Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 6)

“Who’s Pamela?” Ky asked curiously.

"One of the older maids here," Gaius replied. "Someone I trust." He trusted most of the people here, or else he wouldn't have hired them. But Pamela was one of the old guard, as it were. She'd been there for him even before Sera. She'd patched up his injuries when the old apothecary was too drunk to thread a needle.

Ky nodded. That seemed like high praise indeed, for Gaius to say he trusted someone. “Nice.”

"I'll introduce you sometime, if you like. She's very kind, quite observant." He had a feeling Ky would feel safe around Pamela. It was important for her to feel safe here.

“I would,” Ky agreed with a nod. It was nice not to need to hide anything here. Well, she supposed she had to hide Rönn. And she’d never stop trying to hide her stupidity. But ‘observant’ no longer carried quite the threat it used to. “Thank you.”

Gaius dipped his head. "Of course." He looked to Emery, who hurried away.

Ky watched him go, then looked back at Gaius and whispered, voice barely audible, “… will he be okay?”

"Probably," Gaius murmured back. "He's like a spring; bounces back from even the most terrible of things. And he doesn't fake it, either. I think he'll be fine in the morning."

Ky nodded. “Good. I’m glad to hear it.”

He dipped his head again. "Let's all go inside, shall we?"

Ky nodded and took a step towards the Keep, stepping into Zander’s arm as he held it open in an offer — he’d learned quickly it was best to let her approach rather than vice versa. She flinched when he wrapped his arm around her without warning, and it hurt every single time. Not because he was offended. But because it was a reminder to both of them of how much she expected to be hurt at every single moment, on a subconscious level.

Ky stepped into his arms, wrapping her arm around his lower back as they walked. He bent down and kissed the top of her head. It was subtle, but he could smell Rönn on her. “You stink.”

“Wouldn’t be fair to the universe if I had everything going for me,” she quipped back with a little smile. She’d already gotten used to the smell and didn’t notice it until he pointed it out. But now that she was thinking about it, he was very clearly right.

Zander grinned at that, thoroughly pleased that she made a joke. Slowly, painfully, getting back to Old Ky. Who knew all it’d take was a 600-year-old cryptid bring back her sense of humor?

"Some hot water and a bath can be arranged if needed," Gaius assured them. He could smell the rot on himself as well; he'd get himself a bath as well.

Ky nodded. “Yes, please!” She was glad she’d taken to wearing her pendant from Papa between her under clothes and shirt, so it was protected. But also nearby any time she needed to anxiously rub it and look down at it and pretend she could hear him telling her he loved her. That’d been becoming more frequent since she left home.

Gaius nodded. They passed the gates of the graveyard on their way to the Keep, and he felt a little chill. He'd have to visit Oscar tomorrow morning; it had been awhile since he'd spoken to him.

Ky glanced at the graveyard. It was an interesting thought, having a designated place where you planned to be buried with your family. Her township had a communal burial ground where everyone slept together, just like everyone lived together before then.