The party of four left before dawn. Arik wanted to be gone before the owner rose, just to have been as unobtrusive as possible given the circumstances, though it occurred to him that he may have already been awake and just waited for them to be gone for the same reasons he essentially left them the house when they arrived. He was careful to take only what was agreed to and, even so, he left four gold coins on the kitchen as an added show of gratitude.
Strannix couldn't have cared less beyond the ongoing vexation of watching what he had expected to be the fortune he took with him under the control of others, but he had made his own uneasy peace with it. Nax and Sylanna conveyed his disdain for their own reasons, which he read easily and, despite his good night's sleep, tired him. "He's my client, it comes from my share. You're just so very greedy."
Nax noted the humor, "I'm not greedy. I just want to be sure your generosity isn't actually my generosity," he clarified as he took his supplies to his horse.
"Like I said, greedy."
"Let's just get on with this, children."
Nax called out to her, "Of course
you're
not afraid of losing your money."
"Of course I'm not. Because others are afraid of me. Once people are afraid of you, they assume others will be, too, and they'll pay a premium for that, whether you have to make the people they want you to deal with afraid or not. So you can be as spineless as you want in your actual job, you just have to make sure your testicles have descended when you speak to those who want to hire you."
Arik was at something of a loss. "'Descended testicles', but
we
are the children?"
"Can we
all
just get on with this," Strannix snapped. He would be happy once he was away from here, but would be satisfied enough to just be on the way to away from here.
She was happy to be quiet, but happier now just to annoy someone she didn't like more than she already disliked most. She huffed, "Well that's just rude."
Nax agreed. He enjoyed her sense of humor once she got going, she just didn't do it enough, in his opinion. "Isn't he though?" Strannix glared at him, but he was experiencing one of those rare moments for him where he felt like he didn't have to care. "What does that look mean, that you're not going to pay me? I already have your money. Relax."
Strannix allowed himself to calm with the traveling, as the chatter dropped and, as he saw it, so did the cavalier attitude. They might have spoken here and there, but it was almost never all of them at once. One of the trio would be quiet, clearly in concentration, keeping watch in whatever way the mages did. They did seem to work well together and, watching them work, he had to admit to the smallest part of himself that perhaps they were correct and he had acted impetuously. He had to have patience in this.
He couldn't have amassed his wealth and power over his life without it, and he'd had that in most circumstances, but that was always tested when someone stole directly from him, whether it be a rival, or some poor souls trying to steal from one of his couriers, to someone skimming a gold here and there from the barrels of spirits he shipped. They dared him to respond. They called him a weak fool by doing it and they dared him to respond.
It was enough that Dina had left, but he would have found her in short order. But the witch snatched her away. She took the closest possession to him and just walked away, and he may have acted precipitously in response. She was smarter about her initial response than he had been, striking hard against what gave him his power and reach to begin with. But she had underestimated him. His reach extended far beyond her grasp. And he had slipped away even before his plan was executed. She didn't have him and she wouldn't.
He would be far more careful this time. He would build his revenge as he built his businesses: piece by piece and well-planned step by step. He had made his point in that moment of rage and spent enough of it to allow his mind to rule over his heart now. It would take years. He would have to avoid her eyes and ears, which might add years more, but it could be done, and, honestly, part of him thrilled at it. In some ways it would be like battling himself. Rarely had he come across anyone at or near his level. Animals were to be guarded against and not to be underestimated, but most of his adversaries were that.
She had proven herself to be a peer, so destroying her would be all the sweeter in the end. He would take from her everything that mattered to her. Slowly, his guard fell as he grew confidence in his bodyguards to actually guard him and began thinking about exactly how to build again. They did not stop to eat, simply taking in some soft bread and dried meat as they went. Strannix was fine with that, too. His future was at hand and he wanted to reach it as quickly as he could.
He didn't even mind camping as the sun set, even though he generally avoided it when possible. The night was clear and he could see each one of a million points of light. The fire was roaring because if there was one thing a mage could be depended upon to do was make fire, and, while it was still cold, the wind had stilled, so to be wrapped in a bed roll was reasonably comfortable. He didn't mind the chatter there either because it told him they were awake and doing what they had been paid richly to do. Their voices allowed him to sleep.
"You can stand first watch again."
"Seriously? I stood first watch last night."
"And you can do it again, it'll toughen you up."
He almost asked the man if he wanted to see how tough he was before he decided that was just a little too juvenile. "I did it first last night, I'm not doing it first again. There's no reason other than you want to prove you're running things."
"But perhaps he's just tormenting you for fun," Sylanna offered. "I'll take first watch."
Arik laughed as he rolled over and prepared to rest. He wouldn't actually sleep because, even if he wasn't on watch, he was still on a guarding and escort job. He slipped into a light, dozing sleep and let the night unfold as it would.
Nax watched Sylanna for a time. She sat on her knees, cloaks wrapped tightly around her against the chill. Her eyes were closed and when he focused he could see the lines of force she sent forth in every direction like tripwires. He liked looking at her. He could focus on the magic around her that masked her if he chose, but he never did. He liked looking at her as she chose to be seen by the masses. She was on the opposite side of the fire as he and the play of light gave her an otherworldly appearance, as though she were wrapped in power.
She was one of those that he thought a mage should be. She was comfortable with herself. It was there in the way she spoke and moved. Even in those ways she exuded skill and that wasn't even considering what he felt watching her weave her magic. Watching her create the pollen was like a master class in what a mage could do in the world. It took all his concentration and focus to see her bend and shape the world to her will for even a moment, but she could work seemingly effortlessly and without distraction.
He lost track of himself and time as he watched her energy and her beauty as it was accented by the fire light until the heat of embarrassment flooded his cheeks as he realized he had been staring at her and that she had responded by grinning at him, her eyes reflecting the flames, and if he looked deeply enough he could see a play of color within that suggested something of the unearthly color beneath her magic. He didn't look away, preferring to follow that flutter of color. He followed it when it moved slowly, and chased it when it darted.
The light settled into a rhythm and his mind slowly began to settle, too. He was certain that if he looked harder he could see what was beneath and her eyes almost seemed to reward him for doing so. Three flashes of the firelight in her eyes just before a hint of green that seemed to create its own light and held him.
Three flickers, then a flash.
Three flickers, then a flash.
He counted the seconds until it happened again.
Three flickers, then a flash.
Three seconds.
Three flickers, then a flash.
Three seconds.
