Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a simple thing, Imogen thought, to have a quiet little place, even if it wasn’t quite their own. It was a place they could come and talk about anything, and even here in these moments where it could be the end of everything, they were somewhere only they knew.

That is how they knew Zhudanna’s home, and that is where she and Laudna found themselves this evening. They had departed from the rest of their troupe at the Spire By Fire, having told them after dinner that they were going to stay at Zhudanna’s this evening. Although Ashton and Chetney had seemed skeptical about their intentions, the rest of the party believed that they just wanted to provide Zhudanna some comfort and security during these strange times.

The girls trekked through the city streets, passing by guards of various station and rank as they made their way through the spires to Zhudanna’s. Not long after their arrival, they helped Zhudanna with cleaning up a few things from her the dinner of her own and took care of a few light house keeping needs as added thanks for her open hospitality all those months ago and on until now.

Before long, Zhudanna indicated out loud to no one in particular that she was ready for bed. Imogen took the initiative and offered to help her get settled in for the evening. Laudna had offered just behind Imogen, but Imogen insisted that she go take a moment to herself and get ready for bed too. “I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Imogen said as Zhudanna held onto her arm, being escorted into her bedroom.

Rain clicked against the open window pane as it fell, little droplets splashing through the small crack left at its base, leaving them to come to rest on the windowsill. Just behind the window here in the cramped spare bedroom of Zhudanna’s home, Laudna stood looking up at the night sky at Catha, currently obscured from view a bit from the clouds off in the distance. As she watched the rain fall, a door was heard being shut closed followed by footsteps shuffling down the hallway.

After a moment, Imogen entered into the room, the creaking sound of the already ajar door breaking Laudna’s focus on the glow of the moon. As she turned, she saw Imogen with her back toward her as she was closing the door softly now. “Was she okay,” Laudna asked as she walked over toward the side of the bed nearest her and sat down, still watching Imogen.

Imogen turned, her long lavender hair whipping around in succession, meeting Laudna’s eyes. She smiled as she pushed herself off of the door and walked toward the window that Laudna had just left vacant. “Oh, she’s fine,” she waved a hand toward Laudna, before waving it in the direction of the window. In an instant, the window opened up another couple of inches.

Laudna watched from the edge of the bed as Imogen moved away from the window to the opposite corner from where she sat, to where they had set their belongings down upon arrival earlier in the evening. Laudna for her part had already gotten ready to bed down for the night, having changed while Imogen was helping Zhudanna to bed. It was when she had finished dressing that she found herself staring out the window, watching the rain and the moon and the clouds overhead.

At this point, Imogen was now rifling through the Bag of Holding that Chetney had handed over to them for the evening to find her own nightwear. Laudna continued to watch Imogen for a moment, just taking in Imogen’s presence now that she was back with her. Though they had had a nice day after her outburst this morning, her head was swimming with the conversation, confession, and kiss they shared at the market in the afternoon.

With that on her mind, and knowing Imogen couldn’t hear her thoughts any longer, Laudna cleared her throat, breaking the silence. “So, I had been thinking,” she started to say as she pushed herself back onto the bed completely. She crossed her legs at the ankle, and leaned back onto her pillows against the headrest.

Imogen was arm-deep in the Bag still pulling out her clothes, when she looked over at Laudna. “Oh, what about?” She asked inquisitively as she slowly pulled her arm from free from the Bag, unable to find what she was looking for, sighing.

“Well, about earlier at the market,” Laudna continued. “You had said something that made me curious, and well,” Laudna’s voice trailed off as she began to fidget with her hands, twiddling her fingers as she tends to do when she gets a bit nervous. Imogen sensed this and walked over to the bed, sitting down at Laudna’s feet.

“You can tell me, Laudna,” she said as she reached a hand out and placed it on Laudna’s leg. The cold, clammy sensation persisted even here on this beautifully scary woman, but it still did not bother Imogen one bit. In an attempt to comfort Laudna, Imogen began to rub up and down from knee to ankle. “If I-“ Imogen was about to continue, before Laudna picked back up, seemingly unaware that Imogen was about to say something.

“You said ‘this isn’t the way’ you imagined us reuniting. What did you mean?” Laudna tilted her head to the left as she looked at Imogen, who continued rubbing her leg.

Imogen let out a light sigh, a small bead of nervous sweat having appeared on the nape of her neck only to have dissipated upon hearing Laudna’s actual question, before she smiled warmly at her love, her anchor.

“You know, Laudna,” Imogen chuckled to herself as she patted Laudna’s foot before bringing it onto her lap and beginning to give her the gentlest of massages. “Honestly, I don’t know. I had stepped outside to be by myself for a minute not too long before y’all showed up, and I was really hopin’ that I would have seen you alone, just you walking around, or somethin’. I don’t know.” She let out another laugh, realizing now that it was very unlikely for them to have found one another on their own. “I was just lookin’ for something to break the ice, I guess. I was just nervous.”

Laudna seemed to have realized the likelihood of it all as well, as she joined Imogen in letting out a laugh of her own. “I understand what you’re saying,” with a pause before she added “I won’t tell the others.” She winked and gave a giggle as tossed her hands in the air playfully.

Imogen smiled and offered a little laugh this time, before the mood receded and a softer, slightly guilt-driven look grew across her face. Laudna noticed immediately and shifted tone. “Oh, Imogen, I didn’t mean to—“

Imogen looked up at Laudna, “oh, no, it’s not that,” she said. “I did miss them, of course, but…” Imogen paused both in her words and in her massaging of Laudna’s feet. Her hands began to tremble slightly, the tension of the past few weeks finally melting away now that she was alone with Laudna. The walls were finally coming down. “I really did miss you, Laudna. I know you all had a really hard time, and I missed Orym and Ashton too, but they aren’t you.”

Laudna watched as Imogen lifted her feet off her lap and scooted her way up the bed, closer to where Laudna was sat up. Laudna readjusted in her place and pulled herself into a completely upright position now, crossing her legs and sitting on her feet as Imogen now was sat nearly directly in front of her.

Imogen continued, “I thought about you every day, every hour. I was so afraid that you were gone, and once we learned that the solstice was affecting some spells, and that other spells weren’t workin’, I became terrified.” Imogen’s harbored sadness and pent-up fears came flowing out of her, her emotions now reaching a breaking point. For all it was worth, she held on and held back this long, but all she could do now was let it all slowly trickle out. Tears started to fall from the corners of her eyes.

Laudna reached out and pulled Imogen’s hands into hers, the all too familiar purple lightning scars emanating from between her fingers and up past her wrists and arms, creeping up around her elbow. Laudna caressed and rubbed them gently, comfortingly, as Imogen emoted before her. Laudna could see that Imogen was just as upset as she had been this morning.

