#inasis

Inasis, on the other hand, stood up on deck, her grip tight on the railing near the prow of the ship. A couple of deckhands stood on either side of her, point out various features, much to her awed delight. The ocean was so vast. She'd always thought she'd be afraid to get on a ship like this, but it was thrilling.

"And how far away is that?" she asked, pointing out a slender chunk of rock sitting off on the horizon a bit. She was playing a game with the sailors.

The younger one spit off the rail, a bit of a swagger in him. She knew he really wanted to impress her, so he answered quickly and confidently. "Half a league."

"Use yer eyes, boy," the older one said, arms crossed over his barrel chest. He chewed on a twisted bit of paper as he hemmed and hawed, considering the distance. He gave a mighty sniff, coughed, and then nodded. "Coupla yards under three-fourths a league."

They brought out the instrument to measure (borrowed from the navigator), Inasis watching with bright interest. She never knew how much mathematics came into play when sailing a ship.

"Aww Lyssa's tits, you're right," the younger one swore, throwing his cap on deck.

"Shut your trap, boy. This here's a lady," the older one said, boxing the younger one's ear.

Inasis, hiding a laugh, let her attention drift to the door that led belowdecks. She stepped elegantly between them, patting their shoulders. "Later, I would love to learn to use that," she said, pointing to the sextant.

She made her polite farewells and found her way down to the cabin where Tao was resting. She didn't think he much liked the ocean. Softly, she knocked on the door.

"Tao?"

He raised his head, looking towards the door as he came back to reality. It sounded like Inasis' voice, he thought. "Come in," he spoke up.

There wasn't a lot of room to move down here--the door was slender in width but it still bumped against the berth when she opened it and slid inside. Letting out a breath, Inasis took a seat next to Tao. There wasn't exactly a lot of room to sit, either. She regarded him--he looked troubled.

"I came to see how you were doing," Inasis said, offering him some simple fare she'd brought from above deck. It was a few discs of hardtack wrapped up in a handkerchief. "The sailors told me this will help settle a queasy stomach."

He politely moved over a bit so she had room to sit. With a shake of his head, he replies, "It is not an upset stomach that ails me. Thank you, though, for thinking of me." He watched her a moment. "Keeping the sailors company? I couldn't help but notice a lot of them glancing your direction," he grinned a bit.

She bumped her shoulder against his with a smile, taking a curious nibble of the hardtack. It was like eating a rock, she thought, and put it aside.

"Can I ask you something, Tao?" Inasis said, after a quiet minute. She pressed her lips together, studying him. "Why are you working in this... profession?"

His grin quickly faded at the question. By that she meant why was he working with the Order of Whispers. He glanced away a moment as he took in the question. He collected his thoughts before speaking, "It has been... tradition within my family. Those who were born with the gift and were able were bound by oath."

Inasis nodded her head, knowing full well what it meant to be bound by family tradition. "Do you like it?" she asked, pulling her hair over her shoulder and playing with the tasseled end of her braid.

Tao watched her play with her hair. "It isn't about liking it," he said softly. He believed he knew what she was trying to get at.

She pursed her lips, trying to better present her thoughts. "Do you believe in it?" she asked, finally, turning to catch his eyes with hers.

"I wish it were that simple," he said, holding her gaze a moment before letting his eyes fall to the wooden floor beneath them. "Even if I didn't, I'm in too deep to get out."

"Of course it is that simple," Inasis said, her dark brows furrowing. She took his hand in hers. They shared the same slender elegance in their fingers. "I just... you just seem so hurt right now. You should live a life that fulfills you, Tao. That's all."

He looked down, watching her lace her fingers with his. He smiled faintly at the gesture. For reasons unknown to him, they seemed to understand each other more than they knew. He looked back up to her, trying to find the right words. "Ina... as much as I would like to find that life, I'll only have fulfillment when I enter the Mists now. If I tried to leave, they would..." his voice trailed off. After a moment, he found the courage to speak up once more, "One doesn't simply learn the information I do and then walk out."

Her nostrils flared a little as she let out a irritated breath from her nose, squeezing his hand while her free one flipped her braid back over her shoulder. Gods, that just made her so angry! Tao was a good man who deserved to live a good life. "That's ridiculous! That's just so unf--" she paused, holding her breath as her heel rocked on the floor. 'That's so unfair' was such a childish thing to say. By now, she had learned there was rarely such a thing as fairness.

Dropping her eyes and slowly letting out her breath again, Inasis spoke in a calmer tone. "I wish I could do something."

Judging by her small outburst of emotions, he could tell she was less than pleased with his predicament. That made two of them. He squeezed her hand back, but in a much calmer, comforting manner. With a soft voice, he spoke, "When something has been said, a team of four dolyaks cannot overtake it. My oath binds me." He continued after a few moments, holding her gaze once more, "But friends like you help me pull through even when I don't think I can."

Inasis threw her arm around the man's shoulder, letting go of his hand to do so. The other curled around his middle and she laid her head against his chest, squeezing tight. "I wish I could do more for you," she said, her cheek a bit squashed. Gods, it was a terrible feeling to see someone so dear hold onto such an oath. Inasis felt a little ashamed, even... all of her trials and tribulations seemed so petty.

She held him for a few minutes and then eventually sat upright again, withdrawing her hands into her lap. Her teeth bit softly into her lower lip as she thought. "At the very least, I will help you get your power back." She looked at him.

"What is your plan to do that?"

Taken by surprise by her embrace, Tao watched her a moment with dumbfounded appeal. He slowly put his arms around her, rubbing her back gently with one of his hands as he held her tightly. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, in gratitude for caring. As she pulled away and spoke, he listened. He took a deep inhalation and then exhaled.

"For starters, we'll have to deal with Ana."

"With Ana?" she echoed, expression confused. "What do you mean?"

