Chapter Text
Edgin was fairly certain he and Yendar were evenly matched, height-wise, but when the paladin set to walking, it was pretty hard to catch up. By the time he drew up even with him, a fair way past the tavern, Edgin was, embarrassingly, panting a bit.
Still, he couldn't help grinning as Yendar shot him a glance. "I knew I was right," he declared. Yendar's eyes narrowed at him. "Come on," Edgin coaxed. "You can admit it. It's just you, me, and," he looked around, "Hastum over there. You all right there, Hastum?" he asked, raising his voice.
Hastum, drunkenly, waved a friendly hand.
"See?" Edgin said. "Hastum's good."
Yendar kept walking. "I did not know of the Red Wizard," he stated, with an air of confession. "I saw only a nervous brigand who warranted apprehension."
Edgin noted that Yendar's pace had slowed. "Forge does kind of scream 'arrest me' if you look at him closely enough."
"Indeed." Yendar sighed. "It was not until the trial that I knew the depth of Fitzwilliam's villainy." He stopped then, and caught Edgin's gaze with some intensity. "Any who would truck with necromancy deserve to see the other side of death for themselves."
"Right. You mean undead sorcery, though," Edgin shifted on his feet, "not anything like, say, good, clean resurrection?
Yendar raised an eyebrow.
"You know what?" Edgin said, "Not important." He looked around the empty avenue. "Where are you going anyway?"
"My horse is stabled at the outskirts of the town." Yendar pointed down the road. "I'd planned to camp."
"No," Edgin said. He sighed and tipped his head back. "Come on, big guy." He started walking in the direction of home, but stuttered to a stop when he realized Yendar hadn't followed. "What?"
"Most do not, well." Yendar shook his head. "It is not often I am so casually addressed."
"Why," Edgin asked, "because you're weird and pretentious?"
"Because," Yendar suggested, "I serve a higher purpose after being brushed by the uncanny."
Edgin blinked. "Isn't that what I just said?"
Yendar looked at him.
Edgin rolled his eyes. "Come on."
This time, Yendar followed.
***
When they arrived at the house, Edgin eased open the door to reveal a cozy scene. Kira was asleep, curled up in a chair by the fireplace. Simon was at the kitchen table, tinkering with a cantrip wheel. He looked up as Edgin and Yendar entered and offered a quiet greeting.
"Holga?" Edgin inquired.
Simon shook his head. "Still out with the new one," he said.
Edgin settled his lute on its stand, then patted Simon on the shoulder. "Staying?"
Simon shook his head. "Meeting up with Doric," he said, clearing his throat. "Hopefully." He bobbed his head at Yendar, then swept his cloak over his shoulders. "See you tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Edgin said, and then Simon was gone. "One second," Edgin murmured to Yendar. He knelt in front of Kira, stroking a hand over the top of her head. She shifted and blinked sleepily at him. "Time for bed," he told her.
She grumbled but didn't rise, so he eased his arms under her shoulders and knees, marveling at how lanky she was, compared to what he remembered. He stood slowly, making sure not to jostle her over much, then trudged carefully to the room she shared with Holga. Her bed was made neatly; Holga's was the usual nest of blankets. He set Kira on the bed, tucked her in, and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
When he returned to the common room, he found Yendar sitting by the fire, flamelight dancing on his face. "A drink?" he asked the paladin. "Water?"
Yendar nodded assent, watching Edgin as he sloshed the contents of a carafe into a mug and handed it over. "Your daughter is well?"
"Yeah," Edgin said. "At least, I hope so." He settled into a chair across from the paladin. "Like I said, Forge was good to her while Holga and I were...away." He leaned back, feeling the two years as if he was still chained in them. "She hasn't talked about it much, so far. But I hope she will."
Yendar's expression was curious over the brim of the mug. "You're a better father than I'd have expected."
"Yeah, well." Edgin twitched a shoulder. "You have kids? Or do paladins not--" he let his voice trail off suggestively, but Yendar didn't even bristle.
"Paladins may," he replied, "but as for myself, after Thay..." He stared into the fire.
It was a minute before Edgin knew for certain that sentence wasn't going to continue. Noticing Yendar had finished with the water, Edgin reached slowly across the couple of feet between them to take the cup from his hands.
Yendar didn't startle, but at the movement, seemed to come back into himself.
"That sounds lonely," Edgin ventured, setting the mug down on the ground.
"In its way," Yendar replied. "But I have my work, with the Harpers--"
"Notoriously cuddly, the Harpers," Edgin responded, not bothering to keep the edge from his voice.
The corner of Yendar's mouth quirked up. "They serve a purpose, as do I," he said. "I am not in need of...cuddles."
Edgin smirked. "Somehow I doubt that." He tapped his hands against his knees a couple of times, then stood. "You'll share my room tonight." He set about banking the fire.
"What? I--" Yendar looked around the room. "I thought I would--"
"Yeah, no. Middle-of-the-Night Holga does not take to strangers in the common room." Edgin dusted his hands off, then gestured vaguely. "And Morning After Holga responds to surprises with sharp blades."
Yendar rose from the chair looking, for the first time Edgin could remember, uncertain.
"I promise I'll keep my hands to myself," Edgin said. He smiled. "Come on."
And once again, Yendar followed.