ButterflyBabyBlue
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As the princess, Endel and Lorcan shifted about unseen in the more shadowed areas of the castle, Endel related his brief departure from the group in hushed tones to Lorcan, who nodded where he felt it was appropriate and tried to give his opinions as best as he could without any sound.
"I know this area," Zelda spoke up after a few minutes, to the surprise of the other two. "I think Maia's room is somewhere close by..."
Lorcan listened carefully as he walked along the hallway with a hand on the wall as he moved. Eventually, he stopped to point at a plain white door, smiling at Endel and the Princess.
Endel opened the door, peering in and breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank the goddesses, we're all back together again."
Lorcan followed Zelda inside the now tightly-packed room. Sure enough, Maia was sitting on her bed next to a rather pale-looking Torianna. Lorcan looked down and found it.
In a rush, he was standing in front of her, pointing frantically toward the stitches in her arm, demanding answers as best as he could. She watched him with an amused grin, her eyes following his gestures with wry pleasure.
"Certainly are worried over me, aren't you?" she asked. "You didn't even say hello to Maia."
Shaking his head, Lorcan made an effort to stop colour rising in his cheeks. He directed a quick wave toward Maia, who was already busy talking with Endel and the princess to notice. With a huff he turned back to Torianna, who held her hands up in mock-defense.
"Alright, alright, monkey-man. I'll tell you what happened.."
-
Lorcan felt more at home than ever in the branches of the tree the trio were scaling, pulling himself from branch to branch with ease. The rush of air he felt with each move closer to the top branches brought a smile to his face and a spring to his movements.
"Jeez, Lorcan," Torianna remarked, "I know you're a forest boy, but I didn't think you were actually half-monkey!"
Lorcan just shook his head, rustling a branch slightly and knocking some Deku nuts off of her head. Torianna scowled, but it was good-natured. Maia came just behind them, struggling a little but keeping up nonetheless. Torianna seemed reluctant to pull her up when the other girl needed it, but thankfully she didn't protest much.
They were climbing smoothly, making progress even while having to stop and help Maia over a rough patch, or remain still lest they were spotted.
And then, without any warning Lorcan could discern, an arrow whizzed past the side of his head, clipping the top of his ear and taking a lock of hair with it.
"What was-?"
"Archers!" Torianna hissed, cutting across Maia. Lorcan pointed frantically upward and around them, in the hopes that Maia would understand.
"Oh, goddesses," Maia whispered.
"Shh," Torianna warned her. "Be quiet. Lorcan, what do we do?"
Lorcan didn't say anything, closing his eyes and listening about him for anything he could use to pinpoint some of the archers. A slight shuffling of someone's foot, a cough in some other direction to the left.
Waving to the girls to catch their attention, Lorcan made an attempt at miming someone tiptoeing, trying to move in a sort of zig-zag left and right.
"Moving targets," Torianna guessed, and Lorcan nodded. "Alright; it's all we've got. Our weapons aren't made for long distance at all anyways."
Lorcan and Maia nodded in agreement, and then they set their plan into motion. Lorcan didn't like being entirely on the defensive, but until they had solid ground beneath them, he wasn't about to make any rash decisions. He could only hope they were able to reach the solid ground they needed so badly.
-
The group navigated through the passageways easily enough, Lorcan and Skallin in the lead while Endel and Maia followed close behind. Something about Endel seemed a little off, though Lorcan couldn't place what exactly it was. It wasn't as if he was about to ask, anyways.
Enjoying the quiet that both he and Skallin seemed to have a fondness for, Lorcan was surprised when the Darknut spoke up.
"Do you find it difficult, not being able to speak at will?" Skallin asked. His tone was unreadable as always.
Lorcan shrugged, offering Skallin a soft smile. He supposed it wasn't the worst problem he could have, and it was one less distraction when he was working too. With that in mind, he shook his head.
They were greeted, then, by another familiar voice.
"There you are!" Ashei's voice came to meet them as they rounded the corner and faced her. A second later, another Scoundrel came jogging forward to meet them. Torianna!
This, he supposed, was a time where he would have loved to have been able to speak.
