HOME | DD

Description

Previous

Darrin tipped back his mug of mead, grateful for the honey sweet taste as it splashed over his tongue. He gulped heartily before setting it upon the mantle of the fireplace. Across from him, his dour companion was mulling over the results of their latest job.

“It wasn’t that bad.” The subtle quirk of his partner’s head was all the response that Darrin needed. He winced internally. “Alright maybe it was bad. But hey, we made it out alive didn’t we?”

“They spotted us.” Ranger continued to look at the floor, seemingly intent on studying his boots. That was the name that Darrin used for him. Nobody knew Ranger’s name. At least, nobody alive. It didn’t bother Darrin all that much. Ranger was reliable. The man had saved both of their asses more times than he could count. The two of them were resourceful and worked well together. Despite his dour demeanor, the man was actually fairly tolerable. Darrin waved a hand dismissively.

“We silenced them before they could get away.” Ranger gave a grunt.

“It spooked the horses. The camp became alert.” Ranger countered as he brought his hands up, seemingly fascinated with something that was on his nails.

“And I downed the watchmen.” Darrin picked up his mug and took another drink of his mead. He was going to need to chase it down with some good food. The sound of a bard singing drew his attention and he scratched the thought of food from his mind. He might have to do a different kind of chasing that night.

“The captain blew his horn.” Darrin sighed in an exaggerated show of exasperation.

“Yet neither he nor the other two soldiers got more than three steps before they were down.” The Daemora shrugged his shoulders and eyed the bard with obvious interest as he caught the woman’s eye. He received a wink which had him grinning.

“I nearly took a fireball to the face.” Ranger grunted and Darrin snickered.

“You were complaining of the cold.” There was a beat of silence. Darrin looked over to his companion. “It was chaotic, I admit.”

“It was fun.” Ranger, seemingly satisfied with whatever he’d been inspecting, leaned back into the chair. There was a slight smirk on his companion’s face.

“Yes, yes it was. And we’re richer for it.” It had been a decent bounty. Deserters that had to be dealt with. The coin had been worth the hassle. It certainly made the mead he was finishing all the more sweeter. He finished up his drink, set the mug on the mantle and drew himself up. He clapped Ranger on the shoulder as he fixed his gaze on the bard singing across the room.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some steam to blow off and some coin to spend.” With that, Darrin made his way across the room.

---

Ranger heard Darrin’s footsteps as he effortlessly made his way across the room. He could already see the scenario playing out in his head. The Daemora would put on quite a show for whomever had caught his eye for the night. Judging from the singing and music, Ranger had to guess that it was the bard who had filled the tavern with song and the dance that was now following. He could only shake his head as he looked into the fire. He’d urged Darrin to take this particular bounty despite his companion’s aversion to getting involved with Imperial affairs. It had taken some convincing but Ranger had managed to get his partner around to it. The deserters were worth the hassle for the coin they’d been paid but that was not why Ranger had pushed Darrin to accept the bounty with him.

The man stared down at his hands once more. In the firelight, the thin markings on the backs of his hands were just barely visible. The ghostly outline of a crescent moon rest on his left while a blazing sun was on his right. There were more markings along his arms but they were hidden beneath the sleeves of his clothing. He studied the sun carefully. He’d awoken from a dead sleep to the sensation of heat, of burning, on the back of that hand bearing the sun mark. It had startled him but he’d immediately been drawn to the direction it pulled him. So he’d pushed himself and Darrin eastward, deeper into Imperial territory though it made his partner uneasy to do so. The clarity of direction had since faded but Ranger could still feel a sense of things inside of him. It was not a sense he ever expected to feel and he knew that he wasn’t the only one to have felt it. The Inquisition had been waiting a long time for just this sign. With that clarity in mind, Ranger would finish the sacred mission that he and his ancestors had been sworn to. The hunt was on and Ranger intended to see it through.

“---was as tall as the mountains! What was I supposed to do!?” Ranger sighed inwardly. Another drunken argument. He would have much preferred to be out in the wilderness, beneath the stars but he understood that both of them needed something other than travel stock and stale water.

“Well he made a right ass of you and your boys, didn’t he Hendrick!?” Boisterous laughter filled the tavern as both men and women shared in what Ranger could only assume was some inside joke.

“I’d like to see what you would have done, eh? Shut it! A half giant and his silver eyed bitch!? I didn’t see any of you lot jumping up!” Ranger perked up. He focused in on the conversation, tuning out anything and everything else.

