Thalas Manse - Chyril 26th Late Morningtide

[Ashari]

A white house loomed in front of Ashari's vision. It's mirrored wings on either side, even the large trees, made for her flesh to crawl. It was easier to sneak in last night with the cloak of night to hide the exterior. Even early this morning, with the dreary dawn, she'd barely paid attention to her surroundings until she was well into the Patrician's Ring. Now she stood staring up at the face of her enemy.

Don't be so ridiculous, Ashari. It's just a sodding house. Taking in a deep breath through her nose she sighed outward huffily. Her main priority was speaking to Ketch. She'd sent Aerin back to her home (where ever that may have been up til this morning) to gather her belongings and bring them to her new home. Though, as she climbed the stairs, Ash knew she'd never again think of this building as home.

Pushing open the door she passed the dreaded sitting room with revulsion and set breakfast from Simple Pleasures on a side table before ascending the stairs. She stopped. Fingers wrapped around the banister a few steps up. The quick sensation of cold dread swept over her. Ashari closed her eyes and tried to relieve herself of the feeling.

"What exactly are you accusing me of here?"

The words resonated through her mind, and she was quick to shake her head of them as she jogged up the remainder of stairs to reach the top of them. "Ketch?" She intoned in the hallway, trying to discern if he was still in the bedroom she'd left him in. Her feet carried her to the room they'd shared the night before and she peered in curiously.[/quote]

[Grey Wolf]

Ketch was gone, and judging by the cold sheets he had left marks ago, a note similar to the one she had left him laying on the pillow, written in a overly swirly, yet easily legible handwriting, bearing a slight smudge upon the lower right corner. The door had been locked and the window in the bedroom left open a crack, making it the mostly likely exit that the young, nimble thief had taken out of the house.

Hey cat

I had to leave to handle some business. Wanted to ask around about last night. Make sure it was Michael. And also to see if I can round up some friends of mine.

Be a good girl and have some snacks ready around the middle of Gravetide. I'll be bringing some company for a little council. We'll get back to that bastard.

Stay pretty

K.

[Aerin Penna Seleratus]

“He-hello? Mistress?” Aerin called as she peeked her head through the door, not one-hundred percent sure that she was at the right abode although she thought she had followed Ashari’s instructions to the letter. Cicero was on her shoulder, the small monkey’s tail curled around her neck as she ventured further in, a small bit of rope dangling loosely between he neck and her fingers to keep her new pet semi-restrained as it would probably look bad on her bringing a thief, even an accidental one, into Ashari’s home and Aerin could only imagine Cicero following Georgio’s warning of the monkey being drawn to shiny objects.

“Mistress Ashari?” Aerin called once more, shouldering her backpack off with a shrug and allowing it to land onto the floor behind her. “Are you in here?” Aerin used her foot to nudge her bag over toward a wall where it would be out of the way. She had been sent by Ashari to gather her things and had done so without hesitation, paying up her room at the Mermaid (plus a little extra for any damage that a monkey left to his own devices overnight had done – she really had not intended on sleeping off the night in a temple.) and had sent a note via messenger to Claire with apologies for having to ‘quit’ her new job as Simple Pleasures, as she was not sure what kind of schedule Ashari would keep her on and she really hated the idea of stepping on Ashari’s toes this early on in her relationship by spreading herself too thin.

“Mistress?” Aerin called once more as she took a small look around the first room, not wanting to venture further lest this not be Ashari’s home after all.

[Ashari]

Ashari smiled at the note, thankful he'd left something to let her know where he'd gone to. The idea of him gathering friends, well... that did nothing except pique her interest, only to realize it wouldn't be satisfied until much later in the evening. "Hmmmf. Guess I'll have to wait and see." She took one last look at the handwriting, as if to memorize it's particular swirls, perhaps a lasting remnant of her life as a con-artist coming back to her briefly, before crumpling it up. Aerin's hollow voice, echoing through the house, caused her to quickly stuff it away, tucked nicely between her breasts where her hand clamped against them, only to have her realize it was the voice of her new student.

Once more she heard the word mistress waft through the air, but she ignored it, chosing instead to move over to the window and push it shut before stepping out through the door once again and into the main hallway of the second floor. It took her just a few flickers to pass the distance from door to landing, and it coincided with Aerin's final calling. Standing at the top of the stairs she looked down at the redhead with what seemed to be renewed vigor. She wasn't as weary as she'd been earlier that morning. "I'm coming, I'm coming..." Ashari said with a slightly joking tone. "Sorry, I've not got any servants to speak of at the moment. I dismissed them months ago when I left this house." She jogged down the stairs to meet Aerin.

Although they'd separated paths a while before, it was obvious Ashari hadn't come directly home to take a bath as she'd suggested she was going to. She was still entirely filthy. Instead she'd stopped at Simple Pleasures, and that had turned out to be a more informative and interesting little deviation than she'd first anticipated. "I hope you... and your little friend.. are hungry." The brunette said while moving over to a table that ran alongside the stairs. "I stopped to get breakfast, I thought a friend of mine would be here, but it seems he had to depart early. Not that it matters, just means more for us."

Looking around the entrance room it was also obvious that this house hadn't seen much use in the past few months. A generous layer of dust overlayed much of the surfaces, and from Aerin's point of view, looking into the sitting room, she could see clearly through the wall and beyond. Not just one wall, but infact, four walls had been shot clean through in a way that might be curious for the fact that the perfectly round hole was rimmed with black as if it'd been burned. Infact, these holes were in such a way that they lined up directly to give a view of outside to the neighbor's house, which once belonged to Andolin Azarin himself, when he was just the Master of Protocol.

With package in hand, Ashari moved in the opposite direction as the sitting room and it's peculiar destruction, which upon further inspection would reveal an ugly black mark on the tiled floor like a many-legged thing's shadow had been left there, ominously, the darkest stain of which was in the center, like a hole to the nether itself. Ash, for all her eccentricities, was utterly unphased by any of it, as it wasn't out of the order. It had been that way for months, but she didn't account on someone's first seeing of the damage or their reaction.

Into the office she went, met with sumptuous furnishings that a merchant prince would find most pleasurable. A painting of The Hunt hung above the desk, but she didn't move toward it, rather making her way over to a sofa opposite which sat a low table where she set down the breakfast. The scent of stale tobacco hung in the air, wafting out of the stuffings of the cushions as-if imbued. Iorn had spent much of his time in this room, and his smoking had been relegated to mostly this area. An overfilled ashtray sat un-touched, as she'd intructed the servants to leave everything in the room where it was.

