Chapter Text
“Please, Ani. I can’t trust anyone else with this.” Her eyes were genuine, so sincere that I thought I might burst with emotion.
“Cyonis…” My voice must have given away that I couldn’t believe she was asking this of me, because she flinched back like she’d been punched in the gut.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be asking, it’s just… Hila can get in over her head sometimes, you know?” She frowned, finally looking me in the eye again. It was a relief. I couldn’t bear the thought of her not wanting to look at me.
I sighed, but I couldn’t stop the small smile that came to my lips when our gazes met. It was almost like she knew just how to tug at my heartstrings, despite the time we’d spent apart. “Okay,” I told her.
She looked almost confused for a moment. At a minimum, she was bewildered at my response. Bewildered… That’s a word she would use, not me. Reunited after months, and she was already rubbing off on me. Damn.
“You’re serious? You’ll really do this?” Watching her excitement grow only made my smile get wider, as much as I dreaded what I was agreeing to. It would all be worth it if I could just see Cyonis smile just like this one more time.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m serious. Besides, I’ve got a lot of work to do to catch up to you, yanno? I can’t believe you dragged me out of retirement just to watch you be better than me,” I teased, gently pushing on her shoulder from across the table we were sharing at the Lion’s Pride Inn. “Taking Hila on her little adventure will just be a stepping stone so I can rejoin you in the siege of the tomb.”
She tilted her head, looking intrigued. “You intend to assist?”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I assured her, giving a sly wink. “Besides, did you really think I’d let you go alone?”
Her laugh was music to my ears. I almost got lost in it. “Of course not. That’s what friends are for, right?” Instantly, I was snapped back to reality. For a moment there, I’d almost forgotten. Friends. That’s what we were, wasn’t it? Just friends. Right.
If she noticed that my smile faltered, she didn’t give any hint. “Of course, Cy. What else am I good for if not escorting your sister through the Broken Isles?” It was only a half-joke, but the paladin didn’t need to know that.
“Oh, stop it, Anibel. You’re a warrior! Who better to entrust Hila to on her journey?” I couldn’t help but wince when she said it. Warrior. Memories of training with Cyonis to become a paladin flashed through my thoughts, but I recovered quickly and my smile was back to full. This time, I saw the flash of concern, but she said nothing.
“Alright already, I get it. You don’t have to keep flattering me, you know. I’ve already agreed to this little quest of yours. You don’t even have to offer a reward.” I grinned. I could think of a few things that might motivate me, but I sure as hell wasn’t asking for them.
“Oh, I’ll give you a reward,” she taunted, reaching across the table to poke my nose with one of her slender sky blue fingers. She always did that when she wanted to remind me how much taller than me she was, and it never failed to make me blush red enough that my skin matched my hair.
“Screw off,” I shot back, though my grin gave away that I was just kidding around. I leaned my elbows onto the table, taking a sip of my drink, after which my expression grew serious. “So I guess this is the last I’ll be seeing of you for a while, huh?” My tone was lowered, and Cyonis’ smile faded as well.
“Yes. I have much work to do to gain access to the tomb.” She sighed, though she didn’t let her perfect posture crumple. She never slouched. I liked that about her.
“Yeah, I know. Still sucks, though.”
She nodded in agreement and we both sat in silence for a long moment, me sipping my mead and her sipping at a glass of something bubbly and light, just like her.
“We’ll meet again, though,” she said finally. “When the tomb is open. You’ll be ready and we can ride into battle together, just like old times.” Her smile returned, but it was small. I could only nod.
“And then we’ll kick some ass, just like old times.” My grin outshined hers for only a moment before she was stifling a laugh.
“I wouldn’t put it so crudely, but yes. We’ll ‘kick some ass’.” Something about the way her mouth formed around the curse, the way her accent turned my crude words into something beautiful made me laugh.
“Right. When next we meet,” I promised when my laughter finally calmed.
“When next we meet,” she agreed.