“And make asses of ourselves? You saw how massive the man was! You chose to pick a fight with him. He made a right bitch out of you, didn’t he?” More laughter followed by grumbling.

“It just didn’t sit right with me. That was all. You saw what they came into town with. A bloody mistborn beast! You know what follows people like that! They killed it, spilled its blood in our town. The stories…” The man was cutt off.

“Are stories! And I didn’t see anything except a deranged wolf. Was probably something that mad old man patched up. Good riddance.” Ranger turned his head and continued listening intently. Mistborn? This far from the Tides? He doubted that but still…

“We told you to let them alone but you and your boys couldn’t let it go. Serves you right!”

“You didn’t feel what I felt when I got near him. Air as cold as the north and that mark on his face? Felt like it would sear me down to my bones. Man wasn’t natural. Wasn’t natural at all.” There was a bunch of laughter and Ranger could hear someone getting slapped on the back.

“What wasn’t natural was seeing you in a dress, fool!”

“Shut it!” The sound of laughs and the makings of a scuffle drowned out everything else. Ranger was stunned. Could it be? Was he really that close?

“--hello? Ranger!” Ranger was shaken out of his stupor to see Darrin waving a hand in front of his face.

“What’s got you so out of sorts?” The violet and crimson eyes of his friend held a note of curiosity but also concern. It wasn’t like Ranger to be caught unawares.

“I just found us a new job.” Darrin arched an eyebrow but the curiosity in his eyes grew.

“Oh?” Ranger made a subtle motion to the man who had been telling his story.

“He has the information. We need to be discreet.” Darrin studied him for a moment. Those eyes roamed Ranger’s face. Ranger was hoping his companion didn’t question further. The two had worked together for several years and had built up trust between one another as partners and professional bounty hunters. But at the end of the day, Darrin was a mercenary and there was only so much they both knew of each other. Darrin had a knack for sensing ulterior motives and Ranger was leaning into the trust both of them had built over time. After a beat of silence between the two of them, Darrin nodded and Ranger felt tension in his body loosen.

“Alright. When are we leaving?” Ranger glanced at the man who was drinking heartily.

“Not for some time.” That had Darrin grinning.

“Then if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be upstairs. You’ll hear which room.” Ranger snorted a laugh. Darrin clapped him on the shoulder.
---

Darrin finished tugging on his pants then pulled on his boots. Behind him, sleeping peacefully were the singer and her two traveling companions, a particularly handsome dwarven flute player as well as a human bodyguard who also served as a drummer. Darrin hadn’t had that much fun in a while. After the month he’d been through, he felt he’d deserved it. He’d shown the two men a side of pleasure they hadn’t thought possible and the woman had certainly enjoyed herself. The three of them were sprawled across one another. He got his belts into position, finished dressing himself and then left the promised coin on the table. Opening the window, Darrin expertly climbed out, ensuring there were no witnesses to his exit. He landed nimbly on his feet and made his way through the alleyways until he rounded a corner. There waiting, was Ranger.

“Have fun?” His companion’s gravelly voice was laced with amusement. Darrin grinned.

“Always. I take it our friend is leaving?” Ranger nodded toward the street. Down the road from them was the tavern. The man that had been indicated was just outside the doors. He was leaning near a tree, purging his stomach of its contents. Darrin grimaced. He hated the smell of vomit.

“Lovely.” He watched the man brace himself on the tree for a moment. He straightened, took a step, then immediately turned back around to continue throwing up. Darrin arched an eyebrow. “You’re sure this man has information on a job?”

“Positive.” Ranger was watching the man intently. Darrin watched as the man stumbled away from the tree only to slip and fall on his ass.

“You’re sure this job is worth it?” Without missing a beat, Ranger responded.

“A King’s ransom.” That had Darrin’s attention. He was curious as to where Ranger got this information, what made him believe that this drunkard had any worthwhile information, let alone it would be worth that much. There were questions to be asked but Ranger had never lead him astray before. Why would he now?

“If you say so, friend.” The man got to his feet and began making his way down the road. With that, Darrin glanced at the surroundings. It would be easy enough to snag the man and pull him into an alleyway. It was the late hours. The scarlet moon was high in the sky. Darrin looked up to it and felt a twinge in his chest. Out of habit he silently prayed to the Titan Goddess, Erinne, the Mother of Shadows. The twinge went away and he shook his shoulders.

