#fff207

“Alright,” he said, watching them. “Across the path and we’ll be able to get into the buildings above the town.”

She nodded as he reached out and grabbed her hand, flashing her a smile. “Ready, high-born?”

She flattened her ears to the sides of her head and he just laughed, tugging at her hand. “Guards will round the corner in three…two…” He held up a single finger before darting out into the street, yanking her off her feet so hard she had to flit her wings to keep balance and keep up. His mop of ashen-grey hair bounced as he ran from one side to the other, dodging around other bodies and carts and animals with a deftness that told of his actions, spoke to his doing things like this a thousand times before.

In seconds they had gone from the light to the darkness, the sounds of conversation and market quickly giving way to the sounds of their feet on the carvened hardened steps that led up and up and up. They ran at a spiral that seemed to make almost no sense to her, but he navigated them easily as if he didn’t even need to see them.

By the time they emerged into light again, she had grown used to the dark and had to shield her eyes, blinking a number of times against the purplish light of the sky, the air-moon in full display and letting the higher light shine through itself. He continued leading her under archways and carved structures until they hit another set of stairs leading up and around, finally coming to the top of the structure. Finally coming to a stop.

Finally he let go of her hand.

Lyra blinked, eyes finally adjusted, and looked around.

They were higher than the other structures. Higher than the city below. Higher than the trees back home. She had only ever gotten this high on accident back home, her wings only strong enough to hold this height for moments before she was forced to go back down. The market and the others looked like miniature versions of themselves, milling around by willpower alone. The buildings looked like she could knock them over with her foot. She could see the paths as small partings between them, roads leading past the market and the walls surrounding it into the other parts of the fortress.

“This is amazing,” she said, the wind whipping at her hair and face and taking the words away from her. He reached up and motioned to her to sit down.

“The winds can be playful this high up,” he said loudly as she sat, and they leaned in closer to hear each other. “You have to be careful, high-born. Can’t have you falling and hurting your wings if you’re gonna help me get out of here!”

She curled her knees up to her chest as she stared. “It’s so high,” she told him. “You see this all the time?!”

“Every sun and moon change. Every change of the guard. Every moment I’m not doing something else.”

She stared at him for a moment, and when he caught the look he raised an eyebrow. “What is it?!”

“What do we do now?!” she asked. “The guards–”

“They don’t come up here,” he said, waving a hand. “We’ll wait until they think we’ve doubled back and head back inland. Then we’ll find that boat you’re told me about.”

“What do we do then!?” she asked. “Just wait?!”

“We could ask each other questions. Get to know each other.”

“What?!”

“Well all I really know about you is that your a high-born on your way to some betrothed that you don’t want to meet and you want to run off during one of the stops on your way so you don’t have to meet them. And I know that you are terrible and escaping guards that aren’t from your own territory,” he laughed.

“And I suppose all I know about you is that you’re aimoupon that is too good at escaping guards and that you want to escape a world where you can look out at this every single day and no one tells you to get down. What else is there to know about each other except what we need from the other?”

He grinned and let out a laugh. “An insult? Seems there’s plenty to learn about you, high-born. We can ask each other plenty of questions to make sure we’re not teaming up with someone that’s going to try and cook the other later or something.”

She rolled her eyes. “For example?”

He thought for a moment. “Well, I suppose…Things like…Where did a high-born learn such a low-born insult from? Why do you want to escape what the others seem to chase? Can I kiss you?”

Her face went red, first with anger as the answer to his first question leapt to her lips, but the last one changed the shade and her ears went forward. “W-What?!”

He grinned again.

“No, we can’t kiss, you useless–!!”

He shrugged and cut her off. “A kiss can tell you a lot about someone.”

She went even more red, her ears falling to either side of her head as her cheeks seemed to heat up. Maybe it was the air up here, making her sweat. Or the exertion of running from the guards. Surely that was it.

Yet that couldn’t explain why she asked, “like what?!”

