Heart of a Monster

Morning time in the Stonehaven barracks seemed to be the same as always. Residents of the sleeping quarters were in and out of the showers, getting dressed, and heading out. There were the occasional stragglers that wished to sleep for just a few more minutes, but the morning greetings and commotion did not allow such luxury. Whether it be discussions on what was for breakfast or the clicking and clopping of foot traffic moving through the building, it became difficult simply to hear oneself thinking.

Loud chatter trying to be heard over hearty laughter made it near impossible not to eavesdrop on several conversations. From hearing about someone’s enthusiasm for their next job to unintentionally being made privy to another’s love drama; there were often times at least entertaining tales to hear in the mornings. Stories from the familiar and unfamiliar faces were exchanged, some purposefully and others not so much. Not that Aridean cared much for rebel gossip; two years in Stonehaven and she still had not put any effort into making acquaintances with much of anyone apart from Rana and Vidor.

Being that the day was in every way an average morning to her, Aridean made for her bunk at the end of the women’s barracks. She was particularly careful to keep distance from anyone that seemed to be in the process of moving to the door, mostly trying not to be in the way. Although the weight of her gear slung over her shoulders had not really bothered her, she still wished to put down her equipment and relax a little. She let out a relieved sigh as she reached her well-made bed and slid her bag off of her shoulders. Nearly allowing the bag to fall to the stone floor, Aridean quickly caught hold of one of the straps as it fell from her arm. Getting down on her knees, the minotaur slipped the bulky pack under her bed and reached for the footlocker she kept beneath the mattress with all of her clothes.

“This bed taken?” Magdalene suddenly asked, startling Aridean a bit. Trying to hastily stand on her hooves, Aridean bumped a horn on the bed frame. She turned to see Magdalene looking over the bunk beside her own. Aridean had not even realized Magdalene had followed her through the barracks, having assumed she would find her own bed elsewhere.

“O-oh, uh, no, t-that one’s available i-if you want it,” Aridean nervously stammered. Magdalene wasted no time in throwing her things onto the now claimed bunk. She unzipped her bag and pulled from it two sets of clothes and a rather hefty-looking book. Following Aridean’s lead, the young girl got down to see what amenities lay under her new bed. She looked surprised to find solely a standard footlocker but pulled it out to store her clothes in regardless.

Still standing back up, Aridean turned from watching Magdalene to see that the morning shower line was long and ever-growing. A quiet and disappointed grunt made its way up her throat, catching Magdalene’s attention. The girl looked up to Aridean curiously before speaking.

“What’s up with you?” Magdalene asked, both sounding and looking as if she were annoyed by Aridean.

“I was just hoping to get a shower in before doing anything else. Unfortunately, the lines are getting long. I haven’t felt this filthy since living on the farm,” Aridean answered while running one hand over her opposite arm. Dirt and dust visibly jumped from the fur coat on her arm as she brushed her hand along.

“You lived on a farm? Heh, you do smell like you belong in a barn,” Magdalene teased with a smirk on her face. Near instantly, Aridean’s ear’s drooped as she turned to Magdalene with worry in her eyes. “W-what? It was just a joke…”

It is better than being called the source of all the world’s problems as she was doing back in Byrden. But that kind of reminded me of those bullies back home… I-I can only hope she really did only mean it as a joke, Aridean thought to herself as she turned back to her open footlocker. Given she did not see herself getting in the showers anytime soon, the minotaur closed the locker and slid it back under her bed. She did let out a disappointed sigh, making sure to keep the noise down so as not to alert Magdalene again.

“Hey, Ari, where can I get some more things for my bed? Like towels, rags, or other clothes?” Magdalene asked as she finished loading her own footlocker with the clothes she had brought. “Show me around town for now; maybe the line will be shorter by the time we get back.”

Aridean turned back around to look at Magdalene and nodded. Although she did not particularly want to lead the girl around Stonehaven, she conceded that there was not much else to do for the day. Just as the two were standing back up to start making their way out of the barracks, two older women approached them. One was an elf with wavy silver hair and smooth skin; she was dressed in a green dress of elven design. The elf was accompanied by a human woman with light-red hair who wore a white shirt and blue skirt, similar to Magdalene’s attire. Aridean could not remember their names despite being convinced she had been introduced at some point previously.

