Complete Private Quest Eastern Brisshal [ Reaping Season I ] For Lovers Who Hesitate

[Luthien]

A nod was given to Yugam’s proposed plan, it sounded solid enough as far as Lúthien was concerned. "Yeah, between all of us we should have this done soon I think." With that she redoubled her own efforts on the task at hand, wanting to ensure others weren’t waiting for her to finish so they could install the second window pane.

~ ~​

"There we go, good as new~"
”Thank you everyone, really. This would’ve taken Connie at least three business days to complete otherwise.”

She finished wiping the last traces of clay from the new window pane, having left the installation and sealant application process to Connie and Yugam since they were more experienced in the matter. A soft chuckle escaped Lúthien as she heard the woman’s comment, the faint smirk on Ingrid’s face slightly revealing she was just taking a jab at the older elf for shits and giggles.

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Yu had just finished scrapping off the excess window putty, and was wiping his knife on a cloth, cleaning the blade of the gritty substance. "No worries, once that dries, you'll be good to go," the man said with a small smile directed at Ingrid.

Outside, the sun had begun set, already dipping between the horizon in the distance. With the sky awash in colors, night was nearly upon them. "So do you guys wanna head over to that house now?" the man asked as he stowed the knife away in it's sheath once more.

The sooner the better, Yugam figured. Hopefully the couple would answer and the trio would be able to go to the tavern and get some food and relax a while before heading to bed for the night. Of course, there was still the matter of sleeping arrangements, but chances were that Luthien wouldn't mind sleeping in the same bed again. They'd done it often enough at this point, and Unmei could have her own room if she wanted, or simply rest in her sword form if she desired.

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

”Understood, I’ll be sure to not touch them until tomorrow in the afternoon at the earliest then… hopefully another arrow doesn’t pierce through them any time soon.”

A nod was given in Yugam’s direction, her way to both acknowledge the boy’s proposed plans and also a small thanks. ”Yes, we definitely should. Their house is not too far from here, just at the northeast edge of the village, so the walk should be quick.” With some luck they’d make it to their doorsteps just before the sun fully disappeared into the horizon.

Plenty of negative scenarios continued to cross her mind as she thought about Pierce & Agna, the woman taking a deep breath as she attempted to silence them before gesturing for the group to exit the room. Down the stairs they all went, through the living room and out the front door—Ingrid making sure to properly lock it before the small group began walking in the direction of the house in question.

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

With Ingrid's agreement, the group had set out towards Pierce and Agda's home on the other side of town. It had been too long since Connington had seen either of their faces, such was a wanderer's life. It would be good to see the pair again.

He and Ingrid lead the way to their home, with the trio of explorers following close behind them. It wasn't a terribly long walk, gratefully. As the group approached, the size of the home quickly became apparent. It was actually one of the largest in Hovelis, a three story building, with a wine cellar and sunroom in the back. It was more appropriate to call the building a small mansion, rather than a home.

"Wow, okay, not what I expected," the raven-haired man commented, staring up at the building with a vague look of surprise.

"Ha, yes, the Concerto's home is one of the largest in the village," Connington explained. Pierce had made his fortune as a travelling merchant, and a series of smart investments. "Shall we knock?"

Wordlessly, Yugam walked up to the door, grabbing the steel knocker and banging it thrice against the door.

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

Right, she’d forgotten to set better expectations for the trio that accompanied them to the small mansion, Ingrid’s mind too preoccupied with the safety of Pierce and Agda Concerto to remember the Starcalled probably had little knowledge of their history. ”Sorry, I forgot to mention it. Pierce was born here in Hovelis, branched out when he was a young teen as he pursued his dream to see The World.” Back then Pierce had little to his own name, just the fifth kid out of seven in his family, but he’d always held an adventurous spirit from an early age… and his efforts had certainly paid off.

"It’s an amazing home, I love the architectural design."
”Yes, it’s Yladian inspired… though it was adjusted to meet Agda’s preferences when their home was reconstructed.”

The blonde elf nodded in response, watching as Yugam walked up the steps before grasping the steel knocker. Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound was slightly jarring against Lúthien’s ears, the girl grimacing ever so slightly in response before the group waited. A moment passed, slowly extending itself more and more, before Ingrid’s eyes finally looked towards Connie—the worry clearly evident in them even if the woman was doing her best to stay optimistic.

”S-See? They never take this long to reply... you know how Agda gets if Pierce ever missed dinner time.”

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

"S-See? They never take this long to reply... you know how Agda gets if Pierce ever missed dinner time."

