Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 4)

"Say the word and a search will be started. You have my word."

He was offering. She hadn’t asked. And he didn’t seem the type to offer something if he wasn’t serious. And, well… it wasn’t likely at all. But… she couldn’t very well say no to an offer this perfect.

“I mean… if you’re sure it wouldn’t be too much trouble…” She was so bad at accepting favors. Her voice was quiet and she looked at him sheepishly. “Then I would very much like that. If you’re sure.”

Gaius nodded. "I'll see to it that things get set in motion. I'll have a letter sent ahead of me, and our steward will take care of it."

“Thank you!” Ky grinned; perhaps the first genuine smile she’d ever given him. “I really appreciate that!”

She hesitated. Should she tell him details now? Later?

“… his name is Zander Medeiros. He’s probably about your age, but looks a lot like me, just a few inches taller and more muscular… that’s all I really know for sure, though,” Ky said. She was being serious, but there was still a certain air of giddiness about her that she couldn’t quite mask. “He claimed to spend a lot of time in the East but I don’t know where and I don’t know if he’s still there.”

Gaius nodded again, committing all of this to memory. "I was going to ask, but you've gotten ahead of me. Thank you," he said sincerely, and offered an awkward smile in return. "I'll take you aside later for more details, if you don't mind."

“Of course.” Ky dipped her head, another grin breaking out across her face. A new sister and the promise of an old uncle. Could this day get any better?

Gaius glanced over at the hearth, which had a warm fire crackling within. He was glad she'd accepted; nobody should have to cut off the old family they loved for the sake of a new one. And, if she decided she didn't like this family, she needed someone to fall back on.

(Lmao always ruining heart warming moments)

Ky let a silence pass between them, not sure how to move on from that. Her gut wanted to keep thanking him but she knew that would probably be tiresome and she didn’t want to make him regret his offer so soon.

But she couldn’t think of another topic that would make sense to bring up. Obviously no one had plans for this evening; at least any plans that had been made would have surely been altered or scrapped by the arrival of baby Raina.

She glanced around. “Where’s Wick?”

Gaius looked up. His brother in-law wasn't here, that was certain. "I don't know. Probably beat that he doesn't come up here for the moment. Not while the King's here." He fidgeted with his cane. "I ought to let him know."

Ky furrowed her brow slightly. Was Wick nervous about the king like she was? She understood that much. Even though the king was nice… except when he wasn’t. She finally put the pieces together.

“Oh, he… would he—?” She cut herself off. That was not a question she had any business asking. She wasn’t entitled to an answer. And it probably wouldn’t be good for the kids to overhear her asking if the king was going to hurt their uncle. She bit her lip but looked at Ash, wondering if he could read her mind this time. And if he’d get mad at her if he could. She probably shouldn’t be having even vaguely negative thoughts about the king. It was improper. Arrogant.

"The law isn't brutal," Gaius replied, guessing her concern. "It's a fine or a seizure of assets until the 'behavior' ceases. Even so, it's foolish and uninformed. Wick knows the risks; most people in his village pay it no mind anyway. The Reeve had some sort of deal worked out with him as well. But the King is a rule follower at heart; he won't stand for law breakage." He got to his feet just as Sara stood.
"Don't strain your leg," she said to him. "I'll find Wick and talk to him. You sit here and relax." Gaius huffed in protest, but he relented and seated himself once more. His leg did hurt. It always hurt. And the idea of tromping up and down stairs looking for Wick wasn't exactly appealing.

“I can go find him, if you like,” Ky offered. She didn’t have a strong preference either way. On the one hand, it might be nice to get out of this room. On the other, she didn’t know how Wick would respond to this revelation and she wasn’t sure she was equipped to provide him the emotional support he might need. She didn’t know which way was best. But her father’s words still whispered in her mind to always offer to do tasks for adults if it was something you could manage that would save them hassle.

"Oh, that's alright." Sara dipped her head to Ky. "I can get him, I'm already up."
"I wanna come!" Marcella leaped off Gaius's lap. Sara let out a small sigh and lifted her daughter into her arms, opening the door.
"Alright, dear. Mattathias?" Mattathias shook his head.
"I'm tired, I wanna sleep," he said, and climbed off the couch to lie down on the rug.
"Alright then," Sara chuckled, then looked to Gaius. "You'll be alright managing them all?"
"You forget our two capable nieces," Gaius replied, gesturing to Anneliese and Ky. "I'll be quite alright, my dear."
"Right." Sara gave both girls a smile and headed out the door.

Ky returned the smile, then settled back into her seat. It was such a puzzling stage of life to be in. She wasn’t quite sure if she was one of the adults or one of the kids here. Could she be both? Neither?

She assessed Ash for a long moment. He seemed to be in a better mood than he usually was. It seemed like her opportunity. To engage him while the temperament was in her favor. But, then, that felt like playing with fire. Perhaps she should leave well enough alone. Not piss him off. Maybe it was just better for him to dislike his perception of her than it would be to give him actual reason to hate her.

Not to mention, it seemed like very few topics were safe when it came to him. She usually asked about peoples’ stories — most people liked talking about themselves, after all. But Ash didn’t have a happy background. She could ask him what he liked to do now, but somehow that felt like it would just lead back to politics and grouchiness somehow.

Gaius settled into the silence, content to let his eyes rove the faces of the people in the room. Peter, Oscar, Regulus, and Mattathias all lacked any real complexity for the moment; they were only children, after all. Anneliese seemed on edge, eager to meet her little sister, no doubt. She was picking at her fingernails and her leg bounced constantly, something Gaius remembered as a habit of Tomhas's. Ky looked as uncomfortable as ever; he didn't blame her. He hadn't exactly been warm towards her, but then, how could he be? He didn't know how to be a Tomhas or a Wick, he was who he was. And generally that meant he didn't get along very well with teenagers.