[Mature] A Very Important Book ... Sort of. [Completed]

[Katarya Frost]

Nearly choking on the blueberries that were pushed into her mouth, Kat's expression changed to one of annoyance ... which was much better than the vacant defeated one she had sported since seeing the fire. "Why you ... But she quickly chewed and gulped down them all the same; they tasted sweeter, somehow!

He was talking, and though her mind wanted simply to sit firmly in complete despair, she managed to, somehow, to push that down. With all the strength of her mind, she took her defeat and placed it in a box that she would open later, not was not the time. She instead listened ... he was talking about a place to hide ... yes, that was the right thing to do. A look of grim determination set into her dirty face and, as Nyx climbed into her shoulder, she rose to her feet, her chin lifted somewhat. "You're right," she said. "And I am perfectly able to walk by myself. It's my herbs that up in flames, not my feet. It was a grim joke, considering. But even knowing she could say something like that seemed to enthuse her.

She did notice however, not that she was a little more 'with it', the battle of emotions that flew across his features. What was he thinking? He had never before mentioned such a place as he had described to her ... perhaps for a good reason! Inviting her to hide there must have been like she inviting him to stay in the shop, only much bigger! The fact that she knew so little about him was telling; he was secretive, probably because he had to be. Probably because that's how he survived. "That sounds like a good plan," She said, after a moment. "A place like that sounds like an excellent, temporary measure, until I can take full stock of the situation." She talked as if to make it clear; I will not intrude for longer than is necessary.. "And, thank you, Artemis." She said. Kat considered adding that he would be repaid ... but she could make no promises in that regards, and she to be honest with herself, she didn't want to thank him as part of some business transaction, but as a grateful friend ... an extraordinarily grateful friend!

Nyx chattered softly on the witch's shoulder, as if the raven herself was echoing the sentiment.

Kat, hitched up her skirts a little, and smoothed the locks of hair that had come loose from the braid, clearing her throat and raising her head imperiously. "Shall we?"

[Artemis Black]

The sudden shift to annoyance almost made Artemis double over in laughter when he spotted it. There she was again, back at the helm, at least for now. Then she was talking, standing even, and making poor jokes. “At least it will give the street some interesting smells,” he offered with a shrug to her gallows humor. She was back to trying to spare his feelings again and for the first time it was almost comforting. He’d still need to give her a stern lesson in risk assessment before things were all said and done, but they’d struggle through. “Oh don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be thanking me vigorously once we arrive,” he said smirking and winking. He peeked around their hiding place toward where the sun would eventually rise.

She hitched up her skirts and he grinned, giving her a once over. “Beaky, if you’d do the honors,” he said, offering the bird a gentle scratch before motioning to the sky. The bird was up, and they were away. The thief kept a much more sedate pace as they picked their way over, around, and across all manner of roofing heading towards the eastern district. He only had to help her over obstacles a hand of times before he brought them to a halt atop a broad sloped clay tiled roof.

Artemis gestured grandly at his feet. “Welcome, Miss Frost, to our grand estate, with easy rooftop access,” he said, making his way over to an iron-banded hatch near the south edge of the roof. After a moment to get into position, and with only two soft curses for his hands, he lifted the hatch open with a grunt. “In you go, don’t wander around once you land. Just step to the side and wait." Once she’d gotten herself inside he followed, the hatch closing with and ominous thump. They were in a small wood floored room. Pale moonlight drifted in through dirt-caked windows and gave the place an ethereal feel. “This way,” he said, moving towards a smashed wooden door hanging twisted off its frame. “Beaky can come through a window if she cares to, but there’s not much interesting inside,” he mentioned over his shoulder as he shuffled around rotting wooden crates and split barrels.

The stairs were clearly in poor shape, and likely couldn’t have taken a pair of larger people, but they held. Their groans of protest combined with the wind wailing through shattered windows and the poor lighting gave credence to the tales of this warehouse being thoroughly haunted. As Artemis’ boots hit the packed dirt floor there was a chorus of frantic squeaks and several shadows scrambled to darker corners. “Our illustrious staff, always ready to lend a hand,” he said, sweeping his hand over the scattered piles of junk and debris. The thief continued the slow shuffle around the trash until he reached a wall lined with massive holding barrels. He always imagined they were the one thing truly left alone given their immense size. He fumbled around under the leg of one of the barrels and pulled a small lever. There was a deep mechanical click, and the front of the barrel swung open to reveal a dark stone stairwell downward. Artemis fiddled with a torch hanging on the wall, and in a moment had it crackling with faint light. He swept the wood ahead and bowed, speaking in his most posh voice, “Miss Frost, the private stairs to the royal suite.”

