Room for One More? (E 1.5, L 1.6)

After I ask Mynah if she has something she is willing to part with, I begin to light the small brazier. I almost reach out to prevent her from giving up the necklace, her most precious possession. But I instead reach out with one hand, the other reaching around her shoulders, pulling her close to me. I kiss her forehead, then her temple, eyes clenched shut tightly. With a deep breath, I unravel from her to pick up the knife. I prick the tip of my thumb, then hand her the knife to do the same while my life force drips into the brazier atop the necklace I had dropped inside.

I begin the familiar murmurings and chants. When Mynah adds her blood to the bowl, I grab her bloodied hand with my own and begin to call to the Gray Wing. Gray Wing above. Enlighten the path before us. We offer our treasures in homage to your power. You know what it is we beseech thee for. Grant us this boon and shepherd his soul into your eternal flight.

"If you're willing to redeem some of your favor with Ms. Pellet for information, or the kit, that would be wonderful. Based on my observations of Ms. Aloe's symptoms, we may still have a couple days to go through with this procedure before the damage is irreparable." I run my fingers through my beard.

I look back at Aloe as she rests in her bed - noting to myself that I should return later with some fresh water for her and perhaps some bread if I can find some. Just as I'm considering what to bring her, I register the fragrances of the morning meal. The aroma simply lacks the depth and abundance of scents that teemed in the Tower. Still, something about the simplicity is refreshing. A flame of admiration sparking to life within me at the thought of people working to put anything on the table, and making the best out of it, though I doubt I would find anyone who would share in my admiration.

"If you don't mind Ms. Shrike, I'd like to have a bite to eat, and join you later today to meet Ms. Pellet. If there is anything I can do to help around the Roost in the meantime, do not hesitate to let me know."

Litch,
You feel the Gray Wing sweep you up in her embrace. She carries you on the wind quickly from the Roost over the oceans to Poseidon's Belly - the place where Kiwi died. You sense that Mynah is here with you, feel her grief and weariness as she swallows it down to give rise to hope here.

The ghost of Kiwi is there, pale and dead, nothing more than an apparition. He is tethered here. But not to Poseidon's Belly. To Helix. His spirit is bound to her and cannot be shepherded into her flight. Kiwi is stuck, perhaps forever. Mynah despairs, and a soft, sad gasp escapes her.

The vision leaves you both sweaty and drawn thin when you wake in your bed chambers as the spirit of the Gray Wing leaves you. Mynah crumples to the ground with the loss she knows is all roo real.

What do you do?

My throat is dry. I cough, then wince as pain lances through me. It's as if I have swallowed ashes. My eyes sting and moving my arms takes effort. We have been denied. Once again, Helix seems to be at the center of everything. I clear my throat and roll on my side. It seems to take half an age before I'm able to sit up. I look over at Mynah. I cannot bear to speak to her, but something must be said.

"I am sorry. He is tied to the girl. His fate is wrapped with hers." I say, matter-of-factly. Void of comfort. I crawl over to Mynah's prone form and move to cradle her in my arms. "But, that does not mean he is lost. We know where he is now. We know who can set him free."

"Good morning Mister Jackdaw." I smile and nod in his direction. His spirit seems contagious, I can see the draw for the Talons to welcome him to their flock. The pair he is speaking to seems to exude a sense of pride and purpose. They must be Litch's progeny. The young man must be Javan, based on what Jackdaw said earlier. I can't tell if the young woman is "Plo," or "Zeph." Each of which Jackdaw described as his self-proclaimed expected breeding partners.

I continue to match pace with Shrike. She appears to carry herself in a way that says she outranks each of them, though I could be wrong. Regardless of whether or not they view each other this way I would never abandon the interaction I'm in to start another without completing my current interaction. Besides, I want to see if I can get a read from Shrike on Jackdaw and the others. It's too soon to tell if she was going to join them or not, but maybe I can gently steer her toward them.

