Trinket (Reverse Harem)

Soir, Darling...

Itek held my hand while we moved through the rest of the market, and Ethat eventually re-appeared, walking behind us with his hands behind his back like a disinterested, bored noble dragon indulging in all his aloofness.

"Lady Theia."

I tensed as the familiar voice drew my ear across the market, even though Soir wasn't as close as his voice sounded.

The Lord-Raven seemed to melt out of the cluster of shoppers, flanked by watchful raven guards perched on valences and poles and ledges. His dark hair and attire twisted and swirled in the ocean breeze coming off the sparkling bay in the distance.

Ethat snarled and stopped walking, dropping his hands to his side as his arms tightened under his noble's coat, but at least he held his ground instead of trying to get a snack. Itek moved my hand to his forearm and shifted so he was between Soir and me.

"Lord-Raven," I said warily, anticipating the Song ripping through my brain.

Soir paced across the road, ignoring the other market-goers who all bent and flowed around us while watching us for scraps of gossip and chaos. He wasn't in his usual bound-clothing, but dressed more similiarly to Ethat: pants, shirt, long coat, but his were jet-black. The coat, open but clasped by long silver chains across his chest, had a hem that fell to his calves, and revealed intricate patterns of black-on-black embroidery as the sunlight moved off the surface of the fabric, while the rest of his attire was seemingly devoid of any detail beyond impeccable craftmanship. Compared to this, he only wore simple woven sandles, revealing that each sported rings in different metals and materials. His hair had been piled on top of his head in a nest-like arrangement featuring fanciful spikes and long trailing tendrils, adorned with pins and combs that gleamed with small, shiny bits of metal and shells.

"Ambassador," Soir greeted Itek, then acknowledged Ethat with a nod. "Ethat."

Ethat glared at him.

"Always so glad to see you too," Soir told Ethat with a charming, wicked smile before sweeping his attention back to me.

Itek deliberately placed himself in Soir's path. "Fair meet, Lord-Raven. We are busy but can spare you several urgent minutes."

Soir regarded Itek with a twitch of his head, a smile lurking in his expression. "So formal, Lord-Ambassador."

"Take your quest for a puzzle elsewhere, Lord-Raven."

"Speaking of elsewhere, I am aware that Lord Perhon, Captain Asund's brother, arrived last night. And yet, I sense you are preparing to leave Haven so soon."

"Why would you think that?"

Now Soir permitted himself a wicked smile. "An easy puzzle to solve. I would like to speak to Lady Theia, if you don't mind."

Soir's Song was at the edge of his voice, held back, I felt it, like a fire behind a door or like I'd been able to feel Cook staring at me when I hadn't been kneading dough fast enough. I drew closer to Itek.

"We do not have time, Lord-Raven. I'm certain a written note to the house will suit."

"I will walk with you." Soir came closer, hands behind his back.

"You will take the hint."

Soir chuckled. "Stop being dramatic, gryphon. It's about Marcus."

"What about him?"

Soir fell in alongside Itek, ignoring Itek's growling or Ethat breathing on him or the ravens bouncing along around us. Soir bent forward so he could address me around Itek. "I imagine your Hippocamp attendants will arrive before you return," Soir told me.