Radley
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 118153
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When Lila blinked awake inside the stone workshop, lit entirely by glowing lanterns hung from the walls, it took her a few seconds to register where she was and the situation she was currently in. She would... stay here? As a human, all the time? She would... never see Ginnie again. Not if Belboz was to be believed. Her eyes fell on him, standing in the corner, watching her with his brow furrowed in concern. And why not believe him? She realized she was smiling at the sight of him. He'd done it, hadn't he? He'd used his tremendous power to give her her humanity back. She was so overwhelmingly grateful that, even if she'd had a voice, she doubted she could have begun to find the words to express it. She struggled off the table on which she lay, and when he came forward to help her, she fell into his arms, giving him the biggest hug she could manage. He patted her back, saying, "You're very welcome, dear," and her smile grew at the pet name. What an absolutely charming man. Any resentment she may have been clinging to for what he'd done to her fell away from her, and she felt so much lighter. Perhaps the life of a maid was not one she'd ever wanted, but if she could stay here with him and be helpful to him... well, there were certainly far worse fates. He began showing her around the system of tunnels he called his home, describing what her duties would be. It was certainly a big place, and it left her a bit lightheaded. Her mind was not what it had once been; she'd been affected by years of life as a toad, and then regular enchantments by Ginnie. But she'd do her best to remember what she was supposed to. For dear Belboz. Her main duty was to cook every meal for him and tend to his library. Though it took a bit of pantomiming, she did manage to regretfully inform him that her literacy was at this point practically nonexistent. But he impressed her beyond description yet again when he waved his hand, and suddenly, when she looked at his books, she understood perfectly what they were saying. "There," he said while she gawked. "This will be extra useful for if you ever have anything important to tell me; you can simply write a note." She was very fond of him, so she could look past it, but she had to admit to herself that she was disappointed he didn't simply give her a voice. But this would work fine, she supposed. Over a few days, she became accustomed to her duties. She'd never really cooked before, though, and it took quite a bit of work to learn; she spent weeks memorizing recipes. Each week, Belboz gave her a nice pouch of coins, and she made the trek outside, down the road, and to the nearest village half an hour away to purchase the ingredients she would need for a week of meals. It was a safe area, and though she was cautious, she was never nervous. Inside a month she had met a great many new people, mainly vendors in the village and wizard friends of Belboz's. But one stood out from the rest. The village was not a large one, with a single, middle-aged guard appointed to protect it. He was not a knight, with only simple leather armor rather than shining plate mail, and his accent gave him away as from humble origins, but he had the attitude of a holy soldier if ever she'd found one. His name was Radley, and every time Lila spoke with him she felt sad. He was the perfect gentleman, and everyone in town adored him. If anyone had any problem at all, whether their roof was leaking or they would be short when the taxpayer came or they were having marital problems, it was he whom they asked, and he always knew what to do and dropped everything to do it. In return, he received a meager sum and a modest hut at the end of the road. His life was simple, but undoubtedly noble. It didn't take Radley long to notice how distressed Lila always seemed, and he asked her if there was anything he could do to help. Lila hesitated mightily. She didn't want to lie to him, but... what could she say? He was no mage, and she had no reason to believe he had any connections outside of this small village. Could her problems be solved without magic? She couldn't think if they could. Radley would probably just ask why she didn't get Belboz to help her, anyway. Even asking for a bit of training would be ridiculous; she was tiny, and weak, and seventy years old. She doubted she could even lift a sword properly, and she wouldn't blame Radley if he didn't want to waste his time. Besides, what could training even really accomplish? She so missed being a knight. But she had accepted her new destiny. But had she really, if it still saddened her so much this new acquaintance had seen it so easily? At length she pulled out her notebook, scrawled out a note, and showed it to Radley:
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5/17/2021 4:09:38 AM
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