He looked off at a wall as he speaks, "She was the first person I contacted when this all happened. I explained to her... everything."

Inasis nodded her head. That only made sense. "And then?" she asked, urging him gently.

"She drained me of what little strength I had left to leave me unconscious in an attempt to leash me so I would not go after my enemies... and so I couldn't catch up to her." The words were as cold as Grenth's hand itself.

She sucked in her lower lip, the tone of Tao's words chilling indeed. She touched his arm. "... do you think she was just trying to protect you?" Inasis asked carefully.

His eyes filled with betrayal fall back upon Inasis. "Even if that were her only reason, she's lost what trust I had given her."

The ship groaned as it rocked gently side to side. The cabin fell quiet as Tao's words faded away. Inasis knew how close the man was to Ana, and how much hurt he must be feeling. She wondered herself--why -did- Ana choose that course of action? Always. She always did.

Inasis rubbed her temples, finally giving up the ghost. If Ana didn't even allow Tao to be an ally, a REAL ally, it was unlikely she would ever give her that kind of confidence and trust. It stung, a little. She couldn't even imagine how it must feel to Tao.

She sighed, then looked up again to give Tao a very somber expression. "I'm sorry," she said, wishing she was as good with words as Janto. "... I'm sorry." She said it again and laid her hand on his knee.

"Don't apologize for her actions," he stated sternly, but his face had grown soft. He gently placed his hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze. "I'm glad I can... be honest with you, Ina. If you weren't here right now, I don't know where my sanity would be." He gives her a soft smile at that before continuing his plan. "Once we arrive, all we'll have to do is follow Ana's trail. If we're lucky, we'll catch up to her. I'm afraid she's beyond reasoning, though, and we need to be cautious of her."

Ina's thoughts flitted back to the memory of Ana draining the life from the rebel charr outside of Ebonhawke. It had been a necessary thing, but she had seen that Stasia could be quite dangerous indeed. Still... Inasis was quite confident that if they could catch up to her, she could be reasoned with. Ana may not trust her to be an ally, but they were still friends.

"I've never trailed anyone before," Inasis said. "But if she's traveling alone, it shouldn't be hard to locate her. I've never been to Southsun Cove, either, but I have heard it's a dangerous place. I don't think there would be too many people walking around by themselves across it."

He nodded in agreement. "It'll be simple to follow her. Knowing her, she probably used the illusional ring I helped her create to mask her identity as a copper-headed girl. We just ask the people of the encampment about a woman with such features and I'm certain we'll be off in no time."

Inasis nodded, getting up to pace a little. The room was so incredibly tiny... she could walk maybe three steps in any given direction. "And once we find her, what then? Hopefully we can stop her before she finds those responsible for taking your power. I don't think she should be dealing with that alone..."

She patted her skirt, where under the lining she had a small pocket filled with a small stack of prepared sigils--all primed and ready to be used.

"Once we find her, we go together. There are power in numbers," he replied, watching her pace. "And, regardless if she likes it or not, she's not sending either one of us back."

Having seen Ana's ability to drain power and life-force first hand, Inasis sat back down and immediately began working on another sigil, written to shield the caster from magical manipulation and interference. Since she'd used it on Tao, Inasis somehow thought it was entirely likely that she wouldn't be safe from it either. And with Tao emptied of his power... well, Inasis thought she best hang onto hers.

"She can try," Ina said, putting the finishing touches on the slip of paper. She laid her palm over the wet ink and charged the script with the spell.

Shouts could dimly be heard from above deck. It seemed that the port was visible, and the sailors were preparing to dock.

Tao watched her curiously as she worked with the paper, but stood abruptly at hearing the shouts from above. Things were about to get dangerous and, for the first time in a long while, he gave a silent prayer to Dwayna to protect all three of them as he attatched his sword sheathes to his armor.

Bare feet padded silently across the cool tiles of the villa's halls, and soon Inasis stood outside of her father's study. It was imposing, standing in front of the unassuming door. Her whole life, she'd had free reign over the rooms of the manse, except this one. This one, she'd always been forbidden to enter, but until a few months ago, she'd never really given a serious thought to it. Until a few months ago, Inasis had never felt her eyes drawn to the door's lock like they often were these days.

She surveyed it now, slipping a set of lock picks out of the pocket of her long silk robe, and imagined Nasir's sharp-featured face peering over her shoulder. He was brilliant with this sort of thing, as young as he was. Without noticing, Inasis took on his expression when he was faced with a difficult problem—she bit her lower lip, her chin jutting out a little, her brows furrowing as she hooked the torque wrench in the keyhole, working with it a little to figure out which way she'd need to turn it. She inserted the pick next, raking the pins a time or two, trying to ascertain which of them were the most binding. There was one that seemed particularly unforgiving, so she adjusted the torque a little and worked with it some more. Finally, after several minutes, Inasis heard the tumblers release inside the lock and sat back on her heels to give a quiet sigh of relief. Skinny little Nasir would be so proud of her. Their practice on the gatehouse lock had really paid off.

There wasn't time to relish in her success, though. Inasis knelt on the ground and put her palms flat against the door and lifted her chin to brush her nose and lips against it, quietly sniffing for something she knew must be there. The pads of her long, tapered fingers drummed softly. 'If he's working with someone like the Serpent Prince, he wouldn't rely on just a plain old lock to protect this room,' Inasis thought.

Javed Nassimi had little aptitude for magic, but he'd raised a daughter who had it in spades. The warding spell was clever indeed, but Inasis ferreted it out all the same. She was a little awed by the mastery, and consequently a little worried about her ability to undo the spell. Her fingertips moved over the grain of the wood, where the caster had hidden the spell. This was no ordinary-caliber work. 'But I should have expected that,' Inasis thought, licking her lips. Her father was always willing to pay well for quality work, and this was definitely quality.

