Our duo - now a trio - made it to the farming town of Bithe by early morning. Sunlight dipped its warm colors into the lakes before making its way to the rest of the humble town.
The farmers and merchants of Bithe started their day earlier than most. When two horses entered the town, a girl by the name of Ella readily welcomed them in. Lorelei stopped to speak with her, and after a short exchange, Ella graciously offered her home for the travelers to rest.
By mid afternoon, the party woke, refreshed and invigorated. Ella returned home early to check in on them, poking her head through the doorway.
"Heeeey!" she called brightly. "How're y'all feeling?"
The first and only to come into sight was Bako, already bright-eyed and bushy tailed, all washed up and cleaned shaven. The young warrior was already used to getting up early to exercise with little to no sleep, and he felt it wouldn't do well to dwell on the troubling events of the night before. Even with an injured and dressed limb, the pleasant after-ache of a good workout made him feel somewhat more at peace.
He acknowledged their hostess with a small nod, a drop of water sliding from his still-damp hair.
"Refreshed," he replied simply to Ella, quickly adding, "thanks to your kindness."
It was true enough; his brief but vigorous morning training regimen alone was satisfying on its own, but the bath afterward had certainly done him some good - water had always seemed to soothe both his body and mind.
Ella smiled and dusted herself off, entering her home and closing the door behind her. "Aw, don't worry about it! My folks left me this big place so there's plenty of room." She paused to wipe her hands on her kerchief before stuffing it into her back pocket. "Your friends are already outside if you didn't know. I'll start on supper, so you go on off."
Bako inclined his head respectfully in lieu of a reply and made his way outside, scanning the area for Adele and Lorelei. In truth, part of him was eager to speak to the latter - he hadn't had much time to talk the night prior, and they'd ridden mostly in silence so as not to attract any unwanted attention in the dark. Besides, it seemed rude to just pepper her with questions about her people - but they were his people, too, despite the staunch denial of his kinsmen and neighbors in the village.
He idly took a moment to ruffle his hair lightly, scattering drops of water both to speed up the drying process and conceal a slightly anxious sigh.
He had just come into view of the town square when Lore, finishing a conversation with a local farmer, spotted him out of the corner of her eye and turned to wave. "I see you're finally awake," she observed cordially as he neared.
Bako raised his hand in a half-wave back. "I've been awake," he said plainly, coming to stand next to the Crescen woman (whom he somewhat sourly observed was taller than he) and crossing his arms. "Where's Adele?"
Lorelei glanced at the small building behind her, a hand on her jutting hip. "She's at the blacksmith. Said something about needing a weapon."
He grimaced a little at that. One one hand, he admired her being so driven to protect herself. On the other, it was mostly his fault that she even had to.
"I see." A few too many moments of silence passed as he pondered this, though if there was any awkwardness in the quiet, he neither felt nor responded to it.
"What were you doing before you rescued us?" he suddenly and somewhat tactlessly inquired, eyes only holding the barest flicker of interest. He was curious, however; it was as good a time as any to get to know their newest ally.
Lorelei appeared briefly surprised, then offended when her intentions were seemingly brought into question. She crossed her arms. "I was headed for the capital when a storm brought me to the port," she responded a smidge curtly.
"I see." Bako mulled over the the information for a moment, either missing or ignoring her irritation. Finally, he looked up at her, voice still mostly toneless but somehow sincere. "You're the first Crescen I've ever met, you know."
Lore relaxed when she realized the boy was simply curious, uncrossing her arms to point at one of her own ears. "Yeah? Ya look like ya got some Crescen blood in you." She folded her arms behind her back, scrutinizing him. "Mother's side?"
Bako nodded, scratching his head almost sheepishly. "My mother's mother, yes. How could you tell?"
"Ah, woman's intuition!" she replied readily, then laughed. "Ehe, actually, it was just a lucky guess - but it looks like I wasn't too far off."
Bako gave the barest hint of a smile at her mirth, more out of acknowledgment than anything, though he suddenly felt inexplicably nervous about asking about his grandmother's people. "Forgive my ignorance - I was raised Valere my entire life, and this is the farthest I've been from home. I'd momentarily believed there was a Crescen sixth sense I was unaware of."
"Oh--" A faint bashfulness colored Lore's features as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, there is that. Ahahaha..." And she just as quickly switched gears, returning the focus to Bako. "Hmm! That would explain the affinity for natural magic."
Bako's brows just barely knit together, not even bothering to conceal his mild frustration. "Affinity is... perhaps too strong a word for it." He scrubbed at his lower face, a little put off by the lack of stubble he'd grown somewhat accustomed to in the past few weeks. "I sometimes feel as though my own magic is fighting me," he confessed. "As I'd said previously, I still lack skill in song."
"Never too late to learn," Lore countered encouragingly, wagging her finger. "You outta pay a visit to Evaliir Temple in Epere. That's where the melodists go. You'd have to get permission from the sages in Myth, though."
Bako frowned a little at that, for a moment appearing more like a gruff old man than a teenager. "It sounds more hassle than its worth," he said in a voice that was mild but conveyed slight distaste. "I fight well enough without magic." But he sounded a little hesitant, even a touch wistful. "But... should our travels happen to bring us there..."
Lorelei smiled knowingly, but didn't push the subject. "Where are the two of ya headed anyway? I tried to ask the lass, but she asked me a bunch of questions before I could even open my mouth."
"Ah." Bako idly crossed his arms, looking off toward the horizon like a brooding, soul-searching loner.
"No set destination, really - I seek a cure for Telos." And, in truth, he hadn't quite gotten around to explaining to Adele that his best friend and betrothed suffered from it as they spoke, and still now he felt it was not yet time to reveal his true motivations. They were as of yet a mite too intimate for him to speak freely of.
"I met Adele in Port Calpe, where she'd just arrived from St. Everae. I accepted her companionship on my journey, since we were both in strange territory and it seemed she had no true destination either."
It was the most Lore had heard him speak, and she ruminated this information before settling on something to address. "Telos, huh..." Even without an explanation, she knew someone he cared about must have been afflicted, so she refrained from badgering him for details. "Do you know anything about it? The disease."
"Aside from what is already known, and the fate of the stricken? No." Frustration was thick in Bako's voice, and he sighed. "I've acquired no new information. Perhaps the city of scholars will be a worthwhile stop." "So you're headed to Mystras then?" Lore mused, arms crossed and weight leaned back against the shop wall. "I can take you there - well, halfway there. I'm headed to the capital myself, and it's on the way."
Bako glanced up at her, and something in his eyes seemed somewhat hopeful. "I'd be grateful for your company - and safer for it," he admitted, inclining his head respectfully. "I'm sure Adele would as well." He lifted his head slightly to find the Crescen smiling. "Well, all right then!" she cheered, giving him a hard, friendly pat on the back (which, to his credit, he took in stride, as he barely budged). "Guess we'll be traveling together! It's gonna be fun!"
Bako almost smiled. "Ah. I think so too."
