A Night in the Woods (for Runa)

(( Continuation of a plot begun in Discord. Harrowheart has clawed his way out of the Shadowlands and into Earth, where he finds the Durants in dire straits. As knights and witches are sometimes known to do, he and Runa embark on a quest to find the dragon. But first? A bit of downtime after all the chaos. ))

Leads are turning up dry. They've been on the road for days, and despite all the ground they've covered every turn feels more fruitless than the last. Magical leads are far apart in this world of the Durants, and harder now to come by than they'd been before. They must take caution around humans as much as they would any rogue dragon. The problem with that, unfortunately, is that there are decidedly more humans in Germany than there are dragons. Dragon. Isidor.

 

The mundane world is a challenge all its own. The burden of nearly everything is foisted on Runa: buying food, buying gas, finding rooms, *driving. It gets cramped in that car quickly, especially in the company of a large, foggy-faced corpse with a penchant for cigarette-smoking. At least he's managed to find more casual clothes -- a large sweater, long trousers, and a billed hat -- to help him nearly blend in... And take up a smidge less space.

 

As the shadows grow long Harrowheart proposes camping out. Better than a hotel, he reckons. Roomier, at least. Fresher. Cheaper. Their money might be plentiful, but it is finite.

 

He suggests they pull over near a creek and follow it through a wooded area, half pine and half budding deciduous. The creek is shallow, but the water runs swiftly over the moss-covered rocks at its banks. A pleasant sound, a natural whisper so vastly different than rushing highway wind and radio banter. 

 

The sun is at the horizon when they've finally set up camp. Harrowheart tasks Runa with building a fire while he begins to set their goods on the leaf-strewn ground. 

 

The silence of the forest and false privacy of having her at his back gives him the courage enough to ask a question he's never quite been brave enough for.

 

"Runa? Would you... Tell me about your mother?"