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"Don't worry," he said, reaching out to touch her forearm with what he hoped was reassurance. "It's cute." The word escaped Serr before he had completely thought it through, and the back of his neck grew warm with an embarrassment he couldn't immediately shake. Thankfully the flush didn't reach his cheeks, remaining under his cloak as he moved on.

Serr motioned for her to follow as he started back toward the city proper, checking to make sure his knives were all in place. Doing so gave him a wonderful excuse to seem preoccupied, but he quickly came to the conclusion that he couldn't just remain silent. Eziya had done nothing wrong. He refused to punish her for his own muddled thoughts.

"Fiia's known a lot of Shifters and Winds," he began, looking over at her. "I think Alkidike scare her, but I'm sure she'd talk the ear off a nice one anyway. She tends to be really eager to like anything I do, 'cause I don't like much. Not that I tell her about, anyway. She is great though. I don't know how much rubbed off on me." Realizing that some of what he had just said might come off as hurtful considering what she'd mentioned about her father, he added, "I'm sorry he doesn't want you talking to people who aren't Shifters. Am I going to get you in trouble?"

While her declaration of loyalty kept him smiling easily enough, he couldn't help that the expression turned a little grim. He didn't think of his true parents very often, but when he did it was usually in the form of a flood of questions without answers, a grasping waste of time that made his fists clench until he forced them to stop. Serr loosened his fingers slowly, feeling sharp and antsy as he forced his head to clear, breathing deeply and deliberately until they were gone.

"Am I?" he said, his genuine smile returning as he slowed his agitated pace to accommodate her. "Glad you think so."

He snorted at what she asked next, thinking of ways he might persuade her not to ask Fiia any of those sorts of questions at all. The woman would leap on the opportunity to discuss his past like a kinfa on a corpse.

"I was a boring youngling," he said, directing his grin at the ground. "I hated clothes and bed time and being inside." Truthfully, the things he remembered were a combination of his actual recollections and the tales his aunt had told him. Eziya would probably get better information asking her, Serr just wished she would do it when he wasn't around. "Fiia was very patient. She didn't even have to take me in at all." He paused, sighing slightly. "You probably had a hundred little books in your bag, even back then."

"Trees?"

Serr almost giggled at the thought, turning his unexpected reaction into a soft cough at the last second. He couldn't really imagine her doing a lot of climbing at present, but adventuring... it fit. She had been on more of an adventure these past three years than he had ever experienced. He nodded, still smirking.

"And that's more books than me, even with your little arms."

He wondered if it would be possible to find any odd Oban ruins or mysterious caverns to explore while they were traveling. Beyond picking pockets and outright banditry, Serr didn't often stray from the beaten path. Maybe there were whole other worlds just out of reach that he had missed all this time.

But those were thoughts to ponder some other day. Their surroundings had slowly shifted from rocks and dirt to a smattering of low buildings. As they rounded a familiar corner, Serr knew they were close to his temporary home, his aunt, and all of her potentially embarrassing stories.

"We're here," he announced, gesturing at a produce shop with a tidy path around back. The owner—the fourth child of nobles who held no expectations for her grander than spending their money—hadn't minded a trio of non-Oban tenants, especially ones who paid their rent in baked goods. "Follow me."

Serr wasn't three steps down the path before someone rounded the corner at a run and barreled into him. The boy was a Leaf as well, though he had spiky, uneven hair and a valiant attempt at a mustache. He peered at Eziya over Serr's shoulder, curiosity clear in his eyes.

And so it began. Serr tried to give Thess a meaningful look as the boy stepped out of his shadow and fully into Eziya's line of sight, but he either didn't see or chose to ignore it. Probably the latter. Serr had hoped there would be no wild speculation during this visit, but the look on the kid's face said it had already begun. To be fair, his excitable pseudo-apprentice was always dreaming up stories, even without provocation.

"Uh huh! Did he mention me? I'm Thess!"

"And this is Eziya." Serr hesitated, realizing that was the first time he had ever said her name aloud. "And you're going," he continued with a chuckle. Serr flicked a finger at the delivery bag the boy was holding.

