Valusia XVII
The good feeling that Lily was floating on disappeared when she exited the kitchen and found her first customer of the day was the woman that was living with her Uncle Galin. The cook was behind her, "Get a move along Lily the customers don't wait on themselves."
"Yeah... um okay." Lily said walking out and to the table. "What can I get you?" Lily asked really hoping this woman would eat and go away and leave her alone. After yesterday she didn't want to even think about her family or anything, especially since Kar had worked so hard to make her feel more like herself and not so panicky.
"Hello Lily, Just bring me the fish special for now okay dear? I wanted to check up on you... make sure you were alright you seemed upset when you left yesterday." Sarah said smiling gently at Lily. She hoped the girl would talk to her maybe open up a little, if nothing else getting her to not be so scared or nervous about Sarah being around would also be nice.
Lily nodded her head. "Sorry I'm working right now... I'll put your meal in and bring you... um tea alright?" Lily said before turning and leaving quickly to go and put in Sarah's order. Lily only had one other table however so it gave her time to grab a few bites of food. she did take out the tea to Sarah however and hurried to the back once again.
Rosi was roaming about her section and being her usual bright happy self and in passing gave Lily a peck on the cheek, "Gold piece for your thoughts dearest." The kitchen was bustling already also as the cook was working very hard and Fillipe was unloading a delivery of food from the local market, but they had time to greet Lily with a smile.
"That woman is back... the one who's with my uncle... She's here and says she wants to talk! She won't leave me alone but she's not doing anything... she's just being nice! She's here for lunch and she just wants to be my friend she says!" Lily says quickly. "But she's with my uncle so surely that means she's evil too because there's no way she could really be nice and so could my uncle because my uncle is evil and cannot be trusted by any member of the family and yet he was kind of nice to me yesterday and she was there and nothing did happen and I'm really confused and don't know what to do and she just keeps showing up!" Lily sort of just exploded with words at the question.
Rosi looked confused, but got the general meaning of what Lily was saying and she glanced back at the new comer and then to the guard that entered with her. "We could have Da'Karis remove them if you feel threatened Lily otherwise I could switch and take her table if you like." The other woman wanted to be helpful as possible to her friend but was unsure the best way to go about it. If her uncle was dangerous as she said then Da'Karis might be needed to get the point across that Lily was to be left alone.
"No! I... I ned to be able to handle things on my own but I just don't know what to do Rosi, she says she wants to be my friend and she wants me to continue to talk to my uncle but that's not going to happen! My uncle is bad news and I have to show that I can handle things from my own troubles or else it won't be good for me but I don't want to drag all of you guys in either and I just don't know how I'm supposed to handle this situation at all! She said she wants to talk but I certainly don't want to talk to her! Should I just treat her like any other customer and then leave her completely alone once she has paid the tab? Should I treat her rudely, should I kick her out myself I just don't know what to do! I'm certainly not going to talk to her! Not after yesterday." Lily said once again all of her thoughts pouring right out of her mouth in usual high speed fashion. Though that didn't seem to happen around Da'Karis anymore at all. If anything she seemed much more at peace around the shadowy killer. But this woman from the rich part of town with her own body guard was what scared Lily.
Rosi looked sympathetic to her friend's plight, "Why not just explain to her you want nothing to do with your uncle and that extends to being friends with her. Perhaps she does not understand how dangerous he can be and needs warned." The guard looked nothing special, Da'Karis had thrown out many men like him over the years. However the woman was different, she would have to be a situation that Lily alone could handle.
Lily nodded it all made sense to her. So she took the food back out to Sarah and sat down for a moment to talk to the other woman face to face. "Listen, I don't know what's really going on with my Uncle and I'm sure that you don't mean to be Malicious or anything but... I'm not in trouble, and I'm not going to be unless you continue to interfere with my life. I don't need protection, I don't need my family. I'm fine as I am right now! So if you would be nice enough to leave me alone and stop bothering and make my uncle leave me alone, then that would be great! I don't need any friends and I certainly don't need my family's kind of help. I like who I am and where I am so after your meal... Don't come back." Lily stated slowly and carefully so this woman understood her. Because she wasn't certain the woman would otherwise. Lily really was happy with things as they were right now. She did miss her family but she had written Conner a letter and spoken to her mother, she would write more letters later and that was enough. She was out on her own and she found she was very capable of surviving.
Sarah looked down at her lap then back up at Lily. "You are young... you don't understand what it's like to be on your own. Your Uncle is just worried about you. He wants to make certain you are safe. You are still young so-" Sarah was cut short when Lily stood up clearly aggravated.
"No! You don't understand! I am fine! I have things under control! I don't NEED any help from my family. ANY of it! I am safe and I can keep myself that way! You tell my uncle I want him to leave me alone, and he can have this back too!" Lily said slamming the Pin onto the table and walking into the back kitchen behind the bar. She had told the woman her mind and now she was done. She would take action if she needed to but she would stand her ground.
