cypsiman2 | Third draft of Chapter Two of the tale of Travin and Wilhemina.

Wilhemina leaned back against Feleet’s stall in the stable. She studied the intruder, who was seated against the wall opposite her; he’d downed his healing potion in a single gulp, not wanting to draw the taste out. Now he had to just sit there and wait for the potion to finish its work, otherwise who knew what kind of condition his body would be in afterwards? “This is not your first operation, is it?” He had a stocky, sturdy frame suitable for a soldier, but his face was still soft with round cheeks and pale brown eyes, the kind you’d see on a story teller for the royal nursery. “And yet I’ve never heard of you before, which means this must be the first one that you’ve botched.” The intruder didn’t move his head, he just nodded with his eyes. “I know you can talk, even with the potion coursing through your veins. Why don’t you start by telling me your name? You already heard that mind is Wilhemina.”

“That I have my good lady.” The intruder said, smiling up at her. “My name is Travin, and as you say you haven’t heard of me. No one has, apart from some friends of mine in the underworld. Not the underworld that Selgk and his fellow warlocks get their demons from,” Wilhemina inhaled sharply and put her hand on her sword. “Sorry, I meant where they get their Fell Beasts from.” It was never safe to say that word in the kingdom, but Travin said it anyway. “What I’d meant was that my friends are in the criminal underworld. Just wanted to make that clear.” He rolled his head around on his neck and stood up. “I suppose next you’ll be wanting to know just what I was trying to do, spying on Selgk’s warlock meeting.”

“I do in fact want to know, and I must warn you, if you lie to me I will know; Prince Klendl has the king’s wisdom and resources, so his excuses and deceptions are far beyond any that a commoner like you would be able to come up with.” Wilhemina did not smile. She kept her hand near her sword.

“I am heartened to hear you say that Wilhemina; I agree that there are none who can match the dishonesty and duplicity of the royals and nobles.” He tipped his head at her.

“Present company not excluded?” Wilhemina arched an eyebrow.

“Well, I think there’s a difference between being born into nobility and being adopted into it when politically expedient.” Travin shrugged. “Maybe I’m wrong though, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about; we’re here to hear about my plan to end King Quorm’s war in single day.”

“The war to avenge his death that we are winning and have been winning since it began. That war?” Wilhemina shook her head. “Somehow I don’t think an unknown intruder is going to be able to win the war for us even one day faster.”

“Then its a good thing I’m going to make the kingdom lose the war then.” Travin said. “Otherwise the kingdom will be doomed forever and I think you know that.”

Wilhemina drew her sword an inch. “I would be very interested in hearing how you’ve come to that conclusion, Travin.” Her sword arm was steady. “It sounds like you’re accusing me of being a traitor, and that’s the sort of thing that might make me lose my curiosity about you.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t accuse you of being a traitor, mainly because I don’t think I’m a traitor either.” Travin took a step forward, then stopped as Wilhemina brought her sword out another inch. “Correct me if I’m wrong,” his tone darkened, “but you were there at the Massacre of Rathalos Valley, weren’t you?”

“That was not a massacre.” Wilhemina said as she focused on the man in front of her and not on the memories that the name had invoked. “The court clairvoyants had found a cell of the resistance there, and we had been tasked with dealing with it.”

“And yet you had given aid to members of that supposed resistance cell.” Travin said. “Because there was no resistance cell there at all. The court clairvoyants were wrong and you had found proof of that and so to keep you quiet you were brought back to the castle to tutor the prince, a role that would keep you where you could be observed.”

“...And what was your involvement in that disaster?” Wilhemina sharpened her senses; she knew that truth and lies were going to be mixed together and fly fast at her.

“None whatsoever.” A lie. “And why should I have had any involvement to feel so passionately about it?” A true point. “The deaths of the innocent remain a grotesque mockery of justice even if I didn’t know anyone involved.” Also true. “That is why a friend of mine has provided me with a tool that can interfere with Selgk’s plans for his summoning circle.” He said while patting his right pocket. An outrageous lie; black market magicians could do many things, but only court warlocks knew anything about the workings of summoning circles. Why did Travin give her such an easy lie to spot? “But in order for that tool to mean anything, I need to get to the summoning circle before Selgk can send instructions to the warlock on site, and that means a pegasus.” He pointed at Feleet. “Please decide quickly; I’m sure Selgk will get his affairs in order any minute now and I’d like to be in the sky when that happens.”

Wilhemina sheathed her sword and took Feleet out of her stall. Travin stepped back as the reality of just how big the pegasus was impressed itself on him. “There are a great many unanswered questions left about you Travin, but I’m going to have to ask those questions later.” Wilhemina smoothly pulled herself up onto Feleet’s back, just behind her wings. “For now, we will fly.” She extended her hand to him.

“I suppose we shall.” Travin took her hand and pulled himself up behind her. He put his arms around her waist, over her sword. “Lead the way to Valifore Forest, Wilhemina.”

Wilhemina commanded Feleet to run out and then take to the sky.