Deftly she picked up the ashtray and depositted it on the desk as she made her rounds through the room. Fingers went to the cords of the window treatments, opening the velvety, if somewhat worn, eyes of the room to allow in some light, for it had been dreary prior. Dust lifted off the curtains to settle on other still objects, as Ash was already on the move. On her return path she stopped at the desk again, this time picking up a bottle of red wine, never opened, but sitting ready to be drank, as well as two cut glasses covered film. Blowing into each she smiled. Swirls of debris danced into the air. Gracefully, she returned to the sofa and sat down gingerly, all to aware of the puff of residue which would emit from the fabric should she too carelessly drop her weight. "What does your little friend like to eat? I've got breads and fruits and cheeses in here,"

[Aerin Penna Seleratus]

"I'm coming, I'm coming... Sorry, I've not got any servants to speak of at the moment. I dismissed them months ago when I left this house."

Aerin, like Ashari, looked like a piece of living debris herself, something that Aerin had felt a bit sorry about until she had seen Ashari’s state. “Oh, it is quite alright, Mistress. I imagine that if you did, they would have long since fainted away at the sight of how much of the rubble we are both wearing” Aerin had hoped that she could have bathed at her new home instead of dawdling at the Mermaid and that her trip to fetch her things would have allowed Ashari time to do the same. Assumptions… Assumptions… Assumptions…

"I hope you... and your little friend.. are hungry. I stopped to get breakfast, I thought a friend of mine would be here, but it seems he had to depart early. Not that it matters, just means more for us."

As much digging as we did, I am famished…” Aerin chuckled. “Cicero here should count himself lucky that he still has a tail, I would think.” The soot-mottled redhead followed Ashari into the office, noting the signs of an epic battle or something along the way, not minding the dust so much since she had assumed two more things. The first assumption was that the ruins that they had spent such a great deal of time in had been Ashari’s home and that, were the hole-and-scorch-mark-decorated abode Ashari’s home, the woman would have already been quick to patch up the holes and throw a rug or something over the scorch mark.

Aerin liked the abode, despite its damage, but as she gazed upon the ashtray and other mementos frozen in time by this Tazlurian Miss Havisham*, that more ‘damage’ surrounded the house than met the eye, although Aerin decided to let Ashari volunteer the information herself. Aerin had certainly done enough digging for one day.

"What does your little friend like to eat? I've got breads and fruits and cheeses in here,"

Aerin pulled her attention away from her surroundings and joined Ashari on the sofa, gingerly as well, and deposited Cicero on the floor, his makeshift leash still in her hand so he did not run off.

“His previous…friend…” Aerin said, the thought of the sadness in Georgio’s eyes as he bid the monkey farewell making it impossible for Aerin to refer to him with the title of ‘owner’, “…said that he liked breads and nuts and berries. Not sure if he would like cheese though.” Aerin gave a little shrug and smiled at Cicero. "I think that I can offer and, if he takes it, so be it. And not to worry, Mistress… I plan on making sure that he does not disturb anything in your…our…home that does not personally belong to me and I will always clean up his messes if he makes them. Georgio led me to believe that he has been trained in that aspect, however – as he was a street performer and that is not an act that most audiences want to watch – so I think that if I keep working with him as I have in the odd moments, he should be a far less messy houseguest than I have been in just these few burns.”

Aerin looked at the food and then at Ashari, her skin itching from the soot. “I know that we are both hungry, but I think I have eaten enough dust for one day and could certainly stave off my hunger long enough for a bath and a change of clothes for each of us, if you would not mind…” Aerin half-offered, half-asked.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Havisham - for those unfamiliar with the reference.

[Ashari]

Ashari began unpacking her meal with the zeal of a child, for, a child she was in many ways, including yahren. Aerin's interest in a bath however, stopped her and she gave a nod. "You're.. probably right," she agreed. "I'm starving though. Sometimes I feel like I'm just empty. The magick, it does things... inside you. It's especially tough when it's big magick, like what I did last night." Her arms hugged around her body, fingers laced around herself drawing comfort from the closeness, though why was difficult to discern. "Draining," she finally said after a small pause as she brushed her hands down her upper arms and then across her forarms, drawing her hands together to create the illusion of warmth from the contact as she rubbed them against eachother quickly. The movement livened her up some, and she looked to Aerin with a smile, remnants of the brief melancholy a fleeting memory.

"But if you're off for a bath, you'd be better off to have both hands, wouldn't you say? Plus, that way you need not be so cautious." It seemed the right time to get about healing her hand and it just wouldn't do to put it off any longer. Ashari rose from her seat, but motioned for her pupil to stay where she was as she sauntered from couch to fire-place. A ring of wood sat near-by, at the ready, as well as tinder-box.

She loaded up the fireplace, and it took not but a few burns, adding kindling and striking flint until the smaller pieces caught. Pulling Ketch's note from it's securely placed position between her breasts, she flattened it out some and used it to fuel the flames. It would do no good to leave around letters suggesting her interest in making Michael pay. Once a good fire was burning, Ash motioned for Aerin to join her infront of the hearth by way of patting the stone-work infront of it. The magi knelt so that the fire was to her right, and waited for the novice to join her.

"It might be invasive... and it also might hurt. The last person I healed, he didn't say he felt pain, but he has a high tolerance, and I wouldn't want to give you the wrong impression of how it might feel." It wasn't reassuring, but factual, and told in a studious manner. Ash found herself taking a deep breath, and recalling back to that evening.

Her mind was already retreating to a deeper place, a place where her magick was, where she pulled from, her font. "Inside each person is a special energy," she whispered, for, in this intimate and close situation, she needed only for her voice to raise higher than the crackling of the burning logs. "This energy makes us... it makes all things," she explained. She had little idea of what Aerin already knew of magick, or how it worked. "Truthfully, what you saw last night, was only a manipulation of those energies, for I have learned how to use them, the same way an artist uses a brush." It was easier with analogies.

Meanwhile, within herself, Ashari was delving to her sanctuary, finding the cool sensation of the place where she was safest and protected. A small shield was to expand from here, for Thira had always made sure that she demonstrated one need be protected at all times. The tutor's paranoia passed to her student, and in turn, Ashari would educate her neophyte(s) similarly. "May I have your good hand?"

