When Eben decides to rob the isolated town nestled deep in the woods, he could never have predicted that he would be forced to atone by serving Adder, the powerful and terrifying gorgon charged with protecting the town of Nǣdre Tor.
However, as Eben...
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In the dark, Adder listens.
Here in his quaint little cave, everything is amplified. It's a feature he quite likes. Despite being adept at detecting vibrations, he also depends on his ears when around those in danger of becoming petrified. Right now, there's no danger of that, but still, Adder enjoys listening to the sounds filling his home. It's early, too early to get up, so he takes a moment to catalog every sound he can identify.
Outside, he can hear the faint trilling of mockingbirds, crickets, and the gentle wind flowing through the forest. In the living room, Zarek snores, tossing and turning in his quilt.
"Adder, what are you doing?" Eben drowsily murmurs.
Adder lays back down in the blankets. "Nothing. Just listening."
"Everything okay?"
"Yes. go back to sleep. It's early."
"Mm. okay."
Adder smiles. With his ear to the ground, he can hear Eben's heartbeat especially well. It's always a comfort to have a constant reminder of his safety.
Merlyn's heartbeat was a little less comforting. Adder had only passing experience with children, so he'd never known how quick their heartbeats could be. At first, he'd feared Merlyn was unwell or afraid. Now, however, he's learned it's quite typical for little children.
Right now, even in her sleep, her little heart flutters fast. Adder reaches out, petting her head.
Eben hugs Merlyn tighter to his chest. "If you wake her, I will make snake leather boots. It's too damn early for her screeching."
Adder grins. "I thought I told you to go back to bed."
"Bandits sleep lightly. How am I supposed to fall asleep with all your tossing and turning?"
"I'm sorry. I'm restless."
Eben lazily pats Adder on the arm, snuggling into the furs. "It's okay. It's gonna be okay."
"I know. You try to get some rest. I'm going to check on Zarek."
"'Kay."
Quiet as he can, Adder slithers away from their shared bedroom. Peeking an eye open as he enters the living room, he finds Zarek still fast asleep, the light of the early morning just starting to filter in.
Adder sneaks close, studying Zarek's face. Within a short span of weeks, he has made significant progress in his healing. The dark, snaking veins have begun to fade into a mottled blue-purple, and color has started to return to his cheeks, replacing the ashen gray. Even his smell is better. The stink of infection has slowly started to fade, replaced by the overpowering scent of herbs and medicines packed into his wound.
Still, they needed to stay sharp. Regular cleaning was still necessary.
He heads out the door, greeting the morning with open eyes. The garden seems in good shape today, flourishing with life and freshly weeded. The only issue as of late is that they have yet again depleted their store of medicinal herbs.
