Of Crows and Songbirds

"Chosen family is great, sure." He nodded hesitantly. "For me, too. But...don't you miss your family?"

Ky glanced at him then down the hall and hesitated a long moment. There was no harm in admitting the truth about this detail, right? “I miss him so much it physically hurts a lot of the time.” She placed a fist over her sternum to indicate the chest pain location. “And I’m very angry and very sad… but that won’t bring him back… and I can’t go to him. So.” She shrugged and tugged on her sleeve subconsciously, remembering her attempt to do so. She wished she would have cut deeper. But she hadn’t. And now she was here.

(Would Aleth have conceivably been to any slave brothels in the East prior to ten years ago? It just occurred to me that if he was interacting with the Grand Reputations he might have ended up in the same set of tents Emery worked in at one point or another.)

"Doesn't mean you can't feel that way," he pointed out. "You're talking about your father? What was he like?"

(Ohhhh shit haha that never crossed my mind but it’d be in character. He fixated on Ky because he thought she was a little boy that he wanted to rape. He’d absolutely do something like that… although it may make things complicated if we go that way? Like… if Emery remembers him? Is that what you’re thinking?)(also shudders at the thought of Emery jerking Aleth off)

“He was the kindest person to ever live,” she said honestly. She liked getting to sing his praises; she didn’t get to do much of that. “And very smart. And wise. All of his decisions were good ones. And he was the gentlest and most patient person you could imagine. Always. Even to people who didn’t deserve it. And even when he was upset with me. I never doubted for even half an instant how much he loved and cared for me.”

(I wondered if he might have seen him in passing. He might not remember where he saw him or who he is but it would at least ring an alarm bell for Emery and make him suspicious. It wouldn't be a dead giveaway for sure)

Emery smiled. "He sounds absolutely amazing. A kind father is always the best father, I think."

(Haha oh gosh)

“Absolutely.” Ky nodded vigorously. “It’s not possible to be a better father than he was. I was a very, very lucky little girl… until I wasn’t.”

The past few years had been making up her bad luck debt.

(Up to you in the end; you'd know Aleth's discretion better than I do)

"May I....ask how it happened? You getting taken, I mean."

She’d been anticipating this question. She didn’t want to talk about it. Not at all. But they had every right to ask about it. And she supposed it was nice she got to practice her lie before she had to give it to Ash.

“I was stupid,” she said quietly, glancing away.

She knew most lies you were supposed to deliver confidently while looking someone in the face. But her capture was incredibly hard to talk about whether she was lying about it or not, so this felt in character. And she couldn’t bring herself to look at him even if it was a mistake to be looking away.

“There’d been an increase of… people. Coming by our cabin. Mostly teenage boys. Our theory was they were coming into the woods to get high or drunk or something. So my Pa- father cut my hair and started dressing me as a boy. He thought I’d be safer from them that way, if they didn’t know I was a girl. I was confused about why at the time, though… now I understand it. Now that I’ve seen… how some men… are.”

Gods. This was hard. She still wasn’t looking at him.

“It didn’t stop them, though. Well. It stopped that. But a couple caught me when I was in the barn alone and started taunting me and demanding I give them our eggs and milk, which I did freely, in an attempt to placate them. But then they got even worse and started hitting me and shoving me and calling me a coward. And one started hurting me so I hit him to get away and then sprinted to the cabin with them chasing me. I… wish I wouldn’t have now. I wish I would have left my father out of it entirely. But I was young and stupid and scared so I ran… I…” she sighed. “I lured them directly to him. And there was this big fight in which they beat the snot out of me to ‘teach me a lesson’ and they killed my father when he tried to stop them, and… I don’t know what gave them the idea. But they dragged me back with them and happened to pass a caravan and decided to sell me to them for money, I guess. I don’t know. It all happened so fast.”

Emery winced, silent for a moment. "That's....That's terrible. I'm sorry."

“Thank you,” she murmured quietly, glancing at him and then away again. “It’s a hard memory to have — my father, I mean. The way he looked as he was bleeding out all over our floor. They wouldn’t have killed him if he hadn’t been trying to protect me… so… I wish I wouldn’t have struggled so much. It’s hell to live with this guilt… especially now that I’d be able to go back to him now, if I didn’t get him killed. I wish I would have known better.”

He nodded. "But I mean...he would have tried to protect you no matter what, right? That's no fault of yours. He sounds like a good man, Ky."

“He was wonderful,” she agreed, finally looking back at him. “Tried his very, very hardest to keep them away from me.”

"I'm sorry," he said again, looking away.

Ky nodded and glanced away again. “Well… at least it’s over now. No more beatings for a bit. That’ll be a refreshing change of pace anyway.”

"Only for a bit?" He did look at her then.