Fantasy Story Preview
A preview of a project I'm working on
AN: So, I feel bad for not posting anything lately. My time has been taken up, as I explained in my most recent journal. So I decided to post this excerpt of a project I'm working on. It's still very early stages, so God only knows how much, if any, of this remains canon. It'll probably be entirely rewritten. But hopefully someone finds it interesting.
Taicho enjoyed watching Rehrdahl work over a problem. The way his eyes darted around, missing nothing; the way he twitched his whiskers when he got an idea; the almost imperceptible shake of the head when he dismissed an idea; his fingers tapping on his cane or tracing patterns in the air. Rehrdahl got so lost in his thoughts that Taicho doubted the rat realized he did any of those things. It was nice to watch though.
"What's so funny?"
Taicho started. Apparently Rehrdahl wasn't the only one who did things without realizing. Taicho hadn't meant to chuckle. And apparently Rehrdahl was never too lost in thought to pay attention to his surroundings.
"Nothing," he coughed, diverting his attention to keep watch as he was ostensibly doing. Still, he doubted anyone would sneak up on them. They had avoided the traps on the way, not disabled them, and he was reasonably certain they were alone down here. So after only a minute, he found himself watching Rehrdahl again.
He was glad he had partnered up with the rat. In the past, he had occasionally joined up with someone else or a small group. A couple times, he'd even joined a mercenary company on the open battlefield. But inevitably he'd moved on after a month or so, seeking a new adventure, a different experience. His partnership with Rehrdahl was his longest-lasting alliance to date.
In fact, he remembered being quite skeptical when first meeting Rehrdahl. A small academic-type asking for help exploring old ruins had not sounded like Taicho's idea of a fun time. The ratfolk hadn't seemed to have an engaging personality, and he looked like he'd be little help in times of trouble, despite his assurances to the contrary. Still, Taicho had been between jobs, low on funds, and the particular job he was hired for paid well enough. One job with an intellectual to tide him over would be worth it.
He'd had to keep from bursting out laughing when Rehrdahl had taken out a small blade and strapped it to be end of his tail. Indeed, he hadn't done a good enough job hiding his amusement if Rehrdahl's sideways glance was anything to judge by. Still, what was that tiny thing going to do? Tickle someone's chin?
That adventure had proved every one of his assumptions wrong. It had taken every bit of their wits, skills, and newfound teamwork to get out of that ruin in one piece. Along the way, he had come to appreciate Rehrdahl's dry humour, his skills as a swordsman, his magical talent, discerning eye, his quick wit, and quicker intellect. Rehrdahl had likewise seemed impressed with Taicho's swordsmanship, his supernatural abilities, and his zeal for adventure and life in general, however much the rat pretended to dislike that last item.
And now they'd been at it for almost a year, getting each other out of scrapes, playing cards, and finding valuable items forgotten by history. It had probably been the best year of Taicho's life. Certainly the most interesting. And that was without flitting from one place, one job to the next. There was less variety in the work, perhaps, though there was certainly still the unexpected around each corner. But the company more than made up for it.