Inasis licked her lips again, trying to discern the nature of this spell. She always had an easier time identifying magic through taste and smell and touch. When she was younger, her elements master would tease her, nicknaming her 'little snake' for how she'd poke out her tongue and lick the air during spell casting. This magic had a familiar taste—something like metal, or warm dust. Her lips tingled. There were as many types of magic as there were faces, but Inasis recognized the tingling taste as arcane, a particularly difficult and touchy branch of magic. Whoever set this ward was very skilled indeed.

The young woman sat back on her heels to consider the situation. With the physical lock picked open, she couldn't very well give up now. 'But this won't be easy, she thought,' rising to her knees to lean up against the door and take in the construction of the spell again.

'There's only one of two options, since father isn't a magic user,' Inasis thought, closing her eyes to concentrate. 'Either the spell is tuned to unlock in his presence, or there is a non-magical trigger to set and release this ward.'

Her lips curled into a cattish smile, the correct option becoming apparent. She laughed, feeling as proud as one of the brilliant birds in the Nassimi aviary as she sat back on her heels again to crack her knuckles and wiggle her fingers. What controlling man wouldn't have a password, or a key? Now she knew what type of spell she was dealing with, and was far less afraid of accidentally tangling herself in the intricacies and getting hurt.

For at least an hour, the girl followed the grain of the warding spell. She could destroy the ward spell, sure—but she was very concerned that doing so might alarm the original caster. If Lord Nassimi went so far as to have a ward set on this door, it was probable that any magical tampering would be noticed. No matter... she always did love a challenging puzzle.

After a little consideration and a thorough examination of the entirety of the casting, Inasis set to work with a subtle solution. Unwilling to take any risks in forcing the ward open or taking down the spell, she instead attached the tiniest addition to the original scaffolding of the spell, allowing her to use her own magical key. With the architecture and functionality of the ward unchanged, she thought that it was unlikely that her contribution would be noticed. Hopefully.

Quietly, Inasis finally turned the handle and opened the door to her father's study, creeping inside. There wasn't a lot of time to look around, but she hoped she could find something. There were no windows here—he'd chosen an interior room—so she groped around in the darkness until she found a small oil lamp sitting on the desk. A quick spell lit the wick, and Inasis blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the light. Her lips pressed together as she took an initial look around.

As always, Javed Nassimi was a well-kept man. His study was in immaculate shape, everything organized and put away. She'd have to be careful to put everything back correctly, knowing it was likely that he'd notice if even the smallest thing was out of place. She went for the desk drawer first, and felt like screaming when she found it to be locked. Her ire piqued so quickly that she nearly tried to force the drawer, but managed to calm herself.

'Just a simple lock, Inasis. Take a breath,' she thought, inwardly chastising herself. The picks came out again. A desk drawer was nothing compared to the door she'd just opened, but she fought the urge to jam the pick and break the locking mechanism, a bit frustrated by her father's careful habits and becoming impatient with the whole ordeal. She forced herself to take a breath. With a minute or two of patience, the tailored drawer slid from its housing. Inside, she found various documents and letters—probably things her father had been reading or working on most recently. She shuffled through them.

She heard him before she saw him. Just a part of his head was visible from her vantage point on the street. She went inside and pushed politely through the press of people waiting for their turns at the busy bar. Upstairs was quieter. Ina came out onto the balcony and took a chair near Janto, contentedly just listening to the melody he was playing.

Janto kept playing for a few more minutes after he noticed Inasis, but he didn't look up until near the end. He winked at her, and grinned at himself, holding the final note before slipping down off of the railing. "They kept you busy," he said.

“They did indeed,” she agreed, holding out her hand for him. Though she smiled, Inasis seemed tired and stressed. It seemed to be melting off a little in his company, though.

He took her hand and kissed it. "Being Seraph is hard work," Janto said. "But you'll do just fine."

She squeezed his hand and smiled, tugging him close so that she could steal a quick kiss. "It would be a bit easier if I were just a Seraph, and not also a diplomat, but I guess I sort of signed up for it."

He kissed her back, and settled his hand on the back of her neck and shoulders. "You could be just a Seraph if you wanted," Janto said. "But I think that would waste a lot of your greatest talents."

Inasis leaned her head forward a little, enjoying his touch. Her eyes closed and an expression of contentment rested across her face. "Thank you, my love," she said softly. "That means a lot."

"Well, you earned it all on your own." He leaned back a moment to set his guitar against the railing, and then stepped forward again to hug her in both arms.

It felt nice to be pulled into that hug. She got comfortable in it. "There's still a lot I need to do, but I have to wait until I earn a higher rank. There are also a lot of men and women whose trust and respect I need to earn."

"Earning respect takes hard work, good thing you seem to love it," Janto said.

"I wonder what they think of me. If you were them, what would you think of me?" she asked Janto, leaning back a little out of the hug. She still kept close, though.

"How old am I in this question?" Janto asked with a laugh.

"Twenty or twenty-one? That seems about the median age," she said, looking curious and amused.

"I'd wonder what it would take to get a dance and a pinch out of you," Janto smirked. "Until I thought you were a real Seraph. When I enlisted, at least, you didn't take anyone seriously who didn't go through the same training you did."

"Hmmm, I'm glad we didn't meet if you were younger," she said, putting her arms around his neck. She kissed his nose. "I would have been scandalized by you."

"I don't know, I was pretty good," Janto said. He laughed, though. "Anyways, like I said, you're going to have your work cut out for you if you want to prove yourself. If I took you seriously as a soldier, I would have treated you with complete respect. They will too."

"I'm not a good soldier," she admitted. "But I can be a good servitor of the Seraph, a good ally, and a loyal comrade."

