Worth Remembering

By the time conversation and emotions had dimmed, so too had Spielglave's festivities, celebration waning beneath the moon and stars until the light of dawn had once again begun to peak through the canopy of the Arborweave. Not much stirred within the square now, save for a few stragglers and organizers that began to reset the hub back to a more usable state.

Citrine was lying silently on the bed opposite of Ferris', having lost the strength to continue sitting hours ago and just waking up now. The fatigue from their travels hadn't fully been resolved yet, simply lessened, so even now it dragged her down, forcing her to float in her sheets a bit longer.

Her head was still elevated enough to see around though, so her half-lidded eyes glanced over to take in the rest of her companions. Ferris lay horizontally across the mattress, feet reaching the floor. Larkspur was curled under an arm in sleep, and a shapeshifted Durma snoozed beneath the other, having taken the form of a long-haired cat of sorts.

"!" She tried sitting up, but a searing pain forced her to stop. Eyes winced, she exhaled shakily, willing the curse's hurt to dissipate.

Eventually, it faded, just as it always did. However, it took nearly a minute to do so completely, a worrying trend that had started roughly three days ago.

*creak* Clunk craned over slightly from the door, finally noticing that she was awake.

A hand waved him off, letting the construct know that she was mostly fine as her wits restructured themselves. She could handle the increasingly worsening curse despite it growing with each pang. No, the feeling that was most concerning to her at the moment was the one she'd experienced last night.

Citrine sighed as she settled back into a sitting position, successfully this time.

In the end, she never had the chance to slip in the question about what had happened in those two hours. The reunion had swallowed up the rest of the evening and night, and whenever there had been a lull in the conversation, it hardly seemed like the place to bring such things up.

The geomancer lazily craned her arm over to her pack, levitating a few things from out of it next to her to start her wakefulness off right: slipping into a fresh set of clothes, brushing her hair, and washing up with a damp cloth.

While she fiddled with a few wrinkles as quietly as possible, her attention once again drifted toward the ogrelyn and her embrace.

She looked at ease like this, any tension or hesitation lost beneath a slumbering expression and a light smile from dreams. It was a good look on her, Citrine thought, one she wanted to see more of in the time they had left together.

Standing up and steadying herself as to not make the floorboards creak, the shopkeep tiptoed her way over to the trio, loitering a tad over Ferris, concern and heart swelling within her breast. Then, with a single, tender touch, the half-elf brushed her hand against the warrior's cheek, her thumb tracing the line of her jaw, and her palm caressing the soft skin beneath.

The woman leaned into it a little, cheeks lifting in satisfaction at the contact.

"…" Citrine didn't say anything, instead just taking a deep breath in as she felt a wave of warmth pass through her body, her heart fluttering slightly.

Perhaps she was overthinking things. The warrior did say that she'd tell her about things before they reached the mountains, and she had little reason to doubt her partner. So whatever it was, it was probably something more embarrassing than dangerous.

With that thought in mind, she gave Ferris one last stroke along the chin and then pulled away, her fingertips lingering slightly before parting.

The half-elf made her way over to Clunk, giving the construct a pat on the head before silently signaling to continue his watch over the room, a request that was happily accepted with a salute as she exited.

They would all likely wake up soon, and while she still hadn't learned of what the alchemist and druid had planned before they would inevitably part ways once again, she knew she could use this time to her advantage. After all, there were still several things that she could use this opportunity for, like stocking up on a few more rations or other supplies for the rest of the trek northward.

Well, that and she could've sworn there'd been a gem shop the last time she'd been here, one that opened rather early. She was rather curious how that'd turned out.

A refreshing breeze wafted past her as she stepped out onto the streets, the coolness of the lake's waters freshening the town in the growing light. Without the festivities, the entire place looked rather tranquil now and perhaps a bit more fitting within the serene environment.

It didn’t take too long of a walk until she found herself in front of her destination, glass windows fully displaying the arrays of different minerals available for purchase. Surprisingly, even from where she stood, she could tell just how potent they were.

"This may explain why I haven't had many customers from the north then," Citrine mused, lingering slightly in their beauty before entering the building. "I'll just have a quick look around before moving to the supplies. I should have enough time—"

She paused as she stepped inside, her eyes widening a fraction at the sight before her.

