"What's going on here?" The guards are already asking questions as I approach quickly from behind to ascertain the situation. As soon as I slip between them to get a look, I balk at the sight before me. Beyond the agitated guards stands Emily, who is carrying an unconscious, heavily wounded Aria on her back.
Once I tear my gaze away from the blood-soaked bandages and barely closed gashes furrowing every visible centimeter of her skin, I see her hair, nothing like it was last week. Now, it's a shocking amount of hair, like an explosion that spills in huge waves, all the way to the ground, colored an unnatural, luminous white, except in the few spots that are crusted with dried blood. What happened to it?
Once I've taken a moment to move past all of that, I have to wonder: what could have possibly put her in this state?
Emily is clearly floundering in front of the host of guards, unable to answer their pointed question. Actually, didn't she just run from the orphanage, over to this spot? How could she possibly have known Aria was over here?
"Excuse me," I call, loud enough to draw their attention away from the small children. Questions to unanswerable mysteries are pointless. I will move forward now, and think on such things later. "Shouldn't we get this child to a doctor, before we do anything else?" As expected, they all stop to stare at me. One look at my wardrobe will give them an impression of my status, leading to the question...
"Who are you, and what are you doing out here?" I look at the guard who speaks up. He wears a couple pieces of roughly fashioned iron armor, just a breastplate and helmet. They look decently cared for, with the exception of a few tiny spots of rust here and there. His bracers and greaves are thick brown leather instead. Dark colored clothes beneath, not a particular brand I can recognize on sight though. His dirty reddish hair gives him a somewhat youthful appearance, though I would guess he's nearer to my age. Possibly the one in charge of these men? All factors considered together, he's likely a lower class vulgant, in substance, a peasant with some more money but no proper upbringing.
I tap a greeting salute. The lack of comprehension in his eyes confirms my suspicion. Even so, I continue to speak without hesitation. "I am Eryk, the proprietor of the Ebock Company Refinery. I was supposed to meet with this injured child today, to discuss some important business. If you wouldn't mind, I would like to get on our way, before her condition worsens." As I speak, I move with a few purposeful steps, over to the children.
"Sorry, sir, I don't think we can just..."
I cut him off, slipping into a tone revealing the smallest subtlety of danger. "As I said, this girl needs to be treated before anything else. You do not want to delay us. Her death would deal a direct blow to my company. You are aware of who supplies much of the subsidized raw metal for your equipment, are you not?"
"Are you threatening me?" The guard narrows his eyes.
So he's a hothead? Switching tacks midstream, I shake my head sadly, my tone efficiently following along. "Of course not. I'm trying to tell you, harming your supplier is harming yourself." Of course, that leaves him flustered. Thinking they misinterpreted something meant to be helpful as a threat will do that to someone who easily jumps to conclusions.
Pressing right on, I offer up a helpful solution. "Just make sure to put my name in your report. I will take responsibility for her, alright?"
"Yes sir, that sounds fine." The guard is much more agreeable now. "However, I also need the name of the girl for the report."
"Aria," I say simply, and he nods. With that said, I lean down. Emily is staring up at me with big eyes, radiating gratefulness. I gently lift Aria from her back, bringing the small child to rest in my arms. She hardly weighs anything, even less than her size would indicate. "If you will excuse us, good sirs," Hands full, I give a solid nod to the guards, and begin walking back through the gate, as quickly as I can without giving the impression of rudeness or fear.
As I walk, I gaze down at Aria. Beneath her soiled peasant clothes, she has bandages wrapping all around her arms and legs. As I noticed before, they are dark brown, totally soaked through with dried blood. They're tied very tightly too, it makes me worry that they could cut off circulation to her hands and feet, but I don't have the time or training to know for sure. For now, I stay on the side of caution and decide to leave them alone. Beth will know better.
"Bandages, huh?" I breathe. It reminds me of how she said she needed to buy bandages because she gets hurt a lot. This puts two possibilities on the table. Either she was speaking truthfully, or she was actually buying bandages in preparation for whatever caused her to be injured here. Of course, the latter would indicate she actually has more capacity for deception than I originally believed, and that whatever happened, she knew about it in advance.
