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Jay nodded as he listened to Amira's words, blinking when she said that the only reason Eriko was sleeping in front of him was because she trusted him. "I would've done the same thing if I had a sibling and we were sitting in the shop," he said quietly, meaning every word. "How long has she been protecting you like that?" He smiled at the thought of the guards in the shop being afraid of Eriko, and he could understand why. "I can imagine why they were afraid of her, especially if she was protecting you," he said. "She's definitely not someone I want to get on the wrong side of."

Jay looked over at Amira as the girl spoke, saying that Eriko had protected her sister every time they were sold to a shop since the twins were ten. He smiled at the image of Eriko biting the guards to make them leave Amira alone. He sensed that the dark-haired girl hadn't always been this way, but rather was forced to become the way she was now. He nodded when Amira said she didn't want him on Eriko's bad side, either, then spoke. "I hope ye won't think I'm being rude or anything, but how old are the two of ye?" he asked.

Jay looked back at the clouds. He sensed that Amira was thinking of a time when she and Eriko were younger, and he didn't want to bother her by speaking. He looked at her again when she spoke, raising his eyebrows in surprise when she answered his question. They were only 14? That was awful young to be in the slave trade. This only made him all the more glad that he and Kit had purchased the twins and gotten them away from the shop. "Ye're five years younger'n me," he commented. "At least here, ye'll have a chance to learn to trust again."

Jay blinked, somewhat surprised when Amira told him how long she and Eriko had been slaves. "Ye don't seem like ye've been slaves all yer lives, but who am I to judge?" he said. He shook his head at her words about their masters becoming worse as they got older. "It could just be because ye're females, too," he said. "Most o' the time, it's easier to break a female slave than it is a male, because the males are more likely to fight back. Although, in yer case, Eriko is definitely an exception to that rule." He smiled when he saw that Eriko had awoken. "Did ye have a good nap, Eriko?" he asked with a smile.

Jay shook his head as Amira spoke. "Ye won't be expected to work here," he said. "Most o' the time, Kit and I will usually only work on whatever catches our interest, mine being the garden. I've been meaning to get it ready for planting for a couple of weeks now, but never actually gotten around to doing it until today. And I can promise ye both, neither Kit nor myself are cruel. Neither of ye will be treated as anything less than equals." He smiled when Eriko nodded at his question. "Ye looked so peaceful lyin' there, we didn't have the heart to wake ye, Eriko," he told her.

Jay smiled a bit when Amira nodded at his words. He sensed that the twins weren't used to being treated as equals, and he knew it would take them some time to adjust to it. "Ye'll get used to it sooner or later," he said, giving them a smile. He hoped it would be sooner, rather than later, but he decided he would do everything he could to help them settle in. He noticed Eriko laying her head on Amira's shoulder, and he knew the sisters were closer than he'd first thought. It seemed they did everything together, even if one of them didn't like what they were doing. "Is there anything that ye both like to do?" he asked.

Jay smiled when Eriko said she and Amira liked to relax together, nodding when Amira spoke. "I'll promise ye right now that neither Kit nor myself will ever try to separate the two of ye," he said. He gave an understanding nod when Amira said she would be worried for Eriko if her sister wasn't there with them. "I can't really say that I understand how ye feel, since I don't have any siblings, but I would be worried, too, if I did," he said. He turned his attention back to the clouds, falling silent for several minutes before speaking again. "So what would ye two like to do now?" he asked.

Jay nodded at Eriko's words, knowing she was right. "There were times I wished I had siblings, but I'm happy even though I don't," he said. "Besides, even though I don't any birth or adopted siblings, I consider my friends my family." He thought about telling the girls they were included in this, but kept quiet, not knowing how they would react. When Amira asked what was available to do, he thought for a moment before looking at them again. "Well, we could always go to the lake and go fishing or pick some of those berries I told ye about," he said. "Or we could go swimming, as well."