The moment she had gone inside, Daphne began preparing her gear. She figured that she was the expendable one. She wasn't a leader, a Commander, a Sergeant or even a merchant. "My job is to take care of him."
"He will listen to you and the Commander." She heard Ana's voice behind her. She should have known she'd been followed. Not that she minded; it wouldn't stop her. Though she was sure it would look like some form of payback, she didn't care. It wasn't, and people could think what they liked.
"I don't care anymore. I know he will," she said with a shrug. It wasn't entirely honest, but she was doing her best to finish quickly without feeling the anger and hurt. They would only slow her down and make her more vulnerable.
After Ana left her with a tankard of cider and some food, both of which she promptly set on the fireplace when her back was turned, she heard Furley beside her.
"Did you really think I was going to go?" She kept going, only allowing herself to shrug. "Yes. Yes you were." She didn't dare look at him as she kept herself busy. "Does it even matter?" She asked in a clipped tone.
She could hear the suspicious tone as he said, "You aren't going either. Just so you know." She snorted. "Oh, am I not?" But she said nothing further as he fiddled with his bottle of wine.
"That chair practically has my name on it, eh?" He had said with a chuckle , before continuing. "Look, D...you know as soon as you said no it wasn't going to happen, right?" This somehow caused her anger to build. "How am I supposed to know that?? He... " She simply shook her head as she set her gauntlets roughly on the table before her. She had no clue what she was doing with them, but at least she wasn't looking at him.
"No. No, I don't know anything like that. Not only that, but you were going to sneak off. I would rather you tell me to my face you've decided to be a reckless fool and leave. But no. Sneaking." She felt her chest tighten a bit further as she attempted to gather her thoughts. "You don't owe me anything, and I have no right to be angry. But I am boiling.." As she said this, she shot a fierce scowl at him. This was a mistake, as she felt her resolve crumble slightly looking at him. She turned back. "No. Don't care, I have to."
They didn't quite argue, as much as Daphne continued sending point after point as to how he was wrong, his way. Finally, "You're right. It was daft of me. I won't be going. End of discussion on that one, you'll hear no more of it from me." She already knew that, but hearing the words gave a small measure of relief. "Good," she said, as she continued fidgeting with her armour.
She could hear the frown in his voice as he asked if she was planning on going somewhere. She couldn't lie. He then threatened her by saying he would search for the men himself if she left, stating there would be no one to stop him. "Oh, so this is the entirety of my job..not just my job, but who I am here?" Instead of saying that, she reminded him...in her very gentle way of course, of his duty to the Company.
"Are you not in the Company?" This irked her. He knew what she was saying and was purposely avoiding it. "I am in it, but I'm not THE Company. I meant the Company as a whole and you know it."
She heard the chair beside her creak a bit before he spoke. "No...you aren't the whole Company. You're much more than that."
Words which otherwise should have been soothing only turned the dagger in her chest. "Then why would you sneak away to your death.." Her mind, as often it did, it seems, flooded with thoughts. She put it simply as she swallowed the tears which threatened her. "Furley. You can't act the way you did today and say something like that and it not just hurt worse."
An apology, then more words explaining that he would follow her if she left. Even if she refused to come back, he'd stay with her if she decided to rush headfirst into danger. They, again, spoke back and forth as she tried to get him to understand his duty as the leader.
"Your place? Your job? Is this all this is to you then? A duty you must carry out?" He asked, and she couldn't quite read his tone. "You have no idea. And I can't make you understand.."
"Forochel...is not personal to me. It's personal to the whole Company. As for the Company, you already know the answer to that but if you need to hear it again I'll make it very clear. This is the only family and happiness I've known, and I don't know how I ever did without." She had to turn away completely before he could see the tears filling her eyes. She didn't know why she was so emotional about this. She didn't have the right or standing. Yet here she was.
She felt him grab her hand. "Please don't go." And with those words, she felt more resolve crumbling. Normally, she would blast through and do whatever her mind was set on. But she almost couldn't in that moment.
"You're not making this easy. Even though I'm still upset with you," she said quietly.
"I know. And I'm not going to make this easy for you, far from it. Even if you were happy with me." Heavens, she really wanted to hate him.
"Blast it. Fine. Only if a better volunteer speaks.." She paused, sighing. "I can't anymore. Darn you.." She yanked her hand out of his and pressed both of hers to her face.
His tone conveyed how pleased he was with himself as he spoke. "Well I'm glad you see it that way. Let's wait and see what Deorla comes up with. And I give you my word now, I'll not put you through that again. I mean it, this time."
Not too long after, the elf, Amathlan, entered the room to speak to Furley. Or more specifically, to report to him his findings in Forochel and apparently Angmar.
An army. They would not have made it, he said, if it were not for a strange man who aided them in making an exit. "Our enemy continues to become more frightening...This doesn't seem real."
She almost felt childish for the argument which had just taken place. Their situation had just become even worse than she reckoned any of them imagined. They could only speak through some of it, as much of the Company was resting peacefully in their beds. They had no idea what news awaited the morning.
As Furley was about to head to bed himself, she noticed how calm he was trying to look as he reminded her not to ride off on her own. Again, she stepped over and hugged him, albeit hugging him much shorter this time.
He chuckled and nudged her after accepting the hug. "I should get bad news or dire situations more often, it rather works out for me sometimes." Then off he went, mumbling to himself of Company plans. She could only shake her head, once again, trying to wrap her mind around all which had been revealed of their enemies. It was a lot to take in.
But as long as the Company stood together, even with all their differences, she felt they could fight this. Maybe not even win exactly...but certainly make the victory of the enemy a painfully earned victory.
