Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 5)

"I will!" she agreed eagerly. "I already have f-hree!" She hesitated, looking back at the carriage and deciding to add in their parents as well, and held up 5 fingers. "This many!"

Bold choice, Tadaaki thought, declaring yourself as Gaius's friend.

"Five!" Tomhas set her down and tousled her hair. "Wonderful! See, you've got a head start on it. Good work, kiddo."

She grinned at him, then turned towards Anneke, trying to launch herself at her, as well. Aashi caught her hood, pulling her to a swift stop. "She just had a baby. You have to be gentle."

"Oh, right!" Tasia brushed her hair out of her face, marginally calmer, so Aashi tentatively let go. Tasia eagerly, but gently, wrapped her arms around Anneke's hips. "I hope your boo-boo feels better soon Mrs. Anneke."

Anneke smiled and returned Tasia's hug. "I'm sure I'll be right as rain soon, dear! Thank you. Be safe; I know my boys will miss you."

"Me too!" she gasped, turning towards the boys and pranced in front of them, excited. "You should draw a picture of a frog for Ky's game! Or, or, I'll draw it and send it to you, okay?"

"Okay! I'll draw it and you can do a picture on the box." Oscar replied eagerly. "I'll tell Mother to write a letter to you and I'll put my picture in."

That was enough to make Ky turn her head back towards the group with a tiny smile. They were both so cute. And it was so incredibly sweet that they were determined to make a nice gift for her.

"Okay!" Tasia said, grinning and throwing herself towards him in an attempt to hug him. "I'll miss you but I'mma see you soon!"

Ky sobered again. No. No she wouldn't. None of them would ever be seeing the Loquiturs ever again.

Well, perhaps Gaius would want to send Aashi and Tasia back to Tomhas after Tadaaki and Ky were dead. She couldn't imagine he'd be able to tolerate their enthusiasm, especially once the threat was neutralized by Tadaaki and Ky's deaths.

"Okay! It better be really soon though cuz I decided you're my best friend now." Oscar gave her a tight hug. "Write me letters too, once you can write things. Tell me stories!"

Gaius had nestled himself comfortably in the carriage among the cushions and furs, propped up against the wall so he could stay alert until nightfall. His books were stacked nearby, and Sara and the children had clustered around him.

(So the carriage itself is like a large closed sleigh to accommodate the snow, but the interior has no seats, just cushions and blankets so the occupants can sleep fairly comfortably on long journeys. It's like a portable bed, sort of?)

(ooh okay that sounds neat! Thanks for the description!)

"You're my bestest friend too!" Tasia said with a broad grin.

"Alright, very good," Tadaaki murmured, then hefted her up in his arms. "Time to go now, Tasi."

She stuck her lip out in a pout, but didn't argue as he carried her to the other carriage. He hesitated long enough to let her wave, then tucked her inside, and gave Aashi a hand up as well, before climbing in himself.

Zander stepped towards the horse he'd ridden in on when he arrived, already tacked and ready to go. He hefted himself up in the saddle and tried, once again, to catch Ky's gaze. And she, once again, refused to let it happen.

What was even the point of all this? She didn't care if she died. She wanted to die over this. She wished, yet again, that she'd taken a different path so Wick wouldn't have seen her.

(No prob! There are probably other variations on carriages throughout the North but the sleigh bit is consistent. The East goes for the elegant baroque style wheeled carriages and litters, and the South has litters and rickshaw-type things that are drawn by horses)

The gates creaked open, and Tomhas felt a pang of panic. He twitched forward, almost running to stop Ky, to pull her and Lyra and keep them here, keep them close, but he didn't. He kept himself still and bit his lip until it bled, gloved hands clenching tightly around themselves.

(Nice!)
(Awww, buddy! I want to give him a hug haha)

The creak of the gate felt like the sound of the final nail in her coffin. This was it. The last time she'd gone through these gates she'd very nearly died. And now this time she would for sure.

She couldn't stop the tears, so she turned her horse squarely away from her family and pulled her hood up over her head, hoping it would conceal the fact that she was crying. Even though it didn't. Not really. It wasn't particularly difficult to tell what was happening when she'd turned away that quickly and then wiped at her face, even if they didn't see the tears themselves.

(My poor baby, I'm still trying to decide his fate)

Anneke wrapped an arm around Tomhas and he leaned into her, tears starting to slip down his face as he watched his girls leave. Lyra was up near the front on horseback; she hadn't looked back.

(wait how do you mean? lol)

Ky decided she wanted to either be at the very front, so her back would be turned to everyone so they wouldn't be able to see her tears; or she wanted to be at the very, very back so that their backs would be turned and they, still, wouldn't be able to see her tears.

The front was no longer an option, so she decided on aiming for the back.

She took a deep breath, and let it out shakily, trying and failing to find the strength to squeeze her legs to get her horse into motion. Instead, she watched the rest of the procession start to file out of the gates, trying to figure out how far back she could get away with being. Would she be allowed to be at the very back, or would the soldiers refuse to allow that? Probably.

Oh well. At least it wasn't Ka'Nor to see her blubbering like a little idiot.

(Like I had a set plan for him and his family before this roleplay and I still want to make it work but I don't know how Tomhas would survive it now that I know his character so much better)

The gates creaked shut behind them, and Tomhas closed his eyes, shoulders slumping.
"I'm going to bed," he mumbled, and turned toward the Keep even as the sun rose.

They were out into the beginnings of wilderness, now. Gaius could see the trees out the grated window. Good; the sooner they were home the sooner he could speak to Pratik and the young Seer.

(Ooh I see... be nice to Tomhas xD)

As predicted, a few of the soldiers insisted on riding behind her to guard the rear, but she was behind the rest of the family at least. Zander made one final attempt to speak to her, but then gave up and decided to give her some space. She knew where to find him when she was ready to talk.

But she wasn't sure if that was ever going to happen. Ever. She didn't want to speak to anyone ever again in her entire life. She didn't want there to be time left in her life to speak if she wanted to. She looked up at the woods around them. Would fate be so kind as to have another assassin waiting to get her? Maybe this one would have a bow and arrow and be able to take her out, soldiers notwithstanding.