“Aridean, who’s your friend?” The human asked with a gentle smile. Nervousness clear on her face, Aridean returned a friendly, if anxious, smile.

“T-this is--,” Aridean began before abruptly being cut off.

“My name’s Magdalene,” Magdalene interjected with an impatient tone. “And we’re not friends, I just owe her for helping me out of a tight spot.”

“Well, that figures. As quiet as she is, Aridean must have done something for you before she actually made a friend,” the elf commented with a shrug. Aridean’s ears began to droop again, even though she had no ground to refute the statement.

“Oh, come now, surely you must think something of Aridean if you’re following her around the way you seem to be doing,” the human continued, maintaining her smile. Her expression relayed that of modest concern. Magdalene began shaking her head back and forth.

“Nope, she already knows. I’m going to pay her back for what she did and then I’m out of here,” Magdalene declared, her tone now contained a hint of aggression. Aridean slowly and quietly began backing up on her hooves, only to bump into her bed behind her. She was keenly aware of Magdalene’s stance on their relationship, but she still wished that Magdalene could be less blunt about it.

The elf let out a smug snort before speaking, “huh, I would have thought if she did make a friend, it’d be with a half-elf. Guess I thought too much of both of you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Magdalene looked at the elf, anger starting to flare up in her eyes.

“I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it, sweetie. We just thought that Aridean was trying to open up some to someone who might understand her. She’s been here for two years and hasn’t spoken much more than a sentence to anyone that wasn’t Mikali’s grandkids. Frankly, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten the chance to tell her my name,” the human kindly attempted to reassure. Her words rang a bit hollow after seeing the elven lady roll her eyes. The human woman shook her head and cleared her throat, “It’s Miriam, by the way.”

“Well, not making friends is her problem, but what does that have to do with me being a half-elf?” Magdalene barked at the elf.

Although she was directly involved in the conversation, Aridean desperately wished to be anywhere else. Not only was she starting to look around for an excuse to take her leave but was also hoping no one would think she was actually taking part in the discussion. Her only solace in the current situation was how she was able to tune out what the others were talking about as she listened in on other groups morning talks. Regardless, her fur had begun standing on ends again and her legs were starting to feel shaky underneath her.

“It’s only natural for misfits to empathize with one another, isn’t it? One unwanted outcast makes for great company to another,” the elf replied, her tone sounding more and more spiteful as she spoke. Magdalene let out a defiant snort yet turned to Aridean with her dissatisfaction clearly painted upon her face.

“C’mon Ari, you’re showing me someplace where I can get some new clothes in this hole,” the young girl commanded. Slightly alarmed, Aridean’s ears perked back up a little upon hearing Magdalene’s order.

“Uh, r-right,” Aridean hesitantly responded.

Magdalene turned back around to the unexpected company. She began moving past the elf and human as she made her way toward the door to the lobby, entirely ignoring the two that she had been speaking to. Aridean was reluctant to do so but followed behind Magdalene. The duo left the women’s barracks and entered into the lobby. Magdalene’s stride clearly depicted her frustration as she took to marching with purpose and fists somewhat clenched. Aridean, on the other hand, held her head low as she followed with obvious uneasiness. Although she could not make out what the human and elf were discussing while they left, Aridean was certain that they were continuing to talk about Magdalene and herself.

Magdalene pushed open the door to the barracks building and exited into the artificial sunlight. Just as it had been when the two left the mess hall, the young girl covered her eyes and grunted in annoyance. Aridean, keeping her distance, kept her head low and squinted her eyes as she waited for them to adjust to the new lighting.

Inside the barracks, the atmosphere felt choked with the bitterness Magdalene and the elf pushed onto one another. Now outside, Aridean did not feel any more relaxed despite the relatively cool and flower fragrant air. Magdalene’s overwhelming frustrations seemed to radiate off of her and linger in the atmosphere around her and Aridean. Her obvious irritation was only further tempered by a grunt of dissatisfaction.

