Ranvir grunted as he hauled Frija back to the center of table and onto the cloth protecting the wood. At least his ribs had recovered, though the splint on his hand didn’t make maneuvering her any easier.

Moving quickly, he distracted her with a rattle-like toy Ione had given her. It made a weird swooping noise when turned and absolutely captivated Frija, giving him the time to loosen the used diaper.

He absentmindedly dropped it in the bin for cleaning and boiling, before reaching for a fresh one. His hampered hand came back empty, Shit, he cursed himself glancing at where he usually put them before changing her. He hadn’t brought one this time. Already the rascal had turned onto her stomach and was crawling towards the toy, which he’d lowered in his distraction.

Thankfully, she didn’t move very fast, otherwise she might’ve fallen off the table already. Quickly picking her up and putting her on her back as far away from the edge of the table as possible, he stepped backwards constantly keeping an eye on her as he grabbed a fresh diaper.

Sighing with relief, he returned well before she managed to get anywhere close to the edge of the tabletop.

“I’m a little worried about him,” he heard Ione say to Pashar through the opened door. He hadn’t had the excess energy to try and understand Ione’s powers, but he had figured something out. It changed something in the air, rather than with the people speaking, which fit with his current understanding of native presences.

If Ione had caught only two people within her translation powers, the energy would change the words leaving person A’s mouth into words that person B could understand and vice versa. Which meant he could understand what Ione was saying to Pashar so long as she was the only other person in the field of her influence. It all became a garbled mess once a third person was introduced. At least, if Ranvir wasn’t within the sphere as well.

Pashar replied something in what sounded like fiyan to Ranvir, as he started wrapping Frija up. Somehow the little pest managed to get one of her legs out of the diaper before he could finish.

How is this harder now, than it was three months ago? Ranvir wondered as he wrestled with his six-month old. Accursed brat, he growled quietly to himself as he managed to finish wrapping her up.

“I noticed that as well,” Ione said. “But has it really been a whole week?”

Pashar spoke gibberish, something about a hand.

“That does line up, I just hadn’t realized it had been that long. You think it’ll hurt the child?”

Ranvir glanced towards the door, cradling Frija as she pinched and pulled at his hair. Though it was longer than at any time in the academy, it was still short enough to spike out in every direction. He headed towards the door, trying to parse what Pashar was saying and failing.

“That’s a relief,” Ione said, a quiet insistent humming that tended to fade into background noise fell away completely leaving the silence deafening as feet scrambled on the floor. He heard them exchange fiyan goodbyes before footsteps strode into the hall. He stepped out just as Pashar passed by.

“Ranvir,” she replied with a smile. “How’s your hand?”

He shrugged and grunted, his brows slightly furrowed.

“Going for your lesson with Amalia?”

Ranvir nodded, before the curiosity won over. Opening his mouth to speak, his voice only let out a weak croak instead. He coughed twice to clear it before trying again slightly more successfully, “Yes, what were you talking about?”

“You’ve hardly spoken since returning from Crotenus,” Pashar said a smile twisting the ends of her lips, “Ione and I worried for you.”

Ranvir narrowed his eyes, “No need,” he replied his voice still weak from disuse. He’d been speaking during the lessons, but Amalia had been busy this last week and he’d only gotten three, since they returned from the city.

###

Ranvir stepped into the library finding Amalia rolling a gray bead between her fingers, it’s hum filled the room with near silent static. He placed the glass of water, still marveling at the fine work, on the table before sitting down. Remembering the practice, he tapped his jaw twice with his good hand, to show he wasn’t one of Paios’ tsiráki. Why she couldn’t tell he wasn’t a three meter tall bronze giant, he wasn’t sure.

Maybe it’s some mythology thing I haven’t gotten to, yet, Ranvir thought.

“Good to see you again,” Amalia said, her voice carefully neutral as she returned the gesture. He got the feeling she went out of her way to avoid insinuating any of the things her grandmother intended they do, “Today we’ll start with this,” she slipped a letter across the table.

“From Kasos,” Ranvir read out loud, looking up at her. She gestured for him to continue. It took him a while to read through it, the words coming haltingly and some of them not at all. He couldn’t help a little flush of embarrassment at having to read aloud and having someone correct him. He hadn’t done this since he was a child.

Two months, Ranvir tapped the paper between two fingers. Somehow I have to make it two months. And I’ll need a cane? He shook his head, “I’m not sure I fully understand what he meant.”

Amalia nodded, “I did some reading while I was in Legea and you’re not the only one with this kind of damage. I talked with a doctor, they spoke of physical ailment over the course of recovery, at least through natural means.”

“Natural means?”

“The self fixing itself, like with a cut but spiritual, I think,” she shook her head, “I don’t know, you’ll have to ask Kasos.”

Ranvir nodded and they got on with the lesson, however Amalia cut it off early as the door opened. Her eyes widened slightly and she half stood up from her chair, “Elpir?”

Ranvir turned to look behind him. He found a slight girl with dark hair tied in a braid, and thin arms poking out from the sleeves of a loose dress.

“What are you doing here?” Amalia asked hesitantly, stepping away from the table.

The woman cocked her head and frowned at Amalia, the young woman realized she was still holding the gray bead. Shaking her head, she stepped closer until its effect enveloped the newcomer and tapped her jaw.

“Elpir,” she said then gestured to Ranvir, “Ranvir, father of Frija.”

Hesitantly, Ranvir got to his feet. He felt the slight effort of the movement but couldn’t tell if that was his mind playing tricks on him, or it was actually his body weakening. Shaking it off, he tapped his jaw twice before offering his hand.

Elpir did the same, hesitating briefly over the handshake, “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” Elpir gave him a searching look.

“I was going to mention this,” Amalia said stepping slightly in front of Elpir, “But I’m going to be returning to my job soon, and Pashar has expressed a desire to see more of the world and also make more keys than what Ione pays for some light gardening,”

Ranvir nodded, Pashar had mentioned her desire to him as well, though she’d said she would be checking back regularly.

“As the letters mentioned, Kasos believes you will become increasingly infirm as the symptoms worsen, and grandmother can’t take care of you on her own. She won’t say, but she’s starting to need help of her own, on occasion.”

Ranvir nodded, “I can’t stay with her,” he followed the pattern to its conclusion, he looked to Elpir, “But I can stay with you?”

Ranvir had originally thought Elpir was only a girl from her slight frame, but the cut of her face and smaller signs around her eyes and the confidence in her stance suggested she was older than his initial assessment, probably older than him.

The woman shrugged, “I run an orphanage, Eriene is pretty small so I have plenty of space and a few of the kids are old enough to help out with the younger ones. I got the time, space, and I’m willing to help, I guess.”

“She can also kick your ass,” Amalia said putting a finger in Ranvir’s face, her eyes narrowed slowly, “So don’t try anything.”

Ranvir shook his head and took a step back, “I wasn’t gonna.”

“Good.”

“Ammy, please,” Elpir put a hand on Amalia’s arm and pulled it back, “you’re being a little much.”

“Sorry,” the warrior woman said, sounding as sincere as thief caught with his fingers in another man’s pocket. Ranvir knew she worked for the Sentinels, not that he knew what that entailed, other than some form of combat.

“Let’s get you moved in,” Elpir said, “Have you seen Eriene?”

Ranvir shook his head, “I’ve been pretty much stuck in doors all day.”

“That’s too bad,” The orphan manager—that definitely didn’t feel like the right word—shook her head sadly, “Does that mean you haven’t seen the potragos?”

Ranvir shook his head softly, “I don’t know what that means.”