I decided to make a quick stop by Eira's place to see if she wanted lunch. As I walked, I spotted a store selling magic crystals. I was used to the heating crystals, ice crystals, etc., but they had something new today.
I ignored the sales pitch the merchant was making to the gathering of househusbands and wives, bored adventurers, and mercenaries with freshly filled pockets and focused on what I was seeing.
They were communication crystals. Like the sending stones in the healing hall, or in big businesses, or like the dorm had. Those were unwieldy, and usually it was a communal thing. These were small. Small enough to sit in your hand. Crystal enchantment had come a long way.
What really astonished me was that they weren't even that expensive. Not compared to a heating crystal. That's when I saw the catch. You needed two stones, and they could only talk to each other. That wasn't terribly convenient.
But I could see some uses. It was then that I got an idea. I looked in the pouch of coins Farina had given me this morning and decided to make a bit of an indulgent purchase.
Several minutes and a lighter coin pouch later, I was on my way to Eira's. As I walked, I flipped through the little guidebook they included. It was simple enough to use, attune to the stone, and just speak into it when you needed to talk to the holder of the paired stone. Distance didn't matter. I could be on another continent and still talk as clear as day, though it did warn that clarity wasn't assured in dungeons. Dungeon mana is messing things up as usual.
All the talk of the internships had gotten me thinking. It wasn't assured that my friends and I would be able to intern with the same dungeon companies, and Eira was in a totally separate program altogether, and I wasn't even fully sure if she would have an internship as I would. That meant we'd have at least two months apart from each other, and I would be a damned liar if I said that didn't make me depressed.
Sure, we could communicate via the public sending stones, or even just letters, but it wasn't the same. I wanted to hear her voice next to me as we fell asleep. Sometimes it was bad enough having to sleep in my dorm room instead of spending the night with her. It made my heart ache every time.
There was a part of me that was disgusted that I had let this kind of softness into my soul, but that part of me was stupid and bitter and could jump in a lake for all I cared. Eira was worth softness. I was worth it too.
I eventually made my way to the dorms where Eira stayed and knocked on her door softly. The door popped open, and Eira embraced me with a big hug.
"Farina sent a message saying you were in meetings and stuff, but I know you hate meetings, so I was so worried something was wrong! Was something wrong? You have to tell me if something is wrong!" She squeezed me tighter, to the point I was patting her back frantically to get some air.
She let me go, and I took a deep breath.
"Not wrong, per se, but let me in, and I'll let you in on what's up." I gasped.
She led me inside, locking the door behind us. She helped me out of my gear and let me change into some of the casual outfits I left over at her place so I could be comfy when we hung out, or if the mood was right, make out.
Bards and sultry storytellers can wax poetic about sexy lingerie all you want, but sometimes there's nothing more attractive than your partner in baggy shorts and a tunic that's just a bit too big.
--
"Well, that is a lot to take in, I'm going to be honest. How do you get into so much conspiratorial trouble, Alta? It's like you have some kind of sword-witch curse to attract trouble." She sighed and flopped on the bed next to me.
I flopped next to her, and we just stared at the ceiling.
"Yeah, it's beginning to get beyond annoying. I want to refuse, but, well, house arrest and all that. And sadly, that means the dorm, and not here. That's simply intolerable. I don't wanna be stuck inside without my pretty spellsong!" I said, rolling towards her. She smiled and giggled before kissing me.
"That's the spirit! You won't get in trouble for telling me, will you?" She asked as she reached out and caressed my hair. It felt really nice.
"No. They said I could tell whoever I needed to. They trust me, for some reason. I've got no idea where they get the idea I'm trustworthy, but I'm going to take it. I have to decide how I'm going to tell everyone else, though. Myth is not going to take this well at all." I sighed.
"No, she really isn't. I can understand it too. Her sister and her entire life were destroyed by these Everspring bastards. Sure, they say they're trying to reform themselves, but who's to say they aren't lying about that." Eira snuggled closer. "This is going to be a rough one on everyone for different reasons."
