Legend's Echo Chapter 10

Robin awoke with the rising sun and dressed herself for the coming day. The straps for her new armor took longer than she would have liked, but expediency would come with practice, so she wouldn’t beat herself up over it.

This time.

Her coin pouch was secured under her lamellar vest while a decoy pouch was tied to her belt. If any young thief was that desperate they probably needed the twin copper coins more than she did. Content that she had everything needed for the coming day, she stepped out of her room and hurried down the stairs only to nearly stumble at the familiar sight.

“Lia?”

The blonde turned from her place at the bar and grinned wide. “Hey there! Ready to get your weapon and try the new gear out?”

Once again the woman was there when it was supposed to be The Legend helping her. Robin tried to not let the disappointment show, but something about the cheeky expression on Lia’s face told her everything she needed to know. Resigned to yet another day without the man who was supposed to be mentoring her, she finished her descent to the ground floor of Hearth’s Home. A skillet of potatoes and eggs was already waiting for her alongside Lia’s own.

“I’m surprised to see you so soon,” Robin said, taking the open seat. “I figured you’d either be busy or off on your next adventure.”

Lia chuckled before spooning a heaping bite into her mouth, the smirk plastered across her face even as she chewed. “This is going to be so fun when you figure it out.”

“I’m missing something obvious, aren’t I?” Robin asked, her voice full of resignation.

“Forest for the trees,” Lia said happily. “Don’t worry, I’ll only poke a moderate amount of fun at your expense.”

“I appreciate it,” Robin said dryly. “You mentioned picking up my staff?”

“Whenever you’re ready. Carlson works fast but he doesn’t cut corners.”

Robin nodded before a frown came to her face. “Wait. Won’t he be expecting The Legend to pick it up? I doubt he’ll recognize me with all the different gear I’ve got now.”

“Don’t worry,” Lia said with a playful smirk on her lips. “Unlike some people, he knows who I am.”

Robin rolled her eyes and focused instead on quickly finishing her breakfast. She wasn’t used to getting something more substantial than a bowl of porridge at the start of the day, and even that wasn’t always promised. One inn she stayed at just kept a pot of soup on perpetual boil. Even a decade later it was the same damn soup she’d eaten her first stay and rumor was that the pot had been kept going for more than a hundred years.

Food finished, Lia hopped off the stool and stretched, her spine cracking several times. Robin winced at the noise and reached out, pulsing a bit of healing magic through the woman who paused mid-stretch.

“Oh wow, that is potent,” Lia said. “I guess you weren’t Gold rank for nothing. That felt amazingly invigorating.”

Robin snorted. “Glad to be of help. I usually charge for the morning pick-me-up, but today I’ll make an exception.”

“It’s better than coffee,” Lia said with a nod. “Still think I prefer drinking it directly rather than having it magically infused like that.”

“No, I get it,” Robin agreed, shielding her eyes from the morning sun as it peeked over the building across the square at the perfect angle to blind her. “Fucking hell. How do they get repeat customers with that sort of greeting?”

Lia snickered, having preemptively shielded her eyes before they stepped out. “It’s only like that for about two weeks of the year. I kinda forgot otherwise I would have picked a different inn for you to stay at.”

“You picked the place?” Robin muttered.

“Sure did,” Lia said cheerfully.

But, when did she have the chance? The Legend handed Robin the slip of paper and sent her on the way before she ever met Lia. The two seemed to know each other well, so perhaps the woman was just his facilitator? Robin could only imagine how conspicuous he could be in any given city, and had even seen it first hand when they arrived. It made sense that he might employ someone to help smooth things over that didn’t see everyone running up to meet the Hero of Alvon.

The trip to the forge wasn’t long and they arrived before Robin could get her thoughts in order. She put her questions aside as they entered; the bell above the door announcing the arrival of a new customer. Unfortunately the shop was currently occupied by an unwanted face.

“Ah, Robin, I’m surprised to see you in a shop such as this,” Donovan said, sneering at her. “Isn’t it out of your price range? I didn’t think a newly minted Bronze adventurer could afford something this upscale.”

