#and two. she's absolutely the type to keep swinging a busted sword until even the gods themselves are like 'okay you should probably chill'

[mypunkpansexualtwin]

"That's probably the most unsettling part of things; not the tadpole, not the memory loss, not the outbursts of nigh-insatiable bloodlust... I'm still favored by something, someone, and I have no idea who. The blessings feel strange in my hands; familiar to hold but the balance is all wrong, like swinging a real sword after using training weapons all your life. Or maybe the other way around, like being handed a blunted knife after doing something stupid with the real thing. No fucking idea who I swore my oath to. But I know that oath like my own heartbeat; blood for blood, justice for the weak, and vengeance where justice turned a blind eye. When I feel the divine burning through my hands, it never feels the same twice. A different hand on my shoulder every time, but it's always Death. Death as rebirth, death as rest, death as justice, death as dispassionate inevitability... And death as hunger.

Doing @catbatart's RPG Inktober challenge and knocking out a twofer with Days 1&2 - Dwarf and Paladin. I'm gonna be on and off on this one, this is the first thing I've drawn since mid august last year, so I figure that'll be safer for my wrist and/or sanity. But I'm planning to try and knock out 10-15 out of all 31, which is still pretty ambitious for me.

Folks who've been following me since the olden days of Fallout 4 might recognize Maya Acerbi under the beard and edgelord coat of paint she's gotten as my Dark Urge playthrough character for Baldur's Gate 3. Everyone else has their cool, mysterious, catlike Durge characters, and then there's me with a crusty old dwarf woman who by the end of every day looks like she got dragged backwards through a bush and then rolled in mud and/or blood that might even be hers.

[kiminicricket]

Swords and Opals - Part 10

A Ruthari fic based pre-show. adventure. friendship. bad-assery. fluff. angst. romance. and of course, Ruthari. What else could you need?

Need to catch up? From the Start Previous Chapter

“Working shirtless again I see. You know, attractive as you are, I’m afraid my heart belongs to someone else!” Tiadrin swooned dramatically as she sauntered into the workshop and helped herself to a drink of water. She poured one out for Ethari too, who turned from the forge to accept it. 

“Thanks,” he said gratefully, downing the glass quickly and wiping some of the sweat from his brow. Rehydrated, he grinned at his friend and flexed his pecs, wiggling his eyebrows.

“You mean these babies don’t do anything for you?” 

Tiadrin laughed and grabbed the towel from the hook where he kept it, flinging it into his face. 

“Save it for someone who cares you hot piece of ass.”

Ethari wiped his face, laughing as Tiadrin tried to take a peek at his sketchbook, laying open on her new sword design. He quickly slid it out of her reach. 

“No fair!” She pouted.

“I told you, you get to see it when it’s done.”

Tiadrin grumbled but didn’t argue. “How is it coming?” She asked instead.

Ethari shrugged “I mean it should be good when it’s done. It’s kind of ugly looking at the moment. 

Tiadrin shot a worried glance towards the hilt of her sword as Ethari leaned back against the counter. 

“I dropped by your house a few times, but you haven’t been there.” He said, conversationally. 

Tiadrin blushed, “Yeah I’ve been spending a lot of time in the healing huts.”

Ethari said nothing, just raising his eyebrows, waiting for more. Tiadrin sighed. 

“Damn it Ethari I really like him. Like, more than I expected to. It’s kind of scary.” Her voice had dropped into a whisper. 

“Why?” Ethari asked. 

Tiadrin shot him a look of disbelief. “Because what if he doesn’t like me back?” She asked as if it was obvious.

Ethari frowned, thinking back to their mission, how Lain had followed her everywhere, how he had risked his life saving hers, how he had watched her. “I mean I don’t think that’s likely, but if it’s true then he’s an idiot.”

Tiadrin smiled softly, staring off into space. “Oh he’s an idiot all right.” The fond smile on her face belied the words. 

“How is he doing?” Ethari asked. 

“Oh he’s being stubborn, insisting he’s absolutely fine and doesn’t need to be there despite barely being able to walk down the hall unassisted.” Tiadrin huffed in frustration. “Solana has told him three more days and he is begging me to bust him out.” She blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’m not going to do it of course, he still needs more recovery time, but dang, the boy can be persuasive!”

Ethari laughed. “You can be pretty persuasive when you want to be.”

“Especially with a sword in my hand!” Tiadrin grinned at him. 

“Oh yes especially then!”

They fell into comfortable silence for a moment. 

“It wasn’t so bad was it?” Tiadrin eventually asked, “Being grouped with Lain and Runaan?”