-
Lorcan drew his sword quickly, his eyes on Torianna before being forced to leap back as balls of fire were hurled in the group's direction. Lorcan dived to the side again as the first ball hit the cave floor only to be followed near-immediately with a second. He was knocked into the right wall of the cave, grunting in pain as he came into contact with the wall.
The rest of the group had dived to the other side, and it seemed Endel was keen on rescuing Torianna without getting any of the group hurt. But even if they retrieved Torianna, they'd still have to find an exit, surrounded on all sides by these dodongo-hybrids.
Lorcan's thoughts were interrupted as he ducked to avoid a whooshing fireball that landed just behind him, smoldering along with the others that had been fired. The space they had to move around in, already limited enough as it was, was shrinking rapidly.
Torianna was struggling, attempting to reach one of her knives only to be gripped even tighter by their foe. Torianna winced in pain, and Lorcan felt a pang of sympathy. The footsteps of the other creatures on their trail grew increasingly louder. Time was short - very short.
Rolling to avoid a wave of fire, Lorcan grunted as his back was pressed against something -a rock, it felt like- before he recovered. Glancing down, his eyebrows shot upwards in surprise. A trap door!
-
Lorcan had done as Torianna asked, and was sitting about half a foot away with his knees tucked up to his chest and his arms folded.
It didn't feel right, just sitting around, but Torianna didn't seem like she was willing to budge, despite Lorcan's attempts to pull her up onto her feet again. And so he was forced to content himself with tapping his armour rhythmically while Torianna appeared to be lost in her own thoughts.
After a while, Lorcan found he couldn't stand her silence, and tapped her on the shoulder. She frowned at him, waiting, and he looked about the cave for some loose dirt.
After a moment he had used his finger to write in the ground, dusty letters forming one simple question: "How are you?"
"I'm just dandy," Torianna said with a scowl. Lorcan glared, pointing firmly to his question for emphasis. After a tense moment, Torianna sighed.
"I just... I knew my father wasn't entirely fond of me but..
but this is just horrible. I didn't think he was this sick, this cruel."
Lorcan nodded carefully, sensing her anguish at how this whole situation had played out.
"And now he's willing to put my life at risk for his plans with Kazdan. It's just... disgusting."
Lorcan frowned, and for once it wasn't out of annoyance with her. It was just sympathy, a sympathy he couldn't explain even to himself, though he'd always been so certain of his own emotions.
Unsure of how to comfort her, Lorcan opted to pat her lightly on the shoulder, setting his hand on her shoulder gently. She glared sharply at first, but after a moment, she surprised him by shifting closer and making it easier for Lorcan to keep his light grip on her.
"I was right," she muttered. "You are a big mute idiot."
-
Lorcan walked alongside Torianna in monotonous, quiet steps. After reaching the end of the first long corridor, they'd gone right while Endel, Maia and Skallin had turned left. Long, sparsely lit hallways were abundant, and there were times when Lorcan felt he'd been walking in circles. Torianna was still grinning over Endel's embarrassment from earlier, appearing incredibly self-satisfied. She noticed Lorcan's questioning look and her smile widened.
"What?" she asked in hushed tones. "There was definitely something fishy going on back there."
Lorcan frowned, thinking back. He supposed Endel had seemed pretty caught off-guard with Torianna's remark. Fighting a smile was difficult.
"Told you," Torianna said quietly with a smile. Lorcan let her enjoy her small victory, before he tapped her on the shoulder with another thought in mind.
She waited, and Lorcan gestured between the two of them in an attempt to make his meaning get across as simply as was possible. Luckily, it wasn't long before she realised what he was referring.
"Gods, no," she hissed, and Lorcan grinned. "Get over yourself, nature boy. I'm teaming up with you because I have to, alright?"
Lorcan shook his head at that, smiling slyly. Well, this was more fun than he'd thought. He could see why Torianna found so much pleasure in it.
"You're so full of it," she whispered, half to herself. "You've been assigned as my personal guard, you might as well do the work you're supposed to be doing."
Lorcan scoffed, but let it drop, already growing tired of Torianna's ever-changing moods.
They turned yet another corridor and Lorcan's head whipped around in the direction of voices, grabbing Torianna by the arm and yanking her back to where he'd stopped. He clamped a hand over her mouth as she was about to let out a verbal protest, keeping one hand on her arm for precaution while he placed a finger on his lips. Torianna nodded, though her scowl remained in place. The two waited, listening.