She paused, thinking. "I don't know what I will end up being sent into. Falcon Company is largely city-based, but if they ordered me to go into battle, I'd have to go. I'd do my best. But I'm afraid to think about it."

"Instead of thinking about it, you should train for it," Janto said. "that's what Seraph do, that's why they respect each other. They know the other has had the same training and they can support each other."

Inasis smiled, "You're right. I have already learned some things. I will just have to learn as much as I can and hope that it will be enough to face whatever may come my way."

She lightened up and nodded toward his guitar. "Any luck with the crowd tonight?"

Janto frowned a little. "You can't hope it's enough, Ina. You have to make it enough." He put a hand softly on her head and mussed her hair, only to brush it back in place, fingers stroking her head. "Anyways. The crowd was fine, I learned a few secrets."

She scrunched her nose at him, easing his worry. "Whatever I have, I always make it work," she said, smiling as he brushed her hair back into place.

"Now..." she slid closer. "What sort of secrets?"

Janto laughed when she slid closer. "Wouldn't be secrets if I told you, would they? I don't just play guitar in taverns to look pretty."

"Well, you do a good job of that too," Inasis said, taking her turn to play with his hair. She gently pushed a lock of it behind his ear.

That made him grin, too. "You do, too."

She kissed his cheek again, his compliments making her smile. "Is Sati sleeping? Or still doing her schoolwork?" she asked.

"Still hitting the books when I saw her," Janto said. "Pretty sure she was learning about something I wouldn't even understand."

"You're smart, Janto. I think you would," Inasis said, taking him by hand. She got to her feet. "Should we go 'home', then?" 

Janto didn't seem so sure, be he nodded in agreement anyway. "Sure," he said. "It's getting pretty late." He reached with one hand to take his guitar.

Home, for the moment, was Janto's rented room at the Golden Sun. He'd taken she and Sati into his small space after their home had been broken into by Dr. Okeer. 

Inside Janto's room, Sati was in her pajamas, sitting at the end of Janto's bed. She had a book open and was looking a little consternated. Despite her brightness, the little girl hadn't seemed too put off-kilter by Ina's sudden insistence that the two of them stay with Janto. The change in locale didn't seem to bother her at all, and she seemed to enjoy the closeness.

"Jaaaaanto," Sati said, as the two of them entered. "I don't get this one!"

"Uhhh, should probably ask Ina," Janto said, quickly leading Inasis inside.

"It's a story," Sati explained. "But it's also a problem."

She pulled the book into her lap. Inasis perched on the edge of the bed. "Well, what does it say?" she asked, reaching out to pluck off a loose thread from the collar of Sati's nightgown.

Sati read from her book. "Once upon a time a farmer went to market and purchased a fox, a goose, and a bag of beans. On his way home, the farmer came to the bank of a river and rented a boat. But in crossing the river by boat, the farmer could carry only himself and a single one of his purchases - the fox, the goose, or the bag of the beans."

She looked up. "If left alone, the fox would eat the goose, and the goose would eat the beans. How did the farmer get everything across the river without losing something?"

"Seems like he didn't come very prepared," Janto said dryly. "Why would he buy those things if he knew it was so much trouble getting them back?" He set his guitar against the wall in the corner and leaned down to check on it.

The little girl sat back on her heels to think about that. "Maybe he had a raft, but it floated away?" she offered, looking to Janto. "Or maybe he wasn't expecting to get all that stuff, but maybe he helped someone, and in thanks he was given a fox and a goose and some beans as a gift."

Inasis leaned over Sati's shoulder to take a look at the girl's notebook, checking on what processes the young student had already used to try and work out the answer.

"Can't help anyone if he can't get the item to them," Janto pointed out. He stood up and stretched out. "Anyways, the boat can go both ways, remember. And he can transport the items either way at any time."

"What do you think he would take first? Maaaaybeee... the... goose?" She sounded unsure, and looked for Inasis for confirmation.

"He might have," Inasis agreed. "What do you think he'd take next?"

"Can't give away the answer, Sati," Janto said. "He should first take across what won't cause any problems. Then he should figure out what else he can do that won't cause a problem."

Sati made a noise of exasperation. "When I figure this out, Janto, I'm going to write a song about it, and then you'll have to sing it everywhere so everyone knows the answer, okay?"

She bent her head over her book and began drawing a rude diagram of a river, and three small symbols that likely represented the three offending items.

Inasis tousled her hair, the beads at the end of her braids clicking. After that, she got up and winked at Janto, then stepped behind a folding screen to change into her own sleeping chemise.

Janto gained a lascivious grin when Ina stepped behind the screen, but quickly schooled it when he remembered the child in the room. He coughed, and went to sit down next to Sati. "Well, I've given you the hints you need to figure it out. Just think about those, and you'll be fine."

Sati ripped the tokens out of the page she'd drawn them on, and compelled Janto to hold his hands out, palm up. She deposited all three tokens in one of his hands.

"Here's the goose, and it goes over the river," she said, transfering one token into his empty hand. She stopped and thought for a second.

"And then... the fox would eat the goose if he brought that over next. And the goose would eat the beans..."

She gasped. "Oh! What if... he brings the fox next, and then takes the goose back with him?" she transfered more tokens. It seemed she was getting an idea about how this could be solved.

Inasis finished dressing and sat behind Janto, brushing her hair. Her shoulder brushed against his back. "You're the river, Janto?" she asked.

"Keep going," Janto told Sati. "It sounds like you're onto something." He kept his hands out for her, and leaned onto his side when Ina sat behind him. "I'm each shore, I think," Janto said. The river is the blankets."

"And then he puts the goose down and picks up the beans, and takes them over to the side with the fox. Foxes don't eat beans!!" Sati laughed.

Inasis began to brush Janto's hair. It was something he could do for himself, but it was a nice moment. Besides, his hands were full.

