The next day, the trio made their way through the outskirts of New Minoka. The sun was beginning to set, and they had yet to find a place to stay.

“Let’s hope we can find Jacques before the night is through,” Toulou said, pulling the donkey along. Today the eldest wore their regular white long-sleeved shirt paired with an orange vest, but this time with a pair of masculine green pants Emelri hadn’t seen before that ended at the knee. Their hair remained in its usual style, hanging in thick, tight black coils past their shoulders, though a woman’s hat was pinned to their head.

“Will he let us stay with him?” she asked, stumbling slightly over her Venish.

“S’hard to say.”

“Where we go now then?”

“You mean, where are we going,” they corrected.

“Yeah. Where are we going?”

“The tavern. We need_________about Jacques.”

“Huh? We need what now?” Toulou repeated the word she didn’t know, and she made a face.

Pepin, who was walking and whittling at the same time on her other side, leaned over and whispered, “Information,” in ancient Elden.

“Oh! We need information about Jacques,” she said all in Venish, and Toulou looked between her and their brother skeptically.

“Yeah. That’s what I said.”

The young boy got closer again, murmuring, “Said,” in ancient Elden.

“Pep, stop that!”

Emelri giggled. “Thanks, Pep, but I already knew that word.”

“Hey, I told you not to call him—” Toulou began, but she cut them off.

“Oh, he told me it was okay to call him that.” Pepin nodded in agreement, adding the last details to the tail of a little wooden bird he’d been working on the past few days.

They stared. “He told you it was okay? As in, he spoke to you?”

“Yup!”

They looked over at their brother who wouldn’t meet their eyes and frowned slightly. “Since when do you talk so much?” Pepin shrugged. “What, got nothing to say?”

Silence.

Toulou sighed. “I see. Now you’re not going to do it, because I asked.” The boy nodded stubbornly. “Whatever.” They looked almost hurt as they stopped in front of a large building where they paid someone to board the donkey.

“Oh, can I see what you’ve been making?” Emelri asked, hovering over Pepin’s shoulder.

He held up the delicately carved bird, smiling.

She gasped. “It’s wonderful! Oh, can I hold it?” He nodded, handing it over. Keeping it safely in both palms, she ogled it with bright eyes. “Such an adorable little thing. I love it so much!” She went to give it back, but he shook his head, pointing at her.

“I can have it?” He nodded. “But aren’t you still working on it?”

“Just finished,” he whispered softly.

She blinked, then threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, thank you, Pep! I’ll keep her nice and safe! I’ll name her… Lya.” She pulled back. “I think that’s a good name, don’t you?”

He didn’t reply, standing stiffly with his cheeks painted cherry.

“Let’s go,” Toulou cut in grumpily, motioning them both inside after opening the tavern door.

Emelri tucked the bird into her pocket, humming slightly as she stepped after them.

This tavern was considerably nicer than any she’d been to in Elden Town. The tables were a bit larger with nicer chairs, and the bar was cleaner and brighter. The characters present were also less desperate-looking and more visibly well fed.

She and Pepin silently looked around while Toulou approached the bartender.

The older black man behind the counter with a scar over his eye greeted them all warmly. “What can I do for you, young ones?”

“We’re looking for a man named Jacques,” Toulou said. “He travels with three others, one with long blond hair.”

“Oh yes, I know Jacques, and Adrian for that matter. They live a few blocks from here. They’re regulars at my tavern.”

Their brown eyes lit up. “Have they come in today?”

He shook his head. “They’re all out of town, traveling to the mid-Elderian countries, I believe. It’s been a few months since I’ve seen them in here.”

“Any idea when they’ll be back?”

“No clue, but New Minoka is Jacques’s place of residence. He always stops by when he’s in town, so if you stick around, I’m sure he’ll show up eventually.”

“Great.” They ran a hand through their hair in frustration, then turned to the others. “Guess we’ll have to stay here until they come back.”

Emelri searched their face. “For how long?”

“Who knows.”

“But we need money for food and beds.”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“Say, I don’t mean to pry,” the bartender cut in, “but are you all traveling together, just the three of you?”

Toulou frowned. “What of it?”