Imogen continued, “We were so determined to get back here, to find y’all, but mostly I just wanted to find you. I needed to know you were alright.” Laudna was about to speak up but Imogen pulled her hands away to wipe her eyes, tears blurring her vision more now. “I was so scared, Laudna, I was so scared that you were gone again, and that I didn’t get to tell you…” Imogen paused, and took a deep breath. Laudna watched her intently, concernedly, curiously, before she continued. “I was scared, because I never got to tell you I love you.” Imogen buried her face back in her hands as she continued to cry.

“I love you.” Laudna had heard these words from her purple-haired partner before, and Laudna had even made that declaration aloud herself to Imogen. This time, however, there was something different.

“When you died and after you came back, I wanted to say somethin’ then but I just couldn’t,” Imogen stood up at this point and began to pace back and forth along the side of the bed before Laudna. “Everyone was there and I was just so nervous and it just wasn’t right, and then everything all just kept goin’ so fast these past few weeks, we haven’t really had the chance to talk until the night before everything happened, and even then I was still just too afraid to say anythin’ and…”

Laudna could only watch on as Imogen unleashed everything that she’d been holding back. She could see now just how much Imogen had thought about her, the true level of regard that Imogen held for her. Laudna began to wonder how long Imogen had felt this way about her, and how long she was oblivious to all of it. She wasn’t accustom to this level of compassion and love, but it was comforting to her, even if it was still surprising to hear. For the first time, Laudna felt the true weight that the words “I love you” held when they came from Imogen’s lips. She now understood just what Imogen had been harboring all this time.

Imogen sat back down and looked at Laudna as she pressed on, her breath getting heavy as each emotion fought to make its way out of her chest. “And then once everythin’ happened, and we ended up with Deanna and FRIDA, things just went upside down and I just felt so lonely and alone because they were all hittin’ it off or reconnecting.” Imogen stopped to take another breath. “I don’t know, it was just awful without you, and I missed you so much and so… I couldn’t wait any longer, I just had to know, and I needed you to know…” Imogen buried her face back into her hands.

“Oh, Imogen,” Laudna said as she reached out for Imogen’s wrists. She carefully grasped and pulled them away from Imogen’s face, now puffy and red from her crying. “I’m here now.” She pulled Imogen into her as she cried, tears now welling up in Laudna’s eyes too. The two of them just sat there for a moment in this embrace. The rain continued to pelt the window. A rumble of thunder rolls softly, delicately overhead. “I’m here.”

After a few moments passed, Laudna loosened her hold on Imogen as she began to calm. Imogen sat up and began wiping her eyes with her left hand, all while she held Laudna’s left hand in her free right hand. Imogen’s fingers fondled the ruby ring with twin snakes that was placed around Laudna’s middle finger. Laudna in turn squeezed Imogen’s hand gently, not wanting to let her go.

Imogen looked up at Laudna now, her eyes red and puffy, but no longer crying. She squeezed Laudna’s hand delicately, which prompted Laudna to break her focus. She had been watching Imogen toy with the ring on her finger when, upon prompting, she looked up and met Imogen’s eyes. She offered a gentle, caring smile. “What is it, darling? I’m here.”

Imogen nodded. A single tear peeked out from the corner of her eye, but she quickly blinked it away. She shook off the jitters and grabbed Laudna’s hand more firmly now, paying particular attention to the ring that adorned Laudna’s delicate, frail fingers. She took a deep breath and looked into Laudna’s big, black pupils as she slipped the ring off of Laudna’s middle digit, and for as quickly as she had removed it she immediately replaced it on Laudna’s ring finger.

“I love you, Laudna.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Laudna leaned forward and pulled Imogen in gently, kissing Imogen just as her own name left Imogen’s lips. Imogen could only watch as Laudna made her move, and closed her eyes as her lips met Laudna’s. Much like their first kiss just hours prior, and even their second kiss just after, Imogen saw sparks fly behind her eyes. Purples and pinks and oranges and blues filled her vision as she and Laudna kissed, like fireworks exploding on the eve of New Years. A warmth filled her body and her mind completely shut down, and for a moment, in this space, all Imogen could think about was Laudna.

The two shared this embrace and their kiss for another moment, just holding each other and not wanting to be the first to separate. Imogen had Laudna’s face cradled in her hands, and if she could have had Laudna any closer to her, Laudna would have been completely inside her at this moment. Imogen kissed Laudna more passionately now, extending her tongue into Laudna’s mouth and moaning throughout. Laudna was slightly surprised by this and lost her balance, causing both of the women to topple backwards, with Imogen completely on top of Laudna at this point.

The mishap caused the two to lose their place, as Imogen now hovered over Laudna, her hair dangling down over their faces and offering them privacy from any wandering eyes. Imogen looked at her muse, her favorite, her tether and let out a wry smile as she began to laugh. Laudna could only smirk and giggle herself as she stared up and looked into Imogen’s beautiful lavender eyes.

As she collected herself, Imogen began to sit up and offered a hand to Laudna, helping her to upright herself when Laudna stopped.

“I love you too, Imogen,” she said suddenly. Imogen looked at Laudna for a moment, those big black eyes glistening like a puppy dog’s, playful and kind and loving. Imogen felt a tear form in her eye once more, but was quick to bat it away in a blink. In an instant, Imogen leaned forward and kissed Laudna once more, a bit more briefly on this instance.

“I’m sorry,” Imogen said before Laudna put a finger up to her lips, pipping her quiet.

“Don’t be sorry,” Laudna said. “It’s been a hard few weeks for both of us. The storm has passed.” Laudna smiled as she looked up and over toward the window, the rain having stopped falling now.

Imogen nodded, kissing the tips of Laudna’s finger as it rest against her pursed lips. She smiled from behind that finger as Laudna pulled it away, leaning forward and kissing Imogen on the forehead.

“C’mon, let’s get ready for bed,” Imogen said as she peeled herself back away from Laudna, extending a hand out. Laudna placed her left hand into Imogen’s right, the Ruby ring now glistening more prominently than before it seemed as it adorned Laudna’s ring finger. She allowed Imogen to help her to her feet and gave her one last kiss. Imogen smiled and lingered, standing on her tiptoes to reach Laudna’s lips, giving her a little peck before she sprung off to the washroom to change, clothes in hand.

Laudna strode over to the table where her garments had been laid out, when she looked down at her left hand. The beautiful Ruby ring that Imogen had given her glistened again in the moonlight, and Laudna smiled as she spun it around her finger. She clenched her fist tight, caressing the ring with her other hand in doing so, and brought her fist to her lips to give the ring a delicate kiss on its stone’s face.

Imogen looked in the mirror as she splashed cool water onto her face, taking a deep breath. She had calmed down so much since the start of that conversation, but she felt so much more at peace now knowing that Laudna knew how she felt. Even more, knowing Laudna loved her too, she couldn’t help but smile and get misty-eyed all over again.

