Secrets Untold

It had been a while since his roaming had brought him South, but there was something about Faline that was incredibly suffocating at the moment. With Lasair taking a brief leave, he had nothing holding him back, so he decided to follow the unbeaten trail as well. There was only one place that he could think of that would keep him out of trouble, and the weight in his pocket gave him a reason to go there.

With the creak of the wooden door, he stepped into the empty shop, dust filtering in behind him in the stream of light. The southern farmland was wildly different from the streets of Faline, and it was odd listening to the sound of birds rather than the murmur of crowded streets.

Regardless, he used the tip of his cane to tap the door open more, the floorboards creaking beneath his steps as he strode forward. Immediately, he was greeted by the chipper voice of Lucie, to which he turned to her with a half-smile, tucking his cane into the crook of his arm with a single graceful moment.

“Hey, kid.” He murmured back, reaching out to playfully ruffle the girl’s hair. “If you don’t stop growing, I’m going to have to lop you off at the knees.” A gentle tease, a breathless sigh on his lips. It truly had been too long since he had seen the pair, and there was a pang of guilt at the thought- a strange emotion for him. Guilt was not something that was typically in his repertoire.

He looked to Danae, signing a skillful hello, my dear, which he knew was unnecessary, but he always did find her way of communication fascinating.

Tucking his hand into his pocket, he pulled out the shimmering amulet as he closed the distance between him and the counter, tossing it onto the wooden top with a clatter. Leaning lazily against the counter, he tapped his finger beside it, turning his gaze to meet Danae’s.

“I found this at the docks during the little… situation with the newcomers.” He said, a half-grin on his lips as he pushed it towards her expectantly. “Yet no one can tell me what it is. Or where it came from. There’s a scribble of something on the back, but it happens to be a language I did not have the pleasure of learning.”

He turned the amulet over to show her, the light reflecting off of the perfect cursive letters. “Perhaps you would know better than me,” he said, giving the woman a wink.