Malt Challenge 6/30
Cinnamon Swirl #5. The Best Laid Plans with Malt
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1263 (the same day as Pride & Joy)
Word Count : 896
Malt Prompt : Birthday gift from Sly : If it's a secret, it's binding.
The door swung out, and Ski glared into the dark corridor. “Lyssa!” she snapped at the shadowy figure poised outside her room.
“Shhh!” Lyssa flicked a finger to her lips.
“Do you have any idea how late it is?” Ski shrugged deeper into her robe, still glowering at her sister.
“Yes, I do,” Lyssa whispered. “That’s why I’m telling you to shush.”
Ski sighed and shook her head, but lowered her voice. She gave the crib and its softly snuffling occupant a glance before leaning against the doorframe.“What is it you want?”
“My room,” said Lyssa, waving her down the hall. “Come on.”
“What is it?” she asked as Lyssa’s door closed behind them.
A candle, barely flickering on Lyssa’s bedside table, flared to life as Lyssa picked her way across a floor strewn with discarded clothing to the bed. “I don’t know,” she said, settling on the edge.
“So…” Arms folded, Ski ventured a step further into the room.
Lyssa frowned. The flame beside her wavered. “This is as far as I’ve thought anything through. I was hoping we might figure out what to do next.”
“About Kairn and the boy?”
“Right. I mean, they’re here and they’re safe,” she said. “At least, I think they’re safe here. I can’t think of any place more secure than right under Mother’s nose.” Another frown, and she shoved a hand beneath her hair to give her neck a scratch. “But are they really? And are we? I mean, we don’t even know what this kid’s supposed to do.”
“I know, I know.” Ski stepped over the rumpled heap of a skirt. “We need more time.”
“Well, we’re not running about chopping up demons anymore. That should help.”
“No,” said Ski. “Now my days are consumed with diapers and oatmeal instead.” Lyssa grinned. “I have been reading again, though I have yet to find anything concrete as to the boy’s purpose. What does Kairn think he is?”
Lyssa shook her head. “Still doesn’t know.”
“We need more than just the three of us trying to decipher this.” She dragged a hand along the top of the baseboard with a sigh. “Mother…?”
“Right. I want to confess the last decade’s worth of burning things to her.” She was picking at the blankets now, tossed over the mattress in the same haphazard state as the rest of the room. How Lyssa could put the place in such a state of disarray in so little time she never knew, but one day back and it looked as if she’d never left.
“I suspect she knows more of it than you would like to think.”
Lyssa sniffed. Little stitched flowers folded and spread beneath her fingers. “I’m sure you’re right, but no, we’re leaving her out of this. It wouldn’t be safe for anyone if we tell her.” She looked up, catching Ski’s eyes with as serious an expression as she’d ever seen her wear. “Someone’s behind this, Ski. Someone besides the necromancers. Lord Nesrin put up that ransom on Kairn and Sham.”
Ski’s fingers tightened around the wood. “And you think that Mother-”
“No!” The candle popped and sparked. “No, of course not. I just don’t think she’d know who else not to trust.”
Ski sighed, letting that sink in for a moment. “So,” she said, “just who does Mother think you have stashed in her kitchens?”
“A friend.” Lyssa shrugged. She traced the edge of an embroidered petal absently with the tip of a finger.
“A friend?” said Ski. “So Mother thinks you are sleeping with him then.” Lyssa’s face soured. “You’re not, are you?”
“Of course not.”
She wasn’t sure she believed that. She knew Mother wouldn’t, but maybe that was for the best. No one needed to pry into what could easily be dismissed as Lyssa’s love life instead. That alone might be enough to keep them safe for awhile.
“So,” she said slowly, “if we are not to tell Mother, and I take it we are not to avail ourselves of anyone else’s assistance-”
“Damn right, you’re not running to Kinari.” There was another snap from the candle, and Ski raised a brow at the finger accusatorily pointed her way. “What they want is safe, it’s hidden, and it’s none of her damn business. She’s got her finger in more pots than Mother even. Who knows who hears what goes through her.”
“You suspect someone among the council?”
“I’m sure there’s at least one. Don’t know who, and I doubt Kinari does either.”
“So where does this leave us?”
There was a long moment of silence as Lyssa went back to prodding the bedding and the candle all but died. At last she looked up and said softly, “I think we need to find Rune. We’ll tell him everything,” she hastily added. Ski started to open her mouth. “Everything.”
“Lyssa, I don’t know about-”
“Everything.” There was a loud plop as the candle divested itself of a lump of wax. “If we can trust anyone, it’s Rune. You and Mara don’t have to worry. And maybe he can keep Sham safe while we figure out just what the hell he is.”
“Alright. We’ll tell him everything. And then what? We have four of us and a riddle centuries old.”
Lyssa shrugged and shoved the blankets away with a scowl. “Don’t know. We’ll see when we get there.”