The bottom of the stairs revealed a heavy iron-banded oak door and a closed set of spread iron bars, not unlike a jail wall, blocking the remainder of the stone hall. Artemis opened the heavy door with a shove and placed the torch in a sconce beside the door. “Your suite, in all its splendor,” he said, sweeping his arms across the sparsely furnished room. In the near corner there was a small warped wood table, a pair of heavy looking chairs, across from it several worn but sealed boxes sat haphazardly stacked, and finally a large straw mattress and scratchy looking blanket dominated the remaining corner. He turned to look at her, his smile starting to crack.

[Katarya Frost]

The experience of walking over the rooftops of the city she knew was novel and difficult. She gained a new respect for Artemis as they moved along under the heavy moon; he was so nimble up here, while she had to be helped (and only accepted because she did want to make a fool of herself ... or die) over a lot of the obstacles he seem to simply skip around.

Nyx kept to the air, and Katarya smiled to herself at the way her familiar and Artemis interacted. It again made her wonder; what was her raven capable of? Nyx obviously liked Artemis, and approved of him ... possibly due to him spoiling her all the time! But still ... she was looking forward to the day she could actually have a fluent conversation with the spirit she had brought forth from the darkness.

The last part of their journey was no less difficult, mainly due to her skirts, which she soundly cursed as she tried to follow him. When they were down the hatch, she looked around at the room, wondering for a moment if this was the hideout he had spoken of, and was relieved when he continued onward. When she heard the scurry of rodents, she tried to not squirm ... she wasn't exactly going to hop onto a chair and scream, but she wasn't all that fond of being in such close quarters with vermin.

Thankfully, they didn't stop there.

When they reached the hidden entrance, and Artemis reached between the barrels, to activate the mechanism to open it up, Kat raised a brow. "Impressive!" She said, and meant it. "I rather feel like a character in a story book ... running over rooftops with a Prince of Thieves, and then heading to a secret lair!" She even chuckled as he affected a high-born like tone. "Thank you kindly, Mr. Black." She replied, with a curtsy. Perhaps the whole night had addled her brain, as she was not usually given to such playfulness.

She stepped through and down the stairs as she was bid, looking around her. She didn't say anything, right away. Her mind was taking it in. Was this how he lived? Was this his idea of a good place? She would never let on to him, for she knew he would hate it, but at that moment she felt sorry for him, and wondered what his life must have been like. She felt spoiled and coddled, in comparison. Then she remembered her life had just gone up in smoke and shook the thoughts away.

"This is quite something!" She said, and meaning it. When she turned to look at him, she noticed how the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Also, she knew that should she offer false compliments, he would immediately realise it and resent her for patronising him. They were too alike for their own good! So she simply spoke her mind. "You certainly could use a woman's touch here, Artemis." She said, motioning to the clutter. "A few fresh herbs here and there ... and I'm sure we can get you something more comfortable to sleep with than a sheet that looks like it would shred your skin! She stepped forward and took both his hands in hers, looking right into his eyes. "But I am beyond grateful that you have opened this place to me." She reached up and pushed a lock of his hair back over his ear, something a man might do to his lover. "I am not entirely sure what I am meant to do now, but I know that you have given me a small chance at at least having the opportunity to do something. Were it not for you, I'd either be in jail or dead." She glanced away. "I'm not sure how I will ever be able to repay your kindness, but I will do everything I can to do so ... some day, at least."

She suddenly felt bone weary. Her shoulders slumped as the adrenaline and shock that had kept her upright was fading fast. "What I wouldn't give for a stiff drink, right now." She mused. "I believe that's the custom, yes? Harsh spirits for when your life has ended?" She laughed humorlessly. She let go of one of his hands while she twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers idly. "What in Ny'tha's name do I do now?" It wasn't clear if she was asking him, or herself.

[Artemis Black]

The 'Prince of Thieves' comment had caused a tingle at the back of his neck, even said in jest. He didn't exactly have such aspirations, but the way she said it could certainly make a man reconsider. He couldn't suppress a small bit of pride when she complimented his meager home. She was starting to talk quite a lot, and though he didn't mind, he wondered if this was her trying to relax, or simply a side effect of being wound tight enough to snap.

As he wondered, he watched the wave of exhaustion hit her like a runaway wagon; she practically crumpled in on herself, and the chattiness dropped significantly. When she mentioned drinks, he chuckled but let her finish the ramble of her thoughts.

"I'm happy to offer you all of this. I know it's nothing, even compared to your stock room. Still, as terribly meager as it is, it's my home," he said, a touch of pride in his voice. "As for drinks, I have just the thing." He removed the half-empty decanter of cognac and set it on the table, then immediately went over to one of the boxes on the floor. The box creaked fiercely as he opened it and pulled out an unmarked bottle of pale brown liquid. "We can save the good stuff for after you're ready. For now, we drown our sorrows like proper folk," he said, uncorking the bottle to release a very strong odor of whiskey.