“Ugh! What was up with them? Never did like pureblood elves…” Magdalene proclaimed, seemingly to herself. The girl rubbed her temples as though trying to soothe a headache after the confrontation. Aridean remained quiet as Magdalene vented, trying to consider where she could take the girl to avoid any of Magdalene’s residual spite. However, Magdalene turned and snapped at the minotaur with impatience, “How come you didn’t say anything?”

Startled, Aridean’s eyes widened as her ears fell flat against her head again. She barely managed to answer, “Uh, I-I didn’t know w-what to say.”

“Didn’t know what to say? So you’re okay with them talking down to you like that? No wonder they think so little of you. I thought minotaurs like you had backbone,” asserted Magdalene, hands on her hips as she was looking rather disappointed in Aridean again.

“I-I’m sorry I’m not what you expected,” Aridean apologized. Her legs were growing weak under her again and her face was starting to feel warm. Magdalene proceeded to roll her eyes and turned her back to Aridean.

“Whatever. Let’s just go check out these clothing shops,” Magdalene ordered, now crossing her arms over her chest. Aridean hesitantly nodded, despite Magdalene not seeing the gesture.

Aridean took a deep, fresh breath as she collected herself; she did not consider this the most ideal way to spend her morning. The minotaur began to walk, moving past the young half-elven girl, as she began making her way to the market district. Magdalene quietly began to follow however she kept her eyes darting from flower bed to flower bed along the road. Morning greetings and laughter drowned out the clopping of Aridean’s hooves which in turn drowned out the sound of Magdalene’s shoes clicking. Although she did not turn to check, Aridean began to wonder if Magdalene was still following her.

Passing various stone structures, the two continued to move through the now busy streets. Aridean often thought of the business in Stonehaven as being akin to an ant colony. By night, the streets were nearly empty as most citizens, rebels and civilians alike, were generally asleep. By day, the streets were packed with all sorts of characters that were running back and forth to keep the city functioning properly. This particular rush of activity was especially obvious in the market district of Stonehaven, Aridean knew this and was not exactly thrilled to be going to such a crowded section of the city.

Aridean continued to lead Magdalene through the frantic city. They passed the mess hall as they were walking, the delicious smells of fresh breakfast meals wafted through the air. These delightful scents seemed to attract a lot of customers as the line to the service counter was backed out of the building again and only growing longer. Faces in the line presented differing emotions. While most everyone was happily conversing with another, some faces seemed irritated, disinterested, and even angered by the wait to get their food. Aridean stopped for only a second to consider heading in to help Sven and the rest of the kitchen staff with the morning rush. However, she, regrettably, knew that she could not simply ditch Magdalene and proceeded to walk with the girl in the direction of the market district.

Another three minutes of walking through town and Aridean could see the familiar sign of Rana’s favorite bookstore. This store sat on the very edge of the market district and had acted as a landmark for Aridean during her first two months in Stonehaven. Nearing the store, Aridean began to raise her hand to point out some of the shops she thought Magdalene may be interested in. Her lips also began to part so that she may speak but nothing came out. Just as the minotaur was drawing a breath, she heard a young voice squealing.

“Look! There’s Aridean!” came an excited sounding voice from somewhere nearby. Aridean’s fur was standing on ends again as she knew exactly who the voice belonged to without needing to look.

“Did that kid just call out to you?” Magdalene asked curiously as Aridean lowered her hand back to her side. The minotaur took another deep breath as she turned to see a group of three children charging her.

It was the same trio of kids she met on her first day at Stonehaven. Since then, Rana had properly introduced the children to Aridean in an effort to help her practice communication and responsibility. Despite Rana’s best efforts, however, Aridean did not feel comfortable acting as an entertainer or chaperone for children. Much to Magdalene’s apparent surprise, the kids that were rushing her guide began hugging Aridean. Nervousness and anxiety washed over Aridean and her distress was clear as crystals upon her face.

