Chapter Text
There’s something about the way your group has to weave between carriages that rings true for you. This, to say the least, feels natural. Not necessarily natural in the way the rest of your travelling party would really understand, mind you, but in the way that memories of a time long past seem to trick through your mind. You and Leon were notorious back in the day for the heists committed at events like these.
You and the Spells were just as familiar with stunts like that, too. It shows with the way Kal seems to look over at you every so often. There’s even the odd occasion where their gaze falls to your right, as if searching for someone else. You know deep down it’s Mikko that they hope will appear from the shadows, but you both know enough that they’re long on their way. You shoot them a faint look of reassurance, hoping that the eye shine you’ve seemed to have collected doesn’t freak them out more so than the cacophony from inside seems to be.
“I’ve never been to an event like this.” Haadri’s voice is the first to break the silence. As always, the furbolg seems to have a sense of when his whimsy is welcomed. “Is there…a dress code?”
The shadar-kai that’s joined your group shrugs. “I’m not sure. But based on the way people are hopping out of carriages, I’d sa–”
“I’ve seen no one hop out of a carriage.” Kal bites out. There’s been a strange sort of tension between the newcomer and Kal, you’ve noticed, but nothing that’s concerned you until now.
“Well,” Arcarius asks. “What do you call it when someone gracefully leaps out of one?”
“A miracle.” you chime in, and you can’t help but feel rather satisfied with the eye roll Kal offers. “Not many nobles land all that gracefully on their feet.”
Arcarius smiles. “My patrons do.”
“I’m going to call bullshit on that one.”
“What? Why?”
“Like I said. It’s a miracle when anyone lands gracefully after getting out of one of those things. It’s an even greater one when it’s someone who thinks their shit doesn’t stink.”
Haadri watches this interaction. Cottonmouth stays glued to his side, holding the satchel her sister gave her as if it was a lifeline. You can’t help but rub at the newly earned scar along the nape of your neck as you think about the strange visit you all seemed to have at the Serpent Inn. You’re starting to realise that maybe, just maybe, it’s better to roll with the punches than guess anything that’s to come.
Kal nudges your side, shaking you from your train of thought. “There’s enough gold in those caravans to feed the others for months.”
“Carriages.”
They roll their eyes again. “Caravans. Carriages. We can call them whatever we want, but we can help them, Hjaitr.”
Your eyes quickly survey some of the carriages that you pass; they’re right. You notice some of the doors on them hang loose. It’d be easy enough to sneak in, grab a few items or gold pieces to palm off and–
“What do you think?”
You take the time to think about your answer. “We could. Probably best to do so on our way out.”
Kal raises a brow. “Wouldn’t it be better to get it done now?”
“Where, exactly, do you intend to hide your goods?” you turn slightly as Kiran stands closer to the two of you. “I can almost guarantee that these people won’t hold your belongings after seeing that ‘hm, maybe these don’t belong to you’.”
“Did we ask for your advice?”
“No, but it looks like you need it.”
You come to a halt as you watch Kal ball their fists at their side. Despite this…truce–whatever they wanted to call it–, this wasn’t easy on either of their parts. Not that that was expected. You look between them and weigh your options.
“Kiran has a point.” you say as you keep your voice low. “Besides, we have two of us who are fairly eager to get in there.”
“But the oppo–”
“I’m not saying there isn’t an opportunity. All I’m saying is that we’ll have time to sneak out and take care of this while the chaos roars in there.”
Kal folds their arms against their chest. “What’s to say there’s going to be chaos?”
If Kiran’s eyes were visible, it’d be obvious how hard he rolls them. “With this group, I find it almost hilarious that you think chaos isn’t going to happen.”
You stifle a chuckle. He has a point. “We just need to get in there first.”
Kal sighs and relaxes for a moment. “Fine.”
Reynyx clears his throat. The tiefling has cleaned himself up in ways that really highlight how…well-suited, for lack of a better word, he is for events like these. “Right, darlings. Do you all have what I offered you?”
You all sort of exchange a glance with one another before a murmuring of yes's and no's flood the space for a moment. Reynyx claps his hands excitedly.
“Wonderful, darlings! Wonderful!” he looks at each of you with varying levels of judgement. He shoots the faintest of looks at Anteres as the white haired man scurries off to the staff entrance to the manor, and you can’t help but feel for him. Shaking it off, you return Reynyx’s stare with one of amusement.
“Is there…more to that?” you ask. “Or are you that hellbent on leaving us in suspense?”
“Oh, no, no. You need my help in this situation.”
“Speak for yourself.” Kal mutters.
