Heirot

Tenara hesitated, trying not to think of everything that had happened. It was so easy to do. It flared up in her mind at the least bit of stimuli. Then, her mind veered toward the advisor and his rumor and how angry she'd been a few minutes ago. ["It's strange here,"] she said, swallowing. ["They're deciding on war and... and there are rumors. People stair and whisper. They'd probably whisper a lot less with you were scowling at them."] She smiled. ["That's not to say that Ren isn't good at scowling... But he spends a lot of time with Daddy putting his brain to work..."]

Havi scowled in precisely the way to which Tenara was referring. He didn't know much about this world's wars or how they worked. [It is good that he is with you, but if you bid me to return right now, and I will do it,] he swore. He meant it. Tenara's father may have sent him on this mission and set rules for his return, but Tenara was the one he served. If she wanted him there, very little could stop him from trying.

Tenara opened her mouth, and the command almost slipped free. But she thought of how upset her parents were with Havitharon—even though none of what happened was his fault—and worried how they would react if he abandoned this mission they had given him. Havitharon would be around for as long as she could keep him, which was, as far as Tenara was concerned, until she died of old age. Which meant her parents would also be around him for at least that long, and she didn’t want them to hate him, even if they couldn’t trust him. [“I want to tell you to come back, I do. But it would make living here difficult if you abandon the task my father gave you…”] the disappointment was heavy in her voice. [“If we could come to you…”] But she knew that was never going to happen—not unless she left against her family’s wishes and under their nose. She couldn’t do that to them. Not again. If she did, she could never think of returning to face them.

Laurius glanced to movement he saw near the door and spotted Lee peaking into the room, with most of her body concealed by the wall. She was very much like a cat, he thought. Mostly keeping to herself until she heard noise, and then coming out to quietly investigate. She still refused to sleep in the bed, and ate on the floor like an animal. If she spoke, it was only as little, quiet warnings or foreboding quips. And she jumped like a cat, cowering back at the slightest aggressive shift of an arm, even if he was only being very animated as he spoke and not actually violent.

It was better to think of her like a cat than what he usually saw when he looked at her—a debt still unpaid.

["It may be for the best. Despite my failings, I think Laurius would be worse off if left alone here. This place is not good for him,"] Havi sighed. ["Thank you and Ren for the idea. Laurius seems more confident about where to look."]

Laurius’s eyebrows raised at the mention of him seeming confident. He didn’t feel anything of the sort. But there was a direction—a better idea than sitting on the stone steps outside hoping the sister’s would come waltzing in.

“Ask her if her father wouldn’t mind depositing money into an Arken bank and sending us a bill of exchange, for whatever he would imagine a child who can see dead people would be worth,” he said as a joke. But, then again… Actually, now that the words were in the air, they weren’t so bad of an idea.

He walked back to Havitharon and poked the rock with a single finger. [“We need money. A good bit of it. What you sent us off with wasn’t enough. Can you get us money?”]

Tenara blinked. [“How much?”]

[“A lot.”]

[“How much is a lot, Laurius. You’re talking to a princess, we have different perspectives of what a lot is.”]

Laurius thought, looking at where Lee still had half her head poked around the door. [“One to two thousand gold.”]

[“Oh. Well, that’s not a lot—“]

[“It is if you’re broke, Tenara.”] He pinched the bridge of his nose. [“Find a way to get us the money. Else, Havitharon is going to end up in a coma or I’m going to have to crawl under a desk and blow an old man…”] Laurius faded off, having not really meant to say the last part. [“I’m due for my shift watching the gates. I’ll check the log book for Cian when I get down there.”]

Laurius hesitated, wanting to speak again to Ren. But now his mood was sour. He could only seem to think of Oberin’s happy grin and his stomach turned. He winced, and reluctantly left the room. He patted Lee once on the head, and headed out the door.

Havi stared at Laurius in disbelief. He hadn't even considered that Tenara's family might have the resources to get them out of the hole he'd dug them. They'd gone so long without communication from the palace that they gave up counting on it.

[Thank you, Yurivis,] he whispered to the stone, glancing at the one curious eye peeping at him from the doorway. It quickly flashed away. [Would it be acceptable if I bring the child back with us, until we can find someplace suitable for her?]

Tenara was still stuck on Laurius’s ultimatum. She had to shake her head and replay Havitharon’s question. [“Of course, of course. It wouldn’t be right to leave her there with those people.”] Tenara didn’t want to think about what might have happened to the girl already, or what Havitharon had seen that would make him rush to take her in. Her heart began to ache at the thought. [“It must have been awful, whatever you saw… Is it as terrible as Aunt Lelana says it is?”]

