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[ By being alone she only had to look after herself, she didn't need another person to worry about. ]
Leanne stopped in her tracks when she reached the door of the tavern and turned to the men with a sigh and her eyes closed, trying to calm herself down. She had always prefered to do jobs on her own, didn't mind having a partner for a job or two, but she liked her freedom and not having to worry about anyone other than her. But there she was. With Asger, who she would even consider her best friend, and two really inexperienced young men, younglings to this world with little to no experience at all. And that irked her.
When she took this job, she knew she wouldn't be able to do it alone, but the last thing she had expected was to have to train two men and to make sure they did not die.
"I want you to hear me out and understand me clearly," she opened her eyes, looked at the men in training, and spoke in a stern tone, "especially you two."
The two men turned their attention completely to her on seconds, her stern tone made them tense up, "We did not come here for the dragon, so if I see you doing anything stupid that is not the job we're meant to do, I will also make sure you don't live long enough to talk about it, understood?"
As both of the men's eyes were open wide in fear and they nodded rapidly, she gave a low hum. The woman turned her head as she heard a lively laugh from her other companion. Giving him a scolding look, Asger returned a playful smile.
Holding her head high, Leanne opened the door and walked up to the bar without looking at the inside of the tavern where the other four teams were. As she asked the tavern owner for four ales, she turned her head to the sound of a chuckle coming from the other end of the tavern. And she saw him as his laughter died down and he spoke some words to the people he was with. That damn bard. At this point, it seemed like he was following her.
Leanne turned to the ale the man behind the bar had put in front of her as she felt a hand on the middle of her back. "You're too harsh on them."
"They need to learn to not make mistakes."
"That they do, but this is their first job." Asger tilted his head as he looked into her eyes.
The blonde girl scoffed as her mind wandered back to her first job. She remembered how the gild was only starting and there were barely any people in it, how she had to do it on her own after hours and hours of training. And then she turned, her elbows propped up on the wooden bar that was now behind her, and looked at the two men, who had picked up their drinks and sat down on an empty table that was quickly filled with some curious women getting a little bit too comfortable around them.
"This is going to be one of the hardest jobs I have ever done." the girl muttered to herself.
"Didn't you kill a wyvern on your own once?"
"I did but, as you said, I was on my own."
"So, you don't like my company?" Asger fakely pouted and frowned, earning a scoff and a small smile from Leanne.
Taking a sip of her drink, she looked towards the end of the tavern as she felt eyes on her. The girl was surprised enough to not only find the bard looking at her but the person beside him too. Didn't take her too long to realize who he was. The long grey hair and piercing amber eyes gave it away, the witcher she had seen in Posada, the one the bard had sat with after their conversation.
And now they were both looking at her, but differently. The witcher was observant as if he was trying to read her only by her mannerisms but the bard, he was not only looking at her, but switching every few seconds between her and Asger and she had never seen him so serious.
꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷꒦꒦꒷
Leanne sighed at the thought of having to leave her mare in the middle of the forest to get to where the dragon was supposed to be. Mist pushed her shoulder softly as if she had read her mind.
"So..." a shit-eating grin was plastered on the bard's face as she turned around to see who was talking to her, "looks like we meet again."
"Have you been following me, bard?" if they were going to spend a few days together, the least she could do was have some fun with it.
"I... um—" he stuttered, incapable of forming a coherent answer, his response almost coming out as a question, "n—, no I have not."
"It sure looks like it." the blonde girl adjusted her backpack as she looked at the bard, who apparently didn't have a backpack, the only thing on his back was a lute case.
The bard didn't utter a word as she left and started walking towards the trail they would have to trek to get to the dragon, only looking back to make sure her companions followed her and that they all were still in one piece.
