Two Mages (Samantha/Mila)- C

[Mila]

Bulgar.

It had been two days since the events on the road. Young Timmy had managed to reunite with family living in Bulgar. The mercenaries hired managed to find work elsewhere or lingered to recover their wounds. Mila was fortunate not to have any serious injury but still the whole encounter had left her exhausted.

She made her self comfortable in the local pub. She was sipping a bitter tea of her own creation made of rosemary, pennyroyal, and mint. The young mage had un-done her pony tail and let her hair hang loose. She was mildly upset Bulgar lacked a proper bath house and had to make due with a small tent and two pails of cold water and a rag. If given the option she would have preferred a naked dip in the stream.

She was leaning against the wall with her feet propped up against another stool. Normally the mage would have been reading a book but today she just wanted to rest.

Her head was still reeling from the blow she took. And she had a nice red bump under her green locks to prove it. She had asked the waitress for a small soup. When informed the soup was rabbit she opted to just have some broth and some bread. Being a vegetarian is difficult but I am not about to starve myself like the extremists do in the presence of meat based food.

Days like this made her think of home. She wondered how the old gang was doing back in Taras. It had been a while, perhaps it was time to visit. She would have to make preparations for the journey.

[Samantha Khione]

Samantha was walking slowly through Bulgar, looking around as she went. She was hoping to find a shop that sold tomes, even though she knew that she didn't have anywhere near enough money saved up to actually buy one. She figured if she could find a shop, she would be able to get a rough estimate of what she would need to buy one, and from there she would have a goal to aim for. As it stood, she wasn't having much luck. She wasn't deterred, however. If she didn't find such a shop here, she would simply keep saving up and try again in the next town she came upon.

As she walked, she noticed what looked to be a pub. It was right around that time that she heard her stomach give a little rumble. Apparently, she was hungry. Deciding that her quest for a shop could be put on hold for a little while, she made her way into the pub. As she walked through the door, her eyes drifted around. It was a rather nice pub, especially after some of the ones she had been previously.

It was during this time that she spotted a familiar looking girl sitting at one of the tables. Navigating her way across the pub, Samantha was able to get to the table. She smiled at the girl. "It's good to see you again, Mila." She motioned to an empty chair on the opposite side of the table. "Would you mind if I joined you?"

[Mila]

Mila had briefly closed her eyes for a moment, when she heard a voice address her. She opened one eye and saw that it was Samantha. She opened the other eye and sat up, removing her feet from one of the empty chairs.

"Oh Hello Samantha. Nope go right ahead. Seat's all yours." She smiled softly. Don't know anyone here anyway. This was the first time she had met the other mage in a casual setting. Mila preferred the casual setting over that of the battlefield any day. She took a moment to look over at the young blue haired mage. Samantha was pretty girl and had so far been polite.

"Ah! I just remembered. I never thanked you properly for guarding the wagon. And for killing that block head who gave me my bump. So uhm. Thank you." There was a bit of pink on her cheeks. She was slightly flustered. She didn't have too many female friends her near age, let alone those who were mages. Come to think of it she didn't have any real friends that weren't her extended family. Most of the other mages at her academy would ignore her since she was of a lower class. Despite the fact her grades were great and her work ethic was impeccable. She was never "good" enough for them. The she finished her studies from the academy at 16 possibly 17 and she was in her early twenties now. So why do the memories of those bratty kids bother her now? They aren't here! She would have to think about it later.

Samantha so far had seemed nice. Then again. I don't really know her. For all I know she could be like those spoiled rich kids.. But she did save my life. And.. argh Mila stop. Just stop thinking. Do some talking!

"You hungry? The soup for the day is turnip and rabbit soup. I just ordered a small bowl of broth with bread. Uhm But I think they might also have chicken or eggs if you want a more.. uh.. normal meat? It'll be on me." 'Normal meat.' Smooth. Real Smooth. The sarcastic voice in her head commented. The green haired mage took a small sip of her tea.