—

Imogen finished changing into her sleep attire for the evening and stumbled her way through the dark to the bed where Laudna was already laying under the blankets. She sidled onto her side of the bed, peeling back her corners of the blanket only to find Laudna had her arm extended out before her as she lay there facing Imogen. Imogen looked at Laudna, her face alit by the moonlight ever so faintly, and could see her smiling. “Come here,” she motioned her in with her hand.

Imogen obliged and kicked her legs up onto the mattress, tucking them in snugly underneath the blankets before pulling them back up, and adjusting her place so she was laying comfortably within Laudna’s embrace. Laudna’s arm, rail thin and soft albeit bony, was nestled comfortably under Imogen’s head and neck, Imogen’s back brushing up closely to Laudna’s chest. Imogen clung to Laudna’s arm as she cozied closer into the lithe, cool body laying behind her. As she lay there, Imogen pulled Laudna’s hand to her lips and kissed her ring. She whispered “I love you” once more out into the quiet of the bedroom, the rain having now subsided and moved beyond the city spires.

“I love you” a whisper replied from behind her, as Laudna draped her other arm onto Imogen’s hip, lacing her fingers from overtop the lightning-pocked hands of her enigmatic sorceress. She clasped firmly as Imogen firmed her grip tightly in reply, giving a gentle playful shake of delight.

As the two of them lay there, Zhudanna’s homestead remained silent and still. It was still quite late, or quite early, depending on how one looks at it. No matter the semantics, both women could not find purchase in sleep no matter how long they lay there in silence.

“Laudna?”

Laudna peered one eye open, looking at the back of Imogen’s head, a wall of purple cascading down before her. “Yes, darling?”

Imogen relinquished her grip from Laudna’s arm and rolled over to face her now, the clouds having moved on enough such that the moonlight was now framing Laudna’s face in a heavenly white glow. Her unique pale complexion caused her skin to glisten and shine in the moonlight, as though she were being drowned in a shower of ether of the Gods’ making. Imogen gazed upon her angel, as she were, and placed a hand on Laudna’s cheek, caressing her.

Imogen was utterly silenced by Laudna’s beauty in this moment, unable to continue her thought. She lay there, mouth slightly agape, taking in the aura that shone brightly before her.

Laudna could only look on as Imogen simply gazed at her, jaw slackened and relaxed. She was puzzled and confused, until Imogen shifted forward so she was closer Laudna now. In that moment, as Imogen crossed into the beam of moonlight, she became alight with the same white glow. Her skin, the red marks of lightning streaking across her body and all, now shone a brilliant white in this moment as she came within the moon’s aura.

Both women now were framed in the light of Catha, and for a moment, time seemed to stop. Imogen’s breathing slowed, as did Laudna’s, as notable as it could be.

Imogen said as she continued to stroke Laudna’s face, her thumb running circles across her cheekbone, before trailing up her jawline, brushing past a few strands of hair before reaching Laudna’s ear. Imogen delicately took the gold cuff adorning the top of Laudna’s ear between her fingers, now reflecting the moonlight off it as she gently shifted it in admiration, before saying “You don’t know how lovely you are.”

Laudna felt her stomach bubble as though butterflies had suddenly made it their home as Imogen said this, while the sensation of Imogen’s fingers on her ear warmed her down to her toes. She was utterly taken aback by this compliment and kindness paid to her. Laudna grew bashful and tried to hide her face away, and — were her cheeks turning the faintest color pink?

“Can I kiss you again,” Imogen asked.

Laudna pulled her head out of her the pillow she was attempting to hide in, her face now re-illuminated by the moon. The look on her face slowly turned from that of bashful and shy, to that of growing curiosity and confidence. Here Imogen was, holding the most delicate part of Laudna, the one part of her that she was most insecure about, asking if she can kiss her again? And did she just call her lovely? She moved the ring onto her ring finger too? All these thoughts were running through Laudna’s mind, but Imogen was none the wiser.

After the briefest pause, Laudna responded in a joyful tone as a smile grew on her face, “kiss me.”

Her hand still on Laudna’s ear, they both leaned forward slightly, their lips meeting as their eyes closed. Laudna couldn’t help but smile through the kiss as Imogen continued to caress her ear, as the two of them began to grow into one another.

The night carried on as the two of them lay in each other’s arms before slowly drifting off to sleep. Little kisses marked one another’s shoulders, foreheads, arms, hands, as the night went by. Eventually, sleep found purchase in both of their minds. Catha continued to bathe both of them in her light as they slept, her aura shone brightly in the window throughout the remaining evening hours, ensuring that Imogen and Laudna both slept soundly. And while they normally fell asleep holding hands, tonight they fell asleep holding each other.

Chapter Text

Bell’s Hells reconvened for the day at the Spire By Fire the next day, after Imogen and Laudna spent the night at Zhudanna’s. “We just want to make sure she’s got some security for tonight, since we’re in town,” Imogen recalled explaining, and while most of the group bought the excuse, Chetney and Ashton had their suspicions. All the same, here the two of them had arrived in mid-morning, only to learn that the Staff of Dark Odyssey had not regained enough of its enchantment to allow them to Teleport out of Jrusar as they’d hoped to. 

As they sat down around a table in the dining area, they reconsidered their plans for the day. Still hoping to make it out of town and to Zephrah tomorrow at this point, they decided to take another day of recuperation and recovery within their ranks, and tend to things that mattered most to them in these moments. 

The group chose to splinter off just as they’d done the previous day. This time, however, while Orym joined FCG and Ashton as they went to visit Milo, Fearne asked if she could join the girls for their day in town, to which they obliged. This would have left Chetney behind on his own, however he was the first to volunteer his own plans, simply saying “After yesterday, I have some business to take care off, I’ll be back later.” He then bounded off to their room, but he did not return after.

Once the group had settled up their meal for the morning with the innkeeper, they departed and forked out onto their own separate paths. 

It was only a block or so down the street after the witchy trio had separated from the others when Fearne pulled up alongside Imogen, who was now bookended between her and Laudna on her opposite side. “Oh, I love a girls day!” She declared loudly as she linked her arms within Imogen’s, flashing a smile as she looked down on Imogen from her tall vantage point. Imogen embraced her arm and shored up her link with Fearne as she laughed, extending her other arm to Laudna in her attempt to link with hers. 

Laudna excitedly poked her bony limb out and cocked her hand on her hip, prepared to accept Imogen’s arm through hers, and embraced it as they continued their journey, now giddily turning their walk into a frolicking skip down the road. Several passers-by had to jump out of the way of the witchy women bounding toward them, arm in arm in arm, as they began to laugh and sing a song. Pate climbed up onto Laudna’s shoulder just between her and Imogen and joined in on the melody.

