The Mu clan isn't just going to hide you away a few days from the capital. The carriage is bumpy, each little pebble on the road sending a new flavor of special pain into the lump of meat that used to be your arm. Naturally there are few to no breaks, no real chances to stretch your still unsteady legs, lest you be seen and noted traveling somewhere. At least you're getting good enough at eating with your left hand.
Only once does the carriage really stop in anything resembling a town. You're not allowed to leave of course, but you do gain a traveling companion. A hooded woman slips into the carriage carefully, keeping silent with her hood tucked low until the carriage is well past the town where you left.
"
Analyze" months without being able to talk, and a voice that stays weak and trembling even now have made it easy to be quiet, though you still can't quite get the knack of using any skills silently. Still, the woman perks a little as you read what little information the sheet gives.
Name: Stone Soul
Sex: Female
Age: ??
Level: ??
Class: Healer
Specialty: ????????????
Element: Life
Rank: C+
Only when the town is well out of sight, does the woman let out a sigh. "Ugh, kid, never get involved with men. Don't even talk to 'em. You won't get what I mean till later, but trust me, they're good for about one thing total and even that's more trouble than its worth."
You give a level, sullen stare, "I'm not an idiot, I know what sex is." the words are quieter and more strained than you'd like. You haven't gotten as many chances to talk as you really need to recover all the way.
The woman sighs again, pulling back her hood to reveal a beautiful heart-shaped face with plump lips and wide, innocent looking eyes that contrast far too much with her tone, "Hasn't anyone ever told you to be respectful to your elders and your doc? Fuck it, show me the arm. Come on, even if we have all day, there's no reason to hold off."
You blink at that, a little taken by her unexpected brusqueness, after everyone's been stepping on eggshells around you, it's almost nice to have someone talking so normally.
Slowly you lift your right hand to her outstretched palm, wincing as she grabs your wrist and runs her other arm down the bandaged length, gripping tightly at points. Then she drops it painfully to give you a once over. Her hands moving around rudely to press your neck, your sides and generally feel you up in a rather disconcerting way.
"H-hey" you can't help but exclaim, "What are you some kinda perv?"
Stone Soul just whistles softly, "Wow, I mean, wow, you really fucked yourself up kid," she sounds impressed as much as anything. It's enough to wipe the budding smile from your face and send Autumn growling at your feet. Sullenly, you cradle your right arm and turn away from her.
"Oh come on, you can't even handle a little bit of beside manner? Toughen up kid, the world ain't gonna pull any punches just because you're a useless cripple you know."
The words are awful, but there's no real cruelty, and there's something pleasantly familiar about Stone Soul's complete lack of decorum, it makes you remember the few good days and nice faces you saw in the Lower City.
Despite the bumpy carriage, the woman stands up and presses a softly glowing hand into your forearm while leaning over and planting a quick kiss on your forehead. There's a sudden flash of heat and the pain in your arm fades to nothing.
"Aint gonna do that all the time you know, cause you gotta toughen up sooner or later, but really, a woman's weapon is her smile! Just, eh, never smile at a man. Nothing good comes of it," Stone Soul sighs again and shakes her head irritably.
"So, you're like
that," you say it without any intention of being heard, but the healer across from you stiffens and the color drains from her face.
"LIKE HELL!"
-------------
The next few days are the best you've had in months. Somehow the way Stone Soul is so matter of fact about your illness, treating you like you're not made of glass, even as she ruthlessly pokes and prods your body and casually insults you, are beyond comforting. You're not up for talking much, but even your neglected voice starts to get enough practice. Autumn can't decide whether he likes how happy you seem or hates the woman for making you angry all the time. Mountain Peak Blossom—the glutton—likes her because she's not squeamish about feeding the plant whenever it wants.
Stone Soul's not exactly quiet and you manage to pick up that she's apparently in the army and she got in trouble when she tried to stop sleeping with her commanding officer or something and he wasn't quite happy that she wanted to end it all of a sudden just because he proposed marriage. You're not sure how that ended up with a young talented C+ healer several steps under Mu Zen's command needing to run away just as you were heading off and needing a doctor, but you're not complaining. You guess it's like Stone Soul says and adults go all crazy over a little bit of sex.
