Carrying the dishes into the kitchen, I set them beside the sink where Zasen was washing what the rest of us had used for dinner. His bright blue tail flicked once, proving he knew I was there, but he didn't look over until he'd rinsed the glass in his hands.
"How's he doing?"
"He wants to be all better," I explained. "He's also going to read about grenades."
"So he won't be surprised by them again." Zasen nodded as if that made complete sense. "Hey, let Rymar know I'm going to crash on the couch again tonight?"
"Why?"
He pointed a wet finger toward the room Kanik was in. "Because he still needs help, and even the walk to the bathroom is more than he can do on his own right now. If I'm here, he has to accept the help, notaskfor it."
"Should I sleep on the couch tomorrow?" I asked.
But he shook his head. "No, I've got it. Ayla, this is me trying to make up for the guilt of not going back out for him. You did. Rymar couldn't. I should've, and I know it."
"We didn't know he was alive."
"But you wouldn't let the Moles have his body," he countered. "I would've. I stopped fighting, so this is my way of righting thatwrong. It helps him, it helps me, and in the end, we're both happier for it."
"Okay," I said just as Holly barked again. "I think I need to save her."
"Go," Zasen told me. "Oh, and get some sleep too, okay?"
"I will. Good night, Wyvern," I said as I left.
Behind me, his reply was soft. "Sleep well, Phoenix."
Something about that made me smile. It wasn't the words, not exactly. It was the way he said it, like there was a promise wrapped up in it I couldn't quite understand. And yet, hearing it felt safe. It felt nice. It felt... warm.
When I reached the second floor, I headed for the first room to the right. My fingers barely tapped on the door before my