[Samantha Khione]

Samantha flattened out her skirt as she sat in the chair that Mila's feet had just abandoned. She looked up at the girl as she spoke and responded with a small nod. "It was my pleasure. Besides, I couldn't just stand there and let something happen to you." It was true. Samantha could come off as cold sometimes, mostly due to her quiet nature, but she would not have been able to sleep at night if she had done nothing while someone else was killed right in front of her. Plus, Mila seemed nice. She was unsure how long she would stay in the company of this girl, but she certainly wouldn't mind gaining another friend. She didn't have many of them, so more were always welcome.

"I'll have whatever you are having." At this point, she didn't actually care what the food she ate was. She just needed something. "Thank you for being so generous." She understood that it was most likely Mila's way of paying her back for before, but it was still a nice gesture. Plus, her father had always said you would be a fool for turning down free food. While they waited for the food to come, Samantha took a minute or two to really take Mila in. She admittedly had taken much time to actually look at the girl. She was pretty. She seemed to be a few years older than she. Judging by her meat comment, she was most likely a vegetarian. Had she already mentioned that she was pretty? Oh, she had.

[Mila]

One Samantha stated that she would be having an identical meal, Mila waved over the waitress whom was attending to her. She said the other mage would like to have the same thing she had and to bring both meals together. The waitress went off to deliver the order to the cook. It shouldn’t be too long after all it was just soup and bread.

“I hope it’s good. Otherwise we’ll both be a little disappointed.” Mila commented.

“I would have done the same if the situation was reversed.” She replied to Samantha’s comment about not leaving her there at the wagon. There was a bit of a pause as the mage slowly tried to think about something to talk about. Small talk was never her real strength unless if it was about monsters or mercenary work. Or Tomes. She was using a fire tome before. A mage’s best friend.

“So Samantha, where you from? I’m mostly from Taras in Etruria. It’s the border city between Etruria and Sacae.” She finished her tea. The city might as well give dual citizenship for both nations since it’s so close to the border. She waited a bit to hear Samantha’s response before asking another question.

“How has Bulgar been treating you? I know getting here was rough.” She had a bit of a sheepish smile.

“I was upset they don’t have a proper bath house. Then again few places do now days. They don’t really have that many magic specialty shops out here. The few spell caster goods that are here are imported from Lycia and Bern.” Okay good. Good. We didn’t default into talking about something creepy, complex, or about the traveling life. Simple normal small talk. The waitress brought the food over to the table and served the two mages. Mila paid for the meals with some coin and gave the waitress a little bit extra.

“Thanks a bunch hon. The change is all yours.” She smiled at the young Sacean woman. The waitress went to attend more customers. The soup looked pretty good. It was nice and hot. Mila could see that they used some fresh herbs for seasoning. There were some bits of shredded meat in her broth she didn’t mind.

“Bon appetite!” She spoke before digging into her meal. She dunked some of her bread into the broth and took a sloppy bite. It is good. She wiped her face with her arm. She was about to wolf down her food as if it were the first thing she had ever eaten but remembered she was in the company of a guest. Must… exhibit restraint. She doesn’t know you that well yet to witness you eat with the ferocity of a hungry lion. She stared down at the broth for a moment before picking up the spoon and began eating like a normal human being.

[Samantha Khione]

Samantha couldn't help but smile a little bit. While she was content to sit in silence and only talk when needed, Mila seemed content to almost talk constantly. Not that she minded, she had no problem just listening and speaking only to answer any question that was directed at her. "I'm from a small town in Ilia." She said, responding to Mila's first question. "It's really not near much besides mountains and snow." Which was true. Not that she had a problem with it; she liked both mountains and snow.

"Bulgar has been fine." She continued, answering Mila's second question. "I wish I had the money to purchase a new tome or two, but for now I plan to keep saving up until I can get one." She went back to listening to Mila talk about bath houses. She had never been to one herself, nor could she see the appeal of using one, but to each their own. As she finished, their food arrived. Mila was kind enough to pay, like she said she would, and Samantha followed her lead to start eating. She took a small piece of the bread and lightly dipped it into the soup before taking a bite. She was pleasantly surprised how good it tasted. She slowly made her way through her bread, breaking off pieces and dipping them. Once the bread was gone, she picked up her spoon and started to make her way through the rest of the broth. Before long, she set her spoon down in the empty bowl. "That was very good. Thank you again."

