Karma (m/m)

Chapter 2

They entered through the temple and Wolfgan noted a lot of people from mithlorn laying around, completely at ease. Something else he noted was that almost all of them had bruises all over, some still in bandages, still healing.

Geoffrey showed the dinner spread around in low tables by the floor to the soldiers and Wolfgan's mouth watered at the sight of food. They ate in the travel alright, they were good hunters. But it was something else when it was done with vegetables, herbs and whatever it was that Geoffrey and the others put in the food to make it smell like that.

"Don't worry. You are free to eat now if you want to, but I saved some for you," he said, an urgent tone in his voice. "I wish we could talk first, if you don't mind."

Wolfgan looked at him. "I don't mind. Let's get this over with."

The temple was a very solid construction made of wood and rock, and the floors were clean as if they spent the whole day mopping it. It was dirtier now with the soldiers walking all around the place. It was lit with candles and torches everywhere now that the dawn was coming.

They turned into a bad lit corridor and walked up a big set of stairs. Wolfgan could see the sun setting through the small windows along the wall, great and orange behind far away trees. It wasn't a sun he saw much.

Geoffrey's hips made a very obvious side to side swing when he walked that Wolfgan wanted to watch the whole day. Knowing Geoffrey, he probably was not only aware, but knew that Wolfgan liked it. He tsked at that and Geoffrey looked back frowning before slowing down when the stairs met the corridor, and entering through a wooden door that was like all the others.

Wolfgan followed.

It was a surprisingly vast room. Constructed in a circle form, there were desks near the walls, leaving the center free to walk through. In the center there were drawn circles in various ways, decorated with symbols. Also, there were mirrors and little square windows high on the walls,. The windows let air circulate but didn't let a lot of light through. Nevertheless, the fire of the never extinguishing torches and candles made the place clear enough to see and dark enough to stay comfortable.

"This is the study room. It's quiet and it blocks outside noises. It doesn't let any noise go out either." Geoffrey softly said, as if afraid to break the silence. "First timers train spells and summon the gods guidance here."

The silence was broken any time Wolfgan entered a room. He wasn't very sneaky. His boots alone made a sound that resounded through the walls, and his armor clicking noises.

Now, from close, Wolfgan could see that Geoffrey wasn't fine. His normally sharp posture and clean appearance was completely messed up. He had knots in his long hair, stubble was growing wildly in his face. His robes were very simple at best, and he had bags under his eyes. His thirty-five years were showing in the usually jovial face.

His first instinct was to comfort him, but he really didn't want to get in a fight after his long trip.

He settled for walking closer.

"What is wrong?" He tried for soft, but it come out husky instead.

Geoffrey whipped his head towards him, eyes wild and helpless for a moment.

"Do you know why me an Harles live here in Calim land, close to Hull but right in the frontier of Mithlorn?"

He didn't give him the chance to answer.

"It's because my father gave this land to us," he whispered, looking small and fragile. "If we agreed not to enter his country again."

Wolfgan pursed his lips, angry with the pathetic king of Mithlorn. "How is it that no one knew about this?"