Drafts: "Fissures" Didn't Exist
In a previous draft, Lukios didn't leave Ba'an at dawn.
More fun with drafts! This one takes place around when “Fissures” would have in the RR/SH/WP versions. In the earlier draft, Nikias wasn’t nearly so aggressive with his investigations (at least not overtly—he was subtle) and Ba’an didn’t actually know what his rank was. She noted that it was strange for Gaios to defer to such a young man, but his actual position was shadowy. This was because Nikias was part of the Illosian military architecture, but his position was unofficial (due to the stigma of his heritage) and intelligence related. That’s right. Nikias was basically a spymaster in the previous draft, though no one ever said it out loud.
Another change was that in the previous draft, Ba’an went to Sander goods shop while Lukios was at the barracks much earlier than in the current draft, so this would have happened pretty much right after the honey shop scene (before Mai’ra!).
The geography isn’t really current anymore. I’ve made some light edits, but otherwise this is as-is.
Ba’an woke up alone, curled up in rumpled sheets that smelled like the both of them. The plates and cups that they had used were gone, and her clothes had been folded neatly and left on the table. Of course Lukios had already returned to his room, likely moving quietly to avoid waking her.
She sighed. She would be alone today.
A bath. She would take a bath before breakfast and then…well, she had said she would lay-about, had she not?
Ba’an had declared it, but she wasn’t quite sure how she would go about it. What did “laying about” involve? Would she just lay in bed all day and sleep?
Well, she was awake now. She doubted she would fall back asleep.
Hm. Perhaps Gaios had maps she could look at? She knew the men would leave the household once breakfast was done, but perhaps a servant could spare her some time?
Ba’an would like that. She could take her bath, have breakfast, then look at maps. She could not read Dolkoi’ri so books were out of the question, but perhaps she could look at the garden again.
Perhaps tomorrow she could see Merida and give her the honey. After that she would finish her shopping and pack her things. After all, she had not planned to stay so long in Kyros to start with.
She frowned, tapping her chin with a finger as a sudden thought occurred to her. She did not know what Lukios would do about Eirenne and the bandits, and she thought it would be prudent to stay until the matter was resolved. What if he needed her help?
But he had already refused. She could offer him nothing except magic, and he had been adamantly against it. Perhaps she ought to speak with him again?
Perhaps tonight?
It was as good a plan as any. Ba’an sat up and winced. She was sore.
Bath first. The rest would come later.
“My apologies, Nikias. I did not mean to delay you.”
“You have not.” What a ridiculous thing to say. It was obvious that she had. Nikias pulled maps from the bookcase, then lay them out on the table.
The study was large and full of light. The windows took up the entire wall, so she could look out onto the garden from the desk. Unlike his office, the furniture here had been designed for comfort. There were cushions everywhere, and a kind of…long chair that one could lie down in. Lukios had called it a fainting couch. It smelled faintly of parchment and ink.
“You may find this one interesting. This is a map of Ledos and surrounding territories. After this you would want to look at…” he unfurled another map, “…this. We call this the Artery. It’s the biggest route for exotic goods in and out of the empire and it spans the continent.” It was interesting. But Ba’an noticed something peculiar. None of the maps Nikias had chosen was of the interior empire. It only held routes from the edges to the outer territories or a travel route to a certain destination.
Ba’an’s nerves were beginning to fray. Did he suspect something? It seemed an obvious conclusion that he’d come in person to make sure she only looked at certain maps and not others.
Lukios looked over her shoulder. “Well damn. Runs all the way out to…is that the Meridian?”
“It is.” Nikias turned to her. “You cannot read Illosian?”
“No.”
“Hm.” He pulled a piece of paper and began scribbling K’Avaari udic the way one might do for a child. Below it, he wrote Dolkoi’ri. “Not the best, but it will do. This should be enough to get you through a map.”
Ba’an stared. His udic was neat, written cleanly in a way that implied hours and hours of practice. Who had taught him udic? His mother?
“Your udic is very beautiful, Nikias. Who taught you this?”
He paused. “My mother.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “She made me practice for hours as a child. Thank you for the compliment.”
Ba’an felt her pulse pick up. Nikias was a military officer. She had not known the Dokoiri had K’Avaari—no. He was not K’Avaari. But he could read, write, and speak it. He was also clearly familiar with Kyros—a border town. It had been a military fort two decades or so ago.
