Kothos (prime)/Always

Always

(Author's note: Thanks go to Yukito for the story title, I recommend listening to the song with the same title by Erasure while reading. Or Tori Amos's "Winter.")

"I envy you, in fact." Giliad's fingers were constantly moving as he spoke, either curling over Kothos's arm tucked alongside him, or fidgeting about his thieves' kit. Idly Blud wondered if it was the result of Giliad's lockpicking talents or his former days of sorcery. It could well be both. Kothos filed the question among the list of those he would want to ask, if he had any hope for a straight answer.

"Of all my long years..." Kothos turned away to hide a smile of amusement, mentally checking a box- one required mention of age per conversation, noted. "Raising the two girls were the best of them. And you get to shortcut through much of the more irritating experiences. Reynai can feed herself and knows how to use the water closet, one assumes."

The subject of said affirmation gasped, looking insulted. Kothos nearly rose to Reynai's defense, but quick as a fox, she reached over and snatched the apple out of Giliad's hand and it disappeared like magic, vanishing into the folds of her yierka blanket.

"I brought snacks for *nice* people. I'll give your apple to Modig!"

Giliad was stunned, Kothos was thrilled beyond measure. The grace and ease that she moved with, despite still being sightless- the resilience she had along with her confidence returning was nothing short of miraculous, and he adored seeing it.

"Ah, Reynai. While we are going to the Holding-" Kothos glanced over at Giliad, they were both gratified by Reynai's participation in their usual teasing manner, though the dark elf still had a little glower in his jawline, watching his pilfered apple as it appeared and reappeared from under the blanket. "Keep up, old man, or I'll have the ten-year-old blind girl steal from you once again."

"Anyway, we're not going to see Modig today. I have a surprise for you. And a conversation." Reynai snickered, and then her small, bandanged face turned up toward the sound of Blud's voice, a quizzical set to her nose. He stroked the crook of her palm with his thumb, and caught Giliad's eyes, concentrating a moment on a silent message to the Faendryl.

"All of my lovers and friends that I've asked for guidance have agreed, for the most part- you, Xanthium, Yukito, Delindra, Jisandra, Mirkk and Rohese." He smiled as each name brought up a memory and a face to mind, each with their own bond to him. "Possibly even Talinvor might be talked into a few conversations here and there- it'd be good for her, odd as it may sound to say. Reynai will have the largest collection of foster parents and tutors in history, at this rate."

"A good thing to have in abundance, considering how it often goes for relatives of important people like your Reynai. And how much loss she's had already." Giliad thought in response, turning to look at her. The priest felt a flush of empathy for her, thinking of his own experience of feeling lost and forgotten in the Lord of Nightmare's temple. The quick and thoroughly affirming offer of aid from his companions had done a great deal to help him recover. "How will you ask her?"

"You don't get to be the only one with secrets." A classic Faendryl smirk was his response. The rest of the rogue's reply was out loud. "No matter what he has planned, poppet, I know it'll be kind and attentive, hm? But you will both have to tell me about it when I return, as I have to go now."

Giliad reached over to give Reynai a kiss on her brow, along with a reassuring hug. She smiled and released him, with a promise that he'd be back in a few days. Kothos stopped to give the Faendryl a good-bye kiss of his own, until Reynai's impatience asserted itself in a squeal of excitement.

"Come on, you kiss him all the time, I'm blind, not deaf. I want my surprise!"

Reynai's grip on Kothos's hand went almost painfully tight, Giliad's fingers in turn let him go, trailing briefly over the sleeve of his cassock in a farewell gesture. Kothos led Reynai on, carefully helping her over the steep incline while keeping an eye out for the pumas who occasionally prowled in the ravine leading to the Holding. Rather than heading toward the stone walls and the stable as they usually did, he brought her to the brook running behind the outpost. It was an overgrown, peaceful place that he often came to following events and meetings. The river gave the whole valley a rush of a cool breeze, and the ravine walls around them provided shade from the morning sun.

"Now, Reynai, I imagine you're smart enough to know one of the reasons I want to talk to you. You probably know all of them, better than I do."

"You want to ask about my eyes." She reached up with her free hand to tug at the bandana wrapped around her empty sockets. Again, an image of himself with the same injuries flashed past him, and he once again felt a deep sympathy for his charge. She had suffered far longer than he had. It made her earlier stunt with Giliad's apple that much more poignant- not to mention amusing. Kothos had felt so lost and ashamed, he had been immediately dependent on being rescued and cared for. He reached down and gathered her up in his arms- she was still so small, it was easy to think of her as fragile. She was anything but.

"I do, yes. And more than that. I have brought the completed draught from Sister Nock. It's in my pocket, and ready for you. And I have brought something else, too, to help you."

She gasped again as he sat her down on the saddle of the steed he'd led here a little while earlier, and smiled as she eagerly put her hands down to stroke the velvety coat along the animal's shoulder.

"I know you are frightened, still, and I don't blame you. I saw some of what you did, and that is why I have this new friend here, to help you in ways I cannot." He retrieved the concentrated bur-clover potion from his pocket, and handed it to Reynai. "I thought you might like to have him be the first thing you see. To know that between me and him, you have a lot to look forward to."

He watched the fear fall away from her face in favor of excitement, and he helped her uncork the concoction. Nock had warned him that the restored eyes would be sensitive for a time, hence his reasons for coming here, in the shelter of the mountains and the shade of the orchard trees. "It's a good thing you stole that apple from Giliad. I think Endymion will enjoy your Faendryl apple tax."

She smiled again, and with a long breath, took a drink, and then another, of the bur-clover. Kothos held her hand, leading her fingers through the mane and the sleek muscle of the mount's bowed neck. Her sharp breath and the herbal scent told him it was working quickly, thankfully Reynai seemed totally distracted and didn't appear to be having any discomfort. After a few minutes had passed, he carefully tugged the bandana loose, and pulled it down and away. He'd forgotten how lovely her eyes were, they were as brilliant a green as his own. Not that she spared him even a glance yet, as all of her attempts to focus her healed eyes were directed upon the unicorn before her.

"You see, Endymion is necessary, my dear. There are so many people who want to be a part of your life, now, if you'll have us. Jisandra and Delindra in Cholen's temple, and Xanthium's home, both in Solhaven. Here with the Gryphons, people like Rohese and Mirkk who have opened their home to you if you want to visit the Harbor. Endymion can take you to all of these places, and keep you safe, besides."

"You mean...you mean he's mine?" She finally pulled away from the unicorn's ebon beauty to look at Kothos, her new eyes already shining with tears. She grabbed Kothos by the shoulders and hugged him fiercely, and he returned the embrace, feeling more than a little misty, himself.

"Endymion will be with you, yes, Reynai. And I hope you'll let me befriend him, too. Just like I hope that you will do me the great honor of staying with me. Living with me and my companions. For good."

The sensitive eyes turned up to stare at him once more, and then it was time for their tears to flow in earnest. She clung to him and whispered, "Please, please, yes, let me stay with you."

Kothos choked up for a few hopeless moments and held her. Her gaze came back to him, and he could feel her studying his features- she'd mentioned a while back that she didn't remember what he looked like. He smiled, and they both turned to make a fuss over the unicorn's violet-sheened mane and glossy black coat. "Endymion has some special abilities, too, my girl. He is from the place where dreams live, so I hope he will even bring you there and back, to that distant realm that only someone with his talent can keep you from getting lost again. To always bring you back home."

"Always?" Her voice cracked, and then she giggled nervously as Endymion swayed up to look at her, nuzzling her with the side of his silver-swept horn.

Without hesitation: "Always."