“Look here now, I’m standing right here you know!� Aidan objected in a far more forceful tone than he’d used before. No, he didn’t at all like that tone that insinuated he was somehow less than human, and it showed. He might be the most pliant and easy going of the Kaleaster children… but he still was stubborn as hell when he wanted to be. “If you want me to do something, ask me directly.� And there went the chin, tilted up exactly like his sister’s. On the other hand, Nadia just smiled a little smugly, catching the man’s immediate assumption. Of course she was the leader of them. After all, there really wasn’t anyone here who could actually make her do anything if she didn’t…
The illusion flickered briefly and then vanished altogether, and Aidan blinked and rubbed his forehead. “Hey, you didn’t have toâ€"â€?
“Nadia.â€? Tyroshaun spoke quietly from a little off the main group. With his hair so long and pulled back, he looked somewhat older than he actually was, although his sheer size and strength certainly didn’t detract from the impression. And despite his somewhat simple choice of clothingâ€"just a dark blue, sleeveless doublet and loose linen shirt underneathâ€"he was rather clearly the ranking noble, in part from the way Nadia almost blushed. She kept her chin up, thoughâ€"and that was another telling difference. In both the younger siblings, that slight tilt to the chin was an almost conscious gesture of defiance. With Tyroshaun? It was just there, simple, natural arrogant assurance in himself. Or cover for the fact that he wanted to just turn, walk away as fast as possible while looking calm, and lock himself in a library, one or the other. His left hand rested completely casually on his hip, or rather on the hilt of his sword which was somewhat in the way. Despite his uneasiness at the crowd of people he didn’t know, his eyes were steady and his voice quiet and controlled. All in all, a rather impressive picture (and a pretty, for anyone watching closely).
…Or at least he would have been if he hadn’t had three or four books tucked under his right arm and another still open in his hand, his thumb keeping it at his last page. It might have ruined that. Just a little.
“Yes?� Nadia said with a bit of challenge to her voice. Aidan looked rather sulkily at his brother, still rather annoyed that he’d just cut off his magic like that. That really hadn’t been called for.
Tyroshaun ignored his little brother’s pout. “What are you doing?� What are you doing provoking Connlaothans?
She gave him the same innocent look. “We were just telling a story and had just decided the dragon would eat a pretty noble girl instead of a fat old biddy like ‘dan wanted. Weren’t we, Pera?� The little four year old nodded in awe.
“That’s enough dragons for today, then, Nadia,â€? he said evenly as he crossed to stand next to his siblings and look down at them. “Aidan, go find Ceallach, please, and stay with her a moment. Avrilys,â€? and he turned and smiled a little at her. There was almost no trace of her magic, in comparisonâ€"he rather thought she was collateral damage here. “Take these,â€? he handed her his package of books, then checked his page quickly, “and this, and go put them in my saddlebag, all right?â€? He paused for a moment. “And pick up the mail from Berte while you’re at it, and put that with them. Now, please.â€? It was a tone he rarely used with her, but it was the one that didn’t allow much room for argument.
Once they’d trotted offâ€"and he noted they seemed to be going in the same general direction, towards the inn’s stables, as he’d suspected they wouldâ€"he turned and looked Nadia straight in the eye. He didn’t even seem to care he had his back to the group of Connlaothans. She shifted a little, staring back at him defiantly for several minutes before she finally looked away and down slightly. “Go tell Ceallach I’ll be along later, thenâ€"and tell your cousin why she’s going with you.â€? He paused, and then added with exasperation, “And take Pera with youâ€"she was supposed to be home hours ago.â€?
“Yessir,� Nadia said compliantly, and went and picked up her little friend and wandered after Aidan and Avrilys. Tyroshaun sighed, rubbing his forehead briefly. Great. Now I get to deal with Connlaothans. My lucky day.
“Uhm… milord?â€? One of the boysâ€"Berte’s son, he thought a little vaguelyâ€"said rather hesitantly. “Is there… I mean to be saying there’s no reason to…â€?
“No, no. You all run along home, now, as I’m sure your parents will be worriedâ€"I need to talk over a little business with these people.â€? The children knew, from his tone and wording, that meant they weren’t to interrupt or eavesdrop. They started to scatter off and return to their normal business, although with a great deal more excitement than usual.
“Er, there be anything you’re needin’, sir?�
“No, that’s quite all right.� Tyroshaun smiled a little at the boy hovering in front of him. “Just tell your mother I said thank you.� The boy (Tyroshaun could not for the life of him recall his name, though he knew it quite well, but he somehow couldn’t quite find it…) nodded and darted off.
Taking a deep breath, trying to look far more relaxed and nonchalant than he actually felt, Tyroshaun turned back to face the hostile group. “I apologize; Nadia is rather… young, and the others tend to follow her lead.â€? He glanced over them, and mentally dismissed as important most of the guards. They were just extra edges in a fight, not the ones to be dealing with. He also dismissed the little blond girl out of hand, not so much because she was so littleâ€"he knew from the way she held the sword that she knew how to use itâ€"but because, quite frankly, she looked a deer cornered by a wolf. She wouldn’t be a danger. He glanced at the other two, the leading man and womanâ€"and immediately settled on the woman. Even if she and the girl (her daughter, he gathered) hadn’t obviously been nobility where the others were not… she was the only one calm in the entire group. He almost smiled. “Now, is there some way I can help you?â€?