Aric's grin didn't fade. If anything it grew sharper.
Aric: "I'm gonna say hi."
Kareth: "Don't. You're not this stupid."
He was already walking before I had even finished talking. His steps were light, too casual for the potential consequences of what might happen. I cursed under my breath before following him, hand already finding its position around the hilt of my blade. As if I could use it to defend against the powerhouse this woman supposedly is.
The woman didn't move even as Aric stopped a few paces in front of her, merely acknowledging us with a slight nod. Her single arm moving from over her chest to her side, pushing up from against the wall. She loomed over Aric, eyes peering downward to lock onto his.
Her hair blew slightly in the wind, the armless sleeve on her left flicking behind her as she stood tall.
Aric: "So… You're the so-called one-armed spearwoman. Right? This guy on the road here said you attacked him."
His words fell out quickly. I wince slightly but keep my composure.
She looked Aric down and up, sliding over his form.
Spearwoman: "That 'guy' should've kept his mouth shut."
Her voice was low, rough, but not loud. Her tone commanded respect, each word carrying a heavy weight.
Aric glances back at me. I shake my head, though I know he's going to continue.
Aric: "He was pretty banged up. It looked like you nearly killed him. I just wanted to know why."
The woman smirked. Her scars shifted with the smirk.
Spearwoman: "If he was alive enough to talk he's fine. Alive enough to complain and I clearly didn't beat him hard enough."
Kareth: "That's not an answer."
Her gaze shifted to me. The stare was heavier than any I'd felt before.
Spearwoman: "You want an answer? He harassed me and came at me with a knife. That's it. Simple."
Aric frowned. Clearly the answer was underwhelming for him. Though to any reasonable person it's about as expected.
Kareth: "And why did he do that?"
Spearwoman: "People in this world do stupid things. You'll learn that quickly."
Her hand drifted to her spear. Not lazily, calculated to give a message.
She didn't grip it, just resting her fingertips on the leather wrapping.
Spearwoman: "And if you don't want to end up like him you better explain exactly what you want from me. Or simply get out of my sight."
Friendly…
The silence between her and us pressed in.
Aric swallowed hard.
Aric: "Th-thanks for clearing that up."
Based on his tone Aric was finally feeling the full weight of what he might be getting us into
I tug at his shoulder, trying to stop him from doing anything else. Despite my silent protests he opened his mouth again.
Aric: "C-can we get your name? I feel bad just calling you spearwoman."
Spearwoman: "Thyra. Remember it and get lost."
I pull Aric away, opening the door to the guild hall and slipping inside.
I mutter under my breath.
Kareth: "You fucking idiot"
Just as I spoke the sounds of the guild hall rattle my ears. Far louder than the streets and almost as crowded.
Armour clattering, the scraping of weapons and boots on the floors, the clink of glasses.
The air smelt like blood, iron and ink. Almost like a toned down version of where I woke up.
Tables littered both floors of the hall, each surrounded by people of various shapes and sizes on stools.
Far in the back of the hall I can make out a fist fight between two men, their screaming and yelling drowned out by the rest of the noise in the guild hall.
Aric: "Gods… this is amazing. So many people."
I didn't agree. Too many people. Too much noise.
Aric dragged me into a line. Seemingly the line leading to a front desk-like structure.
After some time of waiting in the line, suffering through the noises, we finally reached the counter.
The clerk didn't look up. His voice came out tired. Flat and mechanical.
Clerk: "Here for a license?"
He peers up at the both of us.
Clerk: "Here for two licences?"
Aric: "yeah"
Clerk: "Names."
Aric: "Aric Veyrn"
Kareth: "Kareth Skathe."
Clerk: "Reason for needing a licence?"
Aric: "You need a licence to do just about anything in Esmourne it seems."
Clerk: "True that. Esmourne isn't friendly to strays."
Aric shifted uncomfortably. As did I
Clerk: "That'll be 10 shards each. Or crowns if you strays have those."
It's the same price as the entry ticket was.
Aric hands over 20 shards, they clink against each other as they land on the counter.
The clerk counts them up before nodding in approval
Clerk: "Hand over your entry tickets. The details on your licences will be the same as what's on your tickets."
Kareth: "That's fine"
The clerk writes some stuff down, presumably copying what's on our entry tickets.
Clerk: "There. Licence. Keep it on you at all times. Lose it, and you're a stray again."
Aric smiled, taking the licence while wide eyed. As if he was gazing upon a treasure.
I take mine and slip it into a tight pocket on my side.
We step to the side, out of the line for another to go through the same process we just did.
My eyes catch a movement near the entrance, a tall figure. Thyra stepped through the door. Her figure cut through the crowd, settling in a booth in the corner of the hall.
I clenched my fist slightly.
Aric: "We did it. We're officially allowed here."
Kareth: "Yeah…"
I wasn't looking at the licence like Aric was. My eyes were locked onto Thyra.
Something about her wasn't right. Part of me felt like she was more than just a buff woman with a spear.
Aric was too naive to notice it when we saw her earlier. That or I'm paying too much attention to detail.