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songofsoma · 6 months

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all roads lead to you

one // two // three

pairing: karlach x f!tav words: 2,763

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chapter three | the spinner's siphouse

Over the next two weeks, routine set in.

Every morning she would wake up with the sun with the others. They would sit and have their breakfast of whatever Gale decided to throw together, chatting about mundane things like what needed to be done today and who would do what.

Karlach was often tasked with things that needed to be hauled around. It was only natural she was deemed the glorified pack mule with her bulging muscles. Honestly, she didn’t mind. She liked the way it made her body feel tired at the end of the day. It was evidence that she had done something.

Besides, it often landed her in the stables or with the horses which just so happened to be close to where Daefina usually was.

Today was no different.

Her task was hauling hay bales out to the pasture feeders to refill them. For the one way out in the cattle pastures, she had saddled up Guy to help her pull a cart with the round bale. It had been easy enough to drop it in and secure the gates. The hard part was the swarm of cattle that tried to eat the damned thing while she was still carrying it.

What those beasts would do for a nice, fresh thing of hay Karlach didn’t want to know.

She left them to it as quickly as she could and pulled the empty cart back to the barn.

Lucky for her, the other two were closer. That meant she could turn Guy loose again so he could graze nearby while she finished lugging the rest of the hay.

By the time she balanced the last bale on her back, hands clinging to the ropes that held the thing together, she could feel sweat making her shirt stick to her back.

She trudged by where Guy watched her to the nearby feeder. They didn’t have nearly as many horses as they did cattle, so the one feeder would last them a while.

Karlach tossed the bale into the metal fencing before grabbing the knife clipped to her belt and cutting the ties and pulling them out. The neatly packed cube fell apart, but would still need to be spread out.

That would wait a minute. What she needed now was a little relief.

Karlach tossed her hat to the ground briefly so she could pull her sweat-stained shirt over her head to leave her top half bare. She mopped her face with the damp fabric as best she could before plopping her hat back on her head.

It was instantly much better. She could feel the breeze chill her skin as it dried the sweat. Goosebumps even raised along the tattooed and gnarled skin of her arms.

She slung the shirt over her shoulder and made for the barn to grab a pitchfork when a sharp whistle stopped her.

Turning, she saw Daefina leaning against the outside of the fence. She had Shadowheart with her today, the girl from that religious cult who insisted on dressing in all black no matter how warm the weather was. Maybe it was because it matched the hue of the braided ponytail that swung as she walked.

“Morning, Karlach. Didn’t think I’d get a show this early in the day,” Daefina called.

Something about her words always made Karlach’s face grow hot. “Sorry, Miss. I can put it back on if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“No,” Shadowheart spoke up, resting her chin on her hand as she watched her. “I quite like this view.”

She could hear Daefina giggle beside her. “I wanted to ask if you were coming tonight?”

Karlach took a few steps closer to them so they didn’t have to shout. “Coming where?”

“The Siphouse. The saloon in town.”

She had heard Astarion mention something about that this morning. “Oh, fuck yeah. I could go for a good pint—” Realizing her bad mouth she snapped it shut with wide eyes. “Sorry, Miss.”

Bemused, Daefina smiled. “Why are you apologizing? Don’t you know I was raised on a farm? But good, I’ll save you a seat next to me. And maybe even have a damn good pint waiting for you.” She patted the top rail of the fence before she and Shadowheart headed back to the house and left Karlach staring, open-mouthed in disbelief.

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗

Karlach hadn’t been back into town since she first rode in almost a month ago. Work on the farm kept her busy. Besides, there hasn’t been a reason. The Greensongs fed her, housed her, paid her well, and had even scrounged up a few extra clothes to give her since she had ridden in with only the ones on her back.

The one thing Karlach had wanted to do was thank the drow barkeeper for pointing her in the right direction. Tonight would finally be her chance to do so.

She looked up at the gold lettering of the sign hung above the door, The Spinner’s Siphouse written below a spider whose legs expanded to form the shape of a goblet. It’s where her new life began. She was glad it was the most popular bar in town.

The dark, weathered wood gave the place an eerie feeling as if it’s been sitting here for ages. Its tall and narrow windows were designed in a way that made the metal detailing on the glass look like webbing. Warm candlelight spilled through the windows and onto the street, inviting passersby to come in despite the almost creepy exterior. It was a sharp contrast to the odd torches clearly made to resemble egg-sacs hanging from the posts lining the walkway and the front entrance.

Minthara must really enjoy spiders. Creepy. But thinking back on the drow, it made sense.

