29 Vhalar 723
It was Concert Night in the Eternal Empire and Balon was living in a world not unlike the one in his dreams. The rest of the band, including Ulric, were less enthusiastic about the imperial holiday. It seemed like a chance for trouble and petty problems. Then again that was only because Ulric, Helena, and Elia had never lived in the Eternal Empire's embrace. Balon had come for the Concert Night once before and had full confidence in the Imperial Army to protect them.
Balon was off with three other musicians. He was playing his lute to accompany the improvised beat that another artist was making using a strange barrel-looking think with some hide pulled over the top. Another played some reed instrument that Ulric didn't know how to describe, so he just stopped looking at it. All and all the music was fine but it was clear that these people hadn't played together before. As the night dragged on it got better, but that might also have been because Elia and Helena ensured that Ulric got progressively more and more drunk. Elia challenged him to a drinking game and Helena played along as well. Every time Balon's performing brought him down onto one knee, Helena would drink. Every time that Balon stopped to adjust his lute Ulric would take a drink and every time he sang any words- or if he hummed, Elia would take a drink.
All three things happened a lot more than any of them were expecting that night but Helena got the worst of it all.
It was hard to know how long or how little time had passed when Ulric found himself holding Helena's hair for her in an alley behind the tavern that smelt like piss. Well... piss and vomit now. He rubbed her back gently as she retched one last time into the corner. After that she began taking a few deep breaths to collect herself and Ulric let go of her hair.
"Don't tell the bard." Helena said as she shifted upright and began to smooth out her clothing and hair.
"I would never." Ulric said as he took a step back to give Helena space and swayed a little more than he intended to causing him to nearly fall over before catching himself on the wall with an invisible tendril. Helena was too concerned with herself to notice it but Ulric gave himself a sobering start when he realized what he'd done right in front of her. He was lucky- but he didn't want to risk it happening again. Once they were both ready they went back inside and returned to their table where Balon had rejoined the group. Elia looked as if she'd fallen asleep. Her head was resting on the table and Balon seemed to be talking to her about something but he wasn't paying enough attention to her to realize she was sleeping.
Oh no- maybe she was banging her head against the table. As soon as Helena and Ulric reached it, Elia's head shot up and she gave them a pleading look. Fortunately for her, Balon seemed to forget what he was saying when he saw the duo arrive.
"Well, well, well- if you had to miss the end of the performance I hope you at least did something fun in the alley." Balon said in a mocking tone. Ulric and Helena exchanged an awkward glance. They hadn't figured out a cover story. They should have.
"Elia, you look tired. Let's get you to the room." Helena said, shifting the focus entirely.
"Finally!" Elia banged her empty tankard on the table and practically crawled over the table to get away from the conversation with Balon.
Balon's lips pursed slightly and after they bid the girls goodnight he turned to Ulric and said, "I'm just going to finish the story tomorrow- she's not getting away."
"We never do." Ulric said, causing both Balon and himself to laugh.
"Another round?" Balon asked. Seeing Ulric's immediate reaction he quickly added, "I'll pay."
"One last round."
~ About Three Rounds Later ~
"Come on! What is it? Why won't you-" Balon bumped his knuckles together, "Do you not like girls? I wouldn't have guessed but you did agree to work for me pretty easy. If that's the case I'm flattered but-"
"Balon, shut up." Ulric said as he swayed back and forth in his seat. His cup, the true last cup of the night, was empty and he was having a hard time keeping up with how quickly the bard talked when he was drunk.
"I'll shut up just long enough to hear an answer- or I can keep going. You know I can." Balon countered.
"You really want to know?" Ulric asked, his words slurring slightly under the weight of the alcohol in his system. Balon's eyes widened and he nodded his head enthusiastically- like an animal waiting to be fed. "Once I travelled with a group like this. We had similar numbers but a very different purpose. Among us, was a woman-"
"What did she look like? Helena? Is that why you won't- you know?" Balon urged and Ulric gave him a stern look. Balon raised a single hand in apology and gestured for Ulric to continue. In truth, Helena and Marian were far too similar and at times it haunted Ulric. Both had light hair green eyes. While they couldn't have had more different personalities, one had to admit that they had the same skillsets. Sometimes he would look at Helena while she was nursing Balon after a drunken brawl and he'd see Marian. Perhaps it was because death caused his image of her to warp. Perhaps it was because the Immortals taunted him. Whatever caused the similarities, Ulric continued the story without divulging them to Balon.
"We fell in love. We settled down. We built a home. We shared our secrets. We might have had children if we had more time. One trial, someone I trusted came and murdered her. All the love I felt was replaced with hate for the man who killed her and now even that's faded. I don't have it in me to feel that again." Ulric's drunken gaze had shifted from Balon to the contents of the cup the bard was holding. He wasn't sure how much of what he remembered was true. He was even less sure how much of what he felt was true.
How much had he lost in death that telling stories from his life felt like speaking about a stranger?
"Poetic, but I don't understand." Balon said after a long pause. "Nobodies talking about love- just passion. Do you not feel that at least?"
Ulric offered a non-committal shrug and said, "I'm drunk, leave it at that."
"I think not, my morose friend." Balon said as he leaned slightly closer to Ulric. "I let it go now and you'll never talk about it again."
"That's the idea." Ulric said as he shifted out of his chair on to wobbly feet. He held himself up by leaning against the table while his body adjusted to the forces pulling him towards the ground. Balon rose to help him but Ulric waved him off. "Go play another song, I'm going to bed." Balon wanted to protest but he knew better than to push Ulric further. He'd get no more secrets tonight.
The drunken swordsman stumbled away from the table, moving a short distance on his own two feet before stumbling towards support beam. It lived up to it's name. Ulric eventually made it to the stairs which presented a unique challenge. He needed to lift his leg but his feet felt heavy. He leaned against the wall, examining the stairs while he attempted to break down his pending attack.
The enemy had high walls. Perhaps half a foot at each level with only a full foot of space for the team of five to land before the next wall. Twelve walls leading up into the wooden abyss. The hallway of doors and locks and rooms and- back to the battle plan. Ulric's vision blurred as he recounted the steps on the way down to where his two five man units were awaiting their orders. One at a time, up the walls. Lift off! The first unit ascended into the air and came down with a thud on the steps. It sent a small jolt up through the ranks to the command center and Ulric shifted upright. Now he deployed the second unit- propped up by the first, they ascended too far and missed the landing- Ulric began to fall when something soft- someone, caught him.
"I thought you might need someone to get you away from the bard. Let's get you to your room." Helena said quietly as she helped Ulric regain his balance. "One foot at a time." She whispered as she helped him the rest of the way up the stairs. When they reached the top she let go and Ulric reasserted his balance himself by leaning against a wall for a few trills.
"Don't tell the bard." Ulric mumbled.
"I would never."
