Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 15)

She scoffed. “As if anything would happen to that asshole.” She usually did a good job of not shit talking Levin in front of people. Earlier had been… a slip. She meant what she said but she didn’t mean to say it in front of Ash. But Rickard already knew her feelings about Levin. Knew they were justified feelings, too. What she’d been through at his hand.


“Oh?” Ky looked at her curiously. “What has he said?”

He dipped his head, hugging himself again. "Will he....is Biryn still there?"

"He knows there are rumors about her being half-troll. That always fascinated him," she replied. "He says she sells magic, and that she's trained in healing. Sera's good friends with her, too."

Jerica was silent for a moment, pulling her knees closer to her chest. She looked younger than she was for a moment. Or perhaps she simply looked her own age for once. “Yeah… he’s even worse now, if you can believe it.”


Ky nodded in agreement. “She’s very nice.”

Rickard glanced at her. "Has he harmed you?"

"I'm glad to hear it." Sara smiled slightly.

“Pfff it takes more than Biryn’s little punk ass to hurt me,” she scoffed. Rickard had heard her say that plenty of times in the past, sometimes when she literally had her arm in a sling from Biryn, in fact, hurting her. It was truer these days, but still not the truth. And never would be.


Ky nodded, reaching for the rune. She didn’t like not having it on her.

He glanced at her with a small sigh but didn't argue.

She gave it back to her.

Jerica glanced at him, then glanced away and murmured quietly, “…Less.”


Ky slipped it back to her tunic pocket and gave it a pat.

Rickard shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry."

"How does it work, exactly?" she asked.

Jerica shrugged. “It’s my own fault. I run my mouth even more now than I did then. Pick fights all the time.” Well, she didn’t back down from them, more like. But the outcome was the same, regardless.


“No idea,” Ky said honestly. “I just have to be touching it.”

"Why is that?"

"That's pretty simple," she said in surprise.

“‘Cause he’s a cunt.” She bristled a little at the thought of Biryn, but then remembered she wasn’t talking to him, she was talking to Rickard, and her energy calmed. “He’s not gonna treat people bad on my watch. Including me.”


Ky nodded. “I don’t know why it works, though.”

"I understand." He glanced at her nervously. "But don't put yourself in danger. Please."

"Perhaps Gaius has some ideas."

Jerica glanced at him, then gave a grin that said she very much was going to get put in danger again. “I mean… I’m a Lieutenant now.” She sobered a little. “But… I’ll do my best.”

“Maybe, yeah,” Ky agreed. “But we should only talk about it when I’m around so we know there aren’t ghosts around to listen.”

He raised his head, brow furrowed in concern. "A Lieutenant? At your age?"

She dipped her head. "Of course."

“Yeah.” She puffed up a little, proud of herself. “I made it a whole year younger than Rek.”

Ky nodded. “…okay… where would I find a necklace for it?”