"See? YOu've got it figured out. Now think of all the trouble he could have avoided if he got some rope or a cage," Janto said to Sati, and winked at her. Her put up with Inasis trying to brush his hair, and grinned after a moment of it. "Just don't try and braid it," he told her.

"Hmmm, if you grow it any longer, it's Sati you'll have to worry about, not me," she smiled, dipping to kiss his ear.

Sati had figured out her problem, and was busy composing the answer on a worksheet. She did look up at the mention of her name, though, and frowned at Inasis accusingly. She turned to Janto. "Yeah, Inasis cut her hair and I can't braid it or do anything good to it anymore," she complained.

"Well, she is pretty mean," Janto said teasingly. "You should report the problem to her superior officer."

"Dont give her ideas," Inasis said, poking Janto with the handle of the hairbrush.

However, it seemed like Sati had already gotten idea. She looked deep in thought, and then spent a minute considering Janto. "Well, since you're a Shining Blade, you could order her to do anything you wanted and she'd have to listen, right?"

A silly smile broke out on her face. "Oh! You could order her to eat MUD!"

Janto broke out laughing, rolling onto his stomach next to Sati. He turned his head to look up at Inasis, grinning. "Mud, huh?"

Inasis put on an expression of looking horrified, but there was a laugh in her eyes. "What! I don't want to eat mud!" she protested.

"Or you could order her to... you could order her..." the little girl could barely finish her sentence, her giggles were so in control. "You could order her to kiss a chicken in the bazaar!"

"Good idea!" Janto told Sati. He leaned up until he was sitting straight. "Inasis, I order you to kiss a chicken in the bazaar, post-haste."

"Hmmm... well, follow me out to the bazaar then, Janto. If you do, I'll have a cocky rooster right there to put my kiss on," Inasis said, poking him with a laugh.

"I'm a rooster, now?" Janto asked. He gave Inasis a hurt look, and smiled. He lay back down between Inasis and Sati. "I've got a lot of power, Sati," he said. "But that means it's important not to use it a lot. One of my masters told me that you don't know a great swordsman by the times he's drawn his sword, but by the amount of times he knew not to. It's kind of like that."

"What was he like?" Sati asked, crawling up to lay on her side next to Janto. "Did he teach you about foxes and geese and beans, too?"

Inasis laid down on the other side of him, her elbow propped and her cheek resting on her palm. Her free hand came to rest on Janto's chest.

Janto laughed. "No, he didn't teach me about geese or beans, a little about foxes, I suppose. He was very clever, but also very passionate. He loved art more than anything else."

"Did he teach you how to paint?" she asked, looking interested. "Can he teach me how to paint too?"

Inasis closed her eyes and shifted a little, resting her head against Janto's shoulder. "Sati and I are both... lacking in the artistic merits," she said.

"No, he didn't teach me how to paint. On the other hand, the battle meditation method he taught me is very influenced by painting philosophy," Janto explained.

"What do you mean?" Sati asked. "How does battle and painting go together?"

"Have you seen those paintings where everything is really exaggerated? Where the painter uses broad brush strokes to really draw attention to something?" Janto asked. "The method teaches you to look for important tells in a fight, like a tensing thigh, or a shifting collarbone, and make them more vibrant in your mind, so you don't miss them."

"So... you are using your imagination to paint on someone to help you fight?" she asked, squirming around a little to get comfortable and listen.

Inasis brushed her thumb back and forth on Janto's arm, enjoying listening to the man and the little girl converse.

"Kind of like that," Janto said. "But that something is the world around me. The grooves in stones become more defined, rays of sunlight layer over everything, the wings of birds blossom with each flap."

"Wow," she breathed. "That seems like magic. I bet its really pretty. Maybe they should teach painters to look at stuff like that. What's the prettiest thing you've seen in paint-vision?"

Paint vision. Janto laughed. "There's a sylvari I know," he said. "When he fights, light shines from his eyes, and flames roll off his weapons, the reds and blues blooming as brilliantly as the petals and leaves in his hair."

"Tindorin?" Inasis asked, smiling.

"I know him!" Sati said, holding onto Janto's shirt.

"Do you, now?" Janto asked. "Where did you meet him?"

"When he was sad and sick, he stayed at our house," Sati explained. "He liked when I made him roasted zucchinis."

"You've met a great man," Janto told Sati. "And cooked for him. I'm sure he'll always remember that."

"He was really nice," she agreed. "But don't worry Janto, you are my favorite."

"You're sweet," Janto said, reaching to muss Sati's hair. "You're my favorite, too."

"You're both my favorite," Inasis said, leaning over to kiss Sati's forehead, then Janto's cheek. "And you," she looked at Sati, "should be going to bed soon."

"But we're having a sleepover," Sati protested.

"If you don't go to bed I can't sing for you," Janto told Sati.

"Will you sing for both of us?" Sati asked.

"Sure. Ina should be getting in bed, too. She's been working hard," Janto said. He slid off of his bed and pat it for the two of them.

Inasis grinned and got under the covers with Sati, the little girl cuddling up to her. "Is that an order?" she asked Janto, smiling warmly at him.

"No, just a strong suggestion," Janto said, crossing the room to fetch a chair. He set it up next to the bed and slid into it.

Inasis put her arms around Sati, the two of them comfortable in Janto's bed as he took a seat. "What are you going to sing?" Sati asked.

"How about a song the Dreamers like?" Janto suggested.

"Mmmhmm," Sati agreed, looking a bit sleepy now that she was laying down comfortably. Inasis's soft pets and caresses on her head and shoulder didn't help, either.

Janto reached out to touch Sati's cheek, then slid his hand away to put on Inasis' hip before he began to quietly sing. He wasn't too concerned about waking anyone, this was a tavern after all, but the song was just for the two in his room.

