Afraid of the Dark

Chapter 28: Sacrifice

"Ah, centaurs and their bloody honor. A fool's errand, but at least it makes for good songs," she shrugs and picks up her flagon to slide over closer to Reela. "Mind if I join you? Getting hammered is more fun with strangers."

Reela chuckles and nods. "Please, I'm losing my mind here."

Taanys laughs and takes another drink. Reela watches her, noticing how she doesn't even stop to cough with how strong these drinks are. She's either insane, or she's used to drinking like a centaur. "So, 'Taanys' was it? Are you from Sunyu Foorst or something?" she asks. Might as well try breaking the ice.

Taanys sets the mug down with a light laugh. "Is that a serious question? Gods no. I was born in Lithonilynn. I tried to leave Letroseli for a time, but after Aramora, I decided to come back here," she explains and takes another quicker drink.

"But why Sunyu Foorst?" Reela asks.

Taanys shrugs and nods her head back towards Panele. "Exactly as Panele said. War makes good song material. Lot of profit for a bard in a bleeding land," she says and pulls over a stool for herself to sit next to Reela. "What about you? What brings you to the Foorst?"

Reela glances back, watching the centaurs begin to settle down from the fight to go back to drinking until the next spat breaks out and they start over once again. If Taanys plays here regularly, maybe she knows something about Adaste. It's worth a shot at the very least.

"I'm here to find the city's healer, Adaste Mar'Eveis," she faces Taanys again. "Know of her?"

Taanys bites her lip and takes another drink. Reela watches her fingers drum the counter in a soft rhythm to herself until she sets the flagon down. "Just about everyone here knows of her. But you'll be lucky to find anyone actually fond of her. A healer who refuses to heal during a war isn't exactly popular," she explains and sighs with a small smile. "But where are my manners? You know my name," she nods to Reela. "What's yours?"

Reela takes another drink too, trying to take a long one like Taanys but she just ends up coughing and setting the flagon back down in an attempt to compose herself. Once she's gotten at least some of the burning in her throat cleared away, she answers. "Reela."

Taanys cocks a brow and smiles. "Pretty name," she shows her another small shrug. "Well Reela, it was lovely to meet you, but alas I've got to be going. I recommend you get some sleep soon, take your mind off of your friends for a time. There's already enough stress in the air as it is. Don't need you adding to it, or it adding to yours," she slips off the stool and nods her head to Reela again before grabbing her flagon and walking out of the tavern while taking another long drink that Reela doesn't see the end of before she's out of sight.

Well that was weird, but she'd honestly expect weirdness from an Adaliaen living among centaurs. She had hoped that Taanys would've had something helpful for her search for Adaste, but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case. So much for getting shitfaced.

Reela takes her drink with her as she returns to the room she had rented earlier. Nothing left to do now but wait for Corb and Todo, she supposes.

But after about an hour of sitting in her room drinking, she notices a paper slip under her door. She somewhat drunkenly walks over and picks it up, opening it to read with slightly blurred vision.

"Esh Outpost. Midnight. Come alone."

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Todo leads the way through the mountains, constantly having to check to make sure Corb is still following him as they make their way to the ruins of Knoyadin – where his Warrior's Test is going to take place. Back in Kilead, the test was normally in some kind of crypt, but he personally never got to see it. Sunyu Foorst is different from Kilead, but he imagines the test will still hold the same overall gist as it did back home.