Jonen anxiously paced towards his brother’s home. Reiner dismissed him before Mira’s interrogation and forbade him from remaining on the property. He didn’t have anywhere else to go. He walked down the stone streets of Hangral and passed the numerous shops and taverns of the lively port district. Past the next rows of buildings within sight of the ocean, the city began to quiet down. Further down the streets, he stopped at a tall building filled with smaller, rentable rooms for long term tenants.
His brother, Jaspen, lived on the third floor. Jonen spent the majority of his downtime with his older brother. Unlike Jonen, Jaspen was a full elf and the eighth son for a minor noble in Vanora. They did not grow up together, as Jaspen was nearly forty when Jonen was born. They shared an elven mother and learned that they shared many things in common during the youngest’s childhood. The elf and their mother traveled together and played in Vanora’s famous orchestra, so he spent a lot of time with his younger brother.
As Jonen knocked on the door to his brother’s room, he heard a feminine giggle. He hesitated to go in further because Jaspen was not known for many female companions.
“Come in,” Jaspen called, “The door is open.”
The invitation surprised Jonen.
He turned the handle and stepped into the room. Generally if his brother brought home a woman, there was some sort of sign on the door to ward others away or he wouldn’t answer the knock at all.
At the small table in the kitchen, Jaspen sat across from a hooded figure. Much like his younger brother, he had wavy golden locks. Though, he preferred to keep it longer and tie it behind him in a simple knot. His features were more defined and instead of the dark blue eyes of their mother, Jaspen’s were hazel like his father.
“Ah, younger brother!” He stood and smiled, “So wonderful for you to visit. My guest here was looking for you.”
“Oh, stop it,” She giggled and placed a hand flirtatiously on his arm.
Jonen noted the black tattoo in the shape of a rose on her hand. The woman lowered her hood turned to see him. It wasn’t Mira, but she was familiar to him.
“Hello, Jonen,” Val smiled, “I’m Val, of the Wilted Rose.”
“Hello?” He looked between them, “You know me?”
“Come, sit,” Jaspen motioned him to the table, “Val was telling me some of her stories.”
The room was large enough to live in, but small enough to have every amenity within a few steps. A large bed rested against the furthest wall with a dresser at the foot. A small kitchenette with a wooden table took up the other half of the room.
Jonen cautiously moved to a chair. He suspiciously examined the woman in his brother’s home. Val leaned over the table and flirtatiously plucked a slice of cheese from in front of Jaspen. The elf winked at her in return. The entire scene made Jonen uncomfortable.
“You’re looking for me?” He asked her.
“Yes,” She bite into the cheese, “Our mutual friend would like me to escort you to her. Though, not until the time is right. She thinks she may be watched a bit longer.”
His ears perked up, “Mira?”
“Is this woman really worth all that trouble?” Jaspen rolled his eyes, “He has been going on about her for months.”
“Oh, she is worth more trouble than you’d think,” Val chuckled, “In fact, why don’t you join us? It could be fun.”
“What exactly is the plan?” Jonen looked between them, “We could get into a lot of trouble for meeting publicly.”
“Not if you run into her at a bar,” She shrugged then seductively walked her fingers up his arm, “Or happen to walk into her inn with another woman that clearly has bad, bad intentions.”
Jonen blinked at her sultry voice, “Oh, I wouldn’t –”
She clicked her tongue disapprovingly, “You act as if no man has every hired company for the night. Your reputation will be fine, Jonen.”
“In fact, I remember you playing about in women’s beds before you went to eastern Zrud,” His brother teased, “Is that something your little girlfriend knows about?”
“I would appreciate it if you didn’t say anything like that in front of her friends,” Jonen glowered at him, “She knows about Shayleigh. That’s enough.”
Jaspen blinked in surprise, “You told her about Shayleigh?”
Jonen was once betrothed to another, Shayleigh. They grew up together and bonded before she died. Even though it was an accident, he still felt immensely guilty about her death. The elf he never got to grow old with only recently released the grief from him.
“Yes. I’m serious, Jaspen,” He narrowed his eyes, “Do not do anything to embarrass me, okay?”
“Fine, fine,” He held his hands up defensively, “Mother just said it seemed like a crush. How was I to know?”
He groaned, “You two should stop talking about me like that. I’m a grown man.”
“Don’t worry,” Val snorted, “Mira has been traveling on a boat full of woman hungry orcs. If she wanted a different lover, I’m sure she would have gotten one.”
“Did… did you know about Bobabano?” He watched for her reaction.
