Young Writers Society

(No worries! Just glad we're back at this :') )

Aleth stiffly walked over to the bed and sat down with a heavy sigh. It was disgusting how absolutely exhausting every little thing was for him these days. Walking down a corridor shouldn't leave you winded, and yet here he was, needing to rest. He buried his face in his hands and took a deep breath.

"I will." Sara took Gaius's hand, coaxing him to his feet. He gripped his cane tightly and limped out the door with her.
"The newcomer," he said hoarsely as they walked. "He saw me?"
"He did," Sara replied with a nod. "But there's no shame in worrying about your sister. And the walls of this Keep are thick. He couldn't leave if he tried."
"No," Gaius agreed, though there was no conviction in his words. "No, he couldn't." He straightened slightly, worry tightening his thin face even more. "She has no glassweed, Sara. How will she make it half a day? What will her husband and child do?" Arcus and Adrian knew already; Sara had made sure to tell them as soon as the search started. As to what they'd do if Cecily was truly lost, she couldn't say. Arcus wasn't a kind man, and Adrian suffered for it terribly. The child had always been a bit different, always taking more of an interest in what the women of the Keep were up to than paying attention to any of the men. Sara and Gaius had discussed the subject privately but had yet to bring it up with Cecily. There was no harm in Adrian's actions, after all. It was only Arcus that posed a real problem.

(Would you like to skip about a week ahead to Ky and Tomhas? That's about where I'm thinking this part of the plot will pick up. It's all a plan to get Tomhas and Gaius to meet up, and hopefully bring Ky and Aleth back into an awkward situation.)

(Sure! That sounds good to me ^^ I honestly have a horrendous memory and am a lil bit foggy on where we're headed, but I can vibe with whatever and am happy to skip ahead~ )

Aleth took a few moments to regain his strength. There was so much that he needed to do, and so little that he could do from here. He eyed the door. Had Sara locked him in?

He didn't know.

He also didn't even know what he'd do if he did have the freedom to go wandering around the keep again.

(I have no plans for this lol just rambling)

(Splendid, off we go then!)

About a week later, Tomhas was playing Tafl with Arthur when a breathless butler burst into the room.
"Sir, soldiers from a patrol in Venholm have just returned," he gasped. Tomhas looked up, a frown already creasing his face.
"Is everything alright? What happened?" The butler looked nervously to Arthur, then gestured for Tomhas to follow him.
"I think you ought to see for yourself, sir." Tomhas gave Arthur a bewildered look and rose, sweeping his cloak around him and following the butler out of the room toward the Keep's doors.

(I am not sure where Ky and Tadaaki are at this point, so if you want me to edit, I totes can ^^)

Ky froze, book in her hands, as she watched the exchange. She'd grown more comfortable in the time that they'd been with the Loquiturs -- to the point where she was able to relax, even here, in the same room as Isya.

But the mention of Venholm -- and the panicked air of the butler -- snapped Ky into high alert in an instant. Did it have to do with Aleth? Was he... here?

Ky rose quickly and followed Loquitur out of the room before she even thought about what she was doing. Aleth always wanted her with him when something happened -- good or bad -- so that she could provide immediate assistance if needed. So her body was moving her into the hall before her brain had time to fully process all the possibilities of what this might mean.

(Nope that's absolutely perfect!)

Tomhas threw open the doors, striding into the freezing snow. Seven soldiers were standing around a fire warning their hands, and a bedraggled figure with hair so blonde it was almost white sat on a heap if saddlebags beside them. One of the soldiers, a burly man with dark skin and a captain's crest rising from his helmet turned as he heard the doors and hurried over to Tomhas.
"She insisted on sitting outside, sir," he began. "We tried to get her in but she wanted to surprise you and...well..."
"Who?" Tomhas's brow furrowed as he peered at the pale-haired person, then his face visibly paled. "Cecily?"
At the sound of her name, the woman looked up and grinned, rising unsteadily and tottering over to Tomhas.
"Tommy, oh, it's so good to see you!" she said through chattering teeth. "I came to visit you, see?"
"I...I do." Tomhas wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "How?" Cecily wouldn't have been able to get through Venholm to Clawholm; the borders were closed and Gaius would never allow it. "And where are Arcus and Adrian?"
"Oh, I left them at Gaius's. How are you?"
"We fed her and got her warm as soon as we could," the captain said. "But she was half starved when we found her and completely out of glassweed. We've got to get her inside."
"Right you are." Tomhas began to usher his older sister inside. She really was thin, and the light veins running from her hairline to her jaw were throbbing slightly. "Good gods, Cecily, you can't be here!"