“Hi Aridean! Welcome back! Did you just get back? You still have your axe on your back,” asked Timothy, the human boy who had wrapped his arms around Aridean’s right leg.

I do?! I thought I left that back at the barracks! Aridean internally shouted at herself. Sure enough, Aridean was still carrying her massive axe in its holster strapped to her back. While in the barracks, she had only dropped her backpack carrying her other supplies. It was not the first time she forgot to put down her weapon; being a minotaur, Aridean’s strong back did not always allow her to acknowledge the extra weight of her axe. The first time she had been given the axe, Aridean thought she had lost it after a training exercise while it sat in the holster on her back, much to Vidor’s amusement.

“Welcome back Aridean, do you have time to play? If not, do you know where Rana is?” asked Julie, Timothy’s sister who was holding Aridean’s left hand firmly.

Where is Rana when you really, really need her… Aridean internally moaned. Despite her familiarity with the three kids and Rana’s help, she never thought her ability to handle children had improved.

“Morning Aridean! Can you show me how you do that magic trick again? I wanna do it, too,” Hamuln the minotaur child requested as he released his grip on Aridean’s left leg.

He wants to know HOW to cast magic? Hamuln knows I use fire magic; it isn’t meant for party tricks! Rana would probably kill me if I started teaching children how to use fire magic… Aridean thought to herself while at the same time trying to think of an excuse to not demonstrate her use of magics. Luckily, she took notice of Magdalene just a few feet away from her and the children, observing with what looked like surprised intrigue.

“U-uh, g-good morning, everyone,” Aridean managed to speak through her uneasiness. “Y-yes, we just got back… but I did mean to drop my axe off back at my bunk. R-Rana is likely at her house asleep right now; she hasn’t had much time to sleep lately. A-as for showing you some magic, I-I’m sorry, but that will have to wait a little while. I’m showing Maggie around Stonehaven today. U-uh, say hello everyone.”

Having heard her name mentioned, Magdalene’s eyes slightly widened with surprise. Although she seemed more composed than Aridean, it was clear that the girl was not prepared to deal with younger children. Regardless, the kids that surrounded Aridean turned with bright smiles on their faces. Hamuln and Timothy both waved to Magdalene.

Aridean noticed Magdalene’s apparent hesitancy to respond. The half-elven girl slowly lifted her right hand and waved back, looking somewhat unsure of herself. Julie gripped Aridean’s hand again and gave the fuzzy hand a slight tug.

“She’s nice like you, right?” Julie asked Aridean.

“U-uh, she can be, yes,” Aridean answered, sounding a bit unsure of her own answer. She heard Magdalene grunt in annoyance. “O-oh, you three should probably be getting to class. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to let Rana know you’re looking for her when she wakes up.”

Upon hearing Aridean speak the word ‘class,’ all three children moaned in unison. Nevertheless, the trio listened to Aridean and waved goodbye while racing one another down a road that led in the direction of the school building. One of Magdalene’s eyebrows quickly rose on her forehead. Aridean, relieved that the children were gone now, took yet another deep breath as her nerves slowly settled down.

“Kids and school? How does your rebellion manage that?” Magdalene inquired, her tone sounding less impatient than normal and more interested in actually hearing Aridean speak for once. Although she was still nervous just speaking to the girl, Aridean at least felt less like Magdalene was about to lash out.

“O-oh, well, to be honest, it isn’t easy. Sheltering children who have lost their parents in the rebellion takes a lot out of everyone. But that’s exactly why some people fought to start the school here… to give them some semblance of a normal life,” Aridean answered.

“Lost their parents…?” Magdalene repeated, seeming to trail off in her own thought. Her gaze had followed the road where the children had run off. Aridean gave a solemn nod before elaborating further.

“Timothy and Julie, the two human children, lost their parents while they were on a mission some years before I arrived. Hamuln, the minotaur boy, lost his mother to illness about a year before I came to Stonehaven. I’m not certain, but I don’t think he ever knew his father. Now the three of them live under the care of Hamuln’s uncle,” Aridean explained, her tone sounding increasingly somber as she spoke. Although she looked concerned by Aridean’s explanation, Magdalene’s face filled with dread as she described Hamuln’s situation.

