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Skye had always been an impulsive person, but the way she’d acted at Toshinori’s was out of character, to say the least. When the shop keeer confronted her, Skye dropped her titles like change into a beggar’s cup. And the way she’d spoken to Lord Yagi had been slightly provocative, to put mildly.

As she wondered what had been going through Skye’s mind, she huffed loudly as she turned her head, and locked eyes with a startled Mei; “Did I spill tea on me self or somethin’? Why are ya starin’ at me?”

“Did...Did Toshinori’s upset you? Your tone wasn’t exactly pleasant.”

Skye turned her body to face Mei properly as she spoke; “He didna so much upset me, as he did annoy me. Ima not a parent, so tis hard fer me opinion ta matter much, but..”

“At what point is yer child their own person, ya ken? Is it when they start choosin’ what they wear and eat? Or it it when they’re deemed ‘responsible enough’ by law? What about when their brain is fully developed? Where is the line?”

Mei tilted her head slightly; “Well, what is it like between you and your father? Does he still treat you like a child?”

With a smile tugging at her lips, Skye replied; “Oh, me Da will see me as a wee bairn when Ima ninety, but he’d never try ta cover fer me like Toshi did fer his forty-year-old.”

Mei’s face scrunched with thought; “I’m sure there are people that would say that your father simply does not love you as much as theirs does. Others might agree. But what I don’t understand is why it matters.”

.....

“If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. But if you teach him to fish, he can eat for the rest of his life.. Me Da told me this when I was a wee lass, then he hired Genie to teach me. I ken how ta manage money, property, how ta navigate, how to forage fer food, how ta hunt..Me Da didna teach me these things himself, but he made sure that I ken’em.”

“If Toshinori keeps coverin’ fer his son, then when he passes one day: he willna ken how ta fish. I dinna think Hsin will cover fer him like their da does. By fishin’ for him, Toshi is essentially leavin’ him alone ta starve.”

Seeing a contemplative expression on Mei’s face, Skye shrugged as she added; “But that’s a non-parent’s perspective. Ima sure me opinion will change once I got a human bairn runnin’ around. They won’t be as sturdy as their big sister.”

Mei quirked an eyebrow; “Big sister?”

Skye smirked; “Ya ken, me first bairn! She’s adorable, sweet, and scaly..”

Mei smiled and chuckled lightly as she realized that Skye was talking about Zazzy. They discussed what it was like to have children for a bit before the carriage arrived at Genie’s. As soon as they went inside, Skye and Mei went off to find where Kari, Ronnie, and most likely Peggy had gone off to.

They found them out in Mei’s courtyard, chasing each other around a picnic blanket. As soon as Skye’s eyes landed on the delicately crafted sweets and tea, her stomach grumbled. Mei laughed at Skye’s never-ending appetite, drawing the attention of her daughter.

Rukia happily screamed for her mother as she ran straight into her arms. The little lass had immediately launched into several stories about what they’d done since everyone had left this morning. As she and Skye listened, Peggy appeared out of nowhere, and served everyone tea.

It was quite nice outside, despite the snow on the ground. The blanket was designed to be laid out on top of snow, so no one experienced a cold rear when they’d finished their snack. The sun had come on on their ride back, and warmed the air as they all happily ate and drank their fill.

It wasn’t until everyone went to go inside that Skye felt eyes on them. It wasn’t the same as when she knew the house guards were watching, this was different; darker. As Skye scanned the area, she glanced at Klaus, and motioned for everyone to get inside.

Without causing any alarm, everyone went in except for Skye and Peggy. They made stacks of the dishes, then Skye had Peggy take them in. She gave her a strange look, but didn’t question it.. ‘Something it clearly wrong.. Ima gonna get some guards..’

As soon as Peggy was inside, Skye called out; “I ken yer here, Ahriman! Come on out before I get the whole castle after ya.”

“Princess,” came a deep, gravelly voice from behind her.

Skye immediately withdrew her dagger, and slashed backwards as she jumped back. The blade was a regular one, so it had no effect on Ahriman’s Dark magic. He kept himself cloaked in a cloud of black, smoke-like fog that made it impossible to see his features.

“Why are ya here? What do ya want?” Skye asked, hoping to stall him until some guards could arrive.

“To watch.. And wait.”

“Wait fer what?” Skye asked with an even voice, although her tone was a higher pitch than normal.

“To make sure the Gift is received..”

“What? Make sense, ya daft storm cloud! What gift?! Did Marco send you?” Skye bellowed, hoping that causing a commotion would bring the damn guards faster.

“My King awaits his Queen.. The Pretender Will Die, and so will that fool..”

