So Haienâs off in the deserts of Eastern Thanalan sulking herbalizing and runs out of space to carry more herbs in his pouches. He heads to the nearest settlement, Camp Drybone, where he decides to stay at the inn a few nights while he sells what heâs got before heading out again.
The firstd day heâs there, this obnoxious Miqoâte walks by with a bunch of his friends/followers, bragging about all the things heâs done etc. Haien rolls his eyes, but continues selling his herbs. Same thing happens the second day, and while heâs drinking the night away that second night, the Miqoâte does it again.
On the third day, heâs packing up when he overhears the Miqoâte (very loudly) bragging that no one could throw daggers as well as he can. This Miqoâte is getting on his last nerve, so he challenges him.
Dagger after dagger hit perfectly from both parties, and eventually itâs considered a draw, to the surprise of both Haien and the Miqoâte. The Miqoâte reveals that he had challenged Haien mostly because there was a merchant nearby with a beautiful daughter who was offering her hand in exchange for an adventurer retrieving his stolen goods, then drags Haien off to meet said merchant.
Haien tries to protest, but the smaller man is pretty damn insistent, so he just kinda lets himself get dragged along into the quest. Itâs a few days of travel to reach where the caravan was last heard from, and another day of tracking after, during which the Miqoâte (whoâs revealed his name is Tyoâto) never. ever. shuts. up. Itâs one long stream of incessant one-way chatter with no substance, and Haienâs going crazy.
Turns out, though, itâs a trap. They find the overturned caravan, and as theyâre inspecting it, a group of bandits ambushes them. They manage to fight their way out of it, but while theyâre running away, Tyoâto collapses. Turns out heâs been really badly wounded.
Haien freaks out, starts panicking, etc. This is way too similar to.. to before. He is NOT accepting someone else dying. He realizes theyâre right on the border of the Black Shroud, and half carries, half drags Tyoâto to its limits. Though he said he never would again, he calls on the elementals and pours all he can into healing Tyoâto, and actually kind of manages it. Tyoâtoâs not exactly conscious, but heâs not in critical condition, and from here, Haienâs herbalism and conventional medicine can keep Tyoâto alive while he slowly recovers.
Speaking of which, Tyoâto regains consciousness a day or two later and is like, âWoah, dude, you look like youâve seen a ghost. No, wait, I take it back; you look like you ARE a ghost. Get some rest, man.â because Haienâs clearly not eaten or slept since before the caravan ambush and he looks. like. shit.
So Haien eventually does, and Tyoâto watches guard, though nothing exciting happens. When he wakes up again, the two talk, the jist of which is basically:
Haien: Dude wtf you could have died are you crazy?
Tyoâto: Youâre one to talk. I saw all those faded bruises when we were back in Drybone.
Tyoâto: Anyway, adventuring is what I do. Whatâs the point in life if you donât actually live, right?
Tyoâto: You donât look like youâre getting it. Adventuring is how I choose to spend my life. Will I die young? Probably. Will it have been preventable if Iâd chosen to settle down farming or blacksmithing or whatever instead? Most definitely. But Iâll have truly lived before that, and that makes it worthwhile.
Tyoâto: I know that look. Youâre thinking of someone. Well, donât. If they went out adventuring, Iâm sure itâs what they wouldâve wanted. *smirk* After all, how else would they attract the ladies?
Haien: ....you talk too much.
And then Tyoâto just kinda goes back to endlessly talking, but theyâre friends by that point, despite their rough start. And Haien keeps thinking about what Tyoâto said, and it makes sense, kinda. Maybe it was what Sâhozqha wouldâve wanted. She had certainly gotten enjoyment out of her life while it lasted.
And a little bit of him kinda just.. fixes. Is he a totally healthy and well-adjusted man all of a sudden? Fuck no. But heâs started to forgive himself, and sometimes itâs those little first steps that make all the difference.
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