“That one… didn’t know his dad? And then he lost his mom…” Magdalene seemed to ponder aloud, again with her voice trailing off into her own thoughts.

“Maggie? Are you alright?” Aridean asked, both reluctant and hesitant. Even though they had only known one another for a short while, she knew just how quick Magdalene was to switch from this brooding state to her usual feisty and brash attitude. Surprisingly, however, Magdalene did not exhibit any sort of hostility or aggressiveness when posed the question.

“Y-yeah… I’m good. Let’s just go check out those clothes shops,” answered Magdalene, her tone sounding a touch gentler than Aridean had heard from the girl previously.

Aridean turned back toward the market that she had guided Magdalene to. She was aware of multiple tailors throughout the district and had already calculated the most efficient route through the market to visit each as quickly as possible. Given Aridean did not know Magdalene’s taste in clothing, she had just assumed visiting each would yield something worthwhile for the half-elf. Both minotaur and half-elf began walking into the district.

The vast majority of Stonehaven was either in the process of still waking up or gone for breakfast. However, there were still a number of early risers scattered throughout the market moving from store to store. Non-combat citizens were out shopping for groceries or other supplies. Rebel soldiers were lined up in short queues at the only commercial blacksmith in Stonehaven. From the line, Aridean could hear not just the boasting of one’s new custom order but also haggling for better prices and the laughter that ensued after a failed haggling attempt. However, Vidor had already let her in on the secret that the owner does not haggle, at least not for lower prices.

Aridean’s gear was issued to her by the rebel armory stores. Although she was not interested in keeping weaponry and armor, the one time she had spoken to the blacksmith owner was an experience she would not soon forget. It was not necessarily an unpleasant conversation but one that left her feeling immensely awkward and uneasy. The smith had attempted, without any success, to coerce Aridean into ordering something with flair to match her “fire-y” fighting style. Given the smith was a dwarf with a passion for smithing, he had gone so far as to inspect Aridean’s “shoddy and disgraceful” weapon. Needless to say, Aridean wished that it was a discussion that had never taken place to begin with. She never had any true interest in learning how to use any weapon and only did as she was told as an unwilling soldier. Now she felt relief passing through the market and keeping a wide berth from the blacksmithing shop.

Luckily, Aridean and Magdalene had no business going toward the blacksmith. Both minotaur and half-elf continued along the street to the first store that Aridean was showing to Magdalene. The two had come upon a quaint little tailoring shop with a sign that read “Stonehaven Stitchworks” just beside the front door. It was not until Aridean was reaching for the doorhandle that she took notice: Magdalene had stopped walking a few yards behind her.

Magdalene held her head low, a somber expression drawn upon her face. The girl kept one hand by her side while the other slowly rose, palm facing upwards so that her downcast eyes gazed upon it. Clearly, Magdalene was deep in thought concerning something. Aridean was somewhat stunned by Magdalene’s current state. It had been obvious that something about the children had affected her, however, Aridean had not expected a reaction such as this. Anxiety filled Aridean once more and she could not find it in her to call out to the entranced Magdalene.

“Hey, Ari… you said you were raised by a human, right?” Magdalene asked after a moment of thinking. As she asked her question, the girl lifted her head to look Aridean in the eyes. Aridean was a bit caught off guard by the question and it showed as both her brows rose on her head.

“Y-yes… W-why do you ask?” Aridean inquired, both nervous and curious.

“So, if you were raised by a human… does that mean… you never knew your parents?” Magdalene questioned, her voice sounding slightly more worried than usual. The second question was just as odd as the first one was to Aridean.

“No, I never knew my real parents,” the minotaur answered. Her curiosity was growing stronger by the second as she wondered where this line of discussion was coming from.

“I-I see… Okay, well, this is our first stop, right? Let’s see what they have in here,” Magdalene announced. She proceeded to move around Aridean and push open the door to the tailoring store. As the girl entered, Aridean stood just outside the shop, entirely stumped by the conversation the two had just shared.

