Bone Diggers - Chapter Ten

Loading... Chapter Ten

A long day at work and other random oddities were tugging at the back of Owen's mind, which made it all the more relaxing when he could slip into the game. No need to think beyond the world provided for him.

Unfortunately, this world wasn't problem-free either. Lance's suspicions about Amilia rattled around his head like a catchy tune no one liked. The need for answers gnawed at him like a dull hunger. He could ask the guild, but Amilia was an oddity, not their goal. Simply a distraction standing in front of their real objectives.

When he finally had free time from guild duties, he had no idea what do with himself. Daniel walked around town half hoping something would grab his attention. He smiled politely as he passed a group of women outside a brothel who fluttered small fans around and over their faces.

"Daniel, my love," a woman called as she folded up her fan to reveal her face. Her long soft orange hair was pinned up in large curls. She had a strong nose that made all her expressions look harsher when she so chose.

"Lily!" A smile the day had stolen from him returned as he spoke. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"

"Maybe you should take me there."

Simple as that, he did. Lily was sitting on the end of Daniel's bed playing with the random trinkets that he had. Daniel was leaning against the headboard reading, while Lily went on about something that he wasn't paying attention too. They had a strange sort of friendship that, if asked, would simply have been described as looking out for each other. While also NPC, Lily was different from Amilia, and more importantly, the exact sort of company he wanted right now.

"I always love coming over. You have the best things to play with."

"Mm," Daniel said, hardly paying attention.

Lily made a quick pout before she crawled over to Daniel, and stopped as she loomed over the book.

He glanced up. "What can I do for you, dear?"

Instead of using words, she leaned in and answered with a kiss. Lily moved to kiss down the side of his neck. Daniel put up a silent show as he tried to focus on the book, but was only able to read a few more words before he closed his eyes to enjoy the moment.

She pulled at Daniel's shirt, but he suddenly caught her hand in his to stop her. His was the sort that suggested nothing innocent. Lily didn't back down. It was a look she'd seen a number of times, and every time it caused her to bite her lip in anticipation.

His mind blissfully went elsewhere for a while making it hard to track the time that passed. It moved in a relative way at home, and with only minor syncing, night could easily turn into morning. A hollow, echoing sound woke him and after a moment he realized where the sound had come from. Daniel sat up in the bed, swinging his feet over to the side and hoping that he didn't wake up Lily.

Halfway to the door there was another knock. However, when he opened it the person standing there was a surprise. "Amilia, uh, good morning," Daniel said. He ran his hand through his hair, and feverishly tried to remember if he forgot that they made plans.

Amilia glanced down at his bare chest, eyes flaring wide before she forced herself to look back up. "I guess I was wrong about you being a morning person," she joked. The lack of invite in caused her to fidget with her nails. "I was thinking we could perhaps pick out a weapon for me today," she suggested weakly and glanced back toward the street. "Should I come back later? Pardon my rudeness for waking you."

"Uh, actually—"

There was a hum from the room behind Daniel. The soft floaty sound silenced the rest of his comment. Amilia's mouth fell open and let out a small sound. "Oh."

Daniel scrunched up his face as he debated if an explanation was needed. "You can come in if you wish," he stalled, and stepped away from the door. The tips of his ears felt hot. Normally this situation wouldn't have caught him off guard, but the innocent surprise on her face triggered a bashfulness he hadn't felt about such things in years.

The expression was shaken off as she shook her head. "It's fine. I can just go on my—I'm sorry. I should just leave," she said with a nervous laughter.

If he had called out for her to wait, she was moving with such focus that she wouldn't have heard it. The goal was to move as fast as she could to put space between them. Even storming past a few shops before she realized how far she had gotten.

With a grimace she settled and was left with a sour taste in her mouth despite smelling the bakery nearby. Amilia pushed on towards the blacksmith's, who gave her curious and downright strange looks as she eyed their goods.

"You know I'm a trained tracker, right?" Daniel said. Amilia jumped, and spun to see Daniel dressed and a few feet away.

"Did you have to give me a start, though?" Amilia objected.

He shrugged. "Leave a girl with money and where does she end up?" His intent had been to joke around, but when Amilia's eyes fell to the floor, he frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." He sighed. "You wanted help with weaponry?"

Amilia bit her lip, completely different than what he had seen just recently. This time full of worry and uncertainty. It made Daniel want to kick himself for being the cause of it. "Yes, please."

Daniel gestured for her to go first, moving away from men sweating by fires to fix cracked armor. They walked in silence towards shops that sold already completed weapons.

"Did I—um..," Daniel started, but now that he had opened his mouth he was unsure if he wanted to finish the thought. "Embarrass you this morning?"

Amilia turned back to him, and this time she was able to look him in the eye. While some nervousness subsided, she still seemed unsure as she tucked her hair behind one ear. "It was awkward. I don't know I'd go as far as to say I was truly uncomfortable. I guess I was more concerned with embarrassing your...girlfriend?" She paused and shook her head. "Either way, it didn't really matter."

"Friend," Daniel corrected before he realized what he was doing. He had to stop this. Stop the enjoyment; stop the endearment that was starting to sprout. It wasn't like she was going to swoon over him not being taken.

Daniel decided to play the whole thing off, for his own sanity if nothing else. "If I didn't know better," he said, leaning close to look over daggers, axes, and swords. "I would have guessed you were jealous." Despite his tease, he didn't wait to see if a nerve was hit. Instead, focusing on the fine wares in this part of the market, items that were forged in blood, sweat, and tears. Rather fitting considering their use.

