shrug.
Fiona laughed and looked up at her with a
grin. “Easy for the mage to say. It’s the one carrying the sword
that will suffer the brunt of Davrian. You ready for that fight
Arovan?” she asked looking to Valor.
Valor let out a long sigh and glanced at his
ribs. “Not at this very moment, but I will be,” he said, though
there was a note of doubt in his voice.
“You don’t sound so sure about that,” Jala
pressed gently.
“Davrian was undefeated when he lived. It
took a very large red dragon to kill him finally, and the dragon
nearly died from that battle, if the books are to be believed,”
Valor explained, then shrugged. “But then, as far as the books
explain, he never faced a Stormlord so we shall see.”
“Stormlord?” Fiona asked with another faint
chuckle. “I only see two elements branded on your armor. That
doesn’t exactly qualify you as a Stormlord now does it? Gusty wind
lord perhaps. Your father has command of all of the Elements as
well as the Paraelements. You are a far cry from him yet, pup.”
“I am really going to hate traveling with
you,” Valor sighed as he began digging through his packs with a
disgusted expression.
“Going to hate it even more when Davrian
makes you a permanent resident of the Darklands and I am your
constant companion,” Fiona chimed in bitter amusement.
Valor glanced up long enough to glare at her
and went back to digging through the bags.
“Death can’t keep Finn and you can’t have
Valor,” Jala cut in, causing them both to turn and look at her. She
raised an eyebrow at them daring either to object.
“Well said, I agree she can’t have me,” Valor
mumbled and began digging through their bag once again, at last
pulling free a small silver container and lifting it out with a
triumphant smile. Pulling the lid free he carefully removed a cigar
and grinned faintly at Jala. “Most people complain about their
smell. Here I think it can only be an improvement.”
“I’ve never seen you smoke those before, but
by all means,” Jala agreed with a wave of her hand. Shaking her
head she leaned back against the cave wall once more trying not to
think of what might be coating the stones behind her.
“I bought them for my brother, actually. I
had planned to give them to him before he left the city, but I
didn’t have a chance to see him before he left. So I’ve been
carrying them around,” Valor explained and then smiled sadly as he
tapped one on his hand and glanced toward her again. “It’s somewhat
of a tradition my father started. After every victory you smoke one
of these. Normally, Honor and I tease each other with it and give
half-smoked cigars. He was going against the Blights when he left,
though, so I bought him a dozen.” He fell silent again and then lit
the cigar taking a long drag from it.
“I’m sure he has already had more than one
victory so you can save the ashes for him and give them to him on
your return and thank him for winning. The smoke does smell much
better than this cave,” Jala offered as she stretched her leg out
before her. It was difficult to find a comfortable position to rest
the ankle, without propping her foot on the pile of bones before
her. She could feel the tingling of the healing though. Despite how
foul smelling was the tonic Fiona had found, it did seem effective.
She looked up to find Fiona still silently watching her with an
enigmatic expression on her face. “What?” she asked after a long
moment of the woman’s unflinching stare.
“Nothing to discuss now,” Fiona murmured,
shaking her head as if she had been deep in thought. With a last
glance at them she went back to scavenging the cave in silence.
Valor leaned back beside her and took a long
drag from the cigar. Jala glanced over at him and smiled faintly.
He returned the gesture with a weary sigh and nodded to her.
“At the very least, we will never forget this
trip,” Valor mumbled with a slight shake of his head. “It may not
be
Fiona laughed and looked up at her with a
grin. “Easy for the mage to say. It’s the one carrying the sword
that will suffer the brunt of Davrian. You ready for that fight
Arovan?” she asked looking to Valor.
Valor let out a long sigh and glanced at his
ribs. “Not at this very moment, but I will be,” he said, though
there was a note of doubt in his voice.
“You don’t sound so sure about that,” Jala
pressed gently.
“Davrian was undefeated when he lived. It
took a very large red dragon to kill him finally, and the dragon
nearly died from that battle, if the books are to be believed,”
Valor explained, then shrugged. “But then, as far as the books
explain, he never faced a Stormlord so we shall see.”
“Stormlord?” Fiona asked with another faint
chuckle. “I only see two elements branded on your armor. That
doesn’t exactly qualify you as a Stormlord now does it? Gusty wind
lord perhaps. Your father has command of all of the Elements as
well as the Paraelements. You are a far cry from him yet, pup.”
“I am really going to hate traveling with
you,” Valor sighed as he began digging through his packs with a
disgusted expression.
“Going to hate it even more when Davrian
makes you a permanent resident of the Darklands and I am your
constant companion,” Fiona chimed in bitter amusement.
Valor glanced up long enough to glare at her
and went back to digging through the bags.
“Death can’t keep Finn and you can’t have
Valor,” Jala cut in, causing them both to turn and look at her. She
raised an eyebrow at them daring either to object.
“Well said, I agree she can’t have me,” Valor
mumbled and began digging through their bag once again, at last
pulling free a small silver container and lifting it out with a
triumphant smile. Pulling the lid free he carefully removed a cigar
and grinned faintly at Jala. “Most people complain about their
smell. Here I think it can only be an improvement.”
“I’ve never seen you smoke those before, but
by all means,” Jala agreed with a wave of her hand. Shaking her
head she leaned back against the cave wall once more trying not to
think of what might be coating the stones behind her.
“I bought them for my brother, actually. I
had planned to give them to him before he left the city, but I
didn’t have a chance to see him before he left. So I’ve been
carrying them around,” Valor explained and then smiled sadly as he
tapped one on his hand and glanced toward her again. “It’s somewhat
of a tradition my father started. After every victory you smoke one
of these. Normally, Honor and I tease each other with it and give
half-smoked cigars. He was going against the Blights when he left,
though, so I bought him a dozen.” He fell silent again and then lit
the cigar taking a long drag from it.
“I’m sure he has already had more than one
victory so you can save the ashes for him and give them to him on
your return and thank him for winning. The smoke does smell much
better than this cave,” Jala offered as she stretched her leg out
before her. It was difficult to find a comfortable position to rest
the ankle, without propping her foot on the pile of bones before
her. She could feel the tingling of the healing though. Despite how
foul smelling was the tonic Fiona had found, it did seem effective.
She looked up to find Fiona still silently watching her with an
enigmatic expression on her face. “What?” she asked after a long
moment of the woman’s unflinching stare.
“Nothing to discuss now,” Fiona murmured,
shaking her head as if she had been deep in thought. With a last
glance at them she went back to scavenging the cave in silence.
Valor leaned back beside her and took a long
drag from the cigar. Jala glanced over at him and smiled faintly.
He returned the gesture with a weary sigh and nodded to her.
“At the very least, we will never forget this
trip,” Valor mumbled with a slight shake of his head. “It may not
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