He corralled Katarya over to the table, dropped the bottle down, took the cognac away, and returned with two battered wooden cups. "Sit, take a drink, and then decide if you want another," he said, motioning at the chair beside her. "Once you've finished that, I have something special for you, and then we move on to the highlight of the evening." He waggled his eyebrows as he said the last part and took his own chair. He poured them both a large portion of the strong alcohol and without preamble downed his cup. "To life, may it stay worth living," he said as the alcohol burned his throat and numbed his chest.

[Katarya Frost]

As tired as she was, there was something to be said about this little ritual, the raising a glass (or in this case, a wooden cup) in spite of all her misfortunes. She had been seated (and did so like a lady, smoothing her rather dusty skirt as she sat), and smiled as Artemis talked. "I happen to find your home rather wonderful," she said, as he poured them both a drink. She eyed the liquid, dubiously, however. She had never had a 'proper' drink before. "A secret lair ... all of your own. I hope I don't sound patronising, but I admit to being a little jealous. Having a place where you can seal yourself away the world ... it sounds rather good to me."

She tapped his cup to her own, and took a drink ... a big drink ... "Ny'tha's teeth!" She gasped, coughing a little. "That certainly is ... well ... oh, it's absolutely foul!" Despite that, she was smiling and swirled the drink in its cup, raising it again. "And to the Prince of Thieves; and a moral code I never knew he possessed." She said, grandly. This time, she sipped. It would take some getting used to, and she wished he had started with the finer stuff instead, but still ... there was something oddly comforting about this whole situation. She felt safe.

The drink warmed her insides, and her cheeks turned pink. Inexperience with alcohol and her extreme fatigue would probably render her completely out of sorts after a cup or two more, but for now the giddy rush was welcome.

"So what is this 'something special' you have in store for me?" She asked, tapping the cup with a finger. "And if you dare to ask me to close my eyes and hold out my hand ... well, let's just say the last man who tried that trick felt a great deal of pain in a certain part of his body." She raised a brow, though smiled.

Thank Ny'tha for alcohol.

[Artemis Black]

He wasn't sure all this talk of princes or secret lairs was good for his head, but he did get the enjoyment of watching Katarya have her first cup. "You've not indulged in Sailor's Comfort before then, I take it," he said with a smack of his lips after downing a second large helping of the alcohol. His eyes lit up as she asked for the surprise, and he started to reply before she'd finished. "I-" he balked as she mentioned the exact thing he'd intended to do. He cleared his throat to buy time before starting again, "If you would, I'll need you to sit over there and close your eyes," he said, motioning to the straw mattress. "No hands out though, I promise," he immediately added, shaking his hands to show them above the table.

When she complied, after giving him a look he'd not soon forget, he carefully moved around behind her and slipped the scarf from his chest satchel. "I'm going to touch your hair and neck now, please don't hurt me," he said with a smile in his voice. He slowly unfolded the soft fabric and lifted he braid out of the way. When he deftly moving the scarf around her neck his hand bumped her skin, and he almost recoiled. It felt like stroking a block of ice. Shivering at the sensation, he settled the rest of the fabric into place and stepped back. "Your first surprise of the hour, though, not your last, if you grace me with cooperation."

[Katarya Frost]

Katarya was drunk; there was no doubt. Not the staggering-around-hitting-the-floor drunk, but drunk nonetheless. So she smiled when Artemis asked her to take a seat, facing away from him. "You're being very mysterious, Mr. Black." She said, with a smile, but did as she was told (yup, definitely drunk).

For a moment, she sat, listening to him rummaging for something and wondering what it might be. With a man like Artemis, one could never know. When he warned her that he was going to touch her hair, she was glad of the warning. She didn't want instinct to kick in and him get a short sharp slap! "I promise not to turn you into anything ... unnatural. Well, not until I get my surprise, at least!" So she sat still. When he gently moved her braid, a shiver coursed through her, goosebumps raising on her skin. It was all she could do not to gasp at the sensation (luckily managing to keep it in, not wanting to be the dreaded 'swooning maiden'). As his hands brushed her skin, she closed her eyes a moment, enjoying the intimacy of it. But his hands felt hot ... the burns ...

But she opened them when she felt something warm and delicate around her neck. She opened her eyes to look down at the gorgeous fabric, one end of which she took in her hand, feeling the smooth material. "This is beautiful! My favourite colour. I shan't ask how you got this ..." She said, enjoying the feeling of good, fine wool. This was not cheap to procure ... if he had even bothered to hand coin over for it. Sure, it was most likely stolen, but she didn't really care at that moment.

She turned on the mattress and rose, smiling as she pulled the scarf closer around her neck. "What did I do to deserve this?" She asked, taking him by the hands, in another unusual display of affection. But this time she frowned at the redness on his skin.

