Two narrows his eyes at them. "That was cruel of you. She has done nothing but been kind to you. To try and help you. She gave you armor, wine, her trust. Everything she could give you. It was her who arranged the wine in your room when we got back to the palace, not Rayya."
-
Aaron manages to keep his face composed. "I see."
"In my life, I have been a thief, a bodyguard, an executioner, a murderer, and an assassin. I have killed for love, fame, and money. Among other reasons. Did your fortune teller tell you that?"
He shakes his head. "Not even close. But...why are you telling me this?"
"You think you want me to be your lover. You need to know."
"Um...anything else, I guess?"
She nods. "I killed five asur and ate their hearts."
"She probably only did it for him," Gath motions toward Goddard. "And for someone who has dealt so, intimately, with druchii, she should know better. What was she expecting? Sunshine like the tha..." he pauses and looks at Goddard.
ReplyDelete"Yes Gath, stop talking. Before you say something else that'll get you worse than a black eye."
"Does it matter if it was for his benefit or yours? She's a decent person! The least you could have done was tried to respect that." He turns away and keys down. "Go away."
ReplyDelete-
Aaron turns pale at her confession. "That isn't funny."
She makes a mudra for truth. "It isn't," she says matter of factly. "It's the truth. I'm also incredibly jealous. I refuse to give up Goddard. He is my first, last, and always. You will never be a priority over him, and you will never be welcome around him. I have a penchant for knives, but I'm sure I can set that aside for you-"
"Aara, wait," he chuckles, taking her hands. "I'm leaving in a few hours. All these rules, these confessions. They don't mean anything."
"They do if you believe your own tale."
He laughs and squeezes her hands. "I don't expect anything right now. It- I- can wait. But...why are you telling me all this?"
She shrugs. "I'm tired of hiding. Of keeping secrets."
"Idiot humans," Gath snorts. "Come on," he grabs Goddard by the wrist and drags him along.
ReplyDelete"Fix your own eye," he snaps, and sits at his desk.
"What?"
"Fix it yourse..."
Gath slowly twists a piece of Goddard's hair in his finger. "Fix it or..."
"Or what? You'll do something to me? I'll probably like it. And if you do anything worse, I can summon thorns into your chest."
He grins, tilting her chin up. "I don't care what you hide. What you keep to yourself. All I know is I met a beautiful woman last night with a wicked right hook, and I'm utterly enchanted."
ReplyDeleteAara laughs, and he turns so she can see the bruise blossoming on his jaw. "I went easy on you," she tells him.
"Will you forgive me for being an utter ass last night?"
She nods, a smile creeping at the edges of her mouth. "Yes."
His grave expression changes by degrees until he's smiling charmingly. "Will you forgive me for making you uncomfortable?"
Her smile grows. "Yes."
He leans in close, his lips inches from hers. "Will you kiss me goodbye?"
She leans back, her smile still in place. "No."
His smile doesn't waver, and he laughs. "I hope, one day, you will." He fishes into his pocket for a scrap of paper and presses it into her hand. "Write to me, at this address. I'll get it."
"I don't even know where I'm going."
"Doesn't matter. Tell me your secrets. Tell me anything. Let me know you're alive now and then." He kisses her temple gently. "Goodbye, Aara."
She watches him go, feeling strangely hollow. Purging herself felt...good.
Goddard sighs. "I'm not going to help you if you're going to act like a huge jerk. We aren't in Naggaroth and I know that makes you mad. I know you're not stupid and you can adapt or something. It's not so bad and if you'd just calm down, you may actually like it here with us. You could have friends. Wouldn't that be nice?" He smiles up at Gath.
ReplyDelete"You were dropped on your head as a child, weren't you..."
"Probably," Goddard shrugs. "Does it hurt?"
"Yes. I've never heard anything so cavity inducing..."
"Not that! Your eye."
"No it doesn't." Gath flops down onto the bed and goes back to his book.
"Good. I don't have to feel bad like I'm leaving you to suffer." Goddard turns back to his desk. "If it makes you feel any better, black eye or not, I still like your face."
Aara watches the sun rise, enjoying the quiet company of the dead. She meditates, allowing her thoughts to wander until they settle into a rhythm.