Skye wanted to catch and question him, but she had no idea how to go about it.. ‘I could trap him in an Earth barrier, but that didna work in the Highlands wit those things.. I dinna have what I need! Dammit!’

There were only two things that Skye knew of that affected Dark magic: Light magic, and Dragons. Because dragons were directly connected to the Source; their scales, claws, and fire could effect all traits and elements.

‘Dammit! I KNEW I shoulda brought me sword! Ima need ta have Athena or her da make me a dagger from Lazarus’ scales and hide..’

As the thought crossed her mind, the black cloud surrounding Ahriman began to spin, and twist violently. Enough so that dust kicked up, forcing Skye to cover her eyes a moment. When she felt the gust dying down, she peered through the unsettled dust, but Ahriman was already gone.

Only his faint voice could be heard, whispering as it faded away; “You cannot escape fate..”

“What the bloody hell?! Was that it?! Cryptic bastard,” Skye muttered as she looked around.

A second later, the doors to Mei’s courtyard swung open, and guards poured out; ready to fight. Hana, Klaus, and Ronnie were leading the charge, and spread out while looking for their target. When Skye asked where Kari was, Hana jumped in; “With Mei and Rukia, just in case. Where’s Ahriman?”

“Gone. Bastard’s shiftier than a shadow.. He only said a few sentences, and he didna even make any sense,” Skye replied as she put her dagger away.

“What did he say to you?” Hana asked, but Klaus and Ronnie were right there with her.

As the guards searched the courtyard, Skye told them about her strange encounter with the only other assassin on par with Genie, according to the man himself. Ahriman had been born in the Fire Nation, and had been their number one assassin for years before he’d disappeared.

“But why is he in Sai? Who is this ‘Pretender’ person? And what was it? -Something about a gift?” Hana inquired, trying to keep all of the facts straight for the report she was going to write.

“I don’t know,” Skye replied in Saianese; “I have no clue who the ‘Pretender’ could be, or what said person is pretending to be. And I haven’t received any gifts lately.. I have no idea what he’s talking about.”

“Could he mean that Tokuga guy? Isn’t he pretending to be the King of Sai?” Ronnie asked after piecing together the conversation.

Knowing that his Saianese was terrible, Skye replied in Alconian; “I dinna think so. Ima sure that Tokuga’s talkin’ ta Marco through Ahriman somehow, so I think he be a pawn, not a target..”

Skye paced back and forth as she muttered out loud; “Could he mean Tidas? Na, Marco’s next in line, and he has nae interest in bein’ king.. What about Murdoc? The Highlands are technically part of Alcon, and it was hard ta get Magnus ta recognize another kingdom within his own territory.. Ahh!”

Skye yelled loud enough to make Mei jump; “I canna think anymore! Me brain is fried, and me stomach is empty. Tis never a good combination.”

Mei chuckled lightly as she turned towards her chosen sister; “How about we go find something to eat until the others return? They shouldn’t be gone too long. I cannot imagine that they will get much information from Lord Yaris. As much as that man likes to talk, he never really seems to have much to say.”

Skye grinned mischievously as they started to head inside; “Don’t forget that he’s technically an Alconian, which means Tidas has a little...leeway, wit him. Plus, I have nae qualms usin’ me Da’s dealings wit him as leverage, if he wants ta be squirrley about it. I think the men will do fine..”

************

“Where did that sneaky bastard get off to this time?!” Tidas bellowed, frustrated by their morning so far.

Right after Tidas, Genie, and Hang had split ways with Skye and the others, they’d gone off in search of Richard Yaris. They’d checked his shop he kept in Sai, his two homes, and were on their way to yet another tavern he was known to frequent. This was their third and last stop, unless they wanted to start over, which none of them did.

The snow made the ride slow to begin with, and the atmosphere inside of the stage coach was as chilly as outside. Hang and Genie were still at odds, despite Hang’s reconciliation with Mei, and his new ‘understanding’ with Hana. As Tidas tried everything he could think of to break the tension, and get the two to be amicable: an idea hit him..

‘What would Skye do in this situation? She’s really good at helping to mend relationships.. Well, I know what she’d do, but I can’t be that blunt-or can I?’

To stop another hindering thought, Tidas cleared his throat, then said; “So...How are you handling the situation your wife?”

Hang quirked an eyebrow; “What do you mean?”

‘He’s really gonna make me say it out loud, isn’t he?’ Tidas thought anxiously.

Rubbing his hands together seemingly for warmth, Tidas spoke with a steady voice; “Being married to Mei in name only. Are you...okay?”