Work Text:
“I don’t think I mentioned this earlier, Sagani…”
Lihrus’ accent tugged and pulled at the syllables of each word, drawing his dwarven companion’s attention away from the restringing of her hunting bow.
“…but I’m glad you decided to come along. Butters’ worried the party was swinging a bit kith-heavy.”
Butters—she was his Itumaak. At the mention of her name, the massive bear’s eyes fluttered open, marking her exit from sleep or some other form of restfulness. Lihrus, who lay very much entangled in her fur and front paws, permitted a lazy hand to flop gently onto her snout.
“Did you think I wouldn’t believe you?” she asked. Lihrus chuckled.
“I wouldn’t’ve blamed you,” he responded. “Sounds a bit strange, doesn’t it?”
Reflexively, Sagani patted her pocket. The totem’s outline was there to greet her.
“Guess I’d know about things that sound strange,” she said quietly.
“Guess you would,” came the echo.
They were far enough away from the rest of the camp that their voices were hushed more for atmosphere than courtesy. Lihrus, the elf who’d struck Sagani as the shot-caller of the group, was serving his time as first shift for night watch, and had extended her an invitation to join him.
“Are we common,” he said, wriggling beneath one of Butters’ shaggy paws onto his stomach, “in Naasitaq?”
“We? Watchers?”
Sagani cast her gaze downwards. Lihrus stared at her for a moment, as if lost, then blinked.
“Oh, no. Sorry. Like…”
He made a vague motion to indicate Butters, who was beginning to nod off again.
“You’re the first I’ve met,” he said to Sagani, “with the same bond. Itumaak…he’s more than just, you know, a hunting fox. Like, there’s something…spiritual about it.”
Itumaak rose from his place at Sagani’s feet, edging closer to her leg. Lihrus had changed positions again, now moving to sit on the same large, flat stone as Sagani. He gave a small wave, and she assumed it was directed towards Itumaak.
“I know what you’re talking about,” she replied, reaching down to scratch Itumaak’s ear. Lihrus looked relieved.
“Not…common,” she continued, “but I’ve known others.”
Itumaak pulled gently away from her hand, making his way past Lihrus and towards Butters. He sat attentively in front of her, as if waiting to be noticed.
“It takes time to build a trust like that. How long have you and Butters…?”
Lihrus thought for a moment. Butters opened an eye, then the other, and lumbered slowly to her feet. Itumaak cocked his head.
“Forty-five years,” he said with a grin. Sagani returned the smile.
“So when you were forming a psychic connection with Butters, I was…” Sagani let her mind slip back through the decades. “I was excited about graduating from a training bow.”
Lihrus gave a short laugh. “You think it’s psychic?”
Butters, with a snort and shake of the head, brushed past Itumaak and plopped down again nearer to Sagani’s side of the rock. Itumaak trotted diligently behind. Butters made a low huffing sound.
“I can’t talk to him with my thoughts, if that’s what you mean.”
“That’d be something, though.” Lihrus beamed.
Itumaak was moving again, shifting his posture into a playful stance. Butters was pretending not to notice.
“Be friendly, old girl,” Lihrus chided gently. Butters affixed him with a stare, and a few silent moments passed between them. It was Butters who finally looked away, a resigned puff of air escaping her lips.
“Five years on the road,” he breathed, turning now to Sagani and tucking his legs under him. “You ever been up to the Living Lands?”
The Living Lands. That’s what the accent was. Sagani hadn’t been sure.
“No,” she said, “you ever been down to the Archipelago?”
“This is my first time off my bloody island,” he laughed. Then, “I’d like to. I think I will, when all of this is sorted out. I’ll go see the Deadfire, and Aedyr, and the Republic, and Rauatai.”
When all of this is sorted out. Lihrus spoke as though putting his soul back together could be squared away in time for supper. As though he was just planning to run it down to the shop when he got a chance.
Butters rolled onto her back, and Itumaak yelped excitedly. He bounded closer to her, whiskers bristling forward.
“What about you, though?” Lihrus asked. “Once you find Persoq?”
Once she found Persoq, he meant, was she just going to leave? Sagani was silent for a moment. He was on a quest, just as she was. She’d only known of their aims for a few hours, and yet a part of her wanted to see them through.
“I’ll go back to my kids,” she said, and knew it was the right answer. Whatever promise Lihrus may have thought she’d made by joining him, the one she owed to her children was a thousand times greater.
Lihrus nodded silently. Sagani couldn’t sense any disappointment coming from him.
“Family is important,” he said, though the words didn’t strike Sagani as being directed solely towards her.
“Do you have any?” she asked. “Any children?”
Lihrus hadn’t given her the impression that a father might, but Sagani wasn’t always certain she gave the impression of a mother, either.
He was quiet.
“I’m not sure,” he said finally.
“Not sure?”
He shrugged, and supplied no clarification. Sagani elected not to push.
Itumaak had climbed on top of Butters and curled into a ball. The pair appeared to be asleep, with Butters’ leg twitching only every so often.
“Aren’t they lucky,” Sagani said, tilting her head towards the twosome.
“You’re welcome to join them,” was Lihrus’ response. “Please, don’t let me keep you awake.”
Sagani shook her head firmly. She wasn’t truly tired, not yet. And despite the earlier lull in the conversation, Lihrus seemed like he enjoyed the company.
“I figure we’d head onwards for Defiance Bay tomorrow,” he said. “It’ll be interesting to see how Dyrwood does big cities.”
Sagani made a murmur of acknowledgement, then turned her face towards the heavens. Tomorrow, she’d go to Defiance Bay on the trail of the cult she’d tied herself into chasing. Someday—maybe weeks, maybe months, maybe years—she’d return home to Naasitaq, to her children. But tonight, she’d be content watching the sky.