“Two alley’s down. It’s covered. The house next to it is abandoned.” Darrin nodded at his companion’s instruction. He was off then, going to the designated location where he would await Ranger and their newfound “friend”. He arrived there in short order and unnoticed as far as he could tell. He didn’t have to wait long. Ranger rounded the corner. In his grasp was a squirming man whose mouth was covered by his companion’s gloved hand. As soon as he saw Darrin, the man let out a whimper and his squirming increased. Ranger gave the man a shove. Smoothly, Darrin reached out and grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt. He unsheathed a dagger, pushed the human up against the wall of the nearby building and held it steadily to his throat.

“Don’t scream.” Darrin leaned in close. The light of the scarlet moon illuminated his face, highlighting the crimson in his left eye. The man’s eyes went wide. He was sweating. The smell of vomit and beer was on his breath. It was soon joined by the smell of urine. Darrin sighed and scrunched his nose in disgust.

“Oh for fuck’s sake! We’re not going to kill you, man. Pull yourself together.” The man let out a blubbering sob.

“Wh-what do you want? I’m sorry! I didn’t do anything! I just...my boys and I were just...it wasn’t...I-I…” Darrin clapped a hand over his mouth and narrowed his eyes.

“You’re positive he has the information we need?” Ranger walked up from behind him. In a move that shocked him, Ranger grabbed the blubbering sop by the throat, slammed him against the wall and leaned in.

“The man who made a fool of you, from your story earlier. Describe him.” Darrin was left a little uneasy. Normally, Ranger left interrogations to him and merely prompted him with questions. This was different. The drunk spoke through chattering teeth.

“He...he was a half-giant. H-he-he was with some silver skinned elf. I-I-I just d-didn’t w-want them hanging around town was all. They brought mist taint with them, they d-did! I--ack!” Ranger squeezed, cutting off what was bound to be a slew of babbling. He leaned in and practically growled.

“Where?” The man grabbed at Ranger’s hand, scrambling to get him to loosen his grip. Darrin didn’t move.

“T-t-toward Dea--dead---Deadwood! Pr-probably to see the wizard!” Ranger dropped the man, leaving him gasping on the ground. Without another word, his companion turned and began heading away from the poor sod. Darrin almost felt bad for the guy. Almost. Turning on his heel, Darrin followed behind Ranger, sheathing his dagger.

“Where are we going?” Ranger glanced at him.

“To see a wizard.”

Description

Previous

Darrin tipped back his mug of mead, grateful for the honey sweet taste as it splashed over his tongue. He gulped heartily before setting it upon the mantle of the fireplace. Across from him, his dour companion was mulling over the results of their latest job.

“It wasn’t that bad.” The subtle quirk of his partner’s head was all the response that Darrin needed. He winced internally. “Alright maybe it was bad. But hey, we made it out alive didn’t we?”

“They spotted us.” Ranger continued to look at the floor, seemingly intent on studying his boots. That was the name that Darrin used for him. Nobody knew Ranger’s name. At least, nobody alive. It didn’t bother Darrin all that much. Ranger was reliable. The man had saved both of their asses more times than he could count. The two of them were resourceful and worked well together. Despite his dour demeanor, the man was actually fairly tolerable. Darrin waved a hand dismissively.

“We silenced them before they could get away.” Ranger gave a grunt.

“It spooked the horses. The camp became alert.” Ranger countered as he brought his hands up, seemingly fascinated with something that was on his nails.

“And I downed the watchmen.” Darrin picked up his mug and took another drink of his mead. He was going to need to chase it down with some good food. The sound of a bard singing drew his attention and he scratched the thought of food from his mind. He might have to do a different kind of chasing that night.

“The captain blew his horn.” Darrin sighed in an exaggerated show of exasperation.

“Yet neither he nor the other two soldiers got more than three steps before they were down.” The Daemora shrugged his shoulders and eyed the bard with obvious interest as he caught the woman’s eye. He received a wink which had him grinning.

“I nearly took a fireball to the face.” Ranger grunted and Darrin snickered.

“You were complaining of the cold.” There was a beat of silence. Darrin looked over to his companion. “It was chaotic, I admit.”

“It was fun.” Ranger, seemingly satisfied with whatever he’d been inspecting, leaned back into the chair. There was a slight smirk on his companion’s face.

“Yes, yes it was. And we’re richer for it.” It had been a decent bounty. Deserters that had to be dealt with. The coin had been worth the hassle. It certainly made the mead he was finishing all the more sweeter. He finished up his drink, set the mug on the mantle and drew himself up. He clapped Ranger on the shoulder as he fixed his gaze on the bard singing across the room.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some steam to blow off and some coin to spend.” With that, Darrin made his way across the room.

