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Jayce turns up some interesting information.
Kiri leaves him in charge of everything and takes Aleko with her. She's closer with Aleko, but Jayce has initiative that Aleko doesn't and is less averse to the idea of running Ardelay business in her absence. Aleko can also draw; he has sketches of the missing prince and can make more.
They cross Soche-Tas, in their own carriage but as part of a merchant convoy that knows the way.
On the far side of Soche-Tas is the little country of Thiyec. Thiyec usually has improbably good weather. People who are less wedded to the culture of Welce than most talk about retiring there.
Thiyec has been getting plenty of rain.
They break off from the convoy and start showing the missing prince's picture to people. People in Thiyec consider nudity no more a remarkable fashion decision than hat-wearing, and it's not a terribly comfortable trip - it doesn't help that only about forty percent of Thiyec's population speaks any Soechin, Kiri's the only one who ever learned Soechin, and nobody in their party knows a lick of Thiyecine.
But eventually, there is a knock on a particular door.
calescent
calescent
"The king is an injuriously abusive parent, the queens are completely passive," Kiri says. "I've known since I met Loel, which is why he and Isten and recently just Isten visit us so often."
free-flowing
"I asked if he wanted to come with me. He said no. Because if we both left, the king would just have more children and then they'd be getting it."
liakoura
"So instead you just took off alone and left Isten there alone with Kiri looking out for him but she can't be there all the time and can't even read the king and you were gone."
free-flowing
"He told me I could," Loel reiterates. "I could've stayed, if he'd asked me to, but I don't know how long I would've lasted."
free-flowing
"For one thing, Father liked to tell me that he had a spare son in case the first one needed replacing," he says, not quite steadily. "He was strict with both of us, his definition of strict, but I'm the one he hated on top of that. He's not stupid, I'm sure he knew it'd be a bad idea to beat me to death, but there were times he came pretty damn close."
He stops laying out the proto-bed and sits down on the floor next to it and presses his hands to his face.
He stops laying out the proto-bed and sits down on the floor next to it and presses his hands to his face.
calescent
Kiri pats her twin on the shoulder.
And says to Loel, "Since the last time you saw me - a couple of times there have been situations where I've been more concerned about not using my less passive mind powers than about using them, on people who came to me for help - and I haven't broken anything yet. If there's anything you want done."
And says to Loel, "Since the last time you saw me - a couple of times there have been situations where I've been more concerned about not using my less passive mind powers than about using them, on people who came to me for help - and I haven't broken anything yet. If there's anything you want done."
free-flowing
He shakes his head. "I'll be fine," he says, although this message is somewhat undermined by the roughness of his voice. "I'd rather handle myself than - be handled."
free-flowing
After a few more seconds, he takes his hands away from his face and goes back to making Aleko's bed.
free-flowing
Loel sleeps in the kitchen, on a much thinner pile of blankets.
A while past midnight, as planned, he wakes up. Hoping that two closed doors and the width of a room between him and Aleko will stifle the sound enough, he puts on his shoes.
A while past midnight, as planned, he wakes up. Hoping that two closed doors and the width of a room between him and Aleko will stifle the sound enough, he puts on his shoes.
free-flowing
Shoes on - he doesn't need more clothes than the loose shorts he was sleeping in - Loel opens the kitchen door. It's light enough that with even this small amount of wind, he has to fight with the door a little to prevent it from escaping him and slamming itself either open or shut.
liakoura
All his caution will not change the fact that Aleko's already awake.
He gets up, steps into his shoes, and follows.
He gets up, steps into his shoes, and follows.
free-flowing
He will find Loel walking along the path through the back garden, in no particular hurry but not dawdling either.
And when he hears Aleko behind him, he stops and looks back.
And when he hears Aleko behind him, he stops and looks back.
liakoura
"Where're you going in the middle of the night half-naked in the rain?" inquires Aleko from the kitchen door.
free-flowing
He sighs and comes back a little closer to the house.
"Do you really want to know? You probably won't like it."
"Do you really want to know? You probably won't like it."
free-flowing
"I'm going to go see if I can breathe water," he says. "Could be it'll turn out I can't."