Legend's Echo Chapter 09

Robin adjusted the strap on her arm, the leather arm guards were somewhat heavy thanks to the steel reinforcements, but nothing that she couldn’t adapt to.  It was the shield that would take some effort to learn.  Old instincts didn’t just go away, let alone learning new ones in their place.

Lia was standing off to the side, speaking with the man who had made them as well as his young daughter who was acting as the merchant selling them.  Haggling over prices had never been Robin’s strong suit, doubly so when the numbers being tossed about were worth ten or more Silver ranked jobs.

Finally, they shook hands and some gold coins were passed over and Lia returned with a smile on her face.  Even the family seemed satisfied with the deal, the father walking his daughter through counting the coins while his son continued to hammer out a piece of metal at the forge.  

“How do they fit?” Lia asked. 

Robin flexed her hand while raising an eyebrow.  “Isn’t that something you should have asked before spending your coin on all this?” 

“They could be adjusted if needed.”  Lia checked the straps, as well as how snug everything was before nodding.  “Now come along, there’s still one more stop we need to make before returning to the inn!” 

Given she already had new greaves and a sturdy lamellar vest to go with the vambraces, Robin wasn’t quite sure what might still be missing.  The answer was glaringly obvious less than a minute later as they approached a stand that offered a wide variety of helmets.  Robin hadn’t ever thought to wear one, but was starting to reconsider after that Wyvern had nearly taken her head off. 

Perhaps a helmet was a good idea after all.

“You’ll want to balance weight versus comfort and protection,” Lia said, stepping up to the counter where a bored teen boy was seated.  Well, more like he was dozing off.  The kid hadn’t even reacted to their arrival aside from a disinterested glance before returning to his book which he clearly wasn’t actually engrossed with.  

Robin stepped up beside Lia as she examined one helmet then another.  A studded leather piece was drawing her eye and she picked it up, feeling the material.  Whatever hide was used for the base leather was sturdy, and the glinting steel covered the important parts as far as she could tell. 

“Not that one,” Lia said after a moment.  “Pure leather is right out as most beasts will carve right through what’s available here.  For now you should avoid full coverage steel due to the weight, ah!  Try this one instead.”  

The helmet that Robin found herself looking at was a considerably different beast.  Steel plates covered a leather cap that appeared to be padded within, and covered all the important parts with the thin metal.  Normally Robin would dismiss something like it for being too cumbersome, but Lia seemed to know what she was talking about, so she pulled it over her head and secured the strap.  The internal leather kept it from being too uncomfortable, but the weight was something that worried her. 

And Lia promptly thwacked her over the head with the first helmet. 

“Ow!” Robin shouted, more out of impulse than any actual pain.  What little damage was quickly healed away with a subtle pulse of mana.  “Why the hell would you do that?” 

Lia grinned which prompted Robin to glare back at the woman. 

“The helmet did its job, didn’t it?” Lia asked.  “The options here are slimmer than I’d like, but we’re not getting a better deal with how little attention the kid’s paying.”  To prove the point, she dropped several coins on the counter.  “We’ll take this one.” 

“Okay,” the kid said, taking the coins without even counting them.

A part of her wanted to snap at the kid for effectively allowing his family to be screwed over, but then she’d be taking that money out of Lia’s pocket.  Given how she seemed determined to outfit Robin herself when it should have been The Legend’s responsibility… 

Lia was far too generous if she was spending her own money, but there were even odds that she had gotten those funds from The Legend directly.  Something to ask her once they were back at the inn, because the amount of gold being tossed about was frankly absurd. 

Robin took a moment to secure the helmet on her head and paused.  There was no way to see how she looked in the new gear, not without a mirror, and those were expensive given all the silver involved.  She felt protected, which was what counted the most, but she still wanted to look good when she stood beside The Legend. 

As they walked through the early evening crowds, Lia hummed a rather upbeat tune.  Robin couldn’t place it and was tempted to ask about that but she didn’t feel comfortable doing so.  There was too much of a mystery to why this random woman was helping her so much, and asking too many questions might just break the moment and send her away. 

And Robin hadn’t really had anyone close enough to talk to in a long time. 

Even Donovan, her apprentice, wasn’t much for conversation when he travelled with her, choosing instead to branch out and socialize with others when in town, and kept to his lessons when they were on the road.  She’d appreciated how studious he was at the time, but it had left her feeling a bit distant from her apprentice. 

