can't get any worse [Rhiiii]

[Tally]

Kassian stared down at the stub of candle and just barely suppressed a sigh.  He didn't have anything to light it with.  Usually he'd have a sparkstone or some flint or something to start a fire, but he'd had to leave everything behind when he fled.

Alright then.  He was doing this in the dark.

"Piercings generally do hurt," he said.  Maybe it was the pain, maybe it was the constant high-pitched mewing of the kittens, maybe it was the wet hair trailing down his back.  Probably it was all of those things.  But for whatever reason it took a conscious effort not to snap at the kid to just hurry up and stop flapping his tongue before Kas decided to cut it out.  It was a relief when he finally left.

Kas doubled his belt and slipped it between his teeth.  Hesitation would just make it more difficult, so he gripped just behind his knee with one hand, just above his ankle with the other, and yanked hard.  This time he didn't try to hold back; the sound that came out of him startled the kittens into silence and they scattered from him.  He didn't stop.  Panting, clenching his teeth into the leather belt, his hands explored the break, twisting, pushing, shifting where they needed to.  A cold sweat broke out all over him and his whole world contracted until there was nothing but the agony blazing across his nerves.  He could feel the bones grind together.

When it was done, he dropped the belt from his mouth and leaned his head back against the wall behind him and closed his eyes.  He kept them closed for as long as he needed to to regain his senses.  The rain continued outside, lighter now, but still steady.  The kittens were absolutely quiet.  When he at last opened his eyes again, Vahni was there, and he couldn't have said when the kid had come back.  It could have been when he was setting his leg, it could have been after.  He just didn't know.

"Cloth," he rasped out.  "Something to tie it with."  With the bone set, the hard part was over and weariness was weighing down on him already.  "If you don't have anything, tear strips off my coat."  He took up the planks, ran his hands over them in the dark and found them sturdy and straight and yes, wet, but they would do.  He placed three of them against his leg, grimacing, and held them there.  One on either side and one along his shin.  "You'll have to tie them in place.  Four strips, wrap them around twice, tie them tight."

[Rhindeer]

Vahni had barely finished the words "anythin' else" before Kassi let out a sound that just about scared him clean out of his skin. At the least, if the "ceiling" were any lower he would have hit his head with how much he jumped, and it was lucky he'd set the planks down first or he might have thrown them. The kittens scattered, one clambering into his lap and poking him through his breeches with her tiny claws, and Vahni stared, wide-eyed at Kassi as he...as he...

Oh hell no.

So that would explain the sick cracking sound he'd heard beneath that yell. That would also explain why the guy had his belt in his mouth. Made more sense than that he was hungry and it was close enough to cow.

The blood drained from Vahni's face as he realized all too late what Kassian was doing to his leg, and his stomach lurched queasily. Yet even as his stomach tried to tie itself into a knot, all he could do was watch, transfixed and utterly grossed out and wondering how the heck the guy could do that without passing out, tough scarred guy with weird nipple piercings or not! Heck, he felt like he was about to pass out just watching, and by the time Kassi had finished and leaned back against the wall, Vahni felt breathless.

...Then again, he had kind of been holding his breath, too stunned to remember to breathe.

For one rare moment, Vahni was stunned into complete silence along with the kittens. At least until Kassi finally spoke. Vahni had to work moisture back into his mouth before he could manage a proper response, realizing at that moment that his mouth had kind of been hanging open. "Uhh...r-right. Cloth. Uhm..."

He gave himself a shake and glanced around the small room. Cloth, cloth, cloth...what did he have the he could use? Well, there were his own wet clothes, blankets, but there was no way he'd rip those up! Unless he had to, which he might, but--he looked back to Kassian as he continued, then relaxed a little. His coat, huh? He could live with that! With a stiff nod, for he was still all stunned, he slid forward on his bottom enough to be able to grab Kassian's coat, then pulled out a small knife from his boot so he could cut the strips, and just about burst into nervous laughter.

...He'd completely forgotten he'd had that during his little confrontation with Kassian on the roof. Then again, it was a work knife, not a weapon, and he'd had Kassian's sword besides! Not that he could have actually used it, since he had a feeling that if he'd whipped it out he would have just sent himself flying off the roof. Still. Huh. He felt a little foolish. Oh well! Strips! Right!

He quickly worked to cut and rip four strips, as instructed, from the coat, then set the knife aside and shuffled closer to Kassian. "Erm, tell me if there're too tight 'n' stuff..." he mumbled as he began to wrap them around his leg one at a time, tying each one off tightly and trying not to think about broken bones and cut off circulation and stuff like that. Hopefully he wasn't huting him too bad...

When he was done, he sat back on his knees and glanced up at Kassian apologetically. "Tha' okay? Tight 'nuff, too tight? Er...really sorry 'bout tha', by th' way..."

If possible, he felt even more guilty about this whole thing now that he'd been forced to tend to the injury he'd helped create and seen just how bad it really was. Kinda was humbling to see the tough guy that looked like he could string you up with your own guts all beat and suffering--even if, you know, that had been the same guy that had been chasing you with a dagger. Even if, you know, you were the reason they were chasing you, heh.

[Tally]

Even injured and wearyâ€"or perhaps especially because of thatâ€"the whisper of metal being drawn  brought all his senses to alert.  He didn't watch the knife; that was an amateur mistake.  He watched Vahni, the way his muscled flexed, the shifting of his eyes.  It was out of habit more than conscious suspicion that kept Kassian coiled, snake-like, until the knife was out of Vahni's hands, and even then a part of his attention remained on it.

That did it for his only coat.  His lips pursed in what was dangerously close to a sulk.  Times like these made a man wish for the luxury of self-pity, but he told himself it could be worse.  It could be winter, for instance.  If it was rainy and humid at least the weather was seasonable.

He gritted his teeth and sucked in his breath when Vahni began tying the strips around his leg, trying not to make a fuss about it lest the kid lose his nerve and tie them too loose for fear of hurting him.  The water-heavy braid slipped and slid down his back and fell to dangle over the ground.  One brave kitten found the temptation too great and inched over one hesitant pawstep at a time to bat at the swinging end.  Kassian's first punch-drunk impulse to huddling in a thief's hovel with his leg broken and a kitten wrestling with the tip of his braid was to laugh hysterically, but he caught himself.  None of that.  He sat up straight and endured the rest without a sound.

When it was done, he tested the strips.  Gray-faced, he leaned over and made his eyes wide in the darkness, but still it was more a process of feel than sight, working from the top strip to the bottom, adjusting and tugging and slipping his fingers between the fabric and the wood to gauge the tightness.  "That's good.  You did well."

