Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 10)

"That's good," Sara said. "That she has someone to talk to, I mean. Gods know Gaius and I can't get much out of her. The poor girl barely knows us."
"Not to mention she doesn't want to appear inconvenient in any way," Gaius added.

Aashi nodded in agreement. “I hate how they bonded, but I’m glad that they did. Aaki tells me a bit but he’s also pretty closed. Says he doesn’t want to burden me with his baggage, no matter how many times I remind him I don’t mind… it’s sad. Just. In general. But also compared to the way he used to be. He’s always been quiet but he used to tell me everything. Everything.”

"It takes time to want to talk about that sort of thing." Sara glanced at Gaius. "Give him space and let him talk when he's ready. If he's ready."

Aashi also glanced at Gaius and then quickly looked away. He got cross so easily. She didn’t want to provoke him. She did want to talk to Sara about this more. But later. When Gaius wouldn’t take it personally when she asked for tips.

“He’ll get there.” She nodded. “At least… he’s slowly… I don’t even know how to describe it. He was tense, perpetually. Even when he claimed to be relaxed. He never was… well… he was starting let his guard down a bit. And then the whole… yknow… it made him clam back up again.”

"I'm sure." Sara shook her head. "It's terrible. To think that man was here...near our children..." She looked ahead of them at Mattathias and Marcella, tightening her arm around Regulus. "I had a bad feeling about him from the start. Something just seemed off..."

“I’m glad I never met him.” Aashi tucked her hair behind her ears, then reconsidered. “Well… I… I wish I could have… I don’t know what I wish I could have done. I’ve never hit anyone. But… but I would have hit him as hard as I could as many times as I could. Monster.”

"He's lucky it was my younger brother who struck the killing blow," Gaius said grimly.
"What would torture have done?" Sara asked disapprovingly. "All that matters is that he can't harm anyone anymore."

“Well…” Aashi said. “I mean… I would argue otherwise.”

"What good would it do?" Sara asked her. "Pain for revenge's sake isn't healthy."

“Oh! Sorry.” Aashi shook her head to snap out of it. “No, I agree with you there. It’s much better for Tadaaki and Ky to have one hundred percent certainty that he is not personally coming after them. But he’s still harming them. And he’s never going to stop… not to mention the assassins on top of it, even if their own brains weren’t hardwired to expect the worst at any given moment.”

Sara nodded in understanding. "Ah, of course. But they have time to heal now. We won't let anyone harm them; they have space to think through things and hopefully come back somewhat to the people they were before all that."

“I hope so.” Aashi nodded. “Although I don’t think anyone will be able to tell with Ky. No one knew her before him. Well… I mean… I guess Tadaaki was there before she was. Apparently she was a spitfire. Punched Aleth the very first night.” She grimaced. “She paid dearly for it as I understand it— but I’m glad she at least got one good swing in on him. Can you believe that? Sweet little Ky trying to take on a grown man.”

"I can see some of that fire in her," Gaius mused. "If she weren't so afraid of me she might have struck me on our way here."

Aashi blinked at him. Sure, she’d been cross. But Aashi couldn’t imagine Ky fighting anyone. She apologized for merely existing. “You think?”

"Certainly. I was being an ass." They entered the dining room, and Gaius took the nearest seat.