Bloodlines
Act III Chapter II
Lucifen did end up talking the whole way back to the estate, to which Rathel gave him the regular nod every now and then to not upset the man's feeling. In reality, Rathel didn't listen to a word he said. He had learned to tune the man's voice out, for he did talk quite a lot of nonsense.
As they entered the Estate, Lucifen continued to follow him up to the study, to where they both found Alekith sitting behind a table with papers in his hands. The Warder peers his eyes off of whatever work he was doing to greet the two as they entered.
"Rathel, have you found a lost puppy?" Alekith teases him with a smirk. For once, Lucifen's tongue was held as he just smirked along with the Warden.
Rathel seemed confused, he looked behind his shoulders and underneath his feet. "A pup...?" he asks, oblivious to any form of jest. Lucifen's cackles can be heard behind him as Alektih shakes his head.
"Still stiff I see." Alekith comments on his brother as Lucifen gets up close to Rathel and rests an arm on his shoulder. "So, how's the exciting life?" Luc asks Alekith as he uses Rathel as an arm rest.
The Warden would exhale some air from his mouth as he pushes the paper away from himself. "Managing a town's finance and future is exciting in it's own way." he replies as he leans back on the chair, putting his fist underneath his chin to rest his head as his elbow is placed on the arm chair.
"Your recovery is well made. When Rathel pulled you out of captivity, you were skinny and feverish green. Now you look like you can handle a sword."
"Aye." Lucifen agrees. "Must be all the food you put into me."
"Must be. How're the people?"
This time it was Lucifen's turn to blow some air from his mouth. "Unhappy. They're worried they won't have enough harvest for the winter, and knowing that they have some enemies lurking around willing to strike anytime doesn't make them feel any better as well."
Alekith nods. "You just keep doing your training sessions and patrols and maybe they can defend themselves." he says as he glances to his brother. "How goes the tracking?"
Rathel finds himself a bit uncomfortable as Lucifen still rests himself on him. "Not well..." he says as he stares into Luc's features. "The people still don't like him."
"They don't have to. They just need to learn his skills. How're the militia?"
Lucifen shrugs and finally stops using Rathel as a rest. Walking up to the table, he places his hands on it as he continues his conversation with the Warden. "Only a few of them know what they're doing, it's still a long ways to go-"
At this point, Rathel returns to tuning out the conversation. He would allow the two to talk as his eyes glance around the room. The study now turned office is filled with books, bags, maps, and related just scattered around.
Licking his lips, Rathel gives them one last glance before leaving the study. Walking through the estate at night is dark but he knew his way. Eventually, he came across a room he had adopted to be his own.
Barely using it, he looks around the near empty room before walking in. Letting out a soft yawn, he begins to take off his weapons and armor. Rathel could never really imagine himself wearing normal clothing. For some reason, it was always a comfortable thought to wear something protective.
He places his bow and swords near the bed in a organized matter as he begins to do the same with his armor, only wearing his underwear. Making sure his possessions will be close to him when he sleeps, he sits on the bed and begins to relax.
Ruffling his own hair with his left hand, his eyes catch the names tattooed on his forearm, Placing it in front of himself, he trails a finger down their names.
"What's that?" a sudden and all too familiar voice would startle him. Looking up, he finds Lucifen leaning against the doorframe.
"What're you doing here?"
Lucifen ignores his question and enters the room, taking a seat next to him as he looks down at his forearm. "Show me."
Rathel, finding him rather disruptive of his personal space, sighs as he shows him the tattoo.
"Are they... names?"
"Aye." Rathel says as he reads the list inside his head.
Resaya
Tassalin
Lucific
Vafen
Cessius
Ceplen
Lucifen points at the space between Tassalin and Lucific. "Planning on adding a name there, or?"
Rathel shakes his head. "I don't know."
"Are they like, people you've killed?"
"No, they're my family."
"Oh." Luc says as he inspects it further. "Why isn't Alekith's name on there? Or Caies's?"
"Because they're not dead yet." And with that, the room grew uncomfortably silent.
Luc nods a few times to himself as he pats Rathel's shoulder. "Sorry to hear that." he says as he pushes himself up.
"Why would you be sorry?"
"Huh?"
Rathel seems just as confused as Lucifen is. "Cause... it's a bad thing to happen?" Lucifen replies, using his arms to express his words.
Rathel just stares at him before nodding. "Aye, I suppose so." he says, shrugging as well.
"Well, I'm going to let you have some sleep tonight." Luc says as he walks to the door frame, knocking on it.
"Thanks...?"
Lucifen looks back at the man. "You're welcome...?" he replies, unsure of what the two are confused about. Shrugging, he leaves Rathel alone.
Rathel twirls his hair around a finger, wrapping his head around the odd conversation. Giving it no more thought, he lies down and gets comfortable.
For six months he had been trying to track down Caies and his brigands, but he had no luck. Had they truly disappeared? Was Tadcelon safe? He could only wonder as the night grew.
