Unsure of where I stand currently, I quietly follow behind the bandit shorty. I don't even see the point of asking his name; him giving a truthful answer seems unlikely. I can't help tugging at my hair as I say my goodbyes to it as we walk. I don't recall hair magic being often mentioned in the original story, but perhaps I just hadn't gotten to it yet. Before I was thrown into this world head first. Practical wise it could just be sold to an artisan to do with what they like. Or this guy just has some sort of link to a hair fetish community; can't help cringing at the thought of that. Staring at the back of his head where his own hair is messily tied back. It might need a comb but his hair is thick and wavy, it seems much nicer than mine.
As if feeling my eyes, he spares a glace back at me. "Whatever your scheming, can you stop before you stare right through me."
I widen my stride to catch up to him, "What do you mean schemes?! I'm the one who was robbed and stranded thanks to you."
"pft- Acting as if your so helpless. I'm still not buying' it, or should I not count the wounds from that damn bird and you". He lifts his crudely wrapped arm, practically shoving it in my face.
I can feel my face twitch as before I know it, we've begun bickering back and forth. Fighting proving a way to pass the time. The once quiet trek now noisy as we throw accusations back and forth until the sun begins to fall. I expect the bandit to stop but he pushes on, as it gets darker, I begin stumbling more unable to see the forest floor clearly now. I half expect this to be apart of some trick until a sudden flooding of purple light surround us. The dagger in his hand is the source of the light; he offers his other hand to help me up. I have no choice but to stick closer to him, often still catching my self on his shoulder when the roots of the trees trip me. The faint glow from the dagger helps but not enough to make travelling in the dark a real option. I begin to slow down feeling the deep need to quit moving and rest. His rough hand grabs my wrist and he stubbornly drags me further. It pisses me off but I'm getting too tired to care.
The moon comes into view as we come to a break in the trees, a small hut sits in the clearing just visible with the moonlight. A tired grunt of relief comes from him as he pulls me into the hut before finally letting me go. I sit down where I stand, while he uses the dagger's glow to search for a proper lantern to light. The warm golden glow of a fire light stretches across me as he lights a fire pit in the center of the room. The hut proves bigger than I could tell in the dark, a neat fire place at its center. A hole in the top peak of the ceiling lets the rising smoke out as the fire begins warming the room. I still can't quiet find the energy to move from my spot by the doorway. Perhaps I'll find the will to crawl a bit closer to the fire and warm up, but my eyes feel heavy. A smack to my right shoulder only barley keeps me from falling asleep. I hear an annoying voice go from mocking to worried, followed by a sudden sense of weightlessness. When my head hits something incredibly soft everything fades to black.
The smell of something cooking rouses me from my deep sleep, a stinging ache follows not long after from my right shoulder. I bury my face further into the furs I'm lying in as I open my eyes, I shift in the fur cocoon I seem to be wrapped in. Trying to move my right arm shoots pain down my back, I let out a few curses looking around to place my pains blame on someone. Looking guilty the bandit stirs a pot that's been placed over the fire. When my cursing subsides, he finally glances at me.
Casting his eyes back when our eyes meet. "I'd favour that side a bit, I had to stich you' a few times. The pots nearly done cooking; I'll help you up so you can have a bite."
I'm somewhat taken aback by the sudden U-turn in treatment. He was the whole reason I'd ended up walking half a day through a un traveled forest. Why the sudden guilt now? Unsure of how much I could trust him I carefully sat up on my own, winching a few times when I moved wrong. My shirts are gone; I throw a suspicious glance in the bandit's general direction. Then try to get a look at my shoulder, which had been covered in wrapping.
"Can't listen to me for even a moment- Fine I get it, that's fair. Don't remove the bandages, the herbs I had to use on you aren't easy to- ", he seems to stop himself glancing my way again.
If the pain in my shoulder and my tired legs didn't leave me feeling so drained despite just waking up, I'd nearly want to laugh. This cocky bandit was channeling a puppy who'd just destroyed the couch. Though the couch in this case was my back, the very back I realised, that I'd thrown in front of a dagger. Ah, that's why. If it hadn't been due to his dagger, I'm sure he would have tried charging me for his nursing services. My throat feels dry as I try to speak, the guilty party scoops out a bowl and brings it over to the pile of furs I'm lying in.
I take a cautious sip the warm broth, "So you stab me, rob me and I get soup in return."
"Well, you did jump in front of it, how was I supposed to know you're a lunatic. Prioritize yourself next time, save me some trouble," he grumbles but hovers around me. Dark circles around his eyes hint that I was the only one who got any sleep.
"Are you really blaming me?? You and your dumb friends were the ones who broke my ride."
"If that damn bird hadn't dived at me, I wouldn't have even used my dagger!"
"Oh, do people not usually try and protect themselves. So sorry for putting up a fight," my snarky voice seems to bring him relief as his shoulder begin to relax a bit.
"Division carriages never come this way, I guess me and my lads were a bit too eager. The first time it passed by there was clearly no one in it, I didn't really plan on you being in there at all." He doesn't look my way but I assume this is the closest he gets to an apology.
I must admit, for experiencing a classic bandit robbery a few stiches weren't the worst outcome for a helpless side character like me. The bandit leader next to me didn't seem cut-out for the cutthroat role he was playing.
"How about, instead of just trying to steal from the division you go and get yourself recruited instead," perhaps I can lead this young man on a better path; like a quest giving npc.
He retorts, "I was going to ask you to join my crew. Your sneaky cunning shouldn't go to waste."
His comment surprises me as I choke on the soup, "What do you mean by that, huh."
