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CHAPTER VI
WE GOT SHIPS
LITTLE VIK SAT COMFORTABLY ON HER HIP as they looked over the city. He pointed at the structures and views, asking Cal a ton of questions. But the female didn't mind his constant asking at all. It made her proud that was eager to learn and so curious about the world.
"How about that one?" Vik pointed at a large ship docked on the Sidra.
"That's a merchant's ship."
The siblings turned upon hearing Azriel's voice. Cal gave him a small smile as a greeting. He looked good in the mornings, she thought.
"Why are they so big?" Vik asked.
The shadowsinger rested his arms on the ledge of the balcony, "They travel around Prythian to trade or sell their things."
The boy's eyes brightened with wonder. He bounced on Callaghan's hip, "I want to be a merchant too, Cal!"
She just rolled her eyes, "You just want to see if they got any shiny things in there, don't you?"
"How did you know?" The boy pouted.
"Because I know you, my little crow," she tickled his abdomen, making the boy giggle. Cal hated seeing him frown or pout, she'd rather hear his giggles and laughs all day.
"Do you want to take a closer look?" Azriel suggested, turning to look at the two.
Vik's eyes widened in excitement, tugging at his sister, "Can we, Cal? Can we?"
"Uhm, sir, I―"
"I need to sun out my wings anyway," He shrugged at her, holding his hand towards the boy, "Let's go?"
Vik turned to his sister, to which Cal nodded her head to Azriel, assuring the boy that he'll be safe. The shadowsinger places the boy by his hip and holds his free hand out to Callaghan. She looks at it then shakes her head, "It's alright, sir, I'll catch up."
Cal steps closer to her brother, "While you're in the air, feel the wind on your face. You'll love it, Vik."
She and the shadowsinger shared a look before he leapt into the air. She kept an eye on them until Vik's shrieks turned into excited shouts. Cal chuckles as she runs back in the house to walk down the staircase to get to the city. She wasn't permitted to winnow in and out the House of Wind yet since she was new.
Once out of the house, she winnows to meet Azriel and Vik by the river. The boy rushes up to her and pulls her toward the ships. "Cal, I swallowed a bug!" Vik says, proudly.
Callaghan looks up at Azriel, who had a sheepish look on his face, "Accident."
"Uhm, sure," she turns back to Vik. "Let's go look around?"
And that they did, but with Azriel trailing a few steps behind. Cal was confused on why he kept his distance, "You know you can walk closer, right?"
He raised a brow, "You think you can talk to me like that?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, sir, I―"
"I'm kidding," he cuts off her blabbering, falling in step with her.
Her jaw dropped in disbelief, "That's a low blow, shadowsinger. Using your rank like that."
"Not my fault you're gullible," he places his hands in his pockets.
Vik was too mesmerized by the city to be bothered by the two adults bickering back and forth.
She rolls her eyes at him, "You think you're so funny."
"Hilarious, I'd like to say," he said with a straight face.
"I'm sure you are," Cal manages to say before getting pulled by Vik. There were children running around the area, playing a game. "Can I go play?" Vik asked, using his big eyes because he knows it's Cal's weakness. She sighs, "Alright, but stay within my sight at all times!" She had to shout the last part because the boy was already off running towards the other kids.
"Your son is quite a handful I imagine," a lady by her pastry store said, making Azriel and Callaghan look at each other with wide eyes.
"We're not―"
"He's not―"
"Oh dear," the lady presses a palm to her mouth, "I read this all wrong didn't I?"
Cal smiled at her, "The boy is my brother, ma'am."
"I thought—" the lady paused, holding up a finger, "You two wait here." Then she goes into her shop.
When she walked out, she was holding a bag with a couple of her pastries, "Here, take this." She pushes the bag into Cal's hands despite the girl's refusal. The lady wouldn't take no for an answer, so she took the bag with a grateful smile on her face, "Thank you, ma'am, really."
"Have a good day, the both of you."
Cal was the first to walk away. The store owner and Azriel watched as she approached the playing children, offering them the pastries with a big smile on her face. She has a big heart, and he can see that. Very clearly.
"You better make your move, young man," the store owner nudged his side, "A sweet girl like that would catch many eyes."
He shakes his head in amusement before placing a few coins in the lady's hands, paying for the pastries and he leaves before she could protest.
Cal looks up and sees Azriel walking to her, she jogged and met him halfway, handing him a pastry, "I saved you one, thought you'd want it."
He shifts his gaze to the now empty bag, "Where's yours?"
"I only got to save one before the kids could take them all," she explained, "But you can have it."
"No, you can have it," he countered. Callaghan could feel that the shadowsinger was stubborn so she just split the pastry in half and placed the other on his hand, "There, now we can both have one."
They sat on a bench overlooking the river but still had a clear view of Vik as they ate their halves. Cal's sweet tooth was definitely satisfied when she got a taste of the pastry, silently claiming it as her favorite food in the court.
Afternoon came and soon a tired Vik walked to them while rubbing his eyes. Cal brushed off the hair from his sweaty forehead, "What's wrong, my boy?"
"I'm tired," Vik mumbled. "Do you want to go home?" Cal asked.
Azriel didn't know why but he felt his insides uncharacteristically flutter at her mention of home. She was slowly accepting Velaris as her home and it made him happy… somehow.
Vik nodded and raised his arms at Azriel, which surprised both Cal and himself. The spymaster's eyes widened in shock, pulling the boy into his arms. "Go ahead," she said, "I'll meet you there."
Azriel was confused, "You're taking the stairs?"
She nods, which made him scoff so he went and snaked a free hand around her waist. He takes off into the air and she grabs him tight, keeping her shrieks to a minimum. "Feel the wind on your face, you'll love it," he repeats her words from that morning. Slowly, she opens her eyes and admires the view from a completely different angle. Her eyes glittered at the beautiful sights offered by Velaris.
Eventually, they got back to the House of Wind and Azriel placed her down gently. Together, they walked to Cal's room where the shadowsinger puts the already sleeping boy on the bed. She tucks her brother in as he sleeps. With a kiss on his forehead, she follows Azriel out of their chambers.
"Thank you for today, sir," she says, wringing her hands, a thing she does when she's nervous, "He's grown a liking to you, it seems."
"I noticed."
Then she bowed her head as a sign of respect, making him frown a bit, "You don't have to do that here, Callaghan. Also, it's just Azriel."
She lifted her head upon hearing the words, smiling softly, "Just Azriel, alright."
Callaghan notices a sliver of a smile just as he turns to leave. He should smile often. It gives his handsome face a youthful look. She would pay just to see him smile again.
Fighting a grin, she goes back to her room and prepares for a quick bath.
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[ notes! ]
i'm,,,,,, soft :>
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