Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 11)

Ky nodded sullenly.

Fine. If they wanted to play this game, she would. And she’d win it, too. She’d been being closed, but honest. If they wanted her to lie and pretend to be happy then she’d come up with the happiest of any alias out there.

(No Ky no)

"You've been doing really well this past week, though," she told her. "I'm proud of you for sticking with my challenge even past the day."

(*sprays with water*)

Ky glanced at her, then away again and dipped her head. The happy act was going to have to wait a bit. She couldn’t do it now.

"You understand why we worry though, right? But it's better than not knowing. Because then we can try to help."

Ky inclined her head. Well, they’d blown their chance for that. She clearly couldn’t trust them anymore than they could trust her. “… you said you wouldn’t tell them. Wouldn’t let him tell them. When I agreed to the challenge. You promised.”

Sara sighed. "I'll talk to Gaius about what he put in the letters, but I'm sure it had nothing to do with what you've been saying during the challenge. I'm sorry if he did put that; I'll explain the rules to him again."

“Mm.” Ky nodded once, not looking at her. No point in that. The challenge was over now. Forever. She wasn’t going to get burnt twice. She’d pretend to be happy to please them and not tell them a single word to the contrary. Fair was fair.

(Oh my god)

"I'm sorry," Sara said to her. "I know this isn't what you wanted at all. But hopefully Tomhas will help a little? There's a bright side to him coming, right?"

(Trauma baby does a regress)

“Mm.” She wiped her face, still not looking at Sara. What was she doing? Talking to Sara like this? Especially now that she knew she was a liar and was telling Tomhas everything Ky said and did. She couldn’t admit how angry she was without that getting straight back to Tomhas. “I suppose so.”

"Was there anything else in the letter?"

“Oscar broke his leg. In the earthquake.”

Her eyes widened. "Oh my gods, he did? Is he alright? Was it a clean break?"

Ky nodded. “He said so. That he’ll be okay.”

"That's good." She shivered. "Poor baby. How did it happen?"

“He was on an ice sculpture and fell off. Apparently the earthquake hit harder down there.”