Ethari smiled, thinking back to his panic when he had found out about the grouping. He had thought it would be much more embarrassing than it was, but aside from getting flung around like a doll by a giant sand monster he had actually dealt with the trial fairly well.

“I thought I would stick my foot in it much more often than I actually did.” Ethari said thoughtfully. 

Tiadrin grinned at him, “And what happened between you and Runaan while Lain and I were away?” She asked suggestively. 

“I think we became.. friends,” Ethari said, thinking about Runaan opening up to him, their conversation that lasted well into the wee hours of the morning. The dance back into the silver grove. 

Tiadrin raised her eyebrows, “Just friends?” She prodded. 

Ethari smiled indulgently. “Yeah, what else would there be. He is Runaan. I’m just me.” 

“I mean if Lain is an idiot for not liking me then Runaan is most certainly an idiot for not liking you!”

“Runaan’s not an idiot.” 

“So he likes you then?”

“No, he’s just not an idiot.”

Tiadrin came right up to Ethari and planted her palms on both of his cheeks. Ethari looked down at her in surprise. 

“Ethari. Get this through your thick skull. You are worthy of love, and any man would be a fool not to love you.”

Ethari smiled softly down at his best friend, pulling her in for a hug. She returned the tight embrace for a moment before wriggling around to try and catch another glimpse of his sketchbook. He promptly lifted her up and carried her to the door. 

“Time for you to go now missy, how am I supposed to get any work done with you showering me with compliments?”

Tiadrin huffed but willingly started moving away. At the door they noticed Runaan down by the pond, looking up in their direction. They both smiled and waved. Runaan stiffened but waved back, before turning and darting towards the training fields. 

Tiadrin let out a huff of laughter. “I mean he’s a weird dude, but I can see the appeal.”

“Stop,” Ethari said, gently nudging her. 

“Love you,” she said, moving towards the healing huts. 

“Love you too.” Ethari called back before moving back towards the forge.

***

Tiadrin stood up and stretched. Lain had just drifted off to sleep after telling her a story about his childhood. She tried to imagine him as a rambunctious child and smiled at the image it brought to mind. 

“Uh Tiadrin?” 

She whirled to see Runaan hovering in the doorway, looking nervous. It wasn’t unusual to see him here, he visited with Lain daily, but he had already visited today, and it was unusual to see him twice. 

“Hey Runaan.”

He smiled. Or tried to. From what Tiadrin could tell. At the very least his cheek twitched.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Yeah buddy, what’s up?”

He seemed to hesitate, taking a deep breath and opening his mouth before closing it. Tiadrin watched him, puzzling over his actions. 

“Do you need something?”

“Uh, no.”

“Do you want a minute with Lain? I was about to get dinner anyway.”

Runaan shook his head, “No, its… It’s about Ethari.”

Tiadrin perked up.

“Is he… are you…” he couldn’t seem to get the words out, and a blush was forming on his cheeks. He sighed helplessly, gesturing with his hands as though Tiadrin should be able to pick up on what he was saying. 

Tiadrin frowned for a moment before putting the dots together. 

“Wait, me and Ethari?” She laughed, “Oh dear,  no, I’m most definitely not his type.”

“Ok.” 

It was hard to read Runaan’s expressions, but Tiadrin thought he looked a little pleased at the news. 

“You two are… close though?”

Tiadrin smiled, “Yeah he’s been my best friend for a long time now.”

“He seems a good friend to have.”

“A better boyfriend I’d wager.” She said with a grin and a wink. Someone had to egg this guy on. 

Runaan stiffened and then nodded formally. 

“Right, well I won’t keep you from your dinner.”

“You’re welcome to join if you like.”

“Thank you, no. I have uh, a previous engagement.” 

Runaan disappeared through the door and Tiadrin watched him go with a smile. Ethari was right then. Runaan wasn’t an idiot.

***

Ethari stoked the flames, making sure they were rising nice and high. He wiped the sweat from his brow and put the bucket into the hottest part of the flame. He held it there a moment before withdrawing it, giving it a little swirl and then re-entering it in. He repeated this several times until the metal within was pure liquid and the bucket was glowing red hot. Retreating from the heat, he hurried over to the mold, pouring the liquified metal in, watching with no small amount of satisfaction as it smoothly ran between the various elements that he had crafted the mold to fit. He heard the door swing open and slam shut, but he dared not remove his gaze from the mold - he had a very strict amount of this metal, and he couldn’t afford to lose a single drop. Finishing the pour he grabbed the other half of the mold, pressing it together and strapping it in place to hold the metal while it cooled. He dropped his tools and looked up for the first time, seeing Runaan standing at the door, eyes wide, cheeks red. 

