[Ridge]
"Ridge?" Kadeeth's tired voice reverberates through the cabin.
"In here!" I answer loudly through evil giggles. I haven't enjoyed myself like this in a while.
I've spent most of the last two days getting to know Sir Tellur. Although it would be more accurate to say I've spent all that time torturing him, and he doesn't even know it.
I've avoided telling him anything about the fire, or the invasion, but I have let slip quite a few personal details about me. It turns out that when he's not drunk Tellur's actually a pretty fun guy. Drunk Tellur is a pain, and very emotional, but sober Tellur is an amazing storyteller.
He's told me all about his time serving in the Imperial frickin army with his best friend, Hess. The old generation of Knights are called the elites for a reason. They were reckless, and totally badass. This Hess guy is my hero, he wasn't afraid of anything!
When Tellur found out I can speak Nymourian he immediately wanted to learn too. So, I've been teaching him a few things. Also known as, I'm pretending to teach him simple phrases, while actually introducing him to a bunch of Nymourian curse words. Let's hope he never tries to greet anyone from Nymour, I don't think it would go over very well. Oh, there's also the part where we're at war with them, but this would be a more personal offense.
Maybe I was having too much fun, because I didn't even sense Kadeeth's presence until he called out for me. Actually, now that I'm paying attention, he's not alone.
I stop laughing and try to listen closely to the two pairs of footsteps heading our way while Tellur watches the door like a curious kitten. For an older, big guy, he sure looks harmless. Judging from his stories though, he's definitely not as naive as he appears.
The first steps are confident and hurried, definitely Kadeeth. The second pair is more hesitant, scuffing on the ground every few steps. Does this mean he found a doctor? I was able to ignore the situation because my ankle has been feeling much better, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't still terrified.
Kadeeth and the new stranger get closer and closer until the echo of their approach is directly in front of the Duke's study. Kadeeth opens the door and freezes up. His arms go rigid and I can tell that his first instinct is to reach for whatever weapon he has concealed under his cloak.
Kade's smarter than that though. He quickly reads the room and concludes that there's no threat here. The person huddled in the doorway peeks out from behind him. He's an average height, with honey colored skin and chestnut eyes to match. His face is an open book.
Through his tough-guy glare he's a bundle of nerves, obviously feeling out of place. When he notices me staring he turns red and scoffs, looking away. He's about our age, so why does he seem so immature?
"What's this?" Kadeeth asks incredulously. His eyes are narrowed at a seemingly innocent Tellur.
I clear my throat and focus back on the unsmiling man in front of me, "We have a lot to talk about."