That thought brings back another clue. She mentioned having prior obligations, very suspicious statement. What sort of orphaned peasant girl has prior obligations? There is absolutely more to this child than is clear at first glance.
"U-umm, Mister Eryk, sir?" Emily suddenly speaks up. I look down at her, walking fast to stay at my side, and give a small gesture so she will ask whatever question she wants to ask. "Where are you taking Aria?"
"There is a clinic in the central district with a doctor I know. I don't know if there is anything to do for injuries like this, but in the worst case, we could go to the church for holy water and see if that helps." I inform her. I expect a surprised response of course. Both doctors and holy water are far and away outside of a peasant's financial ability to afford.
Honestly, even I would feel the sting, paying for holy water out of my own coin purse, but this child's life is far more important than that. Such costs could easily be recouped in the future, so long as she survives. Doing something like this could even possibly indebt her to me, which could be useful, but... I look down at the tiny, injured child in my arms, her mouth opening and closing with each shallow, sleeping breath, and frown.
No, I'll avoid mentioning that. I feel that with Aria, trust is far more effective than something deplorable like coercion. Especially when I consider the possibility of past traumas. Acting hostile or oppressive toward her could force her away, with little to no chance for reconciliation. No matter what, I want to be kind to this child. Because it will be good for my business, of course.
As I consider these different thoughts, it feels like Emily is thinking about something as well. Eventually, she manages to speak up, though her words come out soft and halting. "A-actually, I think... Getting her food and water... is more important..."
"Uhh..." I stare down at the girl briefly, my pace dropping slightly. Does she not comprehend the grave injuries her friend has suffered? I begin to remind her, but... There's that feeling again, a tiny tingle in the back of my mind. The words that come out are different. "How did you know where to find her?" Emily's eyes widen instantly. I've hit the nail on the head, again.
"J-just, I just had a feeling," she stammers in response. Oh? Both vague, and far beyond the realm of believable. I decide to press on in case it will reveal anything further.
"And you think she needs food and water because...?"
She looks down. "Just a feeling." I misjudged Emily, it seems she's hiding something too.
"I see, let's get her some food and water then." That finally gains the surprised look I initially expected. Most adults are far too stubborn to change their plans at the request of a child, especially in a dire situation like this. However, Emily clearly has more information about this situation than she is willing to divulge, so her recommendation of food and water absolutely takes precedence over a doctor.
"Let's see..." We can't go to a restaurant, and carrying her around the market would definitely cause a disturbance, probably drawing the guards. I would likely end up getting arrested, at least until we explained the situation, which would be difficult since I don't actually know what happened. Not to mention, it would ultimately delay both the food and the doctor for Aria.
We could go to my house, I have plenty of good, nutritious food and a servants who cook wonderfully. But that is even further from here than the clinic is, and Emily seems to be indicating that she should eat as soon as possible. "I don't suppose you have any good food at the orphanage?" I suggest. It isn't an ideal solution, the food peasants eat is generally low quality and lacking in nutrition, but it should be better than nothing.
"Yes, but..."
"But?" I ask. Why would she hesitate now?
"If we go back, we'll need to explain things to Mister Fredricson..."
"I take it that's a problem?" I ask. I've already determined she knows more about what happened than she will admit, but how does that relate to explaining it to their guardian?
"Well..." she thinks briefly, before gesturing for me to lean down. I do as she requests, but rather than continuing to speak to me, she suddenly leans close over Aria. "Aria," she says gently, nudging the unconscious child. Shockingly, she actually opens her eyes. She hasn't been awake this whole time, has she?!
"Hey Emily," she says with a delirious smile on her face.
"How are you feeling?" Emily asks quietly, "Do you think you can safely talk to Mister Fredricson?"