--------
All good things end sooner or later, and as great as it is traveling with the foul mouthed healer. On the eighth or ninth day of the journey, Stone Soul perks right up and gestures outside, "See all those trees, I think they're yours now."
You stare outside and marvel. Beautiful trees stretch in almost uniform lines as far as you can see.
"Really?" you can't keep the doubt out of your voice.
"Like hell. They're the Mu clan's even if you're going to be the little princess in charge here. And it's not like you're going to be out here picking. That town we passed through a day ago'll be the ones handling everything really. You just get to stand around look all rich and silly and act like its your doing that a single apple manages to come out outta this Windy Hill orchard."
You ignore Soul's sour tones and opt to stare out at the orchards. Autumn looks at the gentle shade, at squirrels darting between the trees without a care in the world, and then up at you, his tail wagging like some rotten little puppy.
"Later," At that, Autumn slinks down to nap sullenly on your lap. The increasingly heavy kitten ignores your every effort to wake him up and sending Stone Soul into a tizzy of laughter.
Mountain Peak Blossom jostles your neck, just to tell you that it'd never be so bratty and also just to suck a little tiny bit of blood. Captivated as you are by the—your—orchards, you barely care about the blood loss. Stone Soul's right there to heal you if you need it after all.
Still, it's not like you're really going to be playing around here that much at all, is it. You thump one of your almost useless legs angrily and wait for the estate proper to come into view.
Near the center of the orchard, the trees give way to a small grassy hill with a small fence and a wide mansion atop it.
"Nice digs," Stone Soul whistles in admiration, mirroring your thoughts. As the carriage pulls to a halt, Autumn bolts awake and begins pawing angrily at the door. You stretch out and work at the door handle until you manage to get it open. Then, wincing as your legs creak, you grab your walking cane and step down out of the carriage, practically stepping into a line of servants dressed in black and gold robes.
As one all 6 of them bow to you, then the thin elderly woman at the head of the line steps forward, "This servant is honored to welcome the mistress. As the head housekeeper here, this servant hopes you can find it in you to forgive these humble servants our clumsiness. It's rare that any from the Mu clan deign to truly visit this quiet summer estate."
Her tone is formal and painfully deferential.
"I'm not a clan member," you squeak out against the wave of courtesy directed at you. Quiet Willow examines you calmly for a few moments, then bows even deeper, "Of course, this humble servant is aware of the mistress' circumstances. No offense was intended."
You edge away a little. You can deal with Peach Blossom or the Idiot or Stone Soul, but something about Willow's armor of courtesy is just off-putting. That's not how people are supposed to talk to you. Willow reminds you of an older Winter Breeze a little, and the similarity hurts after how that turned out, but Winter Breeze would face you with iciness, but never such frosty etiquette, no matter how much Breeze would demand you act with the same.
"Would the madame care to survey her estate?"
Any escape you can take to avoid talking one on one with this woman. One of the other servants stifles a giggle seeing your pained face and you shoot the woman a glare which earns you nothing but a cheeky smile.
"Please introduce everyone then." You do your best to sound like a noble, but you don't think you quite make it. Willow nods quietly and gracefully extends you an arm to help you walk more easily.
"In order of seniority, allow me to present Green Stone, and Summer's Night," Quiet Willow gestures at a man perhaps a few years older than Willow and a rotund woman with streaks of gray in her hair. Both bow low to you.
"Green Stone is in charge of the grounds and oversees the orchards while Summer's Night is in charge of the food." You smile uneasily as you greet the two and quickly move along down the list to the woman who laughed at you earlier.
"Soft Crash," you stare at the name, "is in charge of repairs on the estate, and is to do no other modifications, unless you deign to permit such of course."
"I'm sure the new mistress is definitely intelligent enough to appreciate my genius, aren't you kid?" The woman in her mid-twenties—is her hair singed—smiles at you and gives you her best pleading look, then freezes as Quiet Willow stares her down. You mumble a greeting and move on.
"Laughter," a boy of perhaps 16 bows his head low, "Is Summer Night's assistant. I hope his skill with fish to Mistress' taste."
