Tigra
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Chapter 215: Home Explorers
🕑 Added 2025-05-12 18:48:56 +0000 UTCIt had taken several more days before the storm had finally started to subside, Tom taking Nik up on his offer to help bring in some more fuel for the fires despite the howling winds so they could keep a little warmer until it was finally over. Of their two arrivals he was finding the dragon a bit more reasonable, but at the very least he hadn’t caught Elsara sneaking around again after their first meal together.
She likely didn’t want to give any aspiring inquisitorial agents the excuse to make their lives miserable. Or possibly more miserable; Tom still hadn’t managed to get her to spill just why she hated them so much. Nik wasn’t helpful either. The dragon would happily chat and crack jokes all day, but the moment Tom tried to ask questions about his, or especially Elsara’s, past he shut up on the spot.
Before the revelation that the keep dealt with the Inquisition, they hadn’t minded sharing at least a little about their roots and lives.
But it was finally time to get out properly, ten minutes outside following a horse sized dragon clearing the snow for you didn’t count. And Tom certainly couldn’t wait for some proper fresh air. It had gotten no warmer since the storm passed. In fact Tom was quite confident it had gotten even colder. At least it felt that way when they cranked open the outer platform door again, with some help from Nik this time.
“It really bites your face doesn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t know,” the dragon retorted cockily.
Tom had done his best to rig Nikolas up for the day’s flight. They had taken him out of his harness the day they had arrived, and with all their trade goods safely stored in a single empty crate he had been put back into it. All the loops and little nets would do wonderfully for any deer or other game they managed to catch today. And possibly even a tree fit for christmas, though that may have to wait till a later flight.
“Very funny.” Tom had his own cold defences though, and he pulled up the neck gaiter to above his nose. “Permission to climb aboard?”
“You ought to ask her, it’s her seat,” the dragon said, looking to Elsara who was looking Tom up and down in his heavy winter gear.
“I still can’t believe the Inquisition wouldn’t just shoot you on sight. Sure, I ain’t the boss of him. I guess I’m flying by myself then?”
“On the way back I think,” Nik replied as Tom set about working out the best way up Nik’s side. There were actually grab bars for a dragonette’s feet to hang onto. For Tom though they would be no more than stirrups. At least there were handles on the front as well for his hands, so that was something. Not like reins would be in order.
“You’re in the saddle then,” Elsara concluded as she crossed her arms, waiting for Tom to get on with things.
Not entirely sure what to do, he just placed a foot on the elbow of Nik’s foreleg and grabbed the saddle, hoisting himself up. He was most certainly not bringing weights along today for poor Nik’s sake, so it was very easy to do, sitting down firmly in the really rather nice leather saddle.
“Remember how I called you fat earlier, Elsa?” The dragon spoke up as tome got comfortable.
“How could I forget?”
“I take it all back, this guy is heavier than you.”
“In my defence, the guys aren’t smaller than the girls when it comes to humans, other way around in fact.”
“If that’s your cope then alright with me,” Elsara dismissed, using a single wingbeat and a leap to alight upon the dragon’s back before dropping down into a seated position behind Tom.
‘Yet another day it’s best Jacky is sleeping for,’ Tom thought to himself as he tried to get comfortable, Elsa leaning back and resting on Nik’s hindquarters rather than putting an arm around Tom. He could hardly blame her it was always awkward riding on the back of someone’s bike.
“Right, I guess we’re good to go then. Hold down the fort, Rachuck,” Tom called out, looking to the captain who was watching from the winch.
“I shall do my best. Be quick about it, the days are shorter this time of year.”
“Oh trust me, I know,” Tom replied, thinking back to the times you only saw the sun from your office. Those times used to suck, a lot. He guessed winters here would be even worse in the long run, once the novelty wore off.
“Then I shall see you before sundown, good luck. And remember, the wolves still prowl in winter.”
“I’ll try not to take any more trophies then,” Tom retorted cocklily.
Nik stepped forward before giving Tom and Elsara a quick shake, like a lazy wet dog coming out of the pool. “Sorry, just checking.”
“I know how to do your harness, been doing it for years.”
“And it’s been wrong a fair few times. Now let’s go, I hate being inside.”
True to his word the young white dragon leaped off the edge and into the freezing wind, Tom hunkering down what he could as what little of his face the wind could reach started to burn with cold. It would pass soon enough, but it was still damn uncomfortable.