As the girls wandered about town, careful not to cross the paths of any particularly large crowds of gathered soldiers or guards who may still be milling about that haven’t left Jrusar by now, they stopped at a few stores and picked up some much needed necessities and supplies for themselves and the rest of their party. A few odds and ends for every day life, the little things that become big things, and everything in between. It was only a few hours that passed by before it was after noon, and the girls were starting to get hungry for lunch.

They settled on a little cafe not to far from the Spire By Fire, having started working their return course back toward the inn inadvertently. As they stepped inside the cafe, the smell of fresh croissants and loaves of bread filled the air. Hints of cinnamon and vanilla floated on the breeze that coursed through the cafe’s open windows on either side of the building, it itself its own standalone structure unattached to any others. 

As Imogen stepped up to order the girls their food from the young looking Half-orc at the counter, Fearne and Laudna found a table off to one side away from the hustle and bustle of business and society within. They sat down with their belongings, placing their shopping bags at their feet, as Little Mister emerged from underneath Fearne’s dress and began to rifle through them gently, curiously investigating the girls’ gained goods.

“So, how was Zhudanna,” Fearne asked Laudna as the two sat there waiting for Imogen to return with their meal. Fearne sat forward and put her chin on the ball of her hand, resting it there as she looked at Laudna intently with her big fawn eyes, her legs crossed and kicking gently under the table brushing up against Laudna’s leg rather blatantly. Her tail swooshed behind her in a not-so-inconspicuous manner.

“Oh, she’s just fine,” Laudna said in her attempt to play off their visit coolly. “When Imogen said she sounded a little confused when she contacted her, she thought maybe it be best if we kept her company for the night.” Laudna now was looking up and over at Imogen, who had her back turned to the table as she stood at the counter, still waiting. At this moment, she turned around as though she felt Laudna’s gaze upon her, seeing that she and Fearne were talking and now glancing over at her, and gave them a shrug as if to say “I don’t know what’s taking so long.”

Laudna and Fearne both smiled at Imogen, who acknowledged them before turning back to wait further. Laudna reset her eyes back on Fearne and continued her thought. “It was nice to see her, of course, she was very happy to have us-“ Laudna was going to continue, but the briefest pause in her statement allowed Fearne to interject.

“Mhm, that’s nice, so how are you?” Fearne was impatient and though she did seem to be interested in how Zhudanna was, she was moreover interested in how Laudna was doing. 

Laudna was caught off guard by the sudden change in questioning, and struggled to find purchase in words. That’s when Fearne leaned forward and said in a lower volume, “You know, she was really worried about you.” Fearne scooted her chair closer to Laudna now so she was practically sitting shoulder to shoulder.

Laudna’s face turned from a joyful, cheery demeanor to that of a more serious, yet still soft and concerned look. She nodded, and placed her hands down on the table. “I know she was, and I should say Fearne, I’m sorry for my outburst, I didn’t mean for it to sound like none of you were worried about us. It was just a bit difficult to hear at first.”

Fearne removed her head from her hand, and lowered her hand down onto Laudna’s, causing Laudna to reflexively turn her hand over and take Fearne’s in, holding it. “Oh, I know you didn’t mean it anyway, it was a lot that you went through, I’m sorry. But really, how are you?” Fearne now was asking more sincerely. “Are you okay?”

“I am now, yes.” Laudna shot the quickest of glances over at Imogen before returning her attention to Fearne. Fearne for her part noticed that Laudna’s cheeks had turned the slightest, most barely noticeable and lightest shade of pink, even for as pale and dull and otherwise lifeless Laudna’s appearance made her seem. But where once perhaps Laudna would have started playing with her hair and trying to hid behind its familiar curtain, Laudna felt at peace as she expressed these feelings to Fearne.

Fearne looked at Laudna quizzically, one hear twitching curiously as though something were a miss. She got the sense that while nothing was wrong and that Laudna wasn’t lying, there was certainly something more at play. Before she could ask, Laudna leaned her head forward and whispered as softly but excitedly as her voice could allow, “Imogen kissed me!”

Up until this moment and for the time that Fearne had known them, she simply thought that her two closest girl friends were simply companions, close in nature and friendship. She hadn’t quite known what to make of their relationship beyond transcendent, not that it concerned her any, but upon hearing this secret delivered unto her ears, Fearne gasped audibly. She clutched her cursed black hand up to her mouth in surprised shock and clasped her mouth tight, muting her gasp as best she could, but she could barely contain her own excitement.

“Ssshh,” Laudna quickly motioned to her with a finger up to her own lips. Imogen didn’t seem to have noticed the outburst, but Laudna could see now that the staff behind the counter were bringing their food up to Imogen. “You’re the only person who knows,” Laudna said, seeing Imogen gathering up their items and turning to head towards the table.

“I won’t say a word,” Fearne said as she collected herself together and assumed the straightest face she possibly could. 

After only another few seconds, Imogen arrived at the table with a tray full of goodies. “They gave us some extras for having to wait, I guess a few of their workers got zapped during the Solstice and haven’t found a way back home yet.” Imogen sat down and began to distribute the ordered items to their recipients. “They’ve heard from ‘em, but they’re just stuck. One of em was out near us, Fearne!”

Fearne had just taken a bite of her sandwich when she looked up at Imogen, a piece of lettuce falling to the wrapping on the table. “Oh? Where were they?”

Imogen began to cut into her own sandwich as she responded. “They were in the Savalirwood, said somewhere near the Blooming Grove. I think we were pretty far from there, I don’t remember. Met a person named Clay, I think they said? Anyway, how is it?” 

Imogen took a bite of her sandwich as Fearne was already taking another, while Laudna sipped from her coffee before enjoying her croissant. They remarked on their meal and its flavors, each of them sharing bites with the others to get a fuller experience of the menu. 

They’d stayed for just a short time, and were preparing to depart with the intentions of stopping by Zhudanna’s one last time before heading back to the Spire By Fire to rejoin their friends, when Laudna excused herself from the table to visit the washroom.

As Imogen cleaned up their mess and Fearne offered the weakest bits of help, she waited until Laudna was out of earshot before stopping Imogen. She put her hand on Imogen’s wrist, getting her attention, and once her eyes were meeting Fearne’s, she asked “how are you, are you okay?”

Imogen looked at Fearne a bit confused, “yeah, I’m alright.” She was unsure of the angle that Fearne was approaching this question from, so she followed that up by asking “what do you mean? Ye-yeah, I think I’m alright?”

Fearne cocked her head to one side and stroked Imogen’s arm. She shot a look in the direction of the washrooms, ensuring Laudna wasn’t already on her way back. “I mean, how are you?”

Imogen let out a sigh and dropped her shoulders, relaxing her grip on the trash she’d been clutching such that it fell back down to the table. 

