abraxaslogs | How does the earth around your feet

Istredd loves Oks, the bookshop in Nott. It's scattered and filled with a variety of old and new books and it has that classic 'hidden gem' energy to it. He also got his favorite book from there, or rather Lucifer gifted him one, so he has general fondness for the place. Whenever he has a few coins to his name he ends up there looking for something new, since he sold his whole collection of books not that long ago. Old Red, the owner, has come to tolerate his enthusiasm.

He usually only comes there for books and he is flipping through one when he hears his name. Istredd glances Wilhelm's way and smiles, pleased as always to see him. It's nice to see him out and about, actually, instead of only in class or in the castle.

"Wilhelm, good to see you!" And apparently in a good mood, judging from picking a hot pastry to enjoy while there.

Istredd in a very subtle way glances around them, blue eyes darting, because Nott can be a dangerous place and he wants to know if there's any potential danger to Wilhelm. It's an instinct.

It's still a strange feeling, coming back to Nott. Wilhelm can't help but think of the skyline ablaze and the skeletal remains of burnt out houses. Corpses wandering the streets, spat out by their graves. He can't help but feel a certain weight, something cold and sharp and silent like the dead of winter. But the town is resilient, always rising from the ashes. He could learn something from it.

"Yeah, good to see you too."

Istredd's darting eyes make him glance over his shoulder instinctively. The experience of being abducted — and the subsequent nightmare they endured in the pit — had inculcated in him a needling awareness of his surroundings whenever he's out and about beyond the safety of the castle walls. Despite the slight chill, the street is busy with people. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Finishing the last bite of his treat, Wilhelm brushes the crumbs off his hands.

"New book?" he asks conversationally, nodding to the one tucked in Istredd's hand.

Istredd's first real experience with Nott was visiting after the kidnapping and it is partly that paranoia that has him watchful for any dangers. It's not always obvious to him that he still has that instinct, but he is thinking about protecting Wilhelm in terms of Nott, not cults, at the moment. He probably will always think of Wilhelm, Kell, and Mat as 'the kids' that he dedicated himself to protecting over his own life. He has no regrets about that.

Especially not seeing Wilhelm out and about, looking settled into his life, maybe in a good place. They've all come a long way from then. He can tell Wilhelm noticed his immediate protective vibe but he simply smiles it off. They're safe.

"Yes, Oks is an amazing bookstore. It's old and out of the way, my favorite kind, because that's where you find the gold." He is going to nerd to an extreme if given a chance. Istredd usually can be a very flat or always level sounding person, but this is said with genuine enthusiasm. Books always get him there.

"I've been looking through the Borrel bookshops for their wartime historic titles, and cross-checked it with Oks, and voila. A much cheaper version of the same book I was looking at." Istredd actually was someone who did this sort of thing back home. Always looking for texts, for answers. And considering they don't have a lot of money, or at least he doesn't, he found cost cutting ways here. He's very pleased.

The change that Istredd notes extends its roots beneath the surface of Wilhelm's aspect. He's happier than he was a year ago. In his magic, he has found a sense of strength and control he never had before. In the circle of people around him, a sense of belonging. A space carved out for him despite his ill fit in this world.

Istredd has something to do with that. Istredd, who taught him to not fear the power burning inside of him, who holds a measure of faith in him despite all the times he's fucked up.

So, the least Wilhelm can do is politely nod and pretend to be interested in books about musty old wars or whatever. He doesn't care much about books, but he cares about Istredd.

"Any reason you're interested in the history of wars?"

Now that he's finished eating, he stuffs his hands in his coat pockets for warmth.

Istredd's been very pleased with Wilhelm's progress but it wasn't a surprise. He knew from the start that the young man would eventually get a handle on it. Wilhelm was afraid, but time can turn that fear into resolve, like it did for him. And he's only in the beginning. Soon he will start excelling and eventually become a mage in his own right.

His surrogate fathers are very proud!

"I'm interested in the history of everything, but considering we seem to always be on the verge of war, it seemed prudent to see how Thorne has approached it in the past." It's not a surprise either, how much they lean on magic. It makes sense, that is their strongest weapon, and they have extremely powerful mages here. A single mage can destroy an entire battalion if they want, his kind certainly can. A handful of Brotherhood mages (including Yennefer) in Sodden killed most of an army by themselves.

"What are you doing out here in Nott?"

A grimness settles into his jaw and brow at the reminder that the threat of war hangs about them like smoke that refuses to clear. While tensions aren't spiked as high or tugged as tight now as they were a year ago, a sense of quiet anxiety still sticks with him. Any small thing could be spark that ignites an inferno. So he nods at Istredd's explanation — it makes sense.

But he's happy to go with the change in subject. He pats the bag at his side. At the end of his route, it's mostly empty. He only picked up a few letters to bring back from Nott. It would be easy enough to drop those off on his way back to the castle.

"Making some deliveries. Kyle got me set up as a courier."

The last thing he wanted to do was make the grimness set in like that, but it is their reality. Istredd is just vaguely accepting of the situation at this point, but he is no stranger to tension between kingdoms. There was a man actively conquering the known continent in his world and he worked in areas where he did conquer. The hope is that Thorne will not be, at least not by the Free Cities, as he doesn't trust them. Or any of them.

But it is somewhat business as normal in his head when it comes to it. He also is happy for the topic change, if it brightens Wilhelm up again. That is a surprising piece of news though, but a good one. "I didn't know he was outsourcing now, that's great!" Kyle is very busy and good at what he does, he probably ended up with too much work to do on his own.

"At least some of us are making money," he says drily. Istredd knows technically there are jobs he can get in town, but he already has a very strict schedule with his responsibilities. "How do you like it so far? You must be seeing more of Thorne than you're used to."

It may be business as usual, but Wilhelm worries about everything. He's found that the best way to interrupt the anxious whirlpool of his thoughts is to keep himself moving. Sometimes that means drinking a little too much or hooking up with a certain charming boy, and sometimes that means honing his magic or...running around town with a bag of letters.

"It's all right," he shrugs. "It's pretty easy, and I kind of like walking around. I used to come to Nott pretty often last year, when they were...having trouble. It's nice to see the town back on its feet."

"It's good to see that too. The rifts weren't kind to them either, but it seems like everything is getting better." Kell and others put in the work together to get the monster out of the dock so that was a huge deal. They don't have the easy money to fix things, so they needed help. In the end, the Summoned provided it instead of the crown, but that's hardly a surprise.

"Walk back to the portal with me. If you end up doing deliveries to Hayle, please let me know, I'm still intrigued by what's going on there." Kyle used to get to go to Hayle! He gestures and walks in the direction of the regular portal.

How does the earth around your feet

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can we maybe wrap on this one and focus on the new one?