ReplyDelete"I suppose I can apologize to her when she gets back."
ReplyDeleteGoddard turns around his chair. "You'd do that?"
Gath turns a page. "Sure."
"I'm not expecting you to be a cuddly puppy you know. Just a little more agreeable. If I were like any other druchii, we wouldn't be here talking. One of us would be dead by now. That has to be very different. Can you at least appreciate that much?"
Goddard yawns and lays on the bed again. Gath moves his arm so it's above and around Goddard's head and Goddard chuckles. "I'm still not going to fix it. It'll have to heal on it's own."
Gath makes a grumbling sound and shifts his arm so his elbow rests on the top of Goddard's head instead.
Her stomach grumbles, and she sighs. "I should get food, I guess..." Unfolding herself from the bench, she stretches. "After the hours, I think."
ReplyDeleteIn the peaceful silence of the cemetery, Aara draws her daggers and starts going through the motions.
Goddard eventually dozes off after his exhaustion sets in. He dreams about Gath, Aara, Two and himself finally getting along but each time they seem to be doing well, everything falls apart and then the dream resets with a new scenario ending in someone getting hurt.
ReplyDeleteSheathing her daggers, she sighs and stretches her arms above her head.
ReplyDelete"You look exhausted."
Looking over her shoulder, she sees Two leaning on the fence. "So do you."
"But I went to sleep. You got what, an hour?"
She shrugs, cupping her elbows in her hands and squinting in the sunlight. "Did Goddard talk to you?"
He nods. "Yes. And I don't care."
"I do."
"I know. But it doesn't define you." He grins. "He still has that black eye, unless the Sheik fixed it recently."
Her expression goes flat. "I don't want to talk about him."
Two pushes himself off the fence and opens the gate for her. "Fine. Let's go find breakfast."
Goddard gradually opens his eyes and sees Gath standing by the desk. "Are you still obsessing over your eye?" he mumbles sleepily.
ReplyDelete"I've fixed it."
"What did you do?" Goddard slowly moves across the room and brushes Gath's hair to the side with his hand. He stifles a laugh. "An eye patch?"
Gath frowns.
"Oh no no I like it," Goddard grins. "You look like you belong on a ship, but..." he reaches up and peeks under the patch. "Your face will be perfect again in no time. Let's go get something to eat then find Aara."
She hesitates. "You mean it? You aren't disgusted or horrified?"
ReplyDelete"Over what? Four, you only did what you were trained to do, in a bad situation, under magical influence."
"I ate hearts."
"Pretty certain that gave you indigestion."
"Two, you don't-"
"Understand? Yes, I do." He walks over and puts his hands on her shoulders. "You did what you did because you had to. You keep saying you did it for Goddard, but you did it for me, and Rayya, and Koroush, and so many others. You sacrificed a huge part of yourself, for us." He gives her a gentle shake. "Now come on, I'm starving."
Looking up at him, she smiles as they leave the cemetery. "You know, you aren't the idiot you act like."
He laughs and outs an arm around her. "All part of the act. Rafiq the Unmarked is no fool."
They walk down the street looking for a place to have breakfast. Goddard goes to walk through the door of a tavern and Gath tugs on his robes. "Do you really want to go there? With that rude human from last night?"
ReplyDeleteGoddard seems hesitant then nods. "We'll use it as an opportunity to start fresh. We're elves. We can be civilized and act like we're over 50 right?"
"Where are we going?" Aara asks. Two is leading her around d as if he knows where he's going.
ReplyDelete"We are going to go see Daisy," he declares. "I didn't see her again last night, and I want to make it right." He reaches out and plucks a small red rose from a climbing vine along a fence. Pausing, he tucks it behind her ear and smiles. "There. Anyone can look at the flower and not notice the shadows under your eyes."
She hits him lightly and starts walking. "I hate you."
He laughs as he catches up to her.
They enter the tavern and take a seat at one of the tables. "This isn't so bad is it?"
ReplyDelete"Not yet," Gath mumbles.
"Do you think she'll have you now?"
ReplyDeleteHe shrugs. "At least you know Gath won't go back. I've seen broken eggshells stronger than his ego."
