Kain woke to whispers.
The words were unclear, but familiar. For several moments, his sluggish mind refused to acknowledge the need to rise with the sun, making identifying them impossible. The early hour spawned an ache in his temple that would no doubt persist for hours. Sometimes, his need for the moon sucked.
The voices quieted, and Kain blinked open his eyes. Perched on the edge of the opposing bunk were Melitta and Dalphie. Melitta was pale, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. Dalphie wore a soft, apologetic smile.
"It is what it is. I cannot make the choice for you, merely offer the information," she said, her melodic voice echoing through the otherwise silent room. She was louder than before, leading Kain to wonder if she'd noticed him waking.
"I... will think on it," Melitta murmured, dropping her gaze to the floor. "It is a lot."
"Understandably," Dalphie replied.
Then, without warning, she leapt from the bed and clapped her hands together. "Now, let's join Rhode for breakfast. I haven't eaten at this place in decades, but I've little doubt that they're still as delicious as before."
Melitta laughed quietly, her expression lightening a minuscule degree. "Never change, Milady."
Dalphie grinned, and started for the door. At that same moment, Melitta's eyes met Kain's, and she froze. He shifted into a sitting position on the bed, scratching his cheek as he smiled.
"I heard nothing but the last bit, when she raised her voice," he assured her. "I've no clue what you two were discussing."
Not that he wasn't incredibly curious.
Melitta studied him for a moment, as if searching for the truth in his words, then offered a nod of her head. "I believe you."
He relaxed, then hesitated. "If you wish to talk about it, however..."
Whatever they'd been discussing looked serious.
"Not now," Melitta replied. "Thank you, though. I appreciate the thought."
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Nokos was the most closed-mouth port Kain had ever seen. The majority of people ignored his request for information. Those who did pause, would either tell him where exactly where to put his interest in whether or not they'd seen someone matching Iliana's description--typically in rather vulgar ways--or give a blunt 'no' and move on.
"I am sorry," Melitta said. Her fingers clutched a lock of her hair as a frown played across her lips. "If I could figure out what was blocking me..."
Kain shook his head, turning his gaze to the walkway. "Someone confident enough to steal a siren wouldn't have done things half-way. You can't blame yourself for whatever it is they're doing. It's because of you that we knew to travel to Nokos in the first place."
The street was bare. They'd been looking to stumble upon the marketplace, as Kain hoped the merchants of Nokos might be more loose lipped than the typical public, but the town had no real landmarks. Trying to find the shops among the rundown houses was like trying to get information out of the villagers--useless, and disappointing.
"Still, I am worried," Melitta replied. "I doubt they will stay here for long. Nokos is too close to Inna's Cove for anyone in their position to feel safe."
Kain grimaced. She wasn't wrong. Anyone with an ounce of sense would leave the coast the moment they'd gotten their land legs.
"Things would be made easier if we knew anything about these people beyond the fact they took her," Kain said, tone weary. "People don't remember Iliana. Well, until she opens her mouth. The ones she's with, though... they might be different."
Melitta raised a brow in his direction. "You do not think Iliana is notable?"
"Ha. It sounds bad when you put it like that," Kain replied, tugging on his cap. "I mean, it's a skill of hers, really. She might not realize it, but when Iliana doesn't want to be noticed, she isn't. Not by strangers, or those who aren't specifically looking for her. She walks quiet, and small. Normal, I guess. I think..." he hesitated. "I think the skill was originally a survival mechanism. She tends to blame it on her appearance, but..."
"I do not know her story, but I do understand what you mean," Melitta murmured. "When life demands something of you, you adapt. You are saying her previous life demanded she not be seen, and she adapted to be unnoticed. That does make things difficult."
Kain nodded. "Exactly."
Melitta tilted her head, seeming to think over something that had occurred to her. A musing smile formed on her lips. "What about you?"
"Me?"
"You," she confirmed. "Do you think you are notable?"
He furrowed his brow. Then, after a moment, he shook his head.
"There's nothing special about me," Kain explained. Her eyes predictably flicked to his cap, and his lips twitched. "Well, beyond that. For those without that sixth sense, I look the part of the regular sailor. Which means people don't remember me without reason. I guess Iliana and I are similar in that regard."
Melitta frowned. Silence fell upon them as they walked. Thinking she'd leave the conversation at that, Kain focused on a villager as they stepped out of their home. Before he'd even managed to finish Iliana's description, the man gave a rude gesture and disappeared into an alley.
"You are wrong, you know," Melitta announced as Kain returned. "And while I doubt you will believe me, I believe it needs said." Her eyes shifted towards him, something unreadable flicking across her expression. "You are far from average."
Something about her words, and the tone she used, both warmed him, and set him on edge. It was as if she was aware of something he wasn't, and whatever it was had influenced her opinion of him.
"Well," he replied. That uncomfortable edge pushed a false brightness into his tone. "I'm flattered to know you think so highly of me."
Melitta laughed, as he'd known she would. "I am serious."
They continued walking as they talked, occasionally breaking away from one another to question a villager. The results remained the same, but somehow, the bright edge of the conversation kept Kain from growing too frustrated. Melitta's warmth made it seem as if there were hope, despite the lack of evidence to support the feeling.
Eventually, they found the marketplace. Or, what Nokos had to offer in place of one.
