Chapter Text
The group had finally disembarked in Wanderer's Maw, Rayla had warned them what kind of place it was and had indicated what they had to do and especially what they did not have to do.
"Welcome to the port of Wanderer's Maw" Rayla told the group, the truth is that she did not have very good memories of that place.
"Okay, now what?" Soren asked looking around.
"We have to find a ship that can take us" Ezran said as he, Soren and Callum looked around the port and at the ships there, trying to find one that could take them.
"Exactly, and that's why we're going to visit an old friend of mine" Rayla caught the attention of the three boys. And Stella winced at her mother's words.
Callum looked at her with a raised eyebrow and the question written on his face.
"It's a long story" Rayla replied, wanting to omit the details. "But she helped me follow the rumors about Viren" Rayla explained briefly. Stella made a sound before shifting from one shoulder to the other of her mother's.
Rayla led them through the busy streets, until they reached a curious place, taking a few glances around she knocked on the door.
"We're not open" Said a voice, Rayla recognized instantly.
"I'm New Moon" This made her three friends look at her confused, she simply ignored them waiting for Redfeather to open the door.
First a mini door at the top of the door opened to reveal an eye, followed by the door being flung open revealing a middle aged woman.
"So you've decided to come back" The woman said to Rayla with a smile that said 'I already told you you'd come back' then the woman looked behind Rayla "and you've brought some friends from what I see"
Rayla gave her a serious look "we need help" and in the moment those words left her mouth she knew they were going to have a price.
"I see…" The woman moved away from the door to let them in "go ahead then, Rayla"
And somehow, Rayla's name spoken by that woman, made Callum shudder.
"Okay, Rayla" the woman began to say, settling into one of the chairs in the room where she had taken them. "What kind of help do you need?" she said, emphasizing the word help.
"We need a boat" Rayla told him. None of her friends spoke, they all knew that this had to be handled by Rayla. "Can you get us a boat?"
Redfeather laughed.
"Maybe so, but you know that everything here has a price."
"I know." Rayla said, looking at her hard, completely forgetting her friends, she felt like a few months ago, the two of them alone in this same room, discussing a price for her to give her information about Viren. How many things had changed since then.
"I'll ask one of my contacts if he can take you where you want, if so, do you know what the price will be?" Redfeather warned her.
Rayla repeated the same words "I know" now assuming her price, winning three fights, in combat pit. "But I'll pay it myself, they…" she said pointing to her friends "they're not going to pay it." She said challenging Redfeather with her eyes.
The two got into a silent staring match, which Rayla seemed to win.
"Okay." Snorted Redfeather at the end. "Give me a minute"
As soon as he left them alone, Callum turned to Rayla. "What price are you talking about?"
"That, and why are you going to pay the 'price' by yourself, for us?" Soren helped.
"And who is she?" Ezran asked too.
Rayla sighed at her friends' questions. "She's Redfeather, a moon elf, a ghost, just like me," she said, reluctantly saying the last. "And don't worry about the price, it's not something I haven't done before, just know that It will cost us a night late, unfortunately" Rayla told them, looking at her friends with an attempt at a reassuring look.
Then Redfeather entered the room again. "I got you a ship," the moon elf said with a triumphant smile. Her smile grew bigger when she looked at Rayla. "I hope you missed the fighting pits, New Moon."
Callum gave Rayla a worried look, but she just laughed grudgingly. "How can I forget the fun you guys have around here."
Night fell and the group settled into one of the rooms that Redfeather had left them, it wasn't very big but it was enough for the four friends to enter. While Soren and Ezran were setting everything up, Rayla was in the living room sharpening her blades with some stones that Redfeather had left for her.
'I hope this time you win the three fights you owe me' Redfeather had said to her 'Because then, you can say goodbye to the ship'
She had to admit that that moon elf was tough, and she liked her for that, and she always fulfilled her part of the deals. Stella was watching Rayla sharpen her swords when she suddenly ran towards the door. Rayla turned when she heard footsteps behind her.
"Are you going to explain me what fighting pits is?" Callum said from behind him. Rayla snorted.
"It's like a big well, where there's fighting, it doesn't matter." Rayla said with a shrug and brushed it off.
"Yeah... And if it doesn't matter, why have you decided that you're only going to 'pay' the price by yourself?" Callum said, approaching her while Stella climbed onto his shoulder. Finally Rayla turned to look at him.
"Look Callum, the fighting pits are not a joke, and if I have decided that only I will go there to get the ship we need, it is because I know how they work, I have already been there" She said, looking at him terminally.
Callum looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean you've been there before?"
Rayla realized her words, she doesn't mind that Callum knew that she had already been in the fighting pits, but she didn't want him to find out why she hadn't won earlier, because she had been distracted. "I had to get clues about Viren." She explained briefly.
Callum stared at her seriously for a few minutes, Rayla tried to ignore his glare as she turned to finish sharpening her blades.
"And what happened? The last time?" Callum finally asked the question Rayla had been afraid he would ask. She froze, and she knew Callum had noticed. He asked again "What happened last time Rayla? Why did Redfeather say you had to win the three fights you owe her?" Rayla felt Callum take a cautious step toward her.
"Nothing." She said without daring to look at him, she knew that if she looked at him, even for just a second, the reason why she had lost their last fight would slip off her tongue.
"Rayla." Her name in Callum's earnest, persistent tone sent a chill through her. He wanted to know what happened.
With her head down as if she were ashamed to admit it, she whispered the truth of her last defeat "I got distracted"
It was clear that Callum was not expecting that answer, she noticed how the daze and confusion appeared in him, tearing down his seriousness from a few moments ago.
"You don't get distracted, at least not in a fight." He finally said.
"Well, that time, yes." Rayla was surprised at how rude she sounded.
"Why?" Was all Callum said.
And that's when Rayla made the mistake of looking at him. Her eyes found the forest green of his eyes, the green she had longed for during those years of searching, those eyes that had looked at her with such warmth that they had managed to melt her barriers.
"I saw a scarf." She finally said. Staring at him.
"Did you get distracted by a scarf?" The clear grace and confusion in his voice.
"I saw a red scarf." Then Callum understood, she saw it in his eyes. "In my last fight I saw a red scarf, in my last fight I thought I saw you." The truth shot out of her mouth. "I thought you had come for me, that you had searched for me, that you had found my trail."
Before Callum could even say anything, Redfeather entered the room.
"Okay Rayla, it's New Moon's turn."
She turned away from Callum to face Redfeather. She nodded, knowing what she had to do on the fighting pits.
Rayla's gaze darkened.
Ready to go out.
Ready to be once again New Moon.