"Ai don't pretend to be all innocent now, I suffered first hand at your plots. The entire time we've been around each other the only time you showed me your back was to trick me! I might have noticed your wound sooner if you let your guard down for even a second."
Now he's back to scolding me? I really can't get a grasp on this guy's character at all. Perhaps unconsciously I did keep my right side away from him, but I'm not some crafty rouge. I'm supposed to be a comedic relief support character, at most I might end up in a few towers that my sister will have to save me from. I hand him back the empty soup bowl which he refills and begins to eat from himself, this hut must be one of their hideout spots only stocked with a few necessities.
"I have to ask, did you even leave your group a note." He pauses the bowl leaving his lips.
"Leading any possible people out of the forest for a fee was a possible outcome. They shouldn't be worried."
"Oh yeah. Even though since we both got hurt, there might be blood all about the carriage site. Huh? Did you think of what that might look like to them?"
He looks at me wide eyed, "I really need you in my crew. You think of everything."
"I'm scared of bugs; I wouldn't last in the woods more than a day."
"Ah come on, scared of a few butterflies," he teases.
"Yes, I hate those little freaks. Disgusting, can't stand them." I speak firmly looking him straight in the eyes.
The laughter that bursts from him is childlike and reckless, he nearly spills his bowl as he falls to the floor. After we finish eating, he cleans up the pot and comes to lay down in the furs. He hands me a rather nice looking inner and outer shirt before closing his eyes as if to sleep. I carefully manage to get the clothing on, this time he knows better then to offer to help me.
"These threads are much nicer that the ones I was wearing," I say aloud only half asking.
He opens one eye glancing at me, "The ones you were wearing had too much blood on them. Can't bring you to town looking like that."
I don't see a reason to complain when he adds, "Those clothes are yours, you know. I took them out of your bag."
Ah I had avoided going through the original Orion's bag, I guess a spare change of clothes being in there is to be expected. The fabric is cool and smooth, what you would expect from an ex well off family's son. I stay quiet for a bit and let the bandit rest for the remainder of the morning. I don't waste my energy wandering around and stay sitting in my spot on the pile of furs; only when the sun seems to move higher in the sky do I disturb him.
"You might as well cut my hair and stash it while were here. How much farther is the nearest city? My legs might end up hurting more then my shoulder at the rate we were walking."
He replies smoothly making me wonder if he was milking his nap for as long as I would let him.
"It's just an hour away now, this hideout is right at the edge of the forest. If we hadn't gotten here in the night, you might have been able to see the main Divisions Mountain in the distance."
"Then come on. Give me my free hair cut and then I can get out of yours."
He slowly gets up lazily moving he collects a few things before coming back to sit behind me. He does trim my hair; I'm relieved scissors exist in this world and he's not just hacking away with his dagger. He doesn't take nearly as much as I expect him to. Even taking the time to neatly braid and tie back my hair. It still falls a bit past my shoulders while tied, but I'm happy to have it completely out of my way. Sabine had seemed to find my messy attempt at tying it back an injustice to the long hair. So, she'd made a point of only tying enough to keep it out of my face and letting the rest fall prettily. The bandit's method felt more practical, and I gave a few approving pats to my hair when he was done.
Seeming proud of his work he gave a few gentle tugs to the hair tie, "Now your hair suits my crew. Since you aren't 'anyone special' to the Division just stick around."
I could tell he was still curious about who I was to the Division, perhaps his incessant propositions were apart of getting me to talk. I stood up and turned to him, giving a spin I walked to the doorway. He let out a sigh but didn't seem surprised at how I brushed off his offer.
"I might be nobody but I think I owe the Willow Division a thank you in person."
"A thank you, what could they have done for you?" He gets up putting out the embers of the fire.
"I was sick and they helped" -I won't mention it was at the request of the protagonist- "It seems like a group that just does that sort of thing. They can't be all that bad."
Finished packing up the bandit joins me at the doorway, "I'll have to keep that in mind. Come on this way. If you're going to keep tripping over every root just walk beside me."
We chat comfortably now as we walk, he continues to try and scout me. I try selling him the idea that he seemed more then capable to try joining a different path. We even talk about the Division; he lives close enough to it he knows all the local rumours. I share a bit of what I know, trying my best to avoid mentioning my knowledge comes from the source material of this world. I guess the ordinary people don't know much about what the Division does. Stories about how it's a group full of powerful people who horde secrets seem to do the adventuring guild an injustice. Calling them well trained students who go around collecting information and solving the odd problem, is a much closer summary.
When we finally come to a well traveled rocky path. The mountain the division has carved its home into, rises from the tree line. It seems that the bandit takes me on a tour of the small cities' outer limits, the town is the biggest I've seen. People bustling around the markets as vendors sell their wares. I have no desire to dive into such a busy throughfare but enjoy watching curiously from a distance. The bandit makes no move to part ways and seems to enjoy watching me stare around dazed at the city folk. Before I realise it, we spend a few more hours walking around before he delivers me right to the base of the mountain.
A Large carved gateway declares the entrance to the Willow Divisions head quarters, a few ornate looking roof tops can be seen peaking out from the moss-covered rocks and trees that occupy the edges of the mountain. I turn to offer a half sarcastic thank you to the bandit, but he has already gone without a word. I scoff, such a sudden disappearance suits him. Perhaps he's rightly gained a fear of the danger pigeon delivery birds that live in the Division.
I stare a bit longer at the unfamiliar trees that smell rich and oddly comforting. I let out a heavy breath before walking past the gate and up to the guard house. Somewhere further in this mountain keep is the main protagonist of this world; as well as all her friends, suitors, and their troubles.