"I am." Thess held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Eziya. Fiia will be too." He grinned cheekily at the other Leaf. "I helped Serr out of trouble when I was a kid. Right before we left Yera, actually. Shouting. Screaming. Blood everywhere. It was great."

"It is! I'll tell you the story someday for sure!" Luckily, while he was exceedingly curious, Thess wasn't particularly malicious. With one last look between them and a jaunty little farewell nod, the boy left Serr and Eziya to their business.

Serr watched him go, muttering a "Sorry," when Thess was out of sight. He turned, poised to add to his apology, but he came up short when Fiia stepped out from behind the shop and stopped, propping her hands on her hips. She was a chubby woman, several inches shorter than Eziya, and she smiled broadly at her charge's speechlessness.

"I didn't think I'd see you until later tonight," Fiia said. She wasn't the most subtle of actresses, but she did try to keep from staring at the Shifter girl outright. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

"Yes, Fiia," Serr replied. For all of the apprehension he had felt leading up to this meeting, he still smiled softly at her interest, gesturing toward the healer like she was a sculpture on display. "Fiia, Eziya. Eziya, Fiia. We met back in Tale." He could recall having mentioned their encounter, though only in the vaguest of terms.

A girl looked at my wound and gave me a ring.

But it seemed he had made so few friends over the years that Serr's aunt could recall them all. "Ah, yes! After this idiot got stabbed he mentioned a mysterious girl. Eziya." Fiia looked wistful, even a little worried, but the reason wasn't clear. Even through her concern, she was smiling. "We should get to know each other better. But not out here. Everu doesn't mind us, but other people around here like to stare."

"You are just the sweetest..." Fiia was beaming as she led them inside, swatting Serr playfully on the arm as she went. "Hear that? You're a great guy." She said it like she couldn't quite believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. "I don't know about those good things though," she said. "But I suppose if Serr told you so..." The woman chuckled.

Once they were all safe inside, Fiia continued. "So, you're a healer? Serr doesn't get hurt a lot at all, but when he does, he makes up for frequency with severity." She frowned a little at this, giving Serr a meaningful look that he either failed to see or chose to ignore. "That stab wound was the worst he's had though. He's stayed out of trouble since then." At this Serr did react, a touch of glee lighting his eyes as he looked at Eziya. Hadn't he been about to steal her things when he'd recognized her today? At least Fiia's tone wasn't that of a clueless guardian. It held the resignation of someone who had tried to mold something for more than a decade, only to have it spring back into an uneven shape no matter how hard it was pressed.

The main room of their home was crowded with supplies ranging from a number of clear containers of a strange, deep brown flour to a bowl of crimson berries to a round, silver device dusted with pale powder. Most of the items were lined up on tidy shelves, but some had spread from the shelves to the counter, and even onto the ledge of the open oven. A wooden door leading out to the main shop was slightly ajar, but Fiia nudged it closed as she passed, gesturing toward an empty crate topped with a cushion. "Please, have a seat! Would you like a cup of water or something to nibble on?"

After retrieving a small mysterious pastry for himself, Serr leaned silently against a wall near the door, his eyes on the Shifter.

"She's very good," Serr added softly. He didn't really know whether or not that was true, but if it wasn't it would be someday. Now, then, it was almost the same thing. "She needs someone to travel with. Sometimes." She could clearly take care of herself. She'd been doing just fine. But she was trusting and he trusted no one. He could protect her from people like him. And she made him smile. Serr glanced at his aunt, surprised to see amusement in her eyes as she looked back.

"Sometimes," Fiia affirmed, smiling as she turned back to the girl.

"I meant..."

The woman tut-tutted her charge, addressing Eziya before Serr could truly respond. "A healing shop sounds wonderful. I inherited my parents' space back in Tale, but they didn't ever use it for baking. They sold a bit of everything though, so we had cakes and toys and clothes, but they were all imported. Then I decided I had to go and cook!" She laughed, mostly at her own youthful exuberance, then took a seat herself. "I was very lucky, and I think you will be too." Without turning, she addressed Serr again. "I suppose 'sometimes' means you'll come visit?"

"Mmmhm."

"All right, then that settles that! You really should try something, Eziya. Serr, what do you think she would like?"

He shrugged. "Everything's good."