What was that just now? She did seem a bit bothered by hearing about the children’s loss of their parents… perhaps she had a similar situation? She does resent the minotaur race because of how the rebellion had done something to her sister. I guess she might have lost her family because of the rebellion. But still… what does that have to do with me? What was all that about? It was a bit odd and… I kind of wish we hadn’t talked about it. Now I’m thinking about Simon again… Aridean thought to herself before following Magdalene into the store. She felt a bit depressed as Simon’s name seemed to echo in her mind.

Within the small, stone building was a single room. Within said room, many tables and countertops of varying sizes and shapes were scattered about. Upon most of the tablespace were neatly folded articles of clothing of a few different fabrics. On only some of the counterspace near the clerk desk were the several materials, bundled in rolls or folded sheets. Behind the clerk’s desk sat the shop keeper, an older gentleman who was busy stitching together a pair of trousers. Despite his clear focus on the task, the old man peeled his eyes from his work long enough to give Aridean and Magdalene a friendly smile and nod to welcome them in. However, no words were spoken as his mouth was shut holding several pins and a bit of thread.

Magdalene had already begun to peruse the shirt selection, looking over mostly light-colored shirts. As the girl walked through the store, clicking echoed off the stone walls with every step of her shoes. Aridean stood by the entrance, silent and patient as Magdalene continued to browse the selection.

Minutes passed as Magdalene surveyed the tables. Eventually, the girl reached into a neatly folded stack as she found a shirt she seemed to like. Aridean watched as Magdalene pulled from the stack a long-sleeve white button up. She felt somewhat baffled as the shirt Magdalene had started to look at seemed to be almost exactly alike what she was wearing already.

“Ari, what do you think of this?” Magdalene asked, holding the shirt over her torso as she turned to Aridean.

“Uh… isn’t that basically what you’re already wearing? Do you not want to change it up a little?” Aridean asked, still wondering about Magdalene’s choice.

“As long as it’s clean and bright, I really don’t care if it looks the same. But if you think I should get something different, why don’t you help me find something?” Magdalene almost seemed to challenge with a somewhat bossy tone of voice.

“O-oh, uh, I-I don’t really have a good eye for--,” Aridean began to stutter. Magdalene’s hands flew to her hips and she had an annoyed expression on her face again.

“Just shut up and get over here; help me find something already,” Magdalene ordered. What left Aridean surprised was the distinct lack of spite or bitterness in her words. Although she still felt awkward, Aridean felt as though Magdalene was not intending to belittle her in any way for once.

Hesitantly, Aridean took a step toward Magdalene. One loud clop rang out throughout the store, then another, and another. The clopping ended as Aridean found herself standing side by side with Magdalene at one of the display tables in the clothing store. Magdalene had already gone back to looking through the clothes that lay before the two of them while Aridean nervously studied the girl.

After a moment, Magdalene snapped her fingers which in turn snapped Aridean out of her examination. Without a word, the half-elf simply pointed toward the mountain of folded shirts in front of them. Not needing to be told, Aridean looked at the clothes and anxiously lifted her hands to start sifting through the pile in search of something that perhaps Magdalene would like. Another moment passed and Aridean lifted a bright green shirt off a new stack on the table; what she discovered beneath the first shirt caught her attention.

“Uhm, what do you think about this one?” Aridean asked as she collected the shirt she had found. A mostly white, short-sleeve t-shirt that had several, yellow frills around the shoulders. Another interesting feature to the shirt was the stitched, red rose sitting high on the right side. Upon seeing the design, Magdalene’s face scrunched up just a bit in confusion.

“You think I’d look okay in that? That looks like something someone would wear to sleep in,” Magdalene responded as she continued to look over the shirt Aridean held. Feeling rejected, Aridean’s ears drooped slightly as she looked over the shirt again before Magdalene continued, “Eh, I guess it’ll do. I do need something to sleep in after all.”

Having been caught off guard yet again, Aridean’s ears perked up slightly. Magdalene grabbed the shirt from Aridean and set it aside with the first shirt she had picked out. After taking the time to smooth out the two shirts that Magdalene had collected, she turned back to Aridean.