The boy, Yugam, made an odd face as he heard this, a single corner of his mouth pulling off to the side as his brows furrowed and his nose scrunched up ever so slightly in thought.

"Indeed I do," Connington agreed with Ingrid, remembering a time where he and Pierce had taken too long hunting once, and how severely Agda had berated him afterwards. As kind a woman she was, she was a terror when angered, and Connington was not wont to incite the woman again.

A howl tore through the night then, a long cry that pierced the air with haunting lyric. "That is most certainly not Mrs. Concerto's voice," Connington observed.

"I'm not usually one for breaking and entering, but now seems like a pretty good time," the raven-haired man said, taking the initiative. "Please tell me there's a key somewhere before I kick the door down."

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

”Exactly, and yet the guards had the audacity to simply brush this off—” Whatever else Ingrid was about to gripe about was lost when a sudden howl surprised them all, the woman freezing on the spot for a moment before realization dawned on her. ”C-Connie…! That’s it, that’s what I heard last time too!”

"Please tell me there's a key somewhere before I kick the door down."

”A k-key… right, the key! They keep a spare hidden here somewhere—oh, right next to you, Lúthien. There should be a key hidden underneath a rock inside that pot!”

As the woman pointed in her direction the blonde was quick to look towards her left, spotting the ornamental plant and the large vase it was housed on. Carefully she parted some of the leaves, spotting the stone, and when her hand flipped it over the elf was surprised to find a hollowed out compartment with a key inside.

"Yu, here!"

She managed to pick the key out of its hiding place, before carefully lobbing it over to the hemomancer so he could open the front door of the manor.

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

The key arced through the air, landing in the man's hands before he turned and inserted it into the keyhole, turning the key and opening the door slowly. The door whined, it's hinges unoiled as it swung open. The raven-haired man was the first to enter, followed by the red-clad girl. Connington gestured for the two women to enter first, with a kind smile. A chivalrous act, certainly, but with a secondary purpose. Connington wanted the vulnerable Ingrid to be surrounded by the more capable Starcalled and himself, should there be some danger lurking in the Concerto home.

Luckily, entering the abode did not trigger some unseen traps, nor did the door swing ominiously shut on its own. Connington shut the wooden door himself, before looking around, taking in the home once again. From the entryway, it was difficult to see into the other rooms of the house, but to their left, there appeared to be a dining room, a glimpse of a long table and chairs visible through the empty doorframe. The room to their right appeared to be a living room, complete with a lit fireplace.

"Someone is here," Connington stated before look towards the others. "Perhaps we should split up and cover each floor," the elf suggested. "There are four stories after all, if we include the cellar."

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

Yugam was the first through the door once it had been opened, quickly followed by Unmei as the party filtered into the interior of the manor. A nod was given towards Ingrid, encouraging the woman to enter third, before Lúthien had followed fourth as Connington brought up the rear.

The first thing Ingrid had noticed was the lit fireplace, the fire quietly crackling as it filled the living room with warmth. It was enough for the woman to reach a hand over to Connie as she tugged on his vest, pointing in the direction of the living room to alert him of her finding.

"Yeah splitting up would help us cover more ground," Connington’s suggestion seemed like a sound idea, especially once they had spotted the lit fireplace in the living room. Whatever had caused that howling sound was definitely here, and if there was a chance that the Concertos were present as well then speed would be to their benefit. "I can go check the topmost floor…?"

”C-Connie and I could check this ground floor then.”

After all Ingrid was aware she didn’t truly have amazing fighting capabilities, if she were to go on her own and find something dangerous the woman would not only be putting herself in danger but also dragging the others down in the process. She trusted in her friend’s archery skills enough to keep them both safe in a worse case scenario, and if the chance was available Ingrid wouldn’t hesitate to grab one of the many vases and heavy ornaments placed around the manor to smack an intruder on the face with it.

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

"And we'll take the cellar as well," Connington added, agreeing with Ingrid. "Why don't you three take the first and second floor?"

"Can do," Yugam answered with a nod before looking at the two young ladies. "Shall we?" The man reached into his coat and drew out a revolver, and Connington's eyes quickly lit up with alarm. "Please be cautious!" the elf said. "I would hate for us to accidently shoot either of the Concertos."
"Don't worry, I don't plan on using this thing unless someone comes at us," Yu said calmly before the Travelers departed, quietly making their way up the stairs.

Connington let out a long sigh before looking over Ingrid. "Well. I suppose they know what they're doing? Shall we head into the cellar?" Ingrid nodded, and Connington gave the woman a smile and a nod, placing a hand on her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze to calm her nerves.