“I’m okay.” Imogen now glanced over toward the washroom, and kept her gaze in that direction as she continued. “I know you know I missed Orym and Ash, but… I really missed Laudna, Fearne,” she said as she turned her eye back to Fearne for just a moment. “I know that sounds bad, I don’t mean for it to, but…” Her voice trailed off and she looked back and away in the direction of where she was anticipating Laudna’s return any moment.

“I understand. It doesn’t sound bad, your heart wants what your heart wants you know?” Fearne looked at Imogen coyly now. Did she know? Imogen’s circlet was once again in the way of her omniscience. No, she couldn’t, could she?
 
“You’re right,” Imogen replied quite simply. “I was just afraid, really afraid, and being away from her again like that was scary. You saw how much of a mess I was.” Imogen shook off the emotion that had begun to bubble within her, recalling those lonely nights bunked up with the rest of her group in Wildemount, when all she could think about was Laudna. She snapped back to the present. “But it’s okay, I’m okay. They’re back, she’s back. We got to talk and spending yesterday together was… nice…”

Fearne’s face grew curious. She leaned in over the table, putting her head back on her hand as she had with Laudna a little earlier.

“Oh, what do you mean ‘nice?’” Another mischievous smile grew on the fae vixen’s face. She wasn’t even being subtle about it now, Fearne was quite clearly digging for the hot gossip, and Imogen knew this but she still could not tell if she knew. Imogen still couldn’t get a read on her at all.

“Well, it was just comforting to be back in her presence, and to have her by my side, and…”

“And what?”

Just then, Imogen noticed a light emanating from around the corner where the washrooms were, as a door opened. In an instant, Laudna appeared emerging into the open seating area of the cafe. 

“And I kissed her.” Imogen looked over at Fearne and put her finger to her lips.

Fearne audibly gasped once again, same as she’d done just a short while ago with Laudna, not loud enough for the rest of the shop to notice but just so that Imogen heard her. “Don’t tell her I told you,” Imogen said as Laudna made her way back into earshot of the table. 

Imogen hustled to clean up the rest of their mess as Laudna arrived and offered a hand. Fearne could only sit there and smile as the two of them fumbled over one another grabbing at the remaining napkins and wrappings from their delectables.

A minute or two later and the girls emerged from the cafe with their bags slung around their arms, and traipsed down the block towards their next destination.

——

Later in the day, after they’d decided to call time on their shopping extravaganza, they managed to contact the others and arranged to have dinner at the Spire By Fire at sundown. By now, though she absolutely adored them both to the ends of Exandria, Fearne had grown bored of Imogen and Laudna fawning over one another not-so-secretly. During their shopping, she’d seen them through empty book shelves and around corners stealing moments of holding hands, little kisses on the cheek, and way more stolen moments of sensual caressing in secret than she’d ever seen them do. Hells, than she’d ever done with a lover in public. Fearne wanted a spark between them; she wanted them to know she supported them, but she also wanted to see her two friends really show one another just how much they loved each other. She wanted to see them kiss just as much as the two of them were trying not to.

As the girls walked back through the streets towards their rendezvous point and their awaiting party members, all three of them were in the middle of a playful, yet heated debate about whether or not FRIDA would turn into a werewolf, “or werebot, or something” as Fearne put it as a result of his encounter with Chetney during one of his Lycan episodes. The Wildemount Witches had brought Laudna up to speed on what had occurred during the fight that resulted in Chetney biting FRIDA. Upon being asked by Fearne what she thought, Laudna agreed with her in being of the opinion that FRIDA could very well turn into a werebot, using the plethora of Gorgynei as an example of how many varieties of were-beings that existed.

Imogen, however, wasn’t sold on it. “But those kinda make sense, because they were still people with hearts, y’know? FRIDA’s a robot, he doesn’t have a heart, does he? We know Letters has a core, but is that the same thing?”

It was not so much a metaphorical question as it was a literal one in this instance, but being that all three witches were unsure of a robot’s anatomy and inner makings, especially one so different from the only other robot they’ve been familiar with at all, they couldn’t seem to agree one way or another on what may happen. One thing was certain, and that was the curiosity about finding out either way. They wondered if something would occur while they were out on their mission with Deanna and Prism, and hoped they would get to hear about it if so.

This conversation then flowed into a related conversation about how well FRIDA and FCG seemed to have hit it off thereafter, and the sudden energetic change in behavior of FCG when it came to FRIDA’s existence, and their status in their new companion’s life. Fearne remarked it was interesting to meet FRIDA and see their reaction to Letters just as it was to see FCG’s response, but she certainly did not expect things to escalate so quickly.

“It was cute, even if it seemed like it was happenin’ so fast,” Imogen commented, agreeing that she thought maybe they were moving too fast. 

After a moment’s thinking, Fearne took a step back on her stance with a new thought. “Actually though, was it really that fast? Maybe FRIDA and Letters knew one another back then, you know, maybe they just don’t remember it like Chetney and Deanna remember their pasts.”

Imogen looked over at Laudna as Deanna’s name was said, recalling that Fearne had also shared in that particular relationship that night in the Savalirwood. Fearne continued down that avenue of conversation, perhaps inconspicuously, perhaps not, Imogen was not quite sure.

“The two of them were so cute together too, and I'm glad you got to meet Deanna, Laudna.” Fearne said as she bumped Laudna’s shoulder playfully. Laudna giggled initially before she lost balance ever so slightly, being a little shorter than Fearne and carrying some heavy bags, the bump causing her to lose her center of gravity for a moment. “She was very excited to meet you, after how much Imogen talked about you.”

Imogen blushed as Fearne said this, though Laudna missed the moment, having to regain her composure and pick up the pace slightly to regain lock-step with her mates. “She was very sweet, it was so nice to meet her,” Laudna replied as she regained her place alongside them. “And you seemed to really like her too, you said, Fearne?”

“Ohhhh, yes!” Fearne exclaimed rather excitedly, memories of that night flashing before her very eyes in that instant. “Oh, she was such a fun lay! Just great.” Fearne took a pause, before adding rather poignantly, “Great kisser, too.”

Laudna and Imogen looked at once another, confused but blushing. 

Then, in an instant, a flash of red blinked in Fearne’s mind, just a momentary flicker of chaos flashing before her. She knew exactly what to say to get what she wanted. “I don’t know, though, they were only together for a little while, I think right? And that was like two hundred years ago, you know? I mean, it’s not like they were ever married like the two of you.”

Fearne took a few more steps forward while her two witchy companions stopped dead in their tracks. Got ‘em, she thought.

“M-married? Us?” Laudna stammered out as she looked at Fearne, before quickly glancing over at Imogen. The bags she was holding slipped out of her grasp and hit the ground, a few items spilling out onto the street. Imogen, meanwhile, had turned a slight shade of red and was simply standing there, speechless.