"Tch, can we just get this over already," you stare at the next girl, marveling at her rudeness, then her strange looks. Her face looks young enough, but it also looks like it's made out of copper, actual copper. It's not like she's very tanned or has brownish skin; it's actually almost shining. What's more the girl's hair is a messy cloud of yellow and sea-green spikes. Your eyes catch on the heavy collar the girl's wearing and freeze. A slave.
"I will have words with you later Miren," Quiet Willow's tone drips acid as she stares at the girl. Miren? You've never heard a name like that before.
"Screw it, I came like I promised. I'm not going to pretend like I'm here by choice," acting cockier and prouder than any of the worn beaten souls you saw at the pens, Miren glares you down with death in her eyes, then turns and storms away.
"
Analyze" as if you could resist using the skill.
Name: Miren
Sex: Female
Age: 14
Level: 18
Race: Ogre
Species: Dream Ogre
Rank: C+
Element: Light
HP: ??/??
MP: ??/??
Quiet Willow's fists tighten in controlled rage before she bows deeply to you, "This servant humbly apologizes for the behavior of that... thing. Honestly, scarcely better than a wild animal."
"What is she?" She was definitely human looking, but she has a race instead of a class?
"Devil" Stone Soul answers calmly, her serious expression betraying her shock, "They don't like to mix with the empire much, and but there are a few groups that trade at the border from time to time. The empire will send a few companies to wipe out any tribes that get too proud every now and then. I ain't ever gone, but it's never easy."
The last servant, a small girl who looks younger than you—and you're still small for 11—and way too adorable for her own good, shuffles her feet after Miren's tantrum.
"And this is Rocky Ox, the youngest member of the staff."
You wince, "How'd a girl who looks like that get that kind of name?" Autumn slips around and rubs against the girl's knees. Stone Soul glances at you, then at the girl, then doubles over in laughter.
The girl blushes beat red and stomps her foot, "What about me is supposed to be girly?" You glance to your healer, who nods between chuckles. You'd never have guessed.
Quiet Willow misses her chance to admonish Ox's behavior amidst a sudden coughing fit, then steps forward, "Would Mistress care to see the mansion? The journey must have been tiring. This humble servant has taken the liberty of seeing some food prepared."
The meal is incredibly awkward, with Quiet Willow, Laughter and Summer's Night standing obediently to the side while you and Stone Soul eat.
Afterward, you're shown to your rooms on the first floor, and then moved when Stone Soul insists that you be set on the top floor instead because it's 'good for you' to limp up and down the steps. The bitch.
Still, a real bed is nice after days in the cramped carriage and you fall asleep curled around Autumn as soon as you lie down.
A quiet yelp, and the sound of tearing vines startle you awake. Miren's standing over you, one hand pinning Autumn Shade to the ground while the second wrestles through Mountain Peak Blossom's thorns and vine to wrap around your neck.
"Oy, princess or whatever you are. I'm only going to say this once, so lets see if your ears work a little better than the rest of you, got it?"
You want to shout, to call for help, but you saw Miren's level earlier, she could crush you before anyone arrived. Giving her your best glare, you nod and quietly ready yourself to trigger chimera and tear her to shreds if you need to.
"I don't care what you think about me. I'll play the good little toady in public, but don't fuck with me, and don't fuck with Rocky either. He's my toy, got it?"
You're prepared to bite back a retort when you realize that her arm's shaking. Is she scared? Of you? You're not sure why anyone would be, and it's kind of a nice feeling to be scary. No, if you were a slave, taken from your family and then told you belonged to some strange noble girl with weird animals, you'd be pretty scared too.
So you hold back your first angry words and reconsider. Autumn doesn't really look that hurt.
How do you react to Miren?
[ ] Agree for now. Then turn around and tell Willow as soon as you're not alone.
[ ] Agree for now and keep it secret. She's just trying to take care of herself... and Ox for some reason.
[ ] Refuse! So what if she's scared or bad things happened to her, it's not like she's the only one.
[ ] Refuse! The streets have taught you that if you give anyone an inch ever, they're going to just walk all over you. How can you let the staff do that?
[ ] Write-in
