Percy and Vex get a book in the Mail.
Word Count: 695
The Daring Trials and Tribulations of Ser Taryon Darrington
“Darling?” Vex asked.
He looked up from his armchair and his heart warmed just a bit. In the many years they’d been together, few things would ever make him happier than the sight of Lady Vex’ahlia, Baroness of the Third House of Whitestone and Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt, wearing an elegant (and low-cut) evening gown in the grand library of Castle Whitestone, sitting cross-legged on the carpet next to a giant, hulking brown bear, hair falling out of her bun and wearing no shoes as she gleefully tore through the day’s packages and correspondences like a little girl on Winter’s Crest. Trinket had bits of brown paper scattered in his fur. There was a box on his head.
“Yes, dear?” He closed his book and leaned against the armrest. “Something interesting in the mail?”
She raised an eyebrow up at him, and the beginning of a grin played against her lips. “You could say that.”
“What is it?”
She lifted a heavy-looking book into the air. “Would you like to guess?” she asked.
“Is it from Scanlan?” Percy hazarded.
“No, dear.”
He perked up. “It’s not the book on glassblowing I wanted, is it? Because I think the tower could use some—”
Vex waved a hand. “No, dear. It’s not your blowing book.”
His cheeks colored. “I do recall asking you to stop calling it that.”
“I do recall refusing, darling. Now come on, for a smart man you’re quite awful at this.”
Percy shrugged. “It’s the tome of leadership,” he said, knowing full well that it wasn’t.
Vex sighed. “Alright, alright, I’ll give you a hint.” She cracked it open and read:
Then, as the saltwater rose dozens, no, hundreds of feet into the air, the half-elven druid turned to face me. I could see in her eyes she trusted me to protect her. I could see the battle raging on in the distance; the massive goliath cutting down foes like blades of grass, the white-haired fighter felling enemies with his strange contraption, the dark-haired half-elf girl stringing arrow after arrow, and up above, far above, a black shadow dancing across the sky on raven’s wings.
These were my friends. My family. They needed me.
Vex lowered the tome and gave her husband a patient look.
He was staring at her, mouth agape, which was not an uncommon expression. “It’s a book about us?” He asked. “But you said it wasn’t from Scanlan.”
She sighed again, and in a quick movement threw it at him. He caught it, but just barely.
“Read the cover, darling.”
Percy adjusted his glasses and peered closely at the cover. In bright gold leaf against a black cover, it read, “The Daring Trials…and Tribulations of Taryon Darrington, my gods! He actually wrote it!”
Vex gave him a smug look. “Read the inside cover.”
Percy flipped it open. “Dedicated to my mother, Marianne Darrington, as well as…the band of heroes and my dearest friends…”
“Finish it, darling.”
“…my dearest friends, Jumbo, Antlers, Daughter of Sarenrae, Little Elf Boy…Little Elf Girl, and Percival Frederickstein von Mussel Klossowski de Rolo the Third.”
After a while, Percy asked, “Did he send a note with it?”
Vex smiled. “Sort of.”
“Sort of?”
“Look at the back cover. On the inside.”
He did. In an ostentatious, looping scrawl it said, Let me know what you think.
Percy got out of his chair, and sat down on the floor next to his wife. “Well,” he said, “we should probably get started, then.”
Vex giggled. There were tears at the corners of her eyes. “Blondy probably wouldn’t want to be kept waiting,” she said.
They both leaned against Trinket, who had fallen asleep and was breathing deep, slow breaths. Tomorrow, there would be meetings to preside over and duties to attend to and preparations to be made for Midsummer’s and children to watch over and documents to sign, but for now?
For now:
“Chapter One,” read Percy.
In my travels through Anh’karel, I have never seen so many magical items in one place. But then I saw them, walking up to me, and I knew I had met some very special people.
The Daring Trials and Tribulations of Ser Taryon Darrington – sockablock – Critical Role (Web Series) [Archive of Our Own]
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