of which…” she lifted the quill again, “Up for another?”

Baldric nodded, and she slipped the quill into the left side of his nose this time. She also pushed it in a little deeper, hoping to find the spot that some claimed everyone had, the spot that was guaranteed to trigger a sneeze. While she wasn’t sure if she’d found it, the quill had only been in his nose a few seconds before Baldric gave a sharp gasp, and she withdrew it so he could bring the handkerchief to his face. “ARKSSHHTTT!!”

“Gitsen.” Siofe said, wriggling slightly in pleasure.

Baldric smiled as he lowered the handkerchief. "I think I like what sneezing does to you. You're always lovely, of course, but with your cheeks flushed and your eyes bright...I'm drawn to you all the more."

Siofe felt an entirely different warmth inside her at those words. “I’m glad to hear it,” she said, before lifting the quill again, “May I?”

Baldric nodded, and Siofe slipped the quill into his nose, doing her best to push the feather in deep to try to find that spot again. Apparently she succeeded, if Baldric's loud gasp was any indication. “HAH-KERITSHHHH!!!”

“Gitsen.” Siofe said breathlessly, withdrawing the quill.

Baldric rubbed his nose. “Goodness, that was a strong one. I don’t think I’ve sneezed like that since…”

He trailed off, cocking his head thoughtfully. “What is it?” Siofe asked.

“Now that I’m thinking about it, there is one item I know of that makes me sneeze. I’d just forgotten about it because I haven’t encountered it in ages. Which probably means we won’t be encountering it either.”

“Even so, you’ve piqued my curiosity now,” Siofe said, “Why don’t you tell me all about it? If you make it descriptive enough, it might even help with my demonstration.” Baldric smiled faintly and obliged.

“I was a few months past eighteen, and I’d just been made a Junior Lieutenant of the Tynto. My new position afforded me various perks, including nicer rooms with fewer bunkmates, my own set of armor, and more access to different areas of the compound. The one that’s relevant to this tale is that I was now to attend church services in our main sanctuary, rather than the one off the trainee barracks. Everyone from junior officers to the Masters attended this church, and I felt both honored and terrified at being among them, wanting to make a good impression. I think I polished my armor to a mirror shine.”

“You don’t do that now?” Siofe said with a grin.

“I try to keep it to the shine of a drinking glass most of the time,” Baldric answered, returning her grin, “This particular polish took me two hours. At any rate, everything initially went well. The Masters didn’t seem to pay much notice to me as I entered and got settled in a pew, but I didn’t really expect them to. I was more interested in taking in the interior, which had beautiful stained glass and various other luxurious touches the trainee church didn’t. As the service began, I turned my attention to that, wondering if it would be different too.

“The priestesses made their way down the aisle, carrying lamps of incense. I watched them, noting with interest that the smoke from this incense was purple; the type used for the trainees was the usual whitish-grey. The scent was different too, rich and sweet instead of the traditional floral. Initially, I was impressed, feeling more honored than ever that I’d reached a rank that allowed me to be in such distinguished company with such wonderful things.

“After a few moments, however, I noticed an itch in my nose. Rubbing my nose did little to diminish it—in fact, it grew a little stronger on my next breath. While I’d never had allergies, listening to the complaints of other trainees who did allowed me to figure out that I was reacting to the incense. I was concerned, but did my best to ignore it, merely rubbing at my nose every so often when it got stronger. I tried to convince myself it would just be a mild irritation, something that caused my nose to itch but wouldn’t actually make me sneeze. Sadly, it didn’t take me long to realize that wasn’t the case. By the time the head priest was beginning his sermon, it was obvious that I was eventually going to sneeze.”

He paused for a moment to rub his nose. Siofe couldn’t tell if he was doing it because of his cold, the memory, or for her benefit, but it made her wriggle, her stomach warming up even more. Baldric noticed her reaction and smiled. “I’m glad someone finds this enjoyable.”

“You can be very…evocative. Go on.”

Baldric nodded and resumed his story. “I felt a faint stab of panic at that realization. I knew word had to have reached the Masters about the volume of my sneezes—they’re not exactly easy to ignore—and I didn’t want them to get first-hand experience with it in the middle of a church service. That would draw their attention to me in a not-so-pleasant way. So I did what I could to ward off the moment. I started by rubbing at my nose constantly, trying to keep the itch to a manageable level. When that didn’t seem to be working any longer, I pinched my nose and held my breath, hoping a brief respite from the scent would cause the itch to die down. When my lungs began burning, I would exhale carefully through my mouth, take one proper breath, then take another deep breath and hold it in again. It did seem to help a little, but it made my nose and fingers hurt from how hard I was pinching, and the itch increased, albeit in a smaller way, every time I inhaled. I think about ten minutes had passed when I realized a sneeze was inevitable. Since I couldn’t think of anything else that could stop it, I resorted to stifling.”