Fearne turned on her heel and looked back at them as they stood there a bit dumbfounded by her sudden declaration. “Well, yeah, I mean, isn’t that why you’re wearing that ring,” she pointed to Laudna’s hand where the ruby ring was plainly visible on her ring finger. Fearne smirked, a gaggle of giggles brewing in her stomach just waiting to be unleashed.

She’s putting us on, Imogen thought to herself, forgetting again that she couldn’t hear anyone else’s thoughts in return. She clenched her eyes shut and shook her head for a moment as she remembered this. At once, both she and Laudna tried to rebuttal.

“Fearne, I— this—“
“Ring— wait, that—?”

Fearne stepped forward and gave a heavy sigh as she interjected above both of them, “Oh my gods,” she dropped her bags and placed a hand on each of their shoulders, and looked at them back and forth lovingly in the eyes. “Will you two just kiss already? I have been watching you two all day, pining over one another and being silly and cute, and I love it, but I know you want to, so do it!”

Imogen and Laudna paused for a moment and looked away from Fearne to one another. They both did a double take, glancing back at Fearne with dazed looks on their faces, before returning their sights to one another. “Did you tell her? … Did I tell her?!” They both said in unison.

Fearne’s face lit up as she watched Imogen and Laudna just stare at one another for a moment, before leaning forward and whispering “I’ll just be over here.” She tiptoed away gleefully, only a few feet away but far enough to give a modicum of privacy to the two sorceresses, tucking away under the awning of unopened business and watched.

The two immediately began to talk over one another, trying to explain their side: “I couldn’t contain my excitement,” “I needed to share it with someone,” “it’s just Fearne, I thought she already knew,” before ultimately they both let out a relieved sigh and combusting into a fit of giggles in one another’s arms. Imogen, who’d buried her face into Laudna’s chest as she was pulled into her embrace, looked up at her raven haired belle. She stood up on her tiptoes as high as she could and kissed Laudna right there in the open street. Fearne looked on from a distance and cheered weakly, only loud enough for Mister to hear from under her dress. 

Laudna bent down and before Imogen could pull away, reeled her back in for a more prolonged lip exchange. Her hair fell to the side of their faces, obscuring Fearne’s view briefly. “I love you,” Laudna whispered in this momentary obscurity, before she craned up and away, brushing her hair back off her shoulders. 

Imogen was lightheaded and floaty as she blushed, and suddenly she felt weightless, when reality began to close back in around her. In the midst of their kiss, Imogen had begun to levitate, and was now nearly a foot off the ground, her feet dangling in the air. “Oh wow,” she looked down, and started to kick her feet out as she lowered herself back down to the dirt, a light cloud of dust brushing up on impact. 

“Did you do that,” Imogen asked Laudna playfully. 

Laudna giggled, “maybe I just have the magic touch,” and rubbed Imogen’s shoulders tenderly, kissing her forehead once more. 

They both stooped down and began to pick up the bags that had been dropped as Fearne emerged from her “hiding” spot a few feet away. She pitched in a hand to scoop up the items that fell out of the bags that clattered to the ground and, with Mister’s help, loaded things into her dress as a makeshift satchel for the remainder of the walk home.

As the three of them walked down the remainder of the road toward the Spire By Fire, Imogen and Laudna holding one another’s hand while Fearne brought up the rear, the sun began to set behind them. Mister ran up ahead as he saw Orym waving them down from the top step of the Inn, clocking Imogen and Laudna’s handholding. They didn’t break. 

Fearne came up behind them both and whispered into their ears collectively, “I love you girls, and I’m really happy for you.” She pinched both their asses one by one, causing them both to jump one after the other in surprise with a giggle. Fearne then skedaddled ahead of them up the road to rejoin with Orym, rushing to him and picking him up, giving him the tightest hug before slinging him up around her shoulders behind her head.

Imogen stopped Laudna just a few doors away from the Inn’s entrance. “Laudna, wait,” she said as Laudna halted in her tracks just a step ahead. “Are you alright,” she asked as she swung Laudna around in place and brought their enjoined hands up into eyeshot, “with this?”

Laudna used the lingering momentum of that swing to bring Imogen’s hand up to her lips and gave her a kiss on her ring-less ring finger. “I’m more than alright with you.” 

Imogen beamed a smile at her ghoulishly gorgeous girl, and popped up onto her tiptoes once more, planting a kiss on Laudna’s sunken cheek quickly before dropping back down to her heels.

Imogen was about to start walking towards the Inn when she was stopped by Laudna this time, and as she turned back, she met Laudna eye-to-eye. “There’s just one thing,” Laudna said as she brought Imogen’s hand back up into direct perspective, but not interrupting their eye contact.

“What’s that,” Imogen asked.

Laudna brought up her other hand, flashing her most cherished Ruby ring that beset her ring finger and glanced at it as it glistened and shined in the setting sun just over her shoulder. “If we are to be betrothed, I supposed I will have to get you a ring, won’t I?”

Imogen smiled and squeezed Laudna’s hand, bringing it to her lips and giving her one last kiss. She dropped their hands to their sides and tugged her forward. “Come, let’s go eat.”

The two smiled as they gathered together the rest of the bags that Fearne hadn’t run off with into their respective free hands. From there, they walked the rest of the block’s length to the Inn, hand-in-loving-hand, until they trotted up the steps and through the front door to rejoin their companions.

Chapter Text

Stepping into the Spire By Fire, Imogen and Laudna were greeted with a warm interior that was well lit and a sweet aroma of stale beer in the air. Imogen glanced to her right and saw a handful of older women sitting around a table having lunch, chatting away and having a laugh as they had entered. They were the only folks in the inn at the time, it would seem.

“Over here,” they heard Chetney shout. They both turned their attention away from the older women’s table sussed out the direction of Chetney’s call, only to find that he was standing on top of the table that their friends were now occupying, waving his hand up to flag their eye’s gaze. Imogen shyly stuck her free hand up to acknowledge him, her other hand still locked in the cold, but warm embrace of Laudna’s.

“He can be so much sometimes,” Imogen said under her breath as the two began to walk through the inn’s dining space to rejoin their companions.

“He really can, but I wouldn’t want him any different,” Laudna said in reply as Imogen led her by the hand through the crowd of empty tables and chairs.

They joined together with their friends and sat down next to one another on the open side of the table. Laudna sat to Imogen’s right, with Ashton on her left, while Imogen had Orym on her right, just next to Fearne; Letters and Chetney were next to one another in between Ash and Fearne, directly opposite Laudna and Imogen, as they all began to chat and discuss their respective days.

