Of Tea and Spoons (Kostya)

[Requiem]

"Have I shown you what X'rx got me for my turnday, Laddie?" Ximera questioned of the ladle that she'd put at the position of honor to her right hand. Ximesk was on her left, lapping at his second plate of milk and looking altogether too content. His eyelids were drooping, and he rumbled happily to himself. The girl didn't realize that her door had been left partially open, but even if she had, she likely wouldn't have minded; it wasn't, after all, strange to her to be treating the ladle like an old, faithful friend. And talking to it like it talked back. The girl knelt, barefeet folded one over the other and poking out from beneath her small posterior, the short summer daydress fanning in a small flare about her calves and ankles.

Ximera leaned forward, then, carefully removing the soft, supple hide. It was a small tea set of delicate glass, with tea pot and four little cups. Saucers. A container for sugar and another for cream. The best part of it, though, were the delicate paintings etched onto the porcelain. Nightflowers and vines coiled around the set in pretty oils, almost as if they were embracing the porcelain. Her brother had a delicate hand with his brushes, though he'd never made a huge deal of it and only Ximera knew. Not even their mother. It was like their own special secret, which made the teaset doubly special. "They're just perfect for a princess, aren't they?" the girl continued to Laddie, beaming brightly.

Wasting no time, she filled her little set with warm water, and poured the ladle some. "I think he should be coming soon," the girl confided. "Nothing bad has happened in a long, long time. My King must be making it all better, just like I knew he would, and soon he'll come for me and we'll be happy together. Mom says I'm nearly a grown woman now. It can't be too much longer." Oh she hoped it wasn't much longer. Ximera didn't mind any of this. In fact, she rather hoped her King would understand that she was doing something important, and like all good men support her and love her for it. Yes. Not make her stop. What would Ximesk do, after all? He'd be lonely with no other whers. And she didn't want to leave her brother, either.

Her head cocked to one side, and she frowned petulantly at Laddie. "Why, of course I'll know him when I see him. Or soon after. We're meant to be together. Our hearts will talk to one another, and we'll know." Her little nose wrinkled all the more, and she sniffed. "Let's not argue. Not so soon after my turnday. You're just being a gloomy gus anyway, Laddie."

[rii]

She wasn't lying.

Coiled tightly on the stomach of a stuffed animal laid Mirage. Her pale hide, just off a shade of true white, neatly blended in with the fuzzy stomach. Only her eyes gave her away, a dainty light blue of interest as she continued to spy. She had followed Ximera in from the hallway, seeking to create stories out of the girls every day mundane actions. Only.. she didn't need to weave in her own creative thread to the images to make these stories interesting. Yet hers called her a liar. Another series of images were sent across the bond. She dared him to prove her wrong.

A few minutes ago, this was the reason to why Kostya found himself idling outside of Ximera's room. The wisps of a one-sided conversation he caught through the gap in the doorway became the cause of his continued lingering. Shoulders leaning back against the stone wall as he continued to work a meticulous groove into a panel of wood. A strange project he had taken on – building something for someone else to take apart.

Now.. he had always thought Ximera a little – off. Not stupid, but her mind apart of a light dominated world that the rest of them had to shield their eyes to view. As he listened to the curious conversation with .. Laddie.. it sprung forth an intriguing string of ponderings. Surely this was just a girl pretending to host a teaparty. Little girls were allowed that. Ximera, however, was not a little girl. Well past the age to be playing make-believe. One way to find the truth of it..

One of the empty teacups wiggled, rocking in a circle around the saucer. Mirage stood up on her hindlegs, watching the cup settle before turning her gaze expectantly on the human girl. Images were given of Ximera pouring the tea. She would like some too now, with sugar sweet dear. Her little feet curled over the edge of the cup while her tail coiled with the handle.

A soft knocked sounded against the wood.. Kostya reaching in through the ajar space to knock on the inside of the door instead of the outside.

[Requiem]

"Oh!"

Ximesk's head lifted, the soft-colored blue greeting their new guest with a welcoming croon. A foreleg curled around his dish, though, just in case...friendly, yes, but no stealing of his milk thank you. His. The girl tsked at him, but she couldn't hold back a giggle. "So greedy, Ximesk," she stated with obvious affection. "Hello, little pretty one. Who do you belong to, again?" Ximera knew she'd seen this little salamandyr around before, but she was so easy to overlook that Ximera couldn't remember where. "Let me just move this for you," the girl stated quietly, so the mandyr wouldn't be startled, and instead of pouring the tea into the cup she poured it into the saucer underneath so it was easier for the small creature to reach.

