Wait & Trust

You pulled Kara fully into the chamber and shut the door behind you. Lad nodded and walked towards the door slowly. Jeane scampered up to stand close to you and you all watched as he opened the door a crack just like he did for you.

“May I help you?”

The words on the other side of the door were muffled but you could make out a few big men through the crack in the door. Kara whispered to you.

“It’s them. They’re looking for us. They’re telling him about us.” You nodded to her. Lad spoke to them in a clear tone.

“I see. That has nothing to do with this chapel. Are you seeking shelter?” There were a few more words on the other side, then Lad answered.

“Stay in the light.” With that he shut the door and walked back. Though the men left, the situation was still tense. As he came back to the front where you all were standing he looked up, looked at the door Kara had entered into, then back at you.

“I can see that it took a lot for you to trust me. Thank you.” Lad smiled.

You felt a bit warm inside. You nodded to him. “Sure. They didn’t seem like the religious type. How’d you convince them?”

“I am not overly familiar with their world, but… I understand that the one who runs things in these lower streets doesn’t infringe on common folk without reason.”

“Sure.” You nodded.

“Uhm… Thanks.”

Before Lad could open his mouth Karainterjected to say. “You smell like expensive herbs. You lied about being-” You yanked her back and stepped in front. After giving her a look you turned to Lad and pinched the bridge of your nose.

“That isn’t any of our business. Thanks for the shelter. Sorry about the intrusion.”

Lad looked at you calmly. “It’s true. I lied. Mainly it is because no one needs to know about the person staying back there.”

“You’re protecting them.”

“Yes.”

“Among other things… You must be close.” Lad’s silver brows lifted. You leaned close, taking him a little ways away before whispering.

“Anaesea. For breathing?”

“Yes.” Lad nodded, leaning close.

“The smell is strong, which means you’re probably hanging them around the room but this isn’t efficient. You want to be brewing it. When the mist is inhaled it’ll also start to trigger a healing response. Lad seemed stunned. You sighed, leaning back from him. In a normal tone you said.

“Someone mischievous probably had an interest in selling you lots of flowers. Not sure where you got the money, but… it’s none of my business.”

Lad sat down, sighing. “I see. It seems I’ve been scammed.”

“That’s rough…” You plopped down beside him.

Staring straight ahead he asked. “Do you have any siblings?”

It was your turn to be surprised. You considered the questions and your answer before nodding and stating.

“Yeah. A twin.”

Lad looked over with wide eyes. “What a coincidence.”

“You too, huh?” You smiled wistfully.

“Sister.” Lad admitted, cheeks reddening. His expression for the first time moved from a mask of calm to genuine warmth. It softened your own demeanour as well to see it. You thought about what to say as there was a long pause.

“Uh… Yeah. Sisters can be rough. Girl stuff…”

Lad covered his mouth and laughed. He looked at you affectionately. “For sure. ‘Girl stuff’ indeed.”

“We’ll stay the night and get out of your hair. I’ll… do my best to stop them from snooping.”

“The truth is there’s nothing here worth looking into. Just my sister and I, and… a room full of expensive flowers.” he changed the subject.

“You’re being chased?”

“Nothing that grande. Not even sure if chased is the right word. That girl over there? She got scammed. They’re running the thing where they bring in working girls and have them make money, then charge them through the roof for bullshit to the point that they can’t ever leave…”

Lad gulped and said weakly. “That… that is terrible.”

“So now she’s in a ‘debt’ that is bullshit. I get that there’s some valid charges, but those gotta amount to like… a quarter of what they’re demanding.”

Lad asked. “Maybe if you ask the one in charge he’ll agree and let you off with only paying what sounds reasonable?”

“Fat chance.” You scoffed.

“Pieces of shit like that only want one thing.”

Lad looked concerned. “What?”

“Money.” You rubbed your fingers together.

“Where do you think these policies come from? They come from the top.”

Lad fidgeted uncomfortably. “You think so?”

“Yeah?”

“Is it possible he’s just… doing what he needs to do? There’s got to be some things that can’t change. It’s probably part of it.”

“True. I don’t know what type of guy would just fall into the role of being some big gang leader, though. Anyone that gets to that point is as bad as it gets.”

“No matter what they’re doing it for…”

“Mhmm..”

You both sat in silence for a while. Lad eventually stood up. He motioned to the front of the room.

“I prepared blankets and cushions for you all to sleep wherever is comfortable here… If it’s alright with you, I am going to stifle the candles soon.” He paused.

“If… if you would like to, could you show me how to brew those herbs?”

You nodded. “Of course.”

“Follow me.” Lad walked ahead of you to the left door. You followed behind him into the narrow corridor. Everything wrapped around, technically, with a set of doors in the middle, and the single room at the end making up the only destinations. Lad led you into a small pantry with a wood stove, It had piping that led back into the other room.

“That’s heating?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve spent money on this place… Probably doesn’t come standard.” You walked around the pantry as Lad stoked the flame. As you were looking, you found a deck of playing cards sitting on the table. Lad stopped the moment you touched it and stood up. His back was to you. His head turned so that only his eyepatch was facing you, but you once again felt like you were being watched.

“Do you play?” You asked curiously.

“Yes.” He offered in a more flat tone.

“You?”

“I play fish.” You smiled, shuffling the deck.

Lad nodded, keeping his back to you. “Growing up in the orphanage, my Sister and I had one thing between us. Just one thing to our names. A deck of playing cards.” He closed the thick metal oven hatch. The stoked flame casted a glowing orange light on Lad’s front. It cast strange shadows in the dim room.

“We learned every game you could play. When we ran out we made our own.” He inhaled slowly, lifted his chin and continued, seeming to react to the sound of you shuffling cards.

“There was a game we made up called ‘Faces and Suits.’”

“How do you play?” you asked curiously.

“You must be pretty good with cards, huh? I barely know how to shuffle a deck.”

Lad smiled. “If someone’s shuffling a deck of cards they’re already fooling you. The best way to randomise it is to spread it out on the table and mash it together…” You were surprised by that. Getting off that tangent, he returned to the game. You placed the deck down on the table.

“It wasn’t so much a game as an activity. My sister would draw a card and depending on the ‘Suit’ and the ‘Face’ I would make up a character and act it out for her the whole day. I got pretty good at it.”

You nodded slowly. “I… see. Sounds interesting.”

Lad still had his back to you, but you could tell he was smiling when he asked. “Would you like to pick a card?

***

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