Warp Token Update

2.4k words. It's exam week round here and I'll be a little preoccupied for a little while. Hopefully afterwards I can get some more regular updates going. Thanks to everyone for your unending patience with me-me.

***

“You’re coming to desert?” she asked.

“Naturally,” he replied. “Roderick’s magical aptitude is woefully inept. Only one with sufficient training and knowledge of the Winds should walk into close proximity of the artifact. Why do you frown, Miss Seeker? My abilities will come in handy on the path ahead.”

And keeping an eye on you won’t hurt either, his eyes said, though Wilfred didn’t speak them. She’d been right to treat this wizard with suspicion. On the outside he was all niceties and manners, but deep down was that lingering distrust all man-things showed to Skaven. She didn’t blame him, however. He was right to assume she would do whatever it took to claim the relic. She’d only gone and explained so just now.

After a few moments the silence was broken by the door opening, Skyseeker turning round to see Roderick returning to the cabin, the sight of him soothing her pounding heartbeat.

“I think I’m just going to hold it in next time,” Roderick mumbled. “There wasn’t even a door, just a flimsy curtain. What did I miss?”

“We might have to change the game to Skaven’s Dice,” Wilfred replied, raising his hands. “Miss Seeker here has me on the ropes.”

“Truly?” Roderick asked, glancing down to see their number of dice were even. “I’m sorry I missed it. I knew you were good at deceiving, lass, but this is impressive. Wilfed play’s this game all the time.”

“She is a crafty one,” Wilfred added, a small grin on his cracked lips as he eyed her. “Well? Shall we continue, miss Seeker?”

“Uhm… Tired, now,” she stammered, looking away. It wasn’t a lie, Wilfred’s implied warning had drained her of energy. “another time and place, perhaps. Want to have nap.”

“It’s only… what, five o’clock?” Roderick asked. “Come on, I want to see you floor him, Sky.”

“Tired,” she said again, flashing him a silent, pleading look. He seemed to notice she was uncomfortable, and dropped the subject with a shrug. Again, the fact he was good at reading her disturbed her, but not in a bad way.

“It has been a long and exciting day,” Roderick admitted, looking to Wilfred, who nodded back.

“We’ll call that one your win, Miss Seeker,” Wilfred said, collecting up the dice, storing them in his box. “I shall retire to my cabin as well. If you need anything, just knock.”

Roderick bid him goodbye as the wizard retrieved his staff, moving back to his room, which was directly opposite their own. Bundling up her rightfully won food, she scurried over to her and Roderick’s own cabin, her friend following her inside the cramped space, and closing the door behind him.

“Everything okay, lass?” he asked as he settled on his bed. “You look troubled.”

“Rick-rod knows Skaven too well,” she chuckled, but it was a forced sound. “Fredwil… said things when you left.”

“What kind of things?” he pressed, raising a brow. “Tell me.”

“He knows,” she began. “Man-wizard tricked me into giving up mission details! Actually, think he knew right from start, but that besides the point-point.”

“That’s… troubling,” Roderick mused. “How did he take it?”

“He said Skaven having relic isn’t proper,” she replied, spitting that last word out. “Said better for Conclave to safekeep. Thought relic would brainwash me once I touched it! Me! Brainwashed! I’m the most disciplined rat on this boat!”

“That, I can’t deny,” Roderick agreed. His eyes flicked up and away, then back as he made to continue. He seemed hesitant. “Maybe you should heed his advice, lass. He knows more about the artifact than anyone.”

“You question my abilities?”

“Wilfred’s older than you and I combined, he has the wisdom of multiple generations. If anyone knows best on how to handle the artifact, it’s him.”

“So man-thing takes his side, yes-yes?” she asked, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. “Typical. Man-things teaming up on the breeder-rat.”

“I am on no one’s side,” Roderick insisted, raising a gauntlet. “Wilfred is just trying to help you. And so what if the Conclave wants to safeguard it? Is that worse than whatever it is your Lord would use it for?”

“Has stupid man-thing not been listening? Bringing relic-thing to Lord’s paws is the only way Skaven will be free from slave life. Breeder life.”

“But you’re free from all that right now,” Roderick pointed out. “you’re so far from your Lord’s influence, that he can’t touch you. His orders don’t matter anymore.”