‘Oh shit right goggles,’ he thought to himself, lowering his trusty set of darkened lenses. They would help a little with snowblindness as well if that was even going to be a problem, a shame he didn’t have any yellow lenses though.
As Nikolas got into the rhythm and they climbed slow and steady up and away from the keep, Tom turned around to get a look at just how the place was holding up. Namely the roofs. There was quite a layer of snow on all the buildings actually. Hopefully their nice new warehouse wouldn’t come crashing down during the winter. That would be a whole lot of work undone in a moment, and potentially an injured sleeping Jarix.
Elsara looked him up and down as he turned around, eyes lingering on his face.
“Fuck it is creepy not being able to see your eyes. I still can’t fucking belive someone who looks like you is working with the Inquisition, could have sworn they would have shot you on sight.”
“They need me a lot more than I need them. A lot like you really, I just take advantage. You could as well,” Tom replied, turning back into the wind and getting low in the saddle, as much for his own as for Nik’s sake.
“Yeah you keep saying that. Trying to work out if I believe you. Would be a lot easier if you told us what you were doing for the Inquisition. Bit hard to believe it’s making the world a better place though.”
“Well for now, we’ve done a cheap replacement for honey, writing tools you can bring with you in your pocket and don’t get stuff dirty, and a firestarter for the palm of your hand. Just one flick and you’re there. I think you’d quite like all three if I was guessing,” Tom replied. All those were at least to an extent public knowledge by now, even if not many knew where it all came from.
“You fucking what?” Elsara questioned, not so much in outrage but rather sheer surprise.
“Sugar, dencils, and lighters. Oh right, can’t forget the wayfinders, always point north.”
“That was you lot? You made those?”
“Well the designs at least, they are being made in the capital now. What, you heard of them?”
“We took this damn trading job idea just to try and afford one of those wayfinders.”
“Oh, I see. Well if you’re nice I’ll make you one. Not that hard to do.”
“You would?” she questioned, sounding very taken aback. Nik too stopped flapping his wings, letting them glide along in silence.
“Having a favor with you two would be worth much more to me than that. And yes I know you don’t do merc work. We got the Inquisition and royal guard on call for that. But please hear me out. If you got the Inquisition sleeping upstairs, wouldn’t you want someone who can send a message or deliver a package who hates the Inquisition? Someone who will definitely not stab you in the back?”
“I… I suppose that wouldn’t be the worst thing ever… So you don’t like ’em either? They’re just here ‘cause they can go where they want?”
“Yes and no, we need them. But I think I speak for all of us when I say we would rather do without. We were accused of being heretics, you know? Took a lot of digging to prove otherwise, but they worked out they needed us too, so here we are. Stuck in a win and a loss at the same time.”
“Riiiight… and you’re telling us this, why?”
“Maybe he’s just trying to be nice?” Nik offered, taking a single beat before going back to gliding.
“Well if I wanna call in that favor, and have it be good, we gotta be on the same page. Would you even deliver a message for someone you thought was a puppet of the Inquisition?”
“Fuck no.”
“Well there you go then. We would both rather be free of the Inquisition. You are, I’m not. I scratch your back, you scratch mine. So do you want a wayfinder and maybe some other toys too?”
“I’ll never say no to that.”
“Right then. So how do we get a hold of you if we have to?”
“Well that’s gonna be kinda hard, we don’t really tend to stay in the same place.”
“Yeah, I figured.” Tom sighed, not quite sure how to fix that problem. Satellite communication wasn’t really on the todo list just yet, and they definitely didn’t have spare earrings just laying around.
Nik gave a pair of flaps to replenish altitude before craning his neck around to look at Elsara. “We do have a place.”
“Oh would you shut it, I ain’t telling someone with Inquisitors around where we hole up. Especially if they get mad we’ve been through here.”
“Then how?”
“I don’t know, okay?” Elsara snapped, seemingly trying to work out a solution.
“I do have a feeling you will not be coming through here often, am I right?” Tom questioned, not seeing an obvious way around that problem either.
“I certainly don’t plan on it.”
“What big city do you swing by most often?”
“Bartelion or Cartehega, we normally try to avoid the capital.”
“I figured. Well in that case, can’t I just have you swing by the traders guild places or whatever they are called when you drop by? I’ll send a message with Archeon if I need you for something.”
“You’d be lucky to get us within the year doing that, but we’ll ask around, sure.”
“Better than nothing, and who knows I might get lucky.”
