Sometimes, Anarchy is Best ~~ Shadows

8.) Alastair

The days after that incident with him yelling at Rune went by almost sickeningly quickly; each day feeling like nothing but a five-minute spinning rollercoaster of churning thoughts and worries and anger and guilt and then he was passing out in bed again.

That didn't mean he was unaware though. If Alastair had a list of talents, being oddly hyperfixated on small details was most definitely near the top. Little things stood out to him, things that no one else seemed to take into account.

For example, in the duration of the near two weeks that made up the majority of Rune's serious healing process, he had noticed that she didn't like being told she was wrong. She hated being told she was mistaken, even on the smallest things. She learned fine, but once she knew something, it was nearly impossible to get her to believe something else.

Also, the crow hybrid had taken an interest in the healing supplies, the things they'd used in that process of patching her up and even fixing up Archer's bandages when needed.

At this point Archer was healed entirely, his arm like it's never been shot save for two scars where the bullet went through and they'd sewed him up. Rune was mostly fine. She complained every once in a while about her wings aching, but that was bound to be the case when she'd been restrained for god knows how long and then hurt that badly.

During this healing process, Rune hadn't gone outside once, everyone being able to agree that no matter how much the crow hybrid wanted to have some fresh air, it simply wasn't safe with Clay frequenting the area.

And frequenting he was - Alastair had run into him no less than four times during his own outings. Once was on a simple walk, another on the way back from a store trip with Gray. They never seemed to be planned, and Clay had gotten progressively more jumpy and snappy with each interaction. Alastair had tried asking about the issue, but the Kiophao hybrid insisted time and time again that he was fine, he just had to find this thing Carson lost and he'd go back to normal.

It was almost enough to make Alastair feel guilty over keeping Rune so hidden, but he'd promised to keep her safe to Toby, and Alastair didn't break his promises. Plus, he owed the goat hybrid many favors, he could cash this in as at least twelve of them. Probably.

They'd set Rune up with a room during the last two weeks as well, converting one of the old storage rooms into a living space for her. It had previously been where Ewe stashed her collection of random "treasures" she'd accumulated over the years. But after clearing it all out, they were able to make it into a simple yet cozy bedroom.

The thin brown carpet now had a plush circular black rug covering most of the floor space, providing a soft place to walk or sit. Against one wall stood a twin bed with a light blue duvet cover and plenty of fluffy pillows piled at the headboard. A small nightstand sat beside it, bare except for a lamp that cast a warm, relaxing glow.

In the opposite corner, they'd managed to find an old wooden desk and chair, providing Rune with a workspace if she needed it. Though it currently just held a stack of books Ewe had lent her from the library a little ways uptown. The final touch was a standing mirror positioned by the room's small closet space.

It was a modest setup, but one that felt welcoming and personalized specifically for Rune. Alastair had to admit the others had done a good job making it into a comfortable living quarters, despite its humble storage room origins.

He found himself strangely satisfied seeing the crow hybrid's living space come together. As if ensuring she had a proper room to call her own was one small way to make up for his overly harsh behavior from before. Not that that was true, or that he'd even properly apologized, but it still gave him some comfort ensuring she didn't hate it there.