"It's chamomile," she confided. "I'm Ximera, that's Ximesk, and he's Laddie. Don't mind him. He's a sourpuss, but he's got a kind heart." The knock startled her, and she twisted her torso toward the door, hand pushing back the lengthening strands. Had she left the door open? Oh dear, no one was supposed to know about her King. She hoped they hadn't heard. So careless of her. What was done was done, though, and she wasn't discovering who it was any quicker by examining that hand, so Ximera rose gracefully to her feet, then scampered barefoot for the door. She pulled it completely open and smiled...up at Kostya. "This is who you belong to!" the girl suddenly remembered.

Her arms flew about his waist in a quick embrace, and then she grasped his hand, tugging him inside. "You never come to visit, Kostya," the girl greeted him warmly. "I'd forgotten she was yours. What's her name? I'm afraid I forgot it." More like she'd never been told, but it was possible she'd just forgotten, and Ximera was always polite, if over-enthusiastic. "You have time for tea with us? Please say you do. And..." She leaned forward, glancing around him to be sure no one else might be eavesdropping. "Please don't tell old Mae or my mom about Laddie. They weren't even using him, anyway, just locking him in a drawer, the poor old thing."

[rii]

Mirage's ichor-hued frill open and shut in quick succession in acknowledgment of the wher's croon. She dipped her snout in a silent return greeting of her own, following the action of backing away from the teacup. her tail uncoiling as the dish lifted away. Mirages transparent lids lowered as she eyed the puddle filled saucers with private contempt. What kind of lady drank from the saucer like a canine to a dish of water – like some wher. Her tail coiled around a nearby spoon, about to request her sugar when the girl bounced off toward the door. Instead she nudged the spoon in Ximesk's direction, appealing to him with body language as the images touched his mind. He could add sugar to her tea, yes? She was too small to manage the spoonful, but a capable strong wher such as himself should manage nicely..

Sweet child, wasn't she. Kostya graced her with a relaxed smile as drew away from his waist. Before he could even begin to explain himself, Ximera had his hand and he nearly stumbled in step following after her. What he did manage to do was catch the doorknob behind him, pushing it to a soft close as they moved inside.

"She's Mirage – I didn't mean to interrupt," It was tempting to address her as princess. A slip-up he would save to drop into the conversation later, depending on how things went. His face slackened at her offer, molding quickly with a thespian's skills, reflecting the desired emotion and pulls of genuine expression. Awed at her offer to join him, and swiftly resolving himself into a humble mask. His head bowed forward, eyes respectfully falling to the floor. "I'd be honored.."

His eyes widened, lips parting as he lifted his face – afraid he had let something slip through. He gave Ximera a small smile, shifting his attention to the ladle as distraction. "I promise you I haven't, nor will I tell anyone." Had she really been speaking to the ladle this whole time. He had assumed the wher the participant to Ximera's play. If she was just playing, Kostya could easily claim he was just.. playing along. It was amusing in a way, that his fallback would be the truth. "Lock him in a drawer? That's terrible.. he looks as strong and able as any other–" Hm, he ended it there, not sure if laddie was actually a ladle to Ximera. Besides, maybe the sourpuss would like a bit of flattery. Worth a try, anyway. "Why would they do that.."

Kostya paused near the empty side of the table, glancing between Ximesk and the kitchen tool before pivoting to the side, waiting for the lady of the room to sit first.

[Requiem]

The girl giggled, stifling it behind a hand at Kostya when he spoke, and only just managed to get it under control enough to say, "You're a friend, silly. I'm no one special to be saying things like that to." Though the words held a touch of teasing scold behind them, her eyes danced with clear delight at her companion and temporary playmate. He was a gallant one, wasn't he, and so...well, he was easy on the eyes. Ximera left it at that. Thinking too much down that road was bad for her, yes it was.

Ximesk crooned to the pretty mandyr, before looking at the spoon dubiously. He was rather too large to use a spoon like that, he thought, but His was distracted and he didn't want to disappoint the pretty little one talking to him so nicely. Thus the wher nudged the sugar bowl as close as he could manage to the saucer, huffing softly for her to move her tail before working his jaws around the handle of the spoon. He finally got it after several attempts and then pushed it into the sugar, now standing half-on the table. But when he tried to scoop it, the whole cup toppled, making a mountain of sugar soaking up the tea in the saucer and scattering over the table.

