Kella led them up the stairs. Shi’chen tried very hard not to stare at the luxurious surroundings. After being on a ship for almost two weeks, seeing all the ornate designs and architecture gave him a strange feeling of homesickness he had not anticipated. He glanced back at Lai to see the half-elf also trying not to stare. While he had grown up in this sort of finery, he was sure most of this was new to Lai and not something the sailor could ever have afforded on his own. It reminded Shi’chen again of the handful of coins in his pocket that constituted the wages he had earned and how quickly they could vanish as he bought things he needed.
He wondered about Jaa’jen’s family. Lai had said that they would be compensated by the owner of the vessel, but surely the amount of money they received would not keep them comfortable forever, nor would it replace the man they had loved in their hearts. The whole concept was almost beyond comprehension.
Kella stopped across the hall from A’bbni’s room, pushing open a door for Shi’chen. “You may stay here, Captain. And you may stay here, Vr Ablewood,” he said, pointing to the room next to it.
“Thank you,” Shi’chen said, bowing his head. “We appreciate your hospitality.”
Kella nodded. “I will have a meal sent up shortly for all of you. In the meantime, do you need anything?”
“No, thank you,” Shi’chen said, and Lai echoed him in his accented Hanen-sha. Kella nodded and departed down the stairs. Shi’chen turned to his brother. “You already know I am staying in your room, right?”
“Of course, I do,” A’bbni replied with a laugh, pushing open the door across from Shi’chen’s to the room he had been staying in. “Do you want a bath while you wait for food?”
Shi’chen made a face. “Gods, yes. We washed at the inn, but I feel disgusting.”
A’bbni gave him a nudge into the attached washroom, then moved to the wardrobe to pull out a long-sleeve tunic and pants for his brother. Shi’chen knew it had been a harrowing time for both of them the last almost two weeks, but A’bbni looked so tired, his eyes a bit sunken, his shoulders a bit more tense than usual, and his heart twinged painfully in his chest. He took the proffered clothing, then glanced over A’bbni’s shoulder where Lai was standing, leaning one shoulder against the doorframe and watching them both with an amused smile on his face. He realized there was no way he could talk to Lai without A’bbni understanding every word he said in any language, so he just gave his friend a grin. “Be nice to my brother,” he said before disappearing into the washroom and closing the door behind him.
Chapter fourteen
A'bbni
A’bbniwassurehisface turned bright red when Shi’chen told Lai to be nice to him. He suddenly became very aware of the handsome young half-elf gazing at him across the room, and he unconsciously brushed a few strands of hair off his face. “Please sit if you’d like,” he offered in Cserethian, motioning to the only chair in the room that was at the desk.
Lai set down the bundle of belongings he had been carrying before he crossed into the room and took off his cloak, draping it over the back of the chair. A’bbni saw that he had a rapier in a sheath attached to his hip, as well as a knife in his belt. But Shi’chen obviously trusted him, so he was not going to worry about it. The sword by Lai’s side made him rather dashing, he thought. Almost like an elven prince. That thought sent A’bbni’s mind tumbling down several memories he did not need to think about right now.
Lai spun the chair so he could face him, sitting down on it cautiously like he might break it. A’bbni wondered if the finely carved chair was better than most furniture Lai was used to. He slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, facing Lai, suddenly very glad he had taken the bed instead of offering that spot to the young man. He gave Lai a small smile as he tucked his legs under him. “I wish to thank you again for taking care of my brother.”
Lai gave him a grin that lit up his green eyes, and A’bbni had to swallow as his breath caught in his throat. “No need to thank me, Your Highness. Your brother is a good man.”
“He is,” A’bbni said. “I’m sure he’s told you everything about me.”
“Not everything, I’m sure,” Lai said with a soft laugh. “But enough to feel like I know you already.”
A’bbni felt a blush creep over his cheeks and ears, and he twisted his fingers into the hem of his tunic to distract himself. “I’m glad. What about you? Your Cserethian is excellent.”
“Yours is too,” Lai replied. “But I’m not from here. I’m from Yuntillo.”
A’bbni sat up straighter in surprise. “Really? I mean… I assumed…” He blushed deeper, suddenly at a loss for words, which was not usually like him.
“You assumed I had some human blood because of my ears,” Lai said matter-of-factly, turning his head so A’bbni could see the short, sharper-pointed ears against his head. A’bbni nodded wordlessly. “My father was an elf, and my mother was human.”
“That had to be a strange childhood,” A’bbni said softly, his fingers itching to touch Lai’s ears, and, he realized with a start, not just from scientific curiosity.
Lai shrugged a little. “My father was not around. He didn’t even know about me until I was almost ten.”
“That’s awful,” A’bbni said softly.
Lai shrugged again. “Not a big loss as far as I’m concerned. He was a first-class asshole.”
“What about your mother?”
“She was great,” Lai said, his voice softening a bit as he leaned back in the chair. “She worked hard and loved me. But she got sick and died.”
“During the fevers?” A’bbni asked softly.
“No, before.”
“I’m sorry.”