It’s one of those gray, drab, bracing days which seems to arrive so often on the south coast, but it is dry, and the semi convalescent ‘will only be improved by an airing’ -  and it will free them from the pressures and strains of the ward. So she walks, part escort, part companion, with him in the great garden. Along the edge of the great lawn, far from the terrace, and then as if by accident, down one of the paths into a leafless shrubbery walk, still slightly sheltered by the bare stems. She watches him out of the corner of her eye, so he doesn’t notice. 

Quiet one this Captain; careful, restrained with his words and yet one of those who when he says something, says the right sort of thing. A thinker, a listener, ‘weigh and asses’ sort, a watcher. 

She subtly watches him now, watches him watching her - his eyes taking long glances, then darting away, as if he’s escaped his own restrictions and is reining himself back in, holding himself away.

“You know,” she  says, almost to the air, as casually and conversationally as if she was remarking on a currently non-existent flower  “I wouldn't run wailing to Matron if you did.” 

He stops in his tracks. Turns his head towards her, his mouth opens slightly and his uninjured, unstrapped arm rises to rub at his neck under his  collar, that little unconscious habit he has when he’s uneasy, “Well. Ah. Um..” He looks at her, looks at the floor, clears his throat, looks at her again, clears his throat more loudly “Hrmh Sister Howard, ah  - wouldn’t like to presume.” He stumbles through the words.

Wouldn’t like to presume, not wouldn’t like to. She’s spotted him watching her when he thinks she’s not looking while she does her rounds, spotted the warmth in his eyes, and the flickers of temper when one of the other men is over-familiar towards her. 

“You wouldn't be presuming too much, simply in asking,” she says softly “And it’s Miss Howard, not Sister, Nurse if you must. I’m only a VAD, remember?”

His mouth shifts in an odd expression  and he hmms again, taking a steadying breath “Sister…” She looks at him, hard “Miss Howard, that is… Might I kiss you?”

She steps a little closer, into the area beyond a set boundary, one she shouldn’t breach with the nearly-well, smiles at him. Down at him actually, she’s a few inches over his height  “You may indeed, Captain Foyle.”

He’s kissed girls before, she can tell, there’s practice rather than bold awkwardness in his actions, but also a shyness, a determination not to take liberties. That this is liberty enough, kissing her, however gently.

Liberty it might be, but it is also lovely. And then - then, he blushes as he steps away, blushes almost red enough to match the red cross on her uniform.

"Can we kiss?"

I always feel so alone around her, so alert yet so vulnerable. No matter the clothes, the venue, the time, she finds me and whispers those words. A threat. A flirt. A challenge.

It begins the same way it always does. Methodical and slow, matching each other's movements. Stilettos require a certain level of agility and skill to be used effectively. We are both masters; the display is little more than a signal that we are about to begin.

We fall into rhythmic movements. Back and forth, side to side, turns and spins. It's almost habitual how I move with her. Sometimes I wonder if she is even trying, but it only takes a second's distraction to prove she is trying to best me with all her skill.

I lose all track of time. All that matters is her, in this moment. Our bodies so close, our breaths perfectly in sync, our eyes locked and unwavering. My mirror and my opposite in every way that matters.

It ends. We both breathe hard. She looks at me, smiling. I can't help but feel disarmed before her. But the kiss never comes.

She slips away. I lose her in a sea of people. There is nothing more to do than wait until I am once again vulnerable, when I can hear her whisper once again.

“Hey, we need you outta your desk today.” My boss, Friderik Hansen, tossed a paper onto my small desk without even looking at me. “Won’t be bad. Just some annoying little speech we need a writeup on.”

“Me?” It was a stupid answer. I shook my head at myself. “I mean, I’ll do my best, but what about—”

Hansen gave me a dismissive wave. “It’ll be a late night. But it’s your ticket to move up. Don’t blow it.”

Thought I made it clear I’m perfectly fine here, I thought, but I still picked up the piece of paper.

Immediately, I recognized the name on the paper. The Rickety Octopus. It was a spot on the docks near the tavern where Melandra worked, though from what I’ve heard, it was a shady place that was incredibly strict about who it took in, both as employees and customers.

