The Depth of Perception

Explaining

"It's okay if you're still mad, you know," Oriana reassured her friend. The pair and their new companion Zane were making their way across the city by way of the less-crowded back streets to try to avoid leaving a trail of witnesses.

"I don't like bein' lied ta, but Jon was right—I'm not a good liar. You was just protectin' yerself. Ain't no fault in dat."

Oriana frowned. Somehow, Wrench's forgiveness didn't feel right without her getting a little angry. Her mother had always been the same way, though, so Oriana wasn't even sure why she expected anything else. It was frustrating. But it was also good to see Wrench's usual smile back on her face.

Giving Wrench as much of a hug as she could manage while walking, Oriana picked up her pace for a moment to catch up with Zane. He had gone far enough ahead that the conversation had been relatively private without being asked, which Oriana appreciated. It was his turn to explain himself now, though.

Zane seemed to be expecting her, as he didn't even wait for her to ask before he began.

"My turn, is it? Well. I suppose I should start from the beginning. It's a bit of a lengthy story, though."

"I heard Sirene, the merchant who sold you your ledger, give you the short version of my childhood. The long version isn't particularly important, so I'll leave it at that. Suffice to say, I didn't have much of a life before you came along."

"When you showed me your eyes... Well, I was startled, to say the least. I'd never seen that before. No one had. Sure, some Cynics will wear a glass replacement, but they are a luxury and look nothing like real eyes. They're a fashion statement. Yours is... functional. You are functional. Somehow. It's incredible, really. I've spent years trying to figure it out. The Crown's best minds have too, and they're not closer to understanding than I am. They're afraid. I'm intrigued."

"You know what happened next, of course. I unintentionally set the whole of Owvry Village on you, and later the Crown. When you escaped, I followed you to make sure you got away. I saw you pack up and leave your home and though you would be okay. So I went back to the village."

"There, the guards found me and took me in. They asked me if I knew where you'd gone. I still couldn't lie, but this time I was at least thinking clearly, so I said nothing instead. This was, unfortunately, tantamount to a confession in their eyes. I was to be detained. Happily, I might add, compared to the alternative. I wouldn't have had a life to waste away in jail if not for you, so I'd gladly trade some of it for your freedom."

Oriana didn't particularly like the sound of someone else going to jail for her, but she certainly didn't like the sound of being captured either. She gave Zane an awkward, appreciative smile.

"It's nothing, really. I wasn't there for five minutes before I was sprung from my prison. A group of men... 'infiltrated' the jail and released me. They claimed to have overcome the guards, and that they were trying to save you from the Crown's men and needed to know where you had gone."

"I was of course suspicious. They could be lying. But they had helped me escape, and more importantly they didn't hesitate to sign contracts swearing not to tell anyone where you were if they found you. So I told them the direction I'd seen you go."

"I was able to make a little money now that I had a ledger. Nobody understood before that I would gladly have made an honest living if only I had been able. Not having a ledger is a nearly inescapable situation in a village like Owvry, though. It wasn't immediately well-known amongst the villagers that I'd been detained, so I bought myself some clothes and supplies and then hid. I was necessarily very good at hiding, and it was even easier when I could actually blend in."