Karlach mounted the steps and pushed through the doors. It was busier inside than the last time she had been here. The warm, amber lighting filtered over the crowd that swarmed the large bar. Of course, there was Minthara taking drink orders. She seemed at ease in the chaos.

There were a couple of other staff running around. Cain, a large half-drow, who she knew as Minthara’s wife, lugged in a new keg to put behind the bar. Her thanks was a finger slipped through the collar-like necklace around Cain’s throat to yank her down for a kiss before Minthara turned back to the patrons.

Then there was the barmaid. A purple-skinned tiefling with hair as dark as night draped over her shoulders in two long braids. Her tail swished as she dodged around the crowd, a tray of tankards and goblets balanced on one hand.

This time, Karlach really looked around. The walls were decorated with paintings and tapestries of spiders in different forms. It suited the deep red wallpaper and dark wooden table tops etched and filled with gold paint to look like webs.

An arm looped through hers and she stared wide-eyed down at Shadowheart who was grinning. “There you are! Fina was beginning to think you were skipping out on us!” Karlach could smell the alcohol on her breath. Paired with the slight slur of her words, she could tell they had started earlier.

“Are you drunk already?” she mused, allowing herself to be led to where the rest of the group was.

Shadowheart gasped and looked at her as if she had just asked the most ridiculous question. “I am not!” she claimed. The stumble of her gait didn’t help her case. “Just feeling very good.”

Karlach cleared her throat as she did her best to ignore the flirty strokes of fingers on her arm.

“But if I do get too drunk, at least you’re strong enough to throw me over your shoulder and carry me home.”

Luckily she was saved from answering by the arrival to the table.

Their large group was situated in one of the corners. A couple of tables had been pushed together to make room for the six of them, something she was sure Minthara had been thrilled about. Gale and Astarion had been crammed into the corner, most likely Lae’zel’s doing, who had plenty of room at the end of one table, if she had to guess. Daefina was flanked by two empty chairs and her eyes lit up upon seeing them approach.

“Found her!” Shadowheart announced as she fell into one of the chairs beside Daefina.

“And here I thought you were standing me up,” she teased, resting her elbows on the table. “Have a seat, your beer is getting warm.”

Karlach did as she was told, avoiding the curious looks and raised eyebrows the others were giving her. Immediately, a tankard was slid in front of her.

She lifted it, surprised to still find it cold.

“Magic comes in handy more ways than one.” Daefina winked having seen the look on her face.

The barmaid from before sauntered over with a tray of fresh drinks for the others. Her low-cut top left little to the imagination, especially as she bent over to place the goblets and tankards on the etched tabletop.

She set her sights on the wizard, wearing a smile that could only be described as coquettish. “And yours, Mr. Ancunin, Mr. Dekarios,” she purred, bending down in a way that seemed purposeful when her bosom pressed into Gale’s face as she reached over him to pass Astarion his drink.

The entire table snickered as she left with another wink, leaving Gale the same shade of red as Karlach’s skin.

“You think she likes him?” Karlach asked with a chuckle to no one in particular.

“Oh, Tiss? She fauns over Gale.” Daefina picked up her mug with a grin. “Has since the day Minthy hired her.”

“And yet he has yet to grow the balls to ask her on a date,” Shadowheart added with a roll of her eyes.

Gale huffed, “Can we please cease discussing the size of my testicles? I’ll have you know they’re an adequate size, thank you.”

“Well, maybe they’re a tad small compared to the rest of you,” Astarion said, resting a cheek in his hand to look at his neighbor. “Considering its size in relation to—”

Lae’zel hawked in disgust and annoyance. “You Fae-run men are so…underequipped compared to us Githyanki.” No one bothered to point out her mispronunciation of the region. Instead, Daefina and Shadowheart shared amused glances. “I’ve seen what both of you have to offer and, might I say, it isn’t much.”

The smirk that played on her lips quickly hidden by her glass told Karlach her words were intentional as the men gaped at her.

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗

To say a large portion of the group was trashed would be putting it lightly. Supremely and utterly fucked up would’ve done it more justice.

Lae’zel marched Gale and Astarion’s stumbling figures out of the Siphouse, rolling her eyes as they hung onto each other in an attempt to keep upright.

“Sk’va, leave it to your men to be the weaklings,” she hissed with arms crossed.

“Shadowheart is down too,” Daefina mused, gesturing the the girl passed out in Karlach’s arms.

“Yes, but I expect weakness from her.”

Daefina snorted and Karlach’s brows raised as the Githyanki turned her back to them to continue ushering the drunks out of the bar.