He sat back against the wall again.  The kittens had come out of their fear of him now he'd stopped with the dreadful noises and they were all back to being themselves.  The one that had played with his braid before was now fumbling around the back of the crate, hunting for its lost toy.  "All right," Kassian said.  "Where am I sleeping?"  One corner of his mouth quirked up, though Vahni might not have been able to see it in the darkness.  "And am I going to have to sleep with sword in hand to keep you from taking it or are we past that for now?"

[Rhindeer]

That was a relief. If he'd had to do that over again, he probably would have fainted, though at least the kittens' antics had brought some light to the situation. Like the one that went for Kassi's braid. If he hadn't been so focused on not hurting the guy and getting it over with, he would have laughed. Kittens. So oblivious and carefree, and the fact that Kassi was enduring it was enough to earn him points in Vahni's not-very-up-to-date book. That braid did make a great toy...

He sagged in relief when it was over and pushed his wet hair out of his face. "Th-thanks..." he said, and took a moment to collect himself while Kassian checked over his work. A kitten crawled into his lap, and he scratched her behind the ears absently. Then Kassian spoke, and he looked up and hunched his shoulders.

Oi. Still about the sword...jeez...

"No..." Vahni muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. He missed Kassi's smirk in the darkness and so he also missed the humor, and the remark just ended up making him feel sheepish again. "Shouldn't do tha' anyway, silly. Sleep with a sword. Ya'd poke yerself an' I ain't no healer if ya go all bleedy." He paused. "An' I don' want th' kittens gettin' hurt on it, so ya keep it put away, 'kay?" Honestly, thinking he'd try and steal his sword again after he'd gone through all this trouble to get him all safe and sound and snug as a bug in his own home! Vahni mumbled to himself as he stripped off his drenched shirt, goosebumps raising on his skin. And thinking he'd steal from a gimp, too! Hmph. He wouldn't do that.

...Er, well, not unless what they had was really, really good and they couldn't track him down and beat him when they got better. Kassi probably could, and he shivered to remember how he'd looked stalking him with a dagger.

It could give him nightmares. Nope. He'd learned his lesson, didn't wanna ever cross him.

He tossed his wet shirt up near the entrance and out of the way, nudged a kitten off a moth-eaten blanket so he could pick it up, then tossed it to Kassian. "Um, th' whole room's basically th' bed," he said. "So yer sleepin' sittin' up there, or yer sleepin' down here. Yer pick! Sorry, don't got no cots or nothin', lost all those at th' last place. Just got blankets. Now if ya'd excuse me..." He bundled himself up in a blanket of his own and shifted beneath it, kicking off his breeches there so he didn't flash anyone. Like the kittens. Innocent eyes and all. The equally soaked breeches were tossed over with his shirt, and he cuddled into the blanket, feeling infinitely better now that he wasn't all drenched and worrying about things going pruney.

Ahem.

That taken care of, he flopped over onto his side, still bundled up, and propped himself up on an elbow, watching Kassian with a mixture of curiosity and caution. He was tired all right, but he didn't think he'd be able to sleep until Kassi passed out, first. Just one of those paranoid habits. You picked up a lot of those on the streets.

"Oh yeah, fair warnin'. Try an' sleep far away from me, 'kay? Like way over on th' other end." He cleared his throat and rolled his eyes. "Apparently I steal covers an' like ta cuddle. So fair warnin', like I said." At least Kassian had his 'don't beat people up indoors' thing going on, quite unlike many of his own friends. It was always a bit alarming to get woken up by an sharp jab in the ribs because you'd somehow ended up snuggling up to your buddy. Not his fault. He was just attracted to warmth!

[Tally]

Really he was barely listening to Vahni at all.  He caught the blanket automatically and started shifting and sliding down to the ground, pausing only once to shoot Vahni a look.  Cuddles.  Fantastic.  Considering the farthest distance away he could get and still stretch out his to his full height placed him a cozy two feet from Vahni, he'd just have to resign himself.  He didn't anticipate much sleep that night, not with his leg throbbing and the edgy wariness in him at having to sleep in the presence of a stranger.  The sword came with him to the ground, laid out beneath his left hand.

He had no more words left and didn't bother trying for any.  Before Vahni had even finished speaking, Kassian settled in and slung an arm over his eyes.  He didn't try for sleep, for that would be a long time coming.  The rain was quieting and he could hear Vahni's breathing, and the sound kept him wakeful though he wished it wouldn't.  In the darkness he meditated, even prayed a little—which was merely another form of meditation to him—but mostly he just let his thoughts wander until, finally, he fell into a fitful sleep.

Hours later, after having woken and dozed off again a half dozen times, he swam up into consciousness once last time.  The first thing he noticed was that, save for the thick hair at the base of his neck, he was blessedly dry.  So was the interior of Vahni's home and the weather outside.  Cracking both eyes open, Kassian was greeted by bright yellow sunlight slanting through the planks of wood, and all the water they'd tracked in the night before had dried up.  It was pleasantly cool, a beautiful day.

And he felt like shit.

Oh gods of heaven and earth his leg hurt.  He didn't ever want to move.  Or even wake up.  He wanted to just close his eyes and drift back into oblivion.  But he was by nature an early riser, and once fully awake he would stay awake.  Blinking the sleepiness from his eyes, he took stock of his situation:

One makeshift splint.
A coat, now unwearable.
One sword, plus scabbard.
A dagger.
One pair of pants.
A broken leg.
Five kittens, three of which had arranged themselves in strategically warm places on his body.
And one thief, cuddled up at his side.

Kassian heaved out a sigh.

The motion disturbed one of the kittens, he thought the same grey one that had made a toy of his braid the night before.  It uncurled itself from his groin and stumbled up his abdomen to his chest where it mewed at him.

Kassian stared at it.  Supposedly looking an animal in the eyes was a sign of aggression.  Perhaps it would be intimidated and go away.  He willed it so, narrowing his eyes, but it only stretched forward to sniff at his nose.  It mewed again, and rather than let it wake all the others, Kassian gave in.  First he glanced warily to the side.  Good, Vahni was still asleep.  He was not about to get caught doing this.   Since one arm was trapped beneath the thief, he raised the other to scratch at the kitten's head.  She—it seemed like a she, though he really had no idea—crouched and leaned into his fingers, closing her eyes, and soon a pleasant purring began to rumble in her little throat.

What was it about a cat's purr that coaxed out contentment so, even when one had a broken leg and no conceivable comfort to look forward to in the immediate future.  Kassian even smiled a little.  He'd never admit it, especially not after last night, but he rather liked cats.  They were graceful animals, dignified.

Not so much when they were using his braid as something to chew on, but in general.

[Rhindeer]

Vahni gave the sword a grim look, took note of its position under Kassi's hand, and silently willed himself to stay on his side that night. Kassi already seemed like the overly-cautious sort so it would bite to end up stabbed in his sleep because he tossed and turned a lot.