“And what did that sound like?” Siofe asked, wetting her lips.

Baldric smiled almost slyly and held out a hand. “Let me show you.”

Siofe put the quill in his hand, heart racing in anticipation. Baldric brought the quill to his nose, sliding it into his left nostril and wiggling it up and down. After a few seconds, his face contorted, and he quickly dropped the quill and brought his fingers to his nose. “HIH-KPHHH!!”

The sound was definitely softer than his normal sneezes, though they still seemed plenty loud up close. Siofe thought she preferred them unrestricted, but this made for interesting variety. “Gitsen.” she said, before biting her lip.

Baldric removed his fingers, then grabbed his handkerchief and sneezed again. “HUTKRSHHHH!!!” Then he nodded his thanks and rubbed at his nose. “While that did prevent me from disrupting the service—except perhaps for those seated around me—there’s a reason I don’t stifle.”

“And that would be…?”

Baldric smiled, and this time it was definitely sly. Without a word, he brought the quill back to his nose, alternating between spinning and wiggling until his breath caught again. “Eh…” Then he dropped the quill again and pinched his nose. “EMPFFF!!” He exhaled briefly through his mouth, only to make a sharp inhale a moment later. “IKCHNNN!!” Another quick exhale, and then…“INTCHFF!!”

“Gitsen,” Siofe said quickly, “I think I get the point. I don’t want you passing out for my sake.”

Baldric dropped his hand and then immediately took up his handkerchief. “UTKITSHHHH!!!” He gave his nose a quick blow and then sighed with relief. “It’s never come to that, but I certainly get more lightheaded and my chest gets sorer the longer I’m forced to stifle. I learned that definitively during that service.”

“Did the Masters notice?”

“I don’t think so. But then again, I wasn’t aware of anything other than my sneezing and the very faint clank of my armor. I didn’t hear a word of the service, too focused on keeping my sneezes quiet. It wasn’t until I opened my eyes to see everyone else standing up to let the priest and priestesses pass that I realized it was ending. I continued to stifle until they had left the church and the Masters had departed through side doors at the front, then tried to exit the church as quickly as possible without making a scene. Fortunately, the Junior Lieutenants had to sit at the back of the church, so I was able to make it to the door after only a minute or so. Then I quickly made my way to the nearest building—the senior officer’s mess—and ducked around it so people couldn’t see. Then I removed my handkerchief and unpinched my nose, letting myself sneeze freely. Thanks to how long I’d been keeping them restrained, it took seven or so before the sensation finally diminished.”

The image of Baldric sneezing helplessly and repeatedly, armor rattling with each one, handkerchief pressed desperately if somewhat uselessly to his face to muffle the sound, melted Siofe’s insides, the heat from her stomach spreading up to her chest. Baldric took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “I take it I’m doing well?”

“Very well. What happened next?”

“By some miracle, no one came to inquire about what was setting me off, though my bunkmates asked me that evening if I was coming down with a cold. It also turned out that the incense didn’t cling to my armor, though I bathed that night and cleaned the armor again just to be safe. But now I was worried about the service the next week. I hated the thought that I would have to deal with this every week, but I was prepared to endure it, as a proper member of the Tynto. But I needed to strike a balance between not disturbing the service and actually being able to pay attention to it. After some consideration, I thought perhaps that now that I knew what was coming, I could try to hold my breath earlier, keeping the itch from forming at all. And if it did and built up to a sneeze, perhaps sneezing normally, just once, would be enough to blow out the worst of the scent and start things over again. Then I could resume using the other tricks to keep the itch at bay.”

“I’m going to assume that didn’t work.”

“I thought it had. I certainly lasted a little longer, especially since I also put my handkerchief to my nose and mouth for good measure. But eventually, I could tell I needed to sneeze. So I cupped both my hands and my handkerchief over my mouth and did what I could to muffle the sound.”

With no prompting on Siofe’s part, he brought the quill to his nose. He must have been on the verge of a cold-related sneeze, because he’d barely slid the tip inside before he dropped it, arranging his hands and the handkerchief in the way he’d just described. “ERHMFSHHHH!!!” The sound was a little quieter, but only slightly. Siofe felt her stomach pulse, and her “Gitsen.” came out high-pitched. Baldric lowered the handkerchief and continued speaking, apparently focused on finishing the story.