Over the course of the afternoon and evening, the troupe took up a meal together and continued to discuss their next steps and motives, settling for sure on attempting to reach Zephrah in the morning. Imogen reassured them that the Staff would be functional by then. “In fact, we’re stayin’ here with y’all tonight, not at Zhudanna’s.” Imogen offered as a compromise. “That way, we can leave first thing in the morning, whenever everyone is ready.”

In the meantime, they continued to regale their friends with stories from each separated half’s journeys on different parts of the world over the past few weeks, and further catching up on the odds and ends that everyone had missed while they were apart.

As the group decided to retire to one of their inn rooms for the evening, paying the bill for dinner as they shuffled up the steps with full bellies, Orym stopped Imogen at the base of the stairs. “I was gonna hop outside for a minute just to get some air,” he said to her. “D’ya want to come with?”

Imogen smiled and looked up, seeing Laudna standing at the top of the stairs, smiling. “Go ahead darling,” she said down the stairs to her, “I feel as though you’re perfectly capable of serving as Orym’s body guard.” She cracked a smile and gave them both a wink as Orym let out a hearty but playful laugh, while Imogen could only blush as she smiled, tucking a strand of hair that had conveniently fallen back behind her ear.

“We’ll be back,” Imogen said a bit flustered in the best way as she waved her hand as if to shoo Laudna up the stairs playfully; in doing so, she had put her hand to her lips, placing a kiss on the tips of her fingers and sending it on its way as she dismissed Laudna. Laudna noticed the action, as did Orym, though he kept quiet as he watched Laudna begin to play with her a lock of her hair and giggle as she disappeared around the corner.

Imogen and Orym stepped outside and onto the street, the sun now having set completely below the horizon. A bench sat unoccupied across the way from them underneath a lit lamppost. Orym pointed and shrugged, and the two crossed the street to have themselves a seat. Imogen sat down, fixing her new dress’s skirt over her legs as she crossed them, and let out a deep breath as she relaxed into the bench. Orym hopped up onto the bench and sat with his legs crossed in front of him, and looked up at the sky. Catha was high above tonight and full, but they could not currently see Ruidus from where they were sitting here outside the Spire By Fire.

“Been a weird few weeks, huh,” he said out loud to Imogen and to no one as he continued to look up.

“Yeah, you can say that again.” Imogen replied, letting out another, softer sigh of relief. “It was hard going there for a while — uh, not that it still isn’t. I mean, it is…” Orym broke his gaze from the cosmos and looked to Imogen as she was saying this. While she was trying to relax, he could tell from her body language as she sat there that she was still harboring a lot of emotion and stress.

At that moment, Orym interjected to save Imogen from herself, “I know what you mean.” He placed his hand up and rested it just over Imogen’s arm, hesitating a moment and looking up to meet her eyes waiting for approval. She nodded, and he placed his hand down gently, giving her arm a gentle rub across the lightning scars that marked her skin. “I get what you were saying.”

Imogen put a hand on top of Orym’s. “I’m sorry y’all went through so much while we were gone.” Imogen showed genuine compassion and sympathy in her voice. “Laudna and I talked about what happened yesterday, and that little outburst. Thank you for suggestin’ that maybe we take the day away.” Imogen smiled as Orym sighed, relieved to hear that they were both seemingly in better spirits. “She apologized, we’re okay, it was good to have that time, but she told me a little more about the fight with Bor’Dor.” Imogen now bore a look of sadness and compassion on her face. “Anyway, I know all of this wasn’t easy on you or Ashton either. I’m really am sorry.”

Orym perked up at the mention of Laudna’s name, and more at Ashton’s. “They did their best, we all did.” While Orym didn’t want to continue talking about Bor’Dor for the moment, wanting instead to focus on the people he had in front of him and back with him, and those he wanted to get back to, he knew he would eventually have to tell Imogen about his role in what happened that night of the fight. He began to wonder if he should tell her now, deciding that if there was an appropriate opening, he would take it and tell her. For now, he continued to rub Imogen’s arm as he glanced over at the Inn, up to a window where he caught a glimpse of Ashton for a split second as he crossed into view. “We just wanted to make it back home to you all, and I’m glad we did.”

“I am too,” Imogen said, as she also looked up at the window, having seen Ashton there at the same time Orym did. Just as she looked away, another figure appeared in the window, causing her to avert her gaze back. Laudna had just stepped into view and was glancing out, herself looking up at the moon. Imogen watched as Laudna pointed to something off in the distance behind Orym and Imogen, something they couldn’t see from their perspective.

“I know I’ve told you this before,” Orym said after a beat, continuing to watch Laudna in the window now as she stood there with her back now to it and them. “But that dead lady really does have a lot of love in her heart.” He blinked away a slight tear from his eye and looked over at Imogen, who was still entranced by watching Laudna in the window.

Laudna was now playing with her hair again, and had put her hands up behind her neck, her elbows above her head; it looked like she was deep in conversation with someone, as she was being rather animated and energetic. She began to disappear and then reappear into view of the window, perhaps pacing back and forth in front of it, still her hands flipping wildly about.

Orym noticed the dazed stare from Imogen up to the window, and gave her a slight nudge with his elbow, snapping her back to reality. She shook off the trance that watching Laudna had left her in and cleared her throat. “Oh, huh, I’m sorry Orym, um…” Imogen began to fiddle with the skirt of her dress nervously. “She really does, she’s great. She’s… she’s really great.”

Orym nudged Imogen again and gave her a playful smile. “She really is. And I know you said you talked with her earlier and straightened everything out, but for what it’s worth she really did miss you. In fact, I think you were all she could focus on.”

Imogen put her head down and smiled, embarrassed a little bit by hearing this. “Thank you for looking out for her, Orym.” Orym winced while Imogen said this, though she had kept her head down, and did not notice this.

“Truthfully, Orym,” Imogen continued unwittingly as she let a tear roll from her left eye down her cheek before looking back up at him. “I missed her a hell of a lot. I was so scared that she was gone-gone. For good.”

Orym scooted the few inches closer, now seated completely perpendicular to her, still continuing to rub her arm and now her hand as she began to emote more freely. At this point, Orym sensed that maybe tonight wasn't the time to tell Imogen, and decided to stand down from pursuing that route. He wanted to comfort his friend and be there for her, and right now, telling Imogen that he potentially helped enable Laudna to allow Delilah to return would not make anything better. Not for any of them, but least of all for Imogen. He couldn’t do that to her. Not now.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Imogen continued, “I was worried about you and Ash, of course.” Imogen’s retroactive emotional desperation made her sound as though she were begging Orym to understand, as though he didn’t believe her, which was foolish of course but he did not stop her. He simply let her continue to express her emotions, knowing that she would talk it out herself, and continued to console her with reaffirming, compassionate skin on skin contact.

Imogen pressed on, her emotions now bubbling over and tears flowing down her cheek. “But when we learned that certain spells were not working, and with the leylines being so weird, I was terrified that she was gone again, and for good. We didn’t know for weeks if she or y’all were okay. I was so scared Orym.”