Small, easily torn down stalls lined around three blocks. They were simple outlets, smaller versions of shops he and Melitta had passed in their search. Unlike the rest of the streets, however, they were colorful, and a few of the merchants even wore smiles. It was far from the most impressive thing Kain had seen in his travels, but Melitta seemed excited. Her eyes flicked from stall to stall, seemingly ignorant of how drab the wears were in comparison to most of Eol's markets.
It was strange, given how Kain'd been taught growing up that if you could survive the people, Nokos was a fantastic place for trade. He thought back to the list of contacts he'd managed to drag up from Artemios' files, and decided that perhaps it was knowing who you were looking for that was important. He should've brought the list with him, not just used it to sell the cargo.
Whatever the reason behind the vast difference between his expectations and reality, Kain couldn't help the faint smile that began to form on his lips as he took in Melitta's mood. Her eyes were brighter than they'd been all morning as her hands skimmed over the front of her dress, as if she had to do something with them to keep from rushing off to touch the wares on display.
"You have been to a market before, haven't you?"
Melitta hesitated, a faint blush filling her cheeks. "A few times as a child, and only once or twice since then. I was with Callias, and he didn't want to draw attention to us by stopping. As for when we were younger... "
She shrugged. Kain's heart ached, as he realized what she was leaving unsaid. The siblings had been little more than slaves, so of course they hadn't been allowed to stop and browse. It wasn't as if they would've been gifted money. They were trophies to be valued, not people. Not to those who'd owned them.
"He's protective," Kain stated, keeping his thoughts silent.
Melitta's lips twitched downwards, that unreadable look flashing across her face once again. She wrapped her left arm around her middle, her gaze flicking away from Kain. "Of course. We're... inseparable."
What does she keep thinking about? Kain wondered. She wasn't like this yesterday. Upset, and worried, but not frightened.
"In that case," he replied, wishing her smile would reappear. "There's nothing to say we can't browse as we ask around. They'd probably be more willing to talk to us if we're being loose with our coin."
Her arm dropped, eyes flicking to the stalls. "If you're certain..."
It took very little more urging from him to get her to pause and look around. They fell into an easy rhythm. Melitta would pause at a shop that'd caught her eye, and Kain would talk to the owner while she looked over what they had to offer.
When he came up empty, they would move on. Melitta's curiosity seemed to be easily sated by the few minutes spent browsing. Once or twice, her eyes lingered and Kain pulled out his, well, Artemios' money pouch, offering a copper piece first for a hair ribbon, and then for delicious-looking pastries.
"Oh, Kain, look!"
Following her gaze, he felt amusement flicker through him as she darted towards a small stall offering jewelry pieces. They were simple, but elegant in their own ways. No gems marked the cheap metal, but it'd been heated, twisted, and marked to look beautiful without unnecessary additions.
Like before, he turned his gaze to the merchant as Melitta studied the display. The man in question was older, scars and age edged into the hard lines of his tanned face.
"I--"
"'ave questions," the merchant interrupted. "Ya 'aven't exactly been subtle, kid. You 'n' tha' gal of yours walkin' all over, talkin' ta all of us."
Heat crept into Kain's cheeks. "That's..."
"Lucky for you, it's been entertainin' ta watch," the man continued. "Go 'head 'n' ask. No promises I'll answer."
"We're trying to find a friend of mine," Kain explained. "She went missing. Well, was taken. We tracked her here."
The stranger narrowed his eyes, but didn't immediately tell Kain to screw off. Encouraged, Kain rushed to finish, hoping that they'd finally found someone willing to help.
"She's brunette. Well, sorta. It's blondish-brown. Short hair. Brown eyes. Smaller than me, and... uh, a bit boyish."
The man clicked his tongue. "With tha' grea' of a description, it's a wanda noone's pointed ya in the righ' direction yet."
Heat filled his cheeks. "She's Aeolian, if that helps."
"In'a port city?" the man questioned. "Good luck, lad, but I ain't see no one like tha', tha' I 'member."
Kain sighed. "Thank you anyways."
His eyes flicked to where Melitta'd plucked a leather bracelet from among the metal pieces. Despite his frustration, amusement tugged his lips upwards. Unlike the rest of the man's stock, metal was simply the decoration for the bracelet she held. It consisted of four circles of woven leather, connected on the back by a metal clasp. The front held two charms, the first a circle that might've represented the moon, that contained a simple star within it. The second were two, curved pieces twisted into an infinity sign.
She studied it for a long moment, her thumb brushing over the infinity sign, before replacing it on the stand and turning a friendly smile in his direction. "Done?"
Kain hesitated. Then, impulsively leaned past her to pick up the bracelet and offer it to the shop-keep.
"Almost," he told her, then focused on the old man. "How much?"
"Fifteen silver," was the replay. Kain did his best to ignore the knowing edge to the man's toothy grin. "Thirteen if yer givin' it ta the lass."
Kain's face burned as he dug out the thirteen pieces and handed them over. Red colored Melitta's cheeks when he offered her the bracelet but seconds later.
"Thank you..."
Her smile was soft, and more relaxed than he'd seen all day. Some of the frustration, and stress, that came with their lack of answers loosened within him at the sight. He was still pissed, and worried, but no longer felt in danger of breaking. The absent question of why her smile could cause such an emotion within him flicked past the back of his mind, but he dismissed it without concern.
"You're welcome, Melitta."
A/N: Sorry about the lack of updates! The real fun is with Iliana right now, so it was super hard to churn this chapter out even as needed as it was. :) Hope you enjoyed!