Of Crows and Songbirds (Part 2)

"Apparently Ash, if you're treating them like you are me."

He slapped him sharply. "Answer seriously. Who did you hire? I have names, I just want you to tell me the ones that are under that contract."

Aleth grunted at the impact, huffing out air involuntarily. The little rat must have squealed even more than he'd thought. "I didn't hire anyone. I told them that to keep them in line -- I never had plans to let them out of my sight."

"You have a chest at Tarr Keep that would have that information in it, wouldn't it?" His grip on Aleth's hair tightened. "If I found out you were lying when I opened that chest, what do you think I would do to you?"

Aleth grit his teeth, glaring at him with all the venom he could muster. "I'm not fucking lying." And there'd be no way for Bay to verify that or not. What, did he think he was stupid? He wouldn't have that laying around where Ky would be able to find it. That was the whole point.

"What would happen to you if you were?"

"I'm not giving you ideas," he scoffed. "You've got enough on your own."

Bay let his head drop and straightened. "Goodnight, then." He strode toward the door with his chair and his pack.

"Have the night you deserve," he muttered.

"You as well." He shut the door behind him and locked it.

The caravans were coming through the gates. Gaius was outside waiting on the steps, hands resting on his cane. General Xander was beside him, a torch in one hand that gave off a faint glow in the darkness.

Ky and Tadaaki were both an anxious mess, though that were doing their best to hide it. Ky was more or less succeeding, Tadaaki wasn’t, but he was quiet so it was mostly just anxious energy rather than anything he said or did.

Gods, this place would be overrun with nobles. So, so many more perils coming for them. Greater potential to fuck it all up. Offend Ash’s family. Get tossed out into the snow, if she was lucky, or worse if she wasn’t. Gods.

Tomhas was the first to dismount, and he practically jumped off his horse in his rush to greet Gaius. He looked a lot like his brother, but with darker hair and fuller cheeks, and his eyes were deeper blue. There was also no gray to be seen in his hair, and no stress lines on his face. He was the picture of health and youth, and he gave Gaius a wide grin as he pulled him into a tight hug.
"How are you?" he demanded when he let his older brother go. Gaius brushed himself off.
"Optimistic," he replied. "Several successful battles so far and we're only a few months in."
"Don't jinx it," Lady Constance called as she approached with Lady Arianna. "Optimism is famously dangerous for Ashes, or so I've been told. Causes aneurysms or something."
Tomhas chuckled and slapped Gaius's back heartily. "Not this one."

(Would Ky and Tadaaki be witnessing this or nah?)

Ky tried to remind herself to just appear confident. Charismatic. She’d survived several weeks now in this Keep, with near daily interaction with Gaius did the past couple. And she could survive this, too. She just had to be careful. Methodical. And pray to her lucky stars that these nobles wouldn’t be too terribly hard to charm.

(Up to you!)

"We're not even into the middle of the war," Lady Arianna pointed out. Both the Barrasters seemed more concerned than Tomhas. "We have a lot to discuss--Tarr is young and foolish; he's not going to give up just because there are three Houses against him, not to mention the King himself."
"Certainly." Gaius dipped his head. "But for now we ought to get the lot of you inside and warm; we've postponed dinner for you."

(Okie if they’re coming to dinner then imma say nah)

One meal at a time. One sentence at a time. Hell, one word at a time. Stay focused on the present. On how she wanted to present herself. This would be okay… hopefully.