Ryoka screamed—it burned, and the more she scrubbed, the worse it got. The cackling Shaestrel swooped around her as Tyrion hesitated. He reached for his side.
It was…an objectively wild thing to hear her say that. But Ryoka hesitated, because she had only known Shaestrel for the lesser part of a day yesterday and now this morning. The fae, the…Spring Sprite? had come with the Winter Fae to deliver winter.
Shaestrel cackled as Ryoka stared down for a second, then turned red. Tyrion stared down—then turned his face. He sprayed water out to the side as the audience had mixed reactions.
Tyrion stared straight-faced as Shaestrel fell over in the air, laughing. For a man who was putting his best and only foot forwards in the realms of romance, he really couldn’t lie about swordplay. Ryoka was about to throw up her hands when he indicated her sword.
One of the watchers in the crowd slowly lowered the half-empty box of popcorn. In all honesty, Kevin had been moping around a bit ever since Ceria told him she was going and to find someone else after their fun. Listening to Shaestrel had been a lot of fun—but now he saw something that justified Mrsha’s wrath for ‘joining the traitors’.
Interesting. Objectively, just like Kevin’s observation on Numbtongue’s hotness. He was personally fascinated by the lightsaber training as he was thinking of it—and Shaestrel.
Then again, Erin tolerated the lamb, and so did Ryoka. But Nerry was just one of Ryoka’s audience. Shaestrel, House Veltras…they were, in fact, the minority.
Shaestrel shouted, but of course, the kids couldn’t hear her. And in fact, some had been ready to spend their allowance just to go through the door to see Ryoka—Erin had offered them an exception.
Kevin got to his feet slowly, grinning. He saw Nerry and Shaestrel had followed Ryoka as well. Wow. Ryoka was friendlier than he had ever seen her before. What else was changed?
But if Nerry were the stomach ulcer you managed with medicine, Shaestrel was acid in her veins. A terror as existential and deep—because she looked at the Spring Fae hovering there.