Sarah sighed sadly and took the pin. She ate her meal paid for it and left. She needed to tell Galin what had happened.
Rosi caught Lily just on the other side of the door, "Is everything all right Lily? Do you need me to send Filip to get Da'Karis?" The other woman had left shortly after Lily's harsh words to her. Hopefully never to be seen in the tavern again, but something told Rosi that trouble was bound to come knocking again soon.
"No I'm fine and we shouldn't have to worry about her anymore!" Lily said with a smile on her face. She was excited that she got the woman to leave her alone all on her own. She had also seemed to listen to her so Lily was feeling pretty good at the moment.
It was after Sarah had been gone a little while that Lily realized without the pin and her uncle she would be unable to contact her mother again. It was still a shock to find that Alehial Ravenwood was willingly communicating with Galen in any fashion. Her thoughts continued to whirl about the rest of the time she worked until Rosi tapped her on the shoulder, "Our time of servitude is over dearest. I would suspect you are going to tell Da'Karis of your adventures here today?" The assassin had been absent from the tavern today, in truth Lily had not seen him at all since he was gone when she awoke in their bed.
"If he returns tonight yes. I think he should know. I'm going to practice some I think tonight." Lily said a little distracted in her thinking. She was thinking about why her mother would consort even to that degree with Galin, and whether or not Conner had gotten her letter yet, whether or not Kar was home yet. She knew he had mission that sometimes lasted days, she hoped she could be of more help to him in the future. Not just being a serving girl, but helping on actual missions.
It was late and Lily was asleep when Da'Karis returned trying as he might not to wake Lily, but in his condition he made too much noise. When Lily looked she saw a good section of his leather armor looked as if a red dragon had breathed upon it. Already Da'Karis was removing the ruined armor and dropping it on the floor beside the table where a healing potion sat opened. The mission had not went according to plan.
Lily said nothing as she woke and saw him. She then stood and grabbed the healing supplies she started to keep near her bedside. Walking over to him she spoke softly. "Let me help you clean up and get out of all of that." She offered though she didn't touch him until he had responded to her. For the time being she seemed to be playing healer for him. She did wonder what he was trying to do that got him so utterly damaged, she was tired from all her practice and her working shift but getting him clean and healed was more of a priority to her. If he was up to it she would tell him about today. It seemed more and more she was thoughtful rather then talkative. Though she still had her moments.
Da'Karis nodded and tossed the last of the ruined armor with the other parts, "I was caught off guard by a new weapon and its owner. However, both seemed unable to continue a 'fair fight' after the first shot." It did not take Lily long to help him get cleaned up while she worked he talked to her, "Enough about my exploits, how did your day and training go?" Lately he had set up little training things for Lily to do while he was handling contracts, he had been pleased with her progress.
"I... told off the woman who works for my Uncle. She came in and tried to convince me about how young and unprotected I am. I told her in no uncertain terms that I am fine where I am and have no desire to have any help from any of my family. I have everything I need here. With you." Lily said softly as she finished up the cleaning process and began to spread the healing salve over his wounds. "As for the training, I completed it as you've specified, I think I'm starting to get the hang of some of the stuff you are teaching me... slowly." She smiled softly looking up into Kar's eyes with her own. Lily spoke softly as she worked not all at once nor did she once become out of breath. But she was sort of concentrating on his wounds. He healed so quickly sometimes that she wasn't sure how helpful she really was in bandaging him up. She was a little lonely without him actually being there but she understood and worked hard here on her end.
He held her wrist in his hand and smiled at her, "I'm glad you honor me with praise for protecting you. But, do not be so fast to release your family for they are always willing to be there for you. And you have come along well in you training, that being said we are both tired and I think we should get back to bed." Da'Karis did not bother much with putting anything else on beT
"If there is anything we cannot handle... I will call for my family's aid. But until that time I would rather I try and figure things out on my own." Lily said softly, she was very tired after all she had been putting in the extra work of her dancing, as well as practicing the elven style Alehial had taught her. Her thin layer of fat was beginning to harden into just muscle. She relaxed in his embrace and snuggled under the covers.
Da'Karis kissed her deeply as his hand settled on her hip, "Then I suppose on that day we will see what your parents think about me being in tow behind their daughter." He held her but was prepared in the case that anything should happen while they slept, preparedness is what his master had called it.
Lily giggled sleepily at the thought of her family finding her with an assassin of high repute. her last thought before falling asleep as that maybe he would be in there in the morning when she woke because of his injuries. Closing her eyes she was asleep within only a breaths time. Comfortable and relaxed with him in his bed in his room in the strange and exotic Valusia, this adventure hadn't turned out so bad and she was very happy it wasn't finished yet.
Valusia XIX
Stumble!