"I'm starving. I hope they have something good for breakfast."
ReplyDelete"My lord, you're always starving. How is that even possible?"
They go inside and sit at a small table near the window. Aara lays her head down, soaking in the warmth of the light
ReplyDeleteGath notices Aara and Two first. Goddard turns around to follow Gath's gaze and smiles. "Oh perfect! We can have breakfast with them, you can apologize, we'll have a less violent day...maybe."
ReplyDelete"You're usually all doom and gloom. Are you feeling well? Is your insanity acting up again?"
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asks.
ReplyDeleteShe shrugs. "It's not important. Nothing has happened since it showed up besides some nightmares and what are probably hallucinations."
"Still, that kind of...scar...it's important."
"To who? Gath? I'm starting to care less and less whether or not he's even alive."
"To the Inquisition, maybe?"
She shrugs again. "Starting to care less about that, too. The church had me once, Goddard too. We were released."
Eyes wide, he shakes his head and starts to laugh. "You are the luckiest person in the world."
Looking up at him from the table, she grins and her eyes sparkle. "I know. Change the subject."
"What were you doing in the cemetery?"
"Telling the hours, stupid."
"Before that."
"Talking."
"With the dead?"
She laughs and sits up, running a hand through her hair. "Maybe you are as dumb as you pretend
"Let's go," Goddard says.
ReplyDelete"This isn't going to work. Whatever it is you're trying to do."
"It might. It won't make things any worse will it?" Goddard walks over and stands beside Aara. "Good morning lecai."
"Good morning," she laughs, scooting over so he can join her in the booth. "Did you get some sleep?"
ReplyDelete"Enough to get out of bed." He sits next to her and motions for Gath to get closer. "Gath has something to say."
ReplyDeleteShe narrows her eyes, but remains mostly impassive. "Does he?" She waves down a waitress going by and lets Two order breakfast.
ReplyDeleteGath puts his hands behind his back. "My apologies for last night."
ReplyDeleteShe raises an eyebrow and glances at Goddard. "Fine."
ReplyDelete"That's an acceptable answer right Gath?" Goddard interrupts him before he has a chance to say anything. "Now sit down and we'll get something to eat unless..." he looks at Aara and Two, "you'd rather just have breakfast alone."
ReplyDelete"No need, Sheik," Two says. As he speaks, four platters of food arrive, piled high with eggs, sausage, slices of fried potatoes, toast, butter and jam. Another waitress follows with two mugs of hot coffee.
ReplyDelete"Drinks?" the girl asks Gath and Goddard.
Aara looks at all the food in front of her, suddenly feeling a little sick. "Eat," Two commands.
"Two coffees," Goddard says.
ReplyDelete"What is that?"
"What? Coffee? You've never had coffee?"
Gath gives Goddard a disappointed look. "What do you think..."
"It's life," Two says, pouring sweetened milk into his.
ReplyDelete"You child," Aara teases, sipping her own. "Drink it like a man, why don't you?"
Two glares at her a second. "Why? You're drinking it like one."
Gath looks down into the cup of coffee then up at Goddard.
ReplyDelete"Taste it. And if you don't like the fact that it's as bitter and as dark as your soul, you can add milk and sugar."
Aara stares straight ahead at Two over her cup, barely able to keep her face calm. Oh Uzzaya! An eyepatch! Oh it's glorious! I can see the bruising around it and across his nose!
ReplyDelete"Four, you aren't eating," Two says with a grin as he stabs an egg and shoves it unto his mouth.
She raises a brow at him. "You don't honestly expect me to eat all this?"
He nods. "I do. If you don't, I'll get your Sheik to make you eat."
She lowers her cup, slightly outraged. "He wouldn't!"
Aara stares straight ahead at Two over her cup, barely able to keep her face calm. Oh Uzzaya! An eyepatch! Oh it's glorious! I can see the bruising around it and across his nose!
ReplyDelete"Four, you aren't eating," Two says with a grin as he stabs an egg and shoves it unto his mouth.
She raises a brow at him. "You don't honestly expect me to eat all this?"
He nods. "I do. If you don't, I'll get your Sheik to make you eat."