The two knew the way to the cellar well. They'd been to the Concertos on numerous occasions. Even still, they were cautious in-case they were not the only intruders in the home. Pulling open the cellar door, Connington was careful to not allow it to noisily hit the ground, instead carefully lowering it. "I'll go first," he said, before heading into the dimly lit underground space. Ingrid followed close behind.

It wasn't a very long staircase. Perhaps a dozen steps in total. But no sooner had Ingrid taken the first four steps did the pair hear a cracking sound. Connington paused and looked back at Ingrid. Was that?

CRASH!

The staircase gave way beneath them, sending both falling to the ground. Connington landed facedown, the wind escaping his lungs on impact, the situation only worsening when he felt Ingrid land atop of him. "Oof!" the man grunted, wheezing as he struggled to get air back into his lungs.

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

A nod was given in response when Yugam turned to her and Unmei, letting the man take the lead before the elf followed. Between the three of them, checking out the two floors above should be relatively quick and safe, though Lúthien couldn’t help giving a worried glance back to Ingrid and Connie. Would they be alright on their own?

”Yeah, they seemed like a dependable bunch while fixing the window… I’m sure they’ll be alright if anything is hiding up there.”

He placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze, and the woman couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of her own before giving the elf the smallest of smiles. ”You still remember the way?” A light jab, her way to try and lift her mood as they both headed down the familiar path.

How many times had they run through here when younger, playing hide and seek with Pierce or trying to sneak a baked treat from Agda? A part of Ingrid wasn’t even sure if the elf even remembered those moments anymore, his wanderlust having taken him away from his home village as soon as he’d learned to properly shoot his bow. He'd come back every year of course, usually breaking her window during the contest before sticking around for a week , but eventually the wish to discover the unknown would call out to him and Connie would set off once more…

Ingrid forced those thoughts out of her mind as the pair reached the cellar door, standing watch while Connie carefully lowered it to grant them access into the small stairwell that would lead them down. ”I’ll go first.” A nod was given in response before Ingrid watched the elven man begin to head underground. Only once Connie was close to the end of the stairs did the woman begin to follow after, her gaze focused ahead as she took the steps with a confidence that came from having used them way too many times in her life.

... creeeaaak…

The sound caused Ingrid to pause, a confused look on her face before she turned to look at Connie. The elf was the first to realize what was about to happen, his mouth parting to give Ingrid a warning—

CRAAASH!

The hard surface under her feet was soon gone, causing Ingrid to stumble downwards as gravity took control. She felt her hands impact with the man’s back, a startled squeal leaving her lips, and before long both had found themselves wheezing and groaning on the floor of the cellar. ”Hnng...” A hand rose towards her throbbing head, the woman attempting to ease the pain she felt on the side as she wondered if perhaps a piece of wood from the now broken stairs had smacked her. It wasn’t until Connie struggled to move and breath that Ingrid realized she’d landed on top of the elven man, gasping in surprise as she scrambled off from him.

”Oh no, Connie! Are you alright?”

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

"I'm just...peachy," the man gasped as he rolled over onto his back, grateful to be sucking the sweet, sweet, dusty air of the cellar into his lungs again. "You are unharmed?" the man asked as he tried to sit up, and look at the other woman.

Looking around, Connington could barely make out the cellar's contents. Thankfully, light streamed in from the open cellar door, enough that Connington could still easily find his matches and take a torch from one of the sconces to provide even more light. "Wow, I'm surprised. This place hasn't changed since we were children," the man said. It looked just as he remembered it from his child hood. Long rows filled with bottles of wine and other alcohols, casks near the rear filled with even more spirits.

The elf looked back at the tattered staircase, the steps all having collapsed onto the floor around the two Landers. Connington got to his feet before offering a hand to Ingrid and helping her up. "Well, this is truly unfortunate. That was our way out."

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

”My head hurts a little, but aside from that I’m fine.” She couldn’t help the faint smile that tugged at the corner of her lips once the initial shock had passed and Ingrid had confirmed Connie was alright. After all this certainly wasn’t the first time the elf had to catch her from a terrible fall, the occurrence quite common as they’d grown up in the village. ”Couldn’t ask for a better fall breaker, really.”

He reached for one of his matches and lit it up before a long arm reached up to one of the sconces lining the wall. The torch resting on it soon found itself in his grasp, the small flame brought closer to the flammable head. Within moments the torch had roared to life, the new light source causing ingrid to squint her eyes close as a hand raised to shield them.