Orym stood up on the bench and extended his arms open wide, as Imogen opened hers and welcomed him in for a hug. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back comfortingly as she continued to cry.

The two shared this embrace for a moment, Orym having started to get a bit weepy in the process. “I’m sorry Orym,” Imogen said, now feeling guilty that she perhaps caused Orym to feel bad. She released him from her part of their hug and allowed him to retreat to a more comfortable position as they both began to dry their faces from the unexpected cry.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for,” he said, continuing to comfort her. “Like I said, just has been a weird few days for all of us.”

Orym wiped his eye and glanced back up to the window, where now Laudna and Fearne both stood looking down at the two of them. Seeing their faces, they both waved and smiled. Seeing this, Orym nudged Imogen, who turned and looked up to see their friends watching over them. They smiled as they waved back, before wiping their eyes and returning to their conversation.

Imogen had intended on picking up from where she left off. That was what she wanted to do. What happened instead, and quite abruptly at that, was Imogen blurting out the exact thought that was on her mind in that precise moment: “I kissed Laudna.” That seemed to sum up just how Imogen had been feeling. She immediately clasped her hands to her mouth in disbelief that it had come out so quickly.

Orym looked at her puzzled for a moment as he continued to dry his eyes. “I … You did? Well, that’s great Imogen, really.” He wasn’t sure what to say; truth be told, he wasn’t quite sure what Imogen and Laudna’s relationship had been like up until this point. It hadn’t been important up until now, but he knew no matter what it was, it was something special and not unfamiliar to him. This sudden revelation, this confession of romance from Imogen, helped to answer some of those questions, but he let himself ask one in the immediate follow-up. “I’ll be honest, I thought you two had already kind of been together for a short while, from our last conversation, but I am really happy for you both. Does that make her your girlfriend, then?” He put his hand on Imogen’s shoulder, as the word sisters rang out in Laudna’s voice in his head. We’ll joke about that another time, was the thought that filled the space behind his question.

“Thanks Orym,” she said as she smiled. “I don’t know, does it? I didn’t exactly ask her, but it kind of feels like it? Maybe we have been already? Gosh, are we girlfriends now?” She had many questions now running through her head, but for the first time in her life, Imogen felt a sense or normalcy come across her. She felt like herself, she felt like anyone else who had just had their first kiss. Orym could only let out a little laugh as he watched Imogen delightedly swirl in a whirlpool of romance and affection-based feelings, a breath of fresh air as compared to the dread, pain, and destruction that had been plaguing them both for months now.

She pushed those questions and thoughts aside for a moment and turned her attention back to Orym, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Thanks again, Orym. You are a really good friend.”

“So are you, Imogen,” he replied with a smile and kindness in his eyes.

“And just so you know,” she continued as she looked back up at the window, seeing Fearne standing there now on her own, this time with her back toward them. “Fearne missed you a lot too.”

Orym smiled at hearing this. He had missed Fearne a whole heck of a lot too in the moment and over the past few weeks, but even Imogen sensed that Orym’s heart ached for another who had been gone from his side for far longer.

As they continued to sit there, a few passersby stumbled past them on their way home from their day on the job, or on their way to the bar after their day on the job. As the street began to fill with a bit more people, Orym and Imogen decided to make their way back indoors. They crossed the street and headed back inside the Spire By Fire where the interior now was a bit more full than it had been the last few days. The departure of many of the guards that had been taking up barracks in the inn had left people feeling more comfortable coming by to grab a bite or a drink it seemed, as they had noticed multiple tables with steaming plates of food and mugs upon mugs of cold brews being served.

They reached the stairs and began to ascend them, just as Ashton and Fearne turned the corner and were descending them. Ashton nearly bumped into Orym as he rounded the bend, not seeing him from his vantage point, but thankfully Orym heard Ashton’s laugh at the last second and was able to stop before they walked into one another.

They shared a laugh as they met on the landing between the floors, with Imogen asking first “where y’all headed,” playfully curious.

Fearne and Ashton exchanged shady, curious looks and then said simply, “it’s a secret,” “see ya later,” before they both bounded down the stairs and through the crowd. Imogen watched as they exited the door out into the street, and it looked as though Ashton had pulled a pipe of some kind out of his pocket as they left.

“They’re funny,” Orym said as he began to climb the second apportioned staircase to the next floor. Imogen could only stifle a chuckle as she watched them leave, before turning the corner and proceeding up the rest of the stairs herself.

Orym was the first to the door of the designated shared communal room, which happened to be the room that Imogen and Laudna were going to be staying in tonight. He grabbed the doorknob, and knocked on the door before beginning to turn it. “It’s Orym and Imogen,” he half-shouted through the door as he turned the knob slowly, allowing the door to open without startling anyone on the other side.

Upon opening the door, the space greeted them with the smell of burning incense and dim lighting, a vast difference than what they had just seen from a moment before. They next saw Letters standing in the middle of the room as Laudna sat at the foot of the single bed that was in this space, apparently deep in conversation. “Oh, we’re sorry to interrupt,” Imogen said having now appeared behind Orym as they looked in on their companions.

Laudna sprung up to her feet as Imogen appeared in the doorway, a smile immediately sprouting on her face at the same time. “Imogen! Orym!”

Letters wheeled over to the door and pulled it open a little more, inviting them inside. Imogen and Orym stepped inside, with Imogen closing the door behind her, only to be startled by Chetney who had been hiding there all along. She slapped him on the shoulder, scolding him for having given her a jump, although both Orym and Laudna held back a little laughter to themselves.

“You weren’t interrupting anything,” Letters said as he circled around and faced them all, observing them one by one as they addressed the group. “Laudna and I were just having a little therapy sesh, that’s all. As a matter of fact, since you’re here Imogen, we were talkin’ ‘bout y’all,” Letters said as they looked at her rather excitedly, as Laudna now had begun to play with her hair once more, appearing a little nervous but happy to see Imogen was there.

Imogen glanced over and saw Laudna standing there as she did this, and took a deep breath. Laudna looked at FCG who gave her a nod, before looking back at Imogen. She bit her lip and closed the gap that existed between them here in this space, stepping forward barefoot across the hardwood floor right up to where Imogen stood. Imogen gazed lovingly up into Laudna’s unsettlingly caring, beautiful black eyes, as she took another breath. She was calm and still. Laudna stared longingly back into the pools of Lavender that beset Imogen’s pupils, radiant and glistening and the kindest that she’d ever seen. Her hands ceased playing with her hair in this moment, as she dropped them down just in front of her and between the two of them where they stood, silently reaching out for Imogen’s and finding them instinctually, as though they were magnetized to find one another instantly. A smile lay across Imogen’s face as Laudna leaned in.