shoulder. “None.” she said as Joven opened the door to the room and stepped inside. He had been outside for some time; even with the warmth of the room there was still snow caked on the shoulders of the barbarian’s cloak.
“I had a talk with the messenger from your country.” He said.
"I know you would rather not deal with them, but it is important." Endrance replied.
"It's not important." Joven said. "It has nothing to do with our people."
Endrance frowned, but remained focused on his task. "But it is important to them, and I am of two peoples now. Yours and theirs."
The big man rolled his eyes. "Right. So it's a good thing they want to take you back and put you in prison."
Endrance took a second to glance over to his bodyguard. "They said that?"
"That they were to throw you in the prisons?" Joven asked in return. "Yeah, they did. The trial is supposed to be at winter solstice."
Winter solstice was still a few months away; a completely ordinary day for the people of Balator, since they placed no import upon magically significant times and places. Endrance himself had been too busy to note the significance of this night last year, nor did he normally put any more stock in the day other than to recognize it as a seasonal marker.
"At least they got here with enough time to walk back with me." Endrance quipped, feeling around Bridget's collarbone. It had healed enough to remain stationary, binding to what was left of her shoulder blade. Even if he had magic to replace the limb, the collarbone would have to be broken and re-set. He took mental note of that and continued.
Bridget, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke. "Screw them. Whether or not you are also one of their people, you're the Spengur and we aren't going to let someone from some other country just walk in and take you away."
Endrance looked up from her shoulder to her face, but she turned her head away from him and scowled. He quirked an eyebrow and resumed his prodding.
"She's right." Joven said after a moment. "Even if you're a mage, and scrawnier than most of our women, you are the Spengur and we would take great insult to someone taking you away from us." he nodded. "If anyone is going treat you like crap, it will be us."
"That’s... reassuring." Endrance muttered.
"You're welcome." Joven said. "Best compliment a mage can get from a Balatoran. You know you're one of us if we won't let anyone kill you but us. We'll even protect you from others to keep that honor ours."
Endrance didn't know what to say, so he remained silent. He had found out all he could from Bridget, so he patted her on the back. "Done." he said. "I've got all I can get from you for the moment. When I get more research done on the proper spells, I might be able to use this to help."
She turned to him and finally looked him in the eye. "You really think you can give me my arm back?" she asked.
The wizard shook his head with a smile. "Oh you wanted the old arm? I was going to give you a fresh one, if I can arrange it."
"Probably for the best." Joven said. "They threw the old one in the fire with all the other dead that day."
Bridget looked as if she were ready to punch Endrance in the face, so he took a step back. "Relax!" he said. "I can tell you that your shoulder has completely healed from the injury, and you're more than ready to return to work. It will take some time adjust to the loss, but you're doing incredible already!"
"I don't want to adjust." she muttered angrily.
Endrance was going to speak, but suddenly Joven cut him off, stepping forward. "Cut that shit out!" he growled. Both Bridget and Endrance looked to him with wide eyes as he continued.
"You knew from the day you were selected that your life was over! You only live because of your Spengur - from before you ever lost your arm!" Joven's voice rang throughout the room. "You of all people know that this man has done you no ill will, and has even kept you from the doors of death itself. And
“I had a talk with the messenger from your country.” He said.
"I know you would rather not deal with them, but it is important." Endrance replied.
"It's not important." Joven said. "It has nothing to do with our people."
Endrance frowned, but remained focused on his task. "But it is important to them, and I am of two peoples now. Yours and theirs."
The big man rolled his eyes. "Right. So it's a good thing they want to take you back and put you in prison."
Endrance took a second to glance over to his bodyguard. "They said that?"
"That they were to throw you in the prisons?" Joven asked in return. "Yeah, they did. The trial is supposed to be at winter solstice."
Winter solstice was still a few months away; a completely ordinary day for the people of Balator, since they placed no import upon magically significant times and places. Endrance himself had been too busy to note the significance of this night last year, nor did he normally put any more stock in the day other than to recognize it as a seasonal marker.
"At least they got here with enough time to walk back with me." Endrance quipped, feeling around Bridget's collarbone. It had healed enough to remain stationary, binding to what was left of her shoulder blade. Even if he had magic to replace the limb, the collarbone would have to be broken and re-set. He took mental note of that and continued.
Bridget, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke. "Screw them. Whether or not you are also one of their people, you're the Spengur and we aren't going to let someone from some other country just walk in and take you away."
Endrance looked up from her shoulder to her face, but she turned her head away from him and scowled. He quirked an eyebrow and resumed his prodding.
"She's right." Joven said after a moment. "Even if you're a mage, and scrawnier than most of our women, you are the Spengur and we would take great insult to someone taking you away from us." he nodded. "If anyone is going treat you like crap, it will be us."
"That’s... reassuring." Endrance muttered.
"You're welcome." Joven said. "Best compliment a mage can get from a Balatoran. You know you're one of us if we won't let anyone kill you but us. We'll even protect you from others to keep that honor ours."
Endrance didn't know what to say, so he remained silent. He had found out all he could from Bridget, so he patted her on the back. "Done." he said. "I've got all I can get from you for the moment. When I get more research done on the proper spells, I might be able to use this to help."
She turned to him and finally looked him in the eye. "You really think you can give me my arm back?" she asked.
The wizard shook his head with a smile. "Oh you wanted the old arm? I was going to give you a fresh one, if I can arrange it."
"Probably for the best." Joven said. "They threw the old one in the fire with all the other dead that day."
Bridget looked as if she were ready to punch Endrance in the face, so he took a step back. "Relax!" he said. "I can tell you that your shoulder has completely healed from the injury, and you're more than ready to return to work. It will take some time adjust to the loss, but you're doing incredible already!"
"I don't want to adjust." she muttered angrily.
Endrance was going to speak, but suddenly Joven cut him off, stepping forward. "Cut that shit out!" he growled. Both Bridget and Endrance looked to him with wide eyes as he continued.
"You knew from the day you were selected that your life was over! You only live because of your Spengur - from before you ever lost your arm!" Joven's voice rang throughout the room. "You of all people know that this man has done you no ill will, and has even kept you from the doors of death itself. And
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