2nd adventure: Proxy War

All things to all people: we get that you're trying to do your job, but Avalon thinks I'm a super polite guy, see how super polite I am being now? I'm harmless, and he likes me, so that gives me credibility. See this lantern? Would a sneaky murder-man be holding a lamp like someone on patrol?

Plus, I'm not wearing a mage's armband and I haven't used magic. They don't know anything.

I'll wait for Rory to post before I do so again.

What happened when Mihai and Fedler were away from the rest of the group at the monastery

Mihai waits for Fedler to finish eating, then says, "Hey, I’m kind of done here. Think we could go somewhere?"

She puts her fork back on her plate. "Yeah, let's just... go."

Both of them approach the Master. With a smile still scotched to his face, he asks, "A room for the two of you, I assume?"

"Please,” answer Mihai.

The Master nods, and guides them to a small room in the right wing. "These are futons. You're probably not used to them, but this is on what we sleep on. You only need to unroll them."

"Thank you-"

He gives a quick bow, and then closes the sliding door behind him. Fedler sighs, puts her bow against the wall, and removes her cloak. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"I'm sorry,” starts Mihai. “I wanted to tell you right when you woke up, but couldn't. And not just because Fredrick was there."
She turns towards him. "What do you mean?"

"Fedler... it wasn't luck that I found you. Wasn't skill either. After I woke up on the shore, Snicker spoke to me, and told me your situation. I couldn't wait another minute. I..." he fumbles. "I made the deal."

He looks down, as a kid who has just confessed a sin.

"What?" She doesn't seem to understand. Not immediately. Then it dawns on her. "You made the deal?"

"I asked Snicker to guide me to you, in exchange for ten minutes in my body.” He adds as an afterthought, "And breakfast."

Fedler starts pacing around the room, almost frantically, like she cannot believe it. "Why Mihai? Why? We know nothing about it. Nothing at all. How can you just trust something like that?"

"I know...!" he adds, exasperated. "I couldn't... I just couldn't leave you there."

She stops moving, and brings her hands to her face, distressed by this revelation. "Oh no. No no no. Not you to."

He steps forward and embraces her.

"No. That's not happening. Listen to me. I really don't think he'd go through all the trouble of asking permission and then lie. And he's agreed to a compromise. He'll allow Breeze to sense for him while he's in here. If she can detect his presence, she'll always be able to tell whether or not it's really me."

These last words have transformed her worry into anger. Still in his arms, she nevertheless backs away so he can see her face.
 
"Why did you do that!? It's not just you who's making the deal. You're forcing me into it." Her head hangs down.

He holds her tighter. "I'm sorry... I’m sorry....! The truth is, I wasn't allowed to tell you till after it was over. But I couldn't bear to leave you in the dark, so he relented. I don't know, maybe it would have been for the best to just wait till after, but... I couldn't bear to look at you and keep this from you. I'm sorry... I’m so stupid..."

She puts her arms around Mihai's shoulders, and gives him a kiss on the cheek. "Never do that again. Even if you think there's no other choice, never do it. Promise me."

He wants to argue the point, but can't bear to deny her. "I promise."

Fedler stays in this embrace for a long moment, until she backs away a little, and asks, "Is it still in here, right now?"

"I think it's everywhere. If you just think, it’ll answer."

"But it's not controlling you right now, right?"

"No!" He blurts out, a little stronger than he'd like. "Sorry.” He immediately apologizes, and finally realizes the full bore of what he's putting her through. "I'm sorry... at the time the only thing i could think of was getting to you. All the rest just came later." He sounds exasperated again. I... only then it came to me what it would be like for you to have to doubt like that; to look at me and not be sure. That's why he has more than five minutes on me now. I tried and tried to restrict him so he could never hurt you like this."

"Mihai, you were supposed to find me, not him." She pauses. "I might have been tempted to do the same if our situations were reversed, and I don't know if I would have taken the deal, but just... we cannot count on someone who has a price for its help.”

Without raising his head, Mihai nods. She raises his head with her hand, and then kisses him, softly. Once their lips part from each other, she appears a lot calmer. "We have to find a way to leave this place. Alive."

"We will,” he replies.

"Good." She thinks. "We'll have to talk with the others. I don't like where this is going."

"Yeah, this is a bigger powder keg than Zelk's stupid stunt with--" He stops himself - "Sorry. Either way, Konrad has it in for Kira, that's pretty obvious. And Zelk and the Lorinth people might still have their eye on the coff-". He catches himself. "Conan. I don't know what the deal with that guy is, but picking a fight with him right now is the mother of all bad ideas."

"We'll... we'll figure something out. But I doubt this will end without a fight.”

"If it comes to that..." he braces himself for what he's about to say. "All I’ll be fighting for is you. I never cared about this job from minute one, and I don't care anymore how fit that makes me to be a mercenary. I won't be pressed into fighting a battle I don't believe in against a guy that did me no harm. Not for the military or for anyone else."

A sad smile appears on her face. "So what do we do? If a fight breaks out, we can't very well ignore it. And who do we side with? I..." She goes silent.

He gently pulls her in. "I know. At the end of the day, I’ll have to turn my blade one way or the other. It's part of why I’ve been so pissed off at those two, playing their little smoke screen game. At the end of the day, I know who I have to defend. That's why... So long as it you. Or Steve, or Breeze..." He bitterly chuckles. "Heck, I guess even Konrad... even if I’d want to kick his ass later on... I guess i can do it. I just hope we can avoid it."

"Okay." She takes a deep breath. "Then let's go see the others...."

"Wait a second... There's... something else I’d been meaning to tell you, but with Fredrick there..."

She appears worried.

"Uh, no!” reassures Mihai. “Nothing like that. It's just... well... Back when you told me about how you knew... about Konrad. When you told me about when we talked in your room... well it kinda stung a little to go back to it, but... I was really happy you'd share that with me. Just... He looks away embarrassed. "Just put a really stupid smile on my face to know you trust me like that. I let the moment get away before, but... I really wanted to tell you that."

She smiles. "We'll have plenty of sappy talks when we get back home, okay?"

He chuckles, and smiles a little. "I guess..."

She gives him a little peck on the lips, and then walks towards the door. "Time for our secret meeting."

"Yeah."

They leave the room.