“What kind of speech would be happening here?” My mind went to the random speeches people would give around the docks, which usually boiled down to terrible plans disguised as attempts to help people.

“Don’t know.” Hansen was already walking away. “That’s for you to find out. Good luck, boy.”

For some reason, I had a feeling he didn’t actually know my name.

Knowing I didn’t have much of a choice, I stood from my desk and grabbed my bag and a notepad. I still had plenty of editing to do for the next day’s paper, but I knew better than to disobey an order.

Even if I wouldn’t be physically harmed, my pride would be harmed if I couldn’t manage to hold the job.

The only other copyeditor in the room, a teenage girl named Rose who took the job to support her injured father, shot me an apologetic look.

“Don’t feel sorry for me,” I said. “Just get as much work done as possible. I’ll try to be back quick enough to get my part done and make sure you can get back to your folks for dinner.”

And with that, I hurried out the door and down to the docks.

What greeted me there was the sight of a man beaten bloody and a lot of unhappy people. Pulling out my notepad and clutching it tightly, I pushed my way through the crowd and listened for any hints in passing conversation.

“What a freak,” a sailor said. “Who would just attack someone like that?”

I pushed my way closer to the front of the crowd.

“The guy probably deserved it,” a woman carrying a large sack of grain said. “People are always here preaching about their morals and all that.”

I wanted to agree with her, but I had to see for myself.

When I got to the front, though, I was stopped by a barricade of Enforcers. They were from different establishments, as seen by the differences in their uniforms, but I quickly recognized the rough, beige canvas uniforms from Melandra’s place for work.

The Enforcers all held wooden poles, which they held out to create a barrier. To give some credit to the crowd, they didn’t really test the Enforcers’ patience.

Being the security detail for a place as exposed as the docks, the Enforcers were known for their lack of patience, and their brutality.

The bloody man behind the Enforcers’ barrier slowly staggered to his feet and looked around. He didn’t wear fancy clothes or have the air of someone who was at the docks to push a moral agenda. In fact, his clothes looked more like a standard government uniform.

“Sir, are you all right?” I asked. A dead government worker on the docks certainly was a story, but it wasn’t one I would’ve liked to report.

“I—” the man stammered. Slowly, he looked over at me, as if he couldn’t quite tell where I was.

“Do you need anything?” I stepped forward, careful not to get too close to the barrier.

Of course, I should’ve been gathering as much information as possible, to get the juiciest story possible. But I chose not to.

“Water?” He walked toward me.

Before he could get to me, though, an Enforcer with the beige canvas uniform put their hand on his shoulder. The dragon mask the Enforcer wore was familiar, and I forced myself to suppress my smile.

Melandra.

Impulsively, I scribbled down some of my information on my notepad, ripped the sheet out, and tried to hand it to him. It was a gamble, but then at least I could say I tried to get some information.

“Get yourself taken care of,” I said. “Then, if you want, we can talk.”

Surprisingly, the man nodded and took the sheet from me. It was no guarantee he would show up, but it was a start.

Then, he was led away, and the crowd slowly dispersed.

At least I’ll get back quickly, I thought. I turned to head back to the office.

But I wouldn’t be so lucky.

“Fancy seeing you here,” someone far too familiar whispered in my ear.

A shiver ran down my spine while a hand trailed up it.

“I’m not speaking to you.” I tried to keep my tone as even as possible.

Before I could run away, though, my path was blocked, and I had to look into the handsome blue eyes of the man I once thought I was in love with, Xavier.

“I think we need to talk, though,” he said. “First of all, what are you doing, acting like a reporter?”

“Ask my boss about that.” I tore my gaze away from him. It would be the only way I could survive the conversation.

“Eden?” Xavier tilted his head almost innocently.

“No.”

“Well, then, that makes this interesting.” He cupped my cheek with his hand and forced me to look at him. “Maybe we should take some time to catch up. Where are you working?”

“Like I’d tell you that,” I snarled.

