Limits

JP with Winteroak and Bandorchu

The acolyte of Kupen served her guests with some fresh tea and offered them some freshly baked bread which both Tar and Alexis refused.

The young woman was clearly in awe of Alexis. A woman who had killed the prophet of a false god. An enemy of the Pillars and of the faith. A Holy Warrior in her young pious mind.

After a few minutes though she had to return to her duties promising that she would come to check on them at intervals.

Once she left Tar looked at Alexis.
"It's close. I can feel it. In that direction." He said pointing at a door in the side of the kitchen that led deeper into the Rectory.

“Great. And what exactly will you do when we come across it?”

Alexis looked at Tar piercingly.

"I need that map." He said. "We need that map. Whatever it takes..." He told her reminding her of their deal.

“Then I hope you can be charming and convincing, ‘cause we’re not going to steal it.”

she answered coldly.

Tar supper at his tea. "What if he refuses to help?" He asked her plainly." What do we do than?"

“Then you can marvel at your invisible friends’ poor taste in accomplices and ask them why they need a map when so far they always knew where to send you without such aid.”

She said, rapidly getting fed up with the situation.

He laughed. Probably the first time she had heard him laugh. "Nothing is that easy with the gods, Slayer." He said using the title she was obviously uncomfortable being called by. "You would risk never finding your friends whereabouts when what we need is likely through that door?" He asked sipping the mint tea.

Alexis’ eyes flashed with anger and grudge, indicating that this particular threat might not quite have gotten the expected result.

Despite that, her voice was dangerously calm.

“The friend lost somewhere in the Fang? The one you have dragged me away from days and days of travel?”

She leaned forward, bitter resolve in her gaze.

“If you are forcing me to choose between going back on my word and being a thief…”

She wondered if her father and his friends had ever had to make choices like that? Probably? She had never known to ask.

“… then I’ll have to pick my poison. So how sure are you which one it is going to be?”

"Are you sure the Friar will help? Have you considered what story we will tell him to show us or even give us the artifact?" He asked Alexis.

"Once we speak to him will we have a better opportunity than this now to grab it and go?" He pushed although she felt he would go along with her decision.

Alexis leaned back again, assessing the man.

“No, I am not sure he will.”
she simply said.

“And I was going for the truth. Mostly.”

She smiled self-deprecatingly.
“Didn’t your visions tell you I like to do things the complicated way?”

More serious again she looked him into the eyes.

“I‘ll be frank,Tar. I don’t care wether we have a better opportunity to steal it now than after speaking with the Friar. Because I won’t take part in stealing from a good man, subjectively or not, at all.
I do owe you.”

She never contested that. It was simply the truth.

“Self-serving as it might have been, I would not have found Hunter without your help. And I do wish to pay you back.”

She gestured towards the door he indicated.

“But if that is what you demand in return, I will not be able to deliver.“

He shrugged at her words. "Let's try you way. I'm sure your other friend is in no rush to be found..." He said and sat back waiting for the Friar to return. If her plan failed he would have to reconsider this deal.