-
((Hey guys, sorry for the slow reply. I've been crazy busy starting back up in school this year! I'll do my best to keep up.))
After being stopped by a much too curious Renado who received no answers from Lorcan, the guard's hunt to find some information regarding shady characters was turning up nothing whatsoever. Thoroughly unimpressed with the lack of findings, Lorcan kicked pebbles and stones as he stormed along, sending debris skidding wherever he went.
It was only when a stone kicked too hard knocked into the leg of one of two men standing outside the Malo Mart that Lorcan regretted his actions. One man turned with a scowl to look Lorcan up and down.
"What was that about, you little rascal?" he demanded. Lorcan tried to come up with some sort of gesture with which to apologise, but that was a wrong move.
"Can't you speak?" the other one sneered, and then realisation dawned on him. "You're that kid, the one the boss told us about!"
Lorcan glanced quickly about him, looking for an escape. At the sound of their footsteps, he darted left and ran as fast as his feet could carry him.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! he thought, guilt weighing down on him as he sprinted in fear of his life.
-
The group returned to their carriage after a short walk, and Endel took to the reins with Lorcan as they set their sights for Kakariko.
"Busy day, huh?" Endel remarked. Lorcan nodded his agreement, leaning back against the seating.
"Maia sure surprised us all," the thief said, a hint of pride in his voice. Lorcan glanced over to him, eyebrows raised a little.
"What with finishing off Kazdan's underling like that, you know?"
Lorcan nodded, smiling softly at Endel.
"And you and Torianna had some nice co-operation there too, you know!" Endel said with a grin. Lorcan nodded again, though reluctantly. "Oh, come on Lorcan."
The guard shrugged, looking out at the horizon. He didn't like the thought at all, but Endel was right. They'd finally co-operated and simply worked together, and it had paid off so well.
But he wasn't going to admit that to anyone.
-
Lorcan breathed a small sigh of relief as the Bulbos darted about causing havoc as they went. The Bulbin he faced went down with a swift slash, falling unceremoniously with a dying shriek.
Lorcan wasted no time, turning to look for the remainder of the Bulbins and finding Torianna caught somewhere between their leader and the other crony. Lorcan dashed over to her, ramming his sword into the gut of the smaller one and twisting ruthlessly, pulling his sword out and letting the creature fall to his feet.
"I don't need your help!" Torianna yelled irritably, diving under the club of the Bulbin leader. Lorcan just shook his head in exasperation, jogging over to her and ducking to avoid having his head knocked off of him.
Torianna moved under the creature's arm, slashing mercilessly at his side with two of her daggers in hand. Lorcan darted round in an attempt to keep the creature occupied with him, waving his sword about a little to confuse it before jabbing at it's gut.
"Wait for my signal!" Torianna called to him from the other side. Lorcan nodded despite not knowing exactly what she meant. He decided to focus on keeping the creature facing him, attempting to knock that massive club from his hand. The Bulbin howled in pain as Torianna worked her skills behind it, but everytime it turned Lorcan was there to face it while Torianna rolled to it's back once more.
"Ready? Stab when I say!" she yelled. After another moment, it finally came. "Now!"
Lorcan rammed his sword into the Bulbin, and was surprised to find a large, sharpened piece of wood slicing through the creature's front at the same time. Lorcan withdrew his sword as the other weapon was removed from the creature.
It fell at long last, and Lorcan was left to stare at Torianna, caught somewhere between breathlessness and relief. She just grinned back.
-
Before Lorcan could even give his agreement, Torianna had taken him by the arm and was dragging him at a steady run to where the Bulbins waited, unassuming. Lorcan tried to signal frantically so they could formulate some sort of plan, but it seemed this really was to be a headfirst charge into enemy territory.
Leaping over the smaller sinkholes and skirting round the larger ones, they closed in on the Bulbins in good time. Lorcan grabbed Torianna then, hoisting her off of the ground and setting her down behind him.
He bent low, behind a decaying tree that had fallen quite some time ago, he pulled Torianna down next to him and signalled for her to be quiet. She looked about to protest, but said nothing to Lorcan's relief.