---

Ranger heard Darrin’s footsteps as he effortlessly made his way across the room. He could already see the scenario playing out in his head. The Daemora would put on quite a show for whomever had caught his eye for the night. Judging from the singing and music, Ranger had to guess that it was the bard who had filled the tavern with song and the dance that was now following. He could only shake his head as he looked into the fire. He’d urged Darrin to take this particular bounty despite his companion’s aversion to getting involved with Imperial affairs. It had taken some convincing but Ranger had managed to get his partner around to it. The deserters were worth the hassle for the coin they’d been paid but that was not why Ranger had pushed Darrin to accept the bounty with him.

The man stared down at his hands once more. In the firelight, the thin markings on the backs of his hands were just barely visible. The ghostly outline of a crescent moon rest on his left while a blazing sun was on his right. There were more markings along his arms but they were hidden beneath the sleeves of his clothing. He studied the sun carefully. He’d awoken from a dead sleep to the sensation of heat, of burning, on the back of that hand bearing the sun mark. It had startled him but he’d immediately been drawn to the direction it pulled him. So he’d pushed himself and Darrin eastward, deeper into Imperial territory though it made his partner uneasy to do so. The clarity of direction had since faded but Ranger could still feel a sense of things inside of him. It was not a sense he ever expected to feel and he knew that he wasn’t the only one to have felt it. The Inquisition had been waiting a long time for just this sign. With that clarity in mind, Ranger would finish the sacred mission that he and his ancestors had been sworn to. The hunt was on and Ranger intended to see it through.

“---was as tall as the mountains! What was I supposed to do!?” Ranger sighed inwardly. Another drunken argument. He would have much preferred to be out in the wilderness, beneath the stars but he understood that both of them needed something other than travel stock and stale water.

“Well he made a right ass of you and your boys, didn’t he Hendrick!?” Boisterous laughter filled the tavern as both men and women shared in what Ranger could only assume was some inside joke.

“I’d like to see what you would have done, eh? Shut it! A half giant and his silver eyed bitch!? I didn’t see any of you lot jumping up!” Ranger perked up. He focused in on the conversation, tuning out anything and everything else.

“And make asses of ourselves? You saw how massive the man was! You chose to pick a fight with him. He made a right bitch out of you, didn’t he?” More laughter followed by grumbling.

“It just didn’t sit right with me. That was all. You saw what they came into town with. A bloody mistborn beast! You know what follows people like that! They killed it, spilled its blood in our town. The stories…” The man was cutt off.

“Are stories! And I didn’t see anything except a deranged wolf. Was probably something that mad old man patched up. Good riddance.” Ranger turned his head and continued listening intently. Mistborn? This far from the Tides? He doubted that but still…

“We told you to let them alone but you and your boys couldn’t let it go. Serves you right!”

“You didn’t feel what I felt when I got near him. Air as cold as the north and that mark on his face? Felt like it would sear me down to my bones. Man wasn’t natural. Wasn’t natural at all.” There was a bunch of laughter and Ranger could hear someone getting slapped on the back.

“What wasn’t natural was seeing you in a dress, fool!”

“Shut it!” The sound of laughs and the makings of a scuffle drowned out everything else. Ranger was stunned. Could it be? Was he really that close?

“--hello? Ranger!” Ranger was shaken out of his stupor to see Darrin waving a hand in front of his face.

“What’s got you so out of sorts?” The violet and crimson eyes of his friend held a note of curiosity but also concern. It wasn’t like Ranger to be caught unawares.

“I just found us a new job.” Darrin arched an eyebrow but the curiosity in his eyes grew.

“Oh?” Ranger made a subtle motion to the man who had been telling his story.

“He has the information. We need to be discreet.” Darrin studied him for a moment. Those eyes roamed Ranger’s face. Ranger was hoping his companion didn’t question further. The two had worked together for several years and had built up trust between one another as partners and professional bounty hunters. But at the end of the day, Darrin was a mercenary and there was only so much they both knew of each other. Darrin had a knack for sensing ulterior motives and Ranger was leaning into the trust both of them had built over time. After a beat of silence between the two of them, Darrin nodded and Ranger felt tension in his body loosen.

“Alright. When are we leaving?” Ranger glanced at the man who was drinking heartily.

“Not for some time.” That had Darrin grinning.