“What about man-thing Emperor? Rick-rod still following his mission, despite distance.”

“That’s different,” Roderick snapped. “I am here at the behest of the greatest man alive. This expedition will ensure the Empire’s prosperity.”

“Empire, Under-Empire, Emperor and Lord, all sounds the same-same to my ears!”

“Your leader and mine are nothing alike,” Roderick protested. “The Emperor protects and serves millions of citizens.”

“And Gnawdwell protects millions of rats! You think man-things deserve protection more than rat-things?”

“We’re not vermin who scurry through the filth and defile our women, so yes, I think they do.”

“And man-things not do those things? Skaven has walked city-streets, seen what humans do to each other. They make filth, trade with one paw, kill with other. More like vermin than most Skaven are, too pretentious to admit it!”

“We can point out our faults all day, but that doesn’t change the fact that my people want to treasure the relic, while yours would use its abilities to wreak havoc.”

“This not just about Lord!” she sighed, grasping her muzzle in frustration.

“Then what?”

“My parentrat!”

The pair stared one another down for a moment, Roderick the first to break it as he blinked. She realised she’d shouted loud enough to be heard by the wizard, but she didn’t care.

“What about her?” Roderick asked, Skyseeker pacing back and forth through the cabin as she began to explain.

“When Rick-rod talked about parents, then that… dream-thing happened, plan-scheme came to mind. If I took relic-thing, no rat would stand in my way-way. Stormvermin, slaves, ratwives, all would have to obey, or be kill-killed. With relic in paw, could scurry back to breeding pits like Lord Gnawdwell himself, command ratwives to release parentrat!”

“You… want to save your mother?” he asked.

“Just as she saved me as pup,” she replied, nodding.

“A noble deed,” Roderick admitted, scratching his chin. “Could the relic do all that?”

“Only find out once I lay paws on it,” she answered.

“What about your freedom? Your Lord wouldn’t take kindly to you freeing a breeder, would he? He’d hunt you down for sure.”

“Skavenblight’s tunnels stretch far, he’ll not know to stop in time. And if he does… will be worth it.”

“I didn’t mean to raise my voice at you,” Roderick apologised, Skyseeker blinking over at him. “I didn’t know the scope of your plan went beyond simply fulfilling your duty to your Lord. I still think Wilfred’s words hold some truth to them,” he added, Skyseeker faltering at that. “We will have his council from now on, we should put it to good use.”

“Rick-rod didn’t say he would be coming to desert with us,” she muttered.

“I thought it was obvious,” Roderick replied.

Skyseeker stared between her feet, a soup of emotions swirling through her chest. Anger at the wizard’s lies, frustration at herself for not telling Roderick her true plan sooner, and fear. Fear that Roderick was picking Wilfred over her, even though he told her otherwise. As a Skaven, she was used to being knifed in the back by those she once called allies, but somehow, the thought of being betrayed by Roderick made he feel terrible.

It shouldn’t have surprised her. Roderick and Wilfred had known one another for years – how long had it been for she and Roderick? A few scant weeks? Making a pact with him had been futile from the start, but she wouldn’t go back and change it if given the power.

“Perhaps it isn’t so early for rest,” Roderick suggested, his words snapping her out of her thoughts. He took one of the two sheets laying on the bed, starting to fluff it out. “A good sleep will clear our heads. Think we can both fit?”

Her eyes widened, did he still wish to sleep with her? As much as she craved to feel his warmth again, a bigger part of her was quick to temper the impulse. Roderick’s true duty lay with his Empire, that was obvious now, and his alliance with the wizard was stronger than her deals of friendship.

“I’ll take corner,” she mumbled, snatching the other sheet. She moved as far away from the bed as possible, throwing the sheet down and bundling it up to form a suitable nest.

“Oh,” he said. Was that disappointment she heard? “Are you sure, lass? It’s not that much smaller than the one in the inn.”

“Rat’s sleep better alone,” she replied in a cold voice, even though that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

“As you wish,” Roderick muttered. She could feel his eyes on her as she threw herself into the nest, bundling her cloak over her head as she turned to face the wall. “Goodnight, lass.”