Fortunately for Kostya, this happened just as his expression wavered and Ximera never saw it, the girl squeaking in dismay and alternately comforting the ashamed wher while trying to clean up the mess. She glanced up as she was finishing, flashing a distracted smile at Kostya. "Sit down, sit down. Really. So formal. Oh, Ximesk, why didn't you just ask you silly beast?"

It was cleaned up relatively quickly, the girl pouring Kostya some tea and offering him what little sugar remained in the serving bowl to do with as he pleased. "Ladle, you meant to say." Her smile was amused. "Everyone's always shy to say it. I know Laddie's a ladle, and I know ladles can't really talk, but Daddy used to say how he thought the ladle would be if he could and I like to remember Daddy. His face is...blurry in my memory now." She waved a hand in front of her. Then she smiled again, dispelling the shadows brought on by such words. "Besides, I need someone to be a naysayer so I don't always get into trouble. A ladle is as good a naysayer as any."

[rii]

Mirage gladly surrendered the spoon, moving aside to allow the wher room to serve her. A bit of a bumbler, but he was quite sweet to at least try and appease her. Mirage eyes fluttered with pale blues, frill open in a playful look she settled on Ximesk. It wasn't much of a loss to Mirage. She hadn't wanted to lap out of the saucer like some beast in the first place. So good riddance to the dish. The white amused herself by making small paw prints in the sugar, sending the blue images of snow covered hillsides, before the curious girl swept it all away – only in Mirage's images Xi had transformed into princess of ice, the snowflakes being reclaimed by their rightful owner of the wintery season..

"I will not be rude to my host," Kostya chimed as he sat down, finding that he wouldn't be able to make the lady of the room sit first. Thus the tea was accepted graciously, Mirage appearing on his hand to coil with his fingers and the thin handle. It was she that urged him to use a clean spoon to add sugar to the cup. Mirage mimed blowing over the already lukewarm liquid before dipping her head down to take a sip – tail tip lifting to point straight up as she drank.

If he was suppose to be embarrassed about sitting at the small table with a wher and kitchen tool, Kostya didn't show it. The intrigue rising in his eyes genuine as he took in the information concerning the ladle. Wasn't that a delightful little curiosity. "I understand," as much as he could; which probably further and more thoroughly than most people would be able to understand the peculiar habit. Kostya's head tilted at her, a smile amused smile showing through. "He thought the ladle would be a naysayer if it could speak?"

Here he peered at the metal ladle, considering what he might think it had an actual personality. Or which one he would project onto the object. In the end, Kostya untangled his hand from Mirage and the cup to touch the plain silver ring tied to the thin leather strip, tied close around his neck. He never took it off. "This was my sister's, she use to try and keep me out of trouble." Of course, his piece of memory didn't speak to him, nor did he forget her face. Pale as snow, staring at the heavens with spun gold hair drifting around her.. in the water, of the black river where she had spent her last moments alive.

He smiled at the girl, "You'll have to forgive me for eavesdropping beforehand, but.. " the odd little conversation about kings and 'meant to be together' with some him (and his mind did well to fill in the blank with the term prince), but he merely paused to pick up his cup again. "It was your turnday recently?"

[Requiem]

"Oh, I don't think you could ever be rude," Ximera chimed back cheerily. Nevermind that she hardly knew him. He was just so charming, and in just the space of a couple minutes she'd decided that she liked him very much indeed. (Most people gave her that 'are you kidding me right now?' look when they saw her tea parties. So sad.)

Ximesk, who had been huddled in despondent embarrassment for a moment, stretched out a little and peeked over the forelimbs draped over his snout when the little white creature didn't seem at all perturbed by his mishap. His, he knew, would and had already forgiven him, but he'd been ever so ashamed at the unseemly display given his little companion. His head cocked to one side and he barked a soft affirmative to the snow princess image, very much pleased that his new friend could see His for what she actually was. Even though Ximera had told him it was a secret multiple times, he still felt that everyone should just see it instantly. His was perfect, after all. What else could she be?

