Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree

"Oh, uh, I don't really need--" she risked a quick glance up to his face, but quickly looked back at the floor. "Aleth -- I mean, no, no that is not what I mean." She said quickly then swallowed hard, feeling like a moth drawn to a candle. She needed to see how bad his reaction was going to be. "There's just... not much left for... Tadaaki needs it more than me. I'm small."

Tomhas nodded slowly, chewing his lip thoughtfully. "I see. Well, let's go cheat, then. Come on!" He whirled and began to stride toward the stairs, then paused. "If you'd care to raid the kitchens, of course. I do it all the time, whether it's my home or not. Bad habit born of bad childrearing techniques and a terrible older brother."

Ky smiled weakly. He was so much kinder than she deserved. "That sounds nice."

She tried to walk towards him, but couldn't seem to fall into a normally paced gait. She stared at the ground, embarrassed, as she shuffled forward as quickly as she could. "Apologies."

Tomhas watched her, wincing. "On second though, wait here." He bounded off down the stairs.

Several minutes later he returned with an armful of bread loaves, dried fruits, fresh vegetables, and some salted jerky.
"I couldn't find water so I brought this instead." He held up a bottle of milk. "Best I could do. Sorry." Tomhas offered her one of the loaves of bread, then settled down on the floor a good distance from Aleth's door.

Ky watched him run off, perplexed. Was a Lord actually running to --? Panic surged through her as she had the horrifying realization that he was going off to fetch something for her. Ky shuffled further down the hall, safely away from Aleth, grateful for the privacy so she could lean against the wall.

"Your lordship, I--" she felt tears prick at her eyes and she quickly blinked them away, forcing herself to take a deep breath. She rested her arm across her abdomen and realized she wasn't wearing the binder. Ah, well. It's not like he didn't already know, though she did wonder if he noticed. "You're too kind to me, sir."

But she took the bread, feeling overwhelmed by his kindness, but gratefully sank down to the floor as well. She focused her gaze on the bread as she ripped off a piece of it and gratefully chewed on it, already feeling her stomach unclench a bit.

Tomhas dumped the rest of the food on the floor between them and stretched out his long legs, then picked up his own loaf. Rather than rip a piece off he simply bit straight in; he figured he would finish this loaf and still be hungry. Gaius had always remarked on how different they were in that respect; he could barely finish a bite while Tomhas could clear out an entire pantry and stay the same weight as before.
"I find I'm too kind to a lot of people that don't deserve it," he replied around a large mouthful. "I don't think that's the case here."

Ky was grateful he started eating too, so it didn't feel like he'd gone exclusively to fetch things for her. She smiled at him a bit, pulling her knees up closer to her chest. It was nice to be able to do it. Her binder always restricted her so much, and while her abdomen still kind of ached from it, it always felt so freeing to take it off. She rubbed her abdomen."Thank you."

She glanced down the hall again. "Could I maybe..." She looked back at Loquitur nervously. It felt so disrespectful to ask for a favor, but it wasn't for her. And he'd already been so kind. "Take one of the rolls for Tadaaki? He's also not been getting much of the--" She cut herself off. She couldn't admit that Aleth was taking almost all of it for himself. "We're both just very hungry... but if not, that's fine, too, of course," she added quickly. "We're fine. It's not a big deal. We understand why it's necessary."

"Certainly. Take it all, in fact. Gods know I don't need it." Tomhas took another large bite. "I used to do this all the time as a little boy. I'd sneak down in the middle of the night and take whatever might be for breakfast the next morning, and sometimes Michael would lose his special desserts mysteriously." He chuckled, then his smile faded. "That never ended well."

Ky looked at him sadly. Had his brother treated him the same way Aleth treated her? And his father too? That seemed so awful. At least she'd gotten a childhood of peace... Well, part of a childhood.

"Oh, no, sir, please eat," she murmured. She'd feel so guilty if he stopped. "We don't need much. I could even just split this loaf with him." She held it up a bit, realizing she was about half way through it. Her stomach wasn't aching quite as much now. "We don't need much."

"I'm a noble," Tomhas pointed out. "I wake up and there's an entire feast laid out for me on a daily basis. Take all the food, please. I'll make do with this lovely white bread here."

"Yes, sir," she murmured. What was she even going to do with all the food? Aleth would be so angry if he knew she was out here with Loquitur. That she'd cheated on their diet and got to eat an entire loaf by herself. Well... if he was going to insist... she decided she could finish her loaf herself and take the rest back to Tadaaki.

She sat in silence for a moment. She felt like she should say something, but what could she even say? She couldn't say anything Aleth. Or, really, say anything at all. It seemed disrespectful to speak without being spoken to. But it was making her uncomfy to be sitting in the hall without him in silence. Her voice was quiet when she finally found it. "Have you enjoyed your visit, sir?"

Tomhas raised an eyebrow. That was a good question. He'd been pleased to see his daughter, certainly, but what she was going through was nothing a father wanted to see happen to his child. He'd had fun talking with the Ladies Barraster on the way there, and needling Tarr was always a treat so long as Lyra didn't suffer for it. Which she did, now. And Ky was an interesting addition to the equation. She and the other two, really. They were wild cards. Aleth had no stakes in the game except for money, and his two servants had no goals except to stay in his favor, it seemed. Terrible as it was, it was a bit of a wakeup call for Tomhas.
"No," he said finally. "No, I don't think I have, Ky."

"I'm sorry to hear that, sir." Ky felt sadness for him. He was too kind to not enjoy himself. She doubted there was anything she could do, but she was good at some things that might bring him joy. "Is there anything I can do to help that, sir?"

A surprising question; perhaps she wasn't as timid as he thought.
"I sincerely doubt that," Tomhas sighed. "You'll be leaving tomorrow so there'll be no one for my daughter to talk to but me, and I'm afraid speaking to her is a bit of a risk. Tarr's a controlling piece of shit. I almost wish I could give him a taste of his own medicine." He swallowed a third bite of bread. "No sense in perpetuating violence, though."

"Yes, sir," she murmured. She sighed softly. They were leaving tomorrow, weren't they? Back to being fully under Aleth's thumb. He'd at least had to be quiet in the little discipline she'd gotten here -- she could even move her shoulder again, already. She was a bit sore from all the training, but she was getting better at it. But she doubted she'd eat again until they got to the Ash estate. She swallowed hard, hoping she didn't look like a kicked puppy. "I'm sorry to be leaving her ladyship, I quite liked talking to her... but I'm excited for the trip."

She hoped the genuineness of her first comment would be enough to sell the second half of a lie.