Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 6)

He was even more tempted to remind Ash not to be a dick about it, but decided that would only make things worse.

"He's Austrakan -- speaks Upper Tongue and Akarataran," Pratik said instead. "He seems smart -- saw Roland preparing and hung around to see what was going on. Like I said, though, very timid and easily frightened."

So, don't scare him. He kept that to himself, too.

(He speaks like every language)

"Trustworthy, do you suppose?" He'd ask the same of Sera; she would give him a better answer.

Ada shook her head slightly and wandered off to join the group ahead.

(oh, oops lol)

"I'd say so," Pratik answered with a nod. "He's scared of his own shadow, I can't imagine he'd keep a secret... at least from you. I don't have any idea if he'd keep one for you, but he kept his mouth shut and did as I told him to get us through the villages on the way here, so I imagine he would if you asked."

Gaius gave curt nod. "You shouldn't have brought him, but I'll assess him and speak to Sera about it anyhow. He's here, after all." He limped away.

Pratik watched him irritably. He wasn't sorry for bringing Rickard. Ada and Gaius and anyone else who wanted him to leave Rickard be damned. His life was worth just as much as his or Ada's was -- it didn't matter that he wasn't personally useful to Gaius. And he could go fuck himself if he wasn't happy with it. Pratik would help Rickard if Gaius wouldn't. He started after Gaius.

Gaius caught up with the rest slowly, walking alongside Ky and Zander now. "I'll see to it your things are brought up to your rooms," he said to them. "Zander, your door will be locked tonight, but you're free to roam in the daytime, so long as somebody I trust is with you. Ky, you have free range. The library is on the third floor, as is the infirmary. I'll have someone give you a tour when you wish, or you can wait awhile and I'll give you the tour myself."

"Okay." Ky nodded, glancing up at him. She wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean. He didn't trust Zander? Why not? Zander was tied for most wonderful human on the planet, along with Tomhas and Anneke. He was so much better than Ky was. If she wasn't going to be babysat then he shouldn't be, either, and she didn't understand what that comment was supposed to mean. "Thank you."

Zander, on the other hand, understood fully, and he wasn't offended by it. He hoped he'd have at least a little while alone with Ky tonight without a soldier breathing down his neck, but otherwise, he was happy with a tail. It wasn't like he was going to do anything wrong.

Gaius dipped his head, waiting for her to voice her decision tour-wise. He was more eager to meet this stranger and to discuss plans with Ada and Pratik at the moment, but then he was looking forward to showing Ky the library himself and introducing her to some of the servants she might want to get to know.

Ky realized she needed to decide right now, rather than it being a vague 'in the future' sort of deal. She supposed she'd rather wait for him to give it than have to deal with the anxiety of having someone she didn't know leading her through a Keep she also didn't know. "I can wait."

Gaius dipped his head. "I'll tend to business, then, but I'll see you and Tadaaki to your rooms and find someone to watch Zander." Emery would do; he had a quick eye and a disarming nature. He wouldn't be able to fight if it came it, but Gaius wasn't so worried about Zander trying to attack anyone.

"Thank you," she murmured again, bobbing her head. What was her room going to be like? Would she still have windows, or were those unsafe? At the very least she hoped she could have windows with bars across them like she'd had at Aleth's -- it was terribly depressing to be in a room with no windows at all. "We appreciate it."

Zander was curious to know who Gaius would pick as his babysitter. He felt like that would be telling in itself. Was he dangerous enough to have an officer assigned to him, or did Gaius view him as harmless enough to just have a run-of-the-mill foot soldier following him around? Either way, he needed time to talk to Gaius and Pratik. He assumed they had pressing business that he had no part in, but, after that, the three of them needed to talk about the situation regarding Ky and Aleth. "I trust you'll send for me when it's time to talk?"

He hoped Gaius would know he was talking about, so he wouldn't have to say outright in front of Ky that he was about to team up with one of the most notorious assassins on the continent.

"Certainly." Gaius dipped his head, and turned to one of the soldiers who had followed them in. "Find me Emery, please, and tell him to meet me in my study in about ten minutes. Then fetch Sera and this Rickard person." The soldier nodded to him and departed from the group. "This way," he said to Ky, Zander, and Tadaaki's family, gesturing toward a set of stairs.

Ky smiled at that, glad that there were names she recognized, adding at least the slightest hint of familiarity to this big, scary new place. Even though the last they'd seen of her was a complete meltdown -- worse, even, than she'd been after the actual attack. And, well, Gaius kept seeing her at her absolute worst time and again.

Tasia had no intentions whatsoever of leaving her new friends, and Tadaaki had to physically haul her into his arms before she'd cooperate and come with him towards the stairs. He and Aashi stepped forward on one side, and Ky and Zander on the other, but none of them made a move to enter the stairwell first.

Gaius headed up, gritting his teeth against the familiar steepness of the ancient steps. He was taking them up to the fifth floor, where Michael and his parents used to have their rooms. He'd have them sleeping elsewhere, of course. Pratik was sleeping in Septimus's room, and Michael's room wasn't fit for a pig to sleep in.

(haha damn this house would suck with no elevator xD)

Ky and Tadaaki's gazes were taking everything in. Planning, despite themselves, the fastest way out if something should go wrong. It wouldn't, of course. They knew it wouldn't. Knew they were safe now. And yet old habits died hard, and their minds were doing it without their active consent.

Zander, meanwhile, had far more experience in planning his escapes and already identified which end of the Keep was nearer so he knew the direction he'd run if the need came to pass, but he also knew full well nothing could be told from a stairwell. So, instead, he watched Ky, heart breaking a bit further as he saw her brain working out an exit strategy. Anything happening wouldn't have even crossed Old-Ky's brain, and she certainly didn't used to know how to plan for the worst.

Aashi and Tasia were looking around in wonder, both innocent and excited by it all rather than feeling vaguely threatened.

"Who are they?" Zander asked after a moment, deciding to fill the silence so Ky wouldn't have to. He'd noticed one of the things that she retained from childhood was a complete inability to handle silence of any sort.