“Is he still trying to kill her?” She rubbed a hand down her face, “Goddess above, I –”
“What? No. He –” Jonen shook his head before he paused, “He tried to kill her?”
“What are you talking about?” She raised an eyebrow, “I wasn’t on the ship. Amethyst only found me when I entered the city at midday.”
“I would rather not say,” He rested his head on the table, “What exactly is your relationship to Mira, again?”
“Oh, she is… the ward of my leader,” Val tapped the mark on her wrist, “I guess you could say I’m technically a mercenary. Though, I’m not entirely sure what our order is doing now.”
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“Well, if you stay any longer, you may as well call yourself a bandit,” Jaspen winked, “Because you’re halfway to stealing my heart.”
“I know much about you, Jaspen Devorte de Devorte,” She chuckled, “And although you like the taste of human women, you wouldn’t settle for one.”
“What can I say?” He shrugged, “Company is company. I’m only going to contract myself with another elf.”
“Who is your leader?” Jonen asked Val to move the conversation along.
“I believe you lot call it a wraith,” She shrugged, “But to me, it’s Leader.”
“It?” Jaspen scrunched his face, “Not a he or she?”
“That’s what I thought at first,” She grabbed another piece of food from the table, “But that is what it wants. Who am I to argue?”
“I won’t ask more questions about the… Wilted Rose, was it?” He pointed to the tattoo, “But are you lot planning on doing anything I need to be aware of while you’re here?”
“Don’t know yet,” She shrugged and sat further back in her chair, “I haven’t gotten any orders besides fetching you when the time is ready.”
“I’m interested to see the woman that has clearly grabbed my brother’s attention,” Jaspen clapped his hands and grinned, “Should I play a song for her?”
“Goddess, no,” He shook his head, “I doubt she even knows that much about you, Jaspen. She was a thrall, after all.”
“Mira does not like when people talk of her past,” Val stated sternly before Jaspen could reply, “Surprisingly, she’s well educated. She taught me how to read and has been working with some of the others on learning orcan.”
“Really?” Jaspen drummed his fingers on the table, “That’s interesting.”
Jonen ran his fingers through his golden hair and mumbled under his breath, “And now that orc is hoping to marry her.”
“What?” Val exclaimed, “Who?”
“The captain.”
“Bobabano?” Her cackle filled the air around them, “Surely not.”
“Yes, apparently,” He sunk into his chair, “She was announced as his bride when they entered the city.”
Jaspen spit out his drink, “Wait, the Bobabano? As in, Bobabano Cauldronbone?”
“You’ve heard of him?” They both looked to the elf.
“Of course!” He set his drink down, “He’s been the muse to numerous sea shanties lately. Apparently, he’s quite the pirate – err, I guess the more appropriate term is naval captain, but he’s not exactly following his queen’s orders.”
“He’s hunky,” Val dreamily sighed, “Suave too. Lucky woman.”
“That Bobabano is interested in this woman?” Jaspen looked between them.
“Well, the last time I saw them together he tried to kill her,” She chuckled, “So I’m not sure what happened in the past week.”
“A week?” Jonen scoffed, “He tried to kill her a week ago?”
“Yes,” She tapped her fingers against the table, “Mira didn’t mention anything happening, but I haven’t seen her yet. Amethyst was amused at her annoyance but that isn’t unusual either.”
He rubbed his temples, “How did she get involved with so many orcs?”
“Her attractive personality?” She shrugged, “Slightly my fault too if I’m being honest. I don’t know what I can and can’t say yet.”
“Goddess above,” His older brother clapped eagerly, “I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Well, I’m just supposed to bring Jonen when the time is ready,” Val grabbed Jaspen’s glass and drank from it, “We can do whatever we want until then.”
“Could we…” Jonen felt his pockets for his coin bag, “Could we go shopping? I’d like to get her something.”
“Oh? I would love to go,” Val smirked mischievously, “I haven’t been since Berkshire. I wasn’t even allowed to get anything myself then.”
“I’ll tag along,” Jaspen stretched and plucked a bag from the dresser behind him, “I need some new strings, anyway.”
Jaspen's instrument sat in the corner of the room. Their mother had taught him since his teen years how to play. The elf moved to Zrud to try and make a name for himself outside of his mother’s shadow. So far, he hadn’t much like besides the occasional night at an aristocrat’s house.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Val pointed to a package against the wall, “That is a gift from Mira.”