“Alright, now you,” announced Magdalene. Aridean’s head immediately cocked to one side and her left ear twitched slightly.

“Now me…?” the confused minotaur asked.

“Yes, now you. You helped me find something, now I’m helping you find something,” Magdalene explained as she moved to a table with another assortment of shirts. These ones were a fair deal larger than the ones she had been looking over for herself, but they were also made for minotaurs instead of small half-elven girls. Aridean was simply taken aback by the gesture; it seemed entirely unlike Magdalene to care about her or anyone else for that matter.

“O-oh, you don’t have to do that, Maggie. I have plenty back at the barracks,” Aridean called out.

“Let me guess: you were telling me to change up what I wear but you probably just have a bunch of jean pants and plain white t-shirts that all look the same. We’re looking for something for you while we’re here,” Magdalene responded as she continued to look through clothes that were far too big for her. Aridean, although embarrassed that Magdalene had so accurately narrowed down her entire wardrobe, moved to join Magdalene by the next display table. Her face felt warm as she tried to soothe her flustered nerves, how was it that Magdalene had so easily figured her out?

Together the duo continued their search for new clothes. A few minutes passed and the clerk behind the counter had finished his stitching. Having completed his task, the elderly man folded the clothing he had been working with and set it in a basket beside his workspace. He watched as Magdalene and Aridean continued to sort through the store’s stock, occasionally hearing some attempts at conversation between the two. When he realized they were going to be a while, the old man collected another ripped pair of pants and his stitching supplies.

“Hmm… what about this one?” Magdalene asked as she offered the shirt that she had selected to Aridean.

“Uhm… it’s almost as brown as my fur… from a distance, people might think I’m not wearing anything,” Aridean replied as gently as she could. Her face started to warm up as she carefully explained to Magdalene why the selection would not work and as she, regrettably, imagined herself in it. Magdalene looked at the shirt and then to Aridean.

“Huh… I, uh… I didn’t think about that,” Magdalene spoke as her face seemed to turn a light hue of red. “Well, Vidor would probably love seeing you in it. I’ll bet he can be a bit of a perv.”

“H-he’s really not! I-I mean, he can be a bit… out there, but--,” Aridean began to nervously protest.

“Ari, calm down, it was just supposed to be a joke. I’ve never been good at telling jokes…” Magdalene interjected. She started to fold the shirt up and place it back on the table, “But I can see he doesn’t want me around.”

“W-why do you say that? For as long as I’ve known him, Vidor has never been rude to anyone,” Aridean asked, fully aware of just how dismissive of Magdalene Vidor has been. Magdalene looked up to Aridean with annoyance.

“Okay, now you’re telling the jokes, right? Because I can’t tell if you’re joking or if you just don’t know your own boyfriend, Ari. Even if he hadn’t been the only vote to leave me in Byrden, he clearly doesn’t even like hearing my name and won’t look at me for more than a minute,” Magdalene answered with an objectively bothered tone. She turned back to the display table and set the shirt back where she had found it, “But that’s fine. He’s closer to what I expected in big, dumb minotaurs.”

“Maggie…” Aridean meekly called out. Her ears and shoulder had begun to droop again in submission. Magdalene continued to sift through folded shirts on the table before the two. After a few seconds of trying to ignore Aridean, Magdalene let out a tired sigh. The girl rested her hands on separate stacks of folded shirts and held her head over outstretched arms. Golden locks obscured her face as she straightened her back.

“I said he was closer to what I expected,” Magdalene finally spoke, sounding particularly worn out after her short pause and stretch break. Aridean’s ear flicked again, her curiosity stirred having heard that Magdalene was not upset with Vidor’s behavior toward the girl.

“He’s closer to what you expected? But he’s not everything you thought minotaurs to be?” Aridean asked, her curiosity now overflowing. Another sigh was exhaled from Magdalene before she lifted her head. Her golden hair that had covered her face now parted only enough to see her eyes, nose, and lips.