Sati was looking quite comfortable and content. Janto's voice was pleasant and made the room seem warm. Inasis held Sati close and watched Janto as he sang for them, feeling especially tender toward him. "I love you," she mouthed silently over Sati's head.

Janto winked in response and kept on singing, eyes moving to Sati to be sure she was falling asleep fine. When the song finished, he started a new one, a lulluby talking about wolves and bears.

It was already quite late for a little girl, so Sati didn't have a hard time drifting off some time during the second song. Inasis listened to the end, however, and when he'd finished, she carefully reached out a hand toward him.

"I'm sorry we're taking up your bed," she whispered, smiling.

Janto took her hand and kissed it. "Oh, it's perfectly fine," He said. He set her hand back down, and carefully leaned down to kiss Inasis. "I'm happy just like this."

She twisted her head a little to meet his kiss, sweetly and softly. "I love you," she said again, taking care to keep her voice low so as not to disturb Sati. "And she loves you too."

Her eyes dropped to look at the little girl curled up against her, then she smiled at Janto again.

That made Janto smile quite a bit more. "Never would have expected this for myself," He said quietly, and sat back in his chair.

"What, having two ladies?" she asked, wearing a fond smile.

"No, taking care of a young girl," Janto whispered.

She grinned. "I wouldn't have expected it for me, either. I never thought I'd be capable of taking care of a child, with how I was... how I am."

"Seems to be going pretty well," Janto said. He looked down at Sati, and had a wondering look for a moment before he closed his eyes and tried to relax.

"We take what we have and make it work," Inasis said, softly. As Janto closed his eyes, she began to tell one of her mother's stories. Her voice was so soft that it would be a white noise to Sati, but Janto would hear it, as he relaxed. A story about shepherd who led his flock to the Elon river to drink, and discovered a child in a lotus pod.

Janto was asleep pretty much instantly. There was a lot he had to do as a Shining Blade that wore him out, and he slowly leaned to one side until he was pressed against the wall.

The well was coming up. It was something she had to pass by on this route, but Inasis always knew to be extremely careful. Rumors that the Black Hand gathered there at night were true, and Ina had seen it with her own eyes. She never descended from the roof into the courtyard without carefully searching to make sure the well was truly quiet and abandoned. The Black Hand weren’t the sort of people you wanted to run into, noble or not.

Judging it clear, she quietly clamored from rooftop to balcony to fence to ground.

It wasn’t wise for any to be prowling the Ossan Quarter once darkness crept over the city. As soon as the sun began to retreat, those with more wisdom than others packed up and headed home, their doors bolted shut, windows shuttered, and as safe as they could be for all manner of shadows lurked in the streets after dark. This night was no different. Predators prowled, hoping to catch inexperienced prey, whether they be residents who didn’t make it home in time, ignorant tourists, or overly bold adventurers.

Eyes had been on the figure upon the rooftops, waiting, hoping. The shadows flickered as the unassuming figure dropped down, carefully wading her way to the street level. Two, no, three dark figures emerged, slipping around corners to surrund the woman, blocking her path no matter which way she went. Dim light from the windows above was enough to indicate who they were, their garb that of the Black Hand, each with blades being drawn, gleam of metal flashing. The largest of the three spoke up, his voice a coarse growl, “And what do you think you’re doing?”

She felt her heart sink into her feet and her adrenaline spike, making her heart flutter. They must have been watching her—this wasn’t a safe route anymore. Instinctively she brushed her hip with her fingertips, but she had ceased carrying her rapier with her anymore. Janto had told her how it would only invite trouble from those that wished to take it, or challenge her, and that for her, it was better to be underestimated. So instead, she had a small dagger in her sleeve. She’d save it. Inasis’ eyes moved over the figures as she lifted her arms away from her sides a bit, showing them she was no threat. She certainly didn’t look it.

“I’m just coming home,” she said as evenly as she could, over the fear that was sneaking its way through her body.

In the back of her mind, a calculating voice whispered to her. ‘You killed a man once. Stay calm.’ It was her sense of self-preservation.

These were no men of honor. The less threatening someone was, all the better for them. Easy prey. The shadows closed in slowly on her, blades drawn from sheathes, and the largest in front of her got close enough that she could see his ugly mug, wicked and scarred, scowling, eyes ablaze with a look no man should ever possess. He looked her over, wondering if she carried any coin in that cinched, oversized shirt. What was she hiding? No woman dressed such as this. A toothless grin crept across his lips as he smacked the flat of his blade against his palm. “And where is home, girl?” If she had no coin on her, at the very least they could possibly hold her for ransom.

Unfortunately, the brute would never find out the answer to that question. A shadow flickered behind him, silent as the desert wind, and suddenly the thug’s eyes went wide… a moment before his head hit the ground, and his body slumped over a second after. The two others were still behind her, closing in, and not entirely aware of what had just happened, or the ghost of a figure that was crouched behind where the large body had fallen.

'Closer, come closer,' her innerself coaxed as the three men advanced on her. The dark irises of her eyes had brightened to copper, but that would be undetected in the low light of this area. She felt the hot coal deep in her chest, the heat of flame tickling in her throat as she stood very, very still. Inasis was no master elementalist, but she could burn a man to death. Perhaps three.

The big one’s breath was invasive as his eyes looked her over. As if she were a chicken or livestock. It made Inasis shrink a little, the flame within her flickering as if that man’s breath was a strong wind. Suddenly she saw the whites of his eyes, and he crumbled at her feet like his soul had left him. Inasis was as clueless as the two men still creeping along behind her, and the beleaguered flame inside her was snuffed out by her break in concentration. A subtle aroma lingered in the air, almost undetectable. Something like a match that had burned out.

She slowly let out her long-held breath, heated by her power, girding herself back up—this man was at her feet, but there were two more behind her and a shadow before her.

