15th night of the Month of Ice, 5:55, Before Moonrise

She knows the earliest she arrives the higher probability of meeting Vyshe Ardashir before he leaves the house. Dora had tried to ask, as innocuously as possible, her brother during supper about when Vyshe Ardashir had his night off, he had looked at her with sudden suspicion before telling her that it would be the next night, and wasn’t that a fortuitous coincidence? 

She had taken her nerval Dhesi even before the moon rose and had reached the cemetery and, subsequently, the Haruspex house just as the moon was breaching the horizon, when not even the farmers and had started to work the fields outside of Neth’s city walls. Just because it was the Haruspex’s night off didn’t mean the man wouldn’t leave the house to do something else, and Dora didn’t want to risk it. 

Dora shivers as she watches the house, the crooked two story house was a bad omen itself, with its poor structural integrity, it looked like the slightest breeze would knock it over, and the red painted wood that the house was made off, that, together with its location, scared Dora more than encountering an ula outside the walls. 

Dhesi is left to pasture in some nearby grass outside the cemetery fence-she was immensely glad the house itself was not directly inside the cemetery, but in between two patches of cemetery that had been fenced off individually-as Dora approaches the house’s wooden steps that creak and croak under her feet noisily, too noisily for such an early hour of the night.

There’s no knocker at the door and Dora is forced to knock with her knuckles, trying to be as loud as possible with such small hands. It doesn’t take long and soon after knocking, Dora hears approaching steps from inside the house. She straightens her spine and dusts off her dress, mentally going over her speech again. 

But it’s not Vyshe Ardashir who opens the door, instead Dora comes face to face with Iset Ardashir, lady of the house Ardashir and older sister of the Haruspex. 

Dora knows they are not technically related, but, for what she remembers of Vyshe Ardashir’s attitude from before he was Haruspex, they are quite similar. 

“What the fuck” states Iset Ardashir, leaning on the frame of the door, eyes still sleepy but also angry, with long curly black hair free from any restraints and with a wide eyed baby leaning over from Iset’s back. The lady of house Ardashir is still wearing her sleeping clothes, with her Khalastry tattoos covering her arms and visible for everyone to see.

“Good night” greets Dora conversationally, trying for a neutral tone “I wished to speak with Vyshe Ardashir”

Lady Ardashir stays quiet for a second, a disbelieving look upon her face.

“Do you even know what time is it?” Asks Lady Ardashir, then, she seems to remember herself “Your highness?”

“I know it’s early” says Dora apologetic “But I didn’t want to miss Vyshe Ardashir, I know he is often busy and his time is a precious and lacking thing”

More silence, this time not in disbelief but in thought. Then, Lady Ardashir shakes her head lightly.

“Whatever, get inside and sit down, I’ll wake up Nima” says Lady Ardashir and turns around, leaving Dora at the door confused “Well, come on in! Sit at the kitchen”

Dora follows the instructions, taking a seat on the kitchen that doubles as a dining room. It’s all a bit of a mess, nothing is dirty, but pots, pans and plates clutter over the counter and some dried fruits hangs from the kitchen window, the table being the only thing free of any objects. The house itself is charmingly small-despite being too lit up for Dora’s sensible eyes- like every object has its place, the walls are simple wood, with peeling wallpaper at the corners closest to the ceiling, like someone had given up, and the creaky wooden floors are covered in warm colored carpets that are covered in intricate designs that remind Dora of the Khalastry tattoos fire Asha users often get, nothing specific, but combining shapes that remind Dora of flora and palaces. She feel welcome in this house, maybe it’s the smallness of it, narrow spaces where the Lunar Palace prefers tall ceilings and spacious rooms made of black stone and polished floors.

“Get up Nima!” Hears Dora, the yells coming from upstairs as Lady Ardashir wakes her brother as violently as Artemy often wakes Dora herself on the days when she sleeps in. 

Lady Ardashir’s yells become suddenly answered with more masculine sounding yells, as, Dora suspects, Vyshe Ardashir wakes. 

Stomps down the stairs give Dora a clue that Lady Ardashir has ended her ‘waking up routine’ and, sure enough, the woman joins her in the kitchen, the baby now in her arms, gurgling in the way babies do. 

“He’ll be here soon. Want some tea? I think I left some Parsena the last time I was here” says Lady Ardashir 

“Yes, thank you Lady Ardashir” says Dora

“No problem, just call me Iset, yeah? Lady Ardashir is too long and this is my home” says La-Iset with a smirk, sitting the baby in a tall chair at the end of the table “This is Zarniqa, my daughter”

The baby babbles, clearly recognizing her name, some spit dropping from her open mouth. She is adorable, sharing the same bronze skin as her mother and with a tuff of dark purple hair that must come from her father.