She lowers her cup, slightly outraged. "He wouldn't!"
Goddard shakes his head,. After swallowing a mouthful of food, he says, "She can do whatever she wants."
ReplyDeleteGath takes a sip of the coffee and immediately puts the cup down. He keeps adding milk and sugar, tasting each time.
Goddard raises a brow. "Someone has a sweet tooth."
"Ha," she says smugly, spearing a potato. "You can't make me do anything."
ReplyDeleteHe murmurs at her in Arabyan, and she looks down, seemingly chastised. "Good point." She picks at her food, actually eating a decent portion of it.
Goddard eats everything on his plate while Gath picks at some things more than others.
ReplyDelete"How are you not the size of a ship?"
"Demon possession," Goddard says in eltharin, wanting to completely avoid anyone over hearing and taking his joke seriously.
"I see. Your coffee stuff isn't half bad."
"Anything is good when you put that much sugar in it."
Aara shifts her plate to the side and lays her head on her arms, watching everyone else. "You never did say who you were talking to," Two says. "In the cemetery."
ReplyDeleteShe smiles. "No, I did not. You seem to this k I was talking to dead people. That's Goddard's domain."
Goddard looks up after hearing his name and dead people. "Who do you need me to talk to? You want me to talk to someone?"
ReplyDeleteShe chuckles. "No. He asked what I was doing in the cemetery all this time, and when I said I'd been talking, this idiot assumes I was talking to the dead."
ReplyDelete"To be fair, you talk to yourself a lot."
"Oh. They usually don't have much to say anyway. At least the ones I've had to talk to."
ReplyDelete"Sometimes I want intelligent conversation," she sneers at Two. "Besides, I did most of the talking anyway."
ReplyDelete"To who?"
She grins and playfully hides her face behind Goddards arm. "Ooh, this is killing you," she giggles. "Now I won't tell at all."
Goddard looks at Aara. "Talking to an actual alive human besides yourself? Hmmm..."
ReplyDelete"Oh don't even pretend to be curious," she tells him, slipping under his arm. "We both know you don't care."
ReplyDelete"Th-that's right! Don't care in the slightest bit..."
ReplyDeleteShe grins over at Two, looking smug and eyes sparkling. "Not the slightest bit."
ReplyDeleteTwo glares at her. "Is this person going to be a problem?"
Her grin gets a fraction wider. "Gods, I hope so."
Goddard chokes on his coffee. "I see...well...that's fine..."
ReplyDeleteShe looks up at him, eyes wide and innocent. "Nuur'eni! Are you all right?"
ReplyDelete"Yes I'm fine," he mumbles. "Just uh drinking too fast..."
ReplyDelete"You've never choked on wine before and you seemed to drink as fast I can."
"Gath! Coffee is different so shut up."
She snickers. "Be careful, hyati."
ReplyDeleteTwo shrugs, giving up, and slides her plate in front of him to finish it.
"Yeah Yeah I'll be careful." Goddard picks a few pieces of food from the things Gath doesn't want to eat.
ReplyDeleteDaisy enters the tavern, and Two's head shoots up. "Excuse me," he says, slurping down the last of his coffee. "I'll see you later, Four."
ReplyDeleteShe laughs and shakes her head. "He is the worst retainer ever."
"So, now that he's gone, who was it?" Goddard asks nonchalantly.
ReplyDeleteShe snorts. "Does it matter?"
ReplyDelete"No!" Goddard quickly takes a few gulps of his coffee.
ReplyDeleteGath chuckles softly.
"All right then. I had a talk, I feel better, that's all that matters."
ReplyDelete"As long as you're happy," he sighs in agreement.
ReplyDeleteShe nods and stretches up to kiss his jaw. "Yes, nuur'eni."
ReplyDeleteGoddard smiles and finishes off his coffee. "Well I'm stuffed. Anywhere you want to go? Anyone you uh want to see?"
ReplyDelete"I don't know anything about this city." She frowns. "And who would I want to see here?"
ReplyDelete"I don't know! You've met people I'm sure! I know I've met people! Like everyone in the college and that Daisy woman...you know...people...and maybe you want to buy new clothes. We can do normal Empire things that don't involve camels and sand."