The figure before her was clad in sheer black from head to toe, and even the dim light from the windows above still had him almost melding in with the dark alley. The shadow said nothing except to point toward her, or seemingly toward her. A quick -shirk- came from his direction and a rush of wind swept past her side. Another body crumpled behind her, heavy body slumping to the ground, a thin blade sunk into the brute’s forehead. The last of the three thugs froze up for a moment, realizing he was the last remaining attacker. He turned and seemed about to flee.

It was nothing at all to make that man trip. Such a paltry expenditure of power. All it required was a sharp intake of breath on her part and the taste of earth on her tongue, and a cobblestone lifted from the paved courtyard to catch the fleeing man’s toes, sending him crashing onto the hard ground. She hoped it would distract this man in black—he had killed two of her attackers but she couldn’t be sure he may not do the same to her, so with eased steps, she began to back up towards the fence she had initially hopped down from, letting her dagger drop down into her palm.

It did exactly as she hoped. For now the ghostly figure ignored her attempt to flee the scene, as she smartly should. Rolling forward from his crouch, the leather clad man sprung up and dashed forward, the long curved wicked blade he’d used on the first thug drawn to see the tripped up brute end up much like his friends, spurts of blood erupting from the throat with a quick flash of steel. Looking around, the one remaining man looked toward the fence to see how far she’d gotten in that short span of time.

The girl was working her way over the fence—as soon as she saw him looking toward her, Inasis vaulted herself toward the balcony again. In her haste to escape, she nearly lost her hold and fell, but pulled herself up with mighty effort, thanking the Six that Janto had trained her with that sword so hard the last few weeks that she was actually strong enough to do it. Feeling danger at her heels, the girl quickly made her way to the rooftop and carefully but quickly balanced her way across. She had to get home, but would have to find another route. From roof to gable to courtyard wall, Inasis made her way approximately in the direction of her father’s villa, though she was just making up a route as she went. Eventually, she found herself on the flat roof of a squat little two story tenement. It was backed up against the District Wall, the highrise apartments of the nobility and the wealthy lofted far above, their windows dark and far off. She had friends up there, but there was no way to scale this wall from here. Inasis would have to descend from this roof into the street if she wanted to continue.

Some tiles rattled near Inasis, and the figure was on the same roof as she. He held a hand out, palm opened, no blades drawn as he quicky pleaded with her, voice deep with a hint of demand. “Stop. Careful, girl.. I am seeking you no harm.” A man of average height stood before her, broad shouldered and clearly atheltic, blackened leathers hugging his frame perfectly. With hood drawn back, he had a scarf wrapped around his face, masking him from his broad nose and down, deep brown eyes peering at her, nearly ebon fleshed, and his thick black curls shorn tight against his scalp.

Inasis perched at the side of the roof, ready to jump if needed, wary and suspicious. She had her dagger in her hand again (though little practical experience with it), and she tracked him relentlessly with her eyes as he moved over the roof. A night breeze picked up her hair and rustled their clothes as she spent a moment simply sizing him up. “Who are you?” she said quietly, aware of the sleeping souls beneath her.

The man didn’t even seem to acknowledge the dagger held toward him, as if he knew it weren’t a threat even if she intended to use it. His deep eyes held hers, given that was about all she could see of him. With the scarf tightly wrapped and pressed to his lips, his words were slightly muffled, and he held a thick accent from one who sounded as if he was fresh from Elona. “Someone who is wanting to see you home safely.”

She lowered her sharp little blade, and took a cautious step off the raised edge onto the even and flat roof. There was no question that she was still very wary, but curious as well. “You sound like a sunchild,” she said, using the colloquial term for an Elonan refugee who was “fresh off the boat” so-to-speak. “I didn’t know there was a vigilante in this Quarter.”

The man laughed, the sound as warm as the desert sands. While she may have remained on guard, he was anyting but, any tension in his body dissipating as she moved away from the edge of the roof. ‘Vigilante’. That would certainly be one of the more kind things he’s been called. Cautiously, for her sake, he took a step closer, never having seen the young one so close before. The rumors of her beauty were true, even if she attempted to look a lower station than she was. The dark-skinned man didn’t really know how to respond to either of those statements, not wanting to give too much away to the girl, so he left it with a simple, “A vigilante is not being paid for his work.” Folding his arms across his chest, his head tilted a little as he took her in with his eyes, “What were you doing dancing from roof to roof?” Apparently he’d followed her for a time.

Inasis slipped her dagger back into the sheath that was tied around her forearm, rolling her sleeve back down to cover it. So this man didn’t work for free… was someone paying him? To do what? She guessed to deal with the Black Hand. Not many would fight, let alone kill a member of the Hand. It was far too dangerous.

The only part of the man visible were his eyes and brow, so she met his gaze as she answered his question. “I was coming home,” she said, the same as she had answered to the three thugs earlier. “Why were you watching me?”

The man was quick to clarify himself, giving her a dubious look, “I meant before the nonsense with the Black hand.”

"You are no Seraph and I need not answer your questions, but I have because you intervened for me, and I owe you much. But it’s the truth. I came from Rurikton and simply was making my way home," Inasis answered, feeling the small spark of her ire rising within her. It was the look he gave her—distrust in her words.

She could see the shift of his thick lips beneath the tightly bound scar, quirking into a grin. The man adjusted his arms some, but kept them folded, not even flinching as he could sense her anger rising, sensing it in her words. “Then why do you disguise yourself if you are having nothing to hide, Lady Nassimi?”

Well, that was a shock. Inasis had daggers in her eyes but the fierce look was quickly replaced by one of worry, and then that was quickly disguised by neutrality—well, as best she was able, anyway. High cheekbones, a straight and proud nose, dark, framing brows… the woman lifted her chin and crossed her arms as well, unconsciously mimicking his stance. “Why do you think that is my name?” she asked.