I begin introducing myself to the group, "Edmund Sterling, alleged traitor of the Tower, at your service." In my head the words were almost playful, but the harsh way they escape my mouth catches me by surprise.

Litch,

Mynah collects herself after a few moments of loss, using you as her anchor. She informs you that she needs to meet with Plover to go over some routine maintenance on the power supply she's been building. She seems weighed down by the loss, but determined to continue working through it.

Do you let her leave?

"It is a pleasure to meet you." So, they are Litch and Mynah's children - I can see the resemblance. "I believe there may be more truth in what you say than I'm ready to admit, Ms. Zephyr."

"Some food would be wonderful." I gesture toward the table encouraging Shrike to join the rest of her flock. "Ms. Shrike, shall I gather a plate for you as well?" I note the contents of the plates of the others to use as a reference for my own.

When Mynah murmurs her need to get back to work, I stand to my feet with her. Before she leaves, though, I reach out to touch her shoulder, halting her departure. "This isn't the end of the story, Mynah. I know now that you believe me when I say that the girl is the key." I inhale deeply and breathe out slowly, calming my thoughts and emotions. "The Gray Wing's answer wasn't a no. It was a 'not yet.' " I let my arm fall to my side as I turn back to begin cleaning up the vestiges. "Go on, then. I'll be down soon."

Litch,
Mynah leaves and you clean up after the communion with the Gray Wing. Eventually, you make your way to the communal dining room to find two of your children, Jackdaw, Shrike, and Edmund eating together.

While this level of banter is a bit too uncouth for my liking - Jackdaw and the others seem eager to play this way; besides, if I don't participate somehow I could risk setting myself apart from the group or simply making them uncomfortable around me.

Now, I don't exactly understand the nuance of his insult, but his emphasis of my being a very deep sleeper seems to indicate that I missed him doing something. Probably sexual. Now just to make sure to distance whatever it was from me. "I can generally tune out any noise that lasts less than two minutes." I feel a pang of guilt immediately after saying that though, and follow up by smiling back at him, "Anything I can get you while I'm up?"

At least now he has an out by either asking me to get something or making an erection joke. For all I know he may take this an entirely different direction.

Though my mind is full of questions and consternation, the sight of my family eating with Edmund and bantering jovially pushes some of my concerns away for a brief moment. Life is hard, dangerous, and short. These moments of joy and community are a safe harbor. My presence often sobers the mood, though, so I take care to not interfere with their conversation unless they choose to bring me in to it. Instead, I make myself busy cleaning up. It's Javan's turn today so when he turns to look at me over his shoulder with a questioning glance, I wink and smile back as if to encourage him to take it easy. No Talon is above service in the Roost. Everybody pitches in, even the boss.

While Shrike ensconces at the table with the others, I swiftly collect a pair of plates and begin filling them with the simple food of the covered baskets. I find some of the smallest portions for myself. I'm unsure if Litch and Mynah have eaten yet, so I select some moderately-sized portions for Shrike, making sure to leave enough behind for anyone who hasn't eaten or who wants more.

It is fun to listen to the Talons laugh together. I didn't realize until now, but real laughter is a sound that I don't hear much. When someone laughs in the tower it usually means one of a couple things. It is either the privileged mocking those who aren't; sycophants trying to ingratiate themselves with a patron; or a genuine laugh from a group of children playing - quickly followed by a hit or hush from men and women who think too much of themselves. Maybe Zephyr is right, and the Tower is just full of zokholes.

As I approach the table I place Shrike's portion in front of her, then sit. The remnants of the laughter still echoing around the table remind me of how the melodic counterpoint the twin's guitars would fade as their playing drew to an end, leaving behind only a memory of its sound. Like that memory, I will treasure this sound.

Still, I should get some information so I can try to prevent being caught off guard. "Can you let me know what a typical day looks like for you?" I say to the table with no intended target, "And are there any particular taboos or things I should be aware of?"