”You’re right, it almost feels like going back in time,” It took a moment before her eyes fully adjusted, glancing around the darkened interior before a soft chuckle escaped her lips. ”Remember that one time we tried to sneak out one of Pierce’s many spirit bottles?”

Connie was the first to properly stand up after their fall, the outstretched hand he offered the woman gladly accepted as Ingrid soon followed. ”... I’m glad it decided to give way now and not when Pierce or Agda where coming down here.” She was pretty certain that neither of the Concertos would’ve been able to brave a fall like that without injury.

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

"My head hurts a little, but aside from that I'm fine."
"Ah, here, let me take a look," the elf said, stepping towards the woman and gently brushing her brown hair back from her forehead, checking for any cuts or bumps. His other hand gently held her chin, turning her head from one side to the other. "I'm glad that you seem to be unharmed," the man said with a smile, looking into the woman's warm brown eyes. Suddenly, the softness of her dark hair and the strong contours of Ingrid's face were incredibly obvious to the man. He felt the tips of his elven ears begin to heat up, and the man found himself to be very glad for the darkness of the cellar. "We must be more careful," the man said, retracting his hands and going to light the torch.

The elf chuckled as the memory of the pair attempting to secret away one of the bulky wine bottles away in his vest flooded back into his mind. "Ha, yes, I do," the man replied with a wistful smile. "He came down and seemed so cross with us. Oh, he shouted up a storm before he snatched it back. And then he cracked it open right there. Remember that? That was the first time I ever tasted alcohol," Connington laughed as he went over to pick up one of the dusty bottles. "I recall finding it displeasing to my palette then. Funny how in our later years we've acquired a fondness for the stuff."

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

”Wha—”

She’d barely registered Connie’s words before she felt an elven hand gently cup her chin, angling it upwards before another hand brushed the brunette’s bangs away from her forehead. He tilted her head to one side, and then to the other, as his green eyes carefully inspected her for any cuts or forming bruises. She could feel the light tingle on her cheeks as the man’s breath tickled them, such was the lack of distance currently between them, and for a moment Ingrid was thankful that the cellar was dark and the only light source was located behind her.

”Y-Yeah, careful… Agda would be distraught to learn we got hurt while looking for them, after all.”

Ingrid couldn’t help the smile that pulled at her lips as Connington recounted the little adventure from their youth, a hand raised to cover her lips as she laughed quietly. ”I’d never seen him get so red in the face, I was absolutely sure he was about to explode and unlock pyromancy right in front of our very eyes.” Pierce had led the pair up the very stairs that now lay ruined, his tirade never lessening as he’d herded them both towards the kitchen.

The brunette had thought Pierce was cracking the bottle to get himself a well needed drink, but instead the man had surprised them both by pulling out three glasses and giving the young teens their first taste of alcohol. She had hated it, especially the way it burned going down her throat, but of course that sentiment had changed over the years.

”Vivid example that our tastes grow with us, and can change too.”

Not all of them did however, the thought causing the smile in Ingrid’s lips to fade lightly as she snuck a glance in the direction of the elf. She had known early in her childhood that having a crush on Connie would bring nothing but troubles, and so she’d done her very best to always keep those feelings locked away and hidden from everyone—especially the elf. Eventually they would fade, that’s the lie she’d continued to tell herself throughout the years, but every time the man returned to her life for a brief spell Ingrid was painfully reminded of her truth.

"Seems the intruder wasn't interested in Pierce's spirits then... hopefully whatever made that sound won't be too much to handle for our little Starcalled friends."

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Connington smiled pleasantly at the old, dusty memories. Small moments like that had made his childhood enjoyable, unpredictable. In time, those small, unpredictable moments had been what lead the man to travelling the world over. In search of adventure. Once upon a time he'd hoped Ingrid would have joined him, together with her seeing all that the world had to offer. Foreign lands, with their unusual buildings, and even stranger natives. But alas, Connington had always known that her heart was here, in Hovelis. He could never have asked her to leave her home behind like he had. It wasn't like his own situation, where he had no one to prevent him from answering the call of the unknown. Well, no one except her.

"Vivid example that our tastes grow with us, and can change too."

Connington looked back at Ingrid as she spoke, her silhouette outlined by the light streaming in from the open cellar door. It shone down on her like a spotlight. If there was a crowd, all their attentions would've fallen to her, Connington knew this to be true. "Not all our tastes change..."

