Dual Wielding

Kei led Udyr away from the crowded entrance of the cafe, over to a quiet alley just beside the building. Next to them, the stream of people on the main street flowed by like water, but she turned it from her mind as she faced him. Kei was by no means short—at least for a woman—but Udyr still would’ve towered over her with his freakish height if he didn’t stand at a respectful distance, arms crossed as he leaned the wall opposite her.

Despite its hidden sharpness, Udyr still wore a smile on his face as he spoke first. “You’re making me quite nervous wearing such a serious expression Miss Ameas. Do you have important information for me? What is it that you needed to send Wyn away for?”

His real feelings, hidden behind that calculating grin, were a complete mystery to her. Every time she thought she knew what he was after, he’d pulled another rug out from under her, never allowing her to find her footing, all the while it seemed like he could basically read her mind. She had to go on the attack, or she’d never learn anything. She was a daughter of house Ameas, this was supposed to be her battlefield. She refused to let herself be intimidated by someone like him.

“What’s your real goal here? I find it hard to believe that you really need Wyn to solve something like this, let alone that it’s worth all the compensation you’re offering. So what’s your angle?”

“My my whatever could you be insinuating? I don’t know what kinds of resources you have access to in Taravast, but I’m afraid my security is stretched tragically thin lately.” He held his hands to the side, shaking his head sadly like there was nothing in the world the merchant guild master of a city could do to stop a theft.

“Cut the crap,” Kei said. “No lies, no pretty words, I just want the truth. Merchant to merchant. If you have any respect for my family you’ll answer my question.”

Udyr’s mouth fell into a line. “You’re taking all the fun out of this. What kind of merchant doesn’t enjoy this sort of thing?”

“I’m done playing the stupid games Udyr.”

“A bad one then. More optimistically, you’re new.” He frowned, looking genuinely disappointed. “And here I thought you were a much bigger fish.”

Kei clenched her fists as her face burned just a little. “Stop dodging the question. What is it you want?”

“My my, are you truly so blind as to my intentions? You really are new to this, heiress of House Ameas.”

“I prefer Kei.”

His eyes narrowed further, studying her expression “So you do.”

Kei clicked her tongue. “Well? Out with it.”

“It’s simple really,” Udyr shrugged. “Those boys are clearly something special. To wipe out a group like the black scythes, killing Din Kai in the process? It’s no small feat, especially for two nobodies from a backwater town like Straetum, still hardly more than children. If you work in this business long enough, you develop an eye for value. In that eye of mine, Wyn shines like a diamond just waiting to be polished. Even if I’m not someone who can bring that potential to fruition, I’m going to take the opportunity to forge such a valuable connection while I can.”

“I see, they’re an investment then. You gain a relationship with someone who you think might be an asset someday, and you clean up an issue you’re having all at once. Two birds, one stone,” Kei said.

“All for a few extra gold and calling in some favors.” He confirmed. “Even in supplying them with reliable travel, I minimize the risk in that investment as they cross The Grass Sea. Spirits willing, they’ll arrive safely and be on their way.”

“What a savvy maneuver.”

Udyr’s expression grew a tad softer. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s nothing so nefarious as you seem to believe. I truly do just wish to build a connection between my company and the young men.”

“Sure you do.” Kei turned to leave.

“Miss Kei,” Udyr said quietly. “I would like to ask you one thing a bit more privately. Completely off the books.”

“Yes?”

“What is the reason for you being here? I can’t fathom why house Ameas would’ve sent their young daughter all the way out to The Northern Plateau.”

“That’s none of your business,” Kei said sharply.

“Perhaps not, but it’s not as though we are competitors. How can you ask for transparency from me but not return it in kind? What could I have possibly done to make you distrust me so?”

“I have no reason to trust you, I have no secret to tell, and you have no reason to pry. Even if you did, you don’t have the right to, your guild means nothing to me. This conversation is over.”

Udyr smiled dryly, and a palpable tension filled the air. “Miss Kei. It would seem to me that you have several ideas that need correcting. I have treated you with favor thus far out of courtesy, out of respect for both your station and your brother, who has impressed me greatly the few times we’ve communicated. However, this is my city, and you are a guest here. Your continued attitude isn’t one I’m very fond of.”