"Everything hurts, but I should be fine. I can just tell Mister Fredricson everything and then it'll all be fine." I don't think I follow. Tell him what exactly? But Emily just puts a hand to her head with a pained expression and sighs. She gazes closely at Aria's face for a few moments. What is she looking for? Then, she presses her lips to the younger girl's ear and whispers something far too quietly for me to hear, even right next to them. "Basically one hundred percent," Aria giggles a little. A hundred percent of... what?
Whatever they are talking about, they are doing it in such a way that I can't understand their meaning without first understanding the context. It's an extremely poor way of hiding information since it all falls apart as soon as the third party becomes privy to the context. Whatever their code means, Emily sighs deeply. "I figured," she mutters, "just go back to sleep, I'll deal with things." She rubs the small girls head lightly as she speaks.
"Sure," Aria mutters, closing her eyes, as if falling asleep immediately.
"She's in no state to talk to anyone right now," Emily says as she backs away from the other child, and I rise back to my feet. Why is that? Because she wants to tell their guardian something? How does that relate to talking to others? Emily bites her thumb, clearly unable to come up with a solution. She's muttering to herself. "I don't have anything to feed her, so we have to buy something, but we can't buy anything like this... If only there was someone..." Then her eyes widen and she turns to me. "Let's go to the garrison." I can't follow her line of thought at all, so I have no way to gauge her decision. Why the garrison? Didn't I just get her out of needing to explain things to the guards? Is there something else there? She mentioned needing a person, so perhaps there is someone they know at the garrison?
Of course that brings up questions regarding how two orphan girls could know the guards, but I have far too little useful information to form any guesses yet. So for now, I go along and keep gathering info. "Sure, let's go quickly then." Without any further delay, I increase my pace again. Emily is still young though, and quickly begins having trouble keeping up. I have my guard pick her up so we can move south as fast as possible. All eyes are on us as the streets begin to grow more busy, the second bell approaching. But we ignore the peasants and keep going, nearing the garrison when the second bell finally rings through the town. A few blocks off North Main Street, we arrive in time with the first shift guards. They all take one look at Aria, surely questioning what happened to her. A few look like they might try to intervene, but let us pass, most likely when they realize we're heading toward the barracks ourselves.
As we reach the front of the building, my bodyguard sets Emily back on the ground, and I ask, "Could you explain why we came here for food and water?"
"There's someone here who can help. He's the only one I could think of..." I just frown a little at her lack of an explanation. I figured she was looking for someone, but how does it all come together? Aria can't talk to anyone, needs food and water, and there is some other person involved who can help in some way? There are too many seemingly random pieces. Forget attempting to get a full picture, even I can't put this together into any semblance of an image. Nevertheless, we carry on, directly into the garrison. Once inside, a number of guards approach immediately.
"What happened?"
"Let's get this child looked at."
"Could we get your names?"
"Someone get the papers." A buzz of activity explodes all around us as numerous guards all begin talking at once.
"Hold on, hold on!" I try to quiet all of them. "We're looking for someone." Then I look to Emily, signaling, 'you're up.'
Voice full of determination, she loudly says, " We're looking for Francis, is he here?"
"He related to this kid?"
"Hey, is Francis here?" one calls, turning to scan the room.
"What's all this commotion?" Another guard approaches. He should be their captain, based on the insignia etched into the right corner of his breastplate. Looking up at him, he's suitably imposing. Despite looking in his thirties already, he is heavyset and brawny, with dark black hair that shows no signs of receding or graying. Even his armor is a step above the other guards; no rust spots are apparent at a glance, with thick, smooth, and symmetrical plates that were clearly forged by a more skilled smith.
As soon as he pulls aside two of the guards crowding around us, he stops short. His mouth hangs open for a moment, before he speaks again. "Aria? What happened now?" Why does the guard captain know her by name?! And he definitely just made it sound as if this sort of thing has happened to her before! Unable to even make an attempt at understanding, I keep up my expression of worry to cover my utter bafflement beneath.
