Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 5)

(When she sees that library she'll never want to die again)

"Absolutely!" Tomhas nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. And please, please write as soon as you get there so I know you arrived safely, okay? Gaius will probably write to me as well but I want to hear from you specifically."

(hahah -- already died and went to heaven)

Ky grinned, a twang of pride running through her at that. He wanted to hear from her. Not just second-hand knowledge verifying she was okay. No. He wanted to hear what she had to say, in her own words, and her own handwriting. It felt nice. A new father waiting and eager to give her attention. "Okay, I will!"

"Thanks." Tomhas nodded to her. "I'll grab you a wax seal steal stamper and Loquitur wax and everything so I know it's from you, if you want. Our sigil's on the seal stamper."

Ky's grin got even broader, taking up most of her face now. Far, far more genuine than any of the smiles she'd offered since the attack. She got to write official Loquitur correspondence. Because she was a Loquitur. What an honor. "That sounds great!"

"Wonderful! I'll have it packed in your bags for you." Tomhas leaned forward, returning the smile. "Are you feeling ready, then?"

Ky nodded, sobering slightly, but still smiling. She still didn't want to go. But he was certainly sweetening the deal. "I think so."

"Okay, good." Tomhas still didn't want her to go, but it was a necessity. He wanted her to be safe, and he wanted the other kids to be safe as well. He hoped Anneliese would decide to go with Ky and Lyra; that would make him feel a bit better at least. But somehow he felt like Lyra was just going to get away from him and Anneke.

(so I am finally getting around to listening to those playlists and they are spot on! "Easy On Me" is really a vibe for like Gaius/Tomhas/Lyra/Ky lol)

Ky nodded, trying her best to keep her energy up, even though she felt it starting to fade even now. Tried not to think about what this was going to mean for her. Of course, she had to go. She knew that. She knew why. And she needed to get over her selfish desire to stay with Tomhas and Anneke. Her presence would put them in danger. If they wouldn't let her die, then the least she could do was to get physically away from them to protect them as much as she could. But it was going to suck. Books and swords aside.

(Aw thank you! Yeah I figured Easy On Me works for a lot of characters. Maybe Lyra most of all)

(Want to skip again? I'm running out of material unless you have more you'd like to say?)

(nope, I'm good! Where to? Goodbyes?)

(Yeah I think we're gonna have to)

(Want me to start or do you want to?)

(ig I can start with Ky's anxiety but you can set up the setting if you want? lol)

The next few days saw her even more anxious than before. She was doing her best to pretend she wasn't -- in front of Zander most of all, but also in front of the others, too. The only person she truly let her guard down around was Tadaaki. So she knew he was also anxious about this journey. It'd taken them quite a bit of talking to come to the agreement that they were at least going to make it to Serpent Keep to ensure Aashi and Tasia and Zander stayed safe.

Then they could reassess. They could probably make their escape from there -- claim to want to go on a ride or something, to get out of the gates. They'd probably get at least a few hour headstart that way, before they noticed they were missing, then got a search party put together for them.

But, worst-case scenario, they'd just do it themselves once they got there. Tadaaki begged Ky not to do it. But they both knew that it was inevitable, eventually. And they may as well get to pick when and how it happened, rather than rely on the goodness of a mercenary's heart to make it swift and painless.

But she forced herself to go through with her resolve to go on the trip. And that was that.

Tomhas had been all a-flutter these past few days, making preparations for soldiers to accompany the Serpent Keep party and seeing to it that Lyra and Ky had their belongings packed. Anneliese had elected not to go and was hiding out in her room today despite Anneke's best efforts to get her to come out. Tomhas would normally be right on top of that, trying to see what had upset his youngest daughter, but right now he was way, way too nervous about seeing his eldest two disappear out those gates and out from under his wing. He wanted them safe, but they wouldn't be safe until they were in Serpent Keep.
Anneke had been very quiet these past three days; she still wasn't happy about sending the kids away and she tried to talk Lyra out of it a couple times until Auntie Ana advised her to take a few steps back and let the girl decide things for herself.

Gaius's three days were spent reading in bed, forgetting to eat, and being in an overall foul mood. He didn't let Sara or his children see it, of course, but he was absolutely furious about being bedridden. It hadn't happened in years; he was usually so careful about his leg.
It was only a little better today, and so two of his guards had to bring him down to the carriage on a stretcher, where he now sat staring morosely at at Caracal Keep's gates. Sara stood beside him, wrapped tightly in her warm furs and holding Regulus in her arms. Mattathias and Marcella were saying their goodbyes to Oscar and Peter and chattering incessantly with Tasia.

Tasia was over the moon about GETTING TO GO HOME WITH MARCELLA AND MATTATHIAS CAN YOU BELIEVE IT, PAPA?!

Tadaaki was less thrilled, but he wasn't as anxious about it as Ky was. Caracal Keep wasn't his home. And, sure, he was far more easy-going around the Loquiturs than the Ashes. But he was leaving his home regardless of whether he stayed her or went to Serpent Keep. And they all seemed to think Aashi and Tasia would be safer with Gaius, so he was willing to make it happen. For them.

It'd been such an odd turn of events, with him and Ky. Then again, it often was. She was the one who had convinced him it was best to go; and now he was the one who had to keep reminding her of that fact, and convince her to follow through with it, despite how badly it was hurting her to think about having to leave Tomhas and Anneke and the rest of her little siblings.

Zander, meanwhile, was trying to get a read on the nervous energy that filled the entirety of the space around them. Ky walked down silently to join the rest of the family, every molecule in her body dreading it.

Tomhas helped the servants to load everybody's bags into the cargo carriage, glancing over his shoulder every now and then at his daughters. Lyra was standing a little apart from everyone as she had often begun to do, eyes distant. Ky looked as nervous as he felt, which was understandable. She was off to an unfamiliar place, after all. Serpent Keep would be a whole new world for her. It was warm just like Caracal Keep and it was certainly a fortress like this one, but there was such a different energy to it. Perhaps that was just his perception of the Keep, though. His attitude toward Serpent Keep had been tainted beyond repair by all the years of hell behind those walls; perhaps it would seem very welcoming to Ky. He certainly hoped so.