Iris had spoken through a haze when Master Dyran had asked for her accounting of the mission. As she spoke, the rogue had done her best to map out what she'd heard Hench say --and how much vigor she'd put behind the words. And it all fell back to "He takes little girls." Whatever struggles Iris had gone through as a soldier, they seemed to pale in comparison to whatever it was that her mentor had dealt with.
After her recounting, Iris and Hench left the room. First, they were both completely silent. Once they'd reached a common room, Iris took a seat by Hench. She didn't even know why she stayed; she was too dumbfounded to even notice she'd instinctively stuck around the guardian. But she did. Hench didn't seem to mind.
The woman looked around for a minute, finding no one in her immediate vicinity. Rhalla spoke to Iris. "I apologize," she said. "I didn't mean to... lose it." She said thoughtfully and slowly, as if she'd tasted the words on her tongue before saying them.
Iris just looked back at her, still dazed. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Hench just stared, mouth set in a hard line.
Iris continued anyway. "You said in there that Baron Riasion took little girls." She paused, "He took you too. You were kidnapped... weren't you?"
It took the woman a minute to reply. "Yes," she finally said. "I was taken away from my home as a very young girl."
"You escaped. You got away," Iris said, a bit of innocence passing in her voice --as if she were trying to relieve the horrible feeling she bore for her mentor. The things Azabela and Kayde had said about Hench were suddenly started to make a little more sense. "I am so sorry. I... had no idea."
Hench took a breath. "You didn't know because I didn't tell you. And yes, thankfully, I got away."
"And came here?"
"Wasn't a direct path," Hench answered after a moment of thought. "But yes. Eventually, I came here. I was so weak... so soft... when I was taken. But now, the years have been gracious --have made me strong so I can help other people. The girl I was is gone now, and because of that, I will never be taken away again."
Iris nodded, a little more than disturbed at the thought of someone stealing a child. "What happened to your real parents? Did you ever go back tell them you were okay?"
Hench shook her head. "The last I heard, both my parents passed away. I never got the chance to talk to them again."
Iris shuddered again at the thought. "Any other immediate family? Any friends?"
"Aside from my son? Not really," Hench said, staring blankly across the room, quite deep in thought. "Just a sibling I didn't really talk to and a couple of friends... but that was a great many years ago now, I can't imagine they would still even care anymore about what happened to me. The Remorda Guardians are my family now, as you well know."
"Now, I'm no expert on the matter here," Iris began, "But you should probably let them know you're alive: your friends and your sibling. I'm sorry about your parents."
"Shit happens," Rhalla said, waving a hand in dismissal. "And eh, I doubt either remember me. No need to bother with it."
"Whatever you say," Iris conceded. "But you're kind of memorable, you know. I think you'd be surprised at how it would go."
"Eh, maybe," Hench said. Iris could tell the woman was no longer in the mood to talk about her past. Even still, the rogue was satisfied. After all, it was the most she'd gotten out of the mighty woman since she'd been here. "But it's dinner and I'm going to go get a drink because I sure as hell need one after all this. You can come, if you want."
Iris's face paled considerably after she remembered the last time she'd had a drink with Hench. The woman seemed to notice Iris's expression, because she let out a bellowing laugh.
"Alright, girl. I understand," she said with a renewed grin. "You take care of yourself, now. I'll see you bright and early for training again tomorrow."
Hench now got up from her seat and went to walk away, making it a few steps from the door.
"Wait," Iris called, standing up.
The guardian turned, a pierced brow raised.
"I haven't been here long," Iris said, a bit sheepish. "I know that. I came a month ago. I just wanted to thank you... for everything. I mean, even if most of the time we're together you're beating me up --you're still a very kind and humble person. You've helped me a lot, even thus far. And you never once have looked down on me. And... I don't know what I'm really saying, but," Iris collected her thoughts. "I guess I'm saying that I know I'm not technically a guardian yet, but I'd like for us to be family like the rest of you seem to be."
"I know." A grin nearly split Hench's face in two. She sobered after a moment, an offered a courteous nod. "Don't you worry, girl. I consider you family too."
----
Kayde Vorantis sat on his bed after dinner. He was reading a book silently when the knock came at his door. Green eyes flitted up at the sound back down to the words on the parchment. "Come in." It was a casual response, but the guardian figured it was Sprite. As Kayde read, he listened as the door opened and shut.
Kayde just smiled, not looking up from his story. "Need something?"
"Are you busy?" came a female voice. "I can come back later, if you are. Just thought you'd want to know I made it back safe."
Kayde's eyes shot up immediately to see Iris. She stood politely at the door, with her hands crossed. He put the book down immediately and got up from his bed. A surge of relief passed through him now that she was safely back. "By all means, stay. I was just reading. It's good you're back safe."
"Aye," she said, finding a chair. "Aye, it is. Sorry I didn't find you earlier... Me and Hench had to report to Master Dyran."
"Did you like him? The master?" Kayde asked, now picking the tome back up and placing it in its designated spot on the shelf.
"He was nice. Cordial," Iris answered honestly. "He looked familiar, I think."
Kayde snorted. "Course he did. Pretty sure you met him once when you were about four or five." Now, the guardian sat beside her in the other chair at his small fireplace. Iris was a bit confused at his words.