She waited only long enough for it to be surrendered before continuing. Her hands tentatively touched Aerin's, her dark skin in alarming contrast to the pale peach tone presented. It was here that the detail work began. One hand supported the weight, and the other slipped further away - up her wrist, wrapping gently around the fragile bones as her eyes closed, her lips parting slowly, and deft tongue wetting them as she was lost to concentration.

Although Aerin was the injured one, Ashari's vulnerability was on display. Were the girl before her a threat, it would be Ash who was in danger, for she was opening up both herself, as well as lending her powers to heal her. This was of little consequence to her, however, as she sought out not her body, but the foreigner's. It was a familiar sensation. She recalled the stitching of her own wound back in King's Court, and also the mending of Ketch's severly destroyed foot. The minute bones had become fragments of their former selves. She expected similar of Aerin's hand.

Fingers tightened, losened and flexed perceptively over the soft surface of Aerin's skin, but it wasn't this that she was concerned with. She sought the pain, the place where the bones were broken. "Move your bad hand.. squeeze it.. it doesn't have to be much," she directed. With Ketch, the injury had been immediate, but she hoped that this would prove to be a map for her to find the exact causes. Her mind meshed against Aerin's, diving into it and swimming along the surface to where she was hurt. Her intention with Ketch had been to help him to heal himself. She would treat this no differently.

[Aerin Penna Seleratus]

"You're.. probably right, I'm starving though. Sometimes I feel like I'm just empty. The magick, it does things... inside you. It's especially tough when it's big magick, like what I did last night. Draining,"

Aerin could only imagine the drain, especially to do things like crowd control and destroying the fire like Ashtallion did, not that she had seen or experienced the full detail of everything involved beyond the column of fire – in fact, she could not even be sure if she had indeed seen that, as the smoke and problems with the guards had been more than a tad distracting.

"But if you're off for a bath, you'd be better off to have both hands, wouldn't you say? Plus, that way you need not be so cautious."

Aerin found herself gaining more and more respect for her new caretaker, for although Ashari had agreed with her at the dig site that she needed to conserve and rebuild energy after the magic used to kill the fire, the woman now insisted upon proceeding with the healing after adding a good deal of time doing manual labor to the strain which must be on her body and soul if Aerin’s own weariness was any scale to measure by. Still, Ashari had dispatched a demon, seemingly effortlessly, so who was Aerin to judge what her new companion was or was not capable of?

When summoned, Aerin obeyed, wrapping the end of Cicero’s leash into a tight half-hitch around a table leg as Ashari had gathered materials and begun the fire so that when Ashari did call her over, the redhead was unburdened and ready to go, save for a roll in her good hand, an edible gag if needed.

"It might be invasive... and it also might hurt. The last person I healed, he didn't say he felt pain, but he has a high tolerance, and I wouldn't want to give you the wrong impression of how it might feel."

“Hopefully it won’t be as bad as when it was broken…” Aerin wished through a nervous smile, knowing damn well from things that Rat had told her about broken bones that even the scant marks which had passed between the break and the present had possibly done additional damage, thanks to her pride making her avoid temple healing in lieu of the practices of the woman before her. The fact that the temple had insisted on setting the bones and binding them was probably going to be one thing that would save her a little pain at least.

The redhead listened to Ashari’s lesson intently, keeping her imagination at bay and trying to quell her fears. She had studied the basics of magic and knew the energy was there, much like a child standing on a riverbank could study the water and know that it was swim able…but that had been the extent of it. At the fire, she had tried to jump in, in a figurative sense, but had found herself only standing in the ankle-deep waters of the Aether, unable to paddle a stroke. When Ashari asked for Aerin’s good hand, the redhead nodded and placed the roll in her mouth to muffle any screams which might erupt, passing the hand to Ashari as requested.

"Move your bad hand.. squeeze it.. it doesn't have to be much,"

A seemingly simple request, but it amazed Aerin how little a wounded appendage responded as she tried to flex the hand, the muscles defiant at first and her mind quickly flooding with pain from the effort, either real or imagined, as she fought to comply with Ashari’s command.

[Grey Wolf]

Weaving a spell was a complex process, especially when all the precautions were being taken. It was several flickers before Ashari's mind and body were attuned to the task at hand, her senses enhanced by the acute concentration, though only Aerin existed due to the intense focus of the female mage.

It was not merely the wound that prevented Aerin from moving the injured hand, but also the tight bandages and intricately woven bandages the temple healers had applied to her hand. Setting the bones had hurt terribly, the pain still throbbing when the woman who fixed the bones started weaving the twin bandages around Aerin's hand and wrist, every layer fixing the hand more, until finally she could barely move it, save for the fingers that were free. She could flex those with minimal pain, and unless she removed the bindings, Ashari would need to rely upon her perception of the good hand and focus on fixing the injured bones herself. Aerin's body was happy with how the broken bones were fixed and unless she struck the hand against something, the pain would be almost non-existent. She would still require a good two weeks or more until the hand was fully healed, and even then it would be a miracle if everything returned to normal.

Maintaining a focus was a much easier task that attaining it, and thus Ashari would have little trouble keeping herself attuned whilst removing the tightly woven bandages around her pupil's hand. The intricate pattern of the binds might even work to her advantage, as the bones would be gradually given more freedom, limiting the pain and giving her a chance to focus on one section of a hand at a time, rather than whole apendage at once.

[Ashari]

Moving the hand was proving more difficult that she had first envisioned it to be, but it made perfect sense. The healers at the mother's temple had done a lovely job of dressing her wound. "Aerin... just..mmm," Ashari said as her eyes drifted open lazily as if in the process of her centering she'd become high. "I'm going to remove your bandages," she said quietly. Her fingers moved over the smooth exterior of Aerin's injured hand with precision as she found the end of the wrappings and began to unbind. "When the pressure is released, it'll likely hurt. Don't fight that feeling... I need to follow it to the broken bones." Whether or not that made sense to Aerin meant little to the mage at the time.

And so, with some level of practice (instilled by Belawen following the Siege) she undid the bandaging until she could feel some freedom in Aerin's hand, and also that she could move it, but not unbound completely for fear of showing Aerin her mutilated, bruised and swollen hand. "The grinding in the bones will likely be unbearable," she whispered. There was a quality about her that spoke of being far-away, and she was. Though Ashari was still able to communicate, something she hadn't always been able to do from her core, she was within her own inner sanctum from which she drew her power. "But do the best you can."