The ebon-skinned man slithered like a snake, moving to draw closer and circle around to her backside, unless ofcourse she turned. Those deep brown eyes held such intensity, always studying, taking in everything before and around him with trained skill. “Do not try to play me for a fool, girl. I know more than you could be imagining.” He pursed his lips beneath that scarf, then added, “I am only curious what has you sneaking out so often. Your father is no fool either.”

'This could be troublesome,' Inasis thought, pressing her lips together as he slid around behind her. She didn't turn around to follow, but she did look over her shoulder at him. In a low voice, her temper contained in a bit of a hiss, the girl lashed back at his probing questions. “I can do what I please; it should mean nothing to you. If I want to leave my confines, I shall, and none will stop me, least of all you,” she said, trying to bait him a bit with her last few words into divulging whether or not he was an agent of her father's. She wouldn't put it past Javed.

Laughter rang out, only mildly muffled by that thick blackened scarf. He was amused, which was a lot better than pissed, given who she was dealing with. The man drew closer to her back, close enough that she could feel the warm energy of his presence upon her backside, “You are a fiery one, Inasis Nassimi.” He nodded slowly, as if considering upon something, and deciding it. A gloved hand came up to touch the ends of her dark strands, fingers toying with a lock, “But you would be well advised not to be upsetting the ah.. Serpent Prince, yes?” That name, at the very least, should send off alarms. The rumored man was untouchable, even the Seraph not braving pursuing him.. if they could find him.

Indeed, it was a name she knew well. Nasir had told her many stories and his admiration for the shadowy figure was immense. Was this, then, an agent of the Serpent Prince? Or was he the prince, in the flesh? His manner of speaking seemed to raise more questions than answered.

Inasis stiffened a little as he drew up close behind her. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck and smell the leather he wore. As he moved his hand to brush his fingers in her hair, she spun to try and catch his wrist, coming to her senses enough to be angered that he dare presume to touch her. “Well perhaps you should tell the Serpent Prince that my affairs are none of his business,” she said in a low tone.

The man’s masked face was right before hers as she spun about, and he allowed her to catch that wrist, nor did he pull away. Those deep brown eyes peered into hers, as if searching far deeper than the surface. Thick lips twitched into a grin beneath the scarf, “Perhaps you should be letting go of his wrist before he has to give condolences to your father for The Black Hand getting to his daughter before he could save her.” Sure, he enjoyed his connections with the nobleman, and his coin, but he’d only tolerate so much of a snarky young girl, and he certainly wasn’t opposed to seeing a spoiled girl in a gutter.

Her prior bravado became caught in her throat as Ina just stared. She had hold of -him- but to anyone looking, she was not the predator in this situation. Instead, she was a wide-eyed, stupid rabbit. Very deliberately, she released her grip on him. Her mind was working fast, trying to consider how much her father knew about her activities, and how much this man may tell him. Inasis gathered her wits and regained her poise.

“What would it take to keep my hobbies a secret from my father?” she asked. The Serpent Prince was many things, and according to Nasir’s stories, Inasis knew he was a lover of coin.

Oh, he was a lover of coin. A lover of many things. And he certainly considered her words. Could he go against her father and take coin from both of them? The man was many things, as vile as they could come, but even he had some sense of honor. “I need nothing from you, girl. It is not yours to be giving away.” It wasn’t like she worked for her coin. She’d simply be paying him off with what her family gave her.

The Serpent Prince took a step back, giving her some room to breathe once more. With a slight incline of his head, he offered some more words, “I would be very careful if I were you, Lady Nassimi. There are -many- who would seek to do you harm, and one might not always be there to be saving you.”

As he stepped back, she pulled her hands in against her chest, watching him with the intense gaze of someone half afraid and half angered. She was a bit surprised that he wouldn’t make a deal with her, but perhaps he didn’t want to risk business with her father. Would he tell her father what transpired tonight? Of course, he was inscrutable no matter how much she tried to search his expression. Even so, she thought he was offering her some harsh but kind advice.

“I do my best to be safe, but surely you understand… it isn’t a life to be caged,” she said, attempting to find some common ground. Some shared point on which she could begin to build. Sooner or later, this man would have to be on her side.

The Prince was not one to really share common ground with a noble. Sure, he might as well have been one, taken with sheer force and reputation, but he was farm from truly being one. A gutter rat who scraped, bled, cried, and fought tooth and nail for every coin he’d ever procured. Nothing like a girl who was born into everything she could ever desire - save freedom.

Despite that, there was a hint of softening in his hard, dark gaze. “We are all caged by our lives, girl.” That much, the man knew for certain. There was no way out from his life even if he wished it. Atleast not until the day he had an heir, grown and old enough to take over his operations.

He finally took his unwavering gaze off her, turning to look out over other rooftops, “You might be envying those who seem to have the freedom to roam, yes? But let me tell you, they are not being free. They are trapped under the thumbs of those like your family, held down and forced to scrape and kill for their food. Very few, like myself, manage to live long enough to see better, let alone being able to make it to a higher station.” Turning his gaze back to her, it was stern once again, what of his expression she could see hardened, ebon brow crinkled and furrowed. “So do not think I will be giving you sympathy for the life you were born into, girl.”

Inasis wasn’t expecting so many words from him, especially not ones that seemed so personal. There was a lesson for her in what he said, and it was something she was familiar with—as familiar as one could be with the plight of a group one did not belong to. She sympathized… there was a quiet empathy in her expression as the prince turned his gaze back to her.

“I never asked you for your sympathy. But you changed your fate—took what you wanted. I will do the same,” she said, in answer to his stern look. No glorified thief and killer (if the stories were true) would serve to teach her a moral lesson. Inasis refused to break away from his look until she reached the edge of the roof again and began to climb down.