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Even after her rain-soaked back had retreated back into the inn (following what looked like a strange altercation with the door), the proof still remained - Kate. Kate was here. Deep imprints where her boots had sunk into the mud, where they’d slid the barest of inches as she swung for Nyssa. Her voice, still ringing in Colin’s ears, familiar, warm and cold at the same time. The lingering ache in his arm where her fingers had gripped, just a bit too tight.
He’d missed her.
He shoved the lot away, peeled his fingers away from where they’d unknowingly crept to dig into his scar. Focused on the outside. Eliza, standing, warm eyes framed against a starless black sky. Cold rain against skin that was suddenly absolutely fucking freezing. Muddy water that dripped, granular and slimy, from the back of his head and down his neck, soaking into his rapidly stiffening collar.
When she spoke, Eliza’s voice was almost completely snatched by the patter of rain and the stuttering thunder of blood in his ears, but her meaning was clear - he needed to explain himself. He suppressed the wince that threatened to rise, wrapped his arms round his chest in a poor attempt to stay warm.
“‘Malright,” he muttered, then, through clenched teeth, “just s-surprised,” fuck, now he was stuttering apparently, stupid fucking rain, “Didn’t know when she said ‘Kate’, Caira meant m-my sister Kate.” it was a common name, at the end of the day, “L-last I heard she was still back in the mountains.” that had been five years ago, but Eliza didn’t need to know that.
He had to squint to see her face properly in the rain, but even then, it was easy to see she looked shaken. A long time ago, Andi had hired a new barmaid. The first time she’d seen a full on brawl break out, she’d spent the rest of the night with an expression a bit like Eliza’s. Was that what was happening now? It seemed unlikely - she wouldn’tve joined the hoods if she wasn’t expecting a bit of rough and tumble. Not that it mattered. At the end of the day, Kate was his sister, and if she’d upset Eliza, he’d probably be better off apologising.
He swallowed awkwardly, throat bobbing, “Sorry… about that…” he paused as a shiver surged up his spine, “she’s not usually-” he cut himself off - he couldn’t really comment in that regard anymore, could he? “She never did anything like that before,” he ended up saying, “you... alright?”
It was at that moment, that he spotted it - a lone figure emerging from the woods the leech and Fendrel had disappeared off into. He couldn’t see from this distance, never mind in the darkness, but he felt his muscles tense, hand reach for Nessie, almost of its own volition. Then - a familiar glint of armour, pale skin… a bundle of what looked like grey rags slung over it’s shoulder, too small to a person. That left one question.
“Where the fuck is Fendrel?”
Meg had faced down men twice her size in battle, jeopordised her very life in service of her Lady, wielded a blade and armour strong enough to best most any foe, yet here she was, paralysed in the face of the possibility that running out after them without being asked might look a little bit awkward.
It was ridiculous. She felt like a child again, hiding behind her mother’s skirts. Except now she was an adult with a sister to save and a best friend who might be in danger, and all she could do was stand dumbly in the centre of the bar with her face on fire and her throat aching and small. Gods. This was so stupid. Llian was-
It was at that moment that the door swung open. One of the strangers - the one Meg couldn’t decide if she was cocky or confident. The door swung shut behind her with an air suggesting it was the former, and then swung open again admitting a, extremely muddy and foul tempered looking Kate that all but confirmed it. Kate ignored the stranger entirely, instead heading toward Meg. She held Meg’s shoulder in a cold, but strong grip, before asking bluntly, “You alright?”
Meg nodded minutely, before, cautiously, removing Kate’s hand from her shoulder, reaching for the other one too, and clasping the chilled, no doubt aching, digits in her own, warm grip. She shot the stranger a look. Kate seemed shaken, “What happened?” she asked, quiet and small.
The other woman’s face hardened instantly, and Meg’s heart sunk as she pulled her hands free, stuffing them instead in the linen pockets of her pants, “It doesn’t matter.” she said, flat, before turning her attention away from Meg, apparently satisfied, and toward Nyssa, “You’re here to do a job, so let’s get this over and done with so you can leave as quickly as possible. What have you been told about why you’re here?”