"I know. I hate it. Part of me feels like I'm selling everyone out for money and connections, but if we do this right, everyone benefits. I want to help everyone get ahead once we're out of school. The world is rough, dungeoneering is rough, and we need every advantage we can get. I just don't know if I can handle it. Somewhere I turned into the group leader, and now I have to juggle everyone's feelings, and I can barely juggle my own." I snuggled against Eira, feeling her arms wrap around me. I just breathed her in and let her warmth fill my soul.
"You can do this, sweetness. Even if you don't believe in yourself, I believe in you, and you can believe in me believing in you." She said confidently.
"That barely makes any sense, but I'll take it. Thank you, Eira, for letting me talk this out. It feels good to have someone I can just be honest with. I really wish I could stay like this forever." I mumbled as I buried my face into her.
"With your face mashed against my bosom?" I could hear the laugh in her voice.
"Yes. I want to live forever in the kingdom of the bosom. I hereby request citizenship in your bountiful lands." I couldn't help but laugh with her, and I nuzzled close.
It was nice to spend time like this. No monsters, no conspiracies, no knights, mages, or dungeons. Just love and snuggles. Someone I could communicate with freely.
Communicate freely.
Oh damn it all, I forgot about the crystals!
My stomach growled loudly. And lunch.
Curse you, kingdom of the bosom, you are too damned distracting!
"Hungry, huh? I can't imagine you got a chance to eat with all the running around they had you doing. Did you even get breakfast?" She asked, sitting up.
"No," I said like a child caught doing something wrong.
"C'mon, let's get you fed. Oooh! We could go to that inn you mentioned. That lady Manya, I think her name is, will totally feed us silly and cheap!" She said excitedly.
"I could go for that. I haven't seen her in a bit. I want to catch up." Another friendly face would do my soul wonders, I decided.
"Well, sadly, my beloved, that means we have to get dressed." She said, patting my head.
"True, but that means I get to watch you get undressed first!" I said slyly.
"You absolute scamp! Fine!" She said as she undressed.
First time or the millionth time, it was magic every time.
--
It had cooled that afternoon, so we had to unfortunately bundle up and make our way to the inn, the Jeweled Bower. It was here I had spent my first weeks in Revenstahd after my exile, before the dorms opened up for students. They let me stay and fed me in exchange for helping clean and wait tables. It was an eye-opening experience for sure, but a good experience that I think helped me adjust my worldview after years of a noble upbringing.
Too many nobles don't appreciate the amount of work the common folk do, and I think it would do them well to experience it. We'd likely see more empathy amongst the ruling class. Or not. Some nobles were just cruel idiots and would stay cruel idiots.
At least the cruel idiots that called themselves my parents were locked away in a Burgotovan dungeon somewhere. Hopefully, they'd stay there a good long while.
The trail of thoughts was immediately disrupted by the smell of fresh bread in the air. I wasn't entirely sure how Manya did it, but I could always tell her bread from all the others in the area. My stomach growled very loudly in response.
Eira laughed at the sound and pulled me along as she hurried towards the inn.
We opened the door to find the dining room empty, and Manya puttering around and humming to herself. She was the only one to be seen. The Jeweled Bower had never been a bustling place, but I felt a bit bad to see it this empty.
"Hello, Manya! I've come for food!" I called out. Her head popped up and looked, and her face brightened immediately!
"Alta! Good ta see yah girl! I haven't seen hide nor hair of yah in far too long donchaknow! Come in, come in! And you brought yer lady friend with yah too! Lovely lovely! I got some roast and veggies ready with some fresh bread! Right out of the oven, you betcha! Give me a hug first, you!" The short, stout human woman drew me into a tight embrace and squeezed.
Manya had been more of a mother to me than my own mother, so I didn't resist when she hugged me. She was on the very short list of people I allowed to hug me.