Squinting, Lorcan observed the Bulbins, one of them giving orders in it's language of grunts and incoherent noises. Lorcan waited patiently in the silence, ignoring Torianna's routine shift of weight from one side of her body to the other. She seemed antsy, eager to do something, but this needed to be timed well.
Lorcan set a hand on her arm to balance her when she came close to keeling over, pulling her upright and signalling again to remain quiet. She gave him a derisive shake of her head, as if to say 'I know, I know.' Lorcan just smiled.
Just as Torianna drew her hand away, the leader of the Bulbins finally turned his back to them. Lorcan gave Torianna a little pat, and they rose slowly, slowly.
"Now," Torianna whispered.
-
Lorcan whipped his sword out and found himself faced with the Wolfos monster. It moved around him in circles, emitting a low growl as it did so.
Lorcan waited for it to pounce, and it came at him in a snarling blur of white, claws extended and ready to tear him apart.
At the last moment, Lorcan flung his shield up and managed to knock the creature away, but not before it raked its claws along Lorcan's arm. The claws of the creature tore through his armour like a knife cutting butter, much to Lorcan's horror.
He hissed in pain at the cuts he'd received, but turned to face the creature again. He hated being entirely on the defensive, but in a fight like this one it seemed it was a necessity.
-
"Personal guard, eh?" Torianna asked Lorcan with a grin. "Not that I need protecting, but it sure is nice to know I'll have all that time to pester you!"
Lorcan rolled his eyes half-heartedly, glancing down at Torianna with a small huff. She frowned up at him curiously, eyes searching him. Lorcan tried to ignore it at first, but eventually he couldn't take the staring and raised his eyebrow in question.
"Why is it you're so grumpy?" she asked. "Even when you're happy... you're grumpy."
Lorcan glared at her -only serving to further Torianna's evidence- but found he couldn't exactly keep it up. He shrugged as nonchalantly as he could, wishing their conversation to end.
"I'd bet your feeling odd after sticking up for me yesterday," Torianna guessed, looking to him for any reaction. Lorcan just shrugged again, to her annoyance. "I don't think that's a reason to be permanently grumpy though."
Lorcan nodded his agreement with that statement, looking about to find a nice spot for some quick sword practice before they had to leave again. Torianna wasn't quite finished, however, and she simply pattered alongside him as he navigated the underground tunnels easily.
"You've been grumpy since I met you. And you don't seem too bothered with not talking, so I don't think it's that."
Lorcan let her ramble on about possible causes for his grumpiness, mostly ignoring her as he focused on finding an empty room. He stopped in his tracks, though, when Torianna hit the nail on the head.
"It's the forest!" she said, and Lorcan whirled to face her. He tried to hide his glare with an incredulous expression but failed to. Torianna's grin widened as she nodded decisively.
"I knew there was something up with that!" she said, triumphant. "You lightened up there, huh? So then what about it's making you all annoyed?"
Lorcan huffed, crossing his arms before he looked to her with a softened expression. He tried shrugging, but Torianna cut him off with a sharp look.
"Come on, Lorcan. What's so special about it?"
-
((Thanks!))
Lorcan marvelled at having a room to himself, grinning at the neatly made bed before discarding his armour and flopping down onto the mattress. Exhaling contentedly, he crossed his arms behind his head and frowned at the ceiling.
Endel's outburst still had him feeling conflicted, though he tried to shrug it off.
Why had he taken Torianna's side, jumped to her defense? He should be mad at her, her father had threatened his life!
And yet he wasn't angry. Not entirely, anyway. But he couldn't seem to fault Torianna as much as he'd have liked to. She should have told them, yes, she had been in the wrong but...
Then he realised why he wasn't angry with her. Because he'd seen firsthand what her family had done to her. Tying her up, leaving her isolated in their basement or some other empty room. Whether she believed it to be true or not, he'd seen the small hint of gratitude, of relief.
Curses. It seemed he might actually have some shred of sympathy for a thief, and it bothered him to no end.
-
Lorcan winced at Endel's tone, glancing to Torianna to assess the situation. She seemed to be trying to gather herself, to keep composure.
"I was... waiting for the right time," she said half-heartedly.
