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* Dawn is sitting at a corner table of The Way Back with Calis when Andrial returns from a trip to the market. He appears to be teaching her young cousin some sort of trick with a coin; between Calis' expression of fierce concentration and Dawn's of amusement, both appear to be enjoying themselves immensely. * Andrial has several balls of dyed wool in a basket tucked under her arm, as well as a waxed-paper wrapped wedge of cheese. Her face lights up when she catches sight of Dawn and Calis. "Oh! I wasn't..." She stops uncertainly, then continues, "It's good to see you." * Dawn catches the coin as it falls from Calis' fingers, then looks up at Andrial with a quick, warm smile. "I'm sorry I didn't come by sooner, but I had... an emergency, of sorts. I hope you don't think I'd forgotten you." <Andrial> ::shakes her head back and forth hurriedly:: Oh, no no, I completely understand. Jewel said that... ::glances at him:: I'm so very sorry to hear about your recent loss. * Calis - deprived of his coin - picks up his book and slouches back into his chair to read. <Dawn> ::with a very faint sigh:: Thank you. I'm... fortunate in my friends. ::shakes off the melancholy again, and gives her a quick grin:: Jewel has quite sternly commanded me to be *nice* to you. <Andrial> ::gives an exasperated sigh:: Is she still *on* about that? After the things I heard about... ::makes a rough growl in the back of her throat:: <Dawn> ::smirks:: I fear she is cross with me for surprising her. She'll get over it. ::he looks over the room idly:: Quiet evening. Would you like to sit and chat for a while? * Andrial nods and pulls up a chair, sitting near them. She snags her knitting out of her bag and sets it up. "What's on your mind?" * Dawn signals the roving barmaid for a round, then leans back in his chair comfortably. "I understand you've been given the all-clear to return home." <Andrial> ::doesn't look up from her knitting:: Yes. I spoke with the Dragon's commander. They're not going to press charges against me for aid and abetting. <Dawn> ::looks vaguely surprised:: Nice of 'em, that. Though we'd have handled it for you, if they had. <Andrial> ::shrugs one shoulder as she flips her needle over to start back the other way:: Although - and I got the impression that this was more than a casual aside - he told me 'not to discuss the facts of the inquiry' with anyone. <Andrial> ::hotly:: They're trying to pretend it didn't happen... that he wasn't *worth* an apology for, now that he's gone and she's dead. Just sweep it all away, nothing to see here. Move along, citizen. It's wrong and it makes me ill. <Dawn> ::The barmaid arrives with three mugs, and Dawn flips her the coin he'd been holding, then checks them quickly, sorting out Calis' juice and pushing one of the others towards Andrial:: Here you go, beautiful... I'm not too surprised. To them, he's *not* worth an apology. They'd have hung him anyhow, once they emptied him, after all. <Andrial> ::nods, her eyes wide and round and sad:: I know. How... how is he? <Dawn> ::mildly:: According to Jewel, he's... back. I'm sure he'll never be entirely the man he was before, but... he seems to at least be on the right road. <Andrial> ::takes a deep, shuddering breath:: I keep hoping that... ::she wipes at her eyes quickly with the cuff of her sleeve:: Never mind. It is beyond my mending now. ::she takes a few swallows of her beer, wrinkling her nose slightly at it:: Then, you want me to go back to school? <Dawn> ::almost too quiet to hear:: I did say you needed to work on control... ::he winks at her and covers his quick grin with a drink from his mug, then looks at her more seriously:: No one would blame you if you took some time off, after what you've been through. But I thought you'd be relieved to be able to get out of this dump. ::he eyes her quizzically:: <Andrial> ::earnestly:: No, no, I like it here. ::she sighs, then looks mildly grouchy:: Jewel said the same thing. <Dawn> Said which? That you could take some time off, or that you should be relieved to get out? <Andrial> ::looks aside:: That I couldn't control my abilities. <Dawn> ::almost smiles:: I didn't say you couldn't control them. I said you needed to *work* on control. I enjoyed- ::he glances at Calis quickly:: -our time together, and I'm far less skittish than I used to be, but there are places you absolutely should not go by accident. <Andrial> ::nods:: I know... ::glances at him from under her eyelashes:: I just like it better, here. But you're right, I should finish school. ::she says this with the air of someone looking at a long and unpleasant road:: <Dawn> ::touches her chin:: Brave as well as beautiful... I hope you'll visit me often. I'm... not especially welcome on the school grounds. ::he takes another drink:: Calis tells me that you have no plans for him, while you're in school - or at least, he's unaware of anything you've come up with. * Calis looks up from his book at the sound of his name, and looks at his cousin with an air of suppressed excitement and anticipation. <Andrial> ::leans against his hand for a brief moment and Dawn catches a flicker