“Then if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be upstairs. You’ll hear which room.” Ranger snorted a laugh. Darrin clapped him on the shoulder.
---

Darrin finished tugging on his pants then pulled on his boots. Behind him, sleeping peacefully were the singer and her two traveling companions, a particularly handsome dwarven flute player as well as a human bodyguard who also served as a drummer. Darrin hadn’t had that much fun in a while. After the month he’d been through, he felt he’d deserved it. He’d shown the two men a side of pleasure they hadn’t thought possible and the woman had certainly enjoyed herself. The three of them were sprawled across one another. He got his belts into position, finished dressing himself and then left the promised coin on the table. Opening the window, Darrin expertly climbed out, ensuring there were no witnesses to his exit. He landed nimbly on his feet and made his way through the alleyways until he rounded a corner. There waiting, was Ranger.

“Have fun?” His companion’s gravelly voice was laced with amusement. Darrin grinned.

“Always. I take it our friend is leaving?” Ranger nodded toward the street. Down the road from them was the tavern. The man that had been indicated was just outside the doors. He was leaning near a tree, purging his stomach of its contents. Darrin grimaced. He hated the smell of vomit.

“Lovely.” He watched the man brace himself on the tree for a moment. He straightened, took a step, then immediately turned back around to continue throwing up. Darrin arched an eyebrow. “You’re sure this man has information on a job?”

“Positive.” Ranger was watching the man intently. Darrin watched as the man stumbled away from the tree only to slip and fall on his ass.

“You’re sure this job is worth it?” Without missing a beat, Ranger responded.

“A King’s ransom.” That had Darrin’s attention. He was curious as to where Ranger got this information, what made him believe that this drunkard had any worthwhile information, let alone it would be worth that much. There were questions to be asked but Ranger had never lead him astray before. Why would he now?

“If you say so, friend.” The man got to his feet and began making his way down the road. With that, Darrin glanced at the surroundings. It would be easy enough to snag the man and pull him into an alleyway. It was the late hours. The scarlet moon was high in the sky. Darrin looked up to it and felt a twinge in his chest. Out of habit he silently prayed to the Titan Goddess, Erinne, the Mother of Shadows. The twinge went away and he shook his shoulders.

“Two alley’s down. It’s covered. The house next to it is abandoned.” Darrin nodded at his companion’s instruction. He was off then, going to the designated location where he would await Ranger and their newfound “friend”. He arrived there in short order and unnoticed as far as he could tell. He didn’t have to wait long. Ranger rounded the corner. In his grasp was a squirming man whose mouth was covered by his companion’s gloved hand. As soon as he saw Darrin, the man let out a whimper and his squirming increased. Ranger gave the man a shove. Smoothly, Darrin reached out and grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt. He unsheathed a dagger, pushed the human up against the wall of the nearby building and held it steadily to his throat.

“Don’t scream.” Darrin leaned in close. The light of the scarlet moon illuminated his face, highlighting the crimson in his left eye. The man’s eyes went wide. He was sweating. The smell of vomit and beer was on his breath. It was soon joined by the smell of urine. Darrin sighed and scrunched his nose in disgust.

“Oh for fuck’s sake! We’re not going to kill you, man. Pull yourself together.” The man let out a blubbering sob.

“Wh-what do you want? I’m sorry! I didn’t do anything! I just...my boys and I were just...it wasn’t...I-I…” Darrin clapped a hand over his mouth and narrowed his eyes.

“You’re positive he has the information we need?” Ranger walked up from behind him. In a move that shocked him, Ranger grabbed the blubbering sop by the throat, slammed him against the wall and leaned in.

“The man who made a fool of you, from your story earlier. Describe him.” Darrin was left a little uneasy. Normally, Ranger left interrogations to him and merely prompted him with questions. This was different. The drunk spoke through chattering teeth.

“He...he was a half-giant. H-he-he was with some silver skinned elf. I-I-I just d-didn’t w-want them hanging around town was all. They brought mist taint with them, they d-did! I--ack!” Ranger squeezed, cutting off what was bound to be a slew of babbling. He leaned in and practically growled.

“Where?” The man grabbed at Ranger’s hand, scrambling to get him to loosen his grip. Darrin didn’t move.

“T-t-toward Dea--dead---Deadwood! Pr-probably to see the wizard!” Ranger dropped the man, leaving him gasping on the ground. Without another word, his companion turned and began heading away from the poor sod. Darrin almost felt bad for the guy. Almost. Turning on his heel, Darrin followed behind Ranger, sheathing his dagger.

“Where are we going?” Ranger glanced at him.

“To see a wizard.”