Chapter Text
Fall Leaves // Can't Sleep // Moorbounders
Caleb had gone to bed nearly two hours ago, yet Essek felt the mattress shift next to him again, dragging his attention away from the mediocre novel he'd been working his way through the past week for so. Normally, his partner would have dozed off by now. A hand in his hair was usually the one thing that could always slow down his thoughts enough to make sleep claim him while Essek waited just a little longer to trance.
"What's on your mind?" He asked, finger paused on a page corner.
Silence, then finally, a sigh as Caleb rolled onto his back, eyes still closed but clearly awake.
"Many things, all at once. That's the issue."
"Busy brain?" The drow couldn't help the fond smile the graced his lips.
"Always." Caleb peeked a single blue eye open in the dim light.
"Too true." Essek hummed, his fingers picking up where they'd left off a while ago, dragging back and forth through long copper hair. "Anything I can help with?"
The other wizard made a noncommital noise, distracted with tipping his head towards the source of the soft touches to his scalp. Perhaps the movement wasn't even on purpose, if he was tired despite his mind keeping him awake.
"A spell you're thinking about?"
"No, nothing like that." His eyes were shut again, but Caleb's brows were somewhat pinched in concentration.
"Care to share? Perhaps I can be of some assistance."
"Mmn." Caleb hummed a sound that clearly was just to stall for more time- Essek couldn't fault him for that sort of a move, he certainly utilized it enough each day when searching for the right words.
"If memory serves, and it usually does-" The drow scoffed, earning him a sly grin and a blue eye cracking back open, "You have not been in Rexxentrum for the harvest close festival before."
The little upturn at the end of his sentence kept Essek smiling. Ah, a subtle invite for an outing. Very sweet, if not a little risky.
"Correct, I have not. Though we have our own version in the dynasty, so I am not unfamiliar with the concept."
"Ah, but the leaves on all the trees do not change much in Rosohna, so I suppose the overall colour themes might be different." Caleb fidgeted with the blanket he was tucked under, as if they were only just starting to court each other, rather than literally being in bed together at the moment. "There are gardens by the festivals center that you would be able to visit the changing trees, if you wanted?"
"The trees in the Vermaloc Wood are like that year-round which are considered very beautiful," Essek nodded, certainly not about to decline without all the details, "Though I've never been in the depths of that forest personally to experience them."
"I have, actually." Caleb mused, "The Nein passed through it while chasing down Yasha and The Angel of Irons. We weren't in the woods long, since we were traveling by- oh."
He pursed his lips, a troubled expression settling in.
"Oh dear."
Distractions were common for him, Essek knew that much, but this was different than as usual thought tangent, which seemed to be commonly out of excitement. His suspicion was confirmed when his partner, while still laying flat on his back in bed, dropped both his hands over his eyes as if to hide from what ever his realization might have been.
"I forgot about our moorbounders."
Essek wasn't quick enough to stop the amused noise that slipped out of him, though he had the decency to cover his mouth in embarrassment.
"Forgot? I thought you remembered everything, Caleb Widogast?"
"I never said it was everything," Caleb was trying to be annoyed at the teasing, but it was very clear that any form of irritation just wasn't sticking. He removed one hand from his eyes to reach up and swat at Essek playfully, "Only most things. Usually, enough things to get myself out of trouble. Both of us, on occasion."
"Mmm, yes, you are good at that."
"You are lucky you are so handsome when you are teasing," He returned his hand to himself, pressing his fingers to his tired eyes less gently than he likely ought to. "I feel terrible."
"About the moorbounders?" Essek received a small nod as a reply. "I think you had more pressing matters on your mind at the time of your departure, yes?"
"Oh, sure. Many more pressing things. But we had to... we were told they bond to only one rider. And the Nein has not been back to Bazzoxan in, ugh, nearly two years? We just left them there."
"Wait." Essek set his hand on Caleb's forearm. "You left them in Bazzoxan? When were- no, you just said when. Alright."
If he'd been starting to feel keen to rest before their discussion, he sure was awake now, mind buzzing as he turned a fairly outrageous idea over and over in his thoughts.
"Those beasts aren't normally found that far north, they were likely costly to put up at a stable, am I correct?"
