[Kao]

Once the chaos in the inn died down and Orn was safely asleep in his room, Kao left. She was a bit nervous about leaving him alone, and it was the first time in months she had dared to. But she had to understand what happened. I cannot touch anything. So what caused that bruise?

She reappeared a handful of steps away from the goblin mother’s body. Reaching down, she rubbed the bruise on her left shin, and looked around. The trees were exactly as they had been when they left. Good, no one has made it here to check on Orn’s claims. That means whatever it is should still be here.

Whatever I hit was not that far from the ground, Kao thought searching the area for something the correct height. It hit me in the middle of my shin, so it has to be low to the ground.

She quickly eliminated the monster’s corpse and the nearby tree. There was nothing around them that appeared out of the ordinary. Not knowing what else to do she decided to test everything, with the simple expediency of walking through them. She slowly walked around the area her legs passing through the debris from Orn’s fight.

Kao continued to search the area, becoming less discriminate in the items she wanted to check eventually passing straight through trees and large rocks at a run. After an hour of fruitless searching, Kao stood back beside the goblin mother. Somehow the snarl on the face of the dead monster seemed to mock Kao’s efforts.

“This is your fault,” Kao muttered in irritation. Without thinking she kicked the corpse and was rewarded with a sharp pain in her shin. The body gave the slightest shudder and flies swarmed off the corpse in response.

Kao jumped back and bent to rub at her injured leg. I felt that. I felt the monster when I kicked it. What is going on? I should not be able to touch anything…

Kao did not like being so far from Orn, but she needed to understand what was happening and she needed to know now. Her eyes narrowed at the corpse and she set to work to find out what was happening.

…

Just before dawn, Kao reappeared in Orn’s room to see him still sound asleep. Her efforts left her feeling sore and with more questions than answers. Why is it only that leg, and only the shin? Why can I only interact with things when I am angry? Does it have to do something with the itch I get in that leg?

Kao grumbled in irritation and looked down at Orn peacefully sleeping in the bed. Without thinking she focused on the irritation and kicked the mattress he slept on. Orn sat up, awakening with a start, while she stood invisibly at the side of the bed.

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Her shin hurt, but the look of absolute confusion on Orn’s face as his eyes passed over her hidden from made her laugh. He had not done anything to deserve it, but she could not miss the chance to play with her newfound if mysterious power. She felt a dull throb begin in her shin, but the look of confusion on Orn’s face left her with only one thought. Worth it.

[Orn]

The next morning, Orn was rushed onto a cart loaded with furs. Jenny explained the king’s man wanted Orn, back in the academy as soon as possible. Since the Gerrangs were leaving that morning, he was to go with them. Orn was handed a small meat pie that looked like the ones from the last night, before he was shooed into the wagon and sent on his way.

...

An hour later, Orn lounged on the pile of furs in the wagon and watched the clouds roll by. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mr. Gerrang and his son talking. It had taken Orn an embarrassing amount of time to realize that the young boy was not just shy, but mute speaking only in a series of hand gestures. Mr. Gerrang seemed a nice person, but engaging him in conversation was a struggle as the man seemed unsure how to act around Orn. This left the man replying in polite, and short sentences clearly not wanting to say anything beyond the minimum to answer any questions. Apparently once they thought Orn was not looking they had quite a bit to say.

Just not to me I guess, Orn sighed at the different ways he had been treated since he left for mutton. When I was dressed as a hunter I was treated the same as any other villager passing through. But once they saw my uniform, that changed.

Orn thought back to the shocked look on Jenny’s face as she realized what he was wearing. Even when she grabbed his shoulder to try to help him, she seemed nervous. She also easily let got when made the slightest movement to pull out of her grip.

The only ones who seemed unbothered were the king’s man and Burrach. The king’s man makes sense, he is the king’s representative, and can speak with the authority of the king’s law. I still do not understand what Burrach is though. The king’s man seemed unsure how to treat him as well. The large man seemed to have a lot of influence in the village, but Jenny did not have an issue telling him to get lost. The king’s man seemed to give him a lot of deference at first, but then struck Burrach as if he deserved none.

Orn sighed and shook his head putting the issue aside, he could just ask Kao later. Whatever authority Burrach had did not stop the king’s man hauling him away to jail. Burrach kept calling me a liar, but the King’s man just ignored him. In fact he looked rather gleeful as he told Burrach, he would be staying in jail until the matter was sorted out.

After the king’s man left with Burrach and his friends, a few men nearly ran from the inn. Orn did not get a good look at them, but one of them was the first man who jumped in to support what Burrach was saying. Kellis or something like that…” Orn tried to remember the man’s name but gave up.

After that about half of the people in the inn trailed out, most offering uncomfortable thank yous before leaving. The rest seemed more comfortable around him after learning he killed the goblin mother. So nobles are not approachable. But they are to some people if they killed a monster? This makes less sense than whatever Burrach’s path is. Orn scratched at his head in irritation and shifted to a more comfortable position.

I will just ask Kao when I get some time alone, Orn thought as the gently moving wagon rocked him to sleep.