ReplyDeleteShe laughs. "Camels and sand are normal." She holds her hands open and palm up. "Lead me on, love."
ReplyDelete"Clothes it is then. We'll get you some new warm things to wear under your lion."
ReplyDelete"Oh. Um." She laughs a little. "I didn't bring it."
ReplyDelete"Of course you wouldn't," he laughs. "That'd be too warm for Araby? Then we have to get you warm stuff in general."
ReplyDelete"I didn't kill it," she says softly. "I thought it might look like I was taking credit. The creature, at least, was sweet."
ReplyDelete"I told those idiots not to go crazy and they did. Always my luck to have druchii under my command who don't listen." Goddard clears his throat and looks at Gath.
ReplyDelete"Hmm what did you say my lord?"
"All the same, I left it. Rayya said she had plans for it."
ReplyDelete"We'll just window shop until you see something that calls to you. Same goes for you Gath ."
ReplyDelete"What could possibly call to me?"
"Food. Hats. Eye patches..."
"What?"
"What?"
She smiles and loops her arm through Goddard's, looking at the shop windows without really seeing anything.
ReplyDelete"How about that?" Goddard points to an orange dress.
ReplyDelete"That's hideous."
"You aren't going to wear it Gath. Your opinion doesn't matter."
"That's nice," she says. "It'll look lovely with your complexion."
ReplyDelete"Really? You don't think he's too pale? Most colors don't look too good on me and I'm just as pale," Goddard chuckles. "You look good in every color, Aara."
ReplyDeleteShe rolls her eyes. "Being an exotic flower and all, I can do that," she laughs.
ReplyDeleteGoddard stops in front of a store full of different foods and treats. "I...need to get something," he says softly.
ReplyDeleteShe nods, clasping her hands in front of her. "I'll wait here," she tells him.
ReplyDeleteGoddard disappears into the store and Gath looks in through the window. "What's he getting? That stuff all looks terrible for you"
ReplyDeleteForgetting her grudge against Gath, she answers him softly. "Chocolate."
ReplyDeleteWhen Goddard finally exits, he kisses Aara on the cheek and hands a small square wrapped in paper. He then stands in front of Gath and hands him the same sort of square. "Just...eat it. Please. And don't say anything snarky."
ReplyDeleteGath takes the square, unwraps it and eats it. Goddard watches him expectantly.
She smiles a little sadly at the pink paper. "It's pink," she chuckles. "I think he secretly liked it."
ReplyDeleteShe unwraps it carefully, tucking the ribbon into her pocket.
Gath roll his eyes and pats the top of Goddard's head.
ReplyDeleteGoddard carefully tucks a few more squares away in a pocket and goes back to walk with Aara.
One day I'll tell him all about it... she thinks. One day he'll ask to hear the story.
ReplyDeleteSqueezing his hand, she obediently looks through the windows they pass. "What are we shopping for, exactly?"
"Anything, everything, nothing," he shrugs. "Window shopping was one of my favorite pastimes. I'd want so many things and never got a single one," Goddard laughs.
ReplyDeleteAara stops in her tracks in front of a window. On a mannequin is a stunning gown of plum silk, cap sleeves sitting off the shoulder, full fluffy skirts, and covered in glittering crystals a shade deeper.
ReplyDelete"That's...lovely," she breathes.
"That's different. For you anyway," he smiles. "Do you want to try it on?
ReplyDeleteShe hesitates for a moment before grabbing his hand and pulling him inside.
ReplyDeleteGath holds a hand up. "I'll just wait out here. Don't get lost in all that fabric." He leans against the side of the building as Goddard heads inside with Aara.
ReplyDeleteThe salesgirl looks dubious when Aara says she wants to try on the dress, but removes it from the window anyway and tells Goddard to sit.
ReplyDelete"You'll have a bit of a wait," she tells Goddard as Aara goes into a dressing room. "We're going to have to try and fit it. She's far too small for this gown."
Goddard tries not to smile too big at the mention of Aara's of size and sits down. After only a few seconds, he hunches his back and understands why Gath didn't want to come inside.
ReplyDeleteAara winces as the girl gasps when she sees her undressed. "Oh gods!" the girl cries. "What has happened to you?"