"…"

This wasn't going to be a quick look, was it?

***

"…My apologies. I got a bit carried away in my search."

The half-elf's cheeks were slightly reddened as the noon sun streamed in through the window, a small stack of gems and minerals carefully tucked away in the pack on her back. Her companions were all staring as she awkwardly set down the haul she had purchased.

"Is this really a 'bit', Citrine?" Larkspur teased, poking through the bags and examining their contents. "We'd thought something had happened to you when the sun first came up. And you got on our case for getting carried away."

A hand raised to rub the back of her head, the half-elf turning to the side. "You two did though. You were both drunk."

The dwarf snorted. "Gem addict."

"That is offensive."

"Is it wrong?" Ferris chimed in, now mostly back to her new usual self. The strange nervousness from before was gone, replaced by a curiosity that shone through emerald eyes. "I mean, it's not necessarily a bad thing. We all have that one thing we go nuts over. You have your rocks, Larkspur his clothes and perfumes, Durma his… plants?"

The dwarf grunted an affirmation before moving to thank Clunk, the construct delivering a platter of food.

"Okay, I get the point. In all seriousness though, I did ensure we had everything we needed for the trek ahead. We should be set to fully enjoy the day together before we all eventually part ways again."

Larkspur's eyes lit up at the words. "Actually, about that, you two were heading to Nexuspoint, no?" The alchemist's grin grew wide, a mischievous glint forming. "I think now would be a good time to finally reveal the surprise. Are you both prepared?"

The warrior blinked, a mouthful of bread and meat being swallowed before she responded. "Another surprise? I thought us meeting up was that…?"

"Aw, aren't you adorable, dear~?" Larkspur jumped to poke at the blushing ogrelyn's cheek, earning a pout from the woman. "I'd never let us meet up just for a few hours and part ways—especially not after running like a madman half-way across the land. No, I have something much more grand in mind!"

"Grand?" Citrine's ears perked. "What exactly do you mean? If this is just another one of your teasing jokes…"

"It isn't," he waved her off, flipping one of his braids back before continuing. "Now, you're free to refuse in light of your two's recent… relationship progression. But Durma and I would like to offer ourselves up to accompany you to Nexuspoint."

Citrine blinked in surprise. "Accompany?"

"Aye," the dwarf spoke up. "It's the least we can do considering the circumstances. Can't rightly call ourselves companions if we allow two of us to go about alone, can we? Not to mention the fact that we've a lot to catch up on."

"But don't you two have things to care for?” Ferris vaguely motioned in the air. “Citrine told me you have your own shop, Larkspur, and doesn't Durma have the grove?"

"Hush now, they may be important, but we've both arranged things," Larkspur purred. "You two are our priorities now."

The room fell into a pregnant pause as his words faded, the others waiting on their former leader's response.

"I…"

She hesitated. It was an offer she'd never expect to have again. Things had changed, they all had their own lives now, responsibilities to uphold. But the more Citrine thought on it—

The half elf's cheeks bloomed pink as she noted Ferris' excitement, and then the alchemist and druid, staring resolutely.

—the more she realized she couldn't refuse.

"…Very well. I accept your proposal."

Smiles lit around the room like beacons, even Clunk who didn't even have the capacity for one.

"Just to let you know though," the half-elf cleared her throat. "I don't want any special treatment or anything. We're not on a quest or some grand undertaking, only a simple trip to determine an illness' finality. Treat it like that."

"Of course our Diadem would be so humble," Larkspur mused. "But too bad. You and the Adamantine better prepare yourself for the most pampered adventure you've ever had! We'll make it a journey worth remembering, especially once you see what we have prepared."

"…A journey worth remembering," she echoed aloud, the thought repeating itself over in her mind as she looked over each of her comrades, Ferris in particular.

The geomancer should've been feeling morbidity at the words, perhaps even dread. After all, she knew the likely outcome of the trip despite the most miniscule of hopes she possessed.

Yet…

Her chest tightened briefly, hope and a dim pang of hurt simultaneously radiating through to her limbs.

She couldn't help but feel excited.