"No, I don't believe that they were interested in the alcohol either," Connington agreed, rushing along to the next topic. "The cellar hasn't been opened in quite a while, judging by the amount of dust. I doubt they even knew this was here. Lucky for us those Travelers know we came down here, otherwise we might be stuck," the elf said with a chuckle. Even with the collapse of the stairs, he had few worries. After all, as he'd pointed out, the others would come find them, and hoist them to their salvation. "In the meantime, I suppose we wait, and hope we don't hear the report of a gun."

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

"Not all our tastes change..."

He’d turned to look back in her direction just as Ingrid had been sneaking a glance in his, their gazes meeting for a few moments before those words had tumbled out of elven lips. A part of the woman wasn’t sure what to make of them, afraid to try and read in between the lines and end up with a message that had never been there to begin with.

”That’s true, I guess… your taste for travelling remains unchanged even to this day.”

It was easier to switch gears and move to another topic, the brunette stepping closer to some of the shelves that housed the spirits as an index finger was ran along the surface. The amount of dust that collected there was surprising, her thumb rubbing against it to loosen the matter before Ingrid finished wiping her hand on the side of her pants.

”Yeah, climbing out of here would be quite difficult otherwise.” Not impossible, between the two of them Ingrid was confident they could figure something out, but still dangerous. Best to wait until the Travelers finished checking the top floors and came looking for the pair to get out of this cellar. ”I’ll have to check later in town how fast a new set can be built… would be nice to have it repaired before either of them suffer an accident.”

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

"That's true, I guess… your taste for travelling remains unchanged even to this day."
"I didn't-" Connington stopped midway through his sentence. It would be better if he didn't say anything. He'd had his chance years ago, and he'd passed it up. Now, who knew what Ingrid's life was like, who was involved in it. He wouldn't know, and he wasn't. He was gone far too often and for far too long to know any of these things.

"I'll help pay for the new staircase," the elf offered immediately, uncomfortable with the idea of Ingrid paying for it solely on her own. "We both broke it after all. Ah, I'm sure Pierce and Agda would find that fact quite amusing. Remind them of our youthful antics." Again, reminiscing about days gone by. "Those were good days, weren't they?" the elf asked, wondering if Ingrid looked back upon their shared childhood the same way that he did, with a sentimental fondness and want for the 'what ifs'. "We had fun."

@Luthien

 

[Luthien]

The words had left her lips before she’d had a chance to properly consider them, the tone accompanying them harsher than what Ingrid had actually intended.”I didn’t—” For a moment it looked as if Connington had something he wished to add, or perhaps a protest, but the second her eyes turned to look back at the elf he’d clamped back up.

A questioning look was given in return, one of her eyebrows raising higher than the other, before the elf was quickly changing topics as he turned his attention to the broken stairway. She sighed softly, her own brown eyes trailing back to the remaining mess, before a faint chuckle escaped her lips.

”Pierce would definitely find it amusing… Agda though would be very concerned over us. I don’t think she’s ever accepted we aren’t little children anymore, hmm?”

There was a clear fondness in her words, her look softening at the various memories their conversation easily dug up for the human woman. They really had quite the extensive history between them, and it only served to remind Ingrid that her feelings had remained unchanged even after all this time.

The brunette let out a soft sigh then, her head turning over to face her childhood friend. ”Alright, spit it out Connie.” There was something he’d wanted to say earlier, and she’d rather hear it now than keep wondering about it until the next time Connie decided to drop by Hovelis once more.

”It’s not like we’re going anywhere any time soon, right?”

@Yugam

 

[Yugam]

Ingrid had sighed when the elf cut his own sentence off short, too cowed by the long passage of time to speak his mind. What right did have to do that now anyways? Upset the balance of a perfectly happy life? No, it would be cruel of him to do so. It was best to let the past lie.

"I don't think she's ever accepted we aren't little children anymore, hmm?" Ingrid said, moving the conversation along. The elf laughed in response. "No, I dare say-"
"Alright, spit it out Connie," Ingrid cut him off again. "It's not like we're going anywhere any time soon, right?"

Connington stood there, mouth agape, for some time, unable to form any words. What should he say? What words would satisfy the woman? How did he avoid dredging up the feelings he'd long since buried? The ones which always threatened to break the surface every time he looked into her chocolate brown eyes. But he couldn't find the words necessary for any of that.

Might as well tell the truth then?

Connington slid the bottle of wine back into the cellar rack. "I...Well...Once upon a time, I had thought to ask you to travel the world with me," the man said, looking over at Ingrid with a soft smile. "But, I knew you'd never leave Hovelis behind like I had. I suppose I just wonder what life would've been like had I asked."

@Luthien