The wher, watching the salamandyr, apparently decided that he should be doing the same thing. He crawled directly into Ximera's lap, causing the girl to squeak and giggle, pushing him back enough that just his head and forelimbs were occupying her lap so she didn't squish. He licked her jaw, then whined. His tea? "Silly." She reached over him to pick up the plate and held it for him so he could go back to his milk, which pleased him greatly. While he was thusly distracted she snuck it onto the table in front of her and returned her attention to Kostya.

"Well, he's old and metal and has seen so much, Dad thought he must sound like a grumpy old man, complaining as he watches everything from his rocker," she explained, definite affection for her father behind the words. Ximera had been Daddy's little girl, his princess, and she'd never wanted for his attention. It was very...lonely...without him. Eyes tracking to the ring, the girl didn't miss how he phrased it, and she glanced down at her teacup. Her eyes were stinging. The girl took a sip of the tea, then offered quietly, "She must have been very pretty and nice." Ximera's sister wasn't very nice. In fact, she was mean, but X'rx said Jaiya hadn't always been that way. Ximera wasn't sure she believed him.

Thankful for the change in conversation, the girl brightened right back up again. "Oh yes. A few days ago. I'm fifteen now," she stated happily. A flicker of a shadow moved across her face, her eyes lifting to study Kostya's face carefully. "You didn't...didn't overhear anything else." Her tone sounded hopeful. Then it dipped into uncertainty. "Did you?" That would be ever so bad. No one was supposed to know until he came for her. Ximera rushed to change the topic, realizing belatedly how suspicious that must seem. "Aren't you the friend of that um...interesting...fellow? Marshall or Marcius or something like that?" She had been about to say 'strange', but that might have been offensive.

[rii]

Well, yes, that did sound like a good interpretation of what the ladle would be like if it had a personality. Of course, Kostya mused to himself, if the ladle did have some kind of life force, how cruel were they to dip it into scalding liquids, lock it in drawers, hang it up to let it watch the torture of others. Trust him to pollute the idea between daughter and father. At least he had sense enough not to make mention of the little inconsistencies. He had no reason to try and tear down what Ximera had built up in loving memory of her belated father.

"Oh yes, she was very lovely and spirited," Kostya agreed. He loved her, as much as a brother could, she had been more to him than his parents and grand parents. Yet he couldn't help but note that those qualities had been her undoing in the end. In an ironic kind of way it was funny. Kostya didn't comment further on the subject, and Ximera must have sensed the sensitivity of the topic because she quickly shifted gears.

Fifteen? Kostya would have guessed younger simply because Ximera projected being little more than a child dreaming of her future - hosting tea parties. But, oh, there was the worry in the girl's voice and Kostya had to keep himself from smiling in return. It wasn't always the most easiest thing to detour, his inner pleasure at making another person shift in discomfort. He set the cup down, glancing over his shoulder at length to ensure the door remained closed.

There she went, again, pushing over the subject with a new one. He would allow it - this time. Not when she had presented the opportunity all on her own. Kostya knew he had only to wait for it. His pale eyes returned to the girl, dipping momentarily to the table as if he didn't want to trouble her with the words forthcoming, but they resolved and set kindly on her face once again. "You need to be more careful, Princess. If one of the others found out.."

He let the words trail off for her wild imagination to finish. Now he would see just how far Ximera went with her world of pretend - and just how much of it was pretend. Kostya wanted to find out.

[Requiem]

Ximera was watching Kostya with rising dread as he glanced over his shoulder toward the door, suddenly becoming so very serious. The girl's arms went around Ximesk's neck, the blue pausing long enough to lap at her forearm in a gesture of reassurance. He then went right back to his milk. Very little could distract him from milk for very long, after all, and with how indulgent His was it was a wonder the plump wher was merely plump and not downright fat, unable to walk for the inability to find his own legs.

The greenhandler's words had Ximera's arms tightening around Ximesk, her mouth opening in a wordless - and mute - protest. The denial never got past her throat. Such a sudden surge of emotion actually did get Ximesk's attention enough to leave the blue eyeing Kostya contemplatively. He wasn't aggressive toward him, but without even moving the wher had gone from a lax stance to a protective one just by the nearly imperceptible tension in his body.

For all that Ximera was innocent, naive and definitely a touch on the crazy side, the girl wasn't slow. Her dark eyes were latched onto his face. "Who are you?" she whispered. The girl didn't think he was bad. He was so nice, after all, and even now seemed almost regretful that he might upset her by saying what he had. But he knew her secret, and by the way he spoke, he'd known it before he overheard her. No one was supposed to know her secret. Who was he?