But since the sword-guy seemed done talking there was nothing left to do but sleep, and even though he closed his eyes, one kitten curled against his chest and under his chin, it was a long while before he felt comfortable enough to drift off. Mostly he listened to Kassian's breathing, trying to judge whether or not he was asleep yet, and when he couldn't tell and gave up on that he started to try and plan out the next day. It was gonna be tough now he had five kittens and Kassi to take care of. The kittens were young yet and didn't eat much, but they were growing so they would, and Kassian was a strong buff guy with a broken leg that would need all the nourishment he could get to heal. Vahni? Eh, he was used to skipping meals, he could manage.

Then Kassi'd probably need clothes if that's all he had, 'cause he'd sorta demolished his jacket and there was no way he could fit into his clothes.

Wait, maybe he was just planning too far ahead, anyway. Guy probably had family or connections here and he'd just been the shelter from the storm. Made sense.

Eventually, thinking made him sleepy and thoughts trailed off into dreams. When he woke up it was because a beam of light had decided to seep through the gaps in the planks to land right over his eyes, warm, bright, and impossible to ignore. Vahni grumbled something unintelligible and cuddled closer to the warm body next to him, still too asleep to wonder about that, and somewhere through the grogginess he heard a kitten's mew. Aw...they were prob'ly hungry. He should get up and fetch breakfast. Normally it wasn't such a chore; he was the early to bed, early to rise sort, early bird catches the good deals and sleep-deprived, gullible people and all that, but last night he'd been up later than usual and it had been kinda...stressful.

He felt like he could sleep another hour, but he shouldn't.

Vahni forced his eyes open and blinked a few times, the light blasting into his eyes making him have to squint. He tilted his head up a little so the light crossed over his nose instead of his eyes, vision clearing, and the first thing he saw was...

...A kitten. Perched on Kassi's chest. While Kassi scratched her behind the ears and was he smiling? He hadn't thought him capable of it--not that he'd had anything to smile about; Vahni sure wouldn't be after snapping his leg, eck. Still.

D'aaaw...

Vahni didn't say anything, just stayed stock still, eyelids lowered so he could pretend to be asleep still, not even caring that he was all curled against the guy with an arm draped across him. Ohmigosh. That was so adorable...

And he knew right then and there that he could trust Kassi (not that it wasn't already obvious, Kassi hadn't murdered him in his sleep or belted him for the cuddling). Still, he'd passed the Kitten Test with flying colors. They always said animals were a good judge of character, that they could tell if someone was good or not, so this was just extra proof! So cute.

After a few moments of watching, though, Vahni couldn't take it anymore.

"Aww...she really likes ya," he said suddenly, grinning up at Kassian before he added earnestly, "She don't like many people, neither, so tha's special. Oh hey! Y'know, I'm gonna hafta find homes fer them, I can't keep 'em all. Ya want one?"

[Tally]

Before the second word had even left Vahni's mouth, Kassian was already sitting up and dumping the kitten on the ground next to him, his smile gone.  The other two were disturbed from their sleep with much fussing and kneading at his clothing with their forepaws.  

Damnit.  He hadn't intended Vahni to see that.  It was embarrassing, getting caught fawning over some cutesy little animal.  It wouldn't happen again.

"No," he snapped.  "What use would I have for a cat?"  The gray kitten  propped herself up with her forepaws on his good leg and mewed at him again but he ignored her.  "I travel a lot," he added.  "Never in one place more than a couple of days.  It wouldn't be practical."  He did keep a home in Ketra, as his paths crossed the city often, but he tended to be gone for weeks or even months at a time.  Rather, he had kept a home in Ketra.  That was over now.

Kassian tilted his head to peer through one of the larger gaps between the planks at the alley beyond.  Not many folk out in this area.  If the gods were with him, no one had seen him enter Vahni's home last night.  It seemed unlikely given the darkness and the rain, but that didn't mean he would relax.  That was not something he could afford to do.  The moment you convinced yourself they weren't there was the moment their knives found your back.  They were the reason he'd been out there last night without his horse and without any coin for an inn in the first place, they were the reason he wouldn't dare leave this hut until his leg was healed, and they were the reason he'd have to think up some excuse to give Vahni about why he wouldn't be limping his way to Sanctuary for a healing.

If he had to he'd just lay it out for the kid, but he was hoping Vahni would perhaps know the value of minding one's own business and not ask too many questions.

What he wanted just then were two things: to get that braid out of his hair and get some food in him.  The first was easy enough.  He reached behind him and found the end of the braid, slipping off the bit of twine holding it together and letting the wrist-thick band of hair unravel.  He scratched his aching scalp with both hands and combed his fingers back through his hair, shaking out the braided strands and letting it fall loose around his shoulders.  After giving his head a good shake, he gathered the long hair behind his head in a tail and tied it like that.

At least it had gotten a sort of wash last night.  So had the rest of him for that matter.

His stomach grumbled and he pulled an annoyed face.  "What do you have to eat around here?" he said, throwing back the blanket so he could examine the makeshift splint in the light of day.  Not bad for having worked it out in near total darkness.  Still, it needed adjustments, so he sighed and braced himself and went about it, starting by jerking the planks of wood into better positions.  The strips of cloth would all need tightening and retying as well.  He was hoping that by midday Vahni would be able to get a Sanctuary healer over here and he wouldn't even need the splint, but the likelihood of that was questionable at best so he would set it with the assumption it would have to hold his leg in place for several days at least.

[Rhindeer]

Vahni was laughing when Kassian quickly shaped up and went back into serious mode, though he quickly clamped a hand over his mouth and settled for snickering behind his fingers. Gods, the man acted like he'd just caught him with his pants down or something--or like him acting all grumpy would make Vahni forget how cute that scene had been. Not so! What was done was done, and Vahni wouldn't forget.

He shifted a little where he lay since he'd been dislodged from Kassi when the guy had sat up, and he propped himself up on an elbow and grinned up at him when his laughter had subsided. "Lotsa uses," Vahni said, reaching out and petting the kitten he'd dumped off of him. Poor kitten, she looked like she liked him a lot. "One, they make great friends! Ya can take 'em with ya, an' you'll never get lonely. Two, they keep varmints away. Three, they're good luck! They keep away nasty spirits. I ain't got sick since I got th' kittens," he said with a nod of affirmation, sitting up and picking up the kitten.  

"Plus she likes ya! Lookit tha' face!" he said, holding her up at eye level to Kassi and poking his bottom lip out in a pout. The kitten mewed softly, and Vahni made sad eyes at Kassian. "See? She says she wants ta go home with ya. How can ya say no t' a face like tha'? Ya'd gotta be heartless."

Vahni didn't think he was heartless. Not after he'd let him live and not after the morning cuteness.