She began to wonder what he’d done during the war. She was not certain she wanted to know. It would certainly change how she thought of him, though she did not think he would care overmuch about Ba’an’s opinions.
“You must thank your mother. She taught you very well.” She had also likely been a witch. Nikias was shi-tat, and udic was normally taught to those with rank. Nur-udic was taught to all. Ba’an watched him closely as she spoke. It was obvious to her that he did not enjoy the topic of his mother.
Why?
Had she betrayed her own people?
Nikias put the ink stylus back into its holder. “It’s true she was very exacting,” he said genially.
Well, that was no answer at all, was it?
Nikias was Lukios’ age, perhaps a year younger or older. The tensions between Dolkoi’ri and K’Avaari had been there for decades even before the war. They had demanded tribute—and women. [Cut for spoilers]
Had his mother been one of those taken in a raid? Or perhaps she had been…
But Nikias was not a slave. He was not like Lukios, she was certain. So what had happened?
“Huh, that is pretty.” Lukios was looking at the sheet of paper curiously, and she knew he had noticed the udic was different from the nur-udic she had used to label her bags. He missed very little, her Lukios. He was also sharp enough to say nothing. She did not know if he shared her thoughts, or if he was simply being discreet, but she was grateful for it, nonetheless. She touched her hand against his under the table, and he laced his fingers through hers.
He would leave for the barracks with Nikias soon. Ba’an stifled a sigh. Of course a single day was nothing, but she would miss having him beside her while he was gone. Not that she would ever say so out loud—it would go to his head, she was sure.
“One moment.” Nikias went to the door and called for a servant. In another moment, Aika was at the door, doing her strange little Dolkoi’ri bow. It looked awkward no matter how many times Ba’an saw it, but she supposed it must seem natural to them.
“I’ll take these to the sitting room, then. This way, lady Ba’an!” Ah-ha. Nikias did not want her in his study alone. That was rather telling, as well.
Surely he did not think her a K’Avaari spy? Did he think she had…seduced Lukios for information?
Ba’an clamped down on her amusement. As stupid as it was, it could be dangerous for her if he believed it.
Perhaps she should have stayed at the inn. Since speaking with Lukios in the storage closet, Ba’an had come to realize how risky this was. How had she not seen it from the start?
Lukios was not the only one who had lost his good sense. Ba’an had done so, as well. It was obvious now.
“I’ll walk her there. Nikias, I’ll meet you out front.” Aika glanced at Nikias, and he only nodded.
“Don’t be too long.” They parted ways in the hallway, Aika taking the maps with her ahead of them.
“Lukios,” she said, very softly. He looked at her, tipping his head down so he could look into her eyes. “Nikias is suspicious of me.”
“That’s just Nikias, Ba’an.”
She frowned. “Do you think he…?”
Lukios was silent for a moment. “It’s always possible, but I don’t think so. My guess? He knows you’re a witch, which is why he’s so wary.” Oh he most certainly knew Ba’an was a witch. She had made that mistake early. “Witches have a rep, you know?” He touched her cheek. “But even aside from that, you’re K’Avaari. We’re at more of a ceasefire than a real peace right now. We need to get you a goat and hustle you out of Kyros.” Ah. Perhaps he was coming to his senses too. “We can discuss it tonight when I get back. I…well, I’m thinking I’ll be leaving Kyros soon too, for Heliopolis.” Heliopolis? Lukios kissed her gently. “I’ll see you tonight. Get some rest, okay? You’re not all recovered.”
She sighed. “Yes. I will…lay-about and do nothing.” She made a face.
He laughed. “It was your idea, Ba’an. Don’t blame me.” He kissed her nose. “It was a good idea. Get some more sleep and eat as much as you can stand.”
She wrinkled her nose at him. “Lukios. Go.”
He made a little huffing noise. “Chasing me out already? Ha.” He pulled her closer and kissed her again. “So prickly. You should just say you’ll miss me.”
She rolled her eyes. “It is only one day, Lukios.” He was right, of course. She would miss him. She leaned forward for another kiss. He obliged, then obliged again.
“Ha. At this rate Nikias is going to get his loincloth all bunched up his…ahem.” He stepped back, though his hand lingered on her back.
He guided her to the sitting room, snuck in one last kiss, then left.
Ba’an entered the room. Aika looked up at her from her spot by the low table and giggled.
Oh dear.
Next time: A very different Pitie for a very different interlude.