Playing With Fire *COMPLETE* (Obi x OC)

And That's Just Fine, I Find Solace In The Pain

Loxley, Mitsuhide, and I make it to a small cottage a few hours after finding the box and she hisses at us to stay quiet and for the castle lackey to stay behind. Mitsuhide starts to argue but I hold a hand up to silence him as my eyes fall on a symbol etched into the door. That's the symbol of a sisterhood of healers. They're not sanctioned from any kingdom due to their dabbling in darker practices and some admit openly that they've delved into witchcraft. If Mitsuhide was discovered to be in the area, they'd try to kill him. If whoever this is is protecting the mother and child, I don't want to put them in danger again.

"Stay here, but stay alert if she tries to run."

"But-"

"Hide. I'm not going to repeat myself. You don't want to be involved with the owner of the home."

"But-"

"Listen Lackey, if you'd like to be cursed for all eternity, by all means go in there and piss Sobynne off." Loxley cuts in with a sigh. "I think I'd like to see that actually. Go for it."

"No. Let's go Loxley. The sooner the box is delivered, the sooner we can turn you in and I can go home."

"Ever the gentleman..."

I let Loxley enter the home first, then settle in the doorway once I close it. I'm not exactly a welcome guest and I don't want her to have an easy exit. This place has the typical 'healer in the forest' aura with plants covering most every surface. Loxley and the mother are talking about the box while the little girl is settled in the floor with a rag doll.

"Why are you in my home, Obi?"

I cut a glance over to the right to find Sobynne leaning against the wall with a poorly concealed scowl. I knew that name sounded familiar...

"I couldn't stand not seeing you anymore, Love." I lie smoothly, only to be swiftly slapped across the face. "I suppose I deserved that..."

"You deserve quite a bit more actually. Would you like some tea?"

"I feel like that tea would be sweetened with poison, so I must politely decline."

"Nonsense. The poison is actually tasteless." She retorts.

I may have come across Sobynne a year or so ago during a drunken stupor at Safehaven and one thing led to another... and I ran off before she woke up.

"Anyway, let's go Loxley. Say goodbye to the nice people."

"Oh bite me."

"Where are you going with this creature, Lox?" Sobynne asks.

"It seems I have a meeting with the cat's owner."

I move to open the door but Sobynne catches the collar of my shirt and quickly jabs her thumb against the center of my forehead.

"What did you just do to me?"

"If you harm a single hair on her head, you'll meet a painful demise."

"Hey!" I grumble as I swat her hand away. "No cursing without consent."

"It's not a curse, it's an incentive." She grins before patting my head and moving away to the simmering pot on her stove.

I trail behind Loxley as we return to Mitsuhide who is currently pouting against a tree. He straightens as we reach him and he asks how it went. Loxley simply huffs in response so I sigh and tell him it went fine. That earns a snicker from her and I hiss at her to shut up as we start our journey back toward Wistal Castle.

"What is she laughing about?" Mitsuhide asks from his spot to her right.

"Nothing."

"Apparently he couldn't keep it in his pants and had a one night stand with the witch so she cursed him."

"What!?"

"It wasn't because I slept with her." I correct. "She just doesn't want me to hurt Loxley. Whatever anyone else does to her, that's not my responsibility. Actually, to be matter-of-fact, she simply said if I harmed a 'single hair on her head', so what if I harmed multiple hairs or just harmed you without touching your head and hair?"

"Please don't tempt it." He whines. "If you die then she'll kill me easily."

"I could kill you without his death."

"Good point... Obi, why isn't she bound?"

"Would you like to hold her still while I do that?"

"Good point..."

We stop for the night when Mitsuhide's complaints of hunger and his feet hurting reach a boiling point for me. Thankfully we are near the safe house we used so I lead the way to it. I'm surprised she hasn't struggled or argued against coming along with us yet. I'm sure avoiding her Master could be a motive to cooperate... or she has an ulterior motive. I send Mitsuhide on to gather some food before lightly shoving Loxley into the safe house.

"Hey, don't be rude. Don't forget you're cursed."

"What a shame I don't believe in curses." I shrug. "So, why are you so cooperative?"

"Would you rather me kick and scream and annoy you endlessly?" She shoots back. "I definitely can do that."

"You're deflecting. Are you hiding from Lex or did he give you another job involving us?"

"I'd rather not discuss him." Her eyes meet mine for a moment before she moves across the room to fold herself into an armchair. "So, what does my arrest entail? Are we going to Wistal for a trial and execution, or Wistal for execution only, or are you and castle lackey simply procrastinating with killing me yourselves?"

"It's currently up in the air. Do you have a preference?"

I take up residence in the chair across from her and prop my feet up on the small wooden table between us.

"Anything that gets me away from him is good enough for me."  

A/N: Pictured above is Sobynne(: