Devi was almost certain she wasn't going to be reprimanded at this outpost. She'd been ordered to make ready to leave that morning, so likely they were sending her on to a bigger outpost to be properly sanctioned and, given the jackass lodging the complaint, potentially thrown in jail for a while.
It would be better than waiting around. She'd been at Outpost 36 for two days already, with no instructions except that she not leave the grounds. Outpost 36 was a small outpost, fit for about a dozen Combatants and Mages, with stores enough for any traveling Combatants or Mages that passed through.
The Facilitator of Outpost 36 was a short, chubby man, with balding hair and a well-groomed mustache. He hid his head under a navy-colored tricorne that matched his faded, standard-issue jacket. He didn't look up when she entered his office, a tiny room barely large enough for his desk. Boxes and stacks of papers lined the walls, with barely a narrow corridor between the desk and the wall for the Facilitator to leave the room. His desk was stacked with more papers, and it was a wonder he didn't knock any of the stacks over as he scrawled hastily across the page in front of him.
Dropping her bag next to the tiny chair before the desk, Devi dropped down into the seat. The chair creaked loudly in protest, but didn't give way. The Facilitator didn't look up, focused on whatever he was writing. Devi shifted impatiently, making the chair creak again.
She should probably be thankful the jackass had chosen to ride on so she didn't have to deal with him these past few days. Unfortunately, he was an important jackass, one with connections to even more important assholes, and Devi wouldn't put it past him to lie to make her transgressions seem worse than they were.
Devi didn't regret pissing him off; her job was difficult enough without having to pander to soft, squeamish nobles who thought their magics gave them more skill and power than anything she could do with her blade. She did almost wish she'd run him through and left him to rot in a ditch somewhere. She could've claimed a dragon had gotten him.
The Facilitator ceased writing, folding the letter into thirds. Devi tensed, but then made herself relax. She wasn't going to let Faucher get to her. Until she was reprimanded, Devi would act as though nothing had gone wrong on her last mission.
"I apologize for the wait," the Facilitator said briskly. He set his letter aside and searched through the stacks of papers on his desk, before selecting one with a small noise of triumph. "Your latest orders, Miss Bissette."
Devi leaned forward and accepted the thin, folded sheet of paper. Sitting back elicited another loud creak of protest from the chair, but Devi paid it no mind, her attention on the letter. She broke the seal on the page, and then read over the missive. It was short and to the point, as initial orders typically were. She was to travel to New Haven to meet a mage—Noeme Lavoie—before setting out to deal with a reported dragon in the Red Forest.
"And about the complaint lodged against me by Faucher?" Devi asked. Complaints were typically addressed before a new assignment was given to the person against whom the complaint had been made. Devi would know—this was the fourth complaint against her in the last two years. Then again, she was being assigned to take care of a dragon; that was a pressing concern.
"I don't know anything about that," the Facilitator said. His moustache twitched up at both ends and he stared at her implacably. "Did you need anything else?"
"No," Devi said. He probably didn't care. Most of the smaller outposts only cared that Combatants and Mages did their jobs and did them without causing any trouble to the outpost. Tucking the orders into a pocket on her vest, Devi stood, pausing only to retrieve her bag before leaving the office.
The Facilitator's office immediately abutted the mess, and Devi headed for the door on the far side that would take her to the stable yard. Perhaps Faucher hadn't gone through with his threat of lodging a complaint against her? Devi snorted, ignoring the looks she got from the off-duty guardsmen for the sudden noise. Faucher had too much ego to let her off the hook that easily.
No, more likely they hadn't sorted out how to best deal with the complaint yet. Faucher would try to get it elevated to the highest office—the Commissioner—and the capital and the Commissioner's office was a week's ride south. The only reason that she wasn't in limbo was likely either that it was a dragon, which was dangerous enough to require her to be sent out immediately, or whomever had issued the order hadn't learned of the complaint.
Leaving the outpost, Devi headed across the dirt-packed yard to the stables. This was the smallest outpost she'd visited yet, and she'd seen a lot of outposts. Scattered throughout the country, outposts gave Combatants, Mages, couriers, and soldiers places to rest and restock between and during orders.
They were typically squat, ugly, concrete buildings, and this one was no exception. Like most border outposts, it was surrounded by a tall wall that stretched far above her head. Outposts this remote were a prime target for bandits, despite the fact that there were typically Combatants and soldiers stationed or resting at an outpost at any given time.
The Facilitator would no doubt send word ahead that Devi was on her way to New Haven. It was a two-day ride, if she took it easy, but a dragon—even a possible dragon—was reason to hurry. If her geography lessons held, there were a handful of small villages on the edge of the Red Forest. Devi would much rather get there as quickly as possible rather than deal with the aftermath of a dragon attack again.
Pushing the old, unpleasant memories aside, Devi mounted up. If she pushed hard, she could make New Haven by the following evening. Then, providing the new mage she was assigned to wasn't as fussy and snotty as Faucher had been, they could depart for the Red Forest at dawn the day after that.
*~*~*
New Haven was a small city. Outpost 24 was nestled in the heart and had none of the battlements of the border outposts. The city itself was protected by a thick strongwall and a dry moat. There was also a large garrison of troops stationed in the city somewhere, if Devi recalled correctly. It had been a number of years since she'd last been to New Haven, however, so she didn't recall where, exactly.
Directing her horse to a stop in the stable yard, Devi swung down from the saddle. She was used to long days spent in the saddle, and so was only a little stiff from the long ride. Detaching her bags from their place behind the saddle, Devi passed a few coins to the stable hand who had come to meet her, instructing him to have the horse ready first thing in the morning.
The New Haven outpost was the polar opposite of the border outpost Devi had left the day before. Instead of a squat concrete building, it was a large, sprawling, building that reminded Devi of a farmhouse. It was painted a bright white that nearly glowed in the twilight. Light blazed from nearly every window, and the smells of fresh-cooked meat and the sweet smell of late-blooming Kecha flowers were in the air.
Devi wanted food and a bath, if she could wrangle it. Unfortunately, she had to report to the Facilitator, and then find Lavoie. Stars and moon, she hoped Lavoie wasn't as high maintenance as Faucher had been. Devi wasn't sure she could handle that without snapping and actually doing something worth a complaint.
She entered the outpost through a back door, into what turned out to be the mess area. Tables filled the long room, polished to a shine and lined with neat rows of chairs. The room was mostly empty at this hour. There were a few stragglers, Combatants by the red and white patches on their jackets immediately. They were gathered by the fireplace, eating and drinking and telling stories.
"Facilitator's office is at the front, to your left," an older woman said, poking her head out of the kitchen off to the side. "The one with the silver plaque on the door. Come back when you're done and I'll have a meal ready for you."
"Thank you, ma'am," Devi said, heading in the direction the woman had pointed. The hallway was brightly lit by mage lights, hovering above the unlit candles set in the fixtures along the walls. The candles would be used in case there were no mages to replenish the lights, but in a city they undoubtedly only rarely had to resort to the candles.
Devi knocked loudly on the door to the Facilitator's office, waiting until she heard the muffled, "Come in," before entering the room. The office was much neater than the Facilitator's office had been at Outpost 36, but then, it was big enough to hold more than a desk. The top of the desk was bare, with the exception of a name plate, a few letters, and a pen and ink pot. The furniture was decent and didn't look like it had been constructed from leftover firewood. The walls were painted a warm yellow, and there was even room enough for a small fireplace, although it was warm enough that no fire was burning in the grate.
The Facilitator sat behind the desk. She was an older woman with gray streaks shooting through her brown hair and a prominent nose. She squinted at Devi over top of half-moon glasses, assessing her. From the curl of her lip, she found Devi lacking.
"Sit down," the Facilitator said. Her mouth twisted into a scowl and she gestured to the chairs in front of her desk. She was missing her left hand from the wrist down. Given her disposition toward Devi, she'd probably been a ranked Mage at some point. "Miss Bissette, I presume? We weren't expecting you until tomorrow."
Devi didn't reply to that, setting her bag down. She sat in the closer chair, a few of her muscles twinging at sitting. The nameplate on the desk read Beaumont, and Beaumont stared at Devi for another moment, potentially waiting—in vain—for Devi to say anything. When Devi stayed quiet, she turned to thumb through a set of files on the bookcase to her left.
"You're to head to the Red Forest with Mage Lavoie," Beaumont said, her words clipped. "We can discuss tomorrow what supplies you require—"
"I could use some food stores, but otherwise I'm set," Devi said, interrupting Beaumont. No point in being polite when Beaumont couldn't even bother to introduce herself. "I'd like to be on the road tomorrow."
"I see," Beaumont said, her lips pinching together. Devi stared at her, daring her to say no. "Have you spoken to Mage Lavoie about this?"
"Not yet," Devi said. The way Beaumont had asked implied that Devi wasn't going to enjoy that discussion with Lavoie. She smiled brightly at Beaumont, making the Facilitator's eyebrow twitch up. "Protocol is to report to the Facilitator of the outpost upon arrival, ma'am."
Beaumont mumbled something under her breath, snapping the file shut with her whole hand. Devi waited, and after a moment Beaumont opened a drawer on her desk and fished out a key ring, which she tossed in Devi's direction. "Mage Lavoie is quartered in room 201. You'll be in 204. It's across the hall. I'll ensure there are provisions put together for you tonight, but if Mage Lavoie isn't prepared to leave immediately, I expect you to wait, is that understood?"
"Yes, ma'am," Devi said, deftly catching the key. Standing, Devi picked up her bags and slung them over her shoulder.
"You're dismissed," Beaumont said, as though that hadn't been perfectly clear.
Devi left the room casually, as though she had no cares in the world. The stairs to the upper level weren't hard to find, and Devi climbed slowly. She was tired, but there would be no real rest until after the dragon had been killed. She would be happy with a hot bath and a bed.
First, though, she had to deal with Lavoie.
Room 201 was at the top of the stairs, diagonal to room 204. The hallway upstairs was lit more dimly than the downstairs had been, but there was enough light that Devi could read the signs tacked into place on each door. Light seeped from beneath the door to room 201, which meant that Mage Lavoie was likely still awake and wouldn't be bothered overly much by Devi stopping by.
Devi made a quick stop in her assigned room to drop off her bags, and then she returned to room 201, knocking loudly. There was no sound of movement from within the room, but a moment later the door opened.
Mage Lavoie was half a head shorter than Devi, with long, loose brown hair that glowed with gold tones in the mage light that flooded the room. She was dressed casually, in a loose white shirt that obscured her figure and a pair of worn trousers. The hair was impractical, but the clothing wasn't, which didn't give Devi any clues to Lavoie's temperament.
"Are you Mage Lavoie?" Devi asked, starting with polite. Caught more flies with honey, as the saying went, even if Devi wasn't good at sweetness.
"I am," Lavoie said, peering up at Devi curiously. "Are you Combatant Bissette?" At Devi's nod, Lavoie stepped back, opening the door wide for her. "Come in, please."
Devi followed her inside, taking stock. The room was about the size of Devi's, with the same complement of bed, table, chair, and wardrobe that filled her room. Unlike Devi's room, Lavoie's was a mess, with her belongings scattered throughout the room. There was clothing in more places than Devi could count, and books and notebooks and papers were scattered across every available surface, including the bed. All of it together was far more than a single horse could easily carry. Did Lavoie expect to take it all with her?
"The letter from the Outpost 36 said you wouldn't arrive until tomorrow," Lavoie said, clearing a chair of books. "I apologize. I had planned to get this sorted out tomorrow."
"I was hoping to leave at first light," Devi said, ignoring the comment about her early arrival. Why did everyone care so much that was early? She was there now, that was the important thing.
"Why the rush?" Lavoie asked, setting the stack of books down on the floor. Her hair fell in her face, and she pushed it away as she straightened, giving Devi a curious look.
"There are villages on the edge of the Red Forest," Devi said flatly, her estimation of Lavoie falling further. At least she was pleasant to look at, even if Devi might end up feeding her to the dragon. "The sooner we get there and deal with it, the better."
Lavoie bit her lip, her expression shifting into worry. "I, uh… I haven't dealt with a dragon before."
Devi stared at her, hoping she was joking and that the Facilitators hadn't matched her with a green mage on an assignment to take out a dragon. That was Level 8 work minimum. Lavoie did look young to be a Level 8, but Devi got that all the time too.
"Oh, don't give me that look," Lavoie said, a pretty, mischievous smile curving her lips. She leaned on the back of the chair she'd cleared off, her smile not fading as she explained, "I've mostly dealt with basilisks and wyrms. The spells for a dragon slaying are similar, even if I haven't cast those exact variations before."
"What are you doing this far north?" Devi asked. Basilisks and wyrms were deadly, but they tended to stick to the warmer climate of the southern provinces. If Lavoie had experience with them, it was likely she wouldn't freeze up in battle, but that was poor consolation if she couldn't remember the proper spells. With a dragon, Devi was as good as dead if she faced a dragon on her own.
"Expanding my experience," Lavoie said. She clapped her hands together, her smile widening. "So, first light?"
Devi nodded shortly, not sure what was worse: a jackass full of his own importance or a novice mage excited to be facing a dragon. She supposed it depended on whether Lavoie could do her part of the job.
"I can do that," Lavoie said. "Do you need anything? I can arrange supplies, if you like. Give you a chance to settle in, since you had to ride hard to get here so fast."
"Beaumont is taking care of it," Devi said. She reluctantly gave Lavoie credit for being willing to leave so early on such short notice.
"All right, well, I won't keep you," Lavoie said amiably, guiding Devi toward the door. "I'm sure you'd like to get some rest."
"Yes," Devi said. "I'll meet you in the stables in the morning, just before dawn."
"Sounds good," Lavoie said, her good cheer never fading.
If she had a bad opinion of Devi, at least it didn't show. If Devi survived the dragon, this might not turn out to be such a bad mission. Lavoie shut the door behind her and Devi headed to the mess instead of to her room. The combatants who had been there when she'd first come in were gone, likely off to find their own beds. There was a hot meal and a tankard of ale ready for her, brought out by a young man with an unfortunate cowlick and a cheerful smile despite the hour.
"Is it too late for me to get a bath?" Devi asked, as he set the meal before her.
"No, miss," he said, his voice deeper than his young face suggested. "There's a bathing room at the end of each floor. We've got magic in the pipes, so you can draw a heated bath whenever you like."
"Thank you," Devi said, pleased by that news. She'd only ever been to an outpost with running water once before and unfortunately hadn't had the time to take advantage of it. When she'd been to Outpost 24 previously, it hadn't had that—or Beaumont, but Facilitators did swap out or get promoted quickly.
Digging into her meal, Devi considered Lavoie. There was something strange about her, but Devi couldn't put her finger on what it was. Perhaps it was that she was friendly? Devi wasn't used to that from the mages she worked with, though there was every chance Lavoie's demeanor would change when she figured out Devi wasn't the nicest person to work with.
It could be that she was a green mage, at least when it came to dragons. Devi couldn't fathom why the Facilitators would do such a thing. Dragons were taken very seriously, so maybe there was reason to suspect that the beast reported in the Red Forest wasn't actually a dragon. That, or there was a lack of other options when it came to mages.
Lavoie didn't seem very experienced in traveling, either, not if she planned to bring all of the books and clothing she'd had scattered about her room. Added to her lack of experience with dragons, Devi had a bad feeling about the assignment. She wasn't going to back out, though; people depended on combatants to keep the kingdom safe, and Devi would do her job until she died or they locked her up for being mean to idiots.
*~*~*
Devi yawned, scanning the stable yard as she crossed it. There was no sign of Lavoie, but Devi would have her roused if she overslept. That had been one of Faucher's problems with her: he'd been chronically unable to get up at a decent hour and had kept trying to stop their travels early, and Devi hadn't tolerated that.
Unfortunately, part of being assigned to a mage meant not leaving them to fend for themselves. When Faucher had remembered that, he'd started stopping and refusing to go any further, which had left Devi with little choice but to stop too.
She hoped Lavoie wouldn't be that kind of hassle. They were supposed to be fighting beasts, not fighting each other. Devi would resign her commission as a combatant if she had to deal with that level of entitlement again. Striding into the stable, Devi was pleasantly surprised to find Lavoie was already there.
Lavoie was dressed for travel, in simple, form-fitting trousers and a light, airy shirt that would keep her cool without restricting her movements. She looked good, and Devi squashed that thought, because the last thing she needed now as another complication. Lavoie was securing a small set of travel bags to her horse, and there was no sign of the books and extra belongings she'd had in her room the previous night.
Devi made herself move, crossing the stable to where her horse waited near Lavoie's, already saddled and waiting. Murmuring a few soft words to it, she petted its nose briefly before moving to attach her bags behind the saddle. Devi took her time checking the straps and saddle and ensuring all the tack fell as it should and was secure. Once she was finished with that, Devi straightened and turned back towards Lavoie.
"Good morning," Lavoie said, her smile warm, but tired. Devi squashed any guilt; Lavoie had said first light was fine, after all. "All set?"
Devi nodded, giving Lavoie's horse a critical look. Everything seemed to be in order, and Devi conceded Lavoie knew what she was about. She needed to stop expecting Lavoie to be like Faucher.
"Let's get going, then," Devi said. She led her horse from the stable and mounted, scowling at the stable yard before forcing herself to relax. She was getting too knotted up over Lavoie, between her warm, pretty smiles and her being, if not experienced, at least confident and willing to do the job.
Devi contemplated resigning then and there. The assignment was going to be more aggravation than it was worth, and all she had to look forward to when it was over was being officially sanctioned because of Faucher's complaint. It was a dragon, though. If it had been anything else, Devi could have walked, but not a dragon.
Devi waited—and watched—as Lavoie mounted her own horse. She moved gracefully, obviously long used to riding and all the requisite motions. Devi would only give her credit if she could handle the day of riding that Devi had planned, however.
New Haven was getting busy as they rode through it, with people venturing out on their first errands of the day. It wasn't so busy that they had much trouble navigating the streets, and Devi planned to be long gone before the traffic got to that point. Lavoie seemed content to ride in silence, at least for the moment. They passed through the west gate in the strongwall with a minimum of fuss, and then they were on the road that would take them to the Red Forest.
The day was a bit chilly, but it would warm up in a few hours. Fall was the best time of the year to travel; it didn't get too hot, and the evenings, while chilly, were still bearable. They continued to ride in silence, and Devi enjoyed the quiet ride, pleased that Lavoie wasn't someone who found it necessary to fill every moment with the sound of her voice.
It was nearly an hour later when Lavoie broke the silence, asking, "Have you ever faced a dragon before?"
"A few," Devi said. Lavoie was abreast of her, a few paces away, and she rode with the same ease she'd displayed mounting her horse.
"What kind?" Lavoie asked, which meant her research hadn't been completely useless. Unlike basilisks and wyrms, there were several very different types of dragons.
"A small spike, a caver, two flies, and a snake," Devi listed, grinning when Lavoie shot her a startled look. Devi had expected that reaction; most of the higher-level combatants and mages specialized in the beasts they killed. Up north, that meant they picked one or two types of dragons. Devi's experience with almost all types was unusual. She was also good at killing other things, which was probably one of the reasons she hadn't been dismissed despite the complaints leveled against her.
"Two flies?" Lavoie repeated, her eyebrows raising. "Aren't they the fastest?" Flies were the dragons that could actually use their wings to fly. The two other winged dragon species—spikes and grievers—couldn't do more than use their wings defensively.
"Yes, but the caver was the most difficult. Flies aren't hard if you have the right spells distracting it and keeping it from flying too high. Cavers are quick, though, and protected by their dwellings. You have to draw them out; attacking one in its den is suicide." That was one of Devi's least-favorite memories. Her assigned mage had been extremely inexperienced. He never should have been promoted up to a Level 8 Mage. He'd had to cast three spells before the caver had been driven from its cave, and he'd used too much energy to cast those spells and had been useless to do anything else.
"Why not wait for it to come out?" Lavoie asked, tilting her head curiously. It took Devi a minute to recognize that Lavoie wasn't being patronizing, but was honestly curious. She really needed a break; Faucher had left more of an impression than Devi liked.
"Cavers binge, then hibernate," Devi said succinctly. "We would have been waiting weeks or months, and cavers like to burrow, too, so there was no telling where it would have ended up."
"I didn't know they burrowed," Lavoie said. "Huh."
Devi didn't answer that, because she had nothing polite to say to that. She looked away from Lavoie, not wanting to see the smile on her face. She glanced down the road, but there was no one else on the road. Her eyes immediately sought out possible sites for ambushes, even though they didn't need to worry about bandits. The road they traveled was maintained by the government, which meant regular patrols. Besides which, only stupid bandits would try anything on a Level 8 Combatant and a Level … whatever level mage Lavoie was.
She sneaked a glance at Lavoie, but she couldn't see the patch that proclaimed Lavoie a mage. It was on her shirt, if Devi recalled correctly, but she hadn't gotten a good look at it earlier and none of her orders had mentioned what level mage Lavoie was. At least an 8, since she'd been assigned to a dragon.
"Do you have any information on the dragon we'll be facing?" Devi asked, reminded that she had very few details on the assignment.
"Not much," Lavoie said, her mouth twisting in annoyance. "It was sighted due west of the town of Gimshy. Type undetermined, though it's not a flyer and it's been stealing livestock regularly over the last few weeks, so probably not a caver."
Devi nodded, mulling that over. A caver would have binged over a day or two, and then retreated to its burrow to hibernate. A snake was as distinctive as a flyer; they had no legs and resembled a giant snake. That left spikes, grievers, and rakes, none of which were easy to kill for experienced mages and combatants, let alone a novice.
"Any reports of fire?" Devi asked. "Or whether it had wings?"
Lavoie shook her head, her braid swinging with the movement. "The report I received was short, with no mention of wings or fire. Either could have been left out." Lavoie hesitated, before adding, "I can show you when we stop for the evening, if you like?"
"I would," Devi said, surprised at the offer. Sharing orders wasn't typically done. "Thank you."
Lavoie smiled briefly, but it almost immediately faded in lieu of a pensive look. She didn't say anything further, so Devi left her to her thoughts, content to ride in the relative quiet. They stopped only briefly throughout the day, when the horses required rest. It was an uncomfortable riding pace, but Lavoie didn't complain. Devi liked her more for it, despite her intentions to keep her distance.
It helped that, while Lavoie had never faced a dragon, she obviously had done some research on them. Still, Devi wasn't certain Lavoie would face a dragon without faltering. What if she threw the wrong spell and tapped herself out trying to take out a griever like it was a spike? Devi was good, but she wasn't good enough to take out a dragon on her own. She'd only managed the caver that one time because it had been young, and she hadn't exactly walked away from that one.
The afternoon wore on slowly, the towns along the road becoming sparser and smaller. If Devi had mapped their travels correctly, they'd have the chance to stop in town the following evening, but they'd be camping out the rest of the trip to the Red Forest.
They stopped half an hour before sunset in a large, sprawling meadow. This late in the summer, the grasses were tall, about hip-height on Devi. A copse of small, stubby trees, rife with green leaves that were beginning to fade to yellow, grew a few dozen yards from the road, and Devi led the way to them. She was looking forward to getting out of the saddle, even if sleeping on the ground was going to be just as uncomfortable.
"I'll set up protections, if you'll take care of the horses?" Lavoie offered, as though expecting Devi to refuse.
"Sure." Devi wasn't going to turn down the offer of mage protection while camping in the open. They weren't likely to run into anything dangerous until they got closer to the border, but making assumptions could be deadly.
Lavoie smiled, looking relieved at the answer, and Devi wondered if she'd had a bad experience with a combatant recently. She seemed as if she was testing the waters, though for what, Devi wasn't sure. It didn't matter, though; all that mattered was that Lavoie did her job, and did it well.
Devi kept an eye on Lavoie, partly out of an overabundance of caution and partly out of curiosity. She wanted to see Lavoie cast. That would be a good indicator of how comfortable she was with her magic.
Very, Devi decided, watching as Lavoie squinted at the meadow, pacing around a wide area while letting spell words tumble from her lips. She never faltered, never looked unsure, and there was no hesitancy in her movements at all as she staked out the area of protection with her steps.
It only added to her appeal, and Devi forced herself to stop paying attention to Lavoie and finish with the horses.
The spot they were camping was a popular one. The grasses had been trampled down and there was a fire pit set up in a hollow where no grass grew. Devi eyed it a moment, before deciding it was safe enough to keep from igniting a fire in the meadow.
"Here, let me," Lavoie said, finished with her spell of protection. She joined Devi by the pit, and Devi gladly let her take over building the fire. There was a small pile of wood—left by a previous camper—which would be enough to let them heat something for dinner. As warm as the night promised to be, and with Lavoie's protection spell, they wouldn't need the fire all night.
Lavoie started the fire by hand, not magically. A good conservation of mage energy, Devi thought, then stopped herself from watching Lavoie and went to set up their bedrolls. She spaced them far enough apart that no single creature could wound them both in one easy strike. Lavoie was working on dinner when Devi finished, and Devi left her to it.
Stalking around the camp, Devi noted the edges of the protection spell. It was barely visible in the fading light; the only hint was in the way the grass bent away. It was a decently-sized enclosure, and despite the signs of the campsite's frequent use, Devi double checked that there were no hidden nests or lairs lurking in the tall grasses.
Lavoie had a small journal propped in her lap when Devi returned to the fireside. She was scrawling notes out quickly, intent on whatever she was writing. Devi didn't snoop, curious but not so much that invading Lavoie's privacy was justified. She settled close by and stared out at the meadow, enjoying the quiet sounds of insects and frogs, the snap of the fire, and the scratch of Lavoie's pen.
"Oh, here," Lavoie said. She shut her pen in the journal and flipped to the back of it, where she pulled out a thin paper. She passed it to Devi and then returned to whatever she'd been writing.
Devi flipped the page open and scanned the neat, precise handwriting that covered the paper. As Lavoie had said, it didn't have much detail. The dragon sighting hadn't been confirmed by the writer, but the amount of livestock that had been killed and eaten, the mess left behind, and the accounts of the villagers were more than enough to treat it as though it were a dragon. The western-most village, Gimshy, was the most affected, so they were to begin the search there. Folding the missive back into thirds, Devi returned it to Lavoie, who tucked it back into her journal.
"Their information leaves something to be desired," Lavoie said, tucking the journal and pen away in her bag.
"That's typical of border outposts," Devi said, shrugging. She was long used to doing most of the information gathering herself. Border outposts had more important things to worry about—such as surviving—than sorting out every detail of the beasts they summoned combatants and mages to battle. "They have a lot to deal with and are usually understaffed."
"Ah," Lavoie said, smiling. "I suppose I've been spoiled. I was only given assignments once it had been ascertained there was a basilisk or a full grown wyrm."
"How long have you been working as a mage?" Devi asked, startled. She didn't know of any mages or combatants that were reserved in that manner. Assignments went to the closest available mage and combatant with the training and experience to deal with the beast in question.
"Eight years," Lavoie said, pursing her lips as though she expected Devi to question that number.
"That's a year less than I've been a combatant," Devi said, standing to go fetch her pack where she'd left it on the far side of the fire pit.
"Excellent," Lavoie said happily. Devi looked askance at her, wondering why she was so pleased by that.
"Nine years is a long time," Lavoie said, pausing to pull the small, bubbling pot from the fire. "Here, hand me your bowl. I can trust you know what you're about. I've known Level 8 Combatants who don't know the right end of the sword to point."
"Unlike a mage who's never faced a dragon before?" Devi asked dryly, accepting the bowl of … something that Lavoie passed her. It was a soup or a stew, some mix of vegetables and meat and Devi couldn't quite gauge the thickness of it. It smelled fine and it was hot, so she sat down to eat.
"I know what I'm about," Lavoie said, mildly, dishing herself the remaining portion. "I'm not a green mage, and I know how to work with a combatant, not against."
Devi inclined her head, acknowledging that point. "Can you guarantee you'll remember the right spell when you're facing the dragon?"
"I can't promise more than that I'll do my best," Lavoie said. Not exactly reassuring, but it was an honest answer, and not boastful or overconfident. "Narrowing down the type of dragon helped. I don't need to worry about a number of spells, because it's not a caver or a flyer."
"Probably not a snake, either," Devi said. "They don't move quickly enough to get away without being seen by more than a single villager. Once we arrive, we might be able to get more information to narrow it down to a single type. If we're lucky, we can figure out the type and have a day to prepare before taking it out."
"That would be the best case scenario," Lavoie said. She had a level head, Devi would give her that; she'd not been ruffled by Devi's doubts. "But I'll prepare as though we'll be facing the dragon immediately when we arrive."
"How?" Devi asked, beginning to eat.
"I'll study the spells for each type of dragon it could be, until I can recall them on cue," Lavoie said. She spoke confidently, with no hesitation, as though that wouldn't be a problem. "Though I'm not sure I'll be able to recognize the type of dragon on sight."
"It's either a spike, a griever, or a rake," Devi said. "Spikes are easy to recognize, since they're covered in spikes. Grievers are larger than rakes."
"Which won't help, since I don't know how big they are in the first place," Lavoie said, her smile half-hidden in the shadows cast by the small fire.
"If it spits fire, it's a griever," Devi said. "If it doesn't, it's a rake. I can always shout what it is, if you're unsure."
"I hope it's a spike or a rake," Lavoie said, sensibly. She might be looking for more challenging kills, but it didn't seem like she was being cocky about it. "Dealing with fire on top of everything else would be unpleasant."
"Mmm." Devi almost wished Lavoie would stop being so practical. Devi liked that, and combined with Lavoie being quick to smile and easy on the eyes… well, that spelled trouble. Devi had more important things to worry about than being attracted to her mage. There was the dragon, for one, and the impending complaint from Faucher for another. She didn't need more complications and attraction to a mage definitely fit under the category of 'complication.'
"So what made you join up, Combatant Bissette?" Lavoie asked. Devi rolled her eyes because that was the ever-ubiquitous campfire question.
"Devi," Devi said, instead of answering. At Lavoie's curious look, she clarified, "You may as well use my first name, if we're working together."
"Ah." Lavoie smiled, and the long shadows of twilight made her face even prettier. "Then you should call me Noeme. Since we're working together."
Was there a hint of suggestion in her voice? No, Devi was hearing what she wanted to hear.
"You never answered my question," Noeme said. She set her bowl on the ground beside her, focusing all of her attention on Devi.
"Do you care or are you just making conversation?" Devi asked bluntly. To her surprise, Noeme laughed. Not mockingly, but as though she was genuinely amused by Devi's shortness.
"Both," Noeme said, her smile crinkling the corners of her mouth again. Devi hoped Noeme did something idiotic soon, because if she kept being friendly and sweet and competent, Devi was definitely going to do something stupid. "I really do like to hear what makes people sign up to be a combatant. It's not an easy job."
"I lived on the border growing up. It was worse back then, and I got to see firsthand the damage these creatures inflict," Devi said. She shrugged, as though it didn't matter. She tried not to think about it often, but it was hard not to remember that she'd lost everything—her family, her village, her friends, and her home—in a single attack by a griever nearly ten years ago. She'd been on a trip to a nearby city with two others; there had been nothing when they returned.
"A good reason," Noeme said. She didn't press for more details and Devi respected that.
"And you?" Devi asked, well aware that asking Noeme that after her own scorn of the question was a little hypocritical. Noeme didn't seem the type to be in it for the bounties, although killing the large beasts—dragons included—did pay well. She also didn't seem to be in it for the prestige, which had been Faucher's very vocal reason for doing it.
"I have magic," Noeme said. "I wanted to do something good with it and I'm not cut out for healing, so mage it was."
Devi snorted, disbelieving.
"I also want to be good at magic," Noeme said. Devi could barely see her eyebrows rise in the light cast by the tiny fire. "Battle magics is do or die—or be seriously injured, I suppose. It's a great way to hone my skills."
"And why you want to tangle with a dragon," Devi said. She could understand that, even if she wasn't pleased to be on the receiving end of Noeme's novice dragon-killing spells.
"Yes," Noeme agreed, one corner of her mouth quirking up. "I know you have no reason to believe me, but I promise I'm a competent mage."
"The protection spell was good," Devi said, shrugging. Standing, she started packing up the dishes and supplies that Noeme had pulled out to put together dinner. Noeme watched, but didn't say anything as Devi tucked away dishes and double checked the horses were settled.
It was only when Devi began to bed down that Noeme rifled through her bag, retrieving a thick book. It was dark, Devi thought with a frown; surely Noeme didn't mean to be studying more in this gloom? In the next second, Noeme conjured a small, bright light in the palm of her hand, flooding the clearing with light. She shielded it, blocking the light spilling across the campsite, so that only her lap—and the book—was illuminated.
Devi left her to it. There was little chance the light would attract anything dangerous, and if it did, the protective barrier would prevent it getting through. If Noeme wanted to cut her sleep short, that was her prerogative. She was an adult and Devi wasn't a babysitter. She also wouldn't pander to Noeme; they'd still leave at first light come morning.
Settling into her bedroll, Devi turned her back on Noeme and went to sleep.
*~*~*
They reached the town of Hershire about an hour after dusk the following day. The ride had been pleasant, the weather staying nice and Noeme proving to be a good conversationalist. Granted, most of their conversation had centered around dragons—how to distinguish them from each other, Devi's strategies for the different types, and Noeme going over the different spells for each type. Devi was feeling more confident that Noeme wouldn't get her killed—injured, maybe, but they stood a chance of taking the dragon out at least.
Hershire was a large town. It was a central western town, from which six different trade routes branched out. One of those trade routes would lead Devi and Noeme to the Red Forest. The town had dozens of inns and taverns, alongside all sorts of shops to cater to the merchants who traveled through the town.
Devi had stopped in Hershire almost a dozen times on her way to one border outpost or another. She usually stayed at the Hershire outpost, but the building had been decimated after a burnt-out mage had been spooked and accidentally cast a fire spell at a large insect. A new outpost was being constructed, but it wouldn't be complete for another half a year. Instead, Devi headed for an inn at the center of town that was well-known among combatants for taking excellent care of horses. It wasn't the cheapest inn in town, but it was money well-spent, particularly given how hard Devi worked her horse.
The inn had a tavern on the first floor, and a series of rooms on the second and third. Eschewing the communal rooms, Devi shelled out a little more for a private room for her and Noeme. She wanted to actually rest, not worry about being stabbed, robbed, or worse. Noeme stayed quiet and let her handle the transaction, then followed Devi up to the third floor to their room.
"Do you always get a private room?" Noeme asked, setting her bag on the tiny table the room boasted.
The room was a bit worn around the edges, with frayed curtains and a faded bedspread. It was well cared for despite that, however; there was no dust, and the room smelled of soap and fresh air. A fire crackled in the grate, taking the chill from the air. The bed was large enough for three and the furniture was in good repair, even if it wasn't expensively built or new.
"If I can," Devi said, shrugging. She dropped her bag on the ground, and then stretched out her back and shoulders. The riding was starting to make her sore, used to it or not. At Noeme's inquisitive look, Devi explained, "It's safer than common rooms."
"Ah," Noeme said. She wrinkled her nose. "It also smells nicer."
"That, too," Devi said, though she'd put up with the smell if she must. When she'd been a Level 1 Combatant, common rooms were all she and her Level 1 Mage partners could afford, even with the Crown reimbursing their rooms. Their expense budgets had been meager at best. She didn't bother getting her rooms reimbursed, anymore; she could afford the rooms, and it wasn't as though she had anything else on which to spend her wages.
"I'm going to read until dinner gets here," Noeme said, already digging through her bag. She pulled out the thick tome she'd been reading the previous evening, then settled down in one of the chairs by the table.
Devi left her to it, stripping off her lightweight armor and setting it down on the floor next to her bag. It needed a bit of work, which she'd take care of after dinner. Once she'd removed all of the armor, Devi set to stretching all of the kinks out of her sore and tired muscles.
Dinner arrived after about half an hour. Noeme answered the door without hesitation, and it was a great relief to be traveling with someone who didn't put up a fuss about doing the littlest things. Faucher was too much of a goddamn fusspot to make a good mage, and Devi hoped he'd give up on the Mages Corps quickly, before he got someone killed.
The smell of cooked pork and spices followed Noeme as she set the tray of dishes down on the table. Devi only had a few more sets of stretches to complete, so she kept going, even though her stomach growled hungrily at the smell of the food. Noeme sat down again and buried her nose in her book, though she had to be as hungry as Devi. They had stopped only briefly to eat, early in the afternoon.
Straightening from her last stretch with a pop of joints—and didn't that make her feel old—Devi crossed the room to the table, taking the seat across from Noeme. She passed out the plates, utensils, and flagons of ale, then set aside the tray as Noeme slowly and reluctantly closed her book.
"Reading up on dragons?" Devi asked. Noeme seemed to know everything she could about dragons, and Devi doubted re-reading the material over and over again was so enthralling that Noeme would have trouble putting away the book.
"Yes," Noeme said with her usual smile. She ate some of the greens off her plate before continuing, "I've got the basics down, but that book details some additional strategies of what to do if the basic spells don't work. It also gives a brief history on the spells that have been tried in the past. Did you know that fire spells were once the standard spell used against dragons? Back when mages and combatants weren't partnered up."
"That would take a lot of fire," Devi said, raising her eyebrows. She'd never heard of such a thing, but then, the combatant-and-mage system had been in place for nearly as long as she'd been alive.
"Oh, did it ever," Noeme agreed. "The mages had to enhance their fire spells with charms and amulets."
"Expensive," Devi said, taking a swig of her ale before cutting into a slice of the roasted pork. The cost of that had probably been one of the major motivations for the current system; partnering a mage and a combatant together made killing beasts easier and recovery time quicker. If anything, personality conflicts were the only drawback.
"Precisely," Noeme said. "It also killed as many mages as it did beasts, since the amulets were often poorly made, which made the amplified fire spell hard to control."
"Ouch," Devi muttered. Death by fire was not the way she wanted to go. She'd come too close to that a time or two for her liking. If this dragon didn't get her, novice mages were probably going to be the death of her.
"Dragons are the worst of the beasts, too," Noeme said. Devi smothered a smile with a swallow of ale; apparently Noeme was prone to talking a lot when it came to magic and beasts. Devi could live with that. It was better than her not being able to shut up about herself, like a lot of the mages with whom Devi got paired. "Basilisks are tough, but they just require a bit of special equipment, and then they're like overgrown wyrms." At Devi's questioning look, Noeme clarified, "There's a special sheer blindfold that counters the effect of the basilisk stare."
"Ah," Devi said, wondering how that affected the combatant's ability to fight. It was difficult to fight a beast with compromised vision.
"Dragons, though, don't have any physical weaknesses besides their eyes, which are tough to get at," Noeme continued, grimacing. "They are also hard to harm with spells. Fire is only so effective, and the best a mage can do is to confuse or distract it."
"Which is why only high level mages and combatants are allowed to face them," Devi said. She was surprised when Noeme blushed, bright pink color suffusing her cheeks.
"Sorry," Noeme said, smiling a crooked, self-deprecating smile. "I tend to get carried away without thinking."
"It's fine," Devi said, raising her eyebrows. "Hearing about dragons makes a fine respite from the usual conversation I have with mages."
"Oh?" Noeme asked, her brow furrowing. She ate some more of her dinner, picking around the edges of her meat.
"Usually about how skilled they are," Devi said, shrugging. "Where they went to school, what makes them the best mage ever, that sort of thing."
"That sounds thrilling," Noeme said. "Though I don't know. Being told everything you already know about dragons can't be all that interesting, either."
"I know how to fight a dragon," Devi said. She shrugged, spearing a chunk of potato with her fork. "The history, and how we've gotten to the current ways and means of fighting them, is not something that was relevant to my schooling." Devi left it unspoken that she therefore wouldn't have been taught it. Combatant schools focused on physical skills and only cursorily on anything else. Devi knew how to read and write, but history hadn't been on the curriculum.
"I can lend you the book, if you like," Noeme offered, her face back to its normal creamy white color.
Devi chewed her potato slowly, surprised at the offer. Books weren't inexpensive; if Noeme was willing to lend it, she had to own it, and parting with an investment of that size was impressively generous. "I doubt I'd have time to read it before we parted ways," Devi said, reluctantly being practical about it. Noeme probably was only offering to be nice, in any case.
"You could take it with you and have it posted back to my house," Noeme said, sipping her ale. She looked thoughtful, but only added, "You can read it in your down time between missions or on your next break."
"I don't take breaks," Devi said. She didn't bother to mention that she rarely got downtime between missions, either. The only reason she'd gotten away with skipping most of the mandated breaks—and surviving the four complaints she'd received—was her level of skill. There were very few Level 8 Combatants, and fewer still Level 9 or 10. She was needed.
"Everyone has to take breaks," Noeme said, setting down her flagon too hard in surprise. "I mean, it's law. Especially for combatants."
"Too many things need killing," Devi said. "I don't have anything to do on breaks when I take them, anyway." When she was eventually forced to take a break—which hadn't happened in something like a year—Devi would travel out to the border towns and hire herself out as a mercenary, taking on some of the smaller beasts that she could handle without magical backup.
"You don't have… " Noeme shut her mouth with a click of teeth, her face coloring again.
"I don't have a home to go back to, no," Devi said, wondering if that was too much information.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—" Noeme looked down at her plate, obviously upset that she'd mentioned it, and Devi rolled her eyes. She wasn't some fragile flower in need of reassurance.
"It's fine," Devi said, but that didn't seem to reassure Noeme. Normally, Devi would have left her to work it out on her own, but Noeme was different. She wasn't like the other mages Devi had worked with recently, and she'd been nothing but nice to Devi. It was a pleasant change and Devi didn't want to mess it up over something so stupid. "It's been ten years since it happened, and I haven't found anywhere I want to settle, yet."
"What are you looking for, if you don't mind me asking?" Noeme asked, much more subdued than when she'd been rambling about dragons.
"I haven't figured that out, either," Devi said, smiling faintly. "Probably why I don't have a place, yet."
"Ah," Noeme said, returning the smile cautiously. "So what do you do when you do get time off?"
"I travel." She wasn't willing to admit that she worked freelance on the side. Somehow, she didn't think Noeme would be very impressed by that. Not that she was looking to impress Noeme. She wasn't, even if she cared more than she should what Noeme thought of her.
"Sounds tiring," Noeme said softly, her pretty mouth shaping into a frown. "Don't you ever just want to stop?"
"Sometimes." There wasn't much more to say than that, however, not without delving into the whiny bullshit that Devi hated. She liked what she did. If there wasn't much to her life outside of that, well, that was her problem and no one else's.
"Well, you can still borrow the book," Noeme said stubbornly, lifting her chin, as though braced for an argument. "And send it back to me whenever you finish it, be it in a few months or a few years."
It would be smarter to say no, Devi knew. Carrying around a thick book that she didn't need to survive or do her job was stupid. Still, she wanted to say yes. She liked the idea of borrowing from Noeme, even if it was just a silly book. That meant that, down the road, they'd cross paths again. Even if it was only through written form.
"All right," Devi said.
Noeme smiled brightly, all trace of her distress gone. "Excellent. I should be able to finish it by the time we reach the Red Forest, so I'll give it to you then," Noeme said happily, spearing a carrot on her plate forcefully. "You'll have to let me know what you think, when you do get a chance to read it."
"I will," Devi said, amused despite herself and pleased that Noeme was cheered up. "Though don't expect to hear anything quickly." That might be untrue, though; if Faucher's complaint came to anything, she might actually have the time to read the book in the near future. Hopefully, if anything, they stuck her on an enforced break. Devi wasn't sure what she'd do if she was drummed out of the combatants completely. Probably turn full-time to the mercenary gig, but that wasn't something she wanted to think about.
"I won't. Take your time reading it. It's well worth the time," Noeme said, then paused thoughtfully. "At least, the parts I've read are. You probably won't be very interested in the sections on the battle spells, but there are some sections on combatant training that might make up for that."
"I'll let you know," Devi said.
Noeme laughed sheepishly, shaking her head. "I'm getting carried away again, I'm sorry."
"I don't mind, I promise," Devi said, offering Noeme a smile of her own. She couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled this much, and that was probably a sign of how much trouble she was in when it came to Noeme. "As I said, it's much better than listening to a long monologue about mage school or spells."
"Well, I also don't want to tell you everything in the book. Then you'll have no reason to read it." Noeme tilted her head. "If you don't mind, though, I'd love to hear about some of your past exploits. It's rare I get to work with a combatant with as much experience as you obviously have."
"What do you want to hear about?" Devi asked, coming up blank, though she knew she had plenty of interesting tales to share.
"Maybe a dragon fight?" Noeme suggested, flashing a grin. "Then I can make sure you're up to the task of dragon fighting." The words were said in a completely solemn tone, but the twinkle in Noeme's eyes belied her voice.
Devi snorted. "None of my dragon slaying stories do me much credit, I'm afraid. I haven't dealt with a dragon in several months."
"So, you're like a novice in dragon fighting?" Noeme asked innocently, a wicked curve to her mouth that made Devi want to kiss her.
"Combatant training isn't as specialized as mage training, as I've been told a dozen times by various mages," Devi said, giving into the urge to roll her eyes. "I can fight a dragon with my normal training. The first dragon I fought was a caver. I was paired with a fresh Level 8 Mage and neither of us knew what we were doing, other than killing the dragon. This was … three years back?" Devi guessed, only belatedly realizing that that gave away more information than she wanted. Combatants were typically advanced after two years of service in the field at each level; sooner if they dealt with suitably dangerous beasts. Noeme didn't seem to think anything of it, though, so Devi continued.
"It was by the northern border. The caver had gotten four yaks and a little boy who'd gotten too close." Noeme grimaced, but continued to listen intently. "We tracked it down to an ice burrow outside the village, but it was in deep. The mage I was with had only studied the spells for spikes and tried to burn it out. He managed to get it out, but he spent all of his energy on his fire spells."
"Leaving you to deal with it on your own?" Noeme asked, looking horrified.
"Exactly. Cavers aren't small beasts, either. They're about the size of two full-grown yaks put together, and the only reason it didn't immediately kill me was that the recent feeding slowed it down. I managed to wound it, but then we had to retreat," Devi said, vividly remembering the cold and the sickly-sweet, rotting smell the caver emanated. "The mage fighting with me wanted to go for reinforcements, but I convinced him to come back out with me the next day."
"You should have called for reinforcements," Noeme said, then flushed. "I mean, obviously you managed it, but—"
"Oh, I agree," Devi smiled. "But we were young and freshly advanced to Level 8. We didn't want to seem like we needed help, so we went after it again." Devi paused. "I like to think I've grown out of that, so if we do end up needing reinforcements, I won't be stupid enough to protest it."
Noeme laughed, curling her hands around the flagon of ale. Her plate was empty now, and Devi realized she'd gotten caught up talking and hadn't finished her own food. Something else that hadn't happened in a long time, and Devi pointedly didn't think about it. Worst case, she'd end up with a friend from this mission, something that happened so rarely that she didn't want to look the gift horse in the mouth.
"We went back out and tracked the caver down again," Devi continued, wetting her throat with some ale before continuing. "It wasn't hard to find, since it was still bleeding all over the place from where I'd managed to wound it. It had burrowed again, but much more shallowly, and we ended up debating how to get it out for a half an hour."
"Debating?" Noeme asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Loudly," Devi said, grinning. "I was convinced another fire spell would tap him out, and he was convinced it was the only way to get the caver out. In any case, he was wrong, because our shouting apparently enraged the caver enough that it sprung out and tried to kill us to get us to shut up."