Havi pretended not to notice the small face that had skulked back into the crack in the doorway. ["I have not heard Lelana speak of this place, but perhaps it is."] He wasn't sure if he would upset her by admitting he didn't know anymore what counted as extraordinary on this world, or if perhaps all of it was awful. He hadn't seen many examples to the contrary. ["Arroes was a rough city, but that is not how I would describe it here. It is as if the people here are deliberately... competitively cruel.]

Tenara frowned. [“I’m sorry you have to be there…”] She wanted to tell him he would be back to her soon, but she had likely already said as much, and he really had no control over the timeline and it would only make him feel bad if he couldn’t fulfill that request.

A hard knock sounded from the apartment front door, causing Lee to squeak and scurry away.

Havi's head twitched up, focused on the door. ["It is late. Please be well, and contact us any time."] He used the wall for backup as he climbed to his feet and found his balance upright. What was delirium before felt more like a dull throb after speaking with his Yurivis. The sleep probably hadn't hurt, either. "Do not go first," he said to Laurius, slipping the stone into his pocket. "I will open it."

Laurius had paused near the door, where he'd grabbed his things to take and sit in the courtyard with. It wasn't much, just a ratty journal he pretended (sometimes) to write in so no one would get suspicious about why he lurked there all the time, watching the gate. He glanced to where Lee was disappearing back into her room, quietly shutting the door. A cat going back to her hiding spot. "It's probably just Oberin coming to see how his investment is healing," Laurius muttered, holding the journal to his chest and waiting.

"I don't want you alone with that man," Havitharon growled, looking at the door like he wanted to break its neck. "Something is wrong with you when you are near him."

Laurius stiffened, feeling suddenly exposed—as if Havitharon had stripped him naked and pushed him into the sun. Then, his face scrunched with snarl and he stepped forward. "I am not a damsel you need to protect. I am not Tenara," he muttered, moving toward the door. He twisted the handle and pulled it open, finding exactly who he suspected on the other side of the door.

"Good evening," the professor said, letting himself into the room. He clasped his hands behind his back, gaze sweeping the space, no doubt looking to see if Lee was about. Then, Oberin's dark eyes settled on Havitharon. "Well, good to see you on your feet. Are you nearly ready for the next trial?"

"There will not be another trial," Laurius said. "I managed to get in touch with my accountant, and they are sending an exchange note here. It should more than cover Lee's purchase."

Oberin slowly looked away from Havitharon. "Do you often cover your help's debts?"

"I am a generous employer," Laurius replied, smile tight.

Oberin seemed to chew something, stepping further into the room. "I should see her," he said. "Just to make sure you haven't done away with her. If the deal goes sour, and you can't get the funds, I will need to take her back. Where is she? Come out Lee."

Havitharon prowled across the small space, placing himself ominously between Oberin and the child's room. "No further than my back," he warned the child, never breaking focus on Oberin. Frankly, he couldn't care less if she wanted to refused to come out entirely. The only reason he wasn't threatening the professor about the proximity of the window at the moment was his recent clarity that he barely understood the situation. Mouthing off to Oberin could unwittingly make things worse.

Lee was ever obedient. It was, as Oberin would often remind her, one of her best qualities. She slowly opened the door and stepped out, keeping her eye on her feet as she inched into view.

Oberin looked her over, taking in her cleanliness and new dress, the fresh bandage around her missing eye. Laurius edged into view. "As you can see, she's perfectly fine. More than cared for," he said.

"Come here, child. Let me see you," Oberin said, and Lee stepped a little closer, but didn't dare disobey her new master, who had told her—at least, she thought she had heard him correctly—not to go in front of him. But, Oberin's hand reached out, fingers scrunching for her to come closer, and conditioned instincts told her to do as he asked. Before she even really knew her feet were moving, she was standing just in his reach.

Oberin rested his hand on her soft, clean hair. She stood very still. Very quiet. Waiting.

"One thousand gold," Laurius said. "Given her... talents. I think that's fair."

"One thousand?" Oberin said, brushing the back of his finger along Lee's cheek. "If you're good for it."

Laurius bristled. "If I'm good for it?"

"Well, I've heard a lot of nasty rumors recently," Oberin said. "But, if you're good for it. I'll collect tomorrow."

"Give me two days, just to make sure my accountant—"

"Tomorrow afternoon. Any accountant worth their salt can send a crow with an exchange note, and Ighten isn't so terribly far away," Oberin said, brushing the back of his finger down Lee's cheek. "Come to my home for dinner. Alone this time." Oberin sighed and looked up at Havitharon. "You've taken good care of her. If you have trouble getting her to behave, I find she responds very quickly to a good caning."