She sat us down, trading out the usual wooden seats for ones a bit more cushiony, the ones she saved for wealthier customers, or for family. She brought us the food, steaming warm, and the smell of spices delighted my nostrils, and I could feel drool threatening to escape my mouth.
I tore into the bread without a second thought, politeness be thrice damned.
"Goodness gracious, Alta, ya mustve be starving! You should know better!" Manya tutted.
"She should, but you know how it goes for us students. We'd forgotten where our heads were if they weren't attached." Eira smiled. "So, how have you been, Manya? We haven't had much chance to stop by."
After our journey to Burgotova, we started coming here more often to eat, as the college cafeteria food, while serviceable, simply paled compared to Manya's, and she never charged us for the full amount.
"Oh, you know how it goes. People haven't been stopping by as much as they used ta, fewer boarders too, but enough to keep the lanterns lit and the larder full. It has been lonely, though." She sighed, sitting down with us.
"And Markus? How is he doing?" I asked between mouthfuls. "I'm sorry we couldn't make it to the wedding. We had to handle stuff out of town, and things got messy. As they do."
"Aye, as they do with your lot. He and his missus are doing fine, got a child coming, if the doctor's to be believed. Hard to believe I'm going to be a grandmarm, but I'd be a damned liar if I said I didn't feel it in me bones these days!" She rubbed her shoulder in emphasis.
"Congratulations to you and them, though! I wish we could help out more often, but you know how it is with school and everything." Eira said between her own mouthfuls. She was hungrier than she would admit to, I imagined, judging by how she attacked her own lunch.
Manya sat there in thought for a long moment. Her eyes brightened for a moment.
"Would ye gals consider moving in here? I can't imagine it'd be more expensive than those dorm rooms you all have been staying in. You could stay together instead of swapping places every night, or whatever arrangement you've got going on. I remember my younger days well enough to know it can't be easy."
Eira and I looked at each other, and we both seemed to share the same thought. "That would be kind of nice."
"It's a really tempting offer, but you're already so generous to us. We wouldn't want to impose." I said after a swig of the ale she provided.
"Oh, I wouldn't be letting you stay for free, of course. I have ulterior motives me own self donchaknow. I need help caring for the place. Just when you have time, of course. Just cleaning and upkeep type stuff." She said, smiling warmly.
"We'd have to think about it," Eira said.
"Of course, dear, no rush! Just know the offer is open to you both." Manya said, before standing to go busy herself with whatever task she needed to work on.
Eira and I looked at each other for a long moment before blushing, and then blushing turned into ravenously tearing into our meals.
Today had been a lot. Too many emotions in every direction emotions could go in. Hunger was the easiest one to deal with, so that got dealt with first.
After that, it got tricky.
"So what do you want to do after this?" Eira asked.
"Think we can go back to your place and snuggle some more. It's been... It's been a day. I got a surprise for you too!" I said after wiping my mouth on a napkin, my lunch having been utterly demolished.
"Yeah. Snuggles sound good. I need a break from studying. If I read one more dusty tome about teleport circle rerouting, I'm going to need to start wearing spectacles all the time. My poor eyes are more tired than I am!" She groaned.
She patted her tummy happily.
"Gods, I love coming here. We should really take her up on the offer. If not for the room together, for the food. Totally worth the extra walk in the morning. And not needing to use the communal baths. I'm used to being naked around others, but I'd rather not if I can help it." She continued.
"For sure. I like keeping your nakedness to myself." I winked at her.
"You are incorrigible. Also, what was this about a surprise? I like surprises when you announce them like that!" She smiled and leaned towards me.
I tossed some coins on the table, leaned forward, and kissed her.
"Let's go then!" I whispered excitedly.
"You girls have a good day! Don't wear yourself out too much! Remember to hydrate!" Manya called from the kitchen.
"How does she do that?" Eira said under her breath.
"Mothers and innkeepers hold a strange magic indeed," I said solemnly.
We both left quickly and nearly ran back to the dorms, giggling delightedly as we went.