"The right time would have been, I don't know, when we decided we'd send Lorcan to rescue you from your own network?!" Endel retorted.
"Endel," Skallin spoke up softly. "I don't think-"
"We trusted you!" Endel continued. "We trusted you and you decided you'd still keep secrets from us!"
At that, Lorcan stepped in front of Endel, his hands raised in a manner that was both defensive and offensive. He could imagine Torianna's surprise, and Endel's was clear on his face.
"What are you trying to say now, Lorcan?" he asked.
In response, Lorcan stepped a little to the side and gestured to Torianna, who glanced back with confusion in her eyes. He gestured to Endel, then, and beckoned him with his hands. He did the same with Torianna, urging the two thieves closer until he was within arm's reach of both.
Before either of them could move away, he'd grabbed their hands and closed them in so that they were locked in a firm handshake.
Endel huffed, seeming bemused but accepting. Torianna seemed more surprised than anything, looking toward Lorcan in a mixture of curiosity and gratefulness. Lorcan glanced away, not meeting her eye, before turning about and surveying the area for any stragglers that would try to disturb them. Finding nothing, he turned back to Endel and tilted his head to the side a little to get his meaning across. 'Orders?'
Endel must have understood, clearing his throat and placing his hands on his hips with a frown. "Alright, then. Let's see..."
-
Lorcan snapped into action at hearing Endel's plea, running forward before leaping into the air and bracing himself. He grabbed Endel's ankles, and felt someone he guessed was Torianna grab onto his calves. In a matter of seconds, Jaydon's Kargarok couldn't take the weight.
The group landed none-too-gracefully, the wings of the Kargarok flailing madly as it attempted to right itself. It was to no avail, however, as the creature and rider alike tumbled for several seconds before coming to a very messy halt.
Jaydon had earned a few bruises but appeared undeterred, patting his animal firmly and letting it lift him about a foot or two over the heads of those assembled.
Their group had picked up some nasty cuts, but nothing that could deter them too much from the situation at hand. Maia was unscathed, managing to steer clear of the scuffle that had just ensued.
Jaydon made a 'hmph', appearing uncertain for a moment before his face cleared.
"Never mind that, then," he said, leaning in close to the Kargarok's head to mutter something that went unheard by Lorcan and the rest. "We'll just have to find some other method to tear you all to pieces!"
-
Lorcan clutched at his side, breathing a shaky sigh when he found he was still intact. He could only spare a glance toward Torianna before he was shoved aside by a kick from the man he'd just rid himself of.
"Torianna," he greeted her. "Kazdan, excuse my daughter, please."
Lorcan's head whipped over to Torianna to look at her accusingly. She didn't say anything in return, actually looking a little uneasy.
"What on earth are you doing with the damn scoundrels?" her father demanded. "Running away from us, twice!"
"And gladly, too," Torianna snapped back at him. "They're certainly better company than you!"
"You worthless waste of a thief!" her fathher shot back, and Lorcan found himself standing before he could think twice. "I should never have even bothered finding you again, Jaydon is twice as good as you'll ever be!"
"Hey!" Lorcan snapped, furious beyond belief. "Don't you dare speak to your daughter like that! If you'd seen how much help she's been to all of us, you'd know better than to call her a waste! Do us all a favour and open up your eyes!"
"Lorcan," Torianna said softly. Before she could say anything else, Kazdan had Lorcan pinned against the wall with a few muttered words, leaving him to struggle.
"Make it quick," the warlock ordered. "I don't have much time to waste with issues like this."
-
Lorcan winced as the grip on his arms tightened, drawing a sharp hiss from him. The man before him, who Lorcan assumed to be Kazdan, looked quizically at the guard.
"So you can make some sort of noise for us, then," he observed darkly. "Perhaps we can draw your friends' attention to you with a bit of effort?"
Lorcan gulped at the implied threat, attempting to flee once more and stopping when his arm was twisted painfully. A gasp of pain escaped him, which earned him a smirk from the man holding him in place.
"Thinking you could take my daughter away that easily," he snarled, suddenly venomous. "Twice, even. If she's not brought here in good time I'll have your head on a platter."
