Drone

23 The Birds Feathers.

"Just go over," Lill prompted Niklas.

"No," he said, nearly petrified.

"Courage, man. She did invite you."

Niklas stiffened. Half a month ago, he would have delighted to throw himself into a firefight for valor and glory. But visiting Esther two apartments down proved to be a battle he wasn't prepared for.

"I should send you with Rasmus, though. As a chaperone and such." Lill smirked at Niklas with an amused twinkle in her eye. "Not that you would even know enough to need one."

"Huh?"

"Rasmus!" she hollered. Moments later, the boy came in looking annoyed at the chores he anticipated she would assign him.

"What?"

"Go with Niklas to Esther's."

His face shifted to a grin at the unusual request. It would probably be much better than chores, and maybe he thought Niklas might finally make good on his promise to teach him how to fight.

"Now you have no excuse," Lill said. "I'm sending you with reinforcements. Rasmus will protect you from her if she tries to bite!"

Lill and Rasmus laughed at the joke, but Niklas didn't understand it.

"Well, go now!"

Niklas felt faint. He tried to blame it on his recently returned headache but knew he wasn't honest with himself.

"Well, I'm off to see Esther!" Rasmus declared as he headed for the door. "Either you come with me, or you stay."

"Wait!" Niklas said as he ran after the child, but not before he noticed Lill fail to conceal a discrete wink to her son.

"Well, let's go then!" Rasmus huffed as he marched out to Esther's apartment. Rasmus pounded on their door not too gently.

In only moments, it was pulled open by a startled-looking John.

"The honorable Mr. Loga has come to call upon Lady Esther of your establishment!" Rasmus almost bellowed, taking whatever role he was playing very seriously.

"And you're the chaperone, eh?" John asked, taken aback by the child's enthusiasm. "A bit young, don't you think?"

"I'm not too young to work a team of horses. What do you want? A degree from an Eduvor university?"

John held up his hands defensively at the boy's emphatic mouth. "Easy now. Can you enforce decency here?"

"I assure you, on behalf of the honorable Mr. Loga, no such enforcement will be necessary!" He practically shouted.

"Right." John doubted. "The pit boy–"

"Will be honorable and respectable with your sister. There is no man in all Soutfel she'd be safer with!"

Niklas watched the exchange blank-faced and entirely confused.

"John!" Esther said as she came to the door. "You're going to let him in, right?"

John scratched his head. "It seems you came with an oddly competent spokesman and particularly ambitious chaperone. I guess you can come in if the boy stays with you."

Niklas nodded in gratitude, but feeling on a roll, Rasmus saw fit to do all of Niklas' talking for him.

"Mr. Loga extends his most sincere gratitude, Herd Master!"

John shook his head and swore. "You're a handful, kid!"

Rasmus beamed like an idiot, and John pushed past them as he threw his jacket over his shoulders.