He shook his head. “I don’t mean anything by it, it’s just, if you’re needing money and a place to stay, I may have something for you.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“What do you mean?”

“Listen,” he stroked his beard as he talked. “I need a new server to bus tables, and you seem a good age for it. How old are you?”

“Fifteen.”

“Well, that’s plenty old enough for a real job. My name’s Maurice by the way.” He extended his hand, and the teenager took it.

“Toulou.”

“Well Toulou, if you agree to work afternoons and nights, you three can have one of the rooms here. How does that sound?”

“I’ll do it, but only if we get the room starting tonight.”

Maurice nodded. “You got yourself a deal. I’ll have you start working tonight then. Here’s a key to the room.”

The key was passed to Pepin. “Bring our stuff to the room,” Toulou said in a lowered voice. “I’ll be there once I’m done.”

Emelri looked between them, then approached the counter. “Can we work too, Mr. Maurice?”

Chuckling, he shook his head. “I don’t want little kids working in the bar. Doesn’t feel right to me.”

“Oh, okay.”

“You still have plenty of childhood to live out,” he continued. “Wouldn’t want you wasting it working.”

She looked to the side, not having felt like a kid in years. Not when her village was always under attack and certainly not after thirteen and a half years living under her mother’s roof with her father out of the picture.

The woman’s voice rang in her head then, flooding her stomach with unease. Using others to live an easy life again, are we? Abusing your privilege won’t get you anywhere, Em. It’s clear as day you’re a spoiled brat and a burden, and that’s all you’ll ever be.

A frown crossed her face, and determination filled her chest as she said firmly, “We’ll do all the shopping and cleaning then, okay Toulou? You don’t need to worry about a thing outside this.”

They considered her for a moment. “Don’t worry too much about it. It’s my job to take care of you both.”

She blinked in surprise. That’s when Pepin wrapped his arms around them, hugging them tightly despite Toulou’s protests.

“Yeah, yeah, okay. That’s enough.” They pushed him away lightly. “I’ll see you both later.”

The two younger teens made their way up the tavern stairs to the second floor. As they did, Pepin shared a long glance with Toulou across the room. They gave a small nod and Pepin sighed, looking away.

She looked between them, then patted him on the shoulder. “They’ll be fine. Let’s go find our room.”

He hesitated, then gave a small nod.

This room was much nicer than the one in Elden Town. As soon as they pushed through the door, the two were rushing around excitedly, eyes devouring everything.

“Pep, look! An armchair!” He beamed at it, his mouth agape, then he grabbed her arm, pointing to the covered window. “Yeah, I know! Our own curtains!”

That’s when they both caught sight of the big bed in the center. Having the same idea, they ran forward and plopped down on it. She laughed out loud while he released small giggles.

“This is the nicest room I’ve ever been in, and that includes everywhere I’ve been back home!”

He nodded quickly to show it was the same for him.

“No more sleeping on the ground! Isn’t it great!”

He wouldn’t stop grinning. “I’m glad we met,” he said quietly, and she smiled even bigger.

“Yeah! It’s so great to be with you guys! Imagine if you didn’t have a friend while Toulou worked. It’d be awful being all alone in here.”

He nodded, smiling shyly.

She gazed at him. “You know, you have really unique eyes. Did you get them from your mother?” The green orbs darted away as he shook his head. “Oh. From your dad?”

He nodded. “Left when I was born.”

“Oh. I’m really sorry.” He shook his head. “My father wasn’t ever around either. Guess that makes us quite the pair.”

Pepin gave a small sigh, nodding.

“Well anyway. Shall we check out the view?” She bounced off the mattress, making her way to the window, pulling the curtains aside. “Oh! You can see all the lights in the town. Come look!”

The silent boy came to join her.

“Things are really looking up,” she said with a smile, gazing outside.

Cheeks turning red, Pepin wasn’t looking out the window then. By the time she glanced over at him, his gaze was elsewhere.

“Toulou is so nice,” she rambled on. “I always thought they were super grumpy and mean, but they really care, don’t they? They’re really protective too.” The boy nodded. “I want to do everything I can to help while they’re off working. It’s up to you and me to make sure this place stays clean, and we have supplies and food!”

He puffed out his chest, saluting her. She giggled in response, making him grin.