"Well, it's a good thing you know better, then," she said after a moment.

Daniel looked up from a collection of daggers that lined a vendor's table. This time he ignored their banter altogether. "A lighter weapon would be good for you, something with a lot of reach," he said. He wandered a little, trying to find one that would be right for her. He could afford the best they had to offer, but nothing at this table was catching his eye.

In the back, bows were lined up in a careful row. He reached out to pick up one carved from redwood. Steel extended up and off at the ends at a sharp point, becoming a weapon of its own. It seemed perfect for her, with use in both close range as well as at a much longer distance.

Amilia fell into place next to him. Eyes bright like a child's who longed for something they knew they couldn't have. "But I've never even handled one before."

"They are beautiful and strangely satisfying once you get the hang of them." He admired the bow for a second more, before his hand fell away. "I could teach you," he continued. The bow fit her; possibly wicked, but equally enchanting. "If you don't get it, I will."

Amilia reached for it, faster than if she had been given a physical push towards it. Her fingers lovingly ran along the string before gripping the handle. "My apologies, but it doesn't seem like it's going to be finders keepers this time."

He broke off to pay the shop owner for the bow as well as picking up some arrows and a quiver. When Daniel handed the extras over, Amilia's smile grew even brighter. "Well, I'm plum out of 'manly' things to do," she teased.

Normally, a thank you would have been called for, but this somehow made him grin more. Maybe it was because he deserved it after his misplaced joke. "Pity," he laughed. "It was starting to look good on you."

They started to walk back to his house, if for no other reason than it was a direction to go. Amilia bounced from one foot to the other and nearly did a little spin as she moved to stand in front of Daniel. "Can you start teaching me now?"

"Why not?"

They headed over to the archery range to give it a spin. After an hour or so of practice. Amilia turned and declared. "I've decided my bow arm is my right." She lifted the bow, and pulled on the string as if she was going to shoot an imaginary arrow. Which was pretty much the extent of her current skills.

The game didn't allow you to think away all the little details like it did other things. Hitting the mark took more than wishful thinking. "Oh, did you now?" Daniel smiled.

She nodded. "You're as good as I first guessed." The target in front of Amilia had two arrows that stuck out of the ground like they were afraid of their mark, while Daniel's were firmly nuzzled up next to the bull's eye.

"Thanks," Daniel said, admiring the shots before turning back to her. "Just promise you won't get better than me. The whole 'pity the student who does not surpass his master' is overrated."

Amilia shook her head before they got back to the lesson.

"One of the first, and most important things, is how you are standing," Daniel said, "If your stance is off, it will throw everything off. Make sure to line your toes perpendicular to your target." Daniel positioned himself in a square stance to give her a visual reference of what he meant, using his hands for emphasis. He went over the basics again such as nocking the arrow, how to draw the string, and where the arms should be at various points. Using himself as an example, he fired off a few shots. "It might feel odd at first, but with practice it becomes natural. Be careful not to practice without proper stance, or you'll be stuck doing it wrong for the rest of your life. Give it another go."

Amilia lifted up her bow and arrow, mirroring the proper posture as best she could before loosing an arrow. The first try was a flop. It wiggled recklessly and fell pitifully short. She pulled out another, adjusted her fingers, then let go again. This time it made it farther, but missed the target.

"Don't shoot," Daniel said. Amilia froze awkwardly mid-shot. She held her position as Daniel moved close enough that he could smell the sweet lemon scent she used in her hair. "You need to wrap your fingers around like this." He gently pulled her incorrect fingers back, and guided the correct ones into place. His hand fell away, and lifted her elbow a bit higher. "Pull the string back just enough to where it meets your mouth."

Amilia swallowed as she tried to focus on corrections and not how close he was. She pulled back on the string slowly.

"Perfect." Daniel stepped back to be clear. "Give that a go."

Amilia breathed out slowly and let go of the string. The arrow flew in the air and thumped into the target. Despite barely hitting the outermost ring, she felt triumphant.

She pulled out another arrow eagerly and aimed, trying to copy each little thing Daniel had just shown her. She then let go again, and this time, it hit higher, but to the right. The string recoiled back, snapping against her arm. It stung sharply since she hadn't expected it.

"I have a feeling this is going to take a lot of patience," she mumbled under her breath. Despite the urge to grumble, she laughed to cover up her embarrassment.

She didn't give up. Occasionally, Daniel offered instruction when he thought she needed it. But, for the most part it was all about getting a feel for it.

"See, you are already getting better," he encouraged. A bow and arrow wasn't a simple weapon to master. It would be a lot of work, but an archer was a valuable ally.

Amilia took a few more shots, but her arms felt shaky, which did nothing for her aim. "Let's make a bet," she said, as she opted for a break. "If I can, in reasonable time, hit a bullseye on a test, you have to take me to Santiago whenever I decide to go. I'll even let you pick what you get if I don't make it." She grinned, letting the words air for a second. "Wait! But, you have to promise to make it a fair test."

"All right." A little friendly bet couldn't do any harm. "You have to be able to hit two moving targets within two months and I'll take you anywhere you wish." Daniel put his bow down and crossed his arms over his chest. "If you lose..." When Daniel started he didn't have an idea of where he wanted to go with the bet, but simply looking at her made him want to be closer. "You owe me a kiss."

Her face had a flash of surprise before settling into a small smirk.

"Ah, but be careful." Amilia said, "Cupid's arrows hurt too, my dear." She plucked the string and it hummed in the air.

"Mmm, then let us hope you have better aim than Cupid."