“Actually, darling, I speak for Haadri.” Reynyx gestures to him with a look of concern. “This is a fashion emergency. My rats and I will turn dad into the loveliest of brides!”
Haadri blinks. “But I’m not getting married.”
“Not with that attitude you most certainly are not!”
You pinch the bridge of your nose and sigh. “So for those of us properly equipped?”
“Oh darling, we know how equipped you are.”
There’s a sea of exasperated sighs. Cottonmouth has already vanished from view, stepping into a bush to open the satchel from Moccasin. Leaves rustle, twigs snap, and it’s only a matter of minutes before she steps out adorned in an outfit of silks and jewels. At first, she looks uncomfortable, adjusting the billowing pants in a way that hugs less of her frame. Kal is already analysing the jewelry, and you smile encouragingly in the Tabaxi’s direction.
“Impressive.” you say. “Your sister would be proud.”
Cottonmouth smiles a little at that. “Thanks.”
“You look wonderful, Cottonmouth.” Haadri chimes in. “You wear the robes well.”
“Well, I mean, they’re not mine, but–”
“Are they the robes of your people?”
“... Yeah. Yeah, they are.”
“Then, Cottonmouth?”
“Uh…yeah?”
Haadri approaches her and puts a hand on her shoulder. “You do your tribe the greatest justice and honour of all.”
You still don’t understand how Haadri ended up out here. How a man like that–a furbolg like that–continues to stay with the disaster that your group is. You sigh and take the opportunity to step into the shadows, rummaging through your pack. Before you’re fully out of sight, you notice Kiran and Tobias do the same, while Kal takes watch. You’d like to give Reynyx and Arcarius the benefits of the doubt, but you know better than to assume they’re doing anything but talking. Gossiping. Anything that doesn’t help the situation.
You take your time unwrapping the cloth bundle buried at the bottom of your bag. You’re still not sure how it got there, but you’re more than certain it was that heart mate of yours doing what she does best. Your heart aches a little as the powder blue satin ribbon gives way, revealing vestments of navy and black tailored accordingly. Instinctively, you run a claw along the silver embroidery along the collar. Certain details are reminiscent of the costumes from a time passed, but there’s something elegant in the way it’s stitched together. Each piece of the outfit ties into one another intricately, delicately. Better yet, the ebony bracers are designed and crafted in a way that they conceal those markings of yours just in the way you had hoped. You smile and get changed in the bushes. Finally, another purpose for the bushes other than se–
“Darling, are you dying in there?” Reynyx calls out. “Surely it doesn’t take long to get out of those clothes of yours. We’ve seen faster than tha–”
“Reynyx.” Kal groans. “Let the man change in peace.”
“I could help!”
“Or,” you chuckle as you straighten out the belt and the final embellishments. You step out from the bush, and attempt to ignore the way Reyn…well, behaves as Reynyx. “You could give a man some time to make sure he looks just right.”
“Damn.” Cottonmouth whistles.
Toby pops out from the other side of a nearby carriage, dressed in silks of teal and orange. Something that blends his style with that of Salem’s, yet carries an elegance of a land far away. The second he sees Hjaitr, he cups his cheeks and gasps. “Oh! My! Gods! Hjaitr, you look wonderful! Amazing! Yep. Mhm!”
You smile and tuck sheathe your scimitars at your sides, hoping they look more like decorative pieces to the standard noble than their true, dangerous selves. One by one, the others get changed, with Reynyx disappearing with Haadri behind the very same carriage Toby appeared from. You can’t help but laugh as you hear Reynyx’s monologue as he aids Haadri in getting changed. A true fairy godmother to a princess in need.
With the finishing touches, and after you all are changed, Reynyx claps his hands together once again.
“Right then!” he beams. “Are we all familiar with the Reynyx guide to regality?”
“Bold of you to assume anyone reads anything.” Kiran mutters.
“Bold of you to assume anyone here has the patience to do so.” Kal chimes in.
You sigh and shake your head. “You did the best you could here, Reynyx. Let’s just get inside, then get right back out, yes?”
Reynyx rolls his eyes. “I’m surrounded by…well, you all.”
You chuckle and take your mask from your pack before tucking it behind the wheel of the carriage to your left. Your first target on your way out, after all. Kal, seeing what you did, follows suit, even going so far as to shove a branch between the spokes. You eye them with a raised brow, and they smirk with a shrug.
“How’d that get there?”
You shake your head again. “I wonder who you learned that from.”
“A mystery.”
“A mystery indeed.”
With a pat on their shoulder, you follow Kal towards the others, getting ready to head inside. What a night this will be.