"I'm very sorry sir, but we're looking for Francis. She needs his help," Emily squeaks timidly, saving me from needing to speak for the handful of moments I need to mentally compose myself again.
"Francis, you say?" He scratches his chin, fingers tracing over the small black stubble, as if habitual. One look shows that he is thinking deeply. "Oh, I've got it." He gives Emily a strange, conspiratorial grin. "Don't worry, little one, I can help. I already know."
"Y-y-ou what?" Emily stammers immediately, taking half a step back with panicked eyes. What does he know? It's clear that there is something. Some secret about Aria that only a few people are privy to. However, Emily's reaction indicates she wasn't aware this man knew about it. So it isn't like they are all connected. Whatever it is, did Aria only tell a few people individually? But Emily does know about this Francis...
"I'm sorry, could I get your name, sir?" I ask.
"Oh, I'm Frank. Who are you?" he asks, eying me up and down. In a place like this, I figure I actually stand out more than the orphan children. Still, this puts the list of people who know Aria's secret at three. Emily, Francis, and Frank. I'm starting to get a better idea of these circumstances, I can start to fill in the pieces around the edges of this jumbled puzzle.
Since my hands are full, I nod and introduce myself. "Eryk, proprietor of the Ebock Company refinery," I answer smoothly. But my mind is already busy elsewhere.
Aria has been injured badly before, has a secret few know about, and cannot speak to anyone right now. That most likely means she will give away the secret for some reason. This includes the orphanage caretaker, her guardian. She did say she would just 'tell him everything' earlier after all. I have heard of things like alcohol loosening tongues, but never injuries. Some sort of... substance abuse? At her age? That doesn't fit with the grave injuries though. Perhaps she was involved in some criminal activities. That could explain both... But then why would two guards and an orphan child be the only ones who know about it?
Unless there are more that Emily doesn't know about, like Frank. Actually, it could be that Emily is the one who isn't aware of most of what's going on. Perhaps, she is Aria's only confidant at the orphanage, but is involved in some seedy underworld dealings separately.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
But criminality and drug abuse? Does that really fit with what I know of Aria so far? I don't think I can reconcile the two, unless it somehow ties into her mysteriously disparate personality? I may be jumping to all sorts of wild conclusions, but that's just my working theory for now. I'll surely need to rework it as more information is revealed. Having shuffled through those thoughts in the moments gained from my introduction, I turn my attention once more to the conversation as Emily begins to speak up once more.
"Frank?" Emily asks. Then mutters to herself, "I know that name..." I can see the wheels in her mind spinning frantically as she tries to think through something, before flinching a little and looking back up. "Then you're, umm, uh, actually, is Francis around?" So she knows him after all. Not by sight, but by name... Even so, what does she know about the guard captain that makes her so nervous? I throw a big question mark on the 'Emily doesn't know about Aria's criminal dealings' part of my theory.
Frank rubs a finger into his beard, looking a little put out. "I suppose that's fine, he should be around here somewhere. Anyone seen Francis?" he calls loudly. But a few guards respond that he hasn't showed up yet. "Guess he's running late, are you sure-" but as he begins to press Emily, the door just behind us opens, drawing everyone's attention to the one who opened it, to see if it's Francis. If he's running late, he should be walking in any time now.
Sure enough, it's him. Of course I can't recognize him since I've never met the man before, but Frank's speech is clear. "Oh, good timing. Francis," he calls. It draws the attention of the man at the door over to us.
"Aria!?" is the first word out of his mouth. He rushes a few steps forward, hands raised awkwardly, as if he wants to help somehow, but doesn't know what to do. Much younger, this one. He's maybe twenty years old, his sandy brown hair disheveled and the vaguely blue colored shirt beneath his armor heavily wrinkled, as if he slept in it last night.
"Francis?" Emily asks. He looks down at her.
"Emily?" It sounds as if they don't actually know each other? Maybe another person she only knows by name? The two share a long look, then both nod. Some sort of mutual understanding? Whatever it is, apparently it doesn't require a single word spoken between them. If both Frank and Francis know about Aria's secret, why is Emily's response to each of them like night and day?
