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English
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Published:
2024-12-21
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543
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1/1
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4
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83
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Distance

Summary:

After a success on the moon, Bell's Hells notice a suspicious woman watching the Mighty Nein's wizards.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

Upon arrival at the site Orym started his search for someone to report to. It was not easy. The gathered armies had noticed the shift in the moons and victory celebrations were in full swing.
Orym’s keen gaze caught on movement at the bottom of a nearby hill. A large group of figures had gathered to dance around a roaring bonfire. Many of them seemed to be moving haphazardly vaguely in time with the music, but there was one pair that twirled around with practiced ease. The rest of the dancers had moved to allow them space, and reformed the two in an uneven circle.
Orym realized that he knew the couple. Caleb Widogast and “Seth” moved with more grace than wizards were typically known for. As he watched, Caleb dipped “Seth” and gave him a dramatic kiss. They rose laughing, though “Seth” gave Widogast a playful smack on the shoulder.
Orym looked away, embarrassed.
It was then that he noticed the woman. Standing away from the dancers and obscured by shadow and lingering troops, stood a proud looking drow. She was dressed in ornate armor with her hair kept out of her face in a series of practical braids. Her face was unreadable as she watched the dancing wizards, and Orym realized with a start that she looked remarkably like Essek Thelyss. Or perhaps he looked like her. Something about her seemed unspeakably older than the mild mannered archivist the group had met earlier.
“What are you looking at?” Asked Fearne, stooping down and trying to follow his line of sight. Orym nodded at the woman.
“Someone is keeping an eye on Mr. Widogast and his partner.”
“Are they friendly? Good? Bad?” Asked Dorian, hand moving to his weapon.
“Not really sure.”
“I’ll see what she’s thinking” offered Imogen, stepping up beside them. She was silent for a few moments then, “It’s hard to tell. She feels…bittersweet? I don’t know undercommon but I get the sense that she’s never seen ‘him’ so happy, and didn’t know ‘he’ liked to dance.”
“You got all that from a feeling?” asked Dorian
“Yeah, that seems like a bit of a stretch if you ask me,” Chetney cut in, “sounds more like you’re just making shit up.”
“Yeah, how does it even work? Like, do you get the exact words, or do you just…know?”
“For mind reading this doesn’t seem very practical.” Added Braius. “What if they aren’t even thinking in words, what then?”
“What-what else would they be thinking in?”
As the Hells bickered a man approached the mysterious woman. He was also drow, and wearing heavy battle scarred armor. He bore a striking resemblance to the woman. Perhaps they were related.
As he got close he followed the woman’s gaze. He froze. His posture stiffening up awkwardly. He said something to her, but at this distance it was impossible to tell what.
For a moment the Woman’s face was completely blank. Then it softened in obvious fondness. She patted the man’s face and said something to him. The man looked pained. It was hard to tell more than that though as the two moved away, deep in conversation. Whatever they wanted with the wizards seemingly forgotten as they disappeared into the camp.

Notes:

Orym has a perception of a million, Essek is not as good at hiding as he thinks, and Verin cannot tell a lie.

Imogen is so willing to read minds here because Laura would see a Thelyss and immediately try to find out the gossip.

Had an idea for a scene, needed to get it out. Have a short unedited thing to go with my other short unedited things.