Kiko remained quiet here, too. Though, her amber eyes went straight to the Wolf as he offered them tea and blankets and gave a silent thank you. She relaxed a bit herself, the stretching of her legs and lower body done quickly before wrapping herself in the warmth of the blanket.
She poured tea for all while the Wolf spoke and found a more comfortable pillow, namely his body instead. Kiga's voice was calmer and she was glad of that. In fact, she was almost drifting off when his mention of the warlord brought her eyes back open.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
Grayell nodded. He remembered his time in the East very well. He'd gone there for trade and profit and was still at the helm of his own ship then, the Harpy. He found himself a student instead, then an assassin-come-bodyguard. His fingers slipped along Kiko's scalp though and dappled over her skin, gently twirling through her hair as he spoke.
"Yes. And he was a right bastard, who deserved to be killed. He was a mongrel of the worst stock, who treated his people like slaves, abused both women and children and acted like a deviant God among men. And yet I protected him, though I knew he deserved death. Tell me you recall why, Kiga."
Kiga understood what Grayell was getting at. He recalled that period of his life quite clearly, as it was both confusing and captivating. Grayell came into Kiga's life as reason, a cause and an idol. It was through him that Kiga found the inner determination to free himself of his oppressive elders. And it was dangerous. There was a great deal of bloodshed in hiding in Grayell's shadow and the whole while, the man who seemed little more than a common pirate was both resolute and unsurmountable in his cause. It baffled Kiga for the longest time.
"Yes. It was as you told me then. Should he be killed, the surrounding states would turn the prefecture into a battlefield. In the war to obtain his lands, his people would suffer. Many innocents would die."
Prior to that moment, Kiga had not questioned his orders. He had been told to kill and he had done so. Never did he think to question the why, or the moral integrity of his elders. He knew very well that they had none. Grayell was different and had proven himself so time and time again since. Yes, he'd had Kiga kill. But there was never no reason, no cause and no complete and utter conviction that there was not a better way.
Kiga was an assassin with a conscience. Where it not so, he would not have felt such remorse at the death of an old stranger.
Kiko's nose flared wide. For seven years she had tried not to think about the Far East. She had spoken about it only with concern to her actions or reactions. The Chosen bond, however, had given her and Grayell windows into the world each other lived, fought, and survived in.
She knew he had been in the Far East. What she did not know was what happened during that time. She had asked him once, when they had first met, before the bond and he was sparse with information. At the time they did not know each other at all, either. Kiko did not blame him for that. She was immediately more intent than before.
Her hand was lifted off Kiga's shoulder to allow him space.
Eternity
“Put some clothes on, you weird, yellow-eyed, table-dancing, werewolf-training, cryptic, stare-me-right-in-the-eyes-and-don't-even-blink wench.”
"Right. And it took some time for you to understand that; I know. But now, you stayed your hand. Instead of choosing to simply kill your mark, you chose valor. Courage. You chose those children, Kiga, when killing would have been much simpler. You weren't to know you'd been duped."
Grayell was smiling, shaking his head a little and looking at Kiga with a warm, if somewhat amused look. He didn't find this situation funny in the slightest, but it was simply his reaction to finding himself so damn proud of Kiga. What Kiga had accomplished far outweighed a death that was not his own doing.
He poured some more tea and thought for a moment.
"As your elder, I can absolve you of all guilt in the eyes of the Vanguard. But I don't see it to begin with. You didn't directly kill the man. You tried your damndest to stop someone else doing so. If that situation weren't so volatile, perhaps it may have ended differently. But the blame is with your adversary.
"I left them with people. Some are back with their families. Some shouldn't have to go back to their families though, so the younger ones all went to the orphange. Some were sick and are with Galena, as well as some who showed interest in learning there. Some of the older boys and one tough as nails girl wanted to learn more about the Sentinels, they've been recruited there. A couple of the girls are working at the Tavern now, a few more taking on jobs at the Marketplace.
I found somewhere for all of them. I'm sure I did. But I don't think I got to them all Gray, there has to be more, he has to have more that I don't know about..."
Kiga had just gone from slowly reciting his work the night before and throughout the day, to sounding almost frantic once more. Whilst Kiga's concern was sincere and yes, it was likely Piper still had more under his sway, it seemed quite obvious now that Kiga needed to rest. He'd pushed himself quite hard and with the stress of events unfolded, his mind was weary and he didn't have a firm handle on his state of mind.
His words stopped abruptly and he sighed, his shoulders dropping with his eyes. He looked defeated, regardless of the work he'd done.