]With his bag over his shoulder, Kit hurried out of the Hall. He (foolishly) assumed that, being so new, young, and not involved in any activities with any of the heads of the place, that his occasional, unexplained absences would go unnoticed.
He was excited. In his bag was something very precious to him. A writing book of his very own!
"You said it might help, so I managed to get you this." Helo had said, handing it over, and laughing at the boy's reaction. One would have thought he had just handed over a pot of gold. "I hope it proves useful."
Kit had nearly jumped up and down in glee! He had all this knowledge in his head, but without the books around him he had learned all of it from to refresh him or go back to, he was constantly worried about forgetting it all. "Helo this is wonderful! Thank you so much! It's amazing!" This way he could have notes that were not either kept by, or checked by the University. He could be free with his notes on the two's experiments!
With the book, he slowed to a walk as he turned the next street, eyes scanning the crowded street until he saw a familiar sight. A cat sat on a wall, silvery grey coat, bright green eyes (even in his cat-form Helo still seemed to pull off looking amused). When the cat jumped down and towards him, Kit picked him up and continued to walk.
*
"Is this your new place?" Kit asked, as they stepped inside a shack in the slums. While it was only a small place with a single room, it was a huge step up from the broken hut they had been huddled in each time they had met.
Helo grinned and opened his arms. "Welcome to my very own castle, Kit!" He was particularly proud of the small fire place, bed, and even a rug! His work with the Sparrows was paying off, and he could afford the small rent to have his own place. He wasn't under any illusion that it was completely private. No doubt Mila would be keeping eyes on him, but he had explained his relationship with the young mage, and though he could hardly say the assassin trusted him, she had simply told him to keep his mouth shut about the Sparrows, and to make sure he never said her name. She was not keen on having Artemis Black knowing she was forming her own group in the city ... if he didn't already.
Helo motioned for Kit to take a seat on the scratchy rug (better than a cold bare floor!) and even made them both tea. "What have you got planned for today, oh mighty wizard?" He teased.
Kit grinned. "I don't know about 'mighty'." He said, taking out his book and pencil. "But I have made some notes, and have some theories and ideas. Today will just be wondering which of those is true."
Helo handed the cup of peppermint tea over, the smell refreshing in the slightly musty shack. "Whatever you need. How have you been? Are you being treated well?"
Kit gave a smile. Helo asked this every time they met. "Perfectly fine, thank you. I have a few chores and errands to help do my part to earn my keep. I do wish I could do more though, but I suppose that will come in time." He said. He hoped. "How about you? You seem better. I like your new clothes, as well as being pleased you have a proper place to school."
Helo was fitted in decent quality clothes for the first time in months, and he felt so much better for it. The Changeling had been put to work immediately by Mila, which he needed to do to repay his debt. Once that had been taken care of (which had meant several burglaries per night), he had been "gifted" with some clothing and enough coin from his spoils to keep this place. "I am also doing well. I managed to track down an old friend, and she has been kind enough to help me. It's a little hush-hush, so best not to ask." He laughed at Kit's raised brows. "Don't worry, my friend. It's a good thing. Now! Where shall we begin?"
*
"So the thing I found interesting is the color of your connections ... ah ... I see magic as threads that connect people to other people, or objects. To everything. Everything from you to me, or you to the bed, the walls, the fire even. The colours of the threads seem to change depending on who I am sensing. It requires a lot more research, but so far ..." He turned the book (which was almost full of a dizzying number of notes, quotes, citations, musings, theories, ideas and even crude charts. "I have noticed that when I see different species, their colours are different. Though they change a little as they experience different emotions, there is always a constant colour. For example, you cast a kind of ... magenta ... a pinkish purple. Humans are blue, with some small variations, but always a kind of blue. Elves are an emerald colour, quite beautiful really ..." He handed the book over. "That's all I have on identifying what a person is, in terms of their race." He said so a little glumly. "Which anyone can do just by looking at them."
Helo looked at the small chart Kit had made with the corresponding colours. He looked up to see the boy looking disappointed. "Kit, this a great! I mean it! Think: if you saw an Elf or Human walking down the street, with your abilities you can sense that they might not even be what they appear to be! They could be like me, a Changeling." He turned the page, cocking his head. "It says here about magic and fractals?" He prompted, wanting to make sure he encouraged the lad.
Kit sipped at the tea, nodding. "I have noticed that when a person has magic, or is magic ... like the Fae, they have these strange fractals around them. They are quite faint, when the person isn't actively using their magic, but glow quite strongly when the person actually uses their magic. It doesn't help me tell what they are doing, just that they are doing something."