As far as I knew, Xavier worked at a rival newspaper, called The Tower City Times. Though, the last time I saw him was long before I even left Eden’s influence to be in the city full-time.

“I’m just curious.” Xavier took a step closer to me, and my heart skipped a beat. “I would never do anything to hurt you.”

A warmth had been building in my chest, but it melted away at those words.

“You already have.” This time, I got the courage to shove him away from me. I shut my notepad, even though there was nothing important written in it (just my information and some notes from other work-related things). “So, goodbye.”

He still tried to block my way, though. “Cas, you have to hear me out. That wasn’t what you like to think it was. I love—”

“I don’t want to hear it.” I pushed my way past him, though tears stung the corners of my eyes. “Goodbye.”

Though Xavier didn’t say another word, he still did something to piss me off.

He stole my notepad and ran off.

For about a block and a half, I was stupid enough to run after him. But luckily for me, Xavier was faster than I was, and I lost sight of him.

Standing and waiting to catch my breath, though, I had a realization.

He worked for a rival newspaper. He just stole my notepad, likely in an attempt to get the scoop on the story before I could.

I grinned.

“Kya, I don’t think we need to be playing around up here. This roof doesn’t feel as secure as the one on the house.”

Kya just waved a hand. “That’s just the wood playing with your bending. I feel fine.” To prove her point, she edged backwards, closer to the pinnacle of the pavillion. Lin just rolled her eyes and joined her, though somewhat more slowly.

Out over the ocean, the sun settled quietly into the horizon. A breeze blew in, and Kya wiggled herself closer to Lin. She could practically feel the roll of Lin’s eyes as she lifted an arm so Lin could settle against her. They both pretended not to notice the shivers.

The cloudbank on the horizon darkened, and the tide lapped against the rocks far below.

Kya looked down, and noticed that Lin was dozing quietly against her shoulder. She gave Lin a light squeeze and rested her head against Lin’s.

“I haven’t seen Kya in a while, so maybe she went into town.”

Kya, very definitely not in town, woke with a jerk. In the circle of her arm, she felt Lin seize up. They pulled apart just enough to state at each other with wide, frightened eyes.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. She has been taking good care of herself. She is happy to be home, happy to share her experiences, and she’s stronger than I was at that age.”

Aang’s laugh was warm and relaxed.

“I’m not going to fight her, either. I never have been able to beat you, so I’m sure she’d wipe the floor with me.”

Even as she was fighting against tears, Kya saw the proud smile on Lin’s face.

“Fighting wasn’t what I had in mind, Aang.”

Kya and Lin’s eyes both bugged out at the tone in Katara’s voice. Kya’s blood ran cold, recognizing the clear implications of what was on her mother’s mind at the moment.

“No? Whatever could you mean, Katara?”

Kya slapped a hand over her mouth and instantly regretted the noise it made. Lin’s startle made her feel even worse.

“Can we kiss already? It’s been all day.”

Mortified, Kya was frozen in place and missed Lin’s initial movements.

She blinked, and realized that Lin was stretched out, head down, slowly edging back down the incline of the roof. With Lin about halfway to the edge, Kya yanked on her ankle. Lin froze.

Below them, there were no new voices. Or other noises neither of them particularly wanted to hear.

Lin pulled her foot away from Kya’s grasp, and scooted far enough away that Kya nearly fell forward enough to roll down from the roof.

“Did you hear something?”

The girls froze again.

“Enough, Aang. Kiss me.”

Kya decided they could move again. Maybe they could slip down from the edge into the tree that was just over…

Katara giggled.

Kya was so stunned by the noise, she slipped and rolled. Lin shot out an arm, but missed her hand. With quick movements, Lin scuttled closer and managed to grab Kya’s other hand, but her legs’ momentum carried her feet over the edge, pulling them both into the bushes on the outside of the railing.

After the crash was a merciful - terrifying - silence.

Slowly, the ground beneath the bush raised and tilted away from the pavilion. The girls tumbled out until they were both face down on the ground.

But when they heard something that sounded suspiciously like “... oh, Aang…” they hightailed it for the house.