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1263 (the same day as Pride & Joy)
Word Count : 896
Malt Prompt : Birthday gift from Sly : If it's a secret, it's binding.
The door swung out, and Ski glared into the dark corridor. “Lyssa!” she snapped at the shadowy figure poised outside her room.
“Shhh!” Lyssa flicked a finger to her lips.
“Do you have any idea how late it is?” Ski shrugged deeper into her robe, still glowering at her sister.
“Yes, I do,” Lyssa whispered. “That’s why I’m telling you to shush.”
Ski sighed and shook her head, but lowered her voice. She gave the crib and its softly snuffling occupant a glance before leaning against the doorframe.“What is it you want?”
“My room,” said Lyssa, waving her down the hall. “Come on.”
“What is it?” she asked as Lyssa’s door closed behind them.
A candle, barely flickering on Lyssa’s bedside table, flared to life as Lyssa picked her way across a floor strewn with discarded clothing to the bed. “I don’t know,” she said, settling on the edge.
“So…” Arms folded, Ski ventured a step further into the room.
Lyssa frowned. The flame beside her wavered. “This is as far as I’ve thought anything through. I was hoping we might figure out what to do next.”
“About Kairn and the boy?”
“Right. I mean, they’re here and they’re safe,” she said. “At least, I think they’re safe here. I can’t think of any place more secure than right under Mother’s nose.” Another frown, and she shoved a hand beneath her hair to give her neck a scratch. “But are they really? And are we? I mean, we don’t even know what this kid’s supposed to do.”
“I know, I know.” Ski stepped over the rumpled heap of a skirt. “We need more time.”
“Well, we’re not running about chopping up demons anymore. That should help.”
“No,” said Ski. “Now my days are consumed with diapers and oatmeal instead.” Lyssa grinned. “I have been reading again, though I have yet to find anything concrete as to the boy’s purpose. What does Kairn think he is?”
Lyssa shook her head. “Still doesn’t know.”
“We need more than just the three of us trying to decipher this.” She dragged a hand along the top of the baseboard with a sigh. “Mother…?”
“Right. I want to confess the last decade’s worth of burning things to her.” She was picking at the blankets now, tossed over the mattress in the same haphazard state as the rest of the room. How Lyssa could put the place in such a state of disarray in so little time she never knew, but one day back and it looked as if she’d never left.
“I suspect she knows more of it than you would like to think.”
Lyssa sniffed. Little stitched flowers folded and spread beneath her fingers. “I’m sure you’re right, but no, we’re leaving her out of this. It wouldn’t be safe for anyone if we tell her.” She looked up, catching Ski’s eyes with as serious an expression as she’d ever seen her wear. “Someone’s behind this, Ski. Someone besides the necromancers. Lord Nesrin put up that ransom on Kairn and Sham.”
Ski’s fingers tightened around the wood. “And you think that Mother-”
“No!” The candle popped and sparked. “No, of course not. I just don’t think she’d know who else not to trust.”
Ski sighed, letting that sink in for a moment. “So,” she said, “just who does Mother think you have stashed in her kitchens?”
“A friend.” Lyssa shrugged. She traced the edge of an embroidered petal absently with the tip of a finger.
“A friend?” said Ski. “So Mother thinks you are sleeping with him then.” Lyssa’s face soured. “You’re not, are you?”
“Of course not.”
She wasn’t sure she believed that. She knew Mother wouldn’t, but maybe that was for the best. No one needed to pry into what could easily be dismissed as Lyssa’s love life instead. That alone might be enough to keep them safe for awhile.
“So,” she said slowly, “if we are not to tell Mother, and I take it we are not to avail ourselves of anyone else’s assistance-”
“Damn right, you’re not running to Kinari.” There was another snap from the candle, and Ski raised a brow at the finger accusatorily pointed her way. “What they want is safe, it’s hidden, and it’s none of her damn business. She’s got her finger in more pots than Mother even. Who knows who hears what goes through her.”
“You suspect someone among the council?”
“I’m sure there’s at least one. Don’t know who, and I doubt Kinari does either.”
“So where does this leave us?”
There was a long moment of silence as Lyssa went back to prodding the bedding and the candle all but died. At last she looked up and said softly, “I think we need to find Rune. We’ll tell him everything,” she hastily added. Ski started to open her mouth. “Everything.”
“Lyssa, I don’t know about-”
“Everything.” There was a loud plop as the candle divested itself of a lump of wax. “If we can trust anyone, it’s Rune. You and Mara don’t have to worry. And maybe he can keep Sham safe while we figure out just what the hell he is.”
“Alright. We’ll tell him everything. And then what? We have four of us and a riddle centuries old.”
Lyssa shrugged and shoved the blankets away with a scowl. “Don’t know. We’ll see when we get there.”