Sword and Snow

Emery

Thankfully, the rest of the trip home went uneventfully. Avuri and I knew that the Elders in Flowing Dragon City would be welcoming to Risha and Fal, or at least wouldn't attack them, so we pushed for the two of them to stick with us until the city. It didn't take much convincing, as they both seemed tired and overwhelmed, happy to take the promise of a city that would welcome them and allow them to get back on their feet.

Enrik, Karn, Briar, and Kord were constantly bouncing between being quiet and boisterous, with long stretches of both moods before suddenly swapping back to the other. It seemed like the four of them were growing quite close, which really wasn't surprising given they were kids that had been thrown together by an extended period of time. If anything, it made me jealous over how quickly and easily kids could bond.

This was far from the ideal situation for them to have met in, but their immediate instinct to become fast-friends was still admirable. I truly hoped they would open up to Cierra and Stena just as quickly, and I planned to give them every opportunity to do so.

When we finally made it to Flowing Dragon City, the atmosphere around the group changed, although no one really mentioned it. The nervousness grew, especially in the kids. Risha and Fal were able to logically understand what we told them about the city, and how they would be safe here, not to mention that they were fully clothed and mostly healed, so the chances of anyone suspecting something strange would be far lower.

The kids, though, were clearly nervous to approach another city. Even with Avuri and I reassuring them that they would be safe, especially if they stuck with us, they remained scared. Briar regularly cowered behind Avuri's legs, holding tightly to Kord's hand while he put on a brave face and walked beside Avuri - but close enough that he could also duck behind her if he felt the need.

Karn and Enrik, meanwhile, had taken up spots beside me. They were each holding on to my robes where they could reach, flanking me on either side. It was cute, but I was careful to be sure that they weren't trembling in fear or anything so drastic. I wanted them to feel safe in the city, let alone their nearby new home.

I had known that we would end up needing to do something to enter the city as no one other than Avuri and I had any sort of identification. I had expected to be pulled aside by the guards when we tried to enter. I had expected the process to take some time, because getting new identification without proper backup from known family members and the like was usually a very slow process that took investigation time - especially when the people in question weren't from around the immediate area.

It was why travelers took so many extra precautions for travel, like carrying multiple forms of identification, and notifying cities ahead of time when they were planning to travel to or through them, to assist in verification.

What I did expect was for us to, as a whole group, be pulled aside nearly immediately upon reaching the gates only to be thrown into a well appointed room in the guard house. We were politely requested to wait, which left us with little choice but to obey. Avuri and I could have left if we had wanted, but we remained, prepared to help get everything settled.

And then Eiry, Cyril, and Lyn walked through the door. They all had pleasant, welcoming smiles on their faces, but the kids still immediately gathered to hide between Avuri and I. We also got the distinct impression that Risha and Fal wanted to do the same, especially when they saw three well-dressed figures, who were clearly not just guards or regular officials walk in.

"I take it you two had some success, then?" Eiry asked, the first to speak.

"We did." I said, glancing at Avuri, then back. "It didn't go as well as we might have hoped, but…well, six people is not nothing."

Lyn slid past Eiry to take a look at everyone else in the room, noting the healing, but still remaining injuries. I could see her eyes moving over each person in the room, cataloguing each and every scratch, scrape, and bruise.

Eiry nodded to me. "I assume, then, that everyone here needs some kind of new identification?"

Risha and Fal both winced at Eiry's no-nonsense tone, expecting her to be as ruthless as she sounded.

Avuri and I both nodded, but Avuri spoke. "Yes, they do. Risha and Fal, here," she said, motioning to the adults, "will be staying in the city for a while to get back on their feet, I imagine. As for Kord, Briar, Karn, and Enrik, we'll be taking them in with us."

Eiry nodded. "I see." A second later, she popped a scroll and charcoal pen into her hands from some unseen storage item and laid them out on the table. "Please write down the names in full. Add ages, birth dates, immediate family…whatever else you can think of to add to the registers, and we will see it done."

With the same strict mannerisms that she usually displayed, Eiry spun on a heel and departed, leaving Cyril and Lyn behind. With a chuckle, Cyril took the chance to step up and fill the gap. Like Eiry, he performed a flourish and a large platter of food appeared in his hand. The smell immediately flooded the room; freshly fried rice, veggies, and some kind of marinated pork or chicken completely suffused the space.

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"I'm sure you are all hungry. And Emery, Avuri, I imagine you two haven't eaten much good food recently either, so…" He placed the platter down on the table in the middle of the room, despite none of us actually sitting at it. "Vale and the girls have been by four times since you left, just so you know. Apparently, Vale's cooking doesn't stack up, and the girls have been restless because of it."