❀❀❀

Three months passed, and Emelri spoke Venish more confidently now. Her and Pepin would gather supplies and make sure they had everything ready for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, then the rest of the time they’d wander around exploring together.

They’d go to fairs if there were any, explore markets and stores, and take long walks through open fields. At night, they’d sit out on the roof while Emelri did most of the talking and Pepin occasionally added his own simple sentences.

They were getting closer each day, and soon, he was talking to her regularly, though not any more than before when Toulou was around. For whatever reason, he talked around his sibling the least.

That night, Emelri went up the tavern steps after greeting Toulou at the bar. Pepin had already gone up after their long walk all over town. Entering the room, she immediately spotted him by the window in the big armchair. He was sitting cross-legged as his pupilless eyes glowed green. His breathing was slow and steady.

As she got closer, she could feel the magic radiating off him. “Charging?” she asked in Venish, handing him a pear she’d snagged.

His regular green eyes blinked into view as he took the yellowed fruit, and he nodded. She went to sit on the floor in front of him when he patted the chair.

“Oh, thanks!” She squeezed beside him, perching over the back of the armchair to look out the window. He turned and did the same. “Your mom taught you how to do that, right? Wish I had magic.”

“She was self-taught,” he said softly. “Her dad was a magic user, but he died young.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

He nodded. “The stuff you say you saw Jacques do at the portal... that’s beyond anything I’m capable of.”

“I wonder, maybe Jacques could teach you properly.” He stared at her. “I mean, he obviously learned from someone very skilled. You could always ask, or I guess, Toulou could ask for you.” She nudged his arm. “You know, I’m glad you talk to me more now. I like it when you say what’s happening in your head.” She was not expecting the sudden downcast expression. “Huh? Did I say something wrong?”

He shook his head. “I used to talk more. Sometimes I’d talk a lot even.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t know that.”

He stared ahead. “That was before Mother.”

“Oh.” She searched the avoidant green eyes. “We don’t have to talk about that.”

“It’s okay. I think… I’m ready to tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

He hesitated. “About what happened to her.” She held her breath. “It was late in the day, and we’d been outside watching as Jacques and Adrian’s flying ship sailed away and that’s when we came home, and saw the house was in flames. I froze, just like I did in Elden Town. She was trapped inside, held back by some kind of Teptrite device attached to her. Toulou... they were furious with me. ‘Kept screaming at me to do something, but I just...” He looked away, his lip trembling, and her heart sank at the sight. “She was trapped inside, Emi. Toulou was fighting off all these Spillers, and I—” He swallowed, his voice lowering to a whisper. “I didn’t do anything. I just watched it happen. Watched Toulou kill every last one of them, and watched as our house was destroyed with her in it.”

If he hadn’t turned away from her, she’d have seen the tears now running down his cheeks.

“After there was nothing but ash, the only thing we found not destroyed was her necklace.” He clutched at the pendant hidden under his shirt, his thumb tracing over the crack in the inactive energy crystal. “After that, I just couldn’t find the words anymore. Toulou would get so upset when I never answered them, but I didn’t say a thing for weeks. They’re so strong and brave, and I’m... I’m so useless. I’ll never be brave like them. I’m a coward, Emi.”

A gentle hand was placed on his shoulder. “That’s not true at all. Honestly, Toulou can be kind of scary. They don’t hesitate at all while killing and they’re sort of cold hearted.”

“They are not,” he snapped, whipping his head around and meeting her brown eyes with his wet green ones. “They’re always looking out for us. How can you say that?” She searched his face, and he flushed in embarrassment, his voice lowering as quickly as it had risen. “They care a lot, even if they don’t show it.”

“I know. You’re right.” There was a pause as Pepin wiped his face. “You know, you can take as much time as you need to speak again, especially to Toulou. I know it’s hard for you to talk around your sibling.”

He frowned. “I think Toulou blames me for what happened.”

“What?”

Before any more could be said, the front door burst open and a sweaty Toulou barged in wearing an apron, their hair piled up on top of their head. “It’s him,” they heaved between breaths. “He’s finally here. Jacques.”

Pepin and Emelri bolted upright.

“You’re certain?”

They nodded. “Quickly.”