ReplyDeleteEmbarrassed, Aara covers her neck with her hands, her general nudity not bothering as much. "Um, shipwreck?"
"And your arms..."
"Can I just try on the dress?"
The girl gives her a smile that makes Aara grit her teeth. "I need to get some pins. It's going to be too big on you."
By the time she's been ticked and pinned into the gown, she's beginning to regret this choice. "Is that your...ah, gentleman?" The girl asks.
"Yes," Aara responds smugly. "And his gentleman is outside." She snorts when the girl's hand slips and stabs her with a pin. "Careful," Aara snickers. "That kind of flirtation will get you everywhere."
Leaving the girl behind her, she picks up the skirts and sweeps into the main showroom, sunlight catching the cut beads and making every move sparkle.
"So...?" she asks Goddard.
Goddard can't help but grin when Aara walks out. "You look amazing, but then again, you'd look amazing in anything lecai. I especially like the color. I may be a bit biased."
ReplyDelete"I like the color too." She swishes around a little, the skirt dragging. "But utterly ridiculous," she laughs.
ReplyDeleteHe stands up and walks around her once, paying attention to where it was pinned. "Hmm if you want it and we do this right, you could get two dresses out of this. Maybe a matching scarf?"
ReplyDeleteShe laughs. "Possibly. But what would I do with this? How would I pack it?" Looking into the large mirror, she tilts her head. "Just packing it would ruin it."
ReplyDelete"It isn't very practical either. Could you imagine doing everything we've done in that? Even just riding a horse would be a task. You'd have to just stand around, looking pretty."
ReplyDeleteShe nods. "Extremely impractical. This is something Rayya would put me in." She sighs and shifts, watching the light move. "But lovely..." Gathering up her skirts, she turns for the dressing room and the frowning girl. "I suppose I should get out of this."
ReplyDelete"We can still get it if you want it," he calls before she disappears to change.
ReplyDelete"There's no point." Aara grins as the girl quickly and silently gets her unpinned and left alone. Dressed in her own clothes, she returns to Goddard. "Beautiful, but not for us, I think."
ReplyDelete"Do you want to try on any more? Waste some more of their time" he chuckles. "Or have you had enough?"
ReplyDelete"I think she might try and stab me," Aara whispers. "Maybe we should go."
ReplyDeleteHe nods with a grin.
ReplyDelete"Oh! She didn't get lost," Gath says when they step out.
Aara smirks. "I'm not that easily lost."
ReplyDeleteGath smirks, wanting to say something and Goddard elbows him hard in the ribs, knowing what he's probably going to say.
ReplyDelete"I suppose your bony elbows could make good weapons if you tried hard enough," Gath mumbles.
She manages not to laugh and walks on, looking in the store windows.
ReplyDelete"I can't imagine how hard you'd laugh if I actually hurt him," Goddard laughs.
ReplyDelete"I'm not sure you could my lord."
She shrugs. "Probably as much as you did when I beat up Tannin."
ReplyDelete"I think it's just funnier when you do it because you're so small and pretty." Goddard turns to Gath, looks at his face, stifles a laugh and turns away.
ReplyDeleteGath snarls a bit but stays quiet.
She snorts and says nothing.
ReplyDelete"Hmmm I suppose it was only a little bit scary. I thought you two were going to shred each other. I'm glad you didn't," Goddard smiles.
ReplyDelete"Oh look, an apothecary," she says, purposefully not responding to his comment. "I need more gut and bandages."
ReplyDeleteGoddard nods. "Yes. I'm sure they will come in handy, especially for Two. Oh! Maybe we can find you some medical books. You can never enough too many references."
ReplyDeleteShe raises an eyebrow as they go in. Is something bothering him?
ReplyDelete"You don't have to buy everything I see, Goddsrd," she laughs.
"I know I don't have to. I just want you to have whatever you want. Whatever will make you happy."
ReplyDeleteShe sighs, selecting a thinner gut than she's used to and finer needles. "Well, I am fine," she tells him, examining a scalpel set on display. "Might need more coffee later, but fine all the same."