“I could tell the sneeze had echoed through the church, and caught a few men throughout the pews turning to look at me. The priest, however, merely paused for a moment and resumed his sermon. But I only had a few seconds to notice all this; I’d barely drawn a breath to recover when I breathed in the scent again, and it seemed like my body wanted to prevent it from entering my lungs any more than necessary. So instead of getting another ten minutes to try to ward off the sneeze, I sneezed again almost immediately. And I wasn’t able to bring my fingers to my nose to stop myself from doing it a third time. And then a fourth.”

While Siofe felt a pang of sympathy at the embarrassment and shame Baldric must have felt, she nevertheless couldn’t stop herself from squirming at the thought of what an echoing fit of his sneezes must have sounded like. This time, however, Baldric didn't seem to notice, apparently caught up in his story. With a sigh and a grimace, he continued.

“I could tell the only way to deal with the situation was to leave. With as much dignity as I could, I stood up, tried to bow as an apology, and exited the church, still attempting to muffle my sneezing. Then I returned to my room and started packing my things.”

“You really thought they were going to kick you out for interrupting the service?”

“I thought it showed weakness, a common reason the recruits and trainees washed out. I intended to apologize profusely and plead my case, but I wanted to be prepared. After I’d finished packing, I tried to clean the incense off my face and hair, and then made my way to the office of the Chief Master. The service hadn’t finished yet, but I knew I’d be sent for, so I decided I might as well show punctuality.

“When Master Adkin arrived, he seemed slightly surprised that I was already there, but ushered me into his office without a word. I’d had enough time to prepare a speech, so when I asked for and received permission to speak, I apologized for disturbing the service, explained that the incense had been the cause, mentioned all I’d done to avoid sneezing both that day and the week before, and said I would accept any punishment, including discharge, that the Masters saw fit. I concluded by saying that regardless of what happened, it was an honor to serve in the Tynto, and that even if I was discharged, I would encourage my sons to join them when they were old enough. Then I stood at attention and waited for the verdict.

“To my surprise, Adkin shook his head and gave me a reassuring smile. ‘While I can’t recall ever seeing a Tynto member with a reaction as…violent as yours,’ he said, ‘You aren’t the first man who’s had a sensitivity to incense. Since I never heard any complaints when you were a trainee, I presume the incense used in their services didn’t bother you?’ When I confirmed that, he nodded. ‘Then continue to attend services there instead. Should you attain the rank of Major, we’ll see about changing the incense we use.’”

“That was surprisingly generous of him.”

“They did want to be seen as a noble group, after all. And my sneezes were a nuisance, but I must have been a good enough soldier that it wasn’t enough to send me to the sacrificial altar. Besides, I’m sure he thought there was a reasonable chance I’d never make it that far.”

“And I presume you continued to attend services with the trainees up until…the end?”

Baldric nodded. “I didn’t even consider it a punishment or an exile. I thought it was a reasonable compromise, and also had the benefit of letting me spend some time with the recruits and trainees, which might have served me well had I progressed through the ranks. Over time, I all but forgot that it had been any other way. And I’ve never encountered that particular incense in any of the churches I’ve attended since, so my sensitivity to it hasn’t crossed my mind in, oh, at least five years.”

“Well, I’m glad it came to you now,” Siofe said with a smile, “I think this experience has been all the better for it.”

Baldric chuckled, even as the blush came back full force. “I’m happy to be of service.”

Siofe blushed as well. "Forgive me for being greedy," she said, "But do you think you could let me hear just one more…?”

Baldric smiled faintly and then gingerly slipped the quill into his nose again. “Eh…hehh…EPKITCSHHHHH!!!”

Siofe closed her eyes, enjoying the sound and the warm feeling spreading throughout her whole body. Then she opened her eyes and smiled at Baldric. “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” Baldric answered, “Because of you, I'll be able to look back on that incident with much less embarrassment. All I'll have to do is remember your enjoyment of my retelling.”

“I aim to please.” Siofe said, leaning in to kiss him, both as another form of thanks and to make sure he got some proper enjoyment out of the evening as well. He accepted the kiss readily, and there was a passion to it that she couldn’t remember him having before. Either he was happy to be kissing her again after so long, or he was emboldened by what he’d seen. Or perhaps it was a combination of the two.

When they pulled apart for air, Siofe gestured around at the tent. “Is it safe to assume I can share the tent with you again?”

“Yes,” Baldric said, smiling through another blush, “Although the usual rules apply. Tonight more than ever, I think.”

“Fair enough. But before we go to bed…are you up for another embrace? I think it’s just what we need to put a capper on this evening, and give us a different kind of pleasure.”