Unashamedly terrified, Lorcan squeezed his eyes shut, willing for this nightmare to be over. His eyes flew open when searing pain raked along his sides, like nails digging into his skin. A scream of agony was ripped from him, searching frantically for the source of pain and finding nothing at all. But the pain was there, and it felt real, no doubt about that.
He tried to wriggle out of his captor's grip and was cut off by his own frantic gasps as the pain shifted up towards his chest, the invisible nails working their way into his ribs, piercing through his skin like it was nothing. Oh, goddesses, this invisible pain would kill him before any physical contact would. His arms were numb at this point, and they were the least of his concern right then.
It was when he saw black spots at the edges of the vision that he begun hyperventilating, out of sheer panic now more than anything else. Where was Torianna? Skallin, Endel, anyone?!
-
Endel and Torianna were able to find an empty room easily enough, close to the right side of the massive house. Once everyone was inside what seemed to be a room for storage, with a little difficulty on Skallin's part, Endel gave the orders.
"Everyone is to split up," he instructed. "It's too risky even to have two of us in the same area, we don't know where anyone could be in this house so be wary. Let's go."
They left the room, Lorcan taking off to the right with Endel before they split once again at the end of the corridor. Lorcan kept close to the wall as he moved along, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword on occasion. It wasn't until he turned the corner that he actually found anything of worth. It wasn't what he wanted to find at all, though.
The two men he'd seen leaving Torianna locked up before were making their way down the hall, a scowl on the older male's sharp face. Lorcan darted back, holding his breath and pressing himself against the wall. He moved carefully down the hallway, trying to shake the feeling of the man's fierce eyes and failing.
He jumped out of his skin when a hand slammed down onto his shoulder, grabbing him ruthlessly and turning him about. Lorcan was left to stare into the network leader's eyes, shaking where he stood.
"I know you," the man snarled. "You're the kid who stole my daughter away! Where is she?!"
Lorcan's mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he struggled to make even a sound. He tried to indicate with his hands that he couldn't actually speak, but it went unnoticed. He was given another rough shake.
"Not willing to talk? Well, we have other methods for people like you..."
-
The relief that washed over Maia was apparent to all in the room. It seemed to be an effort for her to remain in place, a huge smile plastered onto her face.
The rest of the group were definitely not in the same condition, and Lorcan himself was quite apprehensive.
"Who are the others?" Zelda asked, scanning them all with interest.
"Names," Mattius barked.
"Endel," the thief introduced himself.
"Torianna." She turned to grin at Lorcan, who shifted nervously under the princess' gaze.
"This is Lorcan," she introduced him. "He doesn't say much."
Lorcan scowled, not exactly able to deny it.
"We have reports of a... a humanoid lizard, Your Highness," Mattius said slowly, as if the bizarreness of the situation had just hit him.
Zelda frowned. "I think... I think I'll sit down and hear this, Mattius."
-
The creature roared in pain, clutching at its wound only to have its claws tear the gash open further. Within a minute of profuse bleeding, it was dead.
Maia took her hands away from her mouth, looking on in disgust. Endel sighed in relief, returning his weapon. Lorcan did the same, looking to Torianna who wore a self-satisfied smile. He was still mad with her, in fact he was always annoyed with her, but he believed in giving credit where it was due.
Reluctantly, he gave her a thumbs up and ignored the grin she sent his way.
They left the nursery and were treated to the sight of Skallin, surrounded by the rescued children with some of them clinging to his armour. Lorcan grinned at the suit of armour. If it could emote anything at all, Lorcan was sure the Darknut would be wearing quite the unamused expression.
"I see you've been successful," he noted.
-
The creature roared in pain, clutching at its wound only to have its claws tear the gash open further. Within a minute of profuse bleeding, it was dead.
Maia took her hands away from her mouth, looking on in disgust. Endel sighed in relief, returning his weapon. Lorcan did the same, looking to Torianna who wore a self-satisfied smile. He was still mad with her, in fact he was always annoyed with her, but he believed in giving credit where it was due.
Reluctantly, he gave her a thumbs up and ignored the grin she sent his way.
They left the nursery and were treated to the sight of Skallin, surrounded by the rescued children with some of them clinging to his armour. Lorcan grinned at the suit of armour. If it could emote anything at all, Lorcan was sure the Darknut would be wearing quite the unamused expression.
"I see you've been successful," he noted.
