“So, how’d it go?”
The tree inspired coat rack creaks slightly as Cael removes his heavy coat and hangs it up in the witch’s foyer. Gina smiles and fetches him a hand towel so he can brush off the excess snow that accumulated in his hair while her guests answer him, “Good!”
“You found out what ya wanted?” Cael asks, head tilted slightly in curiosity.
Gina chuckles as she playfully ruffles the younger man’s hair with the towel: he laughs in surprise and glee; Jarl watches them with a small smile, remembering himself with Jasey, “Yes… yes we did.”
~
This isn’t entirely true.
Sure, they asked what they wanted to ask.
But the answers they got weren’t what they expected.
And, in may ways, the truth about Red, Jasey’s kidnapping, and the plot were not at all what Jarl wanted.
(Still… he can admit that some of it’s been a relief to hear: the fact that someone in their HOME took Jasey sucks, for lack of better wording; but if Red is as gentle as Gina says he is… Jasey is at least somewhat ok.)
~
“We need to tell Hagen and Sophie,” Jarl declares, grimacing as he even says it.
Gina is cooking something in her kitchen with Cael at her left and Áesta at her right. They’re both chatting with the witch and each other, although about what Jarl does not know. Whatever it is, Áesta seems happy about it and rather full, too; so it must be about something either Gina or Cael truly love: perhaps the sea?
It would be interesting if that were the case because only Cael is guaranteed to love that.
Manus nods, agreeing and also pulling Jarl out of his thoughts, with a slight downturn of the corner of his lip: a grimace of his own. “Yes, we should… But we shouldn’t do it here. Cael clearly doesn’t know about magic, despite knowing a witch so well, and seeing us call Shantown with the Lay Tablet might be bad for him.” Then, somewhat wryly, the magician chuckles, “Too much to take in, you know?”
Jarl nods before realizing what, exactly, Manus is saying; he frowns, “Is that…”
He thinks back to when he first found out about it—Manus’ magic—and realized it was REAL: not just a joke or a faery tale (or, rather, that LIFE was a faery tale and all those stories are true, too). It was… bindblowing.
And frightening.
The mage in question stares at him somewhat blankly for a second before laughing dryly and nodding, “It’s… Yea, it’s very normal; most people really don’t know how to handle that information and go mad with it.
“Hence hysteria being called curses and people preferring genocide to getting along with us.”
Jarl gapes in silence at the nonchalance in Manus’ explanation, heart heavy with guilt.
(He wonders if that gets lonely. Having to hide such a big part of yourself for peace.)
(Perhaps that’s why he and Áesta are so close? Why their deal worked so well?)
(They both… really just wanted to be themselves… and LIKED for it.)
(… Jarl makes a silent promise to do just that. For both of them.)
~
Gina’s choice for lunch is a surprisingly unsurprising dinner dish: Colcannon.
The
fluffy mash up of various potatoes and spices is a staple of Shantown too and
hits Jarl’s belly like home. It’s one of the few dishes his
father was good at making and often made for celebrations like birthdays and
anniversaries. Because of this, he and Jasey made one a few years ago to
celebrate what would have been their parent’s 25th anniversary—their
silver celebration. It had been… a lot of fun… but not quite the same.
“Ready to head back then?” Cael asks, referring, of course, to Bailenac’ringy.
Jarl pauses as he pulls himself back into the conversation in front of him rather than the one in the past. “Actually…” Manus swallows his mouthful of Russets, Reds, and Rosamundas (to name a few of the potatoes) and rosemary before continuing, “We thought we’d keep heading north from here.”
“O?”
Jarl wants to echo that question as he wasn’t aware of this decision. But, as Áesta nods along with Manus, the priest realizes it might be for the best. They’d already said their goodbyes to Maria, Mariti, and even Gwendolyn (mostly in Áesta’s case) so heading back would be a moot point—however nice.
It’d also waste time—even if it’s only ten minutes.
“Yea,” Jarl answers, nodding as well; “We’re taking the regional road.” He points north from where they are, sat around Gina’s table, towards the road in question. It’s just a few hundred meters from the witch’s where and not at all suspicious if one isn’t aware of their true method of transport. “Thanks, though.”
“Ah… shame I can’t boat ya there.”
The group laughs, “It really is.”
~
“That’s makes sense, though.”
The group raises their brows at Cael when he says this, confused and curious. “How?”
Realizing not even Gina can follow his train of thought—it’s in his head, after all—the man hastens to explain: “The kidnapper and your brother! They also went north instead o’ headin’ back ta Bailenac’ringy.”
(Of course… they’re using the Axis Mundi, too…)
Jarl, Manus, Áesta, and Gina all share a look.
(I think… I need to ask Oak about Red…)
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