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“This is ridiculous.”
“Yup.”
“We told them not to go in there.”
“Again…yup.”
“And now she’s trapped in there, and this walking pile of kindling doesn’t even have the decency to tell us with what!” Daeran gestured to the treant behind him. The creature was either still in a stupor from having spent a century asleep, or far more likely, didn’t care that someone he could crush like a gnat was hurling insults at him.
The rest of their companions had gone further afield, attempting to find a way into the puzzle at the heart of these so-called sacred lands. Meanwhile, inside the ruins, Ariadne was facing some unknown challenge, one that made all of them more than a little nervous, no matter how competent she was.
And Daeran and Woljif were stuck here, just in case she came back before the others found a way to help her. At the time, it seemed like a brilliant idea - leave the Commanders’ lovers to wait for her. Woljif wasn’t so sure how they’d thought that now.
“‘Let’s go explore the Petrified Library’,” Daeran said in a sing-song voice Woljif was fairly sure was supposed to be Ariadne. “‘Our troops spotted some interesting places out there. I’m bored of sitting around here waiting for your cousin.’” With that, the Count turned on his heel and began pacing back the way he came. He barely heard the mumbled, “Damnit, am I not enough of a distraction?”
It was petty, but the stab of jealousy Woljif felt at that was hard to ignore. “Dunno. I was distractin’ her just fine, so it sounds like a skill issue to me.” Hopefully he wasn’t wrong about what “distracting” was a euphemism for in the instance.
Daeran turned, glare telling him that no, he caught the meaning just right. “Are you seriously suggesting that you, the man who was a virgin until Ariadne glanced twice in your direction, were doing a better job at getting our dearest Commander out of her doldrums via carnal pleasure than I was?”
Woljif frowned, pretending to consider the overly wordy statement for a moment. “Yes,” he said after a moment, offering no further explanation. Perhaps once he would have tried to argue the point, would have gotten flustered under Daeran’s heated glare, but time and having to deal with the pompous aasimar on a regular basis had given him a new perspective on dealing with him. Namely, that things usually turned out better - or at least more interesting - when he didn’t let his mouth run a mile a minute.
Sure enough, Daeran stomped back over. It was hard to bite back the amusement at the petulant expression on his face - their roles had become reversed in such a short time it felt like. When they first entered into this arrangement with Ariadne, he had been the one fighting down his insecurities every step of the way, while Daeran had carried on with the self-assured grace only a man who had all the experience in the world could.
Perhaps he should have thought more on that, but Daeran had grabbed him by his collar and pulled him off the rock he’d been lounging on. They were very close now - too close, a small part of his mind noted. He felt Daeran’s aggravated breath on his face, see the anger seething in those uncannily green eyes. Once, he would have run at the sight of a furious nobleman. That usually only spelled trouble for a tiefling like him. But for once all sense of self-preservation seemed to have fled him, because instead Woljif found himself saying, “All I know is it wasn’t me that was borin’ them. But if you want to put it to the test, I’m sure that could be arranged. Maybe I can even give you a few pointers, Count.”
Indignation flashed in Daeran’s eyes, but there was something else in them too, something Woljif knew very well by now - curiosity. It must have taken him aback, as for once the infamous Count Arendae seemed to be at a loss for words.
“What are you two doing?” At the sound of Ariadne’s voice, they stepped apart. They found her standing behind them, holding what looked to be a potted plant. “You’re not fighting, I hope?”
“Not at all, my dearest Ariadne,” Daeran said, voice oozing his usual glibness. He shot Woljif another look - as if he wasn’t sure what to make of him anymore - before adding, “Woljif and I were just having a friendly chat.”
“Yeah, something like that,” Woljif said in agreement. Now that the suggestion was out there - and from his own lips, at that! - he found he couldn’t stop thinking about it. The three of them, together? At one time?
The hopeful look Ariadne was giving them didn’t help matters. She often looked that way when it was the three of them together, so content and at peace, almost happy. Woljif felt if he just reached out, he could neatly fit the puzzle pieces of why neatly together.
“Oh, ok, if you say so.” Ariadne’s expression belied her curiosity - she wasn’t likely to let this go easily. But for now, they were stuck in the wilds, and all discussion on the subject of the nature of their relationship would have to wait for a while longer.
Besides, he had a more pressing question. “Chief, now that you’re outta there, I gotta ask - what’s with the plant?”