The worst part was how correct he was with that statement. Robin only had her appointment because The Legend threw their weight around, along with a generous amount of gold, to get her in the door. That truth was nothing compared to her desire to shove the bastard’s head up his own arse.

Unfortunately, she took too long trying to think of a counter.

“Let me guess, your new benefactor is covering the bill,” Donovan continued, his sneer twisting into a smug grin. “I mean, weapons, armor, and that inn room of yours? How often are you having to service the man to get all this luxury piled upon you?”

Lia raised an eyebrow but kept her mouth shut for the moment, her eyes flicked over and Robin forced herself to swallow. She was The Legend’s representative, which meant that Robin needed to put on a good showing, let it be known that she won’t just sit there and take someone else’s shit.

“I knew you were lonely, but stalking me? That’s low, even for someone such as yourself. Surely you have better things to do than to follow a lowly Bronze rank adventurer?”

For the briefest moment there was genuine anger reflected in his eyes, but he smoothed it over with a practiced ease that Robin had only ever seen in the Nobility. She had no idea why he had so suddenly turned on her like that, there had to be a reason but she just couldn’t think of one. Frankly, it was reminding her a bit too much of some of the obsessive bastards that tried to court her in the past.

“Not taking an early retirement? A shame. It will be such a shame to lose a healer of your capabilities so senselessly.”

“Oh please,” Lia interjected, none of her usual levity present. “I know an asshole when I smell one, because oh boy are you ripe. We aren’t going to lose Robin.” She paused for a moment, and her next words carried enough conviction that even Robin’s cynicism thawed at the warmth contained within. “You just can’t see the raw potential within her like I can.”

“Then you are a fool,” Donovan scoffed. “Clearly this is a waste of my time. No shop that actually prides itself on its work would service people such as you.”

He marched towards the door, not looking at either of them as he passed. Lia stuck her tongue out at him, and Robin had to stifle the giggles that threatened to spill out. Only once the door had clicked shut did she finally relent and openly laugh.

“Did you see how his face turned purple?” Lia asked, barely containing her own mirth. “He’s lucky he’s a healer, because that couldn’t be healthy.”

“Quite,” Robin barely managed to say.

A crash of steel from the back room silenced both of them, with Lia shifting into a loose stance that Robin recognized as ‘ready to fuck someone up’ and little more. Each newly revealed clue pointed towards Lia being a capable fighter, which made sense if she usually shadowed The Legend.

Wait a second…

Oh shit. Lia and The Legend were totally an item, weren’t they? Well, that promptly shuttered her little fantasy, not that she really expected anything to come of it, but it was fun while it lasted. Maybe she could get Lia to dish on what he was like in bed or something? The girl just had to have an amazing sex life if she was sleeping with a god in the flesh like him.

“I thought he would never leave,” Carlson grumbled as he stepped out of the back room. He held a long box tucked under one arm and instantly Robin knew it was hers. “Are you two done, or should I come back after you’ve eviscerated the louse further?”

“Nah, we’re good,” Lia said.

Carlson muttered something that Robin didn’t quite catch, but got Lia to snort before setting the box on the counter. “Here’s your fancy stick, with the requested modifications.”

“Thank you so much!” Robin said, bowing respectfully. At least she remembered that much from dealing with the nobility. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”

“My work is always trouble,” Carlson said, but he was grinning now. “Go on, take her out and see how she feels.”

Robin nodded, sliding the box closer as she tried to figure out how to open the damn thing. Thankfully she spotted the rather obvious clasps before things got too awkward, but she was excited! Flipping the lid up, Robin hesitated at the sight within. The staff was set upon a layer of purple velvet that had to cost a fortune.

With trembling hands, she reached down and lifted the revitalized foci, marveling at how it felt right in her hands. The polished wood was of far higher quality than the previous length of dogwood she had been using, and it wouldn’t have surprised her if it was some exotic species that happened to be stronger than steel.

Her gaze trailed up to where the foci stone was set within the head of her staff. The inlay was reinforced where it was set upon the length, but that wasn’t what brought her up short. Staring at the polished steel, she turned back to face the smith.

“Why is there a spearpoint at the end of my staff?”