He set the kitten back down as Kassi did his hair. And here Vahni'd thought his shoulder length hair was long! It had looked thick in the braid, but out of it, it looked like it'd be a nightmare to deal with. He ran a hand through his own hair, combing out some of the tangles, and then turned a little to grab his breeches off the floor next to him. They were still damp, though not soaked like last night, and he made a face. They'd have to do, and on the plus side they were clean he guessed! Saved him an extra trip.

"Nothin' yet," Vahni said with a shrug and a frown, opening his arms to take in the cramped space. "I did have bread, but it got wrecked last night from th' leak." He frowned, mouth twisting in irritation. It had been a good loaf, too, still warm when he'd swiped it...just the memory of it made his mouth water. Such a waste.

He dragged the breeches under the blanket with him, laid back down, and squirmed, obviously pulling them on and hoping he wasn't putting them on backwards. It wasn't that he was particularly modest or anything; pffft, he'd grown up with a load of 'brothers' and 'sisters', all living together in close quarters where privacy wasn't always an option. He had no problem stripping down to his skin in front of whoever. Not everyone was like that, though, so it was more out of respect for Kassian than anything that he did that.

That, and a bad experience with kittens and claws that he was not going to go into.

"I'm gonna go out now ta fetch breakfast, though, fer us an' th' kittens," he said when he'd finished, sitting up, throwing back the blanket, and lacing up his breeches. He grabbed his shirt and pulled it on after, and next came his boots. Ick. Wet too. He'd set them out to properly dry later. He laced the boots up tight--they were a bit big on him, as they were stolen rather than made for him--and rose up to his knees since actually standing up wasn't possible in the shanty. "Got any requests? Better yet..."

His expression turned shrewd as he looked Kassi over; it was easier to take him in now rather than at night. "Got any coin on ya?" he asked with his most charming grin, tucking some silver hair behind an ear as he did his best to look innocent, head tilted to one side. "'Cause if ya do, I can getcha whatever ya want..."

And something for himself, too, though Kassi didn't have to know that. Who said he was doing this for free, anyway? The guy had to have some money on him, what with his fancy sword and pretty nice clothes--well, before they'd been shredded, and they had felt nice to Vahni. But he was no judge of that. He just knew they felt nicer than his own ill-fitting, worn, patched-up clothes.

[Tally]

Kassian was well aware of the futility of salvaging his dignity, but that didn't stop him from trying.  He leaned back on his hands and contemplated ways of knocking himself unconscious.  It would save him from having to make conversation and he wouldn't be bothered by the constant pain pulsing in his leg.

Just to humor Vahni, he tried to picture himself going about his life with a cat following behind.  The gray one, shadowing him wherever he went, riding behind him upon the back of the saddle or trotting alongside the horse as they traveled the countryside.

No.  He didn't need the extra baggage.  Not even small baggage that would mostly take care of itself.

Vahni's persistence on the matter was trying his patience instead of tempting him, and he met the thief's pout with a level look.  "I don't want a cat.  Anyway, if I take one you'll have an even number."  To own an even number of cats was to invite the mischief of the fey into your home.  "You'd have to get rid of another one and I'm not taking two.  So find something else to do with them."  The end.  No more discussion.

As Vahni pulled his breeches on, Kassian combed his fingers through his hair again, finding the worst of the tangles and working them out so it would be ready to braid again.  His hair was a horrendous bother, but he'd committed himself to it.  It had taken years before he could bear to grow it out again, and more years still before he had wanted too.  The braid was many things.  A reminder, a tribute, the physical incarnation of a yearning he wouldn't allow himself to speak of.  He felt as though he had lived three lives, all very distinct and separate from one another, all neatly severed by circumstance so that there was no overlap, no transition when he was cut from one life and forced into another.  His hair, the braid, it was a remnant of that first life.  His childhood, his history.  The place where this uprooted tree had originally lived and grown.

All of that was gone now, out of reach and for most part out of mind.  The long tail of hair trailing down his back was all that remained of it.

Sighing, Kassian snagged his shirt from where he'd dropped it last night and found it to be in a similar state to most everything else, almost dry but still damp enough to be uncomfortable.  He hung it upon the crate he'd used as a seat last night so that it might dry a little faster.  He shifted a bit, stretching his good leg out then drawing it up, his damp pants monumentally uncomfortable.  With his broken leg and this cramped space, he wasn't going to be able to wiggle out of them anytime soon.

Immobilized, cut off from his home and his contacts, it came down to the very last asset Kassian had.  Coin.  And Vahni wanted it.

It wasn't the sweet look on the thief's face that decided him.  It was experience.  When one had nothing, one had nothing left to lose.  He would rather have nothing than cling to scraps.  Kassian fished around in his pockets for a moment and pulled out a small coin purse.  It gave a forlorn little jingle as he tossed it in the air to Vahni.  "Do what you want with it."  There was very little in there, but it was something.

If it could do Vahni any good at all, that was more than it was doing for Kassian.

[Rhindeer]

The sweet smile melted into a look of shock when Kassian actually tossed him his coin purse, and it would have smacked him on the head if he hadn't snatched it out of the air at the last second, finally coming to his senses enough to react. Still he stared at Kassian, one eyebrow arched in suspicion. He hadn't really expected Kassi to give him anything. It was just like begging on a street corner--you didn't really expect to get anything, but when you did it was a nice surprise.

Generally, though, people didn't give you anything if they knew you'd stolen from them before, and with the lengths Kassian had gone to in order to get back his sword, it seemed kind of strange that he'd surrender his money without a fuss. Instead, he'd basically just given Vahni permission to spend it all on whatever he wanted.

He'd certainly find no arguments in Vahni!

It felt a little too easy, though, this coming from a man that looked about to gut him over a sword. Yet on the other hand, what could he do with the coin? It wasn't like he walk out and buy things on his own. Wasn't doing him much good just sitting around in his pocket.

Vahni shot Kassian one final, suspicious look before he opened the purse and cautiously peered inside. He half expected it to be a trick of some sort, even against his better judgment with Kassian's talk of guest laws, his promise not to hurt him, and that he was dependent upon Vahni right now, but people broke promises all the time and honor didn't mean a thing. But no scary magicks burned him, no venomous insects bit him...nope, Kassi was true to his word. Instead, he saw a few sad coins gathered together at the bottom, and he quickly estimated their cumulative worth before emptying the coins into his hand and tucking those away into a pocket crudely sewn onto the inside of his shirt.

He tossed the purse back to Kassian, patted his chest where the coins were, and flashed the man his brightest grin, all uncertainty gone.

"I plan on it!" he said with a wink, then scrambled out of the shelter and into the sunlight before Kassian could change his mind.

Not that he had to worry about being chased, but it never killed anyone to be cautious.

---

Vahni returned a couple hours later from a trip he'd spent haggling, stealing, scavenging, and honestly buying a few things with the coin Kassi had given him. He slid inside the shelter, pushing a new blanket he'd tied into a knapsack in ahead of him.