Baldric responded by bringing a hand to her shoulder and tugging her forward until her head was resting against his chest, then sliding his arms around her. Siofe did the same, humming one of her lullabies to further relax the mood. They probably had six minutes or so before Baldric had to sneeze again, and she intended to indulge in this contentment for as long as she could.

~~~

Next time: Siofe finds herself in an uncomfortable situation, and Baldric proves he knows what he's doing.

[Snez gud]

This was so gooood! Poor Baldric, he can’t help sneezing so loud!😭😭😭

[snowshie]

This is so good! Thank you for sharing this!

[Wig_Powder]

@snowshie Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

@Snez gud No, he can't, but at least he's found someone who appreciates it. And I'm sure my readers appreciate it as well..

 

CONTENT WARNING: This chapter heavily revolves around an injury and a kind of surgery. There isn't a lot of description of blood or gore, but there is a lot of focus on pain, so tread carefully if you're sensitive to things like that.

 

Chapter 8

Siofe was amazed at how quickly things went back to normal. Even though they were now engaged and Baldric knew her secret, it didn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. Their typical day was still spent travelling and having casual conversation and song, and their affection at night was still limited to kisses and embraces (though both had increased in number). On the occasions when they encountered something to fight, perhaps they took a few extra steps to ensure each others safety, but nothing too different from what they had been doing before. While it was initially odd to feel like nothing had changed, Siofe eventually decided it was a sign that the two of them really were well-matched, and let the matter drop in her mind.

The day after their engagement, the two of them spent the day discussing when they should actually marry. They'd need to have a ceremony in a town to make it official, and the question was where and when. After some discussion and examination of the map, they decided they would slowly make their way towards Samsmy, where her parents lived, and marry there. If, however, circumstances placed them in a beautiful town or gave them a job that ended in a spectacular success, they would marry there instead, and Siofe would contact her parents to see if they could attend. This did lead to discussions about if they'd met those requirements after arriving in a new town or after a job was completed, but they generally didn't take long to conclude that they hadn't stumbled on the perfect place just yet, and would turn their attention to other matters.

As for the sneezing, it didn't really factor into their lives. Now that they were unquestionably into summer, it was unlikely that Baldric would fall ill again for some time, and as they'd discussed, he didn't have any common allergies. And tempting as it was, Siofe didn't want to ask him to sneeze for her too often, both to avoid annoying him and to increase her enjoyment on the occasions when she did decide to do so. About the only time it came up was if they were in a town and someone happened to sneeze in their hearing. Then Baldric would meet her eyes and smile knowingly, and she would smile back and touch his hand or arm, a silent assurance that hearing that sneeze hadn't been anywhere near as pleasurable as hearing his. Baldric would give a small nod and a brief rub of his nose (“a more apropos version of a wink”, he'd explained when she'd asked), and then they'd return to what they'd been doing. It was just the right amount of reminders to be pleasurable instead of distracting, and Siofe wasn't about to complain about that.

And so two months passed, the pair checking their map every evening to see how close they were to Samsmy, but otherwise focusing their energies on travelling or whatever their current job was. What point was there in dwelling on a wedding that wouldn't be taking place for several more months, after all?

One day, the two of them were making their way through a forest when they rounded a bend and found themselves several feet away from another camp. The group of men sitting around the fire looked up in surprise, and just as Baldric opened his mouth to greet them (after all, they could be running into merchants or other adventurers), they sprang to their feet with a yell, drawing weapons. Siofe immediately cast her shield spell on Baldric, then dismounted and started to cast some of her stunning spells. There was a chance this was all a misunderstanding, but given that they were two days ride from a fairly prosperous town and there were several large chests she could see near the tents, the odds were good they were dealing with bandits. Still, she'd work to incapacitate rather than kill, just in case. With any luck, Baldric was doing the same.

Then something jabbed her right side. In an instant, pain shot through her entire body, so strong that she cried out and fell to the ground. Trying to focus, Siofe saw an arrow embedded in her side. Looking up, she managed to see two green-clad figures in nearby trees, holding bows. Gritting her teeth, she shot lightning from each hand, not wanting them to get another shot. One struck an archer and caused him to fall from the tree, while the other hit the branch under the second archer instead, which ended up having the same result. Unfortunately, the act of raising her right arm caused the pain to increase, and her vision was getting blurry. She knew she needed to keep fighting, or at least cast some form of protective spell on herself, but the pain was too much. She wasn't even sure she had enough strength to try to crawl away from the fight.

