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Entry tags:
Travellers
People tended to gather at places that served alcohol, and where people gathered, people talked. And where they talked, you could find out news about what was going on in the world. Which is why, despite not really drinking alcohol himself, Leo always spent some time at the local bar when passing through a town.
There wasn't any real news to be had in Great Falls, but he'd expected that – he was already almost back to Cloverleaf. What he hadn't expected was to run into another traveler – and one who had travelled much, much more than even he had. They spent a good while talking about places, about travel, and somehow the conversation segued into family. The stranger, it turned out, also had a daughter, and they commiserated briefly on the common pitfalls of raising a child until...
“I haven't seen Cynara in years,” the other man said, sounding almost as though the fact took him by surprise.
Leo froze, glass half raised to his lips. This was Cya's father. He shot a quick glance to look him over again, remembering the vague sense of familiarity when they'd started talking. Yes, there was a family resemblance – and now the man – Cya's father – was looking at him oddly.
“Sorry.” Leo managed a smile. “It surprised me; I met a girl named Cynara.”
“You did?” He looked surprised, again. “How is she doing?”
“It was a long time ago,” Leo hedged. It wasn't a lie; he had met Cya a long time ago. “Sorry.”
“Ah.” Cya's father nodded. “Anyway, I'm thinking of going to this new city next – Cloverleaf, it's called? Find some work for a little while.”
“No.” The word was out of Leo's mouth before he even had a chance to think about it. He carefully placed his glass down on the bar.
The other man blinked. “It's not called Cloverleaf?”
“It is.” This man – Cya's father – she put him in the same category of people as Dysmas. A test case, she'd said. The same as Dysmas. “You won't be welcome there.”
“I heard they welcome all kinds of people there...”
“I'm not talking about 'your kind'.” Leo carefully kept his eyes on the glass. You don't know how he's like Dysmas, he reminded himself. He hasn't done anything to you. You're not a monster. You couldn't kill him anyway. “I'm talking about you. Specifically.”
The other man was quiet for a minute. “You do know Cynara, don't you.”
“I know that you are not welcome in Cloverleaf.” Leo hoped Cya's father wasn't going to fight him over it. (He hoped Cya's father was going to fight him over it.)
Cya's father shrugged. “Won't know until I try.”
“I don't think you understand.” Leo's voice was dangerously calm, and he finally turned to look at him again. “I am very good friends with the ruler of Cloverleaf – who is Cloverleaf. If I say you're not welcome there, you are not welcome.”
“I see.” Cya's father put his own glass down. “I'll keep that in mind.”
Leo stood, straightening his clothes as he focused on staying calm. He couldn't let Cya's father come near Cloverleaf. Don't hurt him, he hasn't done anything. “If you swear to come no closer than one mile from the city walls, I'll let this be the end of it.”
“...And why would I do that?”
“Because.” Leo smiled, a vicious expression. “If you don't, I'll have to make you.”
There wasn't any real news to be had in Great Falls, but he'd expected that – he was already almost back to Cloverleaf. What he hadn't expected was to run into another traveler – and one who had travelled much, much more than even he had. They spent a good while talking about places, about travel, and somehow the conversation segued into family. The stranger, it turned out, also had a daughter, and they commiserated briefly on the common pitfalls of raising a child until...
“I haven't seen Cynara in years,” the other man said, sounding almost as though the fact took him by surprise.
Leo froze, glass half raised to his lips. This was Cya's father. He shot a quick glance to look him over again, remembering the vague sense of familiarity when they'd started talking. Yes, there was a family resemblance – and now the man – Cya's father – was looking at him oddly.
“Sorry.” Leo managed a smile. “It surprised me; I met a girl named Cynara.”
“You did?” He looked surprised, again. “How is she doing?”
“It was a long time ago,” Leo hedged. It wasn't a lie; he had met Cya a long time ago. “Sorry.”
“Ah.” Cya's father nodded. “Anyway, I'm thinking of going to this new city next – Cloverleaf, it's called? Find some work for a little while.”
“No.” The word was out of Leo's mouth before he even had a chance to think about it. He carefully placed his glass down on the bar.
The other man blinked. “It's not called Cloverleaf?”
“It is.” This man – Cya's father – she put him in the same category of people as Dysmas. A test case, she'd said. The same as Dysmas. “You won't be welcome there.”
“I heard they welcome all kinds of people there...”
“I'm not talking about 'your kind'.” Leo carefully kept his eyes on the glass. You don't know how he's like Dysmas, he reminded himself. He hasn't done anything to you. You're not a monster. You couldn't kill him anyway. “I'm talking about you. Specifically.”
The other man was quiet for a minute. “You do know Cynara, don't you.”
“I know that you are not welcome in Cloverleaf.” Leo hoped Cya's father wasn't going to fight him over it. (He hoped Cya's father was going to fight him over it.)
Cya's father shrugged. “Won't know until I try.”
“I don't think you understand.” Leo's voice was dangerously calm, and he finally turned to look at him again. “I am very good friends with the ruler of Cloverleaf – who is Cloverleaf. If I say you're not welcome there, you are not welcome.”
“I see.” Cya's father put his own glass down. “I'll keep that in mind.”
Leo stood, straightening his clothes as he focused on staying calm. He couldn't let Cya's father come near Cloverleaf. Don't hurt him, he hasn't done anything. “If you swear to come no closer than one mile from the city walls, I'll let this be the end of it.”
“...And why would I do that?”
“Because.” Leo smiled, a vicious expression. “If you don't, I'll have to make you.”
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*cough grin*
Eee
Ah, ha, that is...
Eeee!
I mean.
Woah. I love it. I love it so hard.
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I am still cherishing your "oh FUCK" reaction. <3
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>.>
<.
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He's not the sort of guy to turn down a challenge like that, but he's a security specialist, i.e., how to break into places, and a weasely kind of moose guy, so he's likely to try to weasel out of a promise with some reassurance and then sneak in later.
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