Closing her eyes once more, Ashari's fingers tentatively moved over Aerin's bad hand, as it was the one she was holding now. "Alright, go ahead and try to give a bit of a wiggle." Invisible strands of energy crept from her own fingers. As Aerin's digits moved her inner eye looked to see where bone thrust against bone via the jarring pain associated with such movement. She wove her energies to bind the beauty's broken pieces backtogether, first by moving and meshing the intricate pieces back where they belong, and then by stitching them together. It was delicate work, demanding full attention, but she was prepared for the task.

[Aerin Penna Seleratus]

Aerin helped remove the bandages, once she was aware of what the mage was doing, the pain coming as ‘gentle’ throbs as the bandages released their tension, amplified mainly through her own sense of anticipation which often made things hurt worse than they really did. Memories flooded back into her mind with each unwrapping, the crunch of the bones upon the initial break…the furthered damage as she squeezed it to break free of Ashari’s spell, the pain of trying to beat the bucket, and the pain of the setting. Her teeth were clenched so tightly by the time the bandage came off that the stiff roll fell into her lap, one bite missing which her tongue kept pressed tightly to the back of her teeth, a muffled scream trying to drill its way through the dough.

She could not fight the pain if she wanted to – at least not in the traditional sense.

A shudder passed through her, unexpectedly, passing from her hand to her mind and on through to her nipples and groin. It was an odd sensation, one that she had not felt since…the night that Rat turned a simple farm girl into the shadow of the woman that she would become. Aerin sucked in a hard breath through her nose, surprised that a broken hand could possibly dig up that particular memory, especially since the hand hurt far more than a tiny span of flesh being ripped into nothingness in an act of passion, but it did and the subsequent memory of Rat ripping her heart to pieces just as easily brought forth the fist-making reflex before she could stop herself, both hands tensing into balls although one far easier than the other.

Once again came the pain and, Aerin hoped, the pleasure…

[Grey Wolf]

The bandages were woven into a dizzying patters around Aerin's hand, but came off easily under Ashari's touch, numbing the injured hand for a flicker, the pain coming as bones were once more allowed to shift and grind against each other. The pain was definitely there, though Aerin's body did most of the work on keeping it under control, muscles numbing as pain became unbearable, preventing her from clenching her fist fully. The injured spot felt hot, heat waves washing through the rest of the girl's body, threatening to make her break out in sweat despite the cool air in the house. That same heat guided Ashari to where the fractures were, there were not that many of them and the healers had done a wonderful job, setting the bones near perfectly, though near was not quite the same as perfect.

It was then that the actual work begun, Aerin's body guiding Ashari better than any other guide could, subtle signals sent to the muscles shifting the bones in their proper position. Then the truly excruciating pain came, forcing beads of cold sweat to cover Aerin's skin, as Ashari's magick pulled first at the bone marrow, linking the bones together with the oily bridge, before the true knotting together began. Bones, being made of slivers and strands, were perhaps the part of the body that would mend most easily, and for once Aerin was lucky she had so few nerve endings within the bones themselves. Strand after strand was pulled out of the tight weave of her bones and slipped into tight spaces between shards on the other side, a process that was sure to last ten burns at least, provided Ashari wanted to fully heal her student's hand and not just provide her with a basis upon which her body would work and heal the hand to full health naturally. More time would be necessary to make the bones as strong as they were before, though it was doubtful if that would ever be possible, without weakening other bones in the body to draw the material needed for such a task.

[Ashari]

Ashari's eyes flitted beneath the surface of her lids visibly, so that Aerin could see, with the assistance of the flickering fire, that they were in constant motion. As she concentrated she found herself diving into the fabric of the maleable substance between her bones as the material was woven together to make the broken pieces whole again. The shards settled against eachother and fit together back in perfect harmony as if a puzzle. After some time had past she lazily opened her eyes and exhaled through her nose with relaxed contentedness. She had no need to overly heal the bones. One thing Belawen had taught her was that bones each had their own special place on them that was weaker than anywhere else on the bone. It was the safest place for a bone to break, and easiest to heal. "Just another miracle of the body," Belawen had said.

"You should be fine," she said flatly, patting Aerin's good hand, and allowing Aerin the time to flex her fingers appropriately. "Give 'em a wiggle now," she suggested and then retracted her hand to place it in her own lap interlacing with the fingers of the opposite, pressing her palms together. Meanwhile, she started retreating from her core and allowed her shield to fall. Blinking she gave a smile, attepting to pull from the immediate and almost grinding halt of sobriety after the high of magick use. "I'm going to eat, but you're welcome to go have a bath." Ashari commented with a smile, her personality returning.

[Aerin Penna Seleratus]

The pain had been intense, so much so that Aerin could not recall whether or not she had kept silent through the whole ordeal or even if she had managed to remain conscious the whole time. As the effects began to ebb, she did as instructed and gave her fingers a few tetetive flexes, each repition growing reluctantly bolder as the redhead nodded to Ashari. She rose slowly, gave Cicero a little scratch on the chin and collected her bag to retire to the bathroom. Cicero, she felt, would be nice company for Ashari and, being tied up as he was, not too much trouble – she hoped.

Once in the bathroom, Aerin drew a hot bath, adding a touch of oil to make her dry and ash-soaked skin smooth and slippery, and a bit of bubbly soap to generate a foam with which to melt away the aches and debris from her earlier labor. Aerin noted as she disrobed that her time in the sun while working in the ruins had given her body a slight case of two-tone although it was hopefully less apparent to onlookers than to herself she hoped as the last of her clothing collected at her ankles and she compared the sooty smudges on her arm to the blank skin of her belly. Deciding to make the bath as relaxing as possible, the redhead lit a few candles and made sure that all other light was vacant from the room, setting the mood well for unwinding. With a smile as big as the manor itself, Aerin stepped into the tub, loving the sudden tightening of her skin as it dipped below the steamy surface millimeter by millimeter.

Slowly she lowered herself into the hot bath, the sections of her skin that her clothing had covered turning bright red from the heat. Tiny bubbles formed on her legs, seeming to trap and carry the dirt upward, the bubbles on the surface bearing a slight discoloration almost immediately as ash clung tenaciously to them, her body shivering with relief as it prepared for relaxation. Aerin's half-closed eyes gazed out over the expanse of foam as she leaned her head back against the tub's edge, the foam lifting a little due to both the natural buoyancy of her breasts as well as the slight arch that her back inherited due to the head-tilt. The hot water slowly caused a sheen of sweat to cover the skin that was not submerged, making it glisten in the candle's light.

