HAWK & SABLE | THIRTY-TWO

"LET'S RECAP EVERYTHING that has happened," Ryan told them all, surveying the full room.

"You do that," Irina yawned. "I just want to sleep." Ryan responded with a look of universal suffering, shaking his head. Cass looked on, a small smile on her face. Besides her, Marcus combed his fingers through his light blonde hair and leaned forward.

"We have guests, Irina," Justine pointed out, giving said guests a pointed, apologetic look. "It's rather disheartening for them to see you acting like a three year old who missed naptime."

Irina let out a small huff and sat upright. "Fine. Let's recap. We captured a mole and he died in our care."

Asteria blinked. "What in the world got you in such a bad mood?"

Io answered. "What do you think?"

Irina had been summoned off to a meeting with the Emperor and his advisors earlier today, according to the others. Was that it?

Irina glared. "Fine. Myrina?"

"Within the past month, Ai guniang was first murdered. We located the paintings that were used to smuggle information out of Arecia, to Sai, and then presumably to Melique in her apartment." Myrina ticked that off her fingers. "Next, we linked the crime to the murder of Du guniang. After interviewing her parents, we were able to find the paintings as well. We noted a connection between the two and who we believed was Lord William Hua Lin.

"We were later informed that a Huang guniang was murdered, but further investigations suggested a different culprit. The younger Miss Diao was attacked by the Panther—" that caused Cass's eyes to snap to her sister's, to which Ciri returned with a look that said I'll explain later— "who admitted to being hired to kill Huang guniang. We managed to deduce that the one link between all of the victims was Lord Hua. Hence, resulting in his capture. While in his cell, someone got in and he was murdered. It's assumed the killer has Meliquean ties due to the weapon left behind."

Irina casted her cousin a look of irritation. 'That detailed enough for you?"

With a startling amount of politeness, Ryan said, "Thank you, Lady Mai. Miss Diao, I see you have questions."

"The Panther was here? And attacked Ciri?" Cass jabbed her finger in Ciri's direction, expression clouded.

"He didn't mean to kill me," Ciri murmured. "He actually ended up offering quite a bit of information."

Her sister just looked flabbergasted. "Should I be concerned that the Panther has been linked to both our injuries now? I'm assuming you were injured anyways?"

"Don't worry, Miss Diao." Irina leaned forward. "We had an Iron Wolf heal her. She's perfectly fine, just got a hard knock on the head. Still functioning properly though, that brain of hers, thankfully."

Cass didn't seem convinced, but she kept her worries to herself for now. Ciri prepared herself for an onslaught of questions and reprimands later in the day.

"Rather eventful," Danna mused. "Successful, if you overlook the casualties. Not fond of the casualties, really."

"Let's be optimistic," which were words Irina never said. "We caught the mole. He's dead now, but we caught the mole, and are on the hunt for more. Rhys? Dominic?"

"We have a few trails. We'll begin investigations tomorrow." Dominic tilted his head, hand on the back of Ryan's chair. Rhys leaned against the wall behind him, offering a smile.

"What he said, princess."

Asteria announced, "We're leaving in two days. Back to school."

Ciri blinked. "What? I wasn't told."

Asteria tilted her head. "In consideration of recent events, Lady Kuroki has declared that you're on vacation. You could come back with us if you want, but she said that if you wish to run off and do whatever, fine by her."

"We are talking about the same Lady Kuroki? Lady Ichiko Kuroki? Your aunt?"

"Don't worry, we're just as surprised as you are." Danna smiled lazily. "Where are you heading, Diao?"

Ciri's mind raced with the possibilities. Finally, slowly, she said, "I've been thinking about visiting Novokuluga."

"Interesting choice," the girl mused. "What will you do there?"

"Sightseeing?"

Danna looked at her with disbelief. "In Novokuluga? Are you mad? Trying to get your toes frozen clean off?"

"It's not Engleraine," she pointed out, "or Grimsnes."

"What even is there to see in Novokuluga?"

Irina mused, "We could use a bit of Novokulugan intel, if you don't mind adding a bit of weight to your little holiday."

"I wasn't expecting less," Ciri replied.

"So." Justine propped her chin on her hands. "Ciri to Novokuluga. Asteria, Danna and Io to Asayama. The older Miss Diao? Lord Farnsworth? Lord Archsham?"

"We're staying for a while," Marcus said. "Cadieux says Laurence could immediately go back or stay with us for a bit. His choice."

"I'll see what mission comes up for me first," Laurence replied. "I'll write to him and get a reply in a few days. I'll decide then, if you don't mind me intruding upon your hospitality for a bit longer."

"No worries." Irina waved her hand. "This took far longer than any of us expected."

"There are some things we'd like to discuss with the Arecians anyways," Ryan said, stealing a quick glance at his cousin. Irina's face turned impassive and stony, the way it was when things weren't going her way. Guess the betrothal is going smoothly, huh?

Irina was young, though. And the war hadn't happened yet. She'd have a few years before being thrust up the marital altar. The entire room knew that, but no one said anything. Irina had always been far too willful for her own good.

"Of course," Laurence said, flashing a grin to defuse the tension now brewing in the room. "Lord Farnsworth and I would be willing to help in any way we could."

"Thank you." Ryan nodded. "Per Miss Li's suggestion, we've chosen to conceal the truth from the marquess and his family for now. Hence, I'll request all of you to keep what was discovered here strictly confidential."

At Miss Li's name, Malcolm's expression clouded, and his posture suddenly turned a little more tense. Myrina gave him a pointed look and he relaxed. Perhaps she should ask Myrina for an answer to this strange betrothal. There had to be some kind of story behind this.