“I thought minotaurs were savage brutes who started the whole rebellion thing just for the sake of fighting and causing chaos,” Magdalene explained. “While he doesn’t think much of me, Vidor’s clearly not trying to hurt anyone just for his own entertainment.”

“You thought we were just a bunch of war-mongering monsters… d-does it have anything to do with your sister?” Aridean hesitantly asked.

Why did I just ask that?! Not two hours ago, she snapped at me to not bring that up! She’s gonna be so mad with me now! Aridean began to mentally panic. She felt the muscles in her back and legs tense up in anticipation of Magdalene’s furious reprisal. However, Magdalene did not even look at Aridean but did draw a solemn look upon her face.

“Yeah…” Magdalene spoke, staring into empty space. “It’s why you three coming to my rescue in Byrden was… interesting.”

Aridean stood silent, allowing Magdalene space and air. She really was not sure how to handle the conversation from this point. Although Magdalene seemed calm right now, she had previously displayed the ability to change attitudes in the blink of an eye.

“W-well? Say something already,” Magdalene eventually and nervously instructed. Aridean’s ears both perked up somewhat as she carefully considered her next words.

“I-I don’t know what happened, but I’m willing to listen w-when you’re ready,” Aridean responded. She was trying with every ounce of willpower she had to put confidence in her voice. Unfortunately, confidence was not her strong suit and she hoped that Magdalene was aware of it by now. Magdalene’s expression had shifted to display her flustered state of mind; it was clear that she had not expected Aridean’s offer.

“I… t-thanks. I’m not ready yet, but… you’ll be the first to know when I am,” Magdalene stated, her cheeks turning a slight red again as she avoided eye contact with Aridean. The girl turned away and collected the shirts she had selected, “A-and thanks for taking me shopping. It… kind of reminded me of spending time with sis. But don’t think this makes us friends, got it?!”

Although it seemed that she had changed her mind on finding Aridean a new shirt, that did not bother the minotaur. She watched as the half-elf took her purchases to the clerk who was still stitching away on a pair of trousers. Magdalene placed her shirts on the desk as the old man put down his supplies and work. Aridean watched as Magdalene produced a small coin pouch from her back pocket. Her eyes went wide with surprise as Magdalene began counting coins.

“Uhm, Maggie, i-is that…” Aridean began to anxiously ask the girl. Magdalene looked to Aridean with an indifferent look in her eyes.

“Uh-huh,” the girl answered in the affirmative. Aridean’s jaw fell open after hearing her answer to the question she could not even finish.

“W-when did you—h-how did you… it was on the way to the mess hall, wasn’t it?” Aridean stuttered, only managing to finish one thought.

“Actually, it was back in the wagon. I said I’m here to change, but old habits die hard, okay? I’ll pay him back… eventually,” Magdalene responded with an insistent tone. Aridean sighed before moving toward the desk. She pulled her own coin pouch out from her pocket before speaking again.

“Please don’t use Vidor’s money without asking him. I’ll pay for these,” Aridean pleaded with the girl. Magdalene shrugged her shoulders as Aridean handed over her own coin to the elderly man behind the desk.

Having completed their purchase, Aridean and Magdalene exited the store as the friendly old man waved them goodbye. Together, minotaur and half-elf began walking down the street to their next stop. Aridean noticed Magdalene looking over her new clothes again with her head held low. It was not until Magdalene let out an annoyed groan that Aridean realized the girl was not actually looking over the clothes but was deep in thought. A second groan escaped Magdalene’s throat as she seemed to finish her thinking.

“I’m only gonna say this once so you better be listening,” Magdalene spoke with authority in her voice. Aridean’s ears perked up and gave the girl her full attention, “T-thanks… for saving my life in Byrden.”

Somewhat shocked by the sudden gratitude, Aridean’s eyes widened as her ears perked even higher up than normal. Although Magdalene refused to look up to her and after a moment of processing the thanks, Aridean’s lips slowly began to form a nervous but sincere smile. While no more words were spoken between the two, Aridean led Magdalene to their next destination. She did, however, steer clear of the ever-growing crowds that were beginning to pile into the marketplace as the morning rush began to flood in.