"Got us breakfast!" he announced, smiling cheerfully as he crawled in and sat back on his heels. The kittens toddled around him and mewled plaintively, smelling the scraps rolled up in the blanket, and Vahni pet them and shushed them, quietly telling them to be patient so he could untie the makeshift sack. When he'd gently pushed the last kitten out of the way, he untied it and let it fall open, then grinned at Kassian as he showed off his hard won prizes.

There were a few slices of bread, the edges hard and stale but the insides still soft, and some scraps of dried meat for the kittens and for them. He'd managed to snag a small wedge of cheese and he'd bought two fresh apples--the area had been too populated to attempt stealing two, and they'd looked way too good to pass up.

Last but not least was a little bread pastry he'd used he last of the coin to buy.

Vahni eyed the pastry, then Kassian, then began distributing the meat to the kittens. "Tha's mine. But I guess ya can have some, if ya want some..."

[Tally]

Kassian caught the empty coin purse in the air and considered it as Vahni exited.  With the last of his coin gone he felt cleansed, unfettered.  This run of bad luck that had dogged him of late now had nothing left to take from him, save his life, and that was in constant question anyhow.

He was an old hand at starting over with nothing.

Some of the kittens were looking at him as though they expected something.  He looked right back at them.  "What do you all do here all day?"  They cocked their heads, trying to decipher the noises he'd made.  Kassian sighed and tossed the empty coin purse at them, which they batted at and chewed on and fought over for some time.

With little else to do, Kassian settled in to wait and let his mind wander while the kittens played and eventually quieted.  One of them climbed atop his lap and took an interest in a nipple ring, which he put a stop to immediately.  Few people passed by in the alley outside, though the clamor of city life reached him from the main street some distance away.  Kassian busied himself for awhile creating a picture in his mind of where he had been when Vahni stole his sword and how far they had gone afterward, attempting to place the shanty in relation to some part of the city Kassian actually knew.  He tried to judge how far Sanctuary might be and how difficult it would be to make that journey with a broken leg, which then lead naturally to consideration of what existence would be like if his leg didn't heal clean, if he had to spend the rest of his life lame.  As a cripple.  Weak.

The thought made him reevaluate the benefits and risks of limping his way to Sanctuary.

By the time Vahni returned, he'd fallen into a simple meditative trance, breathing deeply and running through mental exercises to manage the discomfort in his leg, but he came out of it as Vahni crawled through the entrance.  The smell of food hit him and he eyed the sack.  He could have put away in one sitting every bit of food Vahni had brought, but limited himself to a couple slices of bread and some of the meat.  The apple he would save for later.

"Thank you," he said, and made a negative gesture at the halfhearted offer of the pastry.  It was the food that decided him.  He could not go to Sanctuary, but they would have to do something.  To feed him would have taken much effort and cost the thief—and the kittens—food they could have eaten themselves.  And every time Vahni attempted to steal extra food for him would be another risk he took, one more chance to get caught and have his hands cut off.  Kassian wouldn't put the thief through that if there were any help for it.

"You live rough," he observed, tossing one of the apples from hand to hand.  He had gotten a better impression of just how rough in the light of day.  Last night most of the shanty had been in obscuring darkness.  "How long have you managed here?"

To live on the edges of the civilized afforded one little stability.  You always had to be ready to move where pickings were easier.  Kassian had lived rough himself once, but that had been many years ago and was so far removed from where he was today that it felt more like the memories of another, a life Kassian had heard of secondhand.

[Rhindeer]

Relieved that he wouldn't have to share his pastry, Vahni was quick to wrap it back up in the blanket and set it aside, so the kittens wouldn't get at it. He would savor it later--like when Kassi was asleep or something. Sure he wasn't keen on sharing but that didn't mean he wanted to eat it in front of him, either, just like he didn't like eating in front of a starving dog or some pitiful urchin. There was wanting to hog it all for yourself--and rightfully so when it was you against everyone else!--and then there was being cruel, and Vahni didn't think he was the latter. His old lady taught him well.

Besides, don't eat in front of the urchin and you don't have to worry about them and their friends snatching your food from you. Hmph.

He hand-fed the kittens first to make sure they each got enough and didn't steal from each other. Once they were taken care of, he sat back on his knees and dug into the rest of the food. He didn't eat much, just a bit of bread and some meat and cheese, before he focused on the apple. The other stuff he also put away with the pasty for later, once he was sure Kassian was finished. Despite his surprise over Kassi's mentioning guest laws, he did have some notion of them, perhaps subconsciously. That was why he offered him some of the pastry, if grudgingly, and that was why he didn't ration out a portion of the meal to him. Instead, he let him eat what he wanted, even though the pickings were slim.

He didn't even think about it. It was simply one of those unspoken things.

About the only times Vahni was quiet was when he was sleeping or eating, but that soon came to an end when Kassi spoke up. Vahni tilted his head and blinked owlishly up at him, then smiled. He'd thanked him and now he was actually making conversation? Not that Vahni had really expected the guy to be nice or anything after, er, what went down, but...still. He was helping him. After breaking his leg. But still helping!

Vahni actually had to think on that question for a few seconds, since time was pretty irrelevant to him, and he scrunched up his face in thought and counted back on the sunrises and sunsets. The days blurred together sometimes.

"Um...'bout a week, I think," he finally said, taking a large bite of apple and chewing it as he spoke. "Come from th' other side o' town. Was nicer there, but I got run out...but s'alright! Wouldn'ta found the kittens if I didn't come here!" he said with a grin, scratching one behind the ears. He stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned back on his free hand, taking another bite, and then peered up at Kassian curiously.

"Say...where ya from, anyhow?" he asked, and then sat back up straight when another thought struck, swallowing the bite of apple. "Yer Adelan, right?" He looked like one and he talked like one. "You got friends 'round here or a house or somethin'? 'Cause like, I mean, yer leg..." He frowned at it. "That splint gonna fix it...?"

Even as he asked Kassi if he had any friends or a home around here, the question sounded weird. It seemed like if he did, he would have mentioned it already, because it wasn't like Vahni was holding him hostage here or anything.

[Anonymous]

Pushing a piece of odd coloured hair behind her slightly pointed ear, Watermelon, or Elon as she called herself huffed and grumbled her way back over the streets, looking around for landmarks that she could follow back.. Brat, tall, little, scruffy brat! Rolling up her sleeves, she stomped into her shop, waving at regular she'd asked politely to watch her shop while some little brat was running away with her hard eared profits. Of course the profits were in the form of simple food, but that was still her's!

Sneaky brat. Taking a moment she grabbed a simple sash from the kitchen and tied her hair back in a simple pony tail with the sunflower-patterned piece of cloth. Looking down at her clothing, simple clothing for her, man clothing. Easy to run in, and she could remember where the little bastard lived, too. Grumpily she went upstairs, above her shop, to grab a few unused blankets from a closet she barely went into. Eyeing the blankets for a moment she brought them to her face and gave them a sniff. Well, they smelt old, but not gross.