As she had hoped, the bath began to have a soothing effect on her – she felt warm, safe, and somewhat protected beneath the hot liquid – and her hands began to slowly began to caress the silky, oily surface of her skin, fingertips grazing back and forth along her forearms as she began to actively scrub the dirt away, her mind drifting lazily in its own tub, filled with different thoughts instead of water.

Her face was drenched with sweat from the continuous cloud of hot steam that rose from the water as she reflected first upon the healing that had been done, phantom pain still coursing fresh in memory as she washed the newly-mended hand with the other, her eyes curious about what Ashari had seen during the process since her magic differed so vastly from the alchemy that Aerin had studied. Aerin's own pain aside, what Ashari had done seemed, on the surface, to be so effortless – so easy – but she had often thought the same about digging when she had watched her father do it on a daily basis. She moved her good arm up to her shoulder and rubbed the knotted muscle The light lifting that she had done at the ruins of the Red Banner had been a drop in the bucket in comparison to the work done at the Rose and Aerin had quickly discovered that what looked easy to an observer was a damn sight harder for those actually doing the work.

“I hope to Nether that I can do this...” Aerin whispered flickers before she bent her legs at the knees and allowed her head to disappear beneath the foam.

[Ashari]

Ash gave Aerin a small wave as she departed, and then rose from the hearth to return to the couch where she lazily laid across it. Her eyes caught sight of the curious little monkey and she smiled. Ashari had never had a pet before. Tigrin had amazed her with the tricks he could do with his falcon, as well as the communication they had. Toward the end, it had been so that the adhiel could see through the hunter's eyes, and use him as scout. The mage wondered if Aerin wished to have the same sort of connection to her furry friend. That was an interesting thing, indeed. "You are sort of cute.. in a funny little furry person-animal sort of way," she said quietly, pushing herself off the dusty furniture.

"And just because your momma wasn't hungry doesn't mean you aren't, now does it?" Already she was sitting up and reaching for the food. Her stomach growled angrily. "Yes.. and me, too." Ash laughed lightly to herself and rubbed her midriff soothingly. From the Simple Pleasures' parcel she first pulled out some dried apricot, which she set down within reach of Aerin's little friend. She had to admit she wasn't entirely fond of getting bitten by it's sharp little teeth, even if it was a cute little monster.

"You just wait here a flicker..." Ashari put her package out of what she thought would be the arboreal animal's reach and considered uncorking the bottle of red, but decided against it. It was, even for her, a bit much for this early mark. Instead she disappeared from the room only briefly to get a blushed wine, more suited for the early tide, as well as for the relaxation of her tired muscles and mind. She also grabbed a knife more suited for the task of slicing through the soft cheeses she'd purchased overwhich she was salivating at the very moment she returned.

With less caution she flopped down on the cushioned sofa and abruptly sneezed. "'scuse me," she said to Cicero and offered the monkey some more apricot should he have finished the first bit, but then went on to open the wine, pouring herself a full glass and then digging into her meal. "You want some bread, too?" It was a hearty nutty loaf, and she figured it'd be right up his alley. "Here ya are..." This she held out tentatively to allow the animal to take from her hand.

[Grey Wolf]

The little monkey chirped as Aerin left, staring after her for a few flickers, before his shiny, little eyes turned to the only other person in the room, testing the length of the string around his neck, he gave it a good tug and then settled down to do a bit of grooming, picking out bit of dirt and remains of food out of his fur and after a good sniff, either eating them or throwing them away. Then came the apricot and with a swift grab he snatched it away from the floor, clutching it in both paws and took a tentative nibble. A flicker of hesitation followed, the sugar upon it not quite to the little critter's liking, but after another lick, he decided it was quite good and set about nibbling upon the piece of fruit and was in the process of licking his paws when the girl returned with a knife and wine.

Her sneeze caused him to hide behind the table leg he was tied to, but the offer of more fruit brought him forward and soon he was nibbling on the sweetened fruit in his paws with gusto. Then came a conundrum and he started at the piece of bread with longing in his eyes, before moving back to the table and hiding the remains of his apricot behind the table leg and then walking on two feet to the bread and picking it up. Bread itself did not seem to be to his liking, but the nuts in it obviously were and he deftly dug out every single one and munched on them, leaving a small pile of breadcrumbs at his feet. Then it was time for the apricot and it was fished from behind the table, the little monkey glancing at Ashari and then quickly snatching it from the hiding spot, as if he did not want her to discover what he did. With that gone, he sat, but those breadcrumbs were sitting in his full view and he resisted the lure of more food for full ten flickers. Tried looking away, rubbing his belly, but finally the hunger in his eyes won and he moved to the crumbs and started picking them up and eating.

Aerin found that her hand was indeed mobile and fully healed, though it took a bit of time for her body to recognize it as such, flashes of pain lancing through her nerves with each flex, her mind remembering the injury and trying to protect her from further damage. After a while the pain subsided and its intensity lessened, her body adjusting to the sudden change gradually.

[Ashari]

The animal's curious little noises were nothing short of adorable, and Ash watched his actions with keen interest. He was so much like a little person, in so many ways. The inquistive eyes and tiny hands were, perhaps, the most noticed by the thief-turned-mage. She couldn't help but giggle a little as he disappeared behind the table at her sneeze, nor in the way he hid his apriot pieces in favor of the nuts from the bread. "Hmm.. you rather those then, over the fruit pieces? Probably better for you anyway. Nuts make you strong..." A thought hit her as she watched him nibbling on the remnants of the bread.

Slowly, as to not frighten Cicero again, she rose from her position on the couch and cross the room to a dusty bowl of unshelled walnuts resting on the desk. She grabbed the handy cracker as well as a handful of the nuts and returned to her seat with a smile. "You're in luck, I put these here quite a while ago, but they don't really go bad." The fact that it might be strange that Ashari was finding herself having decent conversation with a mammal who couldn't respond hadn't occurred to her. Mothering instincts were just that, and one couldn't precisely place why or how they budded.

Cracking one of the walnuts open she placed the meat in her hand and then offered it to the Capuchin with palm up, inviting his tiny hands to reach into hers to grasp the nut. A bright smile played across her lips as she did so. Ash was having a great deal of fun. She'd similarly offer the second half of the interior of the walnut to Cicero, but then gave him one of the whole ones to see if he might go about figuring how to open it by himself. He did, after all, have very wickedly sharp teeth by which he'd been eating.

Ashari continued to watch, and alternatively feed, the critter while Aerin was upstairs bathing. She also munched on her own meal, filling herself up as well as bringing back some energy into her tired muscles which ached.