of dismay:: No, I... well, I don't have much money, and I'm on a scholarship and all, but... it's been hard enough trying to keep him hidden away and safe, I really... I've not been a good caretaker for him... <Calis> ::quickly:: No, 'Dria, you're wonderful! <Dawn> ::frowns:: I'm not criticizing, beautiful. I just wanted to be sure I wasn't going to be trying to solve a problem that didn't exist. * Andrial smiles at him. "Well, I know *you* think so. I don't make you go to bed at sunset, or ask you three times if you've washed behind your ears. But honey, I'm neglecting your schooling and..." She sighs. <Andrial> ::softly:: None of this would have happened, if it wasn't for me. You deserve someplace better. Safer. <Calis> ::almost panicking:: 'Dria! That's not-! ::he looks at Dawn, demanding:: Tell her! <Dawn> Mm. ::he wraps both hands around his mug and looks into its depths:: By law, a child can be signed into apprenticeship at the age of seven. Calis is more than old enough. I have... certain contacts - I could arrange for him to 'prentice to nearly any trade in the city, under the usual terms. ::pause:: Or if he meets certain qualifications, I might... take him on, myself. <Andrial> ::visibly takes herself in hand:: I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so... pitiful. My da' used to call me a changeling, for my moods... ::smiles:: What sort of trade? <Dawn> If I take him? ::glances quickly at Calis, then looks back at Andrial:: A jack's toss of things, some honest, some not - but principally... I'm a mage. <Andrial> ::blinks:: You are? I thought... ::she blushes:: Never mind what I thought. You are? <Dawn> ::grins briefly:: Now you've got me curious, what you *thought*... Aye, I am. Don't look the part, do I? <Andrial> ::faintly:: I don't much look like what *I* am either... but honestly, I've no idea what a mage looks like. I've only seen a very few... <Dawn> ::snorts into his beer:: Very diplomatic of you, beautiful. <Andrial> I wasn't *trying* to be... but you don't look anything like Priestess Natovna, and she's the only mage I've seen close up at all... <Dawn> ::nearly spits out his beer, sputtering:: I should think not... ::coughs:: Where the fu- Where did you see *her*? <Andrial> ::blinks:: She's a close friend of the Headmistress, I understand. She comes to the school sometimes... she and Mistress Tyl experiment with various magical-psionic crossovers. <Dawn> Right. ::coughs again, and takes another, very careful, drink:: I think I knew that. Sort of. <Andrial> I've never spoken with her, of course, but she... well, she stands out. ::looks aside:: And you don't, really. Although I'd be inclined to say that's mostly on purpose. <Dawn> ::nods, his poise mostly recovered:: Aye. I work at blending in, and she works at standing out. ::eyes her curiously:: What *did* you think I was? <Andrial> ::colors again:: What my da' would have called "a scoundrel". <Andrial> ::attempts to elaborate a bit:: A... highwayman... <Dawn> A common criminal? A petty thief? I am distraught. ::he smirks and drinks:: Or would be, if I wasn't actually a scoundrel as well as a mage. <Andrial> ::scowls at him:: I haven't noticed anything 'common' or 'petty' about you. <Dawn> ::grins and touches her chin again:: Flattery will get you... far, at any rate. But we were discussing your cousin's disposition, hmm? * Calis is still sitting mute, looking back and forth between them with wide, beseeching eyes. <Andrial> ::glances at Calis:: Do you... think he could be? I mean, how do you... there are tests? <Dawn> ::seriously:: He certainly has the aptitude. ::gestures at Calis' omnipresent book:: And he says he has the desire. As for the rest... there are tests, aye. ::quietly:: Be certain, though. Our 'prenticeships cost a fair bit more to buy out of, if you change your mind, than a carpenter's or a scrivener's, aye? * Andrial finishes her beer and sighs, wrapping her fingers around the empty cup. "How much?" <Dawn> To buy out? Expenses, plus eighty percent... Might be an additional fee, if he knows enough to be dangerous. ::hesitates:: Which he already does. <Andrial> ::looks sharply at the boy:: *Calis*! I thought I asked you to stop showing off? ::looks at Dawn:: We don't... really have much choice, do we? <Calis> ::abashed:: I didn't *mean* to, 'Dria... <Dawn> I'd not have offered the choice if you didn't have it, beautiful. You'd rather sign him on in another trade, that's your decision, and I'll still help you. Something can be arranged, to reduce the risk of what he knows. <Andrial> ::looks exasperated:: I don't even know how he does it... he just... figures things out. Master Bluestar tested him, he's not tain - er, got abilities like me. <Dawn> ::frowns:: You're not tainted, either. And no; he's just *clever*. Knows how to use his eyes and his ears, and how to put puzzle pieces together. ::half-smiles:: <Andrial> ::bites her lip:: Go ahead and test him. Jewel said... if I needed anything, she would help me. Not that she should have to feel obligated, for *that*... but if she does, it's best that she doesn't feel it as a burden. <Dawn> ::raising his eyebrows:: What help are you going to ask her