"Ja, they were. Feeding them was no easy task, either."
"I do not doubt it," Essek met Caleb's eyes as the human finally uncovered his face to stare up at him.
"I don't even know if Jannik is still alive, or how I'd go about seeing he was cared for without making a trip there. Which, it's doable... but very costly on energy." Caleb sighed, looking terribly troubled as Essek set his book aside and sunk down in the the blankets of their bed alongside him.
"I may have a way to find out, perhaps. At least, it would be less risky than teleporting as step one." The drow offered with a hint of a wince.
"Really?"
"Yes. I've mentioned my brother to you before, I believe?"
"You have, in passing. Mostly to complain that he was incredibly personable." Ah, that seemed accurate.
"Mmm. He is. But I bring him up now because that's where he's stationed, as far as I know. And three moorbounders belonging to the Heroes of the Dynasty might very well be something he could look into without much hassle." Essek peeled the blanket away from his arms, both to free them and because he was already feeling a little warm under the covers. "And I do have Sending prepared today."
"Is that safe?"
Fondness bloomed in his chest at the question- Caleb caring about his safety still warmed his heart with the same intensity it had the first few times he'd voiced such a concern.
"He knows better than to endanger his older brother. All I'm really risking is his annoyance that I haven't talked to him as frequently as he'd like. Besides... it would be good to check in on him."
The way Caleb's eyebrows climbed even higher was all the encouragement he needed to pull his hand away from his partner's shoulder, pinching his fingers and pulling them outwards as he began the spell.
"Hello Verin. You are still stationed at Bazzoxan, correct? Are there some Moorbounders still being maintained for the Heroes of the Dynasty- The Mighty Nein?"
Essek waited a heartbeat, concerned for a moment when he didn't receive an answer for a little while despite the spell not having ended.
'Essek? What the fuck, it's nearly four in the morning....'
His palm met his own face despite the spell not having finished- how had he forgotten about the time difference? Verin would have been mid-trance, surely.
'Yes they're still fucking here, they're the city's body and garbage disposals.' Ah, that was good news- 'Are they coming-'
The spell cut off, and Essek groaned, positioning his hands to recast, but pausing to look to Caleb first.
"The Moorbounders are fine, he says they're city garbage disposals currently. Are you intending to fetch them?"
"Ah, well, that is good then. Many bodies to eat, I suppose. But I am not sure fetching them would be wise, all things considered."
"I agree, it would be time consuming, and I'm doubtful Rexxentrum would be as accommodating to such a creature as Rhosona may have been." Which was unfortunate- if Caleb cared even half as much about a Moorbounder he'd bonded with as he did the stray cats he let into the house and ended up keeping, he'd certainly be sad to leave him. Even if he was being fed and kept.
Bringing his hands up again, he recast the spell, trying to sound at least a little apologetic about having woken his brother in the middle of the night.
"You only get twenty five words maximum, idiot." Caleb grinned next to him, and Essek tried very hard to stay focused, "No, Caleb was just inquiring about the status of his Moorebounder. Sorry to have interupted your trance."
This time the reply from his brother was almost instant.
'You do NOT get off the hook that easy! Which one is Caleb and why are you talking with him this late? Is he your-' Absolute mortification met the pure, unhindered frustration that came with being an older sibling.
Essek cast the spell a third time with no hesitation.
"Twenty. Five. Only twenty five, Verin. Is he my what?! I can cast it once more tonight, make it count." The last few words may have been a little strained, because next to him, Caleb had begun snickering. The human rolled over, burying his amusement between Essek's shoulder and a pillow.
'I was gunna say new boss, but your tone says otherwise. He can't be your boss if you're getting this fussy. Is he your boooyyyyfriend?'
Essek groaned, yanking the blanket back up over his head. He knew it would be damning if he didn't respond, but Verin had likely already made up his mind anyways.
Caleb hummed an amused chuckle against his bare shoulder, pressing a kiss there as if to apologize for laughing at him. Or perhaps as a distraction?
The next kiss to his skin lingered longer. Ah, yes, a distraction then.
He could let his brother wait for a spell that wouldn't come, as payback for his hassling. If only because Essek could think of better things to do with his mouth than talk to Verin.