Squib Ep.2 - The Mercenary Three

Start at the beginning here.

“You keep on talking, but it makes no sense at all.” Anna finished lacing the path of one long boot and tied it off as she sat at the end of her bed. Despite completing the task her eyes remained drawn down, avoiding eye contact for as long as she dared.

“No sense? It makes every sense! The entire embodiment of sense, from the far reaches of land and sea, right up to the great expanse of the stars in the heavens have coalesced into the most sense filled being before you. Right here, right now. Anna, please! The world is crumbling, and I dare not dream of the path that lay before me without you at my side.”

The boy knelt before Anna after his impassioned display, dramatic to be sure, maybe flat out ostentatious. He stole her hands away from her and with it her distraction, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes were pleading, hopeful, full of love or wonderlust, possibly both. She felt a twinge of.. something. The heartfelt display was moving, she had to admit. The boy had a gift, natural, not trained. ‘Say yes’ was what he seemed to be telling her, pleading rather, with those big brown eyes. ‘Say yes!’ her heart seemed to shout out in chorus to the very same tune. But perhaps that was just pity calling as it was want to do. Anna knew love, she had loves, and loyalty. Perhaps more importantly she had her loyalties. “Antony,” the tone that came with her voice sprang from her heart, betraying her mind, and more importantly his ear. She saw in his eyes the glimmer of hope and heard from his throat the in-draw of breath. She could have cursed but drew back her hands instead, dropping her gaze to become busy with her second boot. “The ancient east road is a folly for fools. The bards call it the fountain of myths for a reason.” With meticulous care, Anna began the long task of lacing her boot, mostly to draw out the length of distraction it provided over any care for the task.

“And we shall dive into it, head first, and discover the truth to the stories! I have provisions enough for us both. Just imagine it, out past the merchant city of Doon, beyond the swamps of Silkwood, the two of us facing the rising sun and the limitless realm of possibilities. But most importantly we can leave the perils of this realm behind us, with its fractured factions, and endless wars.” Anna glanced up just long enough to see Antony mock-spit to their side as though the very notions he spoke of were acid in his mouth. “You know what bares down on our town, on our very lives.”

Anna thought on that as a silence fell between them, and the creaking of lace-pulled leather etched its way through the space.

“Anna?”

“Two Bandana Anna!? Hellooo?”

“Hmm, what?” Anna roused from her daydream to the conversation at hand, having missed everything that had been said amidst the memory.

“Well? What are we going to do? These posters are cropping up all over town. Someone's closing in and I bet I know who.”

Bandana exchanged looks with both of her compatriots as she sat and thought it over. Was it the heavy hand of Fate that had drawn her down this path, or had the Lady tipped a dice roll somewhere along the way. She regarded the map of Theon that lay on the table beside their wanted poster. Two Bandana Anna, Annie Getchurgun, and Twelve Gauge Jules, the Mercenary Sisters, wanted across the known world, and as far as that went they were running dangerously short. That’s what the affinity of the two pieces of parchment told her. Still, there was one fringe left. One out of the way bastion that might hide them away for a time yet. Maybe even offer a way out if Fate and Luck could conceive a miracle from some unholy union. Yeah right.

“Here,” she said pointing on the map. “Out past the merchant city of Doon, the Silkwood.”

“The Silkwood?” Annie and Jules said in unison as they leaned in for a closer inspection. “But that’s a swamp,” Jules finished.

“Aye, and nobody wants to go to a swamp. Not even you, and you’re desperate. I should know.” There was a resounding acknowledgment in the form of silence from all three. “Besides, it has an exit.” Bandana’s finger slid a width sideways, coming to rest at a soft line that faded to the edge of the map.

Annie frowned, “The ancient east road? But that’s..”

“For fools and their folly. Believe me, I know.”

(Continue to Ep.3)

(Episode Directory)

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