“Are you some sort of relentless optimist or something?”
“Get busy living or get busy dying, and I don’t plan on dying. And even if it takes a year, that’ll do I guess. Certainly the best I got thus far short of Arch, and I doubt he’d be happy with playing courier.”
“Is he a trader or something?”
“Yeah blue dragon, quite a big one. Nice guy.”
“And you trust him?”
“As much as I can, I think.”
“Then why exactly do you want us? Just have your message passed on to someone else. The Inquisition will never know if he doesn’t rat on you.”
“Well I have a feeling I might need someone who can go quite far north. Very far indeed. Let’s just leave it at that.”
“Riiiight… Why do I get the feeling we’d wind up dead doing that?”
“I’m sending you a letter asking for a favor, if you won’t do it what can I do to retaliate? But if I do send that letter you can be quite sure it’ll be in the service of fucking over the Inquisition, or I’d use them instead.”
“Fair I suppose… But what, you’d give us something like a wayfinder just for the chance we might help you at some point in the future?”
“I got a lot of years left I hope, and a shit ton to do. I need to start building friends and favors outside this funny little island, too. Call it an investment or whatever.”
“I like the sound of that,” Nik added, bobbing his head in agreement.
“I do too, sounds like a damn good deal… bit too good to be true,” Elsara answered, in a far more skeptical tone.
“Well, I’ll get you your wayfinder. Then you decide the rest. For the record it’s not gonna cost more than a couple silver to make if you know what you’re doing.”
“You’re fucking joking, right? They wanted 25 gold for that thing back in the city, and they were talking about raising the prices.”
“Damn, I might be getting cheated out of royalties then. Might look into that later, thank you. See, you’re paying off already.”
“Happy to be worth it,” Nik chuckled, beating his wings once more, starting to pick the pace back up. “Now I want some deer for dinner, with salt and everything.”
“We got herbs too, don’t you know?”
“Heck yeah.”
---
The hunt had gone quite well by Tom’s reckoning. They had managed to bag a deer after a few tries, Elsara going off to bag the kill on her own, Nik and Tom following along afterwards like children along to watch. It was clear she and Nik were more than used to fending for themselves, so Tom did feel rather like a deadweight coming along, but he had certainly enjoyed the trip outside the keep for the day.
The feeling of being nothing but a burden wasn’t helped by Elsara having to fly on her own wings all the way home on account of her seat being taken up by their catch. Nik hadn’t complained, but Elsara had made a few choice remarks about just why he was here if she had to do the hunting anyway. Telling her that it was for the sake of Nik’s ears hadn’t managed to convince her to do anything other than laugh a bit either as they carried on home.
Tom had managed to be a little more useful there though, skinning the kill as best he could remember from Jacky’s teachings, having borrowed her knife from her room. Though it caught him yet more fun remarks from Elsara about how she was pretty sure that was a girl’s knife, and so on.
He let her have her fun, not as if it was technically wrong, but if Rachuck was to be believed he was providing very useful security while on the ground with them at the very least. And he had control of the spice cupboard.
Deer tenderloin rubbed down with some herbs and spices then pan fried wasn’t the most creative of dishes, but it had worked quite well. For Nik he had made a whole leg on a spit, making sure he couldn’t complain about getting cheaped out on in terms of herbs and spices either.
Dinner had gone much better than the day before. Gone were the tensions and the accusations of the night before. The improved food certainly helped, but the mood in general was much improved.
Rachuck was no exception. He had apologized for his treatment of them thus far, and while he made it clear he would remain wary of them in their vulnerable times, what he had done was no way to welcome traders, especially in winter. A keep without visiting traders would soon find themselves in perilous skies after all.
Tom knew well enough the captain didn’t fear such an outcome, but at the same time he did value the tradition. Every time Archeon or Galaxer had come to visit they had been greeted with celebrations and feasts. Nik and Elsara had been given a shut and barred door. That was not the way.
As part of his apology he had even gotten out a few mugs of ale for them to enjoy. It was their cheaper homebrewed stuff, but it was still a nice gesture. And their two guests certainly appreciated it. Especially when he made it clear that Nik too was allowed some.
They didn’t get drunk on the stuff, but it made everything feel more proper. Tom’s cooking received compliments too, even if the tenderloins had gone a little dry. There was meat enough for a few days while it was just the four of them, so there was no need to worry about that either.