Then she heard a whinny and saw something chestnut streak past her, before her vision of the campsite was blocked by a large outline. As Hartwin whinnied again and rose up on his hind legs, Siofe thought she saw the golden flash of Baldric's armor. She lifted her left hand, wanting to call out to him, but the vibrations as Hartwin's hooves hit the ground caused another wave of pain, and the last of her strength left her. Her arm and her head touched the ground simultaneously, and then things went black.

***

As Siofe came to, the first thing she became aware of was a lingering ache in her side. Gradually, she registered a few other things; she was lying on something soft instead of hard ground, she couldn’t feel any wind on her face, and things seemed much quieter than she'd remembered it being earlier. Then she caught the faint but distinct smell of blood, and she remembered the fight they'd been in. Her eyes snapped open, only vaguely taking in the sight of canvas. Was Baldric all right? The shield spell shouldn't have dissipated after she fell unconscious, but he'd still have had to deal with the bandits on his own. And what about Hartwin?

She tried to sit up, only for the ache to turn into a bolt of pain, and she let out a sharp “Ah!”

In seconds, someone was by her side, carefully cupping her cheek in their hand. “Shh, steady.”

Despite the pain, Siofe felt a wave of relief when she recognized Baldric's voice and then saw his face a moment later. “Thank Artet, you're safe.”

“I should be saying that about you. I was in a panic until I was able to get to you and make sure you were still breathing. And even once I'd confirmed that, I was a little worried you might not wake up.”

She rested her head on his chest, only somewhat noticing that he was still in his armor (though he'd apparently removed his gauntlets, since she hadn't felt cold metal on her cheek). “What happened?”

“The bandits—and rest assured, they were bandits—managed to get some of their men into trees to pelt us with arrows. One of them hit you, but you dealt with them. With a little help from Hartwin, I took care of the rest.”

“Is he...”

“He's all right. Kicked a man halfway across the camp and into a tree trunk when he tried to approach him. He did an admirable job of making sure no one touched you until I came to examine you.”

At the reminder of her injury, Siofe looked down at herself. The shaft of the arrow was mostly gone, but she could see a small bit of brown wood poking out of her robes. “It's still in there?” she asked.

“Unfortunately, yes. I broke off as much as I dared, but I know you shouldn't fully remove an arrow until you have the necessary tools to deal with the wound. And I didn't want to force a healing potion down your throat while you were unconscious and make things worse.”

“It wouldn't help much anyway,” Siofe said, “Those are mostly meant for cuts or to speed up an already healing injury. If your bones or organs are damaged, it's better to see a healer. Fortunately, my strongest healing spell should be able to close up the wound.”

“Then we'd better deal with it now,” Baldric said, reaching out for the remnants of the arrow, “The sooner you're back on your feet, the better.”

Just the act of closing his fingers around it caused the pain to flare up. Siofe let out another short cry of pain, and Baldric immediately let go. “I'm sorry,” he said, stroking her hair briefly, “But you're going to need to push through the pain if we're going to get this out of you.”

“I know,” Siofe said, wincing, “But give me a few minutes to brace myself, at least.”

“Understandable,” Baldric said, draping an arm over her shoulders and giving her a half-hug, “Try to take deep breaths.”

Siofe nodded and attempted to do so, though her breath ended up hitching each time her lungs swelled, since they caused the arrow to shift slightly. To try to distract herself, she looked up at Baldric. “Is everything else all right?”

“Yes,” Baldric assured her, “My armor and your spell kept me from getting injured, and the bandits won't be bothering anyone else. When you're recovered, we can bring their ill-gathered gains to Shardag and try to return everything to their rightful owners.”

“Did you make camp?” Siofe asked, gesturing vaguely at the tent surrounding them and immediately regretting it as the pain increased.

Baldric shook his head. “I commandeered one of the bandit tents. They aren’t using it anymore, and it was safer to move you into one than leave you on the ground or try to find another area to set up our tents. Besides, I wanted to carry you as little as possible; no need to risk driving the arrow in deeper.”

Siofe nodded. “I'm not used to dealing with archers. I guess this is a reminder not to get overconfident. From here on out, I'll be casting a spell on myself as well whenever we run into a fight.”

“As long as we can prevent this from happening again and make sure there's no permanent damage from this incident, I'll be content,” Baldric replied, lightly kissing her temple, “And on that note...”

His hand moved down her side, stopping just before the arrow. “Are you ready?”

Siofe tried to take another deep breath. “As ready as I can be, I guess.”

