The Stray

2-18: The Dragon in the Room

...But first he needed Walker gone. In his softest voice possible, he breathed "Can I speak with you two in private, please?" V's ear twitched, and so did the captain's.

"Walker, you're dismissed. Thanks for your input." Whew. Ears that could pick up a heartbeat could pick that up.

"Good, good." She slowly made her way out of the room. "I look forward to seeing what you're capable of, Witch of the Deepshadow."

Brr. "And I you, Unlucky Rabbit." And then she left, closing the door behind her with a knowing look. Her departure felt like a grip left his throat. The captain gave him a calculating look, and then cast a spell with a wave of her hand. Pinkish-red light sank into the walls and floor.

"There. Privacy spell. Guessing this is about the brand situation?"

"Got it in one, ma'am." He took a deep breath. "From what I've gathered 'round, the watch knows I'm a witch, but they don't know about the mark. That about right?"

"Yes. I figured it was best to keep that information need-to-know. In case you're wondering, Walker doesn't know either."

That was a relief. However... "What I don't understand is how nobody else seems to have heard, from the mayor or, I dunno, the news? You all described Locke as an unreasonable kinda woman, and she was flaming pissed back at the hospital. Why hasn't she used that information against me, or you?" That was politics, after all. "If she hates you as much as word is, why wouldn't she use your harboring me as a point of attack?"

The captain frowned. "Yeah, I saw that too. We didn't coordinate our effort to keep you out of the news. Smart money is that Locke knows she's volatile. Once she came down off her shitfit, she probably realized she has no proof, and if she's wrong, she'd look like a dumbass."

"It's not like she's gonna get thought bubbled on a hunch." V mused. "She'd have to go to Naran for that, and I bet there's a long waiting list."

"Thought bubbled...?"

"A thought bubbler's a fancy crystal ball thing that, with a trained psi operator, can display and record memories with crystal clarity. Well, as clear as you saw'em, anyway." Captain Ashborne shrugged.

The wolf gaped. "But... psyche is illegal."

"Oppressive, repressive, and offensive psi—fell psi— is illegal. Still, there's a lotta rules involved thanks to the 3rd precept." She shrugged. "Anyway, they're hard to make and maintain, and they're crazy expensive between materials, expertise, licenses, psi certification and inspections, and rules and reg."

"So Locke has no proof, and can't easily get it as long as you keep your bandana on." V grinned. "Most people don't know you can even get a scar from th' Link, since it's so rare, even in the old country, yeah?" She glanced at her mom, who nodded. "She only knows us, and not that well, so she'd expect a brand like ours, not your hack job."

"But she yelled about me being a Lusundrite in the hospital." Timothy protested.

"So what? She saw your head for like, a minute, and from a distance at that. Now that she ain't blind with anger, she can't risk making a false or weird accusation at you, especially when for all she knows it's just a scar you got in the escape, or a fight, or for being too sympathetic to our kind. You're too young to have been a traitor in the war. Who's she to say?"

Timothy hadn't considered that. If someone wanted to keep power, they needed to avoid making that kind of public mistake, lest they be challenged by someone with a cleaner record. Still... "Would she start shouting it around to stir up a mob?" Timothy asked flatly. "It'd be a real easy way to get me run out of town, and she wouldn't need proof."

"Not that easy, considerin' that's illegal and she knows I'd come down on her, hard." Captain Ashborne's eyes were flinty. "Like hell I'm letting a mob form in my town."

"Besides, this town's fulla good people." V said confidently. "They ain't the mobbing type."

"Good people turn, faster than you blink. And they'll keep thinking they're good long after they've put away their bloodsoaked hatchets." The wolf hissed.

There was a long pause. V's casual arm cross slowly dropped in concern. The wolf blew out a low breath. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so cold..."

"I get it." The captain said with a sad kind of smile. "It's your life on the line if I'm wrong, after all." Then she took a deep breath. "Nonetheless, Timothy, I'm going to have to ask you to have a little faith in my stoles, and in the good people of this town. And if you can't do that, I ask that you at least take a little faith in the fact that you are under my protection... and the militia, too. Jacob Tarkas, their commander, is many things, but he runs a tight ship."

Worst case scenarios were where Timothy's mind lived. It was how he'd survived years in the Deepshadow. If the chief here wanted him dead, she'd find a way. It wouldn't even be that hard. So he'd have to build what alliances he could and be ready to make a fast exit if things went sour. And... he nodded slowly. He'd have to have a little faith in the system, and more immediately, in Mandible and his sorcery. I'm no longer a helpless child.

I'm the Witch of the Deepshadow.

"Hey," V dropped a heavy hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see a surprisingly gentle smile on the dragoness's face. "Don't forget, I'm on your side, yeah? And I'm the biggest badass around, so that oughta count for a lot." Captain Ashborne raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"...Yeah. Thanks, V." It did, weirdly, mean a lot. It meant enough, at least, for him to take a slow breath, set his jaw, and put his mask back over his fear. "Right, then. Where should we begin, captain?"