Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 6)

Lyra shook her head. "I speak a little Nortung and a very small amount of Moon Speech; that's it." She dipped her head to Ada anyhow. "Sorry."
"Who's she?" Ada asked Pratik.

Gaius met her eyes, then shifted his gaze to the door as the final pair arrived. The little girl, Ua, was bouncing ahead of a very old Rhaebaki woman. This woman was bent with a curving spine, and her whitened hair was kept short. Her face and hands were a mass of very old scars that looked to have been caused by animal teeth of some sort, but she was smiling quietly as she walked behind the child. They took their seats, and Ua immediately waved to Tasia.

(Not me, phrasing this awkwardly because I'm not sure/remembering how Pratik addresses/refers to Gaius in his presence lol)

"Not at all," Pratik assured her with a smile. When he heard Ada's question, he knew he was going to have to speak Lyra's name, and decided to frontload it by introducing Lyra to Ada rather than the other way around. "This is Ada."

Then he looked back at Ada and switched back to Akarataran. "This is Lyra -- a niece."



Tasia eagerly waved back, grinning. "Hi Ua!"


Which was enough to make Ky realize she was being rude by not interacting with the others at the table. She looked at Rickard and offered a smile. "It's nice to see you again."

(Probably just sir or my lord)

"Of Lord Ash's?" She gave Lyra a critical look. "Did Lord Loquitur adopt her too, or is she his biological daughter?"
Lyra dipped her head to Ada.

Ua smiled shyly to Tasia and held up a little journal she'd brought with her as well as a charcoal pencil, then drew a smiling face.

Rickard returned Ky's smile awkwardly; his posture remained as servile as he could manage and his head was low, but he seemed pleased to see her. "And you as well, miss," he replied. "Did I hear you went to the library?"

(valid)

"Biological, as far as I'm aware," Pratik answered, hoping Ky hadn't heard that question. It seemed like she was already reeling at being integrated in the family -- she didn't need to hear people whispering as if she was less of a daughter than the rest of the Loquitur kids.


Tasia craned her neck, then attempted to stand up in her seat to get a better look at the notebook, but Aashi pulled her back down. "Be good."

She frowned but didn't try to get back up as she tried to watch what Ua was drawing.


"I did!" she said with a grin. "Have you been?"

(have they already had this interaction? I remember us talking about their inferiority complex with each other, but I can't remember if they actually know this about each other yet haha)

"What's she doing here?"

Ua passed her the notebook and pencil, pointing to the page eagerly. She said something in Natai.


"I have." Rickard nodded. "I'm afraid I can't read, but the covers and text are beautiful."

(I don't think they've talked about it, no. Ky made an inference that he was a slave and they both read each other's body language. Rickard made a self-deprecating comment or two, maybe?)

(Okay, cool, that’s what I thought, thanks!)

“Visiting, I presume.” Pratik glanced at Gaius with a question on his face.


“Aww it’s cute!” Tasia said with a grin, picking up the pencil. She thought for a moment, then decided she needed to show Ua what a frog was, and scratched one down and then shoved the notebook back across the table.


“They really are,” Ky said with a nod and a smile. “Have you found any you particularly like to look at?”

"My brother thought it best if all his children went to Serpent Keep for their own safety," Gaius informed them both in Akarataran. "His wife disagreed, so they gave Lyra and her younger sister the choice. Lyra chose to come along."

Ua stared at it, then looked up at Tasia quizzically. She wrote the Natai word for "toad" under the frog.

"There's one near the front bound in actual gold," Rickard replied, eyes darting to Gaius, "It looks like it costs more than anything I've ever held in my life...I don't dare touch it."

Pratik nodded, then cast a quick glance down the table towards Ky, assuming this was related to her getting attacked. Get her far away from the rest of the children, so the attention would turn here rather than Caracal Keep. Probably the way to keep them all safest -- put Ky where she couldn't get gotten, and give the people trying to get her motivation to ignore the rest of the Loquiturs.


Tasia looked down at the letters, then concluded that it was an ugly picture. But if that's as good as Ua could draw, then she'd do the same, and she scribbled below it to make Ua feel better about her drawing.


"Wow! That's neat!" Ky's eyebrows shot up. "... I will also not be touching that one. But maybe you could show it to me sometime?"

"She looks unwell," Ada observed.

Ua took the paper back and drew a crude hut next, then an arrow pointing to Tasia.

Rickard dipped his head. "If you like, miss, I can certainly point it out."

Pratik turned his gaze back on Ada, then flicked towards Lyra, then back at Ada. There wasn't a chance in hell he was gossiping about Gaius's niece in front of him. "I wouldn't know."


Tasia grinned at that, taking the pencil back and drew Ua next to her, linking their hands together. They were friends now. It was official.


Ky felt gross that Rickard was using the same tone with her that she used for important people. Had he not realized yet that she deserved no respect whatsoever? "I mean... if it wouldn't be a bother." She flashed a quick grin, then decided not to linger on it in case that comment made him uncomfortable. She probably would have panicked if a noble suggested asking her to do something would be bothering her -- hell, she still would panic, and she was technically one herself. "What's your favorite thing to do here so far?"

Ada studied him, then shrugged. "When do we eat?"
"Soon," Gaius replied. "Quite soon, by the smell of things."

Ua grinned, delighted.

"Oh." Rickard's eyes widened, and he glanced nervously at Sera, who gave him an encouraging nod. "I...don't know, really. I like to visit the library, I suppose. But I don't leave the infirmary very often. What about you, miss?"

"Fair enough." Ky bobbed her head at him. "I, uh, I mean I just got here. But I imagine I'll spend a fair bit of time in the library... and I think I'm allowed to start swordsmanship lessons, once I get cleared." She looked at Sera, wondering how long that would take to get her approval.

"I'll take a look at your arm after dinner if you like," Sera offered. "I should think it won't be too long."
"Were you injured?" Rickard asked, brow furrowed, then shrank back slightly. "I'm sorry; that's none of my business."

"Don't be sorry," Ky said gently, forcing herself to be as soothing as possible rather than defensive. "I got stabbed a little, but it's not a big deal." She looked back at Sera with a little smile, a bit shy. "But it's been three weeks and feels fine now... though the stitches are still in it."

(so I Googled and apparently stitches usually get taken out after two weeks, but figured maybe they left them in place since they were on the road without an apothecary?)

(That probably makes sense; she'll take the stitches out, then)

"You'll have the stitches out directly after dinner, then," she said firmly. Rickard's eyes were wide again, and he glanced at Pratik to see if he was hearing this.