Baldric carefully curled his hand around the arrow, but as soon as he started to tighten his grip, the pain redoubled, and Siofe cried out again. “I know,” Baldric said soothingly, “But if I do it right, it should only be a minute or less before the worst of the pain is gone.”

“I can’t…” she panted, pleaded, “It’s too much…I need more strength…”

“I'm not sure how much more strength you'll get as long as this is still inside you,” Baldric pointed out, “You won't be able to get much of any sleep, and it's obvious that it hurts you each time you move. And the longer it's in you, the greater the risk of further damage or infection.”

“I know,” Siofe said, feeling tears leaking from the corners of her eyes, “But even if I tell myself that, my body isn't prepared for it. Let's wait for an hour. Please?”

Baldric gave her a sharp look, but his eyes softened as he considered her wound. “All right,” he said, “But we need to get it out by nightfall. Agreed?”

Siofe nodded weakly. Baldric stroked her hair again, letting silence fall for a few minutes. Siofe closed her eyes and shifted her head to find a cooler section of his armor. The pain gradually faded back to a dull ache, and she felt herself relaxing a little. It was only a temporary respite, but at least it was something.

Then Baldric made a noise, and she opened her eyes to glance up at him. “What is it?”

“Just a thought,” Baldric said, “Give me a moment. Can you sit up on your own?”

“I think so.”

Baldric gingerly let her go, and although the pain did increase slightly, Siofe was able to rest her hands on the bedroll and keep herself upright. Baldric stood up and moved to a corner of the tent, where Siofe spotted their saddlebags. “What's going on?” she asked.

Baldric knelt down and opened one of the bags. “Well, it's unwise to give you something to eat or drink as long as the arrow's in you, and it's probably safest if you don't fall asleep, either. So we need to find some way to both keep you awake and pass the time.” He turned around, and Siofe could see a quill in his hand. “And I think I know the ideal way to do that.”

Siofe laughed (though she had to stop almost immediately due to an increase in the pain) and nodded. “If you're offering, I'm not about to say no.”

Baldric came back to the bedroll and carefully arranged the two of them so she was leaning against him, while he kept one arm around her shoulders for support. “Comfortable?” he asked.

“As much as I can be in the circumstances,” Siofe replied, “I'm ready when you are.”

Baldric gave her shoulder a squeeze, and she saw his other arm rise towards his face. She turned her head upwards to watch as best as she could, and was able to see him slide the quill into his nose, lightly spinning it between his fingers to increase the tickling. After a few seconds, she saw his mouth open slightly, and could feel faint tremors in the armor, which fortunately were slight enough that they didn't jostle the arrow. “Heh...hehhh...”

Despite her discomfort, just the sound of Baldric's breath catching was enough to get Siofe's stomach tingling. She rested one hand against Baldric's chest, both for support and to encourage him to continue. He brushed his thumb against her shoulder, then quickly yanked out the quill and turned his head to the side.

“HEKPSHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Siofe was pressed so close to him that the sneeze seemed to vibrate through her, but while it may have increased the pain slightly, any ache was mostly drowned out by the sheer satisfaction she felt from both the sound and the sensation. “Gitsen.” she said quietly.

“Thank you.” Baldric said with a sniff, temporarily setting down the quill and withdrawing his handkerchief from his armor. Once he'd tended to his nose, he rubbed her arm. “All right? I didn't hurt you with all that, did I?”

Siofe shook her head. “Not in the least. In fact, I'd say it's something of a cure-all.”

She could hear the smile in Baldric's voice as he swapped the handkerchief out for the quill. “Then it's a medicine I'm happy to administer.”

With that, he reinserted the quill. Apparently his nose was still sensitive from the first time, because it didn't take too long to coax another sneeze out. “Huh...HUTKRISHHHHH!!!”

Siofe moistened her lips, feeling heat on her face as well as in her stomach. “Gitsen.”

Baldric didn't reach for his handkerchief this time. Instead, there was a short pause where he exhaled and gave her another brief squeeze, and then his breath caught again. “Ehhh...EKTISHHHHHKKKK!!!”

“Gitsen.” The word was barely audible, as all of Siofe's energy seemed devoted to reveling in the sneezing. Everything from the sound to the feeling of the force travelling through her was incredible, and she was growing oblivious to everything else. She closed her eyes, the better to lose herself in the moment. It didn't take long before Baldric sneezed again. “Ah-ARHIPSHHHH!!!”

Siofe didn't even bother trying to bless him this time, instead flexing her hand against his armor to let him know she approved. Her message must have been received, because Baldric then graced her with his most powerful sneeze yet. “UH-URIKTSHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Just as Siofe was letting out a pleased gasp, a white-hot pain lanced through her side, and the gasp turned into a scream. Moments later, she felt a sting of cold air against her right side, and her hand was yanked upwards. “Cast the spell,” Baldric demanded, loudly and firmly but not harshly, “Quickly.”