ReplyDelete"Is there something we can add to that coffee to make it more...interesting?" Gath asks. "It was good. But it could be better."
ReplyDelete"I'm sure we could find something," Goddard says, picking up some sort of strange medical tool and examining it. "This shouldn't look fun should it?" he mumbles to himself.
She giggles and whispers in his ear what it's for.
ReplyDeleteGoddard looks down at it, horrified, and quickly puts it back down. "That is definitely not fun."
ReplyDelete"Definitely not, my heart," she laughs. She wanders to a wall of herbs, wondering if she should make her sleeping tea stronger. "Hmm, belladonna might help," she murmurs.
ReplyDeleteGoddard stands next to her. "Be careful with that. Do you want some of what I take? You only need a little bit. I won't take it anymore. It works...too well."
ReplyDeleteShe shakes her head. "I need to be able to come out of it, but even when I don't dream it's not really restful. It's hard to relax enough. And Two keeps taking my knives," she grumbles.
ReplyDelete"We can buy you more?"
ReplyDelete"I'll get them back. He knows I can't sleep without one, and he thinks he has all of them now."
ReplyDeleteGoddard smiles slyly. "He hasn't learned of all the hiding places?"
ReplyDeleteShe looks down and pulls her coat closer around her. "I usually keep the jet pair in the bottom of my bag," she explains. "With the- that white dress."
ReplyDelete"You always want to be armed," Gath says. "You're lucky in that as long as you can talk, as annoying as it may be, you can defend yourself."
ReplyDeleteAara passes on the belladonna, instead picking out a few herbs before opening nears and sniffing salves.
ReplyDeleteGoddard narrows his eyes at Gath.
ReplyDelete"What?" Gath shrugs. "Should I go wait outside again? Darn...and I liked this dusty shop." He exits the apothecary and Goddard follows Aara.
"I'm sorry about him," Goddard mumbles.
She shrugs. "It doesn't matter. I know you adore him, but I really don't care about it any more."
ReplyDelete"I-I do not!"
ReplyDelete"Oh don't look at me like that," she laughs. "You were cuddling when I burst into your room last night."
ReplyDelete"We were not! And you didn't see when he threw me on the floor! Cuddling is mutual!"
ReplyDelete"You were! And if he's mean you love it," she laughs. "I don't mind, nuur'eni. Do what you want, with who. It doesn't matter so long as you wash up and come back."
ReplyDeleteGoddard tilts his head. "It's that noticeable? He wouldn't let me on my own bed until I washed up. If I ever do end up doing anything with anyone else ever again, I'll have to test this..."
ReplyDeleteShe nods. "You never noticed? Ever?"
ReplyDeleteGoddard scratches the tip of his nose thoughtfully. "I have no idea how I could have possibly missed that for so many years..."
ReplyDelete"It's also obvious how infatuated you are with him," she snickers. "Even more than anything else."
ReplyDeleteHe shakes his head. "No! How? NO! You're imagining things lecai."
ReplyDeleteShe laughs and shakes her head. "I'm not. You're just in denial." She takes her things to the counter and faces Goddard while the man wraps them and raises an eyebrow. "You might as well admit it. I have two working eyes."
ReplyDelete"I have nothing to admit! I never have anything to admit when it comes to anyone else and this is exactly the same."
ReplyDeleteShe laughs and shrugs, paying the storekeeper. "All right, nuur'eni. If that's what you want."
ReplyDelete"It is what I want!" he huffs.
ReplyDeleteShe pinches his backside as they walk out. "Fine. I won't bring it up again."
ReplyDelete"Ow...oh...Good!"
ReplyDelete"Finished with your potion supplies?"
"No!" Goddard snaps and walks ahead of both of them.
"What did you do? You know I have to deal with that right?"
She only grins at Goddard's back, swinging her package a little.
ReplyDeleteGoddard slows down enough so he's walking beside Aara again. "What else can we buy? Shoes? Jewelry?"
ReplyDelete"Shoes also provide a packing issue," she reminds him. "And I bought jewelry in Araby." She taps the side of her nose, pointing out her garnet stud.
ReplyDelete"We should get something useful. Like stones to sharpen weapons and armor and supplies to properly care for said armor," Gath chimes in.