[Aerin Penna Seleratus]

Aerin's head bobbed back above the surface after a few flickers, her neck and torso following it as she sat far enough up in the tub for her long hair to clear the water for the most part, her abruptly-exposed nipples immediately pointing to the towel on the wall, the perky nubs tingling from the chill and insisting that she cover them quickly. The redhead, however, was more focused on cleanliness than comfort as she lathered up her tresses and began to rinse and wring them out over her left breast, her frown continuous until the water – at long last – ran clear, although she still repeated the soaping and rinsing just to make sure.

“Aeris... How beautiful you must have been...before all of this...” Aerin sighed as she sank back into the water, dangling her hair over the edge, thoughts of Aeris bathing with those gossamer wings spread out behind her filling the redhead's vision. Ashari had been right – Aerin did feel as if she would have loved Aeris...in many ways as her fantasy vision began to bathe itself...with her help.

Time lost its meaning for a bit as Aerin surrendered to the thoughts in her head, her still-healing hand gripping the tubs edge lightly at times while her good hand washed her body...as well as other things. When the daydream ended, Aerin closed her legs and sat back up in the tub, her smiling face glowing from both the oils and her favored form of relaxation. It was only when she glanced at the candles and made note of their change in height that she rose from the tub and pulled the drain, stepping out onto the tile shakily from both a fear of falling and knees that were still freshly wobbly.

“Better get back before she thinks I've drowned...” Aerin chided herself as she ran the towel over every inch of her body, happy that it came away without black streaks. Just as quickly as she could, she dug about in her back for fresh undergarments, pulling them into place snugly and giving her own rump a little tap before donning the rest of her clothing. Her hair was the last order of business, rolled into the towel and tucked neatly until the towel sat as a tight, yet odd, hat atop her head. “...or Cicero drives her to make a monkey-shaped hole in the wall...” she giggled, completing her previous thought as she stepped out of the bathroom and began to descend the stairs in order to re-join Ashari downstairs in the office, her bag in her hand and her dirty clothes left in their proper place in the bathroom.

[Grey Wolf]

OOC: I'll be leaving you two ladies to have fun now. Poke me if you need me, though I may post if I see the need.

Though Cicero watched Ashari with obvious interest, even inclining his head at her words, his reactions were limited to occasional chirp till the moment a cracked nut was offered. Then his conundrum began. Sitting down he examined the nut and her hand for a few flickers, tail slowly snaking around the ground, curling and uncurling nervously. After a while he reached a decision, or rather his stomach overruled his tiny brain, and Cicero inched closer. It was a slow approach his arms twitching nervously, pulled back a moment before touching the ground in another step forward, the monkey's eyes flicking between Ashari's face and the oh-so-inviting-and-deliciously-looking nut in her hand. At last, he was just before her hand, his own front paws in the monkey's lap, looking at her warily, his tiny eyes soft and wet, almost like a puppy's. Ever so slowly, he reached for the nut, closed his paw around it and then swiped it close, munching happily. He did look up as the nut was almost done, first at the girl's eyes and then at the bowl from which the original nut had come. Maybe she was not so bad after all.

[Aerin Penna Seleratus]

Aerin’s already refreshed mood perked up when she caught sight of the younger girl and Cicero bonding over a meal as she took a seat once more and poured a drink to go with her own brunch. “I am glad to see the two of you getting along so well.” She sighed, allowing Ashari her play for as long as she wanted it. “You should have seen poor Georgio when I bought Cicero from him. Lil’ Cicero here used to dance and beg for coins while Georgio played music for him. I had hoped that Mister Hadvin was taking me to a ship or warehouse to get Cicero and could tell that he and Georgio had a good bond from the first flicker I saw them.” Aerin sighed and picked up a bit of food to quell her gurgling stomach.

“It was meant to be though…even though I hated breaking up their little family, Georgio needed the money to get back to his family and, even had I not taken him, Georgio had to part ways with Cicero anyway.” Aerin took a small bite, chewed, swallowed, and smiled. “Besides, I think he will like it better here, won’t you sweetie? Poor little monkey damned to live out his days being pampered to death by beautiful women…” Aerin ventured a bigger smile and gave Ashari a wink. “From what I’ve heard, that would almost make him the Caesar of the Red Rose, would it not?” she asked, unaware of the fact that Ashari knew Andolin personally and might take offense at the joke.

“Thank you for the bath by the way…” she continued before swallowing another bite. “I think the only time I have been dirtier is when I was sloshing around in the sewers with Beccan and Morgan. I would gladly lift every last piece of rubble out of the Rose with my feet while walking on my hands than have that particular smell about me again. I must have scrubbed until my skin was raw all day that day because I honestly cannot remember doing anything else that day, save for eating that is…” Aerin gave a small shier and another wink at Cicero. “Little fuzznuts here slept in my bag the whole time, probably wishing that it was all just a bad dream brought on by moldy fruit or something…” Aerin giggled.

[Ashari]

"Hadvin?" Ashari asked with a grin. "I hadn't realized you knew the old goat. He's quite the character, isn't he?" She laughed and munched on her foodstuffs, tossing Cicero another cracked walnut. "Did you get to meet Bunny?" There was a light of enthusiasm in her eyes that wasn't there before. Though she'd been entertained by the minute monkey it was fairly obvious that she held a bit of affection for Hadvin, and delighted in the oppertunity to talk about him.

"Caesar Cicero has a nice ring, I say," she responded, and didn't make a link between Andolin and the monkey. To be fair, it was a large leap to make. Though, on second thought, were Andi trapped without beautiful women he'd likely make use of the same practices as the capuchin to keep himself entertained. Perhaps they were more alike than she first thought.

Almost full, Ashari reclined in the sofa, her bottom pushing against the cushions and her posture leaving much room for improvement as she cracked a few more walnuts into the lap of her dress. She caught the broken bits in the hammock of her skirt and placed the meat of the nut on her abdomen, separating them nicely. "You ought to head to the market and purchase a large mix of nuts... almonds, walnuts... whatever you can find. Cicero will thank you for it. He's enamored with the things." She scooped up the remants of the shells and dropped them into the bowl, then slid the dry centers over to the monkey if he was still hungry.

"I imagine the bath was quite nice, yes. I'll be heading up shortly." Ash righted herself from the slouching position only to lean lazily on the couch's arm. One leg slung over the other, dangling in the air with the occasional flick of her ankle. "How many men have you been with, aside from Rat?" She asked casually, but her gray eyes surveyed Aerin with the speculative glance of knowledge. "And what skills have you aside from poking through rubble of buildings that have burned?" The second was said with a little more humor, not wanting the woman to feel as though she was being grilled.