"Oh, stars and moon," Noeme said, laughing. "Really? I didn't know cavers didn't like noise."
"I don't know if all cavers don't like noise, but we certainly pissed that one off. It might have been a combination of the wound, being unable to burrow, and knowing we were there? It also may have been tempted to make a snack of us to help speed its healing from the wound I gave it," Devi said. "No one else I've talked to has had the same experience, though we went a roundabout way of getting that experience, so that's not really surprising."
"So what then?" Noeme asked. Her eyes were bright with laughter and her cheeks flushed with alcohol or mirth, and it was a lovely look on her that Devi was most definitely not noticing.
"Ah, then we scrambled. He tried to set it on fire and I rushed it, and then he cast an ice spell and we somehow managed to get it stunned and killed, though even now I'm not sure how," Devi said, leaving out the part where she'd managed to get a caver claw embedded deep in her leg. That hadn't been her best fight, although it also hadn't been her worst. "The mage I was partnered with didn't even have the energy to burn the carcass, so we had to leave it there for the villagers to take care of. They weren't very pleased by that."
"I imagine not, if everything I've read about the smell is true," Noeme said, wrinkling her nose.
"It's true," Devi said, grimacing. "It took me a week of baths to feel like the smell was gone."
"It's worth it, though," Noeme said, quiet and sure.
"No doubt about it," Devi agreed, and perhaps it was the ale loosening her tongue, but she stupidly continued, "I may not always enjoy the company, but I can't imagine doing anything else."
"Had a lot of bad mages?" Noeme asked, smiling teasingly. "I'm not one of them, am I?"
"No, you're one of the better partners I've had in a while," Devi admitted, shrugging. She opened her mouth to wax poetic on the subject, and then thought better of it. Noeme didn't want to listen to her bitching about past partners.
"Who's the worst you've had?" Noeme asked, curious. "I've had my fair share of bad combatants, but they tend to be more down to earth than mages. I don't know that I could work with another mage, honestly."
"The worst ones don't take the job seriously," Devi said. "They're in it for the bounty they earn, and want to do things on a very leisurely schedule."
"I bet they don't like your schedule at all," Noeme said thoughtfully. She didn't seem to be offended by Devi's characterization of her peers. She had said she wouldn't be able to work with other mages, after all.
"Not usually," Devi said, unconcerned. "I don't care what they like. Protecting people is more important than playing nice."
"I bet that gets you in a lot of trouble." Noeme was smiling, but there was something off about it. Devi wasn't sure what Noeme was trying to get her to say, but she didn't like being led.
"Mm." Instead of answering, Devi returned to eating. Noeme continued to look pensive, as though she was stewing on something, and Devi didn't want to know what she was thinking about. Probably sorting Devi out. Devi had dropped more than enough hints for Noeme to follow that Devi didn't play nice with others and that was probably the reason she'd been held back from advancing to Level 9.
"Sorry, I was thinking it's nice to meet a combatant who's actually serious about their job," Noeme said, shaking her head as though to clear her thoughts. "I often get paired with the combatants who think it's all some big adventure and persist in telling me to keep my pretty head out of the way."
Devi snorted. "How often do the combatants assume you must be willing to sleep with them because you're a woman and they're a man?"
"Half the time," Noeme said, smiling mischievously. "Oddly, they stop when I tell them I learned a number of hexes to keep their dicks from working ever again."
"That would be useful," Devi said, laughing. "I don't get it often, but the ones I do get are never dissuaded until I remind them I have the training to selectively remove body parts and am willing to use it."
"I do wish there were more female combatants. It's hard to get paired with one these days, since they're in such a minority," Noeme said, making a face. "I've worked with some good men, but the women are always so much easier to work with."
"I think the problem goes both ways," Devi said, shrugging. "Most women mages that I know have gone into healing."
"True," Noeme said, scowling. "That's the 'womanly' magic, after all. Never mind that healing magics can be just as arduous and exhausting as battle magics."
"I wouldn't know. Magic has always been beyond me." There was no real 'acceptable' way for a woman to work as a combatant, but Devi had never let that stop her. She liked her fighting and she wasn't going to give it up simply because it wasn't a 'womanly' thing to do.
Stacking her empty plate and flagon on the tray, Devi stood. Noeme copied her, and Devi took the tray to the door, setting it outside in the hallway so the serving girl could collect it without disturbing them. Noeme had retrieved her book by the time Devi turned around, and Devi decided it was time to get some rest.
"I'm going to hit the sack. Don't worry about waking me when you turn in. I'm a heavy sleeper, so you won't." Devi yawned widely, tired, but more relaxed than she usually was when she was on an assignment. Good company worked wonders.
"All right," Noeme said, yawning in echo of Devi. "I probably won't stay up for long, but I want to do a little more reading tonight."
Devi nodded, stretching out her shoulders and back again. She glanced at Noeme partway through the stretch, surprised to see Noeme hastily drop her gaze to her book. Devi hesitated, but left it alone. She was reading too much into it; Noeme had simply looked at her book at the same second Devi looked at her.
Crossing the room, Devi climbed into bed, pleased at the fresh smell of soap and the soft, worn covers. She slid over to the far edge of the bed to make it easier for Noeme to join her later—something she was not thinking about—and curled up facing the wall. The sounds of the crackling fire and Noeme quietly turning pages were the last thing Devi heard before she slipped into sleep.
*~*~*
The five days of riding between Hershire and the Red Forest passed more quickly than any trip that Devi had taken in recent history. Trips on her own dragged with boredom; trips with mages or other company tended to be boring or filled with frustration, making them seem twice as long.
Travelling with Noeme was the opposite of boring. They traded stories of their novice days, and Noeme told Devi all about killing basilisks and wyrms. It was a tiring few days, as they barely paused in riding, but it was made so much more bearable by the pleasant conversation and company. Devi was going to miss Noeme when she was reassigned—or suspended, but even the looming threat of Faucher's complaint couldn't drag Devi down. She was honestly happy to be working for the first time in a long time, and she had Noeme to credit for all of it.
Even the weather was cooperating with them. It had been nothing but mild days and bright blue skies the entire time they'd been riding. Devi would be enjoying herself completely, except that she couldn't get a handle on whether Noeme was interested only in being friendly or if she was interested in more. Noeme was surprisingly hard to read given how open and friendly she was, and it didn't help that Devi had the feeling that she was hiding something or looking for something from Devi, even if Devi couldn't sort out what it was.
There were four villages near the edge of the Red Forest, spaced a few leagues away from each other. Devi and Noeme bypassed the first three, heading for the village on the western edge of the cluster of villages. Gimshy boasted a few dozen small cottages built haphazardly around a center square. Most of the villagers seemed to be hunters, with a few livestock keepers and one or two small farmers.
Devi made her way to the largest house in the village, Noeme riding behind her. The village was quiet and appeared almost deserted, though smoke rose from most of the cottages. People were likely staying inside for fear of the dragon, their cottages being the best defense they had.
"Stay here," Devi ordered, swinging down from her horse. Noeme didn't argue, staying seated. She scanned the surroundings, alert, and Devi smiled as she headed toward the house.
The house was the only two-story structure in the village. The whitewash on the outside was beginning to fade, but it was in good shape otherwise. Devi rapped loudly on the front door, which opened almost as soon as she was done knocking. A skinny, sallow-looking woman stared at her suspiciously, until her eyes lighted upon Devi's combatant badge.
"Oh, thank the moon," the woman breathed, the tension leaking from her thin frame. She sagged, leaning heavily on the door. "We didn't think you'd get here for another week!"
"We take dragons very seriously, ma'am," Devi said. "I'm Combatant Bissette. Are you the person to speak to about the dragon?"
"I'm as good as any. That fool, Hector, tried to deal with it himself and got lit on fire for the trouble," the woman said, scowling. She shooed Devi back and stepped outside, glancing around nervously. Devi's blood ran cold; fire meant a griever, which was the absolute worst thing the woman could have said. She didn't let that show on her face, though; no need to give the woman another reason to worry or be upset. "Best get your horses in the stable before we talk. Leaving any animal out is asking for another visit."
"Of course," Devi said. "Around back?"
"Yes, ma'am," the woman said. Devi stepped in front of her, preventing her from getting more than a step from the house.
"We'll take care of it. Stay inside, and we'll come join you," Devi said, giving the woman a smile. The woman smiled back gratefully, taking most of the shadows from her thin face.
"I'll get some tea started for you," the woman said.
Devi waited until she was back into the house before returning to her horse. "Stable is around back," Devi said to Noeme, not bothering to mount. She took her horse by the reins and started to lead it around the house. Noeme dismounted and followed suit.
The stable was a small, ramshackle building. It had three stalls; one was already filled with an old mare that looked two minutes from death's door, but the other two were empty. Devi led her horse into one, stripping it of the bare minimum. Noeme did the same with her horse, ensuring they'd be able to leave in a moment if needed, though if Devi had her way, they wouldn't be taking the horses anywhere near the dragon.
"It's a griever," Devi said, as they worked, checking briefly to make sure her sword was loose in its scabbard. "Has already gotten at least one villager when he tried to 'take care of it'."
"Okay," Noeme said, looking grave. She didn't say anything further, and Devi left her to her thoughts. If she knew Noeme at all, she'd be going over the spells for fighting a griever.
"I think it's too late in the afternoon to get to tracking it down today," Devi said, so that Noeme would know she'd have the chance to give the spells a thorough read-through that evening. "But we should be prepared in case it attacks the village tonight."
"Of course," Noeme said, scooping up her bags and slinging them over a shoulder. "We won't be taking the horses, will we? I don't believe mine has been trained for battle, and a dragon would surely scare her into throwing me at the worst possible moment."
"No, we'll be tracking it on foot," Devi said. "I just hope it's not too far out. I don't want to have to camp in the forest tracking it."
"It shouldn't be, not if it's regularly attacking one of the villages," Noeme said. "We'll make do if it is, though."
"Right." Devi took a deep breath and picked up her bags. She needed to focus on the upcoming fight, not on the fact they were fighting a griever. Getting worked up about what they were fighting wasn't going to help her actually fight it.
Her village had been a half a day's ride south of here, though, and Devi couldn't help but wonder if she was going to face the dragon that had decimated her home. They hadn't found the beast ten years ago, and no one had been able to track down a griever in the nearby area since. Devi had kept track and her stomach knotted thinking about it.
"Are you all right?" Noeme asked, as they walked quickly toward the house again.
"Fine," Devi said. She had to be; there were too many people counting on her and she wasn't going to let them down because she was being sentimental about events she should have gotten over long ago. Thankfully, they reached the house before Noeme could ask any more questions.
The woman let them into the kitchen. It was warm from the fire crackling in the stove and smelled of stale smoke. The woman bustled around, pouring water into a pair of wooden mugs from a dented iron teapot. She gestured for Devi and Noeme to sit at the table, and set the mugs in front of them.
"I'm Lea," the woman said, taking a seat across from them. She was back to looking drawn and harrowed, but Devi had never been good at comforting. She dealt with the beasts; that was the best comfort she could give. "What do you need to know?"
"Has it targeted Gimshy mostly? Do you know if it has gone after the livestock in the other villages?" Devi asked, curling her fingers around the wooden cup. The tea was familiar; it was the same type that she'd grown up drinking.
"Mostly Gimshy, yes," Lea said, pursing her lips in thought. "It comes from the west, usually near the northern edge of the town. It got three cows from the Deniaud family, before they wised up and put them indoors. Then it busted into the Grangers' chicken coop and cleaned them out."
"And Hector?" Devi asked quietly, and Lea's face tightened imperceptibly. She took a deep breath and nodded, her mouth twisting bitterly.
"He went out last night," Lea said, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "I tried to tell him he was being an idiot, but he'd had too much to drink and he'd … he was a mercenary in Hershire in his youth, before he joined a caravan and met me. He thought it was a rake, not a griever, and he didn't listen when I told him to stay inside and wait for you to get here."
"I'm sorry for your loss," Devi said quietly, the words dry and bitter on her tongue. Lea nodded, pressing her lips together for a moment before continuing.
"I think he managed a hit on it," Lea said, her voice softer and rougher, but she showed no signs of losing her composure. "I can't think of any other reason for it to have used its fire when it hadn't yet. Anyway, you'll want to talk to the Deniauds. I didn't ever get close to it or try to track it down. They did a bit of scouting, so they'll have some idea of where you should start."
"How long has it been around?" Devi asked, finally taking a sip of her tea. Noeme was all but vibrating with tension next to her, but she was quiet, allowing Devi to steer the conversation.
"It's only been going after the village stores for a few weeks, but I think it's been in the area longer," Lea said, frowning thoughtfully. "The hunters haven't been able to track down any big game in the area for a few months. We thought it was the drought at the beginning of the summer, not anything more serious."
Devi nodded. She'd need to talk to the other villagers. Noeme could spend that time refreshing herself on spells to combat the griever. Devi was confident Noeme could handle herself, but that refresher couldn't hurt and they'd need all the edges they could find against a griever.
"We'll bed down in your stables, if—"
"Unless you need quick access to your horses, you'll be staying in the house," Lea said firmly, shaking her head. "I won't be shunting you off to the stables when I've got plenty of room in this house here."
"If you really don't mind," Devi said, though she expected Lea would be grateful for their company, if only to keep herself from dwelling on her husband's death.
"I don't," Lea said, simply. "I can't offer much more than warm meals and beds, but it's better than the stables."
"We appreciate it, ma'am," Devi said, setting the cup of tea down on the table. "If you'll point me in the direction of the Deniauds' place, I'll go speak with them before it gets dark."
"Of course," Lea said, standing. Devi followed suit, then paused when Noeme stood, as well.
"I take care of this," Devi said, all business. "You can stay here and refresh yourself on griever spells, since we won't be able to track it down tonight."
"It's not safe for you to go out alone," Noeme said. "I can do my reading tonight."
"I'm sure it's not far to the Deniaud house," Devi said. "You'll be able to easily hear if the dragon attacks while I'm walking there. Dragons aren't subtle."
"Still—" Noeme began, but Lea cut in.
"You haven't faced a dragon before?" Lea asked, her face going tight with worry again.
"We have, ma'am," Devi said immediately, before Noeme could answer that. Noeme shut her mouth, looking uncertain. "I've battled six dragons and Mage Lavoie has comparable experience. Grievers are just particularly dangerous and it's best if we go into the battle as ready as we can be."
"Oh, of course." Lea relaxed visibly. "I'll get you some more light in here, Mage. The Deniaud house is on the north edge of town, with the broken fence on the eastern side. It's a ten-minute walk, and you shouldn't have any trouble. The dragon only strikes at night."
"I'll be quick," Devi said, giving Noeme a last glance before leaving. Noeme didn't seem happy, but she was probably upset about Devi overriding her and going out on her own.
Devi paused on the doorstep of Lea's house. She adjusted her leather armor as she scanned the horizon, but there was no sign of any impending dragon. Gimshy was still quiet, though Devi caught a few glimpses of people through cracked doors as she made her way through town. As Lea had said, it was a ten-minute walk, and the Deniaud house was obvious from the fence that was shattered across the yard.
She crossed the yard at a fast clip, watching the trees for any sign of movement, but there was nothing. The door opened as she approached, and Devi wouldn't have been surprised if a lot of people had been watching for her and Noeme. Cooped up indoors, there was little else for them to do, and Devi was glad she'd rushed their travels. As small as this village was, it wouldn't have the stores to sustain a long period of being cooped up inside, especially with winter right around the corner.
"Here about the dragon, are ya?" the old man who'd opened the door asked, his voice raspy and uneven. "And where were you yesterday, when ol' Hector went and got himself cooked?"
"Travelling to get here," Devi said flatly, unamused by the insinuation that she and Noeme were falling down on the job. "I was told I'd find someone here who'd done some tracking of the dragon?"
"That'd be Pons," the old man grumbled, eyeing Devi as though he was judging her fitness to fight a dragon. He snorted, shuffling backwards. "I suppose you'd best come in."