Iset serves the tea in chipped teacups, the delicious smell drifting towards Dora’s seat even before the woman puts the tray on the table. She has only two cups in the tray and Dora wonders what Vyshe Ardashir uses to break his fast.

She doesn’t have to wonder long, as more stomping sounds wander to her ears, an unmasked Haruspex standing at the open doorway to the kitchen, staring straight at her with bemusement on his face, bronze skin, messy hair and missing his sleeping shirt, showing off his muscular torso and that he shares the same Khalastry tattoos as his sister, both forearms covered to the tips of his fingers in red intricate designs, not even is palms being spared. 

“Hmmm” says Vyshe Ardashir, his strange nomad eyes narrowed at Dora, that cannot help but stir in her chair in discomfort. 

“That’s all you have to say?” Asks Iset with a raised eyebrow “You find the Infans Apollodora Drest in your kitchen and that’s your reaction?”

“I’m still half asleep” croaks Vyshe Ardashir, raising a hand up to scratch at one of his eyes, leading Dora’s eyes to the scar that adorns his face, leaving his lips to almost reach the bottom of his left eye. She can also see that his neck is bruised, yellow mixing with blue and purple around his neck and Dora lowers her eyes in embarrassment. She doesn’t want to know where he got those. 

“Still” says Iset as she leans over the table, picking one of the cups and taking a loud sip of Parsena, making eye contact with her brother over the rim of the cup. 

Vyshe Ardashir groans and takes a seat in front of Dora, making her straighten up and defy the instinctual need to lower her eyes from his face. She needs to appear formal and motivated, showing weakness is a no-no. She is in the home of the Haruspex, him showing his face in private is something to be expected and allowed. She doesn’t need to fear anything. 

“What does her highness need of a lowly nomad such as myself?” Asks Vyshe Ardashir with a defiant look, leaning back on his chair and spreading his legs, showing that he also doesn’t fear her and that he’s comfortable. 

This is no mere conversation, thinks Dora, this is a battle, the hardest one. A battle of the mind. 

And she needs to win.

She frowns in concentration and prepares herself. She trained for this, she repeated the same speech many times in front of her mirror, studying every possible answer and arguments to those.

“The Haruspex of Neth is the best fire Asha user in the whole city, able to defend it if necessary, and I need that expertise. As a fire Asha user I’ve been trained in battle, but my Masters in battle do not reach my expectations and refuse to hurt me, even during a mock fight” says Dora, it’s feels like when she vomits, like she cannot stop what’s coming out of her “I humbly ask of you to train me like you were trained, so that I may be able to protect myself and others if the need arose”

When she finishes, Dora bows her head as far as it can go, almost touching the table, with both hands with their palms up laid on the table. A show of weakness but also of respect. 

“No” 

Dora raises her head in a rush, making her dizzy for a second, mouth already open to dispute his refusal. 

“Why not?” Asks Iset before Dora herself can say it

Vyshe Ardashir looks at his sister, eyes filled with annoyance. 

“I’m busy” he says simply as he drags a hand through his short dark hair.

“With what?” Asks his sister. Dora is extremely glad Iset is doing this in her stead. Such a curt and rude person as Vyshe Ardashir, that acts like he doesn’t care about any arguments she may spout, it needs to rebutted by a person like him.

“Creed shit” he answers, making Dora fidget at the language “Other stuff too”

“The Creed has been bugging you with the Nashe thing” argues Iset “This could be like a training Nashe, not the real thing, but she would help in getting used to one. You need to start to make time for one anyway”

The Haruspex glares at his sister before turning the glare towards Dora, but it’s a more considering stare than a glare. 

She got this.

“I would accommodate to your schedule” Says Dora, filled with hope and voice wavering with excitement “I also learn fast and there would be no reason to hold back in any type of training. I can take it”

He keeps staring at her, but with new eyes this time, almost fond.

“Yeah, I think you do” he says finally “Fine, I’ll train you”

Dora internally cheers and screams in joy, but externally she just bows her head again.  In her peripheral vision, she can see Iset is smiling conspiratorially and as satisfied as a well fed caith. 

“Now get out, I’m expecting a guest soon” says Vyshe Ardashir nodding to the door.

Dora is too excited to even ask to start tonight or even wonder who is the Haruspex expecting in his own home and not the Ogdra. She reaches the door, but Vyshe Ardashir’s voice stops her before she can open the door fully.

“I’m sorry for your loss” he says, eyes blank “Your uncle was a great man”

Dora doesn’t answer and instead just nods and exits the house, almost running to Dhesi that waits expectantly for her in her grass patch.

She is not dumb. Dora can tell when people lie or deceive her, it’s not easy, but she learned eventually after being present at the Night Hall’s court meetings. 

And just now, as he told her his condolences,  Vyshe Ardashir had lied.