[Aerin Penna Seleratus]

Aerin gave a nod and grin at Ashari’s questions about Hadvin. “Yes…nice old man – Bunny too…” Aerin agreed, taking another small bite. “What struck me as the oddest about him was his complaints about his shoes…he is a merchant and cannot buy shoes that fit? That is about like a fishmonger complaining of hunger while skinning a fish that outweighs him by a bit, isn’t it?”

She relaxed a little herself, reclining and kicking her own feet up as well, biting into a bit of bread and offering some to Cicero if he happened to wander closer to her than the woman with the walnuts, smirking through a barely contained giggle as she saw the devastation that the monkey had already caused to a few of them – with Ashari’s help, of course. “indeed I shall, Mistress…” she replied, giving a playful bow to Cicero. “Anything to keep our cute lil’ Caesar happy.”

She was in the middle of a sip of wine when Rat and her past came up in the conversation, a segue which she had expected to come up at some point in an evaluation, but not over a meal. It was better that way, she decided, as she gave a small pause to look for proper wording – having the question pop out in a more structured teacher-student setting would have been a bit more uncomfortable. As it was, once the wording was selected, the answer flowed from Aerin with the same ease as discussing Hadvin or Cicero, albeit with cheeks a tad more flushed due to the subject matter. “Two…three if you count women too and not just men.” She took another drink and decided to go into more detail so that Ashari could properly gauge her prowess or lack thereof. “Rat was my first, and it didn’t last long… We were together maybe three or four times as we were never together…” she brought her hands together at the thumbs, her hands fists save for the extended index fingers which stood side by side for a flicker before parting. “We just had sex sometimes…no love or emotions, really.” …at least not from him… “And when I say ‘it didn’t last long’, I am not just talking about the relationship, unfortunately. I think I’m still a little clunky in that department due to lack of practice time – either that or I am really good, hmm?” Ashe ventured a grin and a shrug, re-wetting both lips and tongue with the spoils of grapes gone bad before continuing.

“The second…and the woman…came next.” Aerin continued, shaking her head a bit. “We were at some sort of Panling festival, drunk off our feet, and an orgy broke out. Naturally, the boys jumped in and, after another drink or two, so did I. Now I am not averse to taking an Adhiel lover – far from it, as I find both their men and women quite lovely – but let’s just say that the second man…well…” A small sign of Aerin’s time on the streets flickered through her hand motions as she used a little silent Whore’s Kant that she had picked up in taverns while luring marks out of safety as she finished her thought, the smallest finger on her right hand wiggling in a dance for attention, the other fingers longer and thicker by comparison. “…let’s just say that he was a bit less than I had expected.”

“Now, as for the lady, she was more than I had expected…one flicker I was lying there beside them as another serviced her ad my unfortunately-equipped partner did his best to satisfy me… The next, she and I are entangled together, kissing and exploring each other as if neither of us had been born a woman or seen one in the nude. It did not last long either, thanks to rat, for no sooner had I begun to truly taste her, Rat saw what I was doing and pulled both of us out of the festivities, yelling all the way that what I had done was wrong in his eyes…but we’ve already covered that a bit with…well…I guess the other girl he caught me with would bring the count of non-Rat lovers to four, wouldn’t it?”

“The last man…” she sighed, wrinkling her nose a little “…was a sailor aboard the ship which brought me from Murrelbuck to the Citadel. He would have been fantastic, I think, except I was using him to distract me from the seasickness but, as you can well imagine, being bent over his hammock and rocked back and forth not only by the sea, but also the motion of the sex did not turn out quite like I had hoped. I asked him to stop, but he begged me to let him continue… I did allow him to finish in the end although I did not enjoy it, and then proceeded to…well…make his hammock pretty unsleepable – not to ruin our meal with details.”

Aerin gave the final question some thought. “Well, I did self-study some magick…alchemy mostly, but also a little side reading on – well – stuff that would come in handy in the Nether. Lore mostly as far as the Nether knowledge is concerned. Let’s see… When I was with Rat, I learned how to be a little bit scary, I guess, although I am probably as intimidating as a leaf flying toward a castle wall. I do have a good mind in that department though, and – as you have seen during the dig – am well versed in asking lots of questions and talking…” She took another bite and drink, pulling her feet up under her rump in an effort to get more comfortable.

“I can also do some acting…I think… I grew up entertaining all younger siblings and used to put on little plays with them although, with the man in the Panling orgy, you can well imagine that my acting saw a new aspect as I pretended to be excited, eh?” She rolled her eyes and smiled, returning to the topic at hand. “I can read and write fairly well, although it does take me more time than I would like, and I have been trying to pick up on some of the ways and habits people have here that they didn’t have in Murrelbuck.”

Aerin took a final sip and set her glass down, giving Ashari a small wink. “Besides housecleaning and hardheadedness, I am afraid that my only other skills involve either sticking things into other people…” she said, pantomiming sticking a dagger into an opponent. “…or convincing them to stick something into me…” The last words were spoken in seductive tones as she leaned back against her seat before giving a small laugh.

“Any more questions for me? I like telling you about myself without the need to lie…you feel like home to me, you know what I mean?” Aerin sighed and poured herself some more wine, grunting momentarily as she realized her faux pas.

“This…” she corrected herself as she sat back with the refilled glass. “This feels like home to me, I mean…” Her face flushed a bit as she took another – and slightly longer – sip. “Good wine.”

[Ashari]

"I should like to find where he procured Bunny. He'd make a more competant guard than Caesar Cicero." Bunny was a netherbeast, or so she had imagined. How Hadvin had come to tame him was an entirely different matter.

The lewd explanations of Aerin's previous exploits brought about bursts of laughter and nods of agreement in places where appropriate to the conversation, most particularly her comparison of men's sizes, the proficiency of women lovers and her last bit about 'convincing them to stick something in me' which followed with buckets of laughter as the young girl held onto her midsection. The muscles contractions caused by such ovewhelming fits of giggles made for her to rub at her stomach tenderly after the chortling subsided.

But, Aerin's comment of Ashari being like home caused the beautiful brunette to snicker in anticipation of her fixing the error with what she'd said. The attempt at covering it up only caused her laughter to rise, until Aerin was sipping at her wine trying to change the subject. Ash's enjoyment of her awkwardness with phrasing quite evident as she rolled onto the sofa's armrest.