I snorted, thinking back to my father's usually bland, uninteresting meals. They were solidly nutritious but he rarely seasoned things. "I see. Once we're all finished here, we're going to head home."

"I think Cierra and Stena will be happy to hear that." Cyril said warmly. "But make sure you take them by, too. I like seeing their faces light up when they eat our food."

"We can do that." Avuri said.

Lyn stepped up beside her husband then, looking a little fidgety, which was unusual for her in my experience. She addressed Fal directly when she spoke. "Fal, was it? Would you mind if I take a look at your face?"

The young man looked a little taken off-guard as he tilted his head and blurted out a confused, "Huh?"

Lyn smiled, every bit the picture perfect caring, motherly type. "If you're all comfortable with it, I would like to treat your wounds. It looks like Avuri has done a solid job, but I believe I could finish the treatment for you here, while we wait and everyone eats."

Fal looked immediately to Avuri for permission, and she nodded. The man looked hesitant still, but agreed. "I suppose that will be alright."

Lyn nodded, and motioned to the far side of the room, where there was a fairly comfy looking chair. "Please, sit there and let the other eat in peace."

Cyril, meanwhile, decided he wasn't content with just the one platter. More food appeared in his hands and ended up on the table, and it was extravagant. Expensive soup dumplings, desserts, side dishes, and even some more rare dishes from the coast featuring fish were included.

Risha just blinked at all the food, her concern growing. "Um…there's no way we can afford all this…"

"No need to worry. I don't plan on charging you for it." Cyril said, but that just made Risha grow more pale. That sort of concession was often followed with off the book or non-monetary payment for normal people. Thankfully Cyril caught her expression and added, "If it makes you that worried, I can put it on their tab." He said, then pointed at Avuri and I.

I scoffed. "We don't have an open tab with you, do we?"

"You do as of the last few weeks!" Cyril laughed.

I looked up at the ceiling and groaned. "Vale didn't pay?"

"He did. The first time, at least." Cyril joked. "But after that, no. So, you technically owe a few hundred tael, I believe?"

"...hundred?" Avuri gaped.

"Hundred." Cyril confirmed. "Your girls can eat, let me tell you."

I rubbed my forehead, imagining - quite easily - Vale dropping by to feed the girls only to leave after promising to pay later. It was also no problem imagining Lyn and Cyril allowing it without issue, but also taking very deliberate note of the amounts. Lyn in particular was a very money-conscious woman, but she also knew that we would pay her back.

And if we didn't, she knew where Vale slept.

"How does that feel?"

"Much better! Thank you so much…"

The sudden words drew everyone's attention over to where Lyn was helping Fal sit up straight again. His face looked perfectly healed, the bruises around his eye was entirely gone, and it looked like even the slight swelling around his jaw that had been present for days was gone.

"I can't bring back your missing teeth, but everything else should be fine. Make sure to thank Avuri, though, she's done a great job on triage." Lyn said.

"It's hardly triage, Lyn. I've been treating them all for days." Avuri said petulantly.

"And you've done a wonderful job, sweetheart." Lyn said, helping Fal stand only to beckon Risha over. "Honestly, if you stuck with them for another couple days, you'd probably have them all in pristine condition. I'm just helping them along." She grinned as Risha gingerly sat down in the chair, then immediately went to work.

None of us could really complain, because Lyn's healing techniques were probably the best in the province, if not even beyond that for quite a ways. Avuri kept even talking about sitting down with her to work on some more advanced healing techniques, but never seemed to find the time. Or the willpower to go into the city to track down lessons, when she could simply stay home instead.

By the time Lyn was starting on Risha, the kids and I had started picking at the food. Or, at least I had started picking at it, but the children had quickly tucked in and began to eat heartily. I was surprised that, despite their apparent hunger, they retained at least some decorum. They were still eating anything they could with their hands, only using the provided spoons for the rice, but they were doing so at a normal speed.

Cyril chuckled, picking up a spring roll for himself. "I'm glad you both made it back in one piece. And with so many people in tow."
There was a strong flash of regret as my thoughts immediately went back to the scene in Resin, watching everyone get beaten and attacked. Then it flashed just a bit further back to the boy we failed to save. I blinked it away, but it seemed to be enough that Cyril recognized something in my expression.

"I see. Eiry will want a rundown later, I imagine. But, for now, I'm sorry. Take some time and recover - you're home."

Cyril's voice carried a warmth with it that I appreciated. While it would still take time to come to terms with what Avuri and I let happen under our watch, we were at least in a place that would allow it.

I nodded one time, snatched up the charcoal and paper that Eiry had left behind, and went to work, writing out what I knew of everyone's information. When I first started, I blinked back a few residual tears that had sprung up, but I would be fine. I was even more sure of that fact when I felt the warmth of Avuri's hand on my back, reassuring me.