Jonen turned grabbed the large shape and lifted the oddly heavy package. He tore the brown paper and saw something he never thought he would see again. The silvery metal shield had embezzled sapphires in the filigree. The large stone in the middle was cracked and most of the filigree was scratched from previous battles, but it was his father’s shield. Even the leather strap on the back had his named carved into it. He never dreamed of seeing his father’s shield again. The heirloom was one of the only things passed down to him.
“I don’t understand…” Jonen looked to her, “I sold this to help her. I don’t even know where it went.”
“She tracked it down when she learned about it,” She pointed to the shield, “Everything is original. The blacksmith that had it almost took out the gems. One of my associates had to… convince him to place them back in the shield.”
Her coy smile all but told them that it wasn’t a gentle request or conversation.
“How much did it cost?” Jaspen looked to her.
“Don’t know,” She shrugged, “I wasn’t the one tasked to find it. I just brought it here.”
Jonen saw a small, folded note pinned to the leather strap. He pulled it apart to read the short note.
Jonen,
I do not know if I will be able to give this to you in person. I hope you did not miss this too much. I know this is special to you. Please, accept it as a token of my gratitude.
Your friend, Mira.
“I don’t know what to say,” His hands shook as he traced over the surface, “I don’t know how to thank you for this.”
“I just delivered it,” Val shrugged, “You can thank Mira when you see her.”
He folded the note and slipped it into his tunic, “Jaspen, can I leave this here for now?”
“Of course, little brother,” He chuckled, “In fact, the next time your girlfriend sends you a gift, tell her I would like one as well.”
A warmth spread across his chest. He worried that she had forgotten about him or didn’t care for him after seeing her with the captain.. The butterflies in his stomach leapt as he looked at the shield. He wasn’t sure if he loved her, but Goddess did he feel like he might.
“Jaspen, you’re much better at this,” He looked to his older brother, “What should I get for her?”
“You’ve come to the right man,” He grasped his shoulders and shook, “Let’s find the perfect gift for your girlfriend, shall we?”
“I feel like a child when you say it like that,” Jonen rubbed his temples, “Yes, let’s go.”
The three exited and made their way down the street. Pop up stalls lined the streets as the tournament’s start date quickly approached. Jonen looked over the stalls as they passed by and tried to find anything that might work. It had been so long since he had spoken to her, he didn’t know what she would need.
“Perhaps a fancy dress?” Jaspen ran his hand through some fabric at a stall, “Women love dresses.”
“Not Mira,” Val snorted.
“Okay…” He sighed, “What about jewelry?”
“She wears her mother’s necklace every day,” Jonen nodded and looked to Val, “Does she still wear that bracelet?”
“The copper one the boy gave her?” She nodded, “Yes. I haven’t seen her remove either.”
“A ring may be too much,” Jaspen looked over some other options, “Perhaps a broach?”
“No. Jewelry feels wrong,” Jonen shook his head, “I know she likes sweets.”
“She brought back your father’s shield and you want to buy her sweets?” He gawked at his younger brother, “Are you trying to insult the woman?”
“I will get in trouble no matter what I buy her if it is significant,” He bit his lower lip, “But, I want to get her something.”
“Reiner will court martial you no matter what. That bastard hates that your reputation skyrocketed after finding Isaan,” He picked up some silky fabric to inspect, “Might as well get something you think she would actually enjoy.”
“She does not enjoy much,” Val ran her fingers through some of the dresses in a stall by her.
“What’s that?” Jonen pointed to his brother.
“A shawl from Saceida,” The dwarven merchant grunted, “The humans tend to like the way it flaps in the winds, I think.”
Jonen looked over the translucent fabrics with swirling patterns of different colors. Nothing jumped out at him, though.
“I want to get her something from home,” Jonen nodded.
“Which home?” Jaspen asked, “Mother’s or your father’s?”
“I don’t know,” He frowned, “Would it matter which one?”
“I don’t think she’ll care much either way,” Val grabbed one of the shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders, “Just make her feel pretty, yeah? Women love to feel pretty.”
“Right,” He sighed, “What about this?”
The shawl reminded him of her mother’s necklace. The blotchy black abstract pattern over the lilac background almost suited her. He held it up to Val.
“Can you try this on so I can see?”
“Of course,” She threw the one she played with back to the merchant.
Val wore clothes similar to what Jonen remembered Mira normally wore. The dark pants and shirt beneath dark armor that could blend into a crowd. Val threw fabric over her shoulders and looked to him.
“What if…” Jaspen turned it and held the sides over Val’s shoulder, “We get something to clasp it here?”
“You are obsessed with the broach, aren’t you?” She chuckled, “She can always tie it in a knot.”
“No, I like that idea now,” Jonen agreed, “Let’s find something.”