"I did?" Iris asked. "How would you know something like that?"
"Because I know things," Kayde said coolly and shrugged. "And because he's my dad, dear girl."
Iris choked a bit. "Huh?"
"Eyes didn't give it away?" Kayde asked with a small laugh. "Yeah, he's my dad. How else would I end up here at the sanctuary so young? Most guardians don't come until they're at least fourteen or fifteen --if not older. I came earlier than that. Left when I was still a child. Remember?" His words were indifferent, as if the whole thing were inconsequential.
"I'm sorry," Iris laughed starkly in spite of herself. "What about Raygan? Raygan Vorantis? Thought he was your dad. That's what I've always been told."
"Raygan's my stepfather," Kayde conceded. "He married my mother before I was born. Naturally, I took my mother's last name --which is indeed Vorantis. Raygan helped my mother raise me for the first few years. But Dyran's my father --by blood anyway. Surprised your family never told you --though I suppose it wasn't ever necessary to bring up."
"Guess my family liked to keep more secrets than I thought," Iris said with a sigh, not even bothered by that anymore. "Wonder what else I'd find if I went digging."
"Says the woman that hid her gender and joined the army without telling anyone," Kayde said.
"You win this time," Iris sat back with an easy smile. "So that's why you came early? Because you wanted to get to know your father?"
"More or less," Kayde answered. "Raygan was a very good stepfather to me, don't get me wrong. He treated me well. But it always got to him that I wasn't his, I think. I'm sure it didn't help that I looked --look-- just like my dad." Kayde paused. "Raygan was the one that suggested I come when I was little, after all. Doesn't bother me, though; it worked out for the best anyways."
"You're not mad at him?"
Kayde shook his head. "Of course not, dear girl. He did the best he could. And because of him, I know my real father quite well. Master Dyran was my mentor when I came, you know?"
"Wait," Iris thought back to an earlier conversation. "Didn't your master utterly humiliate you at your guardian trials? Shave you... make you beg... all that?"
"Yeah," Kayde said, not looking the least bit angry. "Taught me a good lesson, too. Don't be too arrogant for your own good. I'm sure your dad taught you a great deal too." The guardian settled in a little more in his chair. "I love my father. He's been good to me and I've shaped up okay. I love my mother and my stepfather, as well."
"You never thought to tell me your father was the master here?" Iris asked with incredulous eyes.
Kayde shrugged. "You never asked." Now, he leaned forward. "But enough about me. How'd your trip go? Well?"
"Mostly," Iris replied. "We met a bump in the road at the end of it."
"Oh?" Kayde raised a brow. "Tell me about it. Also, how was Hench?"
"She's a private person, but she's really sweet, Kayde," Iris said with a low chuckle, remembering back to their earlier exchange. "I really like her and am incredibly lucky to have her as a mentor. I'm sure she'll teach me some hard lessons too."
Kayde beamed, his spring eyes lighting up at Iris's newfound comrade. "She surely will." After a moment, he continued talking. "So, the mission? What was the bump?"
"The bump was when we got to our designated drop off spot --everyone was dead. In the hamlet, I mean. All the villagers were just rotting in piles and being picked at by vultures. It was awful, Kayde. Out of everyone that lived there, only one family was left alive --and that was because they had good locks on their doors." Iris took a breath. "And get this, all the young women that were there were missing. Taken. The guy who was left alive told us about it --and also, was able to produce a symbol of sorts. A local baron's insignia, perhaps, on a piece of linen that he'd ripped off one of the attackers. Hench seemed to know a great deal about it, actually. She lost her temper twice at it, including in Master Dyran's --your father's-- office."
"Lost her temper?" Kayde asked. "She never does that. Not that I've seen anyway. She's always been a calm woman, ever since I've came to the sanctuary."
"She did today," Iris said. A mark of sadness passed over the rogue's face and her voice grew dark as she spoke her next words. "Kayde, you told me she came here as a broken girl. I'm pretty sure I know why."
Kayde sat up straight. "Really? But no one knows that."
"I do," Iris said, and then heaved a deep sigh. After that, she recounted what she'd heard to Kayde. She told him about the taking of little girls... about the kidnapping... and about how Hench had wanted nothing more than to save the new victims. About everything she'd heard, word for word.
Kayde just sat there listening the whole time, dumbstruck at the tale.
"I want your oath that what I just said never leaves this room. Ever," Iris said after she was done, a deadly seriousness passing between the two.
"I swear," Kayde said with a hand over his heart. Iris knew he meant it.
They stayed silent for many minutes, trying to sort through the knowledge. Iris wished she knew more about what had happened after the kidnapping and about the escape, but at the same time, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know more. She was already horrified enough as it was already.
"Damn," Kayde cursed, breaking the silence. Iris nodded in agreement.
"Well," the guardian clasped his hands together, picking through Iris's words one last time. "Wonder who Cricket is."
Iris only shrugged her shoulders. "Hell if I know."
A/N -- Another chapter down! Pretty tame but I hope you guys enjoyed! Don't forget to send me your thoughts! Love you guys and once again, I'll come back and edit this tomorrow. Sorry for any glaring typos.