“I didn’t ask for you to talk with me, that was your own choice.”

“You represent a company that—were they located here—would be the largest in Precipice. As the guild master, it was my responsibility to help you on your way with our further relationship in mind. Keep in mind I offered my help for free initially, it was your friend—”

“He’s not my friend.”

“It was your associate’s insistence that led to me proposing this ‘trade’. His is half the conduct I would expect from someone of your station. If you had simply refused to engage I would accept that, but instead, you ask for my transparency, demanding answer after answer from me while providing none in return.”

Kei’s face twisted into a smirk. “Don’t blame me because you didn’t think that through, Udyr. You’re a merchant, same as me, so don’t get upset with me just because you got the bad end of a deal. If you wanted to get information, then you should’ve—”

“You’re wrong.” Udyr's voice was low and intense, and Kei took a step back. “You wanted me to speak plainly Miss Kei, so I will. Whatever you may think, your behavior isn’t that of a merchant, and certainly not one I expect to go far in this world. It’s pure, unadulterated greed. As merchants, we should understand better than anyone that nothing in this world can be obtained for free. No treasure, no skill, no relationship; everything is obtained through the sacrifice of something else. I have offered you information, pleasantry, and even assistance with your travels, and yet despite all of this, you have offered me precisely nothing.

That is not so grave a crime on its own. I was the initiator in this circumstance. Certainly were you to insist on your privacy, I would respect that, as I did earlier. But you came to me, demanding information and honesty, spoiling the game we should love to play, and attacking my character in the process. Nonetheless, I abided by it even as you tried to paint me in a negative light for reasons I can’t comprehend. And I did so because I believed you were a merchant at heart, one worthy of my respect.

Every one of us, from the men in your caravan, to those running companies far larger than yours understand that simple rule: to obtain anything of value, you must be willing to sacrifice. You must be willing to take and accept risks, no matter how small. For someone like you to act otherwise is an insult not just to my company, but to your own family as well.”

Kei forced out a single laugh through her irritation, she wouldn’t let him rattle her. “I don’t need advice from the owner of a glorified corner store. And I certainly don’t need your help.”

Udyr sighed, his face simmering with disappointment and pity in equal measure. “Well that’s no good at all. After those letters from your brother, I was so hopeful.”

Kei felt like she’d just been slapped. All the spite was knocked out of her in an instant. “Wait, what? My brother sent letters? What did—”

“It’s of no concern now, when you return home you can tell him that I’d like to speak with him in person. I’d rather not have further dealings with you.”

Friendly demeanor entirely gone, Udyr turned and left. He was gone before she could utter a word, swept away by the crowd that flowed ceaselessly through the street.

Kei couldn’t move, stunned as the words washed over her. Her brother had sent letters to Udyr, and they’d mentioned her? For what reason? The way Udyr talked made it sound like he’d expected something from her. Was she supposed to secure some sort of deal with the guild in Precipice? Or maybe she was supposed to deliver information? It was like a test of some kind.

I’d rather not have further dealings with you.

It couldn’t be more clear. Whatever the test was, she’d failed, obviously and totally. And that was all it took. Months of stress, guilt, and shame hit her all at once like a punch to the gut, and she slumped to the ground trying to control herself as the shards of her shattered anger stabbed her like glass.

Breathe Kei. Deep breaths. She tried to remember what her mother had said to calm her down when she was young, hyperventilating as they were stuck in the quiet room. Calm down… please calm down. One hand went to her chest, as though it could somehow steady the rising and falling of her chest. The other went to her face, covering her eyes which leaked tears onto her dress.

Breathe… just breathe.

…

Some time later—she wasn’t sure how long, but the sun was low on the horizon—Kei was able to track down the inn where Wyn was staying. She’d promised to meet with him regarding his new task, and a merchant… she wouldn’t go back on her word, no matter how she felt at the moment.