"Thank you," Devi said dryly, entering the tiny cottage. It was a single large room, with a loft suspended from the ceiling. Two small children peeked out from the loft, and a man and woman—likely the parents—sat by the fire. They all looked tired and worn, and none of them looked particularly pleased to see her.
"Pons, this one wants you to do her job for her," the old man said, cackling as he shuffled closer to the fire.
"No, I want to know where you tracked the dragon to, so I don't have to completely redo your work and spend extra time tracking the dragon down when I could be killing it," Devi said sharply, making the old man cackle again. "If you don't want to be of assistance, then I will take my leave."
"No, ma'am, don't, please," the man stood up hastily, shooting the old man a dark look. "I'm Pons. I can help you."
"Good," Devi said, letting her expression soften.
"Here, let's step outside," Pons said, and his wife looked ready to protest, but she didn't say anything as Devi led the way outside. They stood on the tiny porch on the front of the house, close enough that they could make a retreat if the dragon made an appearance. Not that Devi would retreat.
"What can you tell me?" Devi asked, watching the forest that was a few hundred yards away. Pons didn't seem to mind that Devi wasn't looking him in the eye, but then, he was keeping a close eye on the forest himself.
"It's to the west, ma'am," Pons said, gesturing toward the broken fence. "I never did get to where it settled, but that's probably why I'm not dead. I tracked it for a mile west. If you follow the game trail that starts there—" Pons indicated an opening in the trees to the south of the house. "—you'll run into the trail the dragon made after a half a mile. It's real obvious something large went through there."
"How big is it?" Devi asked, dreading the answer.
"Big enough to eat a cow a day," Pons said, looking despairingly at his yard. "It's a bit smaller than the house."
"I see," Devi said. That would make it harder to kill, but easier to find and easier to hit with spells. "Do you have anyone who can write in town?"
"Yes'm," Pons said, looking startled at the question. "My father can, point of fact, though his hand isn't what it used to be."
"Have him write the Crown, Department of Magical Affairs. You've lost more than fifty percent of your herd, so they'll recompense you in full," Devi said, and Pons shook his head.
"No, ma'am, I've still got five full cows—"
"Per my assessment, you've lost more than half your herd," Devi said firmly. "Include this." Devi dug out a token and tossed it to Pons, who caught it. "That'll get you recompense."
"Thank you," Pons said, glancing back at the house. "I wasn't sure what we were going to do. Four of the cows were meant for slaughter this winter, and we can't afford new stock."
"Stay inside until you get the all clear," Devi said, scanning the tree line again. Nothing moved, and she stepped down from the porch. She walked slowly until she heard the door behind her, signaling that Pons had gone back inside. She picked up her pace then, returning to Lea's house as fast as she could.
Noeme was in the front room, sitting on a rocking chair with her book in her lap. She looked up, relief washing over her face when Devi entered the room. There was a pile of blankets spread out in front of the fire, and it would make a cozy nest when they bedded down later. Noise from the kitchen indicated Lea's location, and Devi settled down by the fire, taking off her sword, but keeping it within reach.
"Are you up to facing a griever?" Devi asked, keeping her voice low so that Lea wouldn't overhear them.
"Yes," Noeme said, then gave Devi a significant look. "Are you?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" Devi asked, unsheathing her sword and bending to inspect the edge. It was smooth and sharp, the blade showing few scratches.
"You seemed upset when you said it was a griever," Noeme said. Her face contorted in frustration for half a second before the expression disappeared. "We can call for backup, if you want."
"We can't wait," Devi said, shaking her head. "The dragon has been around for a few months. If it's true the game is gone, that leaves the livestock and villagers as its only source of food. Eventually, it will burn down the structures to get what it wants."
"Right," Noeme said, sitting back in her chair. "I take it you know where we're going?"
"Game trail. The tracker followed it a mile before turning back, but I would wager the nest isn't more than two miles out," Devi said, sheathing her sword again. She removed her knives, one by one, setting them in a row in front of her. There were four in total; she wore one at her waist, opposite her sword. Two were hidden in her boots, one in each, and the last was typically strapped to her arm, although she varied its position based on what she was doing.
"Tomorrow morning, then?" Noeme asked calmly, as though they weren't going to be tracking down a griever in less than a day.
Devi nodded and set to inspecting her knives. Noeme left her to it, bending back over her book, and Devi really hoped that the two of them were up to killing a griever and that she wasn't about to be killed by the same dragon that had killed her entire family.
*~*~*
Noeme was awake before Devi the next morning. Devi didn't bother to ask if she'd slept well. They'd shared the blankets before the fire, and Noeme had slept restlessly the entire night. Devi had woken up a few times, but she didn't feel any the worse for it. Lea hovered worriedly in the doorway as they got ready to leave. Devi was strapping on the few bits of armor she'd removed to sleep, while Noeme was lacing up her boots.
"Are you sure you don't want something to eat before you leave?" Lea asked for the third time.
"It's better if we don't eat much," Noeme said, straightening up with a reassuring smile. "I'd just throw it up out of nerves before we reached the dragon anyway."
"A good meal when we get back wouldn't go amiss," Devi said, double checking that her knives were accessible. Lea obviously wanted to do something to help, and letting her cook for them was something she could safely do. "Whether we find the dragon today or not."
"I'll make my mother's stew," Lea said, tucking a bit of gray-streaked hair behind her ear. "Is there anything I can get for you before you go?"
"No, we'll be fine," Devi replied, giving Lea another smile, though she doubted she was anywhere near as reassuring as Noeme. She looped her sword belt around her waist, making sure it was securely buckled and that the sword hung easily, before continuing, "If we're not back within three days, send word to New Haven that the dragon bested us."
Lea nodded, not protesting the possibility. At least she seemed to have a good grasp on the limits of what Devi and Noeme could do. That was always better than the people—like the old man at the Deniaud house—who expected miracles and sneered when they weren't delivered.
"Shall we?" Devi asked Noeme, who nodded. She was paler than usual, but Devi chalked that up to nerves and bad sleep. She didn't think it would affect Noeme in battle; Noeme was too professional for that. Devi led the way from the living room, toward the front of the house. Noeme followed, with Lea trailing behind until they reached the front door.
"Good luck," Lea said, her face looking sallow and worn in the pale morning light. Devi hoped she would be all right without her husband, but Lea seemed to be strong enough to handle herself.
"Thank you," Noeme said, giving Lea a last smile before following Devi down the steps to the yard.
Devi led the way toward the Deniaud house, keeping an eye on the tree line as they walked. The dragon hadn't made an appearance the previous night, which meant it would be hungry, unless it had gotten a meal from another village or from the forest, somehow. They reached the beginning of the trail more quickly than Devi had expected. She glanced at Noeme questioningly; Noeme nodded and they entered the forest.
It was eerily quiet. There was only the rustle of leaves and the soft sound of their boots against the well-packed earth. The trail had seen a lot of use—and had obviously played host to the griever recently. The path had been widened forcefully, leaving broken branches and squashed bushes. A handful of trees here and there displayed scorch marks, and Devi tried not to think about how combustible she was.
Standard fight tactics for dragons meant getting up close and personal. The best way to kill a dragon was to sink a dagger into an eye or to bury a sword through the roof of its mouth. Neither was an easy task, and getting close enough to do either when the dragon's mouth was the source of its fire? Devi was sure to get singed, if not worse.
It didn't matter, however, and Devi pushed thoughts of the upcoming fight out of her head. Instead, she focused on the forest around them and on where Noeme was. The forest stayed quiet, the game either long fled or made a meal. Noeme was following her, keeping a small gap between them as they walked. She was breathing steadily, obviously no stranger to hiking.
They walked for half a mile, by Devi's approximations, before they reached the point where Pons had said the trail would split. The dragon had crashed off the trail, creating its own path in a branch to the left of the trail. The ground was uneven and littered with broken tree branches and a few small tree trunks. There were more ashes here, wherever a tree had impeded the dragon too much for it to power through.
"Stay a bit further back for now," Devi said. She didn't bother to warn Noeme to be careful of the treacherous terrain, as that was undoubtedly obvious.
"I'll keep you in sight," Noeme said, waiting by the game trail as Devi started down the side path. The air smelled faintly of char and smoke, but it wasn't recent enough to give Devi pause. Noeme followed her after a moment, and Devi kept an ear out for her movements, in case Noeme got into trouble.
Devi wasn't sure how long they walked before they arrived at the dragon's nest. It wasn't a great distance, but the fallen trees and uneven forest ground slowed their pace to a near crawl. The nest was obvious from a distance; the rotten meat smell of dragon had been steadily getting stronger, as had the smell of smoke. There was physical smoke, too, making the air in the forest hazy and harder to breathe. Devi paused as they grew closer, waving at Noeme to catch up. Noeme didn't rush, and Devi pulled out a few thin handkerchiefs from one of her back pockets. She passed one to Noeme.
"If it won't interfere with your spell casting," Devi said quietly, and then tied the cloth around her mouth. It smelled faintly of dried herbs, savory and slightly sweet, and it partly cut out the smoke that filled the air. Devi might discard it later, but for now, she'd take the air.
"Thanks," Noeme said. She held the cloth up to her mouth, but didn't tie it in place. Probably it would interfere with casting, and dropping it was easier than untying it.
"Ready?" Devi asked, glancing significantly at the area where they would be approaching the nest. Noeme nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stared past Devi to where the dragon would be hopefully be waiting. Devi really didn't want to have to wait for it or to track down where it was if it weren't in the nest.
Taking a deep breath, anticipation thrumming through her veins, Devi started toward the nest.
It was a wide, hollow hole. The dragon had burned down several large trees and stamped down the ashes to make the nest. The ground was covered in gray ash, right up to the center where the huge dragon was curled up, facing her. There were a few skeletons that Devi didn't look too closely at and large piles of dragon shit everywhere. The dragon had to have been living there for a few months at least, given how settled it was.
The smell was atrocious, even with the cloth wrapped around her mouth. Pulling her sword and one of her long knives, Devi watched the dragon.
It was awake.
One eye was tracking her slow, steady movements, and a shiver of fear snaked down Devi's spine. The dragon lifted its head when it saw her, and Devi stepped forward slowly. If she rushed it, it would attack immediately. The closer she could get, the less space she'd have to cross before it started moving in earnest.
A low growl emanated from within the beast, and Devi saw it tense a half second before it sprung, the only warning she got before it was moving. She dodged left, sliding in the ash under the dragon's paw. It growled again, and she scrambled to her feet just in time to duck a swing from the dragon's long, powerful tail. She caught the next swing of the dragon's paw with her sword, the impact jarring her entire arm.
Twisting away, Devi danced closer, catching a shouted spell word a second before the dragon roared in pain. Devi managed to dodge the frantic stomping of its feet, even as she wondered what spell Noeme had cast. It was an effective distraction, however, and Devi got close enough to score her knife along the dragon's chest.
It was a largely ineffective blow, but it made the dragon rear back in surprise. Pons hadn't been lying about its size. It was half again as tall as Devi, which was going to make getting to its eyes problematic. She didn't dare try for a killing blow through the mouth; that was just asking to be set on fire. If she could—
Devi flinched back as the dragon let loose a plume of orange-red fire. It was hot, sucking all the air from around them, and Devi yanked away the handkerchief around her mouth and sucked in a breath of hot air. Flipping her grip on the knife she held in her left hand, she rammed it hard through a joint on the dragon's closest leg.
It roared in protest, turning on her, but it stopped shooting fire. Devi spared a moment to hope Noeme hadn't been in the fire's path, but she didn't have the time to do more than that, occupied by dodging the dragon's increasingly furious attempts to flatten her. It scored a hit on her left arm that sliced painfully down the length of her upper arm, but Devi catalogued it as minor and worked on getting the dragon to tilt its head toward her. If she could grab its horn, she could swing herself up high enough that she could bury a dagger in its eye.
Another shouted spell word came from somewhere behind her, and Devi nearly tripped in relief. The dragon tossed its head, roaring furiously. In the next second, its head dropped, and Devi shouted in triumph. Noeme had cast an ice spell. It had probably been aimed to ice the dragon's mouth shut, but instead had coated the right side of the dragon's head in ice, effectively weighting it down enough that the dragon's right horn would be in easy reach if Devi could get to it.
Devi tossed her sword aside, drawing the long knife in her left boot. Noeme shouted something that included the word idiot, but Devi didn't acknowledge it. The dragon turned on her, thankfully, instead of trying to take its rage out on Noeme. Devi feinted left, and the dragon went for it, lunging with a wide open mouth. Devi swung back right, her fingers curling around the dragon's horn just as it lifted its head again.
Her arm felt like it was being jerked from its socket as the dragon lifted its head, lifting her clear off the ground. It tossed its head again, and Devi nearly lost her grip. Scrabbling with her feet for purchase, she managed to push herself up by bracing her left knee on the dragon's shoulder. Not trusting her grip, she twisted sideways—a move she was going to pay for later—and buried the knife deep into the dragon's right eye, barely above where the jagged ice ended.
The dragon roared, so loudly that Devi was sure her ears were going to burst. The dragon's flailing dislodged her precarious hold, and Devi tumbled to the ground. She landed hard, jarring every bone in her body, but she didn't have time to give into the aches and pains. Scrambling to her feet, Devi dodged back as the dragon let out a burst of fire, setting the nearby treetops alight. Even as Devi tried to figure out what to do next, the dragon crumpled, its head hitting the ground with a mighty thump.
It didn't move. It didn't growl. It didn't so much as twitch, and Devi straightened from her crouch. Keeping an eye on the dragon, she sidestepped through the ashes toward her sword, only barely visible under the ashes where she'd tossed it. The dragon continued to remain still, and Devi breathed a sigh of relief when her sword was back in her hand.
"Stay there," Devi said, only sparing a brief glance at Noeme, who was starting to come down the side of the nest. The dragon still hadn't moved, and while Devi was mostly sure it was dead, she wasn't willing to bank on that until she could double check it. Inching close to the dragon, she watched it for any sign of movement.
Devi debated for a moment, before going for the back leg where she'd left her first dagger embedded in the joint. Wrapping her fingers around the hilt of the dagger, she hesitated, and then pulled it free. The dragon didn't move, and Devi breathed a sigh of relief. It had to be dead, between the lack of reaction and the way it wasn't breathing.
Returning to the head with more confidence, Devi sheathed her sword and retrieved the knife sunk into the dragon's eye. A gaping wound stared up at her, but Devi didn't pay it any mind, turning to wave Noeme in. They'd burn the corpse, and then head back to the village. Devi hoped she could get a bath. Maybe five baths. She smelled like dragon. Devi gave the knives a cursory cleaning with a spare handkerchief, and then sheathed them. She'd give them a proper cleaning when they got back to the village.
"Are you a complete idiot?" Noeme demanded, stalking up to her. Devi turned, startled. Noeme's cheeks were flushed and her eyes were the bright silver that came from recently casting spells, and Devi's blood surged with want.
"What?"
"You never throw your sword away! You could have been killed!" Noeme yelled. Her hands were balled into fists, and she looked about ready to deck Devi. Devi rolled her eyes, because a mage telling her how to fight was like her telling a mage what spells to cast.
"I didn't have time to sheath it and I needed to have a hand free for pulling myself up," Devi said. The dragon was dead. Did it matter how she'd done it?
"That was the most reckless, idiotic—" Noeme cut off with a frustrated noise, stepping close and thumping her fist against Devi's shoulder. "You could have been killed!"
"Don't," Devi warned, catching Noeme's wrist. Noeme tried to jerk her hand free, but only succeeded in pulling Devi closer. Devi opened her mouth to say something more, but before she could get even a single word out Noeme's mouth was covering hers.
Devi nearly jerked back in surprise, before it registered that Noeme was kissing her. Ignoring the alarm bells going off in the back of her head, Devi returned the kiss full measure, releasing Noeme's wrist to splay her hand against Noeme's back. Noeme didn't seem to mind that, and Devi deepened the kiss, feeling dizzy and flushed, still soaring high on the rush of adrenaline from fighting the dragon. Noeme reached up to brace herself, wrapping her hands around Devi's arms—
Devi stumbled away with a curse, wincing at the pain shooting through her left arm. She'd forgotten the dragon had gotten in a blow. Noeme stepped back hastily, looking guilty. Devi undid the buckles on the leather armor that had covered her upper arm, letting it drop to the ground. The dragon's claws had scored right through the armor, slicing into her arm. The armor was useless now, but it had probably saved her from losing the arm.