Going back down the stairs to the kitchen, she opened the cold box and leered inside. Nothing. Elon took the blankets and a backpack, putting them gently inside before going out into the shop, grumbling and silently cursing the entire time, pushing things around, getting ready to close the doors. She scribbled a quick message on a piece of loose leaf paper "Back in half an hour!" which she put on the window on the inside of her shop so people from the outside could read it.

A quick look around the shop, she grabbed a day old half loaf of bread, a good portion of cheese - He looked like a growing boy! He needed the nourishment - and three apples. Three blankets, some food. That was enough for a kid right? Elon gnawed on her lip before frowning at the backpack full of her stuff. She had given chase after he'd stolen from her, followed him to his home even, but stopped short when she saw his "home".

If he had been a brat from the better part of town stealing from the pretty shop keeper she'd have smacked him across the face with a metal spoon. But no such luck, Elon didn't get to smack anyone in the face with a spoon, the kid lived... Eugh, Elon didn't want to think about where the kid lived. Taking the backpack, she left her humble abode and made sure to lock it and it's contents up safe and sound.

A fast walk, jogging pace got her there faster than when she'd came back. How would he react to her offering? Snarl at her? Pfft, yeah right, he'd barely gotten away with anything, he'd still be hungry. Did she bring enough? Swallowing, Elon made her way down the alley, her boots unusually quiet against the ground. There it was, her little thieves home.

It looked... Much smaller close up. She could hear little pathetic mews, and she stared for a moment, was he going to eat the cats? Was he talking to them? Taking a breath, she got on her knees and peeked inside, then stared, looked away for a second and stared again. " You have a grown man with you." While Elon herself was an odd sight, pink hair streaked with chunks of green and black, seeing a young man, an older man, and what seemed like fifty kittens inside of a little make-shift home that looked like it could fall apart at any second blew her odd looks out of the water.

Carefully she looked at the sack she brought along and frowned. The man alone, she'd call him Nipple Rings Man, could probably eat all this.

"Uh... Little Thief," Elon called gently, not really knowing what to call him, " I... Followed you and noticed you lived in... .... Whatever this is..." She'd moved towards the little opening-thing and sat on her heels in front of it, not wanting to get her pants dirty. "Anyway, noticed you lived in this... place... And figuered you needed these more than I did." The sack was obviously full of stuff, so she placed it inside, but kept her hand on it.

"Under one condition, well, three. You have to explain to me how that man fits in there, what happened to his poor leg and why you," Elon cast her pastel green eyes onto 'Little Thief' before offering a smile, "Have five kittens when you can barely feed yourself." She reached out and pat the bag with her other hand, "There's three blankets, half a loaf of bread, three apples and some cheese in here, It's all fine, don't ask me how I fit it in there I must be good at packing stuff in. Anyway!" Another smile and she lift an eyebrow, "Who's talking first, boyos?"

[Tally]

Having already devoured his own portion of the food in a few bites, Kassian sat back and observed as Vahni fed the kittens.  It had the feeling of a morning ritual.  One of the kittens broke off from the group as soon as the food disappeared and followed her nose to the bundled blanket Vahni had put aside—which no doubt smelled enticingly of sugar.  She sniffed at it, pawed at it, even nibbled at the edges of the fabric but couldn't work out where the food might be.  Before she could gnaw a hole into it, Kassian scooped her up and reached over Vahni to deposit her on the other side of the shack, after which she meowed a complaint and headed straight back for the hidden pastry.

"Not long, then.  And not surprising you were forced to move.  I hear Ketra is difficult for thieves.  On all fronts."  The harsh laws concerning thievery and the efficiency with which they were carried out would have to make for constant peril and brutal competition, for those outlaws who managed to survive here would have to be cunning indeed.

Kassian adjusted his position again.  A broken leg would have been damned uncomfortable even lounging on the finest feather pillows.  Here, he could hardly sit still because of it.  "Duhjari," he said.  "Not Adelan."  Though he could pass for one at a glance.  Take a closer look at him though, and one would note the slight upward tilt of his eyes, the slight olive tone to his skin where Adelans had more copper.  And, of course, the board-straight hair, black like ink, which might on occasion be seen in Ketra but which was near universal among the plains people to the south.  His accent was nonexistent, shed purposely when he'd taken up residence in Adela so many years ago.

"I have no safe place left in Ketra to go."  Which brought them at last to the greater difficulty.  "Regardless, I won't burden you long."  Kassian studied his broken leg in its splint.  "It'll heal clean, but it'll take weeks.  I'll figure something out."  Custom dictated he could ask shelter and food of Vahni for three days—a day each to rejuvenate the body, mind, and spirit.  After that, he would have to manage on his own.

"I can't go to Sanctuary.  I'm...not welcome there.  But if you could find a healer willing to come out here—"

A movement of shadow in the light filtering through the boards of Vahni's home alerted him to another presence.  His hand found the hilt of his sword, still at his side, and he poised to draw.  He remained poised as a woman's voice called out to Vahni and didn't release his grip on his sword until she placed the sackful of food in the makeshift doorway.

With a curse muttered under his breath, Kassian waved a hand at Vahni, indicating he should handle the situation.  This woman's arrival had made him aware of the opening at his back, and he went about turning himself around so that he would sit facing the door, which he should have done in the first place had he any sense.

[Rhindeer]

"Yeah..." Vahni murmured, plucking up the determined kitten and holding her in his lap, though she meowed and squirmed in protest. "Times is rough--ow!" The kitten bit his finger and he quickly let go and popped his smarting finger in his mouth, glaring as she hopped down off his lap and toddled back over to the bundle. "You imp! Jeez." He examined his finger with a frown, but she hadn't broken the skin. Still hurt, though. He'd probably get a little blood blister.

He was still checking his finger for signs of injury when Kassi spoke, and Vahni's head snapped up. "Wha? Duhjari?" It took a moment for the word to sink in. It was a familiar word, he could have sworn he heard it somewhere, and as he squinted at Kassi--looked Adelan to him, what was a Duhjari?--it finally registered. Duhjari! Those wild plains people! Rode horses and stuff and pillaged the countryside! Vahni's eyes brightened and he perked up, vaguely hearing what he had to say about the state of his leg but no longer really listening. He was one of those?! Seriously?!

Grinning like a fool and nearly beside himself with excitement--he had a Duhjari in his place!--he opened his mouth to babble something about how ohmygoshexciting that was...and froze, mouth still open.

Wait, he was a Duhjari.

They pillaged the countryside. Killed Adelans.

And it was then that he had a flashback of Kassian on the roof, stalking him with that dagger and looking like he fully intended on using it.