[Mila]

Illia huh. Cool. Mila got half way through her meal in "polite mode" before caving in and eating quickly. Samantha had thanked her for the meal. Mila had a mouth full of bread but it did not stop her from muttering syllables akin to "your welcome". She finished her bread and went to finish the broth. Instead of using the spoon and bowl to get the broth to her mouth. She picked up the bowl, pressed her lips to one side, and used the bowl as a cup. She put her bowl down and gave her belly an affectionate pat. Warm food in the belly was one of the best feelings in the world. Samantha had answered her questions shortly before eating. She was quiet. Mila didn't find that odd. Sometimes quiet was nice. But she was used to noise and conversation. Dinner at home was always full of people talking, clattering plates, mugs, cheers, and toasts. The atmosphere was always warm even on the coldest of days.

"Hmm. I'd give you one of my spares if it wasn't full of notes on the margins. Hey you know how to make tome pages? It's easier to buy the special paper, ink, book binding glue, and write the spell you know rather then buy a whole new book. It's not an easy craft to do. And to be honest I only know how to do it with fire tomes." She put her thumb to her chin for a moment.

"I can teach you if you like. Actually I'm kind of curious how your casting is too. I.. I didn't... I don't get to meet many mages on the road." There was a small shift in her tone half way through that sentence. It was a bit sad. Ah. The road. It dawned on her that Samantha might not even have the time to hang around with Mila. Mercenaries are always moving. And teaching how to rebuild tomes would take time.

"If you have the time that is."

[Samantha Khione]

Samantha listened as Mila talked about making tomes. Surprisingly, that had never been something she had thought of doing. She had always just assumed buy tomes and use them to get better rather than make one herself. Granted, the only spell she knew was fire, like Mila, so she wouldn't be able to actually learn a new spell simply by doing that. But at the same time, it would be a useful thing to learn if something were to ever happen to her current fire tome. And her follow up question about being curious about her own casting was intriguing. It would be an interesting thing to compare how the similarities and differences about their casting methods. Or if Mila simply wanted to see how she cast, she wouldn't mind that either. It would almost be like a test back in school, and Samantha was always good at tests.

She shook her head as she addressed Mila. "I have nothing pressing. It would be a pleasure to learn how to bind a tome. I admit that I'm unfamiliar with that technique, and it seems like it would be a good piece of knowledge to learn." She gave the green haired mage a smile. "And if you wish to examine my casting, that would be fine as well. In fact, it might even be fun." Samantha gently slid her chair back and got to her feet. Looking down at Mila, she continued. "Would you like to head outside and start now?"

[Mila]

"Would you like to head outside and start now? When Samantha spoke a smile went on Mila's face. She had to contain her excitement. She cleared her throat and composed herself.

"I saw a training grounds on the way into the city. Perhaps we can rent it out for a bit and you can show me your skill. And we get to learn off of each other." She saw Samantha nod. She had a warm feeling in her chest and a more pronounced thump to her heart. She placed her hand gingerly on her chest for a moment. Calm down. I know it's been forever since we did anything fun with another mage. Another really cute mage. But.. relax. Relax. Were just going shopping. Or we are going to pelt each other with fire balls. Right.

"Sure Sweetheart, Lets go!" To Mila, Samantha really was a sweetheart. She was kind, polite, and was willing to go on an improptu shopping trip. Mila quickly got up. She brushed the hair off her face and then gently took Samantha by the arm. Soon the two mages were out on the town looking and gathering the needed things for Mila's book binding class. Fortunately Mila had some spare tome making parts in her bag from a previous job. So the two didn't need to spend too much gold. The day was good. The two mages took advantage of the day. The future was uncertain. There was always the possiblity that she may never see Samantha again or the two could end up traveling with one another for a time. One thing was certain though, the two mages had found a friendship with one another.

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