"It's just a flesh wound," Devi said, prodding the edges of the wound. It was still bleeding, but sluggishly. She didn't have anything clean to bind it with, but walking through the forest wasn't likely to make it worse.
"It looks worse than that," Noeme said uncertainly. She looked unhappy and Devi wondered how much of the kiss had been the heat of the moment—the argument—and surviving the dragon fight. She knew well how easy it was to turn the battle rush into post-battle lust.
"It's fine," Devi said. She shifted awkwardly, and then offered, "We can forget that happened, if you want."
Noeme gave her a puzzled look, then her eyes widened in realization. "Oh, no! I mean—" Noeme winced, shifting restlessly. She looked away from Devi, obviously wrestling with something. "It's not a good idea."
"That depends on what you're thinking it is," Devi said, walking past Noeme toward the edge of the nest. "We should burn the dragon and head back."
"Right," Noeme said distractedly. Devi heard her following, but she didn't slow until she reached the edge of the nest. Noeme stopped beside her, turning back to face the dragon's corpse. Devi waited patiently as Noeme chanted the fire spell, and a moment later, the corpse burst into bright blue flames. They burned for a long few minutes, casting strange shadows around the clearing.
Devi took the time to assess whether she was injured past the wound on her arm. She had a few scrapes and more than a few sore muscles that would ache like nothing else the next day, but otherwise, she appeared to have survived intact.
"What do you mean, what I'm thinking it is?" Noeme asked when the flames began to die down.
"I don't see anything wrong with a short fling," Devi said, striving for nonchalant. "Obviously, anything more is a bad idea, since there's no telling where we'll be assigned next. I mean, I understand if you don't want to and if you think even a short fling is a bad idea … " Devi trailed off, not really sure what she was trying to say, but feeling like whatever she was saying, she was botching it.
"Making any long term plans is usually a bad idea in our line of work," Noeme said. She smiled nervously, tucking a loose bit of hair behind her ear. Devi couldn't remember seeing Noeme nervous before, not really. It was oddly comforting to know she wasn't the only one that didn't know what they were doing. "Short term is … different."
"It is," Devi said. "In that it's short and not permanent."
Noeme snorted. "Yes, that. We should head back and get your arm cleaned up."
"It's a flesh wound," Devi repeated, rolling her eyes again. "It can wait a few more minutes. I want to settle this."
"No," Noeme said, regaining her customary confidence. "I want to think on it some more, and the walk back is the perfect opportunity."
"Fine," Devi said, accepting that without a fight. Pushing people into corners never ended with a favorable outcome, and Devi wanted this to end favorably. She liked Noeme and she'd continue to like Noeme, no matter what she decided about how to play things. It helped that Devi knew Noeme was definitely interested—there had been no faking the emotion in that kiss.
Noeme looked briefly surprised, but then she smiled and turned to double check that the fire was out. It had burned down to embers that winked out as they watched, leaving nothing but ashes in the clearing. It would take a few months for the ashes of the nest and the dragon to completely wash away, but the dragon was gone, so the area would recover.
The walk back to Gimshy was quiet. Noeme didn't say anything, and Devi left her to her thoughts, not wanting to influence her decision one way or the other. The trail was treacherous enough that it took up a great deal of her attention. She was also sore and aching now, but she kept moving. The best medicine for sore muscles was more movement and rest.
The village was empty and quiet, as it had been when they'd left. Noeme didn't pause, though Devi knew they had more than one curious set of eyes on them as they walked the path that meandered through the cottages. They reached Lea's house in short order. She'd obviously been watching for them, as she stepped out onto the porch as they approached.
"How did it go? Are you all right?" Lea asked, eyeing Devi's wounded, bare arm with a worried look.
"The dragon's dead," Devi said, tired now that the adrenaline was wearing off. "I'm fine, if in sore need of a bath."
Lea covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes welling up with tears. "Truly?" she asked, her voice muffled.
"Truly," Noeme said, smiling reassuringly. "We burned the corpse, as well, so you won't have to worry about large scavengers."
"Thank goodness," Lea breathed, dropping her hand. She looked past Devi and Noeme, and then stepped aside, out of the doorway. "I can see about that bath, and I'm sure you'd both like something to eat—"
"If you can point me in the direction of the tub, I can take care of the bath," Noeme said, and Devi wondered if she was going to magic them up baths. The last mage she'd fought a dragon with had done that, although he'd also gotten punched for suggesting she share the lone tub with him. Devi would take Noeme up on such an offer, however, if she made it.
"Oh, um, it's hung up around back," Lea said, looking startled. "There's a well … but surely you don't want to be hauling water after battling the dragon?"
"I won't be hauling," Noeme said, smiling mischievously. "I think we've earned a bit of gratuitous use of magic, yes, Devi?" Noeme slanted her gaze toward Devi, her smile quirking up as if they were partners in crime.
"It certainly feels like it," Devi grumbled, wondering what that smile meant. Probably not what she hoped it meant. She turned to Lea, mustering a smile. "If you want to go let people know that the threat is gone, that would be wonderful."
"I'll do that," Lea said, smiling widely in relief. The tension was completely gone from her face, but sadness lingered. The dragon might be dead, but her husband wasn't coming back. Devi's good mood took a sharp turn down, but she forced herself to ignore it. Lea wouldn't appreciate her sympathy. "Thank you both so much. I don't think we can ever repay you—"
"You don't have to," Devi interrupted.
"It's our job," Noeme said at the same time. Devi looked at her, smiling faintly, and Noeme smiled sheepishly back.
"I need to tend to this," Devi said, gesturing to her arm. Lea gave her a concerned look, but stepped down from the stoop, letting Devi and Noeme pass her.
"You should find everything you need for bathing in the closet to the left of the stairs," Lea said. "Please help yourselves."
"Thank you," Noeme said. Devi didn't linger, sick of the smell of dragon. She stopped at the doorway of the house, thinking the better of going inside covered in dragon blood and with the smell of dragon coming off her in waves.
"I'm going to walk around the house," Devi said, making a face. "Can you grab my bag? I have some supplies for treating wounds in there."
"Of course," Noeme said, giving her another quick, teasing smile, before slipping into the house. Lea was already halfway to her neighbor's. She kept giving the forest wary looks as if she expected the dragon to come charging out at any moment. She probably didn't disbelieve them, but the wariness was no doubt an ingrained habit.
Making her way around to the back of the house, Devi kept an eye out as she walked. The dragon had more than likely eaten or scared away anything smaller than it in the area, but it was better to be safe than sorry. The tub was hanging where Lea had indicated, hooked to a sturdy nail sticking out of the side of the house. It wasn't a large tub, but it would do to get her clean. Devi probably wouldn't get a real bath until they reached New Haven again.
Devi got the tub unhooked and set up in a shadowed area near the house. It wasn't visible from the neighboring houses, but there was nothing to stop anyone from walking back there and catching an eyeful. Devi didn't care; she doubted any of the villagers would surprise them, and Lea was respectful enough she'd give them space.
Noeme left the house as Devi was partway through stripping off the rest of her armor. Most of it was covered in dragon blood, and all of it smelled. That would need washing before they could leave, since Devi wasn't going to spook her horse with fresh dragon's blood. Noeme filled the tub with steaming water with a short spell.
Devi finished stripping out of her leather armor, dropping it all into a single pile. Once that was gone, she stripped off her shirt, leaving her in the tight-fitting pants she wore under the armor and the tight, sleeveless shell she wore to keep her breasts bound and out of her way while she was fighting. That left her arm open to clean, and Devi fetched a cloth and soap to take care of that first.
Noeme was casting another spell, but Devi didn't pay attention to it. She dipped the cloth in the hot water, then immediately set it on the wound on her arm, hissing at the sting. She looked up, startled, when the sunlight was suddenly obscured. Noeme had constructed a set of three walls, boxing in the tub with only a small gap near the house to let people in and out.
"Here, let me," Noeme said, approaching Devi where she was kneeling by the tub. Noeme knelt down next to her, taking the cloth and soap from Devi's hands. Her hair was disheveled and she was covered in ash, but she was still beautiful, and Devi was almost afraid to ask what she'd decided.
Devi grimaced as Noeme set to cleaning the wound on her arm. She wasn't finicky with her touch, but neither was she harsh, running the warm cloth over Devi's arm and cleaning the ash and dried blood from Devi's arm. The wound started bleeding again, but Devi had anticipated that; there were bandages in her bag that would bind the wound until it healed enough to leave unbound.
"Was the walk long enough?" Devi asked. Noeme dropped the cloth into the tub, swirling it through the water and then wringing it out.
"Yes," Noeme said, cupping her hand around Devi's elbow and tipping her arm slightly to get a better angle to clean it.
"And?" Devi asked, smiling crookedly as she waited the verdict. Her stomach flipped nervously, which was funny, because not even facing a dragon had made her this anxious.
"It's a bad idea," Noeme said, pressing the warm, damp cloth to Devi's arm. Devi's heart sank, but she didn't let her expression change. "Here, hold that there."
Pressing her hand to the cloth, Devi's fingers brushed against Noeme's. It made her want to smile, but Noeme had made her decision, and it wasn't the decision Devi had wanted her to make. Noeme stepped away, picking up her own bag and sorting through it. She'd been prepared enough to bring bandages, too, but Devi wasn't surprised at that. Noeme was good at her job.
"Bathing is just going to soak the bandage," Devi said, when Noeme straightened, pressing the cloth more tightly to the wound.
"True," Noeme said. "Wait until it stops bleeding, at least?"
"Sure," Devi said. No sense in bloodying the water.
Noeme dropped the bandage on top of her bag, looking pensive. Devi didn't press her. She'd made her thoughts on the matter of their intimacy clear, and Devi wasn't a masochist. She also didn't need to be told twenty times. She was sure that both she and Noeme had had more than enough of that sort of pressure from various idiots in their past.
"It's a bad idea," Noeme said again, and Devi looked at her curiously, wondering why she was bringing it up again. "It really is, but I can't seem to make myself believe it."
"What does that mean?" Devi asked, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She didn't believe Noeme was being obtuse on purpose, and she was willing to cut Noeme some slack, since it seemed as if she might be coming around.
"It means that I should be saying no, but I'm saying yes," Noeme said, smiling shyly. "I mean, if you still want to."
"I do," Devi said. She peeled the cloth away from her arm to check the wound; it had stopped bleeding, so she dropped the cloth to the ground and stood. Noeme met her halfway and Devi promptly forgot all about bathing, more than happy to ignore that need for the more pressing need of kissing Noeme.
Noeme was more hesitant this time, her touch gentle and cautious. Devi didn't bother with that nonsense, pulling Noeme close by the belt she wore and kissing her solidly. Noeme melted into it immediately, leaning toward Devi and settling her hands on Devi's hips. Her hands were hot through the thin cloth of Devi's sleeveless undershirt.
"Bath?" Devi pulled away long enough to suggest, murmuring the word against Noeme's lips. Noeme laughed, wrinkling her nose.
"I suppose we should," she said, but she made no move to pull away from Devi. That was fine with Devi; it wasn't as though they had somewhere to be. There was plenty of time to bathe and do whatever else they wanted, now that the dragon was dead.
*~*~*
They reached Hershire seven days after leaving Gimshye. It was a leisurely ride, with frequent breaks, and Devi couldn't remember ever enjoying a trip as much as she was enjoyed that one. Noeme was the reason for that, and Devi wasn't going to lie to herself. Once they reached New Haven and went their separate ways, she was going to miss Noeme.
Perhaps she could visit Noeme's home to return the book personally? It was a fling, but nothing said they couldn't revisit that fling later. Though, Noeme didn't seem upset that in a few more days, they'd be reassigned. Of course, Noeme was hard to read. Devi glanced at Noeme's back.
Noeme was riding slightly ahead of her, her braid mussed, but still mostly straight where it swayed against her back. She was beautiful, and Devi contemplated calling another 'rest' stop, but they'd only just gotten back on the road after an extended stop for lunch.
There was always the chance they'd be reassigned together. They were both high level: Devi as a Level 8 Combatant and Noeme as a Level 9 Mage. For the most dangerous beasts, like dragons, high level skills were required on both the combatant and mage sides. There was also a dearth of high level skills, so it was likely they'd be thrown together again, especially if Noeme kept pursuing more challenging assignments.
Devi wished she could ask Noeme to pair with her permanently. Even if the fling didn't last, it would be worth it to have a competent mage who didn't beat around the bush when it came to taking care of the beasts they were assigned to kill. Unfortunately, she didn't think Noeme would agree. Permanently pairing with another mage or combatant was difficult to request and difficult to break. Most permanent partners were married and usually reluctant to stray far from their home base.
She wouldn't ask. Noeme would say no, and Devi didn't want to throw a pall over their last few days together. She couldn't ask, anyway, not when the pending complaint from Faucher was likely to come to bear when they reached New Haven. She didn't even know if she'd still be a combatant after that was handled, and Noeme was likely to flee from her bad reputation.
They reached Hershire with about an hour of daylight left, making their way to the inn they'd stayed in before. The tavern portion was only half-full, but Devi still opted to have their meals sent up to their room. They ended up in the same room as before, and Devi dropped her bag, contemplating whether they had time to hit the baths down the road before dinner.
"How is your arm feeling?" Noeme asked, setting her bag down more gently on the table. She asked that every time they stopped, and were it anyone else asking, Devi would be annoyed.
"Mostly healed, like before," Devi said. She started to remove her armor, dropping each piece on the bed. She was missing the shield for her upper arm, the one the dragon had sliced through, but she'd replace that once they reached New Haven. She knew a decent leather worker there.
"I'm going to keep asking until it's healed," Noeme said. Devi heard her approach and didn't protest as Noeme began to assist her in removing her armor. Noeme was more careful of it than Devi was, but Devi would be just as careful around Noeme's spellbooks. Was already, point of fact, since Noeme had given her the book on dragons after she'd finished reading it a day or two ago.
"Or until we reach New Haven," Devi said pragmatically, and then wished she'd kept her mouth shut for once when Noeme hesitated.
"Right," Noeme said, her fingers sure as she worked the clasps on another piece of Devi's armor. "Until then. Two more days, right?"
Devi nodded, wondering if she was imagining the wistfulness in Noeme's voice. Probably not. Noeme had mentioned that she'd had more than a few bad experiences with combatants in her past assignments. She was likely as fed up with that as Devi was.
"Well, we'll worry about that when we get there," Noeme said, suddenly determined. She straightened, giving Devi a stern look. "Which means you can stop moping until we reach New Haven."
"Moping?" Devi repeated, startled. "I'm not moping!"
Noeme snorted, hooking her fingers in the front of Devi's shirt and yanking her close. "You've been moping all day."
"I have not," Devi maintained. She hadn't thought Noeme had noticed. Reaching behind Noeme, she pulled free the ribbon that held Noeme's hair bound. Tossing it aside, she buried her fingers in Noeme's braid and unraveled the twist. Noeme's hair fell in a cascade around her shoulders, the light from the window bringing out gold highlights in the brown fall. "I was being pensive. There's a difference."
Noeme laughed, pushing up on her toes to kiss Devi. Devi returned the kiss immediately, running her hands over Noeme's familiar curves despite the clothing in her way. They would get there, but Devi wasn't in a big hurry. She kissed Noeme slowly, leisurely, savoring the taste and feel of her. Noeme slipped her fingers under Devi's loose shirt, teasing at the skin of Devi's stomach and making her jump in surprise.
Pushing Noeme away, Devi shoved her armor off the bed with no regard for any damage that might cause. Noeme laughed again, but went willingly, stripping off her vest and dropping it to the floor, before bending down to unlace her boots and giving Devi a wonderful view down her shirt. Devi removed her own boots with little fanfare—there were no tricky laces on hers—then yanked Noeme toward the bed. Noeme yelped in surprise and stumbled ungracefully, one boot off and the other still half-laced.