They had even finished off the evening by playing a few hands of cards, relaxing and having fun by the flickering lantern light, Nik watching over Elsara’s shoulder.
“I’ll clear that,” Elsara declared, using one of her 10 of claws to swipe away the pile and putting down a 3 of scale. “Big cards, I know.”
“You’re cheating, I just know it,” Tom chuckled sarcastically, taking the opportunity to get rid of his last 4.
“Why would I do that? We aren’t betting.”
“Loser has to spar with Rachuck in the morning?” Tom offered, hoping to spice up the game a little.
The captain wrinkled his snout a little before playing a pair of sixes. He was doing quite well this round, it must be said. “Why is it that it is such a punishment for you to practice the blade? You attack nearly all other disciplines with vigour and dedication.”
“No I don’t, I just do what I want most of the time.”
“Toiling away into the midnight hours over wooden blocks?”
“Absolutely, I’m loving it.”
“I’ll take that bet, I want to see why you don’t wanna try,” Elsara added with a chuckle, putting down her own six.
“Okay then, good luck.” Tom put down two 8s for dramatic effect. “You’ll regret it.”
“Oh please, it can’t be that bad, he’s old.”
“I am barely fifty, thank you very much. Let us see here… first of bow,” the captain grumbled, leaning back after having played his card. “I am in my very prime.”
“You’re done in the stadiums when you’re are thirty, my guy. If you live that long that is. Bow.”
“Well I will look forward to testing your mettle then,” Rachuck chuckled, glancing to her hand as Tom put down a pair of swords as well before Elsara could get the chance. “Do you wield a sword? I do not believe I have seen one. Not even in your hand.”
“Har har. Nah man, I use this,” she replied, patting the hatchet stuck through her belt, resting against her chest. “Got a knife too. If there was an axe in this, it would be higher than the sword for sure. Pass.”
“That is no weapon of war,” the captain said, shaking his head as he played a king. “And it would not, one should never underestimate the humble spear though.”
“Sure it’s a weapon, it’s an axe. It’ll chop wood limbs and people limbs. Very handy when stuff gets in the way of stuff you wanna see.”
Rachuck huffed, seeming even more confident. “Very well then, your axe to my sword.”
“Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you… too badly,” Tom added with a snicker as he interrupted, looking to Rachuck. “Pass.”
“Well I get to bring Nik, we’re always together. Pass.”
“Hardly, you left him as lately as when you helped us carry up dinner. One such as yourself must truly rely on herself, not others, for her safekeeping.” Rachuck swiped away the stack, beginning anew with a 4.
“Hey, he was but a scream away,” Elsara protested, Nik bobbing his head in agreement behind her as she played a 5.
“Very well then, tomorrow I shall demonstrate why that may indeed be too long to wait.”
“Fuck you’re cocky, did anyone ever tell you that? I’ve traveled the world and shit, I’m not that bad.”
“That is more like it, I shall look forward to someone who is more of a challenge than Tom here.”
“Hey, just cause I’m not metal stick proficient,” Tom protested as he played a 9. He was nearly done, and he was quite certain Elsara was out of high cards by now.
“Hah, metal stick, good one. What, ‘cause you have that funny tube thingy? 10,” she replied, glancing at her hand as she played the card.
“Yeah yeah, just you wait. I’ll show you one of these days. But tomorrow I’ll be watching.”
While they bantered, Rachuck played another king, looking to Tom with a grin.
“I’m still waiting, but what was this about wooden blocks? You wanna build a little keep all your own?” Elsara mocked with an evil grin.
“No no, not for me. The kids. Pass, pass you’re clear again Rachuck.”
“Say wut?” Elsara questioned, tilting her head a touch as Rachuck cleared the table.
“I’m making children’s toys right now,” Tom replied with a smile. “What, didn’t see that coming?”
“An… inquisitorial toy factory?”
“That doesn’t sound so bad at all,” Nik added in, with a nod. “You like, entertaining kids for the king or something?”
“Don’t tell me you are putting blitz gel in the toys. Please dude, don’t let it be that.”
Rachuck shook his head as he played a 4, his last card.
“We would never stoop to such cruelty. Rather face the blade.”
“What he said,” Tom echoed as he played a seven of his own. “We are allowed to do things for ourselves too, especially when those watching are sleeping. I could use a hand though. Know your way around a paintbrush?”
“Don’t we have to go get a tree or something? 8.” She smiled as she put down the card.