It had only taken a little asking around to find the inn Udyr had recommended, The Sleeping Boar. It was a small, stone and wood building on the top of the cliffside, overlooking The Grass Sea. The structure of the building was nonsensical, with winding staircases going around the outside of the building leading to different rooms, of which she guessed there were four or five based on the size. Despite this, the care apparent in its craftsmanship convinced her it was probably an expensive place to stay.

After asking the innkeeper, she was able to find out which room Wyn was in, and went to meet him as planned. Just before knocking, she thought she heard talking from inside the room, it was Wyn’s voice but muffled. Perhaps Corrin had returned? She knocked twice, and a few moments later Wyn opened the door with a smile.

“Hey, how’d your conversation with Udyr go?”

She looked past him into the room. It was surprisingly spacious, with a large bed, a window looking out at the sea, letting in the light of sunset, and even a small fireplace, with two comfortable-looking chairs on either side of a low table in front of it. Despite the talking she’d heard, it seemed there was no one else in the room.

“It went fine,” she lied. “Were you talking to someone?”

For some reason, he looked slightly embarrassed. “Ah, no I wasn’t, just talking to myself. I’ve been trying to figure out what to do about this whole situation.”

“Any ideas?” Kei asked.

“Not really. Like I told Udyr, I’m not going to spend more than a week on this, but I don’t see how I can catch this thief in such a short amount of time without getting really lucky. I mean, we don’t even know if he’ll attack in the time we’re here. Do you have any ideas that might help?”

“I don’t. I’m afraid I can’t be of much use to anybody.”

He looked up at her, and his gaze seemed to catch on her face. Her eyes couldn’t still be red could they? She turned her head away just in case, her eyes dropping to the ground. Her dress was dirty from sitting on the ground in the alley. Why had she even bothered to come? She’d said she would discuss the thefts with him, but it wasn’t like she could actually be any help. It was a waste of time, so she should just leave.

No one said anything for a time, until Kei finally spoke up again. “Well, I’m going to get going I suppose. I do hope you’re able to figure something out. But Wyn, even if you don’t, just accept his help ok?”

Wyn responded softly. “You know… until a few months ago, I wasn’t actually going to leave Straetum.”

She glanced up, noticing the slightly pained expression on his face. “What do you mean? You said you and Corrin had promised to become knights when you were just children.” He’d just told the story earlier at the cafe.

“Well, there was a part of that I sort of left out. When I was ten, my father died in a monster attack like the one I told you about. And for the longest time, I couldn’t move forward from it. I was afraid of what would happen to my mother and younger brother if I left.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at his hand, smiling sadly. “Honestly I still kind of am. But I gave up on becoming a Knight. I told myself I’d outgrown it, that it was just something I wanted as a kid. But looking at it now, that was the most childish part huh? I was hiding from it because it scared me, like when I wouldn’t let my mother blow out the candles in my room at night because I was scared of the dark. Pretty pathetic right?”

The first time she’d seen him, Kei had thought Wyn was much older than her. His tall stature and large body were one factor of course, but there was also the way he carried himself. Despite being a child of a small town in the middle of nowhere, he spoke and acted with so much confidence she couldn’t imagine they were the same age. And as much as she hated to admit it, she was afraid of him. In their travels, that illusion had been worn down as she’d seen him interact with the caravanners, and especially Corrin. But even as she accepted the fact that she was even a year his senior, it still seemed like he was strong in a way she could never hope to be, in the same way her brother was.

But now, his broad shoulders seemed much smaller, and sitting on the bed, he was below her own height. His eyes looked like those of a child’s.

“I’m still scared.” He said quietly. “I wanted to become a Spirit Knight to save people. But no matter how strong I’ve gotten compared to back then, it’s never enough, and I have to wonder if it ever will be. My mentor died in the last flood, as did plenty of other people, because I was too weak. I couldn’t save Corrin, but since he’s stronger than I am, it turned out I didn’t even need to.”

“You saved me. The rest of the caravan too.” Kei mumbled, unsure of why she was trying to comfort him.

