Those little bonds

Alexis had come to truly appreciate them, those unlikely connections that somehow managed to withstand all adversity.

First and foremost of course those people most dear to her, almost all of them in this very room.
But also… this. A peculiar tinkerer and farmer that had found it in himself to befriend some outsiders that by design should be his enemies. A strange child shaman that just felt they could use some help. A priest of the Twin Gods that would somehow trust her enough to offer valuable information. A travelling merchant that would randomly ask her to join his caravan. A kind and brave blacksmith that would gift her a reminder of her home.

All of those little connections in the shadow of a looming war. A reminder of what existed beyond the inevitable battlefields. Maybe even something worth walking those battlefields in the first place.

Speaking of which, they would have to discuss where to go from here.

“Thank you, Tarmen. Wish I had more coin left…”

She felt seriously bad having to mooch off his winnings without any idea how to pay him back.

Thinking over his question she added:

“Other than the obvious, I suppose some clothing if there is any to be got. We’re in a sorry state, and maybe we don’t want to look like desert people once we get back to Ostiarium territory…”

Both Tarmen and her still had their armor but Voah and Gonyaul were pretty much out of, well, everything.

She turned to look at Voah.

“Though if that is where we are headed, we’ll have to start thinking about how we keep you out of the Inquisition’s eyes.”

She might be committed to see this hammer thing through, but she refused to blindly risk her friends for it.