ReplyDeleteAara pauses at a stall, admiring a length of plum colored silk on display.
ReplyDelete"Do you want that?" Goddard asks Aara.
ReplyDeleteGath walks up to Goddard, pats him down, finds a small pouch of gold and takes it. "Fine. I'll just go off on my own and be useful. This should be more than enough."
She chuckles when he's gone. "Somebody's a little prickly this morning."
ReplyDeleteGoddard blinks a few times then furrows his brow. "As a porcupine. He's mad about his damn eye. Well, that's what he gets!"
ReplyDelete"He should be grateful it was just his eye." She toys with the silk, wrapping it over arm and looking at the drape. "I'm surprised you didn't fix it."
ReplyDelete"Why? Because you think I adore him? Hmm? I just think he deserved it..."
ReplyDeleteShe rolls her eyes and puts the material down. "You do, and he does. And if you didn't, why would you be so content to cuddle up against him?"
ReplyDelete"He was in my bed and I wanted to lay down. That's happened with Two and you I'm sure."
ReplyDelete"Two doesn't sleep in my bed. If I cuddle with him, it's because I want to."
ReplyDelete"Well...I...you..." he hangs his head. "I kind of maybe like to play with his hair sometimes when he doesn't threaten to break my hands for it," he mumbles quickly.
ReplyDelete"It's all right, nuur'eni," she insists. "Don't sound so guilty."
ReplyDelete"It's one thing when it's someone random you'll never have to look at again, but because you hate him so and have to see him so often, I do feel guilty."
ReplyDelete"Hating him and not caring about him are two different things. Is that why you were so awkward when you thought Two and I were sleeping together?"
ReplyDelete"A little," he shrugs, "and...he seems like he'd try to get more from you. Emotionally and not just physical."
ReplyDelete"Is that what you're afraid of?" She asks, taking his hand. "That someone will steal my heart away?"
ReplyDeleteGoddard shrugs. "I'd at least like some warning if that were happen. So I can have time to cry and drink in preparation."
ReplyDelete"Hyati, are you ever going to understand how deeply I love you?" she asks, wrapping an arm around his waist. "No one could ever change that."
ReplyDelete"I know I know but that doesn't mean it still won't pop into my mind when you have people telling you deep tales of fortune tellers and then whatever it is Two does."
ReplyDeleteShe laughs. "I know exactly how you feel. It seems like I notice every sly or flirtatious look you get." She nods to a tall, statuesque woman with an abundance of red hair eying him. "Like that one."
ReplyDelete"You'd never have to worry about that with me though. As soon as I'm 'discovered' it'll be all over."
ReplyDelete"I'm sure another asur would be a little more accepting. They were at the auturri tower." She laughs, embarrassed. "It makes me a little insecure."
ReplyDeleteGoddard laughs. "Do you honestly think any of that could have been love?"
ReplyDelete"No, I know what it was. But maybe, with another asur..." She waves a hand as if dispelling a foul smell. "It's just an insecurity, just like yours. It's nothing."
ReplyDelete"Asur are worse than humans when it comes to my predicament," he sighs.
ReplyDeleteShe looks up at him, surprised. "Really? They've all seemed so...different."
ReplyDelete"Druchii tend to act a certain way if it will benefit them until it becomes more beneficial to kill you. Wood elves don't really like anyone anyway. And to them all, I'm an abomination. I'm not that brave," he chuckles. "There is no love for me with them. Only probably getting stabbed. Now humans, most humans would just run away screaming. I can deal with that."
ReplyDeleteShe grins and leans her head on his shoulder as they walk. "So what you're saying is that we are both needlessly insecure?"
ReplyDelete"You are. I'm not. The whole world is full of different races with different people who would try to steal my exotic flower away."
ReplyDelete"It's a good thing you know how to care for exotic flowers. A lesser gardener might let it wilt and die," she laughs. "You're so silly, nuur'eni. Who could possibly compare to my hero?"
ReplyDelete"Silly I get but gardener? Hero?" he chuckles.
ReplyDelete"You've saved me often enough to be qualified as a hero. And if I'm a flower, you're a gardener."
ReplyDelete