Glancing down through the haze of pain (not to mention the tears that had sprung to her eyes), Siofe realized that the arrow had been removed, and Baldric was holding her hand over the hole that had been left behind. Swallowing, Siofe forced herself to concentrate and sent out a pulse of healing magic. In seconds, the blood stopped flowing, and shortly afterwards, the wound began to close. She tried to focus on that instead of the pain, eventually managing to tug her hand out of Baldric’s and place it directly on top of the injury, able to feel for herself when the hole was sealed. “T-turn me,” she said faintly, “Need to…make sure…other side…”

Baldric carefully put one arm around her shoulders and the other on her hip, shifting her weight so he could look over her back. “I don’t see an exit wound,” he said, “Did you want to send some magic there anyway?”

Siofe managed a nod. “Might as well…be safe.”

Baldric took her wrist more gently this time and guided it to the area where the arrow had been. “All right,” he said at last, squeezing her shoulder with his other hand, “You can begin.”

Siofe sent out another pulse, but Baldric was right; she couldn’t feel any sign of external damage. “That’s all I can do for now,” she said, after taking a deep breath, “Now it’s up to rest and a healing potion.”

“Will you be all right?” Baldric said, as he pulled her robes back down.

“I should be,” Siofe said, even as she belied her words by trying to shift position and grimacing in pain, “I think it just grazed my innards and buried itself in the muscle. I still shouldn’t risk moving too much for a few days, but I’d say I should be strong enough to leave the tent in three or four days, and capable of travelling in a week.”

“Leave everything to me,” Baldric said, resting a hand on her cheek, “I know we don’t have the protective spells—hadice, this isn’t even our camp or our tent—but I should be capable of keeping us safe and fed. And I’ll certainly be able to bring you food, water, and medicine, and help you leave the tent when you want to exercise.”

“I don't think I'm capable of exercise at the moment,” Siofe said, “But thank you.”

Baldric kissed her forehead and started to maneuver her so she could lie down with her upper body slightly propped up against the tent. “What do you need?”

“Water.” Siofe answered immediately, only now realizing how dry her throat was.

Baldric returned to the saddlebags and soon came back with a bottle of healing potion, her drinking flask, and a flask of energy regeneration. “I’m sure it took a lot out of you to close the wound,” he explained when he saw her looking at the last item, “I know it comes back over time, especially after a rest, but it’s better to be prepared in case something comes up and you need to cast more spells in a hurry.”

“Very thoughtful of you.” she said, accepting the flask first and gratefully swallowing some water.

“I want to be prepared,” Baldric answered modestly, “Besides, I hate to see you weakened. I'll do whatever it takes to bring you back to your prime.”

“Including sneezing for me?” Siofe teased as she uncorked the healing potion.

“If I think it will help, then yes,” Baldric answered, smiling back, “And I'd say it did in this case.”

Something about his statement sparked a thought in Siofe's mind. Now that the arrow was removed and the pain had mostly faded, she was able to think more clearly. And it was occurring to her that everything from the extraction to getting her hand in healing position had happened remarkably quickly. In fact, the arrow’s removal had happened mere seconds after Baldric’s last sneeze…

“Baldric?” she asked as she lowered the potion bottle, “Did you plan this?”

When he looked at her in confusion, she tapped her nose before gesturing to her side. “Oh,” he said, and smiled slightly, “Yes. I knew that wound had to be closed as soon as the arrow was out, so I gradually positioned my free hand where it would do the most good, using my sneezing as cover, and then waited until your pleasure was mostly overriding your pain.”

Siofe stared at him in amazement. He'd come up with and executed his plan near-flawlessly, without her suspecting a thing. While it was true that she'd been distracted by the pain, it was still surprising to her that he'd fooled her. He was normally so straightforward and open...

Baldric shifted uncomfortably, looking at her nervously. “I'm sorry for deceiving you, but I thought it might be better if I removed the arrow when you weren't expecting it. And at least you'd get a bit of enjoyment out of it beforehand. Did I...overstep?”

Siofe shook her head, then started laughing. She wasn't entirely sure why—most likely a combination of relief, amusement, and pride—but it bubbled out of her and she knew she needed to let it run its course, even if it did cause her side to twinge. She reached out for Baldric, trying to let him know that it was all right. She wasn't sure if he understood or if he was concerned about her behavior, but he inched over to her and caught her hand, squeezing it softly. She squeezed back, then managed to gasp out “You're wonderful, Baldric.”

Baldric seemed to relax at that, and he smiled. “It's always a pleasure to hear that from you.”

Siofe moved forward to embrace him, hands scrabbling for purchase against his armor. He took her arms and gently slid them upwards so they could rest against his neck, before putting his arms around her, careful to avoid her side. He rubbed between her shoulder blades, starting to hum one of her lullabies, no doubt in an attempt to calm and comfort her. It worked, and Siofe started to feel her laughter die away, though a sense of warmth and affection remained. She took a few breaths to compose herself, and then, almost involuntarily, she murmured “I love you.”