Her eyes flicked toward the door, a nervous gesture. "They would think it was like my ladle. Just something crazy little Xi made up. Another game of pretend." Her eyes returned to his searchingly. "Wouldn't they?" Now she was beginning to get scared. Of course she knew that if her prince was going to save Pern, being his princess could be dangerous, but she never would have thought there would be any danger here, with her friends. It was why she was here and not somewhere else, of course. The girl shifted nervously, Ximesk settling more firmly over her lap.

"You surely don't mean that anyone here would try to hurt me, do you?" Her eyes began welling up with unshed tears.

[rii]

Kostya waited, patiently keeping his eyes downcast in a show of respect, but every so often flicking the pale irises up to gauge Ximera's reaction. He didn't notice the wher, if only because he didn't think the blue would plow through the table to attack - and even thinking that perked enough attention from Konstask attention. Yes lovely, he mentally patted her across the bond, it would be a shame if he got his face all slashed up, but if that happened he would allow her to rip apart the faces of anyone else that she might consider more beautiful than him. The thought amused him, at least, since whers could live without their handlers. If he died, he was pretty sure Konstask would go about ripping apart faces until she too was killed.

Who was he?

Again those eyes rose to meet hers as his mind ran through the possible answers. Instead he tried to kindly reassure her rising worry, "Most would." The rise of tears told him one of two possibilities, that either she was an extremely good actor, or she really was upset that he may have discovered her well-kept secret. The latter would mean it wasn't pretend to her. You can't get hurt by make-believe.

"Princess.." Even softer, a silent please don't be angry unspoken apology as he studied the cup and saucer. Mirage, for once, was a silent presence as she watch with rapt attention to the exchange. "I'm not suppose to.. " A frown and another glance at the door, then a quiet sigh of resignation. "It took me some time to find you - to protect you. Against who I don't know. It could be anyone. You need to be more careful."

No interest in the route of playing her long awaited prince. It would take too much effort to maintain the image. Not to mention he wouldn't be able to play with others, and she'd probably want him around more. No, no, he liked to do things on his terms. Besides, he didn't play the deeply in love role all that well. He glanced over the tea set, "Should I go?"

[Requiem]

His words did make her feel a little better. Ximera, of course, was not nearly so clever as to come up with the ladle and the tea parties simply to make people dismiss her important secret as just another fantasy, but she did recognized the benefits. And maybe, just maybe, the continued pretend games weren't solely to perpetuate the memory of her father. It made her feel better to think that the mischance of speaking an errant word would probably not get her or anyone else hurt. That would just be awful.

Took him some time...to find her? Kostya was looking for her? To protect her? If so, then who could have sent him but her prince himself? The girl had been starting to get so worried that her prince might never find her, might not even know she existed. That would be such a sad state of affairs. What if, after setting everything right, the man was to take someone else for his bride? It was a thought she couldn't abide! But, clearly, Ximera should never have doubted. Not only did he know about her, but he'd even sent someone to protect her, too.

His words shocked her from her state of near bliss. Oh, no! Ximera moved to get up, but Ximesk's weight pinned her down, and she reached out to touch his arm instead. "Please don't. You must tell me all about him! He did send you, didn't he? I've never...gotten a chance to meet or even see him. Please?" Her dark eyes focused on Kostya's pleadingly. Then another thought struck her, and she covered her mouth, glancing back toward the door. "The other one you came with. Marsayis? Did my prince send him too?" she questioned, her tone just a touch incredulous. He couldn't possibly be her prince, though. That...that just wouldn't be right.

[rii]

This was fun - Kostya's only thought as the simple touch of arm told him what he needed to know; the words strengthening the meaning. It had been that easy to be accepted into her fantasy world. A delicate game when all he saw were blank canvases that he needed her to fill out for him to know the tale of the secret princess waiting every so devoutly for her charming prince. Words to be crafted into pictures. Kostya was very entertained at that moment. He mentally praised Mirage for doing such a wonderful job at finding this interesting side-story. The white salamandyr visibly preened on his shoulder.

He, Kostya pondered over the pronoun with a curious look set on Ximera's face. She was speaking rapidly and it would have been easy to not catch it all. The excuse gave Kostya the time he needed to pick and chose how he wanted to play the game. He chuckled lightly at her veiled distress, "No. Marsayis is just someone I ended up traveling with during my turns in the north." In a quieter tone he added. "I've never been sure about his intentions, so it is best that I keep him close to keep an eye on him. He seems to be searching for something as well."