"Sorry," she mumbled through fading sniggering. "I do know what you mean, though." Ash gave a more genuine smile. "People can feel more like home than places, the companionship they offer... you see, that's what I wish you to become - to be home for those who need it, even if only for a night, or a weekend or a festival." The mage slid her glass across the table and refilled it. "If you can do that, make them at peace and find comfort in your presence, than they will have want for you again. That is what a Companion truely offers, not just the physical pleasure like some hooker on the streets." She shook her head. "No, that is not it. It's so much more. You might not think yourself skilled in many trades, but you make me laugh. Many men and women have want for someone who has no boundaries, who will say that next most exciting and unexpected thing to make them laugh uncontrollably." She sat back with the glass back and took a generous sip before continuing. "Not in all settings of course... you will need some training in your etiquette. But, that's easy enough. I picked it up just going to fancy dinners. I'm sure you'll be a quick student in that regards. Plus, you seem the type to be a carnivore of humanity," had she only known how true that statement was. "Meaning you specialize in watching those around you. It will mean even in situations where you might not be aware of the customs you're likely to pick them up. It's an inherant skill, not something learned. It also increases your flexibility," a smile pulled at her lips, and she almost allowed the double-entendre to pass without delving into the gutters with it. "And we all know how important flexibility is to a companion," she took another sip of her wine to cover the spreading grin.

"Where do you see yourself in a yahren or two? Five?"

[Aerin Penna Seleratus]

“After the fire, is that something that we need to worry about? I mean, is that a step we need to take for protection?” Aerin asked, nodding her head in agreement that the most Cicero could do was screech loudly and maybe fling some feces at an attacker. Going off of the metaphor of flowers, the Roses needed a thorn or two to keep them from being easily plucked, especially with that slayer still about as well.

The redhead stayed silent as Ashari gave her assessment and a more detailed view of the Companion role – Aerin was beginning to like the idea more and more as she thought of the romantic intrigue and all of the socializing that she would sigh have to do in the name of work. Such a hard life in comparison to the path that her father had originally plotted for her and it was very much along the lines of what she had done for Rat…feigning interest in a person to reach a desired end.

When Ashari asked Aerin about her short and long-term plans, all Aerin could do at first was shrug. “I would love to be able to answer that – I really would, but I am not certain. You said that you train Companions to marry above their station, so I could see myself as a wife or concubine… On the other hand…” she continued, taking a sip of her wine “Not to sound facetious or power-hungry or anything, what if being a teacher is in the cards for me and my destiny is to carry on in your footsteps allowing you to grow beyond these walls? Or to expand the guild to other locals such as Roque or Pax?” I think the big question, Mistress, is where do you see me in a yahren or two? Five?"

She lowered her glass and smiled, indicating her body from head to toe with a wave of her hand, as a merchant would indicate a featured item.

“I am putty in your hands, Mistress…to mold and to shape as you would like – you will find me a very apt pupil in that regard.”

[Ashari]

A hand absently rubbed over her arm, smearing around some of the soot and ash. "Having something like Bunny around never hurts. Don't worry about the fire. Nothing like that will happen here," she assured. "I shouldn't want for you to be concerned with it. You should feel safe here," she suggested. "I'll be honest, I still don't know what - or who - might've started the fire, but I plan to do everything I can to find out and make sure you, and me, and Ketch - and anyone else who might be in this house, are all safe."

Ash mused over Aerin's words, and the suggestion that it was entirely up to Ashari what path she might take. That that was an option hadn't really occured to her. But, she was the teacher. It was her position to decide. Though, there were so many things to think upon. Ashari had run from her mistress. What might prevent Aerin from doing the same? Perhaps it would be the bond. For, if there was one thing Ash was that Thira wasn't it was charming. Maybe she would keep her student around merely by her insistance on being liked. Thira had been cold and cruel to her, dismissive and harsh toward her failings. In some ways it had made her stronger, in others it made her hate the adhiel sorceress.

"Teaching is the goal of every decent lifeform - to pass along knowledge to those who do not have it should be of our highest priority," she said before taking another sip of her wine. "The fact that you even consider such as being a posibility is very telling. But, do not limit yourself to just wife OR teacher... what is to stop you from doing both?" Ashari smiled. "Look at the powerful women in this city alone. Lady Ambassador to the Mouth, Rosalie lo Russo turned Baroness Rosalie Marcada member of the Imperial Council, Queen Isis - voice of Amun Rah, also member of the Imperial Council with not just her island's votes, but those of several other islands under Amunic control. Lady Sosa, Grand Master of Light, Paladin of Illuminatus... though, she's not married," she shrugged as if this was inconsequential when compared to what power she had.

"Not all women have such capabilities. One must realize that while I take in students, not all will be able to be so gifted. Some will just be companions. Not all can be privvy to all the information I might give you. Can you respect that? Do you find yourself capable of keeping a secret from them, but never from me?"

[Aerin Penna Seleratus]

“Ketch?” Aerin asked, one eyebrow elevated high while the other caused the eye below it to squint slightly. “I can’t remember if I’ve heard you mention the name before or not, but since I know that you have now, I must ask… Is this Ketch a pet like Bunny, another student, or…” The redhead’s grin grew a bit naughtier. “…or someone else?” She left the question at that and grabbed for another small helping of food, preferring to nibble and rest rather than gorge and regret. Carefully, she listened to Ashari’s further commentary on Aerin’s present, future, and possible roles within the guild, enjoying the success stories of the others especially.

Her final question was a clincher that Aerin found easy to answer.

“To learn… To know… To keep silent…” Aerin responded with a smile, reciting a line from a magickal textbook that had seemed to her to be a good motto in life. “Even if there are people who know things that I do not, I feel that I was kept ignorant for a reason, Mistress. And the same for knowledge that I may have that they lack.” Aerin set her food aside and slid from the couch onto her knees beside Ashari as if the act alone would add weight to her promise. “Whatever you tell me, mistress, be it as important as to how much money is in your purse or as trivial as how tight you like your corsets drawn, not a secret shall pass from my lips to that of another without severe pain on my part and, even then, Death would have to be staring into my eyes with love and yearning…I assure you.”

Aerin was still a bit naïve for her age, but Rat and her father had taught her a thing or two about dignity and honor and Aerin continued to kneel, her face and mind close enough for Ashari to read either or both if she wished to better discover the truth behind her student’s words.