“There some sort of bad blood there?” Karlach asked, adjusting Shadowheart in her grip. She really weighed nothing compared to the bales of hay she tossed or the other shit she carried around.

“Shadowheart doesn’t like Githyanki for stereotypical reasons, Lae’zel just doesn’t like Shadowheart. Frankly,” she added, a mischievous glint in her eye, “I think they don’t like obvious sexual tension between them.”

Karlach sputtered, unsure of what exactly to say. That only made Daefina giggle.

As they made to leave the saloon, Minthara stopped her. Daefina was yelling something to Lae’zel through the open door and hadn’t noticed.

She expected a scolding for being too rowdy or being the last to leave. Instead, Minthara said, “There was someone who came through town asking about you.”

Karlach’s mouth went dry and her blood ran cold. “Who?” she asked, the word coming out in a broken whisper.

“Didn’t get his name.” Minthara leaned back against the bar. “Human man, dark skin, one good eye, a silly needle of a rapier on his hip asking if I’d seen a one-horned devil named Karlach come through here. He was wearing a pin with the Frontiers’ sigil on it.”

The Frontiers. Notoriously known bounty hunters. Someone had put a target on her back. It wasn’t hard to figure out who.

“What’d you say?” She swallowed hard. She had just gotten this new life. She didn’t want to keep running. Life on the run was exhausting.

“I told him there were no devils in Baldur’s Gate.” Minthara crossed her arms, the lean muscle of her purple forearms pronounced in the low candlelight.

Relief flooded through her. Minthara hadn’t given her up for whatever reason. “I’m not what he says I am, Minthara,” she said finally.

“I would hardly care if you were,” she chuckled, though it had a more serious tone than a jovial one. “I don’t give up my clientele.”

Karlach met back up with Daefina after thanking Minthara for everything—for the job recommendation and not ratting her out to a bounty hunter. Daefina had been the only one to linger, Lae’zel was making a soldier march out of the boys she learned.

They walked mostly in silence. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon so only the light of the moon and stars guided their path.

For once, Karlach didn’t mind not talking. Her head was full of scenarios of some bounty hunter trying to either drag her back to Zauriel or kill her. It would be the latter. She’d never go back. Not alive. Another part of her worried that this man would harm her friends. The thought alone was enough to make her stomach twist.

“Thank you, by the way, for carrying her.” Daefina finally said, breaking the silence and peering up at her.

Honestly, Karlach had forgotten she had precious cargo. Shadowheart wasn’t much effort to carry and she’d been too much in her own head to notice the extra weight.

“No problem,” she replied, a little too quick and with a smile a little too tight.

Daefina had noticed and her lips tipped into a frown. “Are you alright? Is she too heavy? I can drag her if you—”

“No!” She took a deep breath, trying to quell her nerves. “No, it’s fine. I’m fine. Really, better than I have been in a long time. I just…I just hope it stays that way.”

Her face still read of confusion, not knowing what to make of the words. Then, she set a hand on Karlach’s arm, fingers barely able to curl over a bicep. “If you need anything, I’m here. All you have to do is ask.”

“Thanks, Fina.” Karlach stilled at her use of a nickname. Usually, she always called her Miss Greensong or Daefina, never ‘Fina.’ Were they on a nickname basis? Oh, Gods, had she fucked up?

Daefina only gave her a toothy grin. “Anytime, Sparky.”

Her face flushed, the deepening of her already red cheeks hopefully hidden in the moonlight.

The rest of the way was, thankfully, uneventful. She’d left Shadowheart on a chaise in one of the front rooms as directed by Daefina who stood on the front porch with her now.

“I’ll let her sleep it off there. I don’t feel like cleaning vomit out of my rug upstairs,” she joked, leaning against a column.

Karlach chuckled. “Fair enough. I should be turning in as well, the sun is going to rise in a few hours and the rest of them will be hungover and blowing chunks in the field.”

She wrinkled her nose in disgust but laughed. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Karlach took the hat off her head and bowed her head. “‘Night Miss Greensong.”

“You can’t Miss Greensong me after you just nicknamed me. Tell me correctly,” she pouted with hands on her hips.

Her eyes widened but she said, “Goodnight, Fina.” The words sounded foreign to her own ears.

Daefina stretched up on her tiptoes with a smile and planted a soft kiss on Karlach’s cheek. “Goodnight, Karlach.”

She left her standing on the front steps with the sweep of her skirt, dumbfounded and dazed on her entire walk back to the barn with not a thought about a bounty hunter in sight.

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