As the words left her lips, she realized it was the first time she’d told him that. Her feelings for Baldric were obvious by now, but she still felt like she’d crossed some sort of threshold. It was as though she'd cast a spell that permanently bound the two of them together. Even if, Artet forbid, they decided not to get married after all and went their separate ways, the fact that she'd said the words meant that she would always carry a bit of him with her, and vice versa. It was a sweet, if sobering, thought.

Her voice was soft, and muffled by Baldric’s armor besides, but she knew Baldric had heard. While he didn't verbally respond, his hug tightened, and one hand moved to her hair, stroking it tenderly. Somehow, Siofe knew he was feeling much the same way as she was.

Eventually, the two of them broke apart, and Baldric gave her a kiss. “It's getting into evening. I should stoke the fire and make some dinner. What would you like?”

“After everything that's happened today, I don't have much of an appetite,” Siofe said, “So I'd recommend a soup or stew. Something relatively easy to eat, but full of nutrients to help me recover.”

Baldric nodded. “I'll bring you a bowl when I'm finished. Can I bring you a book to read in the meantime?”

“That would be lovely. Thank you.”

And so Siofe stayed in the tent and read while Baldric cooked and, based on the noises she could hear, tended to the horses. True to his word, he eventually returned to the tent with two bowls of soup, and sat at the edge of the bedroll, talking with her while they ate. Afterwards, he disappeared briefly to feed the fire, then returned to the tent. There, he cleaned the bowls and spoons with water and then set to work removing and polishing his armor for the night, the two of them discussing everything from how her healing spell worked to where they wanted to go after Shardag. It was exactly the sort of domesticity that Siofe had always hoped they'd achieve, and while she could have done without the arrow that had led to it, she was glad they'd managed it at last.

When Baldric had finished with his armor, he looked her over for a moment, then said “Do you have it in you to change into your nightclothes?”

Siofe took stock of herself, then shook her head. “Tomorrow, perhaps. But right now, I don't think I have the energy. I think all that's happened today is catching up with me.”

“Understandably so. I don't think it will do much harm if you sleep in your robes for one night. Why don't you try to get yourself settled, and I'll quickly change and join you?”

Siofe nodded and started to maneuver herself down onto the bedroll, while Baldric took his nightclothes from his bags and then left the tent. Initially confused, she realized he must have gone to change in one of the other tents, and shook her head with an amused huff. Apparently not everything had changed.

Baldric came back a minute later and considered her again. “Are you comfortable lying on your back like that?”

“Comfortable enough. Why?”

“You keep grimacing every time you shift position. Your wound might be healed, but it seems like it's still sensitive. It may be healthier and more restful for you if we did what we could to keep from putting pressure on your right side.”

“Any ideas?”

Baldric nodded and joined her on the bedroll. “Turn onto your left side and sit up for a moment.”

Siofe did so, and Baldric slid one arm over her side (again avoiding the wound area) and one underneath her. “I'll try to hold you in place,” he said, pressing himself against her the way she normally did to him, “I can't promise that I can maintain this position after I fall asleep, but hopefully you'll be asleep too, and any pain caused won't be enough to wake you.”

“We can try it. It certainly seems like a sound idea in theory.” Siofe lifted a hand and squeezed his. “Thank you for your help.”

“You're welcome,” Baldric said, kissing her hair, “Sleep as well as you can, and may the worst of the pain be gone in the morning.” Siofe smiled at that and closed her eyes, hoping she'd be able to drift off quickly. While she felt exhausted, the combination of the pain and the rush of energy she'd gotten from the bandit fight and the arrow removal would probably be enough to keep her up a little longer than she'd like.

As it turned out, it wasn't as long as she might have thought. By focusing her attention on Baldric's breathing and the comforting pressure of his arms against her, she was able to get enough of a sense of peace to help lull her to sleep. And as she finally began to drift off, it occurred to her that given their current position, perhaps Baldric would allow her to put her arm around him at nights from here on out. It seemed the followers of Artet were right in this regard; She cared enough that even negative events would ultimately lead to positive outcomes.

~~~

Next time: Something hinted at in a previous chapter makes an official appearance...

[EveP]

5 hours ago, Wig_Powder said:

 Next time: Something hinted at in a previous chapter makes an official appearance...

Oh, exciting. I can't wait.

[Kolen]

Yay I got extra updates 😃😃😃😃 beautiful as always thank youuuu!!

[sweetnerd32]

I love this story!

[Snez gud]

On 9/15/2021 at 8:50 PM, Wig_Powder said:

And I'm sure my readers appreciate it as well..

I most certainly do! Thank you for uploading this story! It’s so good!