Devi didn't let her protest, smothering the words Noeme was trying to speak with a hard kiss. Noeme kissed back feverishly, pulling Devi close by the front of her shirt. She sent Devi crashing into her, and Devi barely caught herself with an awkwardly placed elbow. Devi broke off the kiss, standing quickly so she wouldn't get lured back into kissing Noeme. She grabbed Noeme's leg and began working on the laces to Noeme's boot herself.
"I was doing that," Noeme said, a smile curving her lips. She was sprawled on the bed, her hair tangled behind her. Her shirt was rucked up, showing a strip of skin below the hem, and she was so beautiful like this. Devi wasn't going to regret their fling, no matter how much it would hurt to leave Noeme when they reached New Haven.
"Too slowly," Devi retorted, tossing the boot to the side. She pushed thoughts of New Haven and leaving Noeme out of her mind, leaning over Noeme to kiss her again. Noeme wrapped her arms around Devi's neck to keep her there, and Devi braced herself on the bed, more than content to focus on the here and now.
*~*~*
The sun set before Devi stirred from bed. The mattress was more comfortable than any inn bed had a right to be, though that might be in comparison to the last week she and Noeme had spent sleeping on the ground. Noeme wasn't in bed with her, and Devi yawned as she sat up. Noeme wouldn't have gone far, and sure enough, she was sitting at the table. She'd moved it closer to the fireplace and was currently writing something in her journal.
Devi stretched, and then climbed from bed. She was curious about the journal, but it was obviously something private. Noeme had never shared what she'd written or offered to let Devi see it, and Devi wasn't going to pry. She'd kept a journal once. It hadn't been anything special; it had listed the beasts she'd killed, the mages she'd worked with, and what she needed to work on.
It had been burned during a surprise attack from a wyrm—along with everything else in her bags—and Devi had never bothered to replace it. Searching out where her clothing had ended up, Devi got dressed slowly. She'd do some stretching while Noeme was occupied. She was getting stiff from the riding and the extracurricular activities she and Noeme were partaking in.
Noeme glanced up and smiled briefly at Devi before returning to her writing. Devi left her to it, moving to the open area of the room. It was auspiciously in Noeme's line of sight and Devi set to it, beginning with her arms. She was bent over, stretching her lower back, when Noeme shut her journal. She set it on the table and turned to watch Devi.
"I'm going to go find the baths," Noeme said, after a moment of watching. She stood, and Devi debated going with her… but she did want to finish stretching.
"I'll find you when I'm done," Devi said, shifting her stance. Noeme nodded, scooping up her bag. She glanced at the journal on the table, and then walked away from it, leaving it behind as she left the room.
Holding her pose, Devi stared at the book. Had Noeme left it behind on purpose? Did she want Devi to read it? Or was this a test, to see if she could trust Devi to not read it? Devi sighed, and then shifted into another stretch. Noeme hadn't said she could read it, and until she did, Devi wasn't going to breach the trust between them. She liked and respected Noeme too much to do that.
Devi took her time finishing her stretches, and then went to find Noeme at the bathhouse. She left the journal sitting on the table behind her, untouched and unread.
*~*~*
They reached New Haven two and a half days later, with gray clouds hanging low and threatening to drench them with rainwater. The weather was doing nothing to improve Devi's already morose mood, and neither was Noeme. She'd been getting impatient and restless the closer they got to New Haven, and Devi had no idea why. They were parting ways, but that was cause to be melancholy, not anxious.
The outpost in New Haven was busy; there were a dozen combatants and mages in the mess hall when Devi and Noeme entered, and they had to wait for the Facilitator to be free to make their report. Devi didn't try to start up a conversation as Noeme paced restlessly up and down the hallway. She was making Devi nervous, and Devi wanted to shake her and tell her to hold still.
The door to Facilitator Beaumont's office opened after a few moments, and a young man with a Level 3 Mage badge pinned to his shirt stepped out. He looked startled at seeing them, but then rushed by, up the stairs that led the quarters upstairs. Devi rolled her eyes, hefting her bag and gesturing for Noeme to precede her into the Facilitator's office.
Noeme glanced at her, biting her lip as though she wanted to say something, then she shook her head and entered the office. Devi followed her, confused and suddenly wary. What was Noeme so worried about? There was no rule against fraternizing, and they'd done nothing wrong in taking a few extra days to travel back to New Haven. Devi dared anyone to point out any wrongdoing in the way they'd handled the dragon, either.
Beaumont's office was much the same: neat, organized, and utterly lacking in cheer, despite the warm yellow color of the walls. Devi dropped her bag next to one of the chairs in front of Beaumont's desk, sitting down as Noeme did. Noeme settled into the chair, one foot tapping nervously against the floor. Devi frowned, but didn't say anything. Perhaps if the source of Noeme's nerves didn't come out in this meeting, she could get it from her afterward.
Facilitator Beaumont finished writing out something on the smooth, crisp sheet of paper in front of her, and then folded it deftly into thirds, using the stump of her left hand to brace the paper. She set the folded sheet aside, before turning to the bookshelf behind her to thumb through the folders. She came up with two: one thin and one that was about an inch thick. Not a mission folder, and the wary feeling turned to lead in her stomach.
"Mage Lavoie, has the dragon been dealt with?" Beaumont asked clinically, flipping open the thin folder. Devi resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the slight.
"Yes, Facilitator," Noeme said, her voice betraying none of her nerves. Her foot was still tapping, however. "The dragon was killed and the corpse burned. A full casualty list will be included in the final report."
"Good," Beaumont said, signing at the bottom of the page in front of her. She shut the folder and set it aside. "You will both receive the standard fee for killing a dragon—"
"It was a griever," Devi interrupted, because standard fees didn't apply for grievers. They were considered a step above regular dragons. Beaumont glanced at her briefly, before turning to Noeme for confirmation.
"It was," Noeme said, her voice tight.
"I see," Beaumont said. She picked up the thin folder and opened it, making another note. "That will look good in your file, Mage Lavoie."
Noeme didn't say anything to that, and Devi did roll her eyes. It would look good in her file, as well, but obviously Beaumont didn't give two shakes about that.
"And your other assignment?" Beaumont asked, and Noeme tensed. Devi's stomach bottomed out. What other assignment? The source of Noeme's anxiety? What would she have to do, besides kill the dragon? Devi hadn't seen her do anything or speak with anyone at length.
Except for her, Devi realized with dawning suspicion. If Faucher had gotten his complaint in, and it was strong enough a complaint that they wanted to evaluate her fitness for duty… then it was conceivable that Noeme might have been meant to assess her ability to do her job in addition to being assigned to take out the dragon.
"My report will be on your desk tomorrow," Noeme said, the words tight and clipped.
"I wasn't informed of a secondary assignment," Devi said. She almost didn't want confirmation. If she didn't ask, she didn't have to know for sure, and then she wouldn't have to be angry with Noeme for keeping it from her.
Noeme didn't say anything. The tapping of her foot had stilled. It was possible Noeme couldn't answer, that she'd been ordered to not tell Devi about the assignment, but then, why would Beaumont bringing it up in front of Devi?
Beaumont glanced between her and Noeme. When neither of them offered anything, she cleared her throat and flipped open the thick file in front of her. "Combatant Bissette. In the last four years, you've had four complaints filed against you for various infractions. The last complaint was made by Level 6 Mage, William Faucher."
"I'm aware of the complaints against me," Devi said, keeping her voice level. She wanted to hit something. Of course it would turn out that the one mission she'd actually enjoyed, the one mage she'd thought she could trust, would turn out to be an extension of Faucher's fuckery.
"Then you're also aware that the Combatants Corps does not retain combatants who cannot consistently cooperate with their mages courteously and respectfully, and at all times act in a professional manner," Beaumont said, giving Devi a stern look over the top of her glasses. "You've proven that you cannot maintain the level of professionalism required by this operation. However, given your level of skill and training, the Lieutenant General wanted an assessment of your ability to complete the assignments given to you. Mage Lavoie was chosen to complete this assessment."
"I see," Devi said, her voice tight. She was giving away too much of her anger, but it didn't matter; Noeme would give her assessment, Beaumont would disregard it—since she'd clearly formed her own opinion on Devi—and then Devi would be drummed out of the combatants. "I assume I don't have another assignment waiting, then?"
"Of course not," Beaumont said, scoffing as she tapped the thick file in front of her. Devi's file, likely, and Devi nodded curtly, standing. She picked up her bag, even as Beaumont continued, "You're suspended for the next six weeks while your case is reviewed. Report back here then."
"Yes, ma'am," Devi said curtly, shouldering her bag and leaving the room. She only narrowly resisted the urge to slam the door behind her. She immediately headed for the stables. She had half a day to get somewhere else, since spending the next six weeks in the outpost awaiting her fate sounded like the worst kind of hell. Leaving would make avoiding Noeme easier, especially since Devi had no idea where she was going and so couldn't leave word.
"Devi," Noeme said, and Devi had been so wrapped up in her own head that she hadn't even heard the door open behind her. Noeme sounded on the verge of tears, and Devi turned toward her automatically. Noeme looked miserable, but Devi couldn't let herself be affected by that. Noeme didn't get her sympathy. She could have said something. At the very least, she could have said no to Devi's offer of a fling.
"What?" Devi asked flatly, gripping her bag more tightly. She stared at Noeme, willing her to say something stupid, to give Devi another reason to be angry with her.
"I'm sorry," Noeme said, her voice quiet and sincere, and Devi couldn't take it.
"Don't you have a report to write?" Devi asked, her tone scathing. She didn't wait for a reply, turning sharply on her heel and marching off toward the stables again. Noeme didn't follow this time.
The stable hands were surprised to see her, but they didn't question her when she ordered her horse brought around. She'd find a place to sleep for the evening, and then she'd find a place to drink and pick a fight. She could head to the border in the morning and spend the six-week suspension killing border beasts and forgetting Noeme. When the six weeks were up, she'd return, get her discharge papers, and figure out what to do next.
*~*~*
Devi stared at the letter in her hand, debating the merits of pitching it in the fire. It was either a summons or an outright dismissal, and after six weeks of waiting, she wasn't sure she wanted to know which. The letter was written in a neat hand, the calligraphy of her name flawless, and the paper of the envelope was thick and cream-colored. If that hadn't been enough to tip Devi to the origins of the letter, the combatant's seal holding the envelope shut would have informed her.
Sighing, Devi broke the seal and removed the letter, letting the envelope fall to the floor of the room she'd rented for the past few weeks. It proved to be the summons she'd expected, recalling her to New Haven. She was to present herself there in three days, at two o'clock, to hear the results of the inquest into her performance as a combatant.
Tossing the letter down on the bed, Devi paced the small room, too restless to hold still. She wasn't encouraged by the lack of outright dismissal. She had no idea what Noeme had reported about her, and with the complaints and Beaumont's assessment, she doubted it would outweigh any positives Noeme reported.
If they even considered Noeme's report. The fling they'd had—which Devi had pointedly not thought about the last few weeks—was more than enough to get Noeme's report dismissed completely. Would Noeme admit to it? They hadn't had any witnesses to their behavior. They hadn't run into any mages or combatants on the trip back from Gimshy and they hadn't been in New Haven for more than an hour before they'd met with the Facilitator and Devi had learned about Noeme's secondary mission.
She should still be angry. She had been furious; she'd spent the first three weeks of her suspension trying to kill any and everything she could. It hurt more than anything else. Noeme should have said something, if not at the beginning, then at the start of their brief relationship. Devi scowled. She'd had this argument with herself dozens of times, but she couldn't stop thinking about Noeme, remembering the way Noeme's face lit up when she started talking about something she'd read, or thinking about the way she melted into Devi's touches and kisses…
Turning sharply, Devi crossed to the bed and picked the letter up again. She read it again, but it was still short, impersonal, and to the point. There was no mention of who she needed to see or whether Noeme would be there. She could always not go. They could drum her out of the Corps without her being there.
Devi wouldn't be a coward, though; she'd go, take her lumps, and then maybe she'd head out to the border for work. Or maybe she'd travel. She had a ridiculous amount of money saved up from the beasts she'd killed in her nine years as a combatant. She could see if there was someplace in the kingdom she would like to settle.
Her traitorous mind suggested finding out where Noeme's home was, but Devi pushed that thought out of her head. Three days barely gave her the time to get back to New Haven, so she started packing up her few belongings. Hopefully travel would keep her sufficiently occupied so that she wouldn't spend too much time worrying about the meeting.
*~*~*
Devi walked to the outpost, leaving her horse stabled in the city. She let herself in through the front door, something of a novelty, and headed for Facilitator Beaumont's office. The hallway was empty, which did nothing to settle Devi's nerves, something she was doing her best to ignore. She had no reason to be nervous, not when she knew how this was going to play out.
Knocking on the door, Devi waited in the hallway for permission to enter. None came, and Devi knocked again, but got no reply again. She tried the knob, but the door was locked. The letter hadn't mentioned a specific meeting place, and Devi wasn't familiar enough with the New Haven outpost to automatically infer where else the meeting might take place.
Devi headed for the kitchen, figuring someone there probably knew the answer. There were a few people working on the preparations for dinner, and the woman making a meat pie directed Devi to the second floor, where there was a larger meeting room that accommodated more than a few people.
Beaumont had probably written the letter and left out the meeting place to try and make Devi look bad. Devi focused on her annoyance, letting that burn away her nerves and the questions of who exactly she was meeting with that required a larger meeting room than Beaumont's office. Reaching the room in question, Devi knocked loudly, keeping herself from shifting nervously.
The door opened after a moment to reveal an older man who Devi didn't recognize.. He smiled at her, stepping back to let her into the room. "Good afternoon, Combatant."
Devi nodded in return, her nerves swelling suddenly. There were six people in the room. They were all dressed richly, in clothing that Devi wouldn't be able to afford unless she killed a dozen grievers a year. That didn't bode well; was she going to be fined or jailed? Perhaps she should have played the coward and run.
"Have a seat," Facilitator Beaumont said crisply. Her face gave nothing away. She was the only face Devi recognized, though two of the other people wore the badges of Level 10 Combatants. Two more wore the badges of Level 10 Mages. Devi gave up trying to sort out what was going on. She'd never seen so many high-ranking mages and combatants in a single room before.
The meeting room was set up with two long tables set at a ninety degree angle to each other. Three chairs sat behind each table; Beaumont was sitting next to the two mages at one table, and the man who'd answered the door retook his seat between the two combatants. A single chair was set up opposite, where Devi was apparently intended to sit. Devi took the seat, careful to not catch her sword in the rungs of the chair.
"Combatant Bissette," the man who answered the door spoke, his voice calm and steady. "You are called before this council to hear the results of the performance assessment submitted by Level 9 Mage Noeme Lavoie. The report and your case have been weighed by this council, and a decision regarding your role in the Combatants Corps has been reached. For your records, this council consists of the Head Facilitator of the Northern Regions, Maria Beaumont; Level 10 Mage, Geoffrey Hassock; Level 10 Mage, Kinsley Berkshire; Level 10 Combatant, Louis DeVrissiene; Level 10 Combatant, Emanuel Cornett; and Grand Facilitator, Alderic Roche."
Devi didn't say a word, hoping she wasn't supposed to respond to that. She wasn't sure she could. The Grand Facilitator? Why was he taking an interest in her case? Roche glanced at Beaumont across the table. She pressed her lips together, unhappy about something, and Devi felt the first stirring of hope. If Beaumont was unhappy, maybe Devi wasn't getting kicked out? She'd take that, even if it included a demotion.
"Is there anything you'd like to say in your defense, before we continue?" Roche asked, returning his gaze to her. He had a stern, handsome face, and the deep blue of his jacket brought out the blue in his eyes. His face gave nothing away, and Devi wished this interview was over already.
"No, sir," Devi said. The only things she could think of to say would only reflect poorly on her, no matter how much she wanted to malign Faucher.