She tried her best to ignore him as he walked over to the bed, begingin to take off his armour, Skyseeker resisting the urge to help him as she tried to get some sleep.

-xXx-

Skyseeker awoke with a frown, finding a beam of bright light shining directly into her muzzle. Wiping the residue from her tired eyes, she sat up from her haphazard nest, noting that through the slit of the curtains was a ray of sunshine. It must be dawn. Usually she’d sleep in until much later in the day, but something had stirred her from her slumber.

“-any difference regardless,” she heard a voice say. Was that Roderick? Did he not know by now what her nap-times were? How inconsiderate. She turned to the bed, ready to berate him, but blinked when she realised he wasn’t inside the cabin.

“It would if the Emperor ever found out,” another voice answered, one that belonged to the conniving man-wizard. It seemed the two were having a discussion just outside her room, Skyseeker moving over to the door, placing a paw on the handle. She was about to give the two a good dressing down for being so loud, but after taking a moment to think, she noted they were speaking in hushed voices. It was only thanks to her estimable hearing that she could pick up their voices with such clarity.

She considered her next move. As long as she was stealthy, which was something she did quite well, she could eavesdrop on their conversation, but was spying on her only friend the best decision? His loyalties were in question since their talks last night, but she had tried so very hard to reciprocate Roderick’s niceties – her stealing that firearm being the first of many acts to come. She didn’t want to ruin that by intruding on his privacy, however… he couldn’t get angry at her if he never found out, right?

Now thoroughly convinced, she dropped to her knees, pressing her ear against the crack between the door and the floor, chuckling at her own brilliance before going quiet. If these two were scheming, she had to find out about it.

“He won’t know,” Roderick said. “Not unless you were lying before, and the Conclave wouldn’t be interested.”

“Far from it,” Wilfred replied. “but what of the good captain? Or the dozens of sailors under his command? Word will spread quickly once we return to Imperial waters. You and I will be accused of colluding with Chaos if we don’t control the spread of information. The Conclave can learn much from a Skaven captive, certainly, but the fact remains it was you alone who recruited her to this expedition. The masses will say you’ve been afflicted.”

“She’s not a captive,” Roderick corrected. “and let the masses say what they will. If we’re going to defeat Chaos, gaining an ally from it will go a long way towards reaching that goal.”

“Perhaps you’ve let to much of it in, Roderick.”

“What would you have me do? Cast her off the bow? Leave her in Arabia, maybe? I cannot bring her to harm, she’s my…”

“Enemy,” Wilfred finished for him. “She is your enemy. Our enemy. And no amount of time you’ve spent together can change that.”

“If that’s the case, why’d you let me bring her on board in the first place? One would think you’d have shot her with one of those… vine spells of yours.”

“Don’t mistake my warnings for hostility. I respect all living things, even the Skaven, and causing Miss Seeker any undo harm troubles me as much as it does to you. But you must not let your feelings for her distract you from your goal.”

“At least I have feelings, old man.”

“I am not as averse to romance as you might think,” Wilfred replied tersely. “I was very fond of a lovely elf-woman I met in Athel Loren some centuries back. She was the same age as I. Two years older, actually.”

“What, you fell in love with a three hundred and two year old elf?”

“Two hundred,” Wilfred replied. Despite Roderick throwing a red-hot insult at the wizard, Skyseeker heard the pair share a chuckle. These humans were so strange, switching moods at the flip of a paw, trading insults and then brushing them off. Was that what it was like to have a friend? A true friend?

“Regardless,” Wilfred continued, clearing his throat. “The artifact’s recovery should be our foremost priority. Letting it fall into the hands of the Skaven could spell disaster.”

“You thought I’d just let her have it?”

“I think, that emotion and logic mingle all too well inside the brash and young. Remind yourself why it is we started this expedition in the first place, recite your prayers if you have to, just stay focused on our task, I beg you. What you do with Miss Seeker afterward, I leave that in your hands.”

“Perhaps we should ask her what she wants to do,” Roderick suggested. “I can’t make her give up her mission, nor can I make her return to the Empire as a captive to the Conclave”

“Then convince her if you can, otherwise…” A pause, and then he called out: “Miss Seeker?”