“Looks like a storm is brewing oso. Think it’ll get bumpy oso?” Peachy quipped as he hovered with his face pressed against the window to Delziel's right.

Delziel couldn’t even find the energy to slide a look at the berrykin. Hours on this huffelant had made his butt numb and his head hurt. He’d not even stopped by his dorm to get any supplies, so he had nothing to do on this trip except listen to Peachy’s incessant chatter. Mostly, the berrykin had talked about office gossip. Apparently, Raspberry was dating Walnut, and Lemongrass was upset because she had a crush. Delziel wouldn’t have cared, except that apparently the situation was getting out of hand and affecting the morale of the rest of the team. He mentally noted to separate the trio into new divisions when he got back. Or send a note to Marcia. She handled assignments usually.

“Though it seems like it matches your mood perfectly oso.” Peachy turned toward him, folding his arms. “Can’t you lighten up just a little oso? Riding with you is torture oso!”

Slowly giving Peachy a side eye, Delziel let his silence tell the berrykin everything he needed to know about the consequences of continuing to pester.

“Oh! Ahh!” Peachy grasped his heart and spun head over heels toward the other side of the gondola. “I’ve been mortally wounded oso! I will need a hot bath to warm from the chilliest of gazes that the General has bestowed upon me oso!”

It didn’t take more than two seconds for Peachy to be back, leaning on Delziel’s shoulder again. “You know… the best medicine for a broken heart is good food oso. Now I’m not one to brag, but I do make a phenomenal pasta oso.”

Shoving the berrykin away, Delziel sighed. Why was it that everyone seemed to know his business? "We'll land before the storm hits," he said, changing the subject.

"Not interested in my pasta oso? You don't know what you're missing, but alright, suit yourself oso." Peachy chuckled and settled onto the bench to actually sit, lacing his fingers together to rest over his battlearms. “Seriously, though oso. You didn’t even crack a smile at Wingella’s baby announcement oso. Do you not care oso?”

“I care,” Delziel admitted. “I’m happy for her.”

“Then try to look it when you see her next oso?” Peachy looked up at him. “She was really upset you didn’t congratulate her oso.”

“I didn’t know.” Delziel stared at the window across from him. “You’re the only one who tells me these kinds of things.”

Peachy snorted. “Because you don’t react oso! They’re afraid to talk to you oso.”

He wanted to ask what kind of reaction they were expecting from him. He knew he had poor social skills because of how his mother had raised him, but Celestia… she’d helped with that some, guiding him in what was appropriate. Since her death, though, he’d just not had the energy to try.

“You’re going to have to start trying again oso. You can’t just die with her oso. It’s too late for that oso.”

His fingers curled into fists on his thighs. Peachy was too observant. Maybe I should reassign him elsewhere, too.

Except he knew he wouldn’t do that. Peachy had been their berrykin assistant during the fight to take down Queen Alvon. Peachy was as much a friend as Eloi, Cammie, and Marcia were.

And Celestia. She’d loved Peachy.

Wiping his face with a hand, Delziel tipped his head back to look at the ceiling.

If he was being honest, it was because he couldn’t let go of anything related to Celestia. He wasn’t ready to deal with people or his feelings about her death. He was too full of regrets for the things he had and hadn’t said to her. None of it had been what he really needed to say.

“I love you” being the chief phrase missing from every conversation. But she’d always been… unreachable.

She was perfect but immature. She always knew what everyone else needed to hear, but was incredibly unaware of herself. She frustrated him with how talented she was. Everything she tried, she excelled at. She could flawlessly play any instrument without training. She could use any weapon she picked up. She could dance, sing, and juggle. Anything she felt like doing, she could do immediately. She may have been perfect, but it wasn’t her fault that he wasn’t perfect, and he’d had no right to say the things he’d said to her before she stormed off.

And really, that was why he couldn’t move on. The last things he’d said to her had been hateful. Eloi and Peachy hadn’t been there to hear it.

They hadn’t seen that single perfect tear slide down her face before she whipped away and started jogging up the mountain to get away from him.

Thankfully, a distraction came when the heliffant bumped as it docked in the gondola cradle. Delziel got to his feet and went to the door that would let him out onto the platform. This wasn’t their final destination for the day. They still had a two-hour carriage ride to get to the outpost. This was just the Six-slope capital. It wasn’t much, but it had gotten quite a lot of money recently from the discovery of the mithril mines. Eloi’s hometown was near here, but that place had already been burned to the ground. As the town’s only survivors, he and Cammie had been awarded the whole area, but neither of them had much experience in being landowners. Delziel had picked some trustworthy people to develop the mines.

Their hands-off approach to governing meant that Delziel had closer ties to the people in charge of their land. If he’d been less of a friend or even slightly tempted by power or money, this would have been a problem. But Delziel did his best to make sure nothing went missing. Ultimately, he was the one who put these people in charge, and ultimately, their behavior reflected on him. This wasn’t his first trip to this city over the last decade, and it wouldn’t be his last.

“General Alvon,” Governor Ritzel greeted breathlessly. He used a handkerchief to pat sweat from his forehead. He wasn’t particularly out of shape, but it was clear he’d been behind a desk for a few years now. “Thank you for coming to address this personally. I know the situation will be handled post haste with you here.” He smiled broadly.

He wasn’t kissing up. Delziel knew the man from the army when Queen Alvon had been attempting to conquer the beastkin lands to the east. Ritzel genuinely admired Delziel, though he was entirely unaware of how uncomfortable that made Delziel. “Of course,” Delziel said diplomatically. “This area is important to the development of the country as a whole.”

“Good afternoon, Gov Ritzel oso!” Peachy said cheerily as he joined them. “Long time, no see oso! How’s the wife oso?”

“She’s doing well. We had our third just last year. It’s been wild in the house. But it’s getting a bit chilly standing here. I’ve had my wife ready the guest room for you. You as well, Peachy, if you’re inclined?”

Delziel frowned slightly. He’d wanted to avoid social pleasantries, but unfortunately, it was rather late in the day and the storm was about to break. He reluctantly nodded.

They headed down the stairs while Ritzel told them about inconsequential things like teething troubles and jealous older siblings. It was only once they were in the gant-drawn carriage that he sobered, looking from Delziel to Peachy.

“The disappearances are escalating. The berrykin village finally asked for assistance in finding six missing foragers.”

Peachy’s pompoms flicked up with a crackle of static between them. “Do you know who is missing oso?”

“I’ll give you the list when we get to my office,” Ritzel assured. “But two of your cousins are on the list.”