"I'm not limping," Lysira said. Vaelira snorted softly. "You always say that when you are."
"It's barely noticeable."
"It is to you," Vaelira replied, finally glancing up. Her eyes moved over Lysira quickly, not dramatic, just… thorough. "To anyone else, it looks like you lost a fight."
Lysira walked past her, ignoring that, and crouched near the pond to wash her hands, the cold water cutting clean through the last traces of dried blood.
"I didn't lose," she said after a second.
"Mm," Vaelira hummed, unconvinced. "He's still breathing."
That stung more than it should have, but Lysira didn't show it. She dried her hands on the edge of her cloak before standing again. "He wasn't supposed to have that kind of support."
Vaelira finally stopped fiddling with the dagger and leaned back slightly. "The metal like things?"
"Yes."
"I saw what was left," Vaelira said, her tone shifting just a little. Less teasing now. "They weren't clumsy. Not like constructs we've dealt with."
"They moved like trained fighters," Lysira added. "Better, in some cases."
Vaelira's brows lifted slightly at that. "Better than you?" Lysira gave her a flat look. "Don't push it." she replied. Vaelira smiled faintly "Just checking where your pride's at."
Lysira rolled her shoulder once, testing the stiffness there. "They weren't the problem."
"No," Vaelira said, watching her more closely now. "So...You getting caught in an explosion was the problem?."
"That wasn't—" Lysira started, then stopped herself, exhaling quietly. "I misread the situation."
"Meaning?"
"I thought I had him cornered."
Vaelira tilted her head slightly. "Aaaaand you didn't." There was a small pause, not awkward, just… real. Vaelira let that sit for a second before reaching behind her and grabbing a small pack. "Here," she said, tossing it over.
Lysira caught it easily. Inside was food, wrapped tightly, along with a couple of small vials and a fresh binding cloth. "You look like you didn't eat," Vaelira added.
"I did."
"When?"
Lysira hesitated just long enough to answer the question. Vaelira smirked. "Yeah, that's what I thought."
"It wasn't that important, we can recover."
"It is when you're trying not to die," Vaelira replied, a little sharper this time. "You don't get to ignore that part just because you're annoyed." Lysira pulled the food out and took a bite, mostly to end that line of conversation. "I'm not annoyed," she said.
"You got blown up and he got away," Vaelira said. "You're annoyed."
Lysira chewed slowly, then swallowed. "…a little."
"Thought so."
They sat there for a bit after that, the tension easing into something more familiar. The sound of the water, the quiet rustle of leaves, it all settled around them in a way that made the moment feel almost… normal.
Almost.
"So," Vaelira said eventually, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. "We try again." Lysira nodded once. "We adjust first."
"Same thing."
"No," Lysira said, glancing at her. "Not this time."
Vaelira held her gaze for a second, then nodded slightly. "Alright. What are you thinking?"
"He relies on movement," Lysira said. "Creating distance, breaking line of sight, forcing us to react."
"Smoke, decoys," Vaelira added.
"And that teleportation," Lysira said, her tone tightening slightly. "He probably had anchors set or an artifact."
Vaelira frowned faintly. "You're sure?"
"I felt the shift. It wasn't random."
"Then he's been preparing for a while," Vaelira muttered, thinking it through. "That's not something you set up in a day."
Vaelira picked up a small twig and dragged it lightly across the dirt between them, sketching rough lines without really thinking about it.
"Alright," she said slowly. "So we stop chasing him."
Lysira nodded. "We limit where he can go. Force him into smaller spaces, or make him rely on those anchors."
Vaelira glanced up. "And then we track them, and destroy them."
A faint smile pulled at Vaelira's lips. "I like destroying things."
"I figured you would."
Vaelira flicked the twig aside and leaned back again. "He's careful, though. Too careful for someone that reckless."
"He panicked at the end," Lysira said quietly. That made Vaelira pause.
"I saw it," Lysira replied. "When I got close." Vaelira's expression shifted slightly, something more thoughtful settling in. "So he's not as controlled as he looks."
Lysira finished the last of the food and brushed her hands off, standing up slowly. Her body protested a little, but she ignored it. "We start with his supply lines," she said. "Find out where his resources are coming from."
Vaelira stood as well, stretching lightly. "And the iron shipments."
"Yes."
"They've already been disrupted," Vaelira said. "I heard on the way here."
Lysira glanced at her. "By who?"
Vaelira shrugged. "Town authority, probably. Someone's leaning on him."
"That works in our favor."
"Or makes him harder to reach," Vaelira countered. Lysira considered that, then nodded. "Then we have to move faster."
Vaelira smirked. "There she is." Lysira gave her a look. "What?"
"That thing you do when you stop overthinking and just decide to deal with it."
"I don't overthink."
"You absolutely do."
"I don't."
"You do," Vaelira insisted, already turning toward the trees. "It's fine, though. I balance it out."
"With what? Impulse?"
"With better instincts," Vaelira shot back.
Lysira shook her head slightly, but there was no real argument in it this time.
They started moving without another word, slipping back into the forest like they had never been there at all. The quiet closed in behind them, the pond returning to stillness, the only trace of their presence a few disturbed leaves and the faint impression of footsteps that would be gone before the hour passed.
"Try not to get blown up again," Vaelira said after a while, not looking back.
Lysira sighed quietly. "Try not to miss next time."
Vaelira laughed under her breath. "Fair enough."
And just like that, the conversation faded, replaced by focus as they headed toward Eldor, both of them carrying the same thought in different ways.