for? ::he fishes in his belt pouch:: <Andrial> Money. If we need it... which it sounds like we will... <Dawn> That was the buy-*out* I quoted you, beautiful. Buy-*in*... Well, that's the fairer side of the coin, as compared to the sunny side of the street. Buy-in, for us, is nothing but an oath. <Andrial> ::takes a deep breath:: What oath? <Dawn> ::very quietly:: Loyalty and obedience to the guild, same again to me, as his teacher. To keep our existence secret, to pay the agreed tithe from any earnings until his apprenticeship's done - which is when I say it is, or he comes up with the buy-out. ::he gives Calis a stern look:: Mage-training takes longer than that of a scoundrel. ::to Andrial:: There's another oath when it's done. * Andrial puts her knitting away and moves to kneel by Calis's chair, to look earnestly into his face. "Is this... what you want, honey? I'm not trying to be mean to Dawn here, who's been so good to us, but... honey, what he does could put you back in jail. Forever. I don't want you to make a bad decision." <Calis> ::nods quickly and dismissively at Dawn's warning, then looks back at Andrial, his eyes wide:: If I could be a mage... 'Dria, there's no way we'd ever be able to afford for me to go to the College... <Andrial> ::sighs:: Probably not, no, honey. Magicians who aren't trained aren't a hazard to everyone around them, like psionics are. I don't think there's the kind of funding for those of us with no family and no money... just be sure, honey. <Calis> ::nods earnestly:: I'm sure! ::he puts his arms around Andrial's neck and hugs her tight:: I'll work hard, 'Dria, I will! You'll be proud of me! <Andrial> ::blinks back sudden tears:: Baby, I already am proud of you... every single day. All right then. ::she ruffles his hair and looks over at Dawn:: I guess we're both going to become 'scoundrels' then. <Dawn> ::solemnly satisfied:: Thank you. Ah, but the test, first... Come here, Calis. ::He positions Calis in front of him, his hands cupped and empty.:: Now, repeat what I say, as exactly as you can. ::He leans forward to speak softly into the boy's ear.:: * Andrial gets back into her chair and leans forward to watch intently. * Calis speaks hesitantly and quietly, his brow furrowed in concentration. As the last word passes his lips, Dawn drops a tiny, downy feather over his cupped hands. It wafts slowly downward - and then pauses, hovering a few inches above Calis' palms. It swirls once around, as if caught in a miniature whirlwind, and then settles. <Dawn> ::leans back in his chair, looking smug:: You'll have to decide whether you're living with your cousin, or with me. Be easier if you lived with me, but I'll make some allowances, since you're so close. <Calis> ::still staring at the feather:: I did that? <Andrial> ::under her breath:: He should go with you... I'm not... technically... supposed to have him in the dorm. <Dawn> Ah? Well, then, that makes things clear enough. ::slants a look at her:: Will you be all right, alone? <Calis> ::elated:: 'Dria, I did it! <Andrial> ::smiles at him:: I see that, honey... very good. ::shrugs:: I'll manage... and I can visit? Or he can visit me? <Dawn> ::smiles, a trifle sadly, and brushes a thumb across her cheek:: Of course. A poor friend I would be, if I stole your kin from you altogether. <Andrial> ::hesitantly:: We're still friends, then? Jewel seemed pretty... bent out of shape. <Dawn> ::snorts:: Jewel is not the center of my universe. I'm not sure if she's cross because I'm not living the romance she wants me to, or because someone other than her touched my mind and I didn't throw a screaming fit about it. Either way, she can just learn to cope. <Andrial> ::hesitates:: Did it bother you? She said... that you had a problem with people like me, but I... didn't know. <Dawn> ::he takes a deep breath and looks at her:: I've had a few run-ins with min- psionics. They did some damage, and it left me... sensitive, maybe? ::he pauses:: With you... yes. It bothered me, a little. Less than I thought it would, though. ::half-smiles:: And I enjoyed it, too. You felt that. * Andrial glances at Calis and blushes furiously. "I just... you were awfully confused and upset. I can tell *what* people feel, but not why... and it seemed rude to ask." <Dawn> Mm. ::he consults his beer again:: I was upset because I'd had a... a fight, with my lover. Thought we were through. If you want the truth... I was expecting you would hurt me, when I kissed you. <Calis> ::finally looks up from his feather to give his cousin a wide-eyed stare:: <Andrial> ::still blushing:: Not. One. Word. Calis. <Calis> ::grins:: Yes'm. <Andrial> ::takes a few deep breaths, then looks at Dawn:: So, are you sure *you* know what you're getting into? <Dawn> ::laughs:: Not remotely. ::he nudges Calis:: Go up and get your things, boy. <Calis> Yessir! ::He jumps up and heads for the stairs, casting a fleeting smirk over his shoulder at the two of them.:: <Andrial> ::shakes her head:: Just remember, you volunteered for this. <Dawn> Aye, I did. ::he catches her chin and kisses her briefly:: I've always liked playing with fire. |
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