"Why is that?" Roche asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You've already reached a verdict or I wouldn't be here, sir," Devi said, because even knowing he was the Grand Facilitator wasn't going to keep her from making a fool of herself. "I'd like to hear it and be done with this."
Roche laughed and flipped open a folder. He studied the page in front of him, taking his time in a very obviously contrived manner, and Devi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Let's see here. You've been with the Combatants Corps for nearly ten years, is that true?"
"Yes, sir," Devi said, keeping her voice level, because showing her impatience would only make him go slower.
"You've been a Level 8 Combatant for a little over three years, now," Roche said, not looking to her to confirm that. "In which time you've handled a number of advanced assignments, the latest of which was to exterminate a griever. Have you ever been frustrated at not receiving an advancement to Level 9?"
"No," Devi said. She didn't bother asking what bearing that had on the proceedings. The way this interview was going, she wasn't going to know what was going on until the end.
"Please explain," Roche said, folding his hands and looking up at her expectantly.
"I do my job, sir," Devi said shortly. "I don't care what level I do it at; I just care about doing it."
"Because your village was obliterated by a griever?" Roche asked, his gaze never wavering from across the table. Devi stared back stalwartly, refusing to be cowed.
"Yes." When Roche didn't say anything more, Devi asked, "Do you need me to go into detail on that, as well?" That earned her an amused snort from one of the Level 10 Mages, but Devi didn't pay him any mind. She was focused on Roche; he was the Grand Facilitator, one step down from the Lieutenant General who commanded the Combatants Corps.
"That won't be necessary, Combatant," Roche said, a smile turning up the corners of his lips. "What is your relationship with Level 9 Mage Noeme Lavoie?"
"How is that relevant?" Devi demanded. She wasn't going to answer that, no matter how she was pressed. It was irrelevant, since any claim at a relationship had died before Noeme had written her report.
"Answer the question, please," Roche said, flipping through the folder in front of him in a show of disinterest.
"No," Devi said, knowing she was probably digging her grave. "Not until you explain to me why it's at all relevant to my professional standing."
"Mage Lavoie was in charge of your assessment. The extent of your relationship may have affected her report. I repeat, what is your relationship with her?" Roche asked. If he was annoyed by Devi's refusal to answer the question, it didn't show on his face.
"I was unaware she was performing the assessment until after our assignment to kill the dragon was completed," Devi said, more than willing to skirt the issue. "Upon our return to New Haven, Facilitator Beaumont brought the subject of the assessment up with Mage Lavoie during our initial report. I have not spoken with Mage Lavoie since that day, and prior to that, my conduct with her was courteous and professional." That was stretching the truth a little—more than a little—but Devi didn't care; Noeme didn't need her judgment called into question.
"Ah." Roche stared down at the papers before him, and Devi waited, wondering what else he wanted to know and why he was even bothering to ask anything. Surely the verdict was set already? "Very well. I find no objections to upholding the results of your assessment. Per the recommendations of Level 9 Mage Noeme Lavoie, your suspension is ended as of today. The complaint from Level 6 Mage William Faucher will be included in your file with a notation that it was determined to be unfounded."
Devi stared. Was she was hearing things? Had Roche really said she was reinstated, based on Noeme's recommendations? And Faucher's complaint was as good as dismissed?
"Additionally, with the evidence of your dedication and your skill with dealing with higher level beasts, most notably your extermination of a Class 10 beast, you will receive an advancement to Level 9 Combatant, effective immediately," Roche said, flashing a grin when Devi gawked at him.
"Are you serious?" Devi asked, her mind startled into silence.
Roche laughed, folding his hands on the table in front of him. "It's rare to find a combatant with your level of dedication, Combatant Bissette. I would be remiss not to reward you for that dedication. That said, your records reflect that you haven't taken all of the mandatory breaks required for Level 8 Combatants. You will not be given a new assignment until you take a four-week break—and yes, that's with the six-week suspension behind you."
Devi shut her mouth, swallowing her protest. She hadn't expected to still be a combatant when she'd walked in the door, let alone promoted to Level 9. She could stand to take a few weeks off if that was the only price she had to pay.
"Did you have any questions?" Roche asked, sliding the papers he'd spread out in front of him into a single pile. Devi shook her head, her head still spinning. "Good. Facilitator Beaumont will set you up with a room here, unless you'd prefer to spend your break elsewhere."
"Here is fine," Devi said, wondering if Noeme was still here. Probably not. She was either out on another assignment or had returned to her home.
"Ah, one other thing," Roche said, arresting Beaumont as she made to stand. Devi looked askance at him, wondering what else there could be. Roche withdrew a thick envelope from the folder and held it out toward her. "I received a formal request from a mage to be permanently partnered with you. Please consider this carefully, Combatant Bissette. Your answer is due by the end of the week."
"Yes, sir," Devi said, standing and stepping forward to take the letter. She nearly fumbled it, her fingers nerveless. It couldn't be Noeme, not after the way Devi had left, but who else could it be? There was no one else in Devi's recent past with whom she'd actually gotten along.
"If you'll follow me," Beaumont said, her voice cold as she stood. Devi didn't linger, eager to be gone from the meeting room and the company of far too many high-ranking people for her liking. Beaumont led the way downstairs, back to her office, where she paused only briefly to unlock the door. Devi didn't bother sitting, planning to get the key and leave. Beaumont didn't like her, and Devi wasn't a fan of Beaumont.
Beaumont crossed the room, setting down the folder she carried on the top of her desk. She opened a drawer in her desk, poking through its contents until she found the key ring she wanted. Instead of handing it to Devi, however, she curled her hand around it and frowned at Devi, her displeasure evident in every line of her face.
"I think it's a mistake to keep you on," Beaumont said. Apparently Devi wasn't going to get off without hearing all of the reasons Beaumont thought she was a bad seed. "However, the council has decided against me, and I do respect Mage Lavoie's judgment. That said, I have no desire to see her brought down by you and I strongly advise you do not accept that request for partnership."
Devi's stomach flipped. So the request for permanent partnership was from Noeme. But why? "I'll keep your opinion under advisement," Devi said, though she had no such plans. Beaumont reluctantly handed her the key to her room.
"You're in room 314. Mage Lavoie is residing in 301, if you would like to discuss the matter with her," Beaumont said stiffly. "You'll report back to me with your decision, once you reach it."
"Yes, ma'am," Devi said, masking her surprise and staying polite, if only because Beaumont could have kept that to herself.
"You're dismissed," Beaumont said, sitting down in her chair and giving Devi a last cold look. Devi left the room, heading for the stairs. She climbed to the third floor quickly, and then took the left branch of the hallway to find room 314. Letting herself in, she walked over to the bed and sat down, setting the letter requesting permanent partnership on her lap.
She'd have to go back to the room she'd rented in the city and bring her belongings here, but she could do that later. She'd also have to move her horse. She could certainly do all of that now and deal with Noeme and the request later, but… it would eat at her.
Sighing, Devi broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out the pages inside. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a form letter. There was nothing personalized about it. It laid out that Noeme was requesting Devi to be permanently partnered with her, on the basis that they worked well together and their skill levels were compatible, alongside the ridiculous length of legal bindings that it signified. Noeme's signature was scrawled at the bottom of the last page.
All it needed was Devi's signature of acceptance to be complete.
Folding the letter and returning it to the envelope, Devi set it aside and fell back to the bed, making it squeak faintly. Noeme should have told her, but she hadn't. Noeme had vouched for her, when she had no reason. Devi was a competent mage, but Beaumont was right in that Devi wasn't good at working with the mages assigned to her.
Noeme had probably been directly responsible for Devi being promoted to Level 9 and she wanted to be Devi's permanent partner. Little wonder that Roche had wanted to know what their relationship was. Noeme hadn't disclosed that they'd been sleeping together, Devi was sure of it. There was no way the assessment would have been upheld were that the case.
What did she do now, that was the question. Devi stared up at the ceiling, drumming her fingers against her stomach. She could refuse the request for permanent partnership and continue as she had been. That idea seemed… unpleasant. She'd end up with another mage like Faucher sooner rather than later.
Noeme had been a rare respite from the parade of terrible partners. Devi had trusted her, and even more critical, she'd liked Noeme. Devi would have jumped on the offer of permanent partnership in a heartbeat, if Noeme had only told her about the assessment before it had been sprung on her in Beaumont's office.
As it was, Devi didn't know if she could say yes. What if Noeme kept something else from her? Could she trust Noeme anymore? Why hadn't Noeme told her? She'd obviously liked Devi, if their fling was anything to go by. She also had to want to keep Devi around to put in the request for permanent partnership.
Noeme was down the hall.
Sitting up, Devi slid off the bed. She tucked the key ring and letter away in her vest and headed for the door. She liked the idea of speaking to Noeme too much. She wanted to see if Noeme was as beautiful as she remembered. She wanted to talk to Noeme, to discuss the book on dragons she should have returned unopened and not spent two weeks reading.
No, she wouldn't go visit Noeme. She'd get her things in order, and then come back. Maybe then she'd have a better idea of what to do about Noeme.
*~*~*
It was dusk when Devi returned to the outpost. She climbed the stairs and made her way to her room, shutting the door behind her. She set her bag down on the table, standing beside it as she wrestled with what to do next.
She was no closer to a solution and going to find Noeme sounded like a better idea with every moment that passed, which meant it was probably a terrible idea. Digging through her bag, Devi pulled out the book Noeme had lent her. She'd go and return it. If she dithered any longer over whether or not to visit Noeme, she'd have to go drown herself in a horse trough.
Devi hesitated in the hallway, but then pushed that hesitance away, striding down the hall toward room 301. She stopped in front of the door, listening for a moment. The outpost was soundly constructed, however, and she couldn't make out any sound from behind the door.
She lingered a moment more, wondering if she looked all right. That was the breaking point, and Devi forced herself to knock before she spent anymore time thinking stupid thoughts. Then the door opened, and there was Noeme. She looked exactly as Devi remembered. Her hair was neatly braided, the color close to black in the dim light of the hallway. She was dressed casually, in a loose-fitting shirt and soft, supple trousers, and the sight of her drove all the thoughts from Devi's head.
"Hi," Noeme said. She stepped back, gesturing for Devi to enter. Noeme had been in New Haven for a few weeks at least, to judge by the accumulation of things in her room. Perhaps she'd never left? There were papers and books scattered across the bed, and clothing piled haphazardly throughout the room. Noeme shut the door behind her, then crossed the room, giving Devi plenty of space. She settled on the edge of the bed, her face blank and unreadable. "I take it you're here about the partnership request?"
Devi wanted to shake her, wanted to kiss her, wanted to yell at her, to do something to get her to react. "I brought your book back," Devi said, crossing the room to the bed. She set the book down on top of a few others, and turned to catch disappointment sliding off of Noeme's face.
"Thank you," Noeme said. She was looking at the book, not at Devi, and Devi stifled a sigh. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
"Why didn't you say something before we got to New Haven?" Devi asked, the question tumbling from her lips before she could think the better of it. Thinking before she spoke wasn't one of her strong qualities.
"I wanted to," Noeme said, raising her hand to run it through her hair, only to drop it when she realized her hair was bound. She looked at Devi, her expression sad, but Devi refused to be moved. "I knew it was a bad idea from the start, and I… I should have said no. You didn't deserve that, and I'm sorry."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Devi repeated, because that wasn't an answer to her question. It was good to hear, but it didn't explain why Noeme hadn't said anything.
"I wasn't supposed to," Noeme said. Her forehead creased as she frowned up at Devi. "Assessments of that nature are meant to be secret, to make sure the combatant or mage being assessed acts naturally and doesn't try to cover up any bad habits."
"You had plenty of material to work with from before we got involved," Devi said, not yielding.
"I did. That's what I based my assessment on," Noeme said, as though it had been in question. "I should have told you, but I didn't know how. I… I tried leaving my journal out, but you didn't read it."
"I respect other people's property," Devi said shortly. Noeme had left the journal out in Hershire, but Devi wasn't a snoop. "If you wanted me to read it, you should have said so."
"I couldn't do that without admitting to my secondary assignment," Noeme said, smiling wryly. It wasn't a happy smile, and Devi crossed her arms to keep herself from giving into the urge to comfort Noeme. She shouldn't be so twisted up to see Noeme upset. "And for some reason, I decided that was more important than being honest with you. It was a stupid decision and I've regretted it since."
"Why the request for partnership?" Devi asked. It was like the first time she'd met Noeme; she kept expecting Noeme to say something or do something that would show her to be like every other mage Devi had worked with, but Noeme kept being reasonable and upset, and it was impossible to stay angry with her.
"Because I don't want to let you go," Noeme said. Her voice wavered, but she didn't look away from Devi. "I know it's not smart, to try and throw my lot in with you after only a few weeks of working with you, but I've never connected with anyone the way I did with you. We work well together, and even if that's—even if that's all you want, a working partnership, then I'll be… I'd take it."
"I…" Devi started, but found herself at a loss for words. She'd never been a great speaker and she hadn't prepared for anything like this. She'd come expecting a fight, not expecting Noeme to be… Noeme.
"If you want to think about it more, I understand," Noeme said when Devi continued to stare at her speechlessly.
"I'm not really a big fan of thinking," Devi said. She moved suddenly, crossing the room in four quick strides. She leaned past Noeme, purposefully close, to snag a pen that was sitting on top of a pile of papers. The letter was still in her vest, and Devi pulled it out, bracing the last page against a book to scrawl her signature at the bottom. Dropping the pen, Devi handed the page to Noeme, who took it, her eyes wide.
"Are you sure you don't want to think about it?" Noeme asked, glancing up at Devi in surprise. "I don't want to push you into something—"
"I've been doing nothing but thinking for the last six weeks," Devi said, rolling her eyes and shifting her stance. "I mean, I can burn that, if you're having second thoughts, but I was dreading coming back and being forced to deal with being assigned idiots again. You've ruined me for regular mage partners."
Noeme laughed, smiling for the first time since Devi had shown up on her doorstep. She folded the page back into thirds and handed it back to Devi. "That's precisely why I asked for a permanent partnership. I wasn't sure I could handle being assigned to anyone else."
Devi took the paper, her fingers brushing against Noeme's. Did Noeme want to pick up where they'd left off with the rest of their relationship, as well? Tucking the page back into its envelope, Devi returned it to her vest. Devi should be happy that Noeme wanted to continue to partner with her, not push for more, but she wanted it all.
"Was it just the partnership you wanted?" Devi asked. She still had time to screw things up. Better to go for it all now, and if Noeme reacted badly, then Devi could burn the form.
"What do you mean?" Noeme asked, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.
"I mean, did you want to pick up the rest of our… relationship, as well?" Devi asked, stumbling over the wording. She didn't know if she could call what they'd had a relationship, or if Noeme had thought of it that way at all.
"I… " Noeme began, her cheeks flooding with color. "I don't have the right to ask for that, not after I screwed it up so badly before."
"You're not asking for it, I am," Devi said, relaxing. She grinned at Noeme. "I don't see the point of going halfway about this, either, unless you'd prefer to keep it strictly professional."
"I don't prefer," Noeme said, her answering smile hesitant. "I wasn't lying before. I've never felt this way about anyone before, and I don't… I don't want to let it go, simply because it's 'smarter' to be partners in fighting and nothing more."
"Good," Devi said, and she couldn't keep the smile off her face. She didn't want to stop smiling—Noeme wanted her, professionally and romantically, and Devi would never have guessed she would have found someone who made her this reckless and willing to risk it all. If their partnership went down in flames, it would be a blow to both their careers and Devi would probably end up drummed out of the Corps, but she couldn't bring herself to care.
Reaching out, Devi pulled Noeme up from the bed and drew her in close. Noeme came easily, laughing. Devi kissed her, not able to not, and it was as though they hadn't spent six weeks apart, as though it had never been in question that Devi would kiss her again. Devi groaned and buried her hands in Noeme's hair, pulling her closer and resolving to never go six weeks without Noeme ever again.