Chapter Text
“Hey Taako,” Lup leaned it so she wouldn’t be heard by the rest of their party. “Is it just me or is Barry Bluejeans looking kinda...?” She raised her eyebrows suggestively.
Taako jerked away from her, disgust clear on his face. “I literally hate you so much.”
Lup laughed. “Am I wrong?”
“You need to get your eyes checked. He looks like a spell book personified.”
“I thought you were a spell book personified?”
“A boring spellbook. Like a spellbook for nerds.”
“Oh like a wizard’s spellbook?”
Taako groaned, pulling his hat down over his eyes. “Whatever, shoot your shot. But if you try any nonsense you’re paying for your own room.”
“Awesome.” It had been months since Taako and Lup had been around anyone for any substantial amount of time. If she wanted to get her flirt on during this rare opportunity it was perfectly within her right.
Lup stood and walked shakily on the cart towards Barry, who suddenly ducked his head as if he hadn’t been staring at them for the past twenty minutes. That was a good sign. It meant he had been staring at them, and not just gazing into open space. Lup sat down beside him.
Barry stayed silent for a second too long, almost like he was unsure Lup had actually approached him. Finally he said, “Uh, is something wrong?”
“You mean aside from the fact that our charge got kidnapped by some Black Spider dude? I’m doing just peachy, my man.”
“Oh, I mean with- with the travel, why you- uh-”
“My brother’s being obnoxious, you seem cooler.” Lup began to shift closer before she realized she had already settled shoulder to shoulder with him. Weird that she hadn’t given him more space. Weird that someone as obviously antisocial as him hadn’t leaned away.
Barry let out a short, bitter laugh. “Cooler than that guy, sure. You saw me get my ass kicked right?”
Lup bit her tongue on commenting about his ass. Take it slow. “I mean, you’ve gotta be at least a little cool if they hired you on for a job like this. How long have you been doing this whole bodyguard gig?”
“Uh, mmmonths?”
Lup raised an eyebrow.
“Something- time’s been- weird.”
“Weird take from someone who isn’t an elf, but okay.”
Barry bristled, though he still didn’t think to lean away from her. “Oh! I don’t mean, I didn’t mean to-”
“You’re all good my dude.” Lup assured. She slid her arm over the back of the wagon, very subtly behind Barry. To anyone else it would look like she was just stretching out.
Taako gagged from the other side of the wagon.
“So months, maybe longer. We’re pretty new ourselves. What got you an in with Gundren? That guy over there’s his cousin.” Lup nodded towards Merle. “We’ve done a few jobs with him.”
“Looking for something, I guess.” Barry murmured. He seemed to settle a bit with her arm around him. Had he even noticed?
“That is cryptic as hell dude.”
“Sorry it’s uh- some weird stuff. I think I might have a warlock patron or something, except I’m not getting any powers.”
“Okay, you have got to spill now. You know I’m all about those dark magics.”
Barry smiled, finally. “Yeah, um, it’s like this- this voice that I hear sometimes? Wow that sounds crazy.”
“Sure does!”
“I’ve never said this out loud. It wants me to find something. It has a bunch of leads I can’t make sense of,” Barry leaned closer, thought they were already speaking in hushed tones. Lup felt a warmth gather in her at the proximity- okay that was new. “Wave Echo Cave was one of them.”
“You think it’s whatever Gundren called dibs on?”
“I think...maybe. I’m not sure. It gets all fuzzy if I think about it too much. I’m not really sure what it wants.”
“I bet we’ll know when we see it.” Lup said. “Just warn me if you figure out we have to fight a lich or something.”
“Right, a lich,” Barry laughed “Gods, can you imagine?”
“Hey, I’m not the one colluding with a mysterious voice.” Nevermind the fact that she sometimes felt an emptiness inside that was just as convincing. It was easy to ignore most of the time, like now, whispering with Barry about things that really weren’t doing anything for her in the flirting department, but were making her feel damn near lightheaded anyway. She hardly noticed as darkness fell around them, and Magnus pulled the cart off to the side of the road.
“Alright, I’ve gotta catch some zzz’s.” He called back. He looked expectantly at Taako and Lup. “If you guys want to take over we can keep going. We should arrive back in Phandalin tomorrow either way.”
“Do I look like I drive?” Taako called back, as if he hadn’t spent half the time driving their caravan before- well, before they’d ditched. He was already pulling his hat over his head, settling down in the cart for a full night of sleep that he didn’t need.
“Lup?” Magnus asked hopefully.
“Sorry dude, no dice.” Lup answered, like she hadn’t spent half the time driving the caravan. She was far more comfortable where she was, Barry falling asleep against her shoulder like he had done it a million times before. Or maybe he was just tired. Lup really didn’t feel like reading into it until they made it back to an inn anyway.
The next few minutes were spent pulling the cart more solidly to the side of the road, careful to disguise it within the brush in case marauders came by. The party made themselves as comfortable as they could in the limited space. Taako rolled his eyes when he saw Lup settling in right where she was. Lup stuck her tongue out at him and wriggled noticeably closer to Barry. It was cold out anyway.
-
The gauntlet’s flames were hotter than anything she’d ever felt. It made her eyes water to keep them open. She stared at the ashes where Barry’s body had been a moment ago. Gundren screamed, and she stared, like she expected him to rise back up at any moment. Taako grabbed her shoulder and pulled.
-
Taako put a hand on Lup’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about your boy.”
Lup barked out a dry laugh. “That’s literally the least of our problems right now.” She said, but it only rang partially true. So many people were dead. Barry Bluejeans was one of them. Realistically, she’d hardly talked to him more than the bartender. His death shouldn’t feel any heavier to her than any other’s, yet-
“Lup,” Taako’s voice was serious, his expression grave as he reclaimed her attention. “We’ll get you a cute new moon boy. Maybe he’ll have four arms or something. Think of what you could do with that.”
Lup snorted, too tired to keep a straight face through the moment to moment shifts that came with being a person. “Yeah, sounds good bro.” She looked up to the night sky above them, seeing nothing but a circle of black glass reflected in the starry darkness. “Lead the way.”
It was Magnus who took the first step behind Killian, Merle shuffling behind them. Taako waited for Lup to follow before he did the same, hand hovering at her back. She sat in the back of the cannonball, the remains of Phandalin shielded from her sight by the metal paneling. Taako wordlessly took the window seat to her left.
Killian shuffled with something on the control panel.
“This might as well happen.” Taako muttered, and the cannonball began to rise.
-
The Red Robe floated above the circle of glass, recovering from the terror and elation that had been sparking through him just a moment before. A laugh bubbled out of him in spite of himself, even as he buried his face in his hands. “Oh, gods, I have got to leave better notes.”
He angled his head up towards the sky, where a cannonball docked on the moon. “I’ll get you back babe,” He said. The words felt like butterflies in his throat. “Soon.”