Then Emily speaks again. "Aria needs food and water, and can't talk to anyone right now. And we can't go to the market with her like this." She says it simply, as if he should understand exactly why we're in this predicament. He only thinks for a few moments before responding.
"I know a place. Sir, is it alright if I go help them?" He directs his question to the guard captain.
"Sure, but shouldn't she see a doctor first?" Frank asks. "I know she can-" but he cuts off when both Francis and Emily shoot him withering gazes. "Oh, right," he raises his hands apologetically, in stark contrast with his appearance, while sending glances around at the other guards, and myself. She can... what? "Yes. Go help Aria. Report back to me at the end of the day."
"Yes, sir." Francis nods and gives a guard salute before addressing Emily once more. "Come on, I'll take you over to the place."
"Thank you," Emily actually starts to tear up a little, but immediately rubs at her eyes then follows Francis out the door again. Where in the world are we going? If they really intend to keep this secret of theirs, they can't afford to bring in an outsider like me along, can they? Even so, we move quickly across North Main street, using side streets to avoid the busy major roads with the injured girl in my arms, and within just a couple blocks arrive at our destination.
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I can feel my eyebrow twitching against my will as I stare up at the sign. Bar'Obeer Bar, it reads. Not that anyone would be able to read it. It's a low class, hole in the wall peasant bar. What imbecile wasted the time and money writing a name on such a place? Even Emily looks at Francis, seeming a little unsure of his choice when looking at the tiny, narrow building squeezed so close between houses on either side, that there aren't even narrow alleys between the buildings.
But he just assures us that it'll be fine, and proceeds inside. The telltale musk of cheap ale permeates the building. Dirt and grime cover the floors, and there are large spots on the wood that appear sticky, likely from drunk patrons spilling their drinks without care... I can't help but wrinkle my nose as I mentally write off these clothes. Maybe Selena can get the dirt stains and pungent odors out of them, but I wouldn't bet on it. It's a good thing I chose my oldest, most worn out clothing, since I was originally headed to the orphanage.
Apart from the long bar counter on the left wall that seems to run most the length of the building, there are just a few small, round tables taking up most of the little remaining space. Of course, it is completely deserted at this time of day.
"Matthew!" Francis calls out as he walks up to the counter. I glance over, spotting a door into another room. But... I tilt my head a little, reassessing the layout of the building that doesn't match its outward appearance. Then it becomes clear. The building to the left wasn't a house after all, it must have been converted into storage or kitchen area behind the bar. Which means maybe they serve food here too? No, of course they do. Francis wouldn't have brought us here otherwise.
"Yo, we're sort of closed right now," a voice calls from the back.
"Right, but I was hoping you could help us out."
"Oh, Francis?" A man in his early twenties walks out of the door and leans over, both hands on the bar counter. He wears a dirty apron over similarly stained and patched together clothing. "What are you doing here?"
"We just need some food and water, you've got some left over from last night, right?"
"Sure, but..." Matthew finally scans across the rest of us, his eyes stopping on Aria as he recoils. "That girl is really hurt! She needs a doctor!" He shouts.
"It's a long story," Francis makes a vague gesture, raising his hands to calm down the bartender. "First we need to feed her. Do you have anything soft and easy to eat?"
"That sounds crazy, but if you say so." Interestingly, Matthew just drops it with a big shrug and a shake of his head. "I'll see what I can get." Him and Francis must know each other well, there's no way he should have been so easily convinced otherwise...
"Thanks a lot, man." Matthew disappears into the back for a bit. There are a number of rapid thumps and scrapes that show he's working on something, with a yelp and pained curse at one point. Then he reappears, a bowl of some dark colored gruel in one hand and a big mug in the other. I hope that's water and not something stronger...
"Here, eat up." Matthew says with a nod. Francis moves to pass him a few coins, but the other man just waves him off, and they both shrug before Matthew hands him the food.