He shut his mouth and stared up at Kassian with sudden wariness, and the sudden realization that he was only here because he was hurt and he had no other choice. What would he do when he could walk again? Vahni had stolen from him. Would he turn him in once he was better? He knew he was a thief, knew his name, where he lived, was eating what he'd stolen...

But before the gut-twisting anxiety could fully take hold, Kassian cut off and went for his sword and Vahni jerked back into a crouch and reflexively went for his dagger--and then a woman's voice rang out.

...Little Thief?

Oh noooo!

Vahni went chalk white and his heart just about stopped when an all too familiar woman appeared at the entrance. For a few seconds he only stared at her in horror. She followed him?! He thought he'd lost her! How did she follow him?! He continued to stare as she pushed a little bundle into his place and said some stuff, and he shot Kassian a helpless look, completely forgetting his suspicions now that he'd been busted. Kassi was no help, though, so he looked back up at the woman, then at the bundle, then back at her, stock still except for his eyes.

She...was giving him stuff?

Right. Answers.

"Uhh..." He licked his lips, released a breath he'd been holding, and wisely took his hand off the dagger at his belt, hidden away under his over-sized shirt. "Uh...well, ma'am, he uh...he broke his leg. Fell. Weren't me. Dunno how he done it." He cleared his throat and shifted his weight. "Dunno how he fits, neither, jus' does. An', uh, found th' kittens here, not gonna leave 'em ta starve, y'know? An'...an'...yer not gonna turn me in, are ya, miss? Please don't! I'm sorry! I...I didn't mean ta do it, but th' kittens, they're hungry, an' I'd give it back if I could but it's been aten already an'...well...wait...yer given me stuff. Yer...not gonna turn me in?"

It clicked a little belatedly that if she was giving him stuff, she probably wasn't going to. But it was a knee-jerk reaction, what could he say.

He eyed the bundle again, then looked back at Kassian. Yep. He was no help at all. "Um...s'not poisoned, is't?" he asked, turning back to Elon, and then slumped a little. "Please don't tell no one I'm here..."

[Anonymous]

Eyebrows drew upward at the pure horror on the boys face. Elon didn't think she was that scary. Quickly a hand went to her face to quickly feel around incase there was some horrible bug she hadn't noticed, but no, there was nothing but what she saw in the mirror that morning. The story made her smile a little and his speech pattern made Elon want to wrap her arms around his head and give him a big hug. An orphan. At least, he looked like an orphan.

Of course, Elon probably wouldn't touch him unless she managed to throw him into a bathtub full of scalding hot water that was half water and half soap. Threw him in and scrubbed him clean, twice.

Still sitting back on her heels, Elon smiled slightly and scratched at the head of a little kitten that wobbled its way towards her to investigate. The woman wanted to help, but what she saw was Stubborn and Even More Stubborn, and this place was making her a little nervous. Taking in a deep breath - which she regretted soon after, this place wasn't the most clean - she looked between the two, eyeing Kassian and picking up the kitten to give it another set of pets before shooing it back into it's home.

"Well, Little Boy, I'm Elon." She smiled and pushed the bag inside. " It's not much but I want you to have it." Being Elon, she was always a little too generous. " If you need something, you can come back to my shop and ask, understood? No one who steals for grown men with broken legs and kittens can possibly be that horrible a person." Elon smiled and stood up, leaning over to stick her head into the small make-shift house-thing.

" You. Man." Like she knew his name, she just knew he looked far too Adelan for his own good. " I don't know how you broke your leg, but the offer goes to you, too. You need help you just come ask for it." She smiled and wandered away, a little faster than she came, Elon wasn't all that interested in being mugged after helping out the poor Cat Boy and the Guy with the Broken Leg.

[Tally]

The most obvious thing that stood out about this woman—Elon—was her hair.  Green and...pink.  Curious.  Unforgettable, especially with that cloth of sunflower print tying her hair back.  Quite colorful, like her personality.  Not many women would venture into this part of the city alone.  She was either quite confident in her own ability to defend herself or quite oblivious to the danger.  Certainly determined, to not only locate Vahni's home but to return to it after having gathered the supplies she now presented, and certainly observant to catch a thief at his work in the first place.  Yet softhearted enough to then offer help to the thief.  An intriguing woman, all said.

"Caught twice in as many days," Kassian muttered to Vahni.  "Having a streak of ill luck?"  Vahni's stammering answers to Elon were enough to get a smile out of Kassian.  He pulled his good leg up to rest an arm upon his knee and watched the two of them.  Almost seemed like Elon had fallen into the same trap he had, swayed by Vahni's odd brand of charm and vulnerability.

The conversation turned to him at one point.  "Kassian," he said.  "Thank you for the offer and for the supplies.  It is most gracious of you."

Though he was thinking that Vahni's question was a valid one.  A smart one.  It wasn't beyond possibility that the food was poisoned.  Indeed, it would be a tidy way to get revenge for her stolen items and just like a woman to resort to trickery of that sort.  But if her generosity was genuine, he would accept it gladly and thank her for it.  The blankets would be a blessing tonight.

As soon as she had moved away from the shack, Kassian leaned his head toward Vahni and said quietly, "Maybe you should let the kittens try it first yes?  Do you plan on accepting her offer?"  What Vahni decided would determine Kassian's course as well.  If he left for the woman's shop, Kassian would risk it and go as well and see what help as could be got.  If not then here he would stay, as he couldn't very well make it through the city without Vahni to lean on.

[Rhindeer]

Now Kassi was making fun of him! Vahni twitched and frowned over at him, and his frown deepened some more when he saw that he was smiling. Why was he smiling?! Vahni didn't think he'd seen him smile once but now he'd been caught he sure was! That wasn't fair. Why did the woman have to confront him here, in front of Kassi? "Coulda got away from you..." he muttered under his breath as he turned to focus again on the woman, Elon.

Little boy...oi, he wasn't little, much less a little boy. Seventeen whole years he'd seen and lived on his own for ages! Pah. If he wasn't so intent on looking tormented and on the verge of fake tears, he would have grumped at her for that one. The annoyance passed, though, when she told him he could have that bag and that he could come by her shop if he needed anything, and he relaxed and let out a low sigh that wasn't at all feigned. So she wasn't going to turn him in. He'd been genuinely fearful of that, and more than ready to bolt and hide out somewhere until the danger passed; Kassian could man the fort until he got back, right?

He nodded silently, acknowledging her words without committing to a thing. "Thank you, ma'am...really 'ppreciate it! Sorry fer takin' yer stuff."

It sounded like the right thing to say.

Once she had turned and moved away, Vahni exhaled loudly and let his head hang in relief. Finally gone, and if she was honest, she wouldn't turn him in. Made sense enough--if she had planned on it, she wouldn't have been the one calling at his door but some soldier or something. Still, the fact that she knew where he, a criminal, lived made him feel suddenly unsafe and exposed. Damn...and he liked this place, too, and just got here days ago! Wouldn't be moving anywhere until Kassian was okay to move, though, but it was still disappointing.