Helo flicked through the pages, impressed. The words had obviously been written in haste, but the language he used was as if this had been written by someone much older; an academic of some kind. Not some self-conscious teenager! He continued to look through it, though none of it made sense to him. It seemed very disjointed. The lad certainly liked quotes! The whole book was littered with them! He gave a reassuring smile. "Kit ... you may have started out trying to figure out this whole 'telling a truth from a lie' thing, but you have still managed to expand on what you had, before! Think! You will be able to identify magic users and when they are actually using magic! That's no small feat! I would certainly like to be able to do the same. Knowing a person has magic could be a very handy tool. It's a really good start." He laughed as Kit gave a small smile. "It also seems like you're going to need another book! I shall get you one tomorrow." He promised. He had coin for a book, though not much more.
He would have to push Mila for more jobs. She wouldn't mind, of course. Her desire to turn the Sparrows into something bigger and better meant coin was needed, though she never revealed what it was for. Though he was hardly on good terms with the other Sparrows, he had heard them talk about taking contracts that paid more, some of which he wanted nothing to do with. He was clear that he wanted nothing to do with murdering anyone, even if Mila insisted they "had it coming".
Kit took back the book and ran his hand across it. "I did get through this one quite quickly," he admitted, sheepishly. "But if I get anymore, I will have a hard time hiding them at the Hall. Unless I get myself a chest, but they aren't cheap ... and I won't accept one from you either ... I mean no offence, of course. You have just done so much for me, helping me. I wouldn't feel comfortable taking anything like that from you."
Helo lounged back, propping his head up on his arm. "No offence taken." He reassured the boy. "If you can't fit them in your bag, you could always keep them here." He offered, with a shrug.
Kit bit his lip. "That's very kind ... would they ... would they be safe? I don't mean anything by it, but if you were caught with this ..."
Helo shook his head. "They'd be safe, I promise." He said. "The friend I mentioned; she makes sure that the people who work for her are left well alone. They'd be perfectly safe here, though you'd not have them to hand when you want to study."
"It'd be risky for me to study them at the Hall, regardless." He said, thinking it over. Then: "Your friend ... who is she? She sounds important."
"Someone whose name you're better off not knowing." He gave a small chuckle. "Don't look so alarmed. She's just a person in a very different kind of world that you're used to, and she prefers to remain anonymous."
Kit shifted as he mulled that over. "Does she know about me?"
Helo nodded, the smile dropping slightly. "She does. It would not work out well for me if she found out I was keeping a secret like this. But there's nothing to worry about."
The young mage tried to keep the doubt he felt from showing on his face, albeit unsuccessfully. "I see."
Sitting up, Helo looked Kit right in the eye. "If I thought you were in danger from her, then we wouldn't be sitting here now. She gave her word, and I trust that." Kind of. "But you are living in Artemis Black's place, plus essentially kind of working for him. Along with being a student to House Nyshasa, you move in very different circles. It's simply a matter of practicality and discretion. Don't dwell on it, Kit. Just focus on what you want. Remember you are your own person. You don't belong to Black, me, the University. You are your own man. You make your own decisions."
Kit nodded, but didn't respond. They were fine words, but he wasn't so sure. He relied on the kindness of the people at the East Hall, and the guidance of Professor LaNore, not to mention the protection afforded him by both Black and LaNore as a mage in a city where his very existing was a crime. He managed a smile as he pulled his bag closer to him. "I brought food!" He said, rather than voice his uncertainties. He rummaged through the bag and set out some cheese, bread and meats.
Helo also nodded, noting that the boy had not responded to his 'inspiring' little speech about the lad being his own person. He was guessing Kit didn't think the same way, but Helo was not one to push. He had plenty of things he did not say, so he was hardly in a position to poke the lad into talking. Instead he turned his eyes to the food. "This is enough to feed a small army!" He laughed.
Kit joined in the laugh, breaking the small tension in the air. "Miss Lena is very generous."
"I'll make us more tea." The Changeling said, getting to his feet. "And if you want to just sit around and talk today, Kit; that's fine, you know. We don't always have to-"
"I want to!" Kit said, quickly. Then he blushed. "Sorry ... I'm a little impatient. But I would also enjoy just talking if you don't want to spend your time sitting in silence while I work."
Casting the leaves into the pot over the fire, Helo took in a deep breath, enjoying the peppermint smell, strong and sweet. He glanced over his shoulder. "Let's do both. You're working all the time; it'll be good for you to relax a little. Why don't we say we gave a little time each meeting to just talk, or maybe go out into the city?"
In all honesty, Kit would much rather forge on with his studies. But he also enjoyed his friendship with Helo; it felt like the most honest one he had! So he nodded and smiled. "That sounds good. How much cheese would you like?"
Helo shrugged. "All of it!"
Kit laughed.