Finally, Francis turns to me. I can feel him eyeing my clothes, and my guard standing a few paces behind. Of course he must be wondering how someone like me could be in contact with girls like these. But he doesn't say anything about that and just asks me to set her down at a table. Emily slides a chair out and I slowly, gingerly transfer her into it. Francis carefully sets the bowl and mug down on the table before her as well. I follow Francis' glance over at Matthew, still standing at the bar and watching.
"I'll help Aria. Francis, can you, uhh, talk to Eryk?" Emily throws a telling look at me. What she really wants is for him to keep me busy. Because supposedly, Aria will be extremely loose-lipped at the moment, for some reason. So when she said Aria can't talk to anyone, that included myself as well, as I expected.
We all move to take seats. I keep a keen eye on the girls. Emily gently rouses Aria once more, telling her there's food and water. "Can you eat?" she asks in a quiet voice.
Watching closely, Aria's expression almost immediately goes from sleeping, to elated. That loose, euphoric expression certainly isn't one seen on someone in their right mind. Is she on drugs after all? Her expression doesn't even change when she answers, "Thank you, Emily. I can't though, my arms are still broken." Even when she shifts and a visible tremor of agony wracks her body, that joyous expression doesn't waver at all. That changes my question to how much drugs is she on?
"No, don't move, I'll feed you." Emily's voice is trembling, tears glistening in her glassy eyes. Yet she still speaks in a tone so soft and gentle that it's suspicious. How long have these girls known each other exactly? They can't just be friends who met at the orphanage a month ago, can they? Unfortunately, Francis addresses me, dragging my attention away from my primary concern at the moment.
"So, who are you exactly? How do you know Aria?" While the question itself could seem quite pointed, he asks in a light, friendly tone, like he's just interested in a new acquaintance.
I naturally slip into my go-to introduction. I give a light salute. "I'm Eryk, proprietor of the Ebock Company refinery. Aria is one of my customers." I leave it at that for now. No sense in explaining every little thing in my introduction.
Unexpectedly, Francis returns the gesture. I guess he's not completely uneducated at least. "Francis, member of the town guard," he gives his own introduction. There is a short moment once the introductions are finished, before I speak again. I still don't know how he knows Aria, so I take the opportunity to ask.
"How did you meet Aria?"
"My wife took care of her for a little while," he responds simply.
"Oh?" I lift an eyebrow to question such a turn of events. What would have led to that, and how does it fit into the story I've heard so far?
Francis continues to explain, "She was really sick, so my wife took her in off the street." Normally, that would make me question how she came to be in that situation. 'What about her parents?' would be the expected response. But as an orphan, that much is a given. It does not, however, explain what she was doing before or after. It also makes me question his wife. Is it normal for her to pick up unknown street children?
"And you took care of her..." There's little point asking why. "...just before she moved to the orphanage, I take it?" Francis just nods. With that, I've successfully filled in the brief period of the last couple months, at best. What about before that? How could a child her age possibly survive, seemingly homeless? "What about before that?" Francis just shrugs and shakes his head. When I turn to Emily, slowly feeding Aria tiny spoonfuls of gruel, she makes the same gesture. Do they truly not know, or is that something they are hiding?
"What about you then?" Francis finally turns the questions back in my direction. "I haven't been in contact with Aria for a while, how did she attract your attention exactly?" He may just be a guard, but Francis obviously isn't a complete simpleton. I can see it in his gaze; he wants to know what I want from her.
The question is, how do I play my hand? Hide it, or show it? I wait for just a moment, hoping for a spark of intuition to guide me, but am disappointed when no such luck graces me. "How indeed..." I mutter. For now, I'll play it close to the chest. I can always reveal more later, depending on their responses. Here, I start off with a question, rather than going straight into an explanation that they may not be capable of comprehending. "Have you ever heard of magnetite?" Francis shakes his head, so I explain. "It is a rare metal found out in the mountains. Due to its extreme scarcity, it is sometimes sought out by the rich and powerful. It is somewhat like ignium, having special properties that other metals do not." That earns a small nod.