“We do, but if you’re sticking around a little longer it couldn’t hurt, could it? It’s still incredibly cold out.”
“Yes, it is much too cold to try heating back up the keep now,” Rachuck agreed as Tom played a king of his own he had been hanging on to just to make Elsara’s life miserable. “Besides, I do believe you are far from finished with your preparations, Tom.”
“Oh yes, very far. I have so many things to do, food, gifts, decorations,” Tom confirmed, giving her a moment to play a card if she could. She just stuck her tongue out at him, so he cleared the pile and played a bow.
Elsara just stared at the human rather than the card. “Huh?”
“I’m trying to set up a human winter tradition, we call it Christmas. Gift giving, big feast, dancing and singing. Drinking. The whole 9 yards.”
“In the middle of winter?...”
“Does it look like I mind a little cold?”
“I don’t know man, you’re wearing more clothes than I have ever owned,” she concluded, finally looking down at the card. “Oh you bitch you know I don’t have that.”
“And it’s working isn’t it?” Tom questioned with a chuckle as he swept the board and put down his last card, a measly 5. “And done.”
“That’s cheating, or something,” Elsara protested, throwing in her last two cards, having lost the round. “Dammit… oh well fuck it, see you tomorrow I guess, Chuck. If you aren’t busy preparing a feast in the middle of winter.”
“My name is Rachuck,” the captain protested, crossing his arms.
“Yeah, which has Chuck in it.”
“Very well, Rascal,” Rachuck tried in reply, looking quite smug, but leaving everyone else looking confused as to just why he seemingly thought he was being clever.
“Dude that’s stretching it a bit much, don’t you think? Is that supposed to be a play on Sar or something? Actually it’s closer to Rachuck than me, You clipped your own wings there.”
“I have heard worse.”
“At the orphanage for the unwanted maybe. You two are fucking weird. You most though,” Elsara declared, pointing at Tom.
“Not like bad weird though,” Nik added. “I think you’re fun. Also I call her Bumpkin sometimes.”
“Dude not cool, mister glitter paws.”
“Glitter paws,” Tom repeated with a chuckle. “Well if you weren’t so busy maybe I would have to try and hire you to stay around. I’m a little bit stuck with all this snow around. I like the sound of being carried around by mister glitter paws.”
“Man, I carry her butt all over the place, you better pay good if I have to do just that all day long. I ain’t just a seat that moves you know?” Nik protested, halfheartedly, looking down at and flexing his talons.
“Just so you know, we are totally for hire, as long as we wanna do the job,” Elsara added quickly.
“I know Nik, I know. Jarix has been a massive help with all manner of things, you saw some of his tools in the greeting hall. But a smaller dragon would be very useful too.”
“Hell yeah I am… also what do you mean tools?”
“You know for a dragon to work, like the reds in the forges. You remember those guys?” Elsara interjected, seemingly more familiar with the concept.
“Oh yeaaaah. The ones that laughed when we asked what a set of armor for me would cost. That wasn’t very cool.”
“Yeah like, how were we supposed to know it was more than like a really nice house?”
“Because that is what dragon armor costs,” Rachuck interjected with a bemused expression.
“Well excuse me, but we don’t go shopping that often okay. Besides, we’re fine without it. Probably heavy as fuck anyway.”
“Yeah and like, I’m not gonna fight something big and mean, we’ll just get out of there instead,” Nik added, keeping his head close to Elsara.
“Right on,” she agreed, giving his head a pat on the side. “Ain’t no use in dying for nothing.”
“Indeed, but yes Jarix helps us make some things. But if you would like to help me out, I’d pay a couple copper for some help with all the prep work.”
“A silver a day,” Elsara counter offered. “Each.”
“For the both of you. You’re being fed and those spices cost.”
“Fiiiine, a silver a day. Just so you know that’s damn cheap.”
“But it’s easy money and you got nothing better to do.”
“We don’t know that, we got trading to do. We still have goods left.”
“I suppose that’s true. Well your choice, a silver a day to help make kids’ toys. And to get the tree thing and, you know, do the hunting. Don’t forget the wayfinder we talked about.”
“Right, I guess I’m being a bit greedy here, yeah… Fiiine finne. We’ll do it. He ain’t worth shit with a paintbrush though,” she yielded, pointing to the dragon’s head hovering above her shoulder.
Comments
Namel909
You mean like he more or less would try with every other dragon he liked so far sss?
Michael Halpern
hmm he might end up recruiting them long term after all.
