Morthil flattened his ears and hissed at the man, nervously backing away towards the tent flap. 
How did the man figure it out so fast? He had to get out of there.

Theo stared up at him with clear eyes, unclouded by anything save trust and earnestness. "I may not know the depth, no. But I trust you to keep yourself safe, to only do what it is you want and nothing more, and to tell me when I ask too much of you. Again...if this is not what you want, we'll find another way. Don't sacrifice yourself because the son of a baron asked it of you."

He sighed and licked his lips slightly looking away and then back. "What is your perception of him?"

Fletch took a few steps closer, then stopped again. The crease between his brows cut deeper. By the dim light of the fire and the candles, he could have almost seemed sad at what Theo had asked. He took his time, too, in thinking through how best to answer. Even when he had one, he wondered why it felt like such a betrayal.

"It's necessary," he said. "It's smart. I agree with it. I'll do it." He raised his chin a little as if to fight away his guilt. "You know what you're asking, though, right? Playing a player? You know how close I might have to get to be a proper spy?"

"Thank you. I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Have a good evening then," he bade, rising enough to see him out before sinking back into his chair. For several moments he remained silent even as Fletcher awaited his answer. Thoughts milled about in his head before he finally motioned the other man closer. 

"I have a request of you but you can say no. I would like you to use your skills to look into him. I do not doubt that he will serve our purposes. I just wish to be prepared should he be tempted to serve his own first. Unless," he looked up at Fletcher to judge his opinion, "you think it unnecessary and overly cautious of me?"

Ka'lei sucked in a sharp breath. She...hadn't been expecting that. From her--admitedly relatively limited--experience with Valor, she'd come to the conclusion that he was a careless, vapid, but generally well-meaning child of wealth and privilege. She'd met her share of people like that in Essyrn, but always peripherally, and certainly never in any capacity where they might be inspired to free her. 

But she assumed if she had, they all would have wanted something in return. As Valor had said he did. And he'd offered not just to unchain her--literally and figuratively--but to help her find Kai. Any price was worth that. 

And here he was telling her that...she didn't owe him anything. There wasn't a price. That...how did she even...what was she supposed to do with that?!

She took a breath. She could go. She could just leave. 

But...

"I...don't have a trade," she said slowly. "I mean, I think I could find work, but I'm not established, I wouldn't know where to... And I'll never be able to find Kai without your help." Another breath, then she shook herself, wings and all, and refocused her attention so she could meet his eyes and hold them. "No one in Essyrn would believe that I'm anything but your wife. Hells, they probably won't even believe that, but you're an eccentric foreigner, we can make it work." She swallowed. "I...can't go back there alone. And I don't..." She trailed off, then started to smile just a bit. "I don't mind helping you out with your family. We'll just...we'll make sure we know where we stand about it."

She dropped her eyes and scuffed the toe of one foot against the cobblestone. "...Thank you, though. It--it matters. That you want me to have a choice."

Adelaide shook her head, a new wave of tears tightening her throat. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I--I'm so sorry..."

More laughter from her siblings and mother--and it seemed an aunt, who smiled up at the chattering group as they were corralled inside from where she was stirring a sauce over an open fire.

"Well, there's no boring food in this house," she said with a quick wink. "Whether that means it's good is sometimes a matter of debate."

"Oh, don't scare the boy," Kiri's mother tutted, which earned a theatric eyeroll from her daughter. She rather thought Makani might not quite qualify for the boy moniker anymore--although, she thought the same of herself and girl, but her parents, aunts, uncle, and grandmother all seemed to vehemently disagree. 

"It's a pity for you Kiri's not much of a cook either," Akila teased, elbowing Kiri gently before taking the child that she still held to free up her hands. "Sounds like the two of you might be needing a third influence if you ever want a decent meal."

Kiri stared up at the ceiling and mouthed a silent prayer for mercy.

Oh. 

Oh no.

Adri found herself suddenly burning with a protectiveness that under most circumstance she would have thought wasn't entirely warranted, but after the last two days she wasn't about to question. 

It started slowly, when the people browsing the gems started to take notice of them--well, of Idris, not of her--and began whispering behind their hands. It burst into a fierce intensity, however, when the woman behind the counter practically fell over herself in her excitement to assist Idris. And then she kept finding excuses to touch him, and Adri had to bite back a churlish comment about it. 

Not my business, not my business, I'm just here to observe, if Idris minded he would say something... Well. She hoped he would say something. He might feel too awkward or uncomfortable though...

She quirked an eyebrow when the woman waved her over for this "security measure". She approached easily, extending her own wrist. "I'd rather wondered if I'd suddenly turned invisible," she noted, tone joking with just a bit of a sting in the tail. 

Shit. She hadn't actually meant to say that. 

"Yes, you're just precious," Adelaide assured the cat happily, scratching under his chin when he sniffed at her fingers. 

"Adelaide, back away from it," Viserian suddenly snapped. 

She looked at him, startled, but did as he said. He was staring hard at the small animal. 

"That," he noted slowly, with the barest hint of danger in his tone and eyes, "is not a cat."

"This is the Hilt's." It was half a guess--she'd only gotten a brief look at the design of the insignia, but she'd thought she'd recognized it. She didn't back away when the man stood taller, either intentionally or unconsciously trying to intimidate, though she did draw a bit more securely into her hooded cloak. "Main family. And you're not a member--they don't initiate non-humans except as grunts and couriers. So how'd you get it?"