His fist clenched, but the sad smile remained on his face. “But how many died because we were late? Your attendant, fathers, husbands, even a few children. We probably could’ve gotten there quicker, or not slept the night before. It was my decision. Add one more event to the list of Wyn’s failures. I wouldn’t even be surprised if you blamed me for it.”

She couldn’t. How could she? It wasn’t as though she’d been anything more than a burden. If Cidus hadn’t been focused on protecting her, maybe he wouldn’t have died either.

“Why?”

“Because it’s my fault,” Wyn said simply.

“No, why are you telling me any of this?” Kei asked.

Wyn leaned back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling with a strange look on his face. “Honestly I’m not sure. But I’ve been thinking a lot about how much I don’t understand about you. As much as I’ve wracked my brain, there’s so much I can’t figure out. But if I want you to trust me enough to tell me more about yourself, I figured I should trust you first right? I guess this is my way of showing that.”

“You shouldn’t…” Kei muttered, and she felt her eyes start to sting again. Her vision grew more watery. “I couldn’t help my brother, I couldn’t help Cidus, and I can’t help you. If you trust me to do anything, I’m just going to let you down. I’m not a good person, I’m just a leech, I take and I take and I take while giving nothing in return.”

Wyn chuckled. “Yeah, it really is no wonder you didn’t trust us. I think I know you better than you know me. I’m pretty observant, you know, and I talked to the merchants after the attack. I heard you saved a child, getting injured in the process.”

“That doesn’t mean any—”

“I also noticed how the children all come to your cart when they’re scared of the storms. You let them hide under the blankets and tell them stories to distract them while you get soaked yourself. And even if you tried to hide it, I saw you buying toys for them while we were at Cliffside. It’s not just children either. You tried to help me at the cafe earlier didn’t you? Even if I wasn’t sure what you were getting at, I could tell you were trying to look out for me and Corrin.”

“None of that matters!” Kei protested, her cheeks hot with tears. Who cared about stuff like that? They were just meaningless gestures that didn’t do any real good for anybody.

“You said you weren’t a good person.” Wyn smiled. “But I disagree. Those little kindnesses might be easy, but that doesn’t make it wrong. It’s easy to be nice when you’ll get something in return, but doing so just to see the smile on those kid’s faces? I don’t think that’s something a bad person would do. So even if you are a failure, doesn’t that just mean we’re both in good company?”

Kei couldn’t bring herself to respond, she couldn’t even tell how she felt hearing those words.

Rising from his seat, Wyn met her eyes, and his presence of strength seemed to return. This time though, the undercurrent of fear that she usually felt towards him was completely gone. “Maybe you still won’t trust me after all this, but I’ll just keep trying. We’re going to be friends, Kei, whether you like it or not, so you might as well give up now. I can be almost as stubborn as Corrin when I put my mind to something.”

“I’ve—I’ve never accomplished anything in my entire life.” She said weakly, she didn’t know what else to say. “I can’t be any help to you at all.”

Wyn laughed, a long stretch of laughter that seemed to finally shock her tears into stopping. “You know, I thought you were shy or something, but in the end, you’re just an idiot like the rest of us. I’m going to prove you wrong.” He held out his hand in front of him. “You’re a merchant right Kei? So let’s make a deal between the two of us. You’re going to help me catch this thief, and in return, we’re going to be friends. Let’s both add a win to our lists of failures, laugh together about how easy it was, and then figure out what we’re going to succeed at next!”

Kei looked down at his hand. She had already planned on trying to help him with the thief, which meant there was no downside to the deal. She’d have to be an idiot not to take it.

“I’ll help you however I can.” She said as she reached out and shook his hand. “Even if it’s not much.”

Wyn smiled. “It’s a deal then.”

There was a pounding at the door. A moment later, Corrin’s muffled voice came from the other side. “Wyn are you in there? I don't have a key, and I’m hungry enough that monster meat is starting to sound good. Let’s get something to eat!”

Kei raised an eyebrow. “Monster meat?”

“It’s a long story.” Wyn chuckled.

It wasn’t funny, it really wasn’t. But for some reason, Kei started to laugh. It was a small laugh, nothing uproarious, but it was the first real laugh she could remember since leaving Taravast. And it felt great.