Not that she was going to take this opportunity to change that, but past pain was no excuse for chasing someone away.  Not when there wasn’t a reason to do so.  Besides, Lia would likely end up no different from the many people that Robin had met over the years.  There for a few moments of levity before taking their own path in life; away from her.  That was just how the life of an adventurer worked, especially for healers. 

But, Robin wasn’t a healer anymore, was she?

The armor was impossible to ignore, the weight brought added impact to each step she took.  If not for her healing, Robin would probably be chafed and sore by now and in for a miserable night.  As it stood, she would be physically drained by the time she got to bed and would be out like a rock. 

A real bed.  It had been weeks since she slept on something that wasn’t essentially a bit of fur and feathers on the cold ground.  Given the wealth on display at Hearth’s Home, the experience promised to be one of the best in her life.  Possibly only rivaled by the time that Noble out in Courland requested a healer be present for the month surrounding his daughter’s marriage. 

Jobs like that were rare, but Robin always took the time to savor them. 

Healers rarely got work with the nobility, mostly because they had their own healers on retainer.  Robin had lucked out that their previous healer had died in a failed assassination against the lady.  Political marriages were always messy things, and that had been the only time Robin made the mistake of letting herself fall into a mess like that.  

The entire production was a colossal waste of money, especially with the royal family in attendance.  King Rolland and Queen Veronica of House Arland held places of prominence alongside their daughter Cornellia through the whole production.  There were even rumors of The Legend lurking around, not that she ever saw him there.   

Hardly worth the headache of dealing with squabbling lords and ladies, a lesson she has since taken to heart.  No matter how cozy things looked, Robin always made sure she wouldn’t be getting poisoned every other day or having to heal through a botched assassination attempt while everyone panicked and let the slippery bastard slip away. 

At least the food was divine. 

“Something on your mind?” Lia asked, smiling as she walked backwards, uncaring of the crowd that seemed to part around her.  “You had one of those ‘I’m brooding’ faces going on.”

Robin laughed, reaching out to push her aside but missed spectacularly as Lia fell back into step once more.  Rolling with it, Robin shrugged. 

“Something like that.  I was just remembering a stuffy wedding from a few years back where I helped with security.” 

“Oh, those are just the worst!” Lia said with a groan.  “Goddess save me from social events where I’m expected to put on a pretty dress and parade myself around for potential suitors.” 

“You’re highborne?” Robin asked before she could stop herself. 

Lia rubbed the back of her head.  “Unfortunately.  Lets just say there’s more than a few reasons I prefer the life I lead when my parents aren’t attempting to set me up with the perfect match.” 

Robin couldn’t really sympathize with her on that one.  Girls born in villages were often married off before their fifteenth summer, but Robin had escaped that fate by learning how to harness the Blessing of the Goddess.  Well, that was what the village priest called it.  Robin wasn’t exactly religious, and she’d figured it out all on her own. 

Lia sighed, hanging her head as she did.  “That doesn’t stop them from trying when I’m in the city though, so I’m a bit eager to get back on the road again.”

“Well, I hope your journey goes well,” Robin said, unsure how best to continue the conversation.  That felt like a safe choice of words, but the way that Lia started to giggle had her convinced she was missing something rather obvious. 

Not that it mattered, they had arrived at the inn once again. 

“Are you staying here as well?” Robin asked. 

Lia shook her head.  “I wish, but my parents would throw such a fit if I didn’t stay with them when available.” 

Again, none of that really made sense, but Robin wasn’t about to be rude to the woman who had helped her all day.  She bowed slightly, not quite as much as was proper of a commoner showing deference to a noblewoman, but enough to show gratitude and respect for someone who had helped a person. 

“Then I thank you for your time and company.  I most enjoyed my day and wouldn’t mind a repeat in the future.”  Robin paused, then hastily added.  “Maybe without the heavy expenditure of coins on gear.” 

“Sure thing,” Lia said with a grin.  “I’m sure I’ll see you around, little Echo.  Get plenty of rest tonight because I’ve heard some nasty things about the mess they’re sending you into.” 

Robin grimaced, but lowered her bow ever slightly more before bringing herself upright once again.  With a wave, Lia departed at a jog, weaving through the crowd with ease.  It had been a strange day, but Robin had enjoyed herself.  She wasn’t sure if Lia was someone who could be a friend, but the potential was there, and for once she was curious to see if anything came of it. 

Stepping inside the inn, Robin took in the heavy scent of the kitchens and felt her stomach rumble.  Well, she’d certainly spent enough of the day building up an appetite.  Robin hurried up the stairs to her room and stepped inside, eager to change into something more comfortable before indulging in another meal.  Which led to the final hurdle of her day. 

Getting out of all that armor.