The Talk

Zierra's room was low lit and in the few days I was out she had managed to make the space her own. Books aligned her shelf and various plants were scattered around, some fragrant as her room smelled of various herbs and aromatics. She sat at her desk with a book resting neatly in her lap, the same one she was reading earlier, and she smiled at me as I entered.

"I'm glad to see you moving around," she closed the book and nestled it into it's place on the shelf.

"There was no way I could sit around after being out for five days," I leaned against her doorframe as I spoke, "but Kari won't let me go back to work so I'm stuck wondering around."

"And you just happened to wonder here?"

"I can't say I didn't come here without a purpose," I gestured to her bed. "Mind if I sit?"

"You don't have to ask Sapphyre."

I felt awkwardness set in as soon as I sat down. "Look about earlier," I sighed as I tried to find the words I was looking for, "about it not being a big loss if I died. I didn't mean to upset you."

She leaned back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other. "I know you didn't and slapping you was not how I should have handled that."

"I'm not mad about that," I hurriedly reassured her. "It shocked the hells out of me but, honestly, I probably needed it. I probably needed several of them to be honest. I just didn't expect it, coming from you."

"I know what it is like to lose someone," she sighed. "It's been a long time but it still hurts. She didn't hold much claim to her own life either and eventually she met her end by her own blade. I wasn't able to save her life but, hopefully I can save yours."

"Well so far so good," I tried smiling at her but her face remained somber and it made my heart ache so I quickly changed the subject. "Lyon tells me you were invited to Silver's party?"

She reach into a drawer and pulled out an envelope that matched mine. "I'm not sure how he figured out I was here but, yes, I was handed one the same time Lyon was given his and yours."

She handed it to me and I glanced it over. The invitation addressed her simply by her first name and looked exactly like the others. "I doubt he is aware of your royal bloodline or else this invitation would have addressed you as princess."

"So why invite me?"

"Silver has scouts of his own and they tend to be regulars here," I flicked the invite towards her and it managed to rest neatly on her desk. "It's very likely that he saw you in my company and assumed you were a new hire to our other business."

"He thinks I'm an assassin like you?"

I shrugged. "It's possible, he always makes a point to invite us, or it could just be that you're new in town. I told you we don't have many elves here. The last elf moved here three years ago and he was very quick to invite them to his party that year as well."

"I suppose being kind to the other races looks good for his image."

"He's not like that. He's a noble, sure, but he is one of the few people of his station that actually cares. He does a lot of work with the people of the Slums and he helped Lyon and I weed out a few guards in town who were using their position to abuse lower class citizens."

"You speak a lot more fondly of him than Lyon made it seem you would," she chuckled. "He made it sound like you hated the man."

"I don't hate him," I grumbled. "He's not a bad man, and he's done good things for Lyca, he's just a lot to handle for long periods of time."

"So he's an excitable man?"

"That is putting it mildly," I stood with a groan and made my way to her desk, pulling out a pen and piece of paper. "The party is in a few days and I know you don't have a lot of your belongings here. There's a tailor in town that Lyon, Kari, and I always go to a few blocks from here," I began drawing a map. "Tell him I sent you and he'll make you something for the party and don't worry about payment, him and I have an arrangement."

She eyed the paper for a moment but nodded. "I'll go see him tomorrow. Thank you, Sapphyre."

I rubbed the back of my neck as a wave a awkwardness filled the room. "You can call me Saph you know. Almost everyone who knows me does unless I'm getting a lecture from Kari or Lyon. Sapphyre can be a bit of a mouthful so it's easier to shorten it."

She gently touched my hand, making me jump, and shook her head. "I like your name. It's your eyes right?"

"What?"

"Your eyes. You're named after their gemstone color correct?"

"I think so or, at least, I'd like to think so."

"Besides, everyone calls you Saph and I don't want to call you what everyone else does."

"Sapphyre it is then," I gave her hand a squeeze and made my way to her door. "I look forward to seeing you at the party."

"Likewise."

I gently closed her door and quickly whipped around as I heard footsteps behind me. Lyon looked unperturbed by my dagger held against his throat and sighed. "Still on edge, huh?"

"Yeah, sorry," I sheathed the blade and gave him a light push, "but you should know better than to sneak up on me to begin with. Did you need something?"

"Yeah," the tips of his ears got red and he crossed his arms over his chest. "The party is in a few days and..."

"You have absolutely nothing to wear to it do you?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Not a single thing!"

I groaned and drug him downstairs. "You're harder on your clothes than a child," when I crossed into the bar Kari shot me a look and I help up my hand to keep her from lecturing me. "Relax. I'm not working. Lyon needs a new outfit for the party and honestly I could probably do with a new one as well. The tailors is still open and I need to go out and do something before I go crazy."

"She just wants to look nice for-" Lyon didn't get to finish his sentence before my elbow found its way to his gut and he doubled over.

Kari rolled her eyes as she laughed and waved us off. "Fine but no heroics. You're still healing, both of you are."

We both gave her a mock salute and left the den and for the first time I felt myself actually looking forward to a noble's party.