Devoid

"Just make a right, right here." Janette looked up from her book, reading out what the directions say. Nyitzcha grumbled and shook her head fast, rubbing her eyes every few minutes. It seemed like they were moving under the night for a very long time now, with nothing but a few hanging lanterns over the front to guide their horses. Everywhere they looked it was just pure black, the lack of sight sent chills through her.

Nyitzcha however seemed quite unfazed by the night surrounding them, squinting forward to catch a small bit of light far ahead.

"Oi! I see a small plot o' land up ahead! Be thinkin' a settlin' there for a moment, catch some shut eye."

Janette closed the book with a light plap, her hair concealing her right eye as she nodded in agreement. Felix entered the... well I guess the correct term is exited the interior and approached his owner... wife... owner wife? It's a bit convulated, but we'll say she's his wife for now. He approached her with a flask in hand, waving it in front of her.

She grinned and grabbed the flask, popping it open with a flick of her thumb and taking a swig. He stood beside her, sat down while she had another drink, wiping away the red liquid dripping down her chin.

"You lot are a sad bunch, nuttin' to contribute, no talk. Blah! Share me sum stories eh? Couple a-a shy wee kids haha!"

Janette scoffed, pushing the book into her bag. "Wasn't aware you were the sharing type."

"I'm sharing my time with ye, no? Else I be happy servin' drinks down at me pub."

Janette gave her words some thought before asking, "Why did you settle on a bar anyhow?"

"Well, das a good story. Had a man in me life, we settled down. Lot's a poor saps stop at Kershin Market while travelin'. Les' I be thinkin' wrong, prostitutes were the top seller. An' sleepin' quarters too." She took another drink from her flask, pushing it to Felix's chest for him to grab. "So, we think to ourselves, may s'well take advantage a dese saps! They be walkin' by, tired n' thirsty with no drink 'round. What better place to set up than a bar?"

"A bar, that's all it took? I doubt there weren't any bars before you." Janette glared with a curious eye lift.

"Well, there was anuther but they had a fat stack o' mice runnin' about. Shame, no one knew where dey got 'em." She smirked before breaking into another yawn. "Gods, I really be loosin' my edge 'ere."

"That was fast." Felix looked up to see they had arrived, as they were now coming to a stop. It felt good to be surrounding in light again, with several moths flying around the lanterns hung from each tent. Which was odd to see, as they hadn't arrived at any luxurious city or traveller's market, rather they had found a decently sized village instead. Not to mention there was some noise to have around this time, with the relaxing sound of a river smoothly flowing by, although they couldn't see any river then.

He hopped off first, raising his hands up as Nyitzcha approached him, arms crossed. "Just what is dat s'pposed t'mean?"

"What?" He blinked, blind to Janette's amused chuckle from the side.

The dwarf scoffed, slapping his hands away with an angry scowl. "I don' need yer help till I say, n' right now I say you bugger off!"

"Smart words, would have been mine to say to you."

Janette looked over as the others turned around to follow where that voice came from. Seemed like no one could make anything from the shadows, aside from Felix that is. His eyes emitted a dull glow once he was alerted, and when he could see clearly he gasped as a woman aimed her bow at him.

"Those aren't normal eyes, you have until the count of five to explain why you're here. One."

"Felix, what's she doing?" Janette asked with a worried look. Nyitzcha drew her hands to her hips and waited, with Felix frantically waving his arms around.

"D-Don't! We're just here to get some rest, that's all!"

"I'm guessing you've someone who is also conveniently injured. I doubt he sent you in as well."

"No no, no one is hurt. We're just tired!"

Janette leaned over from the carriage, looking out into the dark and squinting. Nothing but black, pitch black until suddenly she was able to make out something resembling a drawn arrow.

Her eyes widened as she felt tense. "Hey, we aren't here for anything malicious, we just need a place to sleep. Could you... could you maybe just give us a corner to stay and that's that? We can pay-" She paused, lamenting her choice of words. No she couldn't, not anymore after what he took from her. Damn, suddenly she felt an empty hole in her center and lost her concern over the mystery archer.

Felix stepped forward, regaining the archers focus. "Like she said, just give us a small place to rest for the night. We're all very tired, please don't shoot me."

The archer sighed, keeping her arrow raised but tilting her head. "Move north and count six tents. After the sixth, there is some land between that and the seventh tent, you may rest there. No wondering, no suspicion, got that?"

"Yes, thank you!" Felix smiled, climbing back up as Nyitzcha rolled her eyes and walked back to grab the reins. Soon the carriage began moving north, with Janette's hand to her chest while her eyes followed the archers gaze. Had she stepped into the light somehow or...?

"Pft, there goes the one bit o' fun I coulda had." Felix raised his eye as the dwarf kept her head straight. "Good fer nuthin', ye know we dwarves are a type t'be feared once upon a time! Ay, we had it all once, a prime age for forging. Never once had an arrow pointed at us les' they be wantin' a death wish somehow."

Felix kept quiet as they turned to where the archer had told them, moving the carriage into place and settling down. Nyitzcha jumped out to help free her horses, giving them some area to walk around whilst Felix was ordered to secure the carriage breaks and start a fire. After many failed attempts, he beamed once the spark began to grow into a decent fire, with Janette sitting down from the carriage top.

Nyitzcha spent a while drinking from her flask, sharing about odd tales that past customers shared with her before. Felix saf quietly and listened, occasionally smiling when she broke into a hearty laugh about something, truth he told he wasn't all there with her and neither was someone else. From up top, Janette sighed and hugged her book tight, feeling her heart begin to ache badly like a needle piercing inside. Seeing Felix and Nyitzcha sat together by the fire well, it was nice to relax for a moment and yet she hadn't the heart to do so.

She just felt empty inside, devoid of emotion. Well, any positive emotions anyways.