In Places Deep, Where Friendships Meet

The streets of Daring are as busy as ever, with many bodies darting across town as the bitter weather of winter quickly encroaches. Amongst them is Wren, the striped furry companion they are rarely seen without once again strapped against their back. There’s a slight dazed look to their eyes as they continue to slowly meander through town, they don’t even notice Alenea’s voice the first and even second time she calls out to them. It’s only until Alenea’s exasperated form is right up next to them that they look up, and when they do a sudden look of guilt flinches across their face.


“Wren! Wren! Are you alright?” Alenea looks them over as if the healing might have worn off, “Ohhh I’ve felt so bad since we got back. I’m so sorry about everything that happened.”


Wren’s brow furrows, obviously confused. “Why are you saying sorry? I’m the one who got possessed and then went round slashing and stabbing everyone. I even melted Keri with the light thing I do!”


“I tried to stab you In the back! Everyone was hitting you and I joined in amongst the panic. I didn’t manage to but I almost did! Oh I’m sorry.”


“No. Alenea. I’m the one that should be sorry. I stabbed multiple people, then melted multiple people including you, and I killed Keri! I would have done the same thing in your shoes, I needed to be stopped!”


This back and forth of apologies continues on, and with each response their voices raise until they’re almost shouting at each other in the street. It’s only until someone gives a pointed glare in Wren’s peripheral vision that they think to maybe stop, Alenea also getting the hint.


After they both calm down, each of them taking calming breaths for a moment, Alenea speaks up with a much quieter voice.


“Keri was a bit upset at first after they got, you know,” and she explodes her fingers outwards, a small magical cloud puffing out from her hands, “but she stopped complaining once she started trying out her new body.”


And right on cue a very large eagle owl swoops down to sit on a nearby post, cocking its head and squawking in Wren’s direction. Alenea translates this as Keri telling them to be more careful next time.


At seeing Keri back alive and well Wren smiles in relief and chuckles before they look up at Keri and say “I will definitely be more careful next time, I’m just glad there’s gonna be a next time yah know?” Turning back to Alenea they continue “Thanks for finding me. I think we’re both gonna feel guilty about this for a little bit, but I don’t hold what happened against you or the others.”


There’s a slightly awkward pause as they try to form a new sentence, stopping themselves a few times before their shoulders relax as they ask.


“I heard there was a pie shop that opened up again nearby, wanna get a pie and talk about the fact we met a cool ass freaking dragon? Like a legit legit dragon.”


Keri makes a puff that seems like the owl equivalent of a snort and starts preening her feathers. Alenea visibly relaxing as Wren explains that they aren’t upset, the anxiety of the last day fading into the background.


“Pies sound amazing, as long as they're sweet. I've never met a dragon before! I mean I can speak draconic and I've sat on a dragon egg but I've never seen one in person before!"


"Wait. Sat on a dragon egg?! Now that's a story to tell over pies for sure."


And so they do just that, the both of them making a beeline to Nerry’s pie shop. With the pies purchased, an adequate alleyway wall to lean on, and munching begun Alenea begins a story about a trip she undertook to Port Ffirst.


“I mean, it began with some fairly normal stuff. Pulling down wanted posters with my face on them, clearing a debt with the Milil priests, going to track down a missing halfling. Somehow we ended up in a clearing with a gold dragon's egg.” Wren’s eyebrows furrow slightly at the mention of debt, but they don’t interrupt. “There wasn’t much there, just lots of flowers and this huge white egg.” Alenea’s attention seems to drift slightly as she pictures the egg, ”It had such a weird texture, sort of magical and rough but also smooth?”


She looks back down, a sad look to her eyes now “It all got a bit dark once I was up top though. It had a hole in it and it was full of a shimmering liquid. Turned out to be King's Water, an acid for dissolving gold.”


There’s a heavy silence, Alenea still looking down as Wren looks slightly stunned at the dark turn the story took. Eventually they lean over and give Alenea a consoling shoulder pat.


"Yeah, never really found out who did that... and yeah, another one? That's worrying."


Alenea frowns then goes back to munching her pie as Wren pauses in their own pie munching to think. Stripes makes a few annoyed huffs from their spot on the ground before they say.


"I guess? They seemed kinda cool with all that magic they could do, and on our side of things. Though Vorsthold must be in some real deep shit if a bronze dragon is getting involved."


Wren leans down where Stripes is waiting at their feet and feeds the badger a little of their pie as Alenea continues.


"I suppose. They did save us, I’m just worried about what it takes to draw a dragon into a fight. And I hope they don't want us to deal with whatever that guy was, the banshee was almost too much for us. I mean he sucked out Triss’ soul, that’s some major magic." She takes another bite of her pie, it’s cherry and extraordinarily good, then she leans forward and tries to look at Wren's, "What did you get?"


“Apple, reminds me of home...Wait! Soul magic?? That explains so much.” Wren spins their head round to look at Alenea with alarm as they say this. “But you think there’s gonna be some showdown between them, and the dragon is gonna get us involved? Cause you’re right, I don’t think we could do it. I’m not sure how ready I am to face that place again anyway.”


“The dragon did seem to think things weren’t over but…”, Alenea looks unsettled, her eyes darting down to look at her renewed hands clutching the pie, “I don’t want to deal with it and I definitely don’t want to go back there for a while. That was much worse than I expected. Things feel like they’ve been getting darker lately and relying on the kindness of the very powerful may not be a long term plan.” She smiles thinly, her own not quite as wide as the shiny diamond smile still visible on her forehead from BB’s restoration.


“Then let’s not go back, at least not for now. Simple as that right? There’s plenty to do with helping others here without relying on the powerful. Plenty of light to be found in the darkness too if you look.” They polish off the rest of their pie, freeing their hands so they can lift Stripes up closer. “You know, I first met Stripes in the middle of the night, down a dark alleyway. He’s certainly been a light for me, and that’s not including the shiny things he hordes.”


Wren then stumbles on their words a bit, looking to Alenea’s smile “I guess what I’m trying to say is don’t give up, and like, if it means anything you can rely on me too Alenea.” They briefly look down to the badger in their arms. “Well, I should say you can rely on us.” Offering their own slightly awkward smile.


Alenea’s smile widens from its uncertain beginning at Wren’s offer, “You can rely on me too.” As she speaks she reaches into her coin pouch and pulls out a gold piece, dancing it across her knuckles and watching Stripe’s eyes follow it, “Here you go little guy.” Stripe’s eyes flick to the platinum and aquamarine ring as she holds out the coin for them to take. Alenea looks up at Wren with her eyes as she holds out the coin, “You may regret that offer. Want to join me and Greebo on a rescue mission? Rescue some of that light from the darkness?”


Stripes looks to Wren for permission, and when granted with a small nod of Wren’s head the badger gleefully takes the accepted coin.


“Thanks for that, but keep an eye on your coin purse now.” Their smile now turns into a full on grin as they continue to speak, an excited tone to their voice “And of course I’ll join, the only regret I’d have is not trying to help in the first place, so let’s get that godsdamn light back. Haven’t seen that magic cat in a while either”


The uneasy guilt from earlier seemingly forgotten, the two of them continue to munch on pies and exchange stories. A friendship formed in the darkened alleyways of Daring.



Co-written of course with Alenea Hanali