-
Lorcan scowled down at the clothes he wore, shifting uncomfortably and feeling naked without his armour. Skallin was guarding their possessions, waiting close by the door of the nursery as stoic as ever.
"I can't believe we're doing this," Torianna muttered bitterly. Lorcan pinched her arm hard, glaring down at her. She rolled her eyes, huffing, and changed her tone near-immediately. "I mean, I sure can't wait to adopt our first child!"
It was Lorcan's turn to roll his eyes, looking to Endel and Maia who seemed to be handling the situation at hand a lot better than he and Torianna were.
"Torianna, keep with the act," Endel warned her. "You're doing the talking for both you and Lorcan, so you've got to stay as civil and well-mannered as is possible. Understand?"
Torianna stuck her tongue out at him once more before resuming her first-time-parent mannerisms. Lorcan couldn't fight the smile her shifts in personality brought on, but he shook it off quickly as they headed across the street to the nursery.
"Remember to at least nod here and there or pretend to whisper something to me," Torianna reminded him, and Lorcan sighed exasperatedly. How stupid did Torianna think he was, anyways? He could act when he wanted to; he spent most of his time acting.
"Alright, let's do this," Endel said. "Everyone ready?"
After a nod from each member of the group, Endel pushed the doors open wide, and they stepped inside.
-
Lorcan looked the suit of armour up and down with a small huff. Maia had a point; Skallin was simply huge, and there were no clothes anywhere nearby that would even come close to fitting.
"Well, we'll figure that out when it comes to it," Endel said. "It couldn't hurt to have someone on lookout in case anything goes wrong."
Lorcan shrugged, looking around him at the citizens of Castle Town. Endel spoke up, looking thoughtful.
"We could be first time parents," he said. "And as for clothes, Torianna and I will probably be the most useful in acquiring them."
Lorcan nodded reluctantly. He didn't want to have to steal the clothes, but if it was the only way there was nothing else to be done, really.
"Lets get to it, then," Torianna said, placing her hands on her hips.
-
((Thank you!))
Lorcan turned from Torianna to stare in shock at Endel. The thief had a look of absolute certainty, looking toward the window of the nursery accusingly.
Maia seemed absolutely scandalised at the revelation, and Torianna was just as baffled.
"Are you serious?" she asked.
But it did make sense. It was the perfect disguise.
"A clever way to hide," Skallin voiced Lorcan's own thoughts. "What is our strategy?"
Endel frowned, drawing the group away from the nursery hastily.
"We can't just barge in there," he began. "We don't want to make a scene unless it's absolutely necessary. But how to go about it..."
"She knows our faces," Maia spoke up hesitantly. "She'd recognise us if we tried to go back in."
Endel nodded his agreement, looking around at the shops nearby and at the people around them. "I wonder..."
The Scoundrels of Virtue
in Roleplaying
Posted
Lorcan fiddled about with his piece of paper, leaning against the wall and scribbling furiously. Torianna watched, seemingly caught between confusion and amusement. Finally, Lorcan handed the sheet to her and waited with crossed arms as she read aloud.
"I'm sorry because I'm supposed to be... is that looking? Supposed to be looking after you and I went ahead with Endel and the princess instead. And now you're hurt, and..."
She left the note unfinished, discarding it with a laugh. "Is that what's keeping you up, Lorcan? Are you that noble?"
Lorcan shrugged, and nodded after a moment. Torianna grinned, shaking her head.
"Look, I'm fine," she assured him. "... Well, not entirely, but you've got no reason to worry like that. That job was given to you ages ago anyways, it hardly matters that much, right?"
Lorcan scoffed, shaking his head at her. Of course it was still important!
"You look a little scandalized," Torianna remarked slyly. "If it means so much to you, though, feel free to stick around more. I don't need your constant protection, though. Your vigilance is a little scary. And don't start me on that glare!"
Despite himself, Lorcan made a grumpy face before he smiled at her. After a moment, he stood up and gestured toward the door.
"See you in the morning, then," Torianna said. "And try to actually get some sleep without thinking about justice and nobility and whatnot!"
Lorcan scowled at that, though it was more good-natured than anything. He waved quickly, and then scooted out the door and down the hallway as fast as his legs would carry him.