Aftermath

Saga awoke to the sight of Dapper scurrying back and forth on the ground in front of her, fidgeting worriedly and occasionally stopping to look at her. She was laying on her side by the river, her clothes damp. Had she fallen into the water at some point?.

She groaned, and Dapper immediately leaped in front of her, chittering. He tapped at her frantically, and she got the impression he was both worried about and angry with her. She smiled weakly at him in apology. “Sorry, I’m okay. Thank you, Dapper.”

The sun was setting, but there was just enough light left to see her reflection on the river’s surface. The blood on her hands and face was mostly gone, and the cut on her upper arm had stopped bleeding as well. She must have gotten into the water to clean it all off. A small part of her absently hoped she’d waited for the vomit to float away before doing so, the same part of her that was glad this part of the river was downstream from their destination.

Either way, the water was clean now, so she drank from it, cooling her throat. It was still sore from the screaming. Her hands twinged painfully as she cupped the water, and it occurred to her that she’d never Healed them, but maybe they weren’t broken after all.

Still, she cast the spell, wincing as her lowered Will made her head throb even worse. The healing magic tingled in her fingertips and spread throughout her body as a pleasant warmth. She could control which injuries were healed, and she focused on her throat and hands, restoring her functionality while minimizing the drain on her stamina and Will.

The spell and the water together helped her feel a little better, more human, and she climbed to her feet. As she turned around, she was surprised to see Master Dorrin there, watching her.

“How do you feel?” he asked. His face was as stern as usual, but his voice was softer. It was strangely comforting, though she couldn’t put a finger on why.

She considered the question. She was still numb from the shock of the fight, but at least she was back on her feet. “Probably about as good as I look.”

That got a chuckle from the old man. Some tension she hadn’t noticed before drained out from his shoulders. “You were out for about an hour. I felt it was best to let you sleep once you were done cleaning yourself off. I had to pull you out of the water, though.”

She looked down at herself, still drenched, and felt the late afternoon wind begin to chill her now that she was standing. “I hope I don’t catch a cold from these wet clothes.”

He gestured to her pack, now sitting near his feet. “Well, I wasn’t about to change you myself, and I don’t want to risk a fire just yet. I dealt with…” he pointed a thumb back the way they’d come, “...all that, but they may have had scouts. Best to play it safe. I’ll stand guard while you change into some dry clothes.”

She nodded, beginning to feel a bit more like herself. Grabbing her pack, she went behind a nearby thicket, reasonably out of sight from the older man, not that she thought he’d look. Master Dorrin was ill-tempered, but not indecent. “I’m sorry,” she called out as she changed, “about before. I should have controlled myself better than that.”

His tone was dismissive. “Don’t dwell on it so much. That was your first real fight, and your first kill.” Your first three, actually. “I hate to say it, but it gets easier with time.”

She grunted as she pulled on some dry pants. “Your words back there, reminding me of our first lesson…thanks. It helped, I think. I reminded myself that this had to happen.”

“I knew this would happen, eventually, and I wanted to make sure you were ready when it did. Angels damn me if I let one of my students get butchered on their first journey.” His voice was starting to return to its usual strength, and she only then realized that the violence had likely shaken him too, despite his strong facade.

She stepped out from behind the tree, fully dressed, and examined her coat. By some miracle, it barely had any blood on it other than where she’d been grazed by the arrow. And the sleeves. She looked around, dismissing that thought. “Wait, where’s my hat? And my sword?”

“Here.” He produced them both and tossed the hat to her, and she nodded her thanks to him before donning it. “I got your flute too, it’s in your pack.”

“I noticed that, thank you.” She pulled the pack onto her back, wincing when the strap moved across the scabbed cut on her arm. Reclaiming her sword from him - he’d already cleaned it - and sheathing it, she gave him a ready nod. “Should we continue? It’s only a couple more hours to Dove’s Landing, right? We’d arrive after dark but it’s better than camping out here all night with no fire.”

The old man nodded his agreement, then studied her once more. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

She started to say yes automatically, but she decided it was best to be honest. She shook her head. “Physically, I’m fine except for a headache from using too much magic. I’m probably not going to sleep well tonight, though. Or tomorrow.”

Master Dorrin smiled at that, his eyes sad. “Aye, well, that’ll happen. Just remember what I said.”

“Yes, Master.”

