Not from around here, are you?

Morwenna was originally going to be the one to take Brutus to get his first haircut. His hair didn’t seem to grow very fast, but by the time he was three it was getting noticeably long and she knew she had to make sure he looked presentable by the time he was ready to go to kindergarten (not that Morwenna has a problem with long hair on men. But Brutus was a boy and both she and her husband wanted his hair to be short). 

Adara strode through the doorway like a wild diva. High, proud, confident, and everyone here should be grateful she’d chosen to grace them with her presence. A professional performer was in their midst, this holiday better be worthy. 

…It was all an act, of course. All the better for Morwenna to appear as though she’d managed to hire a big-shot.

The flame woman gave a conspiratorial wink to her employer (who was looking more and more like her partner in crime), before tossing her hair back and flashing the young guard a sultry grin. Adara herself wasn’t exactly young anymore, but hopefully the gesture was sufficient enough to make the boy melt, and forget any questions he might have been about to ask the pair…

The guard’s mouth dropped open, and Morwenna found herself reminded of a boy she’d known in her own teen years, who used to blush at the slightest bit of interest from a pretty girl. She couldn’t help but grin. This was a woman who knew what she was doing. 

The training grounds were empty, much to her relief; except, that is, for an obstacle course at the far end. Probably an exam tomorrow. She made a note to ask Roderick about it later. 

as she came close and knelt down,  cassandra flinched just a little.   took a step backward,  arm held tighter.   it happened enough as of late,  that whenever someone talked with her this way,  it nearly always ended in them picking her up and taking her somewhere she didn’t want to be.   cassandra hoped it didn’t happen this time.

cautiously,  she looked up    ———    prompted by,  if nothing else,  the gentleness with which she spoke.   her gaze,  however,  stopped just short of meeting the woman’s.    ❝    it is ?    ❞    lower lip jutted out and scrunched in her confusion.   cassandra glanced around the kitchen area,  as if she’d find her answer on a shelf or some counter top.    ❝    but…  then what do i do ?    ❞

“Well, you can go back to bed. Or you can play with those toys I got you. I can let you know when breakfast is ready.” 

To Morwenna, these seemed like harmless suggestions. But the little girl seemed so confused, and Morwenna had a flashback to her first day in Corona, when there was so much for her to get used to. 

There was no way Morwenna was going to let Cassandra make breakfast by herself. But maybe there were better ways to cope with this than flat-out denying it. Morwenna was hardly experienced with children, but from what she’d learned from her son, telling them they couldn’t do something only made them want to do it even more. 

Normally, the Captain would be quick to reassure his wife of his well-being, but this time, Alexander knew not what was happening, or if it would be resolved at all. As such, he couldn’t in good conscience tell her he was fine. The truth, then.

“I - I can’t see a thing,” he said, barely managing to keep his tone even as his hand reached to grab at her arm for support. With her help, Alexander got to his feet. ‘I was trying to find someone who might be able to help.”

That raised even more questions. Morwenna’s first thought had been Dr Magellan, but from what she knew about his work he specialized in battle injuries. Would he know what to do in a situation like this? 

“I could send for the doctor,” she suggested. “Unless...”

It popped into her head; what if it wasn’t so easily explained? Morwenna was no nurse, but she’d never heard of someone losing their eyesight so suddenly. Least of all someone as healthy as Alex. 

Shy bit her lip, trying to come up with a plausible explanation. “It’s uh…well, I use a very thin piece of string, so that it looks like it’s moving on its own. Have you ever seen the way they move puppets at traveling shows? It’s like that, but smaller.”

Brutus’s mouth dropped open as he took it all in. “Mama, look!” 

“Mmmm…a garrison.” Adara stepped curiously up to the stone walls, her scarlet dress a start contrast to the weathered stone in front of her. She smiled, putting her hand up to a column. “The interior is vast, made of nothing but rock, right?”

The flame woman turned, flashing a wide grin; pearly whites ringed with crimson. She noticed the other woman’s rather…uneasy smile, but decided to let it be. If they were two women breaking the rules, they could also be two women who would talk themselves out of trouble. Perfectly simple. 

“This should do. Stone doesn’t burn…very well. But, I won’t be doing anything powerful enough to melt the walls.”

“Oh, yes,” Morwenna replied, her smile still too wide. “Plenty of space.” She glanced up at the wall, trying to figure out where Roderick’s room was. Would he still be there? Was he on patrol? 

Only one way to find out, she thought, and knocked on the door. 

A small window in the center slid open, revealing a guard who barely looked old enough to enlist. “Who are you?” 

“Mrs Rusthaven,” Morwenna replied. At the mention of her name, what she saw of the guard’s face seemed to turn red. Hopefully he’d managed to put two and two together. “We’re using the training grounds.” 

“Oh.” He’s going to ask someone, Morwenna thought. But instead he opened the door. “Right this way, ladies!” 

Morwenna stared at him for a second. She was no guard. All she knew about them came from her relationship with one, but even she knew it was meant to be a bit more difficult than that. 

“What?” Rowan paused and looked in confusion at her outburst. “No; why would out employer be here?” He looked from her to the building and back. “Why do you think you’re here?”

“I have no idea!” Morwenna retorted. “All I know is you kidnapped me and you brought me here.” 

But even as she spoke, she was putting the pieces together. She’d been blindfolded, and if this “employer” could hire thugs like these, they weren’t going to live in a wreck like that. Or, at least, she wouldn’t. 

Who could say no to that? Shy gave a reluctant nod and stepped slightly back. “…of course. Just be careful, the bones can be a little sharp.”

Brutus’s eyes widened as he looked down on it. Carefully, he poked it, as if he could make it move again. Morwenna watched him like a hawk. The mouse was decidedly dead. It couldn’t have moved. That was what made it such a good trick... right?