"This won't do," she said, then looked up at him. "This may tingle a bit ... plus I'm tipsy, so I apologise in advance if your hands fall off." Her mouth twitched at the poor joke, but then she closed her eyes. After taking a few breaths, she whispered something strange; perhaps Elvish, she spoke in the same tone as she always did when using magic, steady and measured.

From her hands, a coldness seeped from her to his hands, as if they had been plunged into cold water. After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked up. "Better?" She asked, not letting go of his hands.

[Artemis Black]

He did not like how much warmth he felt in his chest, nor the tightness that followed it, when Katarya expressed her pleasure with the gift. This was very quickly becoming a very serious problem, and the two cups of SaCo were not helping him stick to his plan. "Perks of being a friend," he said, wincing as she took his hand in hers. He was going to laugh at her clear joke when he felt the magic drift into his hands. His discomfort evaporated, at the same time, his entire body tensed to fight. "Yes, and sorry," he said as he forced down his instincts to lash out. "Magic makes me a little... jumpy. Particularly tonight it seems."

He entwined his fingers with hers and squeezed gently. "Much better feeling," he offered with a grin. He desperately wanted to kiss her, but he had to stick to the plan. "And now, your last surprise." He wrapped his arms around her tightly and placed his chin on her shoulder. "Look, no one can see you now. No one can know what you're doing. It's okay to cry sometimes. Deb even says so," he said, squeezing her firmly.

[Katarya Frost]

Kat blinked in surprise as she found herself in his embrace. Her body stiffened at first, but then relaxed fairly quickly (probably with a little assistance from the alcohol). After a moment, she put her arms around him gently. She silently cursed him in her mind as he spoke, and she was glad he couldn't see her face.

Katarya did not cry. The last time she did, she had been six years old and it was her grandmother, sitting her down and explaining, as well as anyone could explain such news, that her mother had died. She had cried then, for a long, long time. She remembered it well. She had remembered the pain, and though crying offered relief, she had been so afraid to ever feel that pain again that she had wrapped a wall of ice and steel around her heart. Overnight, she had turned from a playful young girl, to a serious, smart talking girl who never missed an oportunity to sass her betters. Even her grandmother hadn't been spared the girl's razor sharp tongue, though Lilian had never responded ... she remembered how much that had infuriated her.

Now, Artemis was giving her permission to cry. She let her head rest on his shoulder, and felt the tickle of tears in her eyes. For surely, if there was a time she could allow herself to give in to the tears, it was now. She had lost everything. Not just her livelihood and position, but the shop that she had grown up in, a place full of memories that she cherished, despite her haughty exterior. Memories of her grandmother, memories of happy times spent playing (usually by herself), memories of a time that now seemed like an age past.

A single tear escaped her eyes, falling from her cheek onto Artemis' shoulder. And as it did, she took a long steady breath. 'That will do,' she thought, sadly stubborn, because even now, with all that had happened, and within the safe confines of this man's arms, Katarya Frost could not bring herself to break. She couldn't; she wouldn't.

So she pulled back and, without hesitation, pulled his mouth to hers and kissed him, long and deep. There was an urgency to it that even she did not understand. It was more than just the desires of the flesh; she wanted to be with him, she wanted more than their teasing kisses and backhanded compliments. She let the alcohol and the kiss take over her, her hands moving to hold his face gently. If she could not cry, she could do this; she could show emotion in another way, still alien to her, but it felt right. She broke the kiss, but did not move, instead touching his forehead with his own. There was a brief shudder, as if she might cry after all, but it passed, and her hands went to his shoulders. "Thank you." She said, softly.

[Artemis Black]

Crying was something Artemis understood well enough, he’d certainly shed many tears throughout his life. He also knew that there were people who refused to cry under some misguided belief that they could shield themselves from harm. That was like trying to keep the gutters clean by scaring off the homeless. Eventually there’d be simply nowhere else for them to go. He felt her soft trembles and heard the tear splash against his armor. He was ready to hold her for as long as this took. He was not ready to be taken into her hands and kissed like a lost fisherman returning to port. Heat rushed through his entire body and he tensed before letting his arms fall to his side. Then the kiss broke, and he almost gasped from its absence. Her thanks barely registered as all of the errant thoughts in his head hardened into one strong need. ‘Keep her safe, she deserves everything,’ his mind shouted at him in the sudden silence.

The Thief felt a twitch in his lip and let the smile take over his features. He pulled her close and gently bit into her neck, just below the line of her jaw. Then he closed his lips in a wet kiss before lifting his lips to her ear. “I really didn’t have a plan after that, but we should probably get you out of these clothes and to sleep,” he whispered, his voice hoarse from holding back. “You don’t need to thank me so often. Perks of being a friend,” he said, his voice stronger now as he gave her one last squeeze and pulled back. It had been a very long day, and tomorrow wasn’t looking like it would be much better, for him at least.