Ymiden 72, Arc 721
Augusta’s arms wrapped around Woe’s waist as he rode his Destiar into the outskirts of the village. He veered off the path that would lead him through the midst of his cabin, and Toutouye’s camp. He didn’t want to risk outing Augusta’s presence in Egilrun, yet. Especially while Fleaface was at large. They rode into the town, toward the Northwest, where the residential districts were. Past the barracks-like complexes where people rented beds in order to work. Egilrun was well known for its rented almshouses. It was precisely that which fueled the workforce of the centralized industries in the village.
Augusta leaned against his back. He could feel her head turning to the left to observe some of those almshouses. Você vai me colocar em um desses?"You're going to put me in one of those?" She asked in Vahanic.
Woe tried to loosen her grip around his waist as he rode past those complexes, toward the place he’d set up for her. ””Não, vou colocá-lo em uma casa. Como eu disse."No I'm putting you in a house, like I said.” He assured her. ”Você pode afrouxar o controle agora, e sair do cavalo... Estamos quase lá. Vamos caminhar o resto do caminho.”"You can loosen your grip now, and get off the horse. We'll walk the rest of the way."
She did as he asked, and slipped her arms from around him, bracing herself against the rear of Opal’s saddle as she lowered herself to the ground. Woe gave her a hand, knowing that she wasn’t used to dealing with animals. Once on the ground, he followed after with a fluid motion, slipping off of his mount. Once there, he began leading Opal along by the bridle, careful not to startle her when he grasped it, by patting her on the nose.
Augusta fell in step beside them, as they walked along the residential streets of Egilrun. The farther to the Northwest they got, the more individual houses appeared. Much of the industry and other workplaces being nearer to the center, and across the stream to the east, meaning that the bulk of workers staying at Almshouses would be best situated there. You’d think people would want houses closer to where they worked, but Egilrun was nothing if concerned for the efficiency and punctuality of its workforce.
They walked along until they arrived at the place. It was a sturdy house, about two stories high. It was constructed largely from a stone foundation, with stucco walls above that, framed in polished oak wood. There were a few glass windows, a marked luxury compared to less well-appointed homes. A brick chimney stuck out of the gabled roof, but no smoke issued from it. The weather was only going to get hotter from this date, until late Vhalar. They wouldn’t need a fire tonight, anyway.
Woe walked up to the singular door, and stuck his key into the lock. There, twisting it, he opened the way and ushered Augusta inside. There, they entered a spacious foyer, with fairly well-appointed furniture… serviceable anyway. It would be a comfortable place for Augusta to remain for a time, until he figured out how he was going to employ her. ”Eu tenho uma mente para fazer de você uma babá”I have a mind to make you a childminder."
She looked around at the spacious interior, and the stairs leading up into a higher story. Judging by her expressions, which she was barely able to contain, she approved of the accommodations. Yet how could she not, knowing where she came from? Woe wondered just what she’d left behind… And he asked her, in Vahanic, ” Who was this man who kept you under the thumb? Your father….”
She spun around, and a smile crossed her lips, her eyes lighting up, ”So, now we know why you came. Filipe still has your manhood in his purse?”
Woe suppressed an eye-roll. She wanted to make him angry. Perhaps it was best to play into that, to give her a sense of agency. So he hotly responded, ”I came out of concern for you! Nothing else! Your father only told me, I did not consult with him when I arrived, but made my way straight to your location…”
She grinned, pleased with the illusion that she still had the capacity to push his buttons. ”Oh, Woe… You’re hopeless as ever. How I adore you.” She chuckled as she walked up the stairs, making herself at home already.
Woe could think of some choice words to pull Augusta out of her illusion of control, but he didn’t wish to do so, not yet. Let her think she was getting away with something. It might encourage her to string herself to his fortunes, at least until he could establish an employment contract.
Once she was atop the stairs, on the loft, she leaned over the banister, and smiled down at him. She reached out a hand and beckoned him with a finger. ”Augusta…” He said, feigning breathlessness. He started up the stairs then and met her halfway across the loft, where she pushed a finger against his chest, keeping him at arm’s length.
”Tsk tsk, Senhor Morandi. You wouldn’t want to be rude under my roof.” Woe suspected she was using this moment to shore up her lost confidence, from having been under the thumb of someone named ‘The Whale’ for months on end. He didn’t wish to upset her illusions yet. They gave her resolve and fortified her for a moment. But sooner or later, he would have to deconstruct those willfully held beliefs, and rebuild them with something more tenable. He gave her the benefit of feeling powerful, for now.
”Augusta… This is your key.” Woe handed her the one he’d used to open the door. He, of course, had a spare for himself. But she didn’t need to know that. He wouldn’t use it except in case of emergencies. The house was still under his name, he wasn’t giving it to her. He needed to keep it under his own possession, at least for her own security. Or so he told himself.
”It’s been a long night, and you’re tired.” Woe said, beginning to claw back some of the veneer of confidence from her. He didn’t want to give her too bold an advantage in their dealings, after all. And Augusta was a passionate young lady, who enjoyed the give and take of the chase.
She looked a little hurt for just a moment, but then pouted and bent her arm, bringing herself closer to Woe with her finger still pointed at his heart. ’You won’t be staying then?”
”I will, if you wish. But in another room. I have some writing to do.”
Her eyes trailed over toward the open doorway that led the master bedroom. She eyed it for a moment, then turned back toward him and shrugged nonchalantly. ” Fine, you know where I’ll be.”
”There are clothes in there for you, enough to get you looking… yourself again.” The word ‘presentable’ almost crossed his lips, but he thought better of it.
”Mmhmm.” She said, and then walked through the door, giving him a long look before shutting it behind her.
Woe exhaled, not realizing he’d been holding some of his breath. Without a delay, he made his way outside and set Opal up in the stable stall that stood outside the house. There, was water, hay, and sugar cubes for the Destiar to enjoy and get its rest. He left her in the stall, before returning to the house. Once inside, he barred the door and walked toward the office, where he’d be doing much of his writing. He had a few letters to draft, and ideas to sort through.
Once there, he settled down behind the desk, and brought out his graphite stick, along with an ink well, and other pieces of stationery. A candle burned nearby, lit by a single stroke of a match. Once the light was sufficient, he began penning a letter to Filipe, hoping to find the words to assure him that his daughter was rescued, and inquire further as to the identity of ‘The Whale’ and his associates.
He spent the better part of the break drafting the letter, until he was ready to commit it to ink. Once the letter was written, and drying powder scattered over it, he sealed it with candle wax. This done, he set it aside, and pondered the situation for a few more moments. Before he knew it, he’d fallen asleep behind his desk, leaning with his back against the tall chair.
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