He was snapped from his thoughts when Kassian leaned toward him and spoke, and Vahni jerked upright and whirled on Kassian.

"Are ya mad?" he gasped, staring at the man like he'd just suggested knifing an infant in the eye. He grabbed the kitten closest to him and clutched it possessively to his chest, nuzzling his face against its soft fur while it squirmed and mewled. "Ya didn't just say tha', an' right where they can hear ya! No! They ain't havin' it. If it's poison, I don't want none of 'em tryin' it. We jus' won't eat it. 'Less ya wanna have a go, be real dumb but ya do whatcha want."

He gave a firm nod and set the kitten back down, then snatched up the bag and started rummaging through it. He pulled out the blankets, but left the food inside and tied it shut before he could get too good of a whiff of it. It smelled delicious and made his stomach rumble...but he wasn't going to risk a taste, just in case, and he sure wasn't going to let a kitten try it. The lady seemed nice and all, but he wasn't taking chances.

It was a few more seconds before Vahni remembered Kassian had in fact asked two questions, and it took another second to remember what it was. Shoving the food-filled bag back outside, he turned back to Kassian and rested his hands on his knees. "Um...I dunno..." he said slowly, tilting his head and eying Kassi up and down. If the man wasn't injured and in his home, his answer would have been an immediate 'no'. He didn't trust that woman. She had no reason to want to help him, and he didn't need help anyway. He could take care of himself just fine. But then there was Kassian, who was wounded and could use the help for that leg. If that woman was sincere, she might be able to do something about that.

Or it could be a trap, a back-up plan if the poisoned food didn't off them.

Vahni chewed on his thumbnail as he thought it over, weighing the consequences against the benefits, then finally shrugged. "I...don't think I should," he said, sitting back and stretching out his legs. "But yer leg...uh...if ya wanna go, I'll getcha there. But I ain't goin' in."

[Tally]

"It's not madness to let the cats—ah never mind it."  Kassian shook his head and let the issue drop.  Feeding a bite to the cats first would have been wise, but from the way Vahni clutched that kitten to his chest, there wasn't much point in arguing the matter.  Some battles could not be won.

"Forget I even said it," he added, settling back against the rough wall of the shack with a sigh.  He should have known better than to mention such a thing anyway.  If he got to feeling especially famished maybe he would risk the food himself.  It wasn't that he thought it likely to be poisoned, but it was a possibility.  The odds might make the gamble worth it.

Kassian shifted, wood splinters and what felt like a couple of nails digging into his bare back.  "I don't feel she's a threat.  She could have brought the law down on you easy enough."  Which in Adela meant death or worse for thieves, especially since that young king had taken the throne.

"I hate to make you work twice as hard, and put you in twice the difficulty."  It wasn't about being a bother.  Ownership was different here than elsewhere, even up in Serendipity where folk liked to fancy themselves enlightened.  In Adela, food, shelter, and water belonged to those who needed it.  For three days whatever Vahni could provide belonged to Kassian.  That was the way of things here.  But this was an unusual circumstance.  Most hosts didn't have to face the lawmen's swords to bring food to their guests.

"For now I'd best wait I suppose."  A frown creased his brow.  It was easy to say that now, but where would he be in three days when Vahni's obligation had been met and he still had a broken leg?

Mayhap it was time for honesty.

"I should tell you that I'm being hunted."  He cast Vahni a sidelong glance to gauge his reactions.  "That's the reason I found myself without coin or resource in the worst parts of the city.  And mayhap by my being here you are put in danger as well."  What he said next, he said while looking Vahni level in the eye.  "So I'll leave the choice to you.  Put me out and I won't begrudge you the act.  You have to see to you and yours first after all."

One corner of Kassian's mouth quirked up in a smile and he leaned forward.  "By the way, you wouldn't have gotten away from me.  I would have found you.  Someday, when you thought you were safe from me, I would have found you."  True enough, but it was said in jest.  He was no longer angry about the theft and he now doubted that Vahni would repeat the attempt.

[Rhindeer]

Vahni gave a noncommittal shrug. That was true enough; if she'd wanted to, that lady could have brought armed men with her instead of blankets. Still Vahni remained skeptical. Just because someone wasn't a threat now didn't mean they wouldn't be one later; dynamics were always changing. Like Kassian, for instance. The man started out raring to kill him, now he was his guest, and who knew what would happen once the man had healed up and they met again on the streets somewhere.

It wasn't being pessimistic to think like that; it was just being safe and realistic.

Only time would tell. For now it was just a relief that Kassian didn't seem in a hurry to take up that woman's offer because Vahni couldn't find it in him to trust a woman who had no reason to show him kindness. Now Kassian, he could understand if she wanted to help Kassian. Kassi hadn't done a thing to her as far as he knew. He also knew he shouldn't be relieved that Kassi was going to stay in his home longer because the man was right--it was just one more hassle, one more mouth to feed, and a lot of risking his neck for someone who might have slit his if things had gone differently last night.

But he only waved away Kassian's words. "Ehh, what's another mouth? I'm feedin' so many right now tha' one more ain't gonna make a difference." And alright, he'd admit it--as limited as the conversation was and as strange the circumstances, it was kind of nice to have someone other than cats to talk to.

Even if they were dangerous, as Kassian reminded him right then.

He was being hunted?

That made Vahni perk up with interest, curious more than worried, and he met Kassian's eyes. It sounded bad, but it was what Kassian said before he could ask about the hunting business that made the hair prickle all along the back of his neck.

The words may have been in jest and that smile may have been meant friendly-like, but Vahni's mind hopped right back to the roof top and he went a couple shades paler. For a moment he was graveyard silent, mouth a grim line and eyes wide, but then he broke it with a nervous laugh and pet one of the kittens to make himself feel better. "And, uh, then ya woulda broke yer other leg?" he said lamely, glancing to Kassian's sword. Good thing Kassian hadn't told him that before bed time; he didn't think he would have slept.

Still, he'd made it through the night whole so he supposed he no longer had anything to worry about there.

Vahni was awkwardly quiet after that, but then a thought struck him and he looked back up. Getting off that subject... "Hey, Kassi? Who's huntin' ya, anyhow? Oh! Are th' Duhjari huntin' ya? Are ya a criminal?" He leaned in closer, ignoring the old ache in his belly where he'd been punched, and lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Didja kill someone?" It wouldn't surprise him, seeing as he'd looked ready to carve him up when they first met, but as long as he wasn't planning on gutting him, Vahni didn't care what his history was. And as much as the man made him nervous, he also fascinated him. He seemed a scary-good fighter, he was Duhjari, and he was being hunted.

Scary--but also exciting.