A mere suspicion, Kostya lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I hate to displease you, but I'm afraid I have never met the prince. He hides, as you do, and it is just as dangerous – maybe more – for his true identity to be known." Didn't want to get his details crossed with hers, after all. "I was told by - well, you probably wouldn't believe me - but I was told that it wouldn't be easy, finding you. I've followed after many possibles, but when I came here.. and I nearly didn't find you at all.. I got that feeling."

Ximera had been talking about knowing her prince because of their hearts speaking together, so he didn't think much of his explanation. "Just a small feeling, the kind that makes a person pause and take a second look at something they previously passed over in dismissal. I wasn't so sure, thought, since you had become a wher handler. I admit, that was an unexpected move.."

[Requiem]

A quite noticeable look of relief swept over the girl's features, even if the note of wariness behind her eyes only grew. Ximera didn't...well, she didn't really like Marsayis. Didn't dislike him, either, given she'd never really had much contact with him, but that was part of the reason she didn't like him. He just seemed so...forbidding? Not as much as the sharp harper who had thankfully lived elsewhere until just recently, but enough. Marsayis didn't seem to want anyone's company at all. (The girl simply didn't trust people that withdrawn. They gave her the willies.) It was good he was not another of her protectors - did she even have more than one? - and certainly that he wasn't her prince.

The girl's face fell when Kostya admitted that he'd never seen her prince, either. She understood how dangerous he would be to people who insisted on doing bad things, and how he needed to be careful until he was ready to do what he was destined to, but...how much longer would she have to wait for him? It already seemed like she'd been waiting so long. "I-I suppose so," she murmured, the disappointment clear in her voice. A small frown greeted the rest of his explanation. The girl was a naturally trusting creature, but she had been protecting this secret long enough to be more wary of the entire topic, and some of what he was saying seemed...off.

"Why have you never talked to me before now?" the girl questioned. Ah, so not so quick to just accept everything he was saying, was she? "If you felt this feeling, why didn't you try to figure out the truth? Are there other reasons you're here?" Dark eyes settled on his curiously, and, yes, warily. Her chin lifted slightly. "I want to know who told you, if not my prince, and what they told you. I've been stuck here, cut off. You will tell me," she concluded definitively. The words might have seemed more commanding if there hadn't been a tremor behind them. Ximera's initial elation was disapating into a certain disappointment when she realized that Kostya's being here wasn't really about to change anything at all. She should have been grateful, but...he didn't even seem to know much of anything.

How was he supposed to protect her when he didn't know anything? Ximesk whined softly, the plump little blue scrunching more of himself onto her lap. He'd protect His. Don't be upset. His tongue lapped over the girl's jaw. Ximera smiled slightly at him and stroked his back. Yes, of course he would. She'd never doubted Ximesk.

[rii]

Kostya blinked at her, his eyes again falling to the teacup and saucer in silent shame. He smoothed a finger along Mirage's back before he quietly answered her direction question. "It's not allowed. You're not suppose to know. I was.. never suppose to.. reveal myself - or you. I'm.. I'm sorry."

His head tipped further at Ximera's shift of polite questioning to flat out ordering him to answer. A knight addressing his future queen with the uptmost respect to avoid her wrath. He shouldn't even have the pleasure of sitting down and having this conversation with her, and now he had upset her. "You'd probably think me mad if I told you."

Yes, the fifteen year old girl hosting tea parties with a ladle and dreaming of princes coming to save her would think him crazy. Kostya wanted to chuckle at the idea, and part of the reason he kept his eyes downcast was to avoid the faint shine of amusement from being noticed. "I can't," He stood from his seat, stepping back and away in a partial bow, avoiding her gaze. "I'm not suppose to be here, talking about this - it's too dangerous. I have forsaken my duty and now you might be at risk. I must go."

He turned for the door, straightening in stature as he opened it – a stray thought amusing him with the idea of luring her out deep into the jungle. He could, he was more than sure of it. Oh but he had to bide his time on these things, not being able to travel to a new area with new toys made him have to savor the ones he had. If he burned through them, and found himself bored, what then? Such limited options..

"This never happened," He voiced as he stepped into the hallway.