As they got back on the road, Saga pondered what she’d overheard back at the Crossroads. “Master Dorrin?”

He looked at her, concerned. “Yes? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, it’s just…” She hesitated. “I heard you talking to Gem behind the tent. You kept saying I was ready for something.”

He winced and turns his face away from her. “How much of it did you overhear?”

“Well, I didn’t really gather what you were talking about, other than it was about me. You kept insisting I was ready for something, but…” she looked down at the road as they walked. “That’s not what you said back in the City. You seemed adamant you didn’t even want me here.”

They walked in silence for a a few minutes before he spoke again. “Saga, do you know what my Passion is?”

What an odd question. ”You’re a Dancer, like me. Why else would Grandpapa have assigned me to learn from you?”

He chuckled. “I appreciate the confidence, and I’ll admit I’m a deft hand with the dancing sabers, but no.” He looked at her. “My Passion is dramatics.”

“Dramatics?” Saga snorted. “I’ve never seen you act a day in all the years I’ve known you.” She looked at him, but he remained silent, keeping his eyes on her, and she was forced to consider her words. “Oh.”

He nodded. “Saga, besides that first night, you’ve never seen me not acting. Not until yesterday.”

Her mind raced with the possibility. His treatment of her had been an act? All those years of harsh training and harsher words had just been, what, a lie? It doesn’t make any sense. He wouldn’t have to pretend to hate me just to train me. I don’t get it.

“I don’t get it,” she repeated out loud. “Why? What possible reason could you have had to treat me like that all those years?”

He sighed, turning his head back to the road. “It was… decided ,” he stressed the word, “that it was the best teaching style for you. We wanted to see how well you’d react to adversity, if you would simply cave and give up, or go to your parents or grandfather for support, or stay and persevere.”

“That doesn’t really answer my question,” she said. “I’m just a bard. I dance to make people happy, and I can fight if needed. I’m not a soldier or…”

Or a hero…

“There’s more going on than you think, Saga.” He glanced at her. “I can’t say more. You’ll figure it out when the time is right.”

Dragons damn this man. She found herself fuming at the non-answers. “So, why are you opening up to me now? Is this the real you or another role to play?”

He winced. “It’s me, Saga. I’m genuinely sorry to have misled you for so long. I can drop the act now because…well, it doesn’t matter anymore. Either everything will work out and you no longer need me, or we fail and it will have been for nothing. The act no longer serves a purpose, so I elected to drop it.”

Saga glared at him silently for a time, but eventually even she had to admit she was being petulant. Even after everything she’d gone through under his tutelage, she trusted his judgement and her grandfather’s both. She had to accept there was a good reason for it.

A few minutes later, a thought crossed her mind, and she giggled to herself. Her mentor raised an eyebrow at her expectantly, but said nothing.

“I’m sorry, I just realized…being angry with you about that somehow makes me feel a little better about earlier. It’s a good distraction.”

He grinned, winked, and said nothing.

Did…did he do that on purpose? She gaped after him, realizing belatedly he could easily have dodged the question. Even now, he was looking out for her. She groaned dramatically, but smiled, and followed after him.

After what felt like hours of walking, Saga finally spoke to fill the silence. “So, any idea on what’s going on in Dove’s Landing to disrupt the trade? We knew about the bandits already, but could they really be doing something to the village itself?” She eyed the sunset in front of them as they walked, admiring the orange light against the quickly darkening sky.

Tap tap tap.

“Not likely. The caravans they send are usually big enough to deter bandits, and most of those types aren’t interested in lumber anyway. If anything, they’d be attacking the caravans bringing the money and goods back.”

Tap tap tap.

She nodded, agreeing with him. Bandits were opportunistic, but not stupid. They wouldn’t bother trying to steal something they couldn’t use or sell easily.

Tap tap tap tap tap.

“What is it, Dapper?” She said, finally responding to her little friend’s insistent tapping.

He tapped more, actual words this time.

Saga’s head snapped up, staring at the orange light in the distance, then behind them at the setting sun. They were heading east. “Master?” she called, alarmed.

Master Dorrin stopped and looked at her, then followed her gaze. “Come!” he exclaimed suddenly, and took off at a dead sprint. Saga, having barely recovered enough of her Will, cast Haste and followed after him. As she caught up, she placed a hand against his back and shared the spell with him, allowing them both to race down the dirt road at inhuman speed.

Dove’s Landing was on fire.