I inhale deeply, to signal I am about to begin my story. "One day, not too long ago, a member of my front end staff caused a bit of a controversy, selling to a peasant who should not have been allowed in the shop. When I reprimanded him, he told me a very strange story. A small child had come into the store a few days earlier, carrying a piece of metal that was not magnetite, but displayed its unique properties. It was Aria, of course. I asked the staff to bring her to me to talk if she came to the shop again, and despite some trouble, I was able to meet her and talk with her about her discoveries. I found her to be a very bright child, which is why I set up a meeting with her again today. I... did not expect it to turn out like this though..." I grimace at the current turn of events as I finish my brief recount.
"So that's how it is..." Francis scratches his cheek. "I haven't talked with her in a while, so I don't know too much about what she's been up to lately. Sounds like she's doing pretty well though." He seems to direct the last statement to Emily, who gives a small nod in response. I maintain a neutral expression, but all I can think is: seriously? How on Loqa is this 'doing pretty well'? Aria is injured so gravely, it's a wonder that she is still alive at all. Yet they speak as if this isn't concerning? Have they perhaps seen her in even more gruesome states before? No, that cannot be possible. Any worse and there simply wouldn't be anything left of her!
I keep all of these thoughts to myself. I do not yet know why they think this way, so all I can do is play along. Unless, should I signal my issue with this? That may push them to explain their thinking. "Sorry, but I don't understand. Aria seems to be doing very poorly. I don't usually think of being on death's door as doing alright..." I force a small chuckle in an attempt to lighten the morbid words.
"Well..." Francis awkwardly runs his hands through his messy hair, looking embarrassed. "It's just, Aria's a tough kid, you know?" He says it even though his furrowed brows and the stiffness around his eyes tell me he doesn't believe it is a good enough explanation. How does her being tough quell any worries he has about her clearly life-threatening injuries?
"She already said she would be fine," Emily chimes in, obviously trying to help.
"And you believe her? In her current state?" I ask, unable to suppress my incredulous tone at the pair's seemingly flippant treatment of this girl they otherwise appear to be so close to.
"Yes," Emily just gives a small nod in response to my question. How could a small child, near death and clearly out of her mind on who knows what sort of drugs, make such a determination? Moreover, why do these two believe her without question, despite the circumstances? The only possibility is that it connects to whatever secret they know about her which I do not. Is there no way to get them to tell me so I can finally fill in the blank spot in this puzzle? I guess I'll have to show a little of my hand after all.
"You two seem to have a lot of faith in Aria." For some reason, that comment makes Emily's expression darken, before she looks away. I can't figure out anything more from it though, so I go on. "To put it plainly, besides my interest in her discoveries, I also noticed that she has some peculiar abilities." That finally elicits a good response from both Emily and Francis. Of course the guardsman hides it better, but I can read it in their eyes. My comment clearly worries them. Now, I just need to turn it around. Make them trust me and they'll hopefully reveal more information. It's a gamble, to see if I can gain their trust and be brought into the fold, surely giving me more access to whatever is really going on.
Or if this fails, they will be even more cautious in the future, and further inquiries will only be more difficult. But in that case, I will still have the option of pursuing more information through Aria herself. That brings down the stakes of the gamble somewhat, but I still need to be careful how I tread here.
"From what I've seen, she seems to have an almost unnatural ability to identify different metals, as well as picking out materials with unique properties at a glance." As soon as I finish speaking, their expressions shift just a little, and I feel a jolt of shock. They look relieved? That can only mean that my information was so far off from whatever secret they are hiding, they find no need for concern! Then, could it be the other thing...?
I absolutely didn't want to mention it to anyone else before speaking to Aria herself. Namely, that... good luck charm, as she called it. Ever since then, I have repeatedly felt a tiny pull in one direction when given difficult or even ambiguous choices, which have invariably turned out better than I could have imagined. The change may be nearly imperceptible, but I know myself far too well from my years as a merchant to miss it. And it definitely started after Aria's little 'good luck charm.'