"Mission complete and successful, then?" Io asked, smiling slowly.

Irina gave her a pat on the head. "Mission complete. San le ba." Let's go.

✢

CIRI CORNERED ASTERIA outside Gui Yan Gong, asking her sister and the two Arecian lords to go ahead without her first. Danna stayed too, naturally. Io grinned and vanished, being the slippery little lizard she was.

"A vacation?"

"Lady Kuroki expects intel, so not exactly."

"And somehow she knew I was going to pick Novokuluga?"

Asteria shrugged. "I don't pretend to understand Lady Kuroki's ways. But she did mention something about you needing to pack winter clothes."

She shut her eyes. "Wily old fox."

"Watch it," Asteria stated, amused. "The Fox of Sai is my father. Lady Kuroki could be... a leopard, perhaps."

Ciri searched her mind for an explanation on how Lady Kuroki would have figured it out. And then her mind clicked. Lady Kuroki had been there that afternoon Laurence volunteered for this mission. She'd have heard.

"A leopard?" Danna snickered. "Try a dragon."

"I think that's blasphemous," Ciri replied. "Not sure, might want to ask Ryan."

"No thank you," Danna muttered. "Fine. A qilin?"

Asteria shook her head. "You're fresh out of ideas and desperate, aren't you?"

Danna rolled her eyes and stared at her feet.

"Is there anything Lady Kuroki specifically wants me to investigate?"

Asteria shook her head. "She just wants the big picture and any little details you can find. Will you go in through the court, or anonymously?"

"Court, probably. Old monarchy. I can infiltrate my way in from there, won't be too complicated."

Asteria nodded. "If it works for you, go ahead. We'll be back at school. The campus in the mountains. You know what to do if you need to contact us."

"Of course." They had outhouses all across the world where letters could be forwarded to the remote campus. "Is there anywhere you might be heading?"

Danna said, "The lady hasn't said anything, so I assume we're staying put for a while. You know. Preparing." She seemed to have resigned herself to her fate, and Ciri wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

Ciri looked at the two young girls standing before her. Suddenly, they no longer looked like cunning, trained spies, but instead the vulnerable young girls they were. She said, "Be careful."

"We always are," came Asteria's swift reply. "Don't worry about us. Focus on yourself. We'll be fine. We always are."

"Meimei men bao zhong le." Watch for yourselves, my sisters.

Asteria smiled, squeezing her hands. "Ni ye shi." You too.

Ciri curtsied and left.

✢

"YOU CHOSE NOVOKULUGA."

"I did."

"You heard Cadieux telling me my next mission was supposed to be there, didn't you? Heard him say he'd postpone it since it wasn't too urgent anyways."

"I did."

She smiled at him, almost shyly. This was unfamiliar territory for her, and he'll start slowly. They sat outside his apartment. Cass and Marcus had run off to god knew where, and they were utterly alone.

"I'll still wait for his letter," he mused. "You're going with me, then?"

"No one's going to bat an eye." No, no one would. He'd keep Ciri out of any report he made and no one would suspect a damn thing. Even if they did, no one would care. Sai was an ally, and both kingdoms supported the old Novokulugan monarchy, not the new government that had sprung up. Probably scared their own people would be inspired by the changes in Novokuluga, Caershire and Melique and try for a revolution of their own. They couldn't have that happening, obviously.

"That's not what I meant," he replied, which she knew. She grinned back. Sometimes, he looked at her and couldn't quite believe she was real. He extended his hand, and she took it, leaning into his shoulder. "We'll have to pack winter clothes."

Ciri scoffed. "It's not that bad."

In her ear he murmured, "I'll keep you warm."

She let out a soft laugh. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Never, Miss Diao, never."

"Cass knows."

"I'm not surprised." And it only seemed fair. Laurence hadn't let Cass have an easy time about Marcus earlier either. What was that quote about revenge Cass always liked to say? Yi yan huan yan, yi ya huan ya. Exchange an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Well, they were equal now.

"Which means Marcus knows."

"Which means I'll be bullied quite thoroughly. No matter, I've been through worse."

"I'm sure you have." She smirked. "I was never actually quite informed on where you've been in the past few hours."

"Same for me with you," he admitted. "Our paths barely crossed. Funny, considering how similar our specialties are."

"I was in Eirao for a few months last year. That was my last trip before Barlen. A nice lengthy stay in Dumah and Hrishna with the Kuroki girls two years ago."

"Explains it. I was in Eirao too, but that was two years ago with Marcus. Haven't been to Dumah or Hrishna for years. The opposite, really. I spent quite a while in the colder countries."

"You'll be fine in Novokuluga, then." She frowned. "Why were you worried about being cold there?"

"I was worried about you being cold there."

Her eyes narrowed. "Do not treat me like a frail porcelain doll."

"I wouldn't dare."

"Yes you would," she snorted. "You're older than me and a man. That's like the worst combination."

"I'd say I'm still better than Lady Kuroki."

"Pfft," she rubbed her forehead. "No one could be compared to Lady Kuroki's level of insanity. But you could come close."

"I'm flattered."

"You shouldn't be." She glared. "It wasn't a compliment. I can fend for myself. I can definitely make sure I don't freeze to death."

"I would never dare doubt you."

The look on her face clearly conveyed the fact that she did not believe a word that left his mouth on this matter. Not at all. Clever of her, really, though he wasn't surprised. He offered his most innocent grin, and she relaxed against him.

He breathed into her hair, smelling the perfume she wore. Jasmine. Let himself touch her and enjoy it. She smiled, content.

"To a new journey."

"To a new journey," she echoed.

THE END