If Aleth hadn't beaten the capacity to keep a straight face no matter what, she would have gaped. What--? But, then--? Hadn't she heard--?

At this point, nothing seemed certain. But it did seem that the war had just gotten a hell of a lot more interesting.

Ky shook the shock off just in time to realize she was standing nearest the door. She stepped forward swiftly and pulled the door open, holding it so that Loquitur would be able to get his sister into the keep. She looked weak. And cold.

"Oh, is this Anneliese?" Cecily asked as she saw Ky, grinning. "She's grown so much!"
"This is Ky," Tomhas said. "Cecily, you're freezing. Come on, let's get you to the infirmary. Did you tell Gaius where you were going?"
"Nope." Cecily shook her head. "He'd have been angry, you know."
"I know." Tomhas sighed heavily. Gaius would be worried sick. Which meant...he'd have to contact his brother.

Ky nervously returned the smile, but she was glad that Loquitur directed the attention away from her. It was easier to observe the situation when she didn't have to focus on her public persona.

And for now, she was trying to comprehend the upset in energy that Cecily had brought with her. Loquitur was always cheerful -- and, from what she understood, Ash always wasn't -- but it seemed their sister was sheerly reckless. And, maybe a bit childish as well.

Tomhas walked Cecily up the stairs. "Cecily, you can't run off like that. Gaius will be tearing his hair out by now. How long have you been gone?"
"Oh, I don't know." Cecily rubbed her hands. "I wasn't counting. I just wanted to see you. You're never at Serpent Keep anymore."
"There's a war on." He looked down at her, eyes flicking over her and assessing any cuts or bruises. She appeared mostly unharmed, just a bit frostbitten at the very tips of her fingers. The patrol must have found her shortly after she ran away. "Look, you can stay until you're well again but I have to send you back to him. You're under his care, not mine."
"I'm not under anyone's care but my own." Cecily pulled away slightly, wrinkling her nose. "Gods, you men are all the same. Arcus tells me to stay in the house, Gaius tells me to stay in the Keep, you tell me to listen to Gaius."

Ky was slowly becoming aware that she was just being nosy at this point. There was nothing for her to help with. No justification for her following them around.

And yet.

She walked up the stairs after them, listening intently, planning on testing her luck until she was told to go away.

She could sympathize with Cecily's sentiments -- Ky had also had a similar experience with men, up to this point in her life. She was always supposed to sit down and shut up, when she wanted neither to be seated nor silenced.

Still.

Ky already had the distinct impression that Cecily probably should have someone watching over her, based on what she'd seen so far.

"Fair enough," Tomhas conceded. "I still don't know why you married Arcus, but--I mean, look at you, Cece. You were left alone for a few minutes and you forgot that Gaius and I were at war."
"For a silly reason." Cecily shook her head and swung around to point at Ky. "What do you think, little girl? Why should two brothers go to war over something as silly as a will?" Tomhas wrinkled his nose. It wasn't silly if it was a matter of Cecily's titles and his own mother's wishes. Gwynna Ash had never done him any kindnesses--why should she? He was a bastard and born of rape no less. The most unlovable son a mother could have. Even so, he had loved her and he wanted to see that what she owned went to who she wished. Gaius, ever the bitterest of the brothers, had seen it as unfair and demanded compensation. He'd said that Cecily was unfit to own land and, while Tomhas agreed somewhat with that sentiment, he couldn't allow his mother's will to be scorned like she had been scorned by her husband and everyone else.

Ky's eyes went wide as Cecily suddenly addressed her. She glanced at Loquitur for a hint of what to do, but she couldn't get much of a read on him aside from disagreement with his sister's commentary.

"I... think that war is a complicated matter," Ky answered carefully, when it'd been long enough that she realized that it wasn't a rhetorical question. "And I don't feel equipped to assess its merit, given I have neither brothers nor a will."

Cecily frowned at her, swaying on the steps. Tomhas took hold of her elbow to steady her. "You're a flighty thing, aren't you?" she sniffed, and turned away. Tomhas winced.
"Don't be cruel, Cece," he chided her, and shot Ky an apologetic look. "You're not well. Come on, come on. Up the stairs. Er, Ky, would you mind letting Lady Anneke know we have an...unexpected guest?"

"Yes, sir, of course." Ky bobbed her head and quickly turned to go in search of the lady of the keep, grateful that she hadn't stayed between Cecily and Loquitur for long.