It sounds impossible, of course, which is why I am so averse to bringing it up. I may be known as an eccentric already, but that would take me over the line into crazy territory. But looking at these two... I remind myself that it's due to them that we are sitting in a run down peasant bar, feeding a child on the brink of death. Their sense of normal seems to be so distant from mine when it concerns Aria, maybe I could mention it to them?
It's not like they traverse any of the merchant circles I do anyway, so even if they think I've lost my mind, word of my troublesome thoughts shouldn't reach anyone of importance... Swallowing down the bubble of anxiety that comes with delving into potentially dangerous waters, I push on.
"There was also one more thing," I add onto my previous statement, which freezes their poorly disguised relief. "Have you ever noticed her... how do I say..." I rub my chin a little, actually having a hard time putting my vague experiences into words in a way they might understand. "Have you seen her... affect change upon people, with nothing but a touch?" I wince a little, it sounds even worse when say it out loud.
The response is immediate. Francis sucks in a breath, tensing up in his chair. But it's Emily, who closes her eyes and sighs sadly, that really catches my attention. Francis is a little ambiguous, but not Emily. That is not a response to someone saying something crazy.
I was right?!
Francis glances at Emily. Does she know more than him about whatever is going on? Emily sets down the mug she was using to give Aria water before addressing me with an expression so serious, it looks silly on such a young child. "I can't tell you anything about that. Ask Aria when she gets better. It's up to her to decide what to tell you." I blink a little at the absolute refusal. Especially considering that it's coming from an orphaned peasant girl. This situation is completely abnormal.
The response all but confirms that she somehow, mysteriously, can do unusual things at a touch. If I leave aside for a moment that the whole concept lies outside the realm of man and is more akin to tales of gods and magical creatures... However, that doesn't explain why they won't tell me a single thing about it. Even though they know that I know, they're leaving it to Aria to tell me?
No, if it is her secret, I suppose they would not be at liberty to share it themselves.
What this does explain is why they are so secretive. Something so completely outside of my understanding that any theories I come up with to explain them are woefully off-base because the truth is something I never could have imagined? Of course such a strange occurrence would be a closely guarded secret.
This brings me back to my earlier theory. Drugs? Criminal activity? With the revelation that Aria has abilities akin to magic, those explanations suddenly feel laughably inaccurate. I briefly reassess my assumptions. If the linchpin of everything here are her abilities, I would guess that her current, euphoric state in some way relates to that. And her injuries? Are they somehow related as well?
"So these things she can do..." I start. I can already tell they will not offer a single scrap of information about that. So I instead ask to clear up my two primary questions. "They somehow relate to her injuries, and why she can't talk to anyone?" While I ask, Emily returns to feeding Aria. Francis opens his mouth to answer, but stops, actually looking somewhat unsure. Then Emily pipes up, speaking without looking over, her attention focused explicitly on Aria.
"Sort of, yes," she says.
"Sort of?" I question that part because in my experience, adding a 'sort of' to a confirmation can mean anything from 'it's a little different' to 'it's completely different, but I'll say yes anyway.'
"I can't tell you the details." Emily's voice is hard and sounds kind of pained. She doesn't even glance my way as she speaks, but I can see her shudder, nearly crying, in profile. Whatever information she is still hiding, it must be extremely difficult to think about.
It apparently includes something about how Aria ended up covered head to toe in grievous injuries after all... Of course, that confirms one part of my earlier guess. Since she knows something about how Aria was injured, that explains how she was able to determine that she needed food and water before a doctor.
I've filled in the key point at the center of everything. I have an idea of the whole picture. There are many specifics still missing, but I actually have some idea of what is happening, and why this uniquely strange situation has come about.
I'm glad I set up today's meeting. I've discovered far more information today than I ever expected, and I haven't even had a chance to talk to Aria. Though, I suppose that will have to come after she has healed.
I already knew she was an interesting child, but I had no idea she would be this fascinating.