“Oh hey Runaan,” Ethari grinned and wiped some more sweat off his brow, missing the way Runaan’s eyes were glued to him. He grabbed a towel from the rack on the wall, “I thought you were hanging out with Lain today.”

Runaan blinked and nodded stiltingly, not saying a word. Ethari regarded him carefully, tilting his head. 

“You ok?”

More blinks and nods. Ethari frowned, confused, but turned to head to the back of the shop. 

“Ok well give me a minute, I’ll grab my shirt and be right back.”

Not sure what was eating at Runaan, Ethari ducked into his living area. He quickly towelled off the rest of the sweat and pulled his shirt over his head before heading back out to the main part of the workshop. Runaan hadn’t moved and was looking at him with something akin to disappointment as he took in the top Ethari was wearing. Ethari tugged at the hem, unsure, and Runaan’s eyes lifted to his.

“Uh, they’re letting Lain go home today.” He blurted.

“Oh that’s great news!” 

Runaan nodded distractedly, still eyeing Ethari’s shirt. Ethari thought he noted a hint of distaste. Maybe Runaan didn’t like purple? Either way Ethari tried to shrug it off as he turned to make sure the safety was in place for the furnace.

“Shall we go welcome him back to the real world?” He said once it was done.

“I think he’d like that.” Runaan agreed.

***

Lain had been awake for the last several days, and insisting that he was fine, however the healers had wanted to keep him in for observation a few extra days. Tiadrin had made herself a nuisance, but healer Solana had developed a soft spot for her, and let her hang around. That left little room for Runaan and Ethari to visit, but they had popped by when they could and Lain had bemoaned his ‘imprisonment’, trying to convince them to break him out. The three of them were more than happy to leave him in the care of the healers however, as even yesterday he had still looked quite pale. 

They got to the healers tent just as Lain was getting out, half listening to a lecture from Solana.

“No strenuous activities for at least another two weeks!” She called out as he walked away. “Three would be better.” She muttered, shaking her head and returning to within the healing huts. 

“Runaan! Ethari!” Lain called out, embracing each of them by turn. “It’s so good to see your faces in the light of the sun! I was going crazy in there! I swear I would have broken out days ago if Rin hadn’t kept me entertained with stories of the dragon guard!”

At the nickname Ethari shot a questioning glance at Tiadrin, who blushed but shot him a don’t even start look. She was following just behind Lain, ready to dart in and assist if needed, but Lain was walking around as if he’d never been hit. 

“Whats this?” Runaan pointed to a new braid on the right side of his face.

“Oh you like it?” Lain reached up to hold the new braid out. “Rin gave it to me while I was convalescing.” He said dramatically, tilting his head to show off the braid.

“Rin?” Ethari couldn’t help but ask. There was murder growing in Tiadrin’s eyes as he said the nickname and Ethari quickly bit his tongue. “Right, Tiadrin. Sorry.”  His smile widened though at the obvious affection between the two. A nickname - especially for Tiadrin - was no small thing. He glanced over at Runaan but he hadn’t seemed to notice. 

“It’s good to see you out and about.” Runaan said, clasping Lain on the arm.

“Its good to be out and about! I was going crazy cooped up in there!” Lain stretched and let his gaze wander around the village. He breathed in deeply and smiled.

“The healer said there was some poison on the talon that got you,” Tiadrin reminded him. She turned to the others, “Thats why he took it so hard. That and he lost a lot of blood on the ride back.”

Lain grabbed her hand at this, noticing her curling into herself.

“They also said you got me to them in the nick of time.” He said softly. “If it wasn’t for you I probably wouldn’t have made it.”

Tiadrin bit her lip and nodded. Lain looked up and grinned. 

“This calls for celebration!”

“Aren’t you supposed to be taking it easy?” Ethari questioned. “We all heard Solana.”

Lain waved his concern away. “Pssshhaw, I will be taking it easy. We can go to the meadow, have a campfire, do some dancing. nothing strenuous about it.”

Tiadrin looked up at Lain eagerly. Runaan looked across at Ethari and raised his eyebrow in question. Ethari supposed Lain couldn’t get in too much trouble with the three of them there to look out for him, plus there was a metal deposit not too far away that he could drop by to get some extra materials. He had a new idea for a dagger that he wanted to get started on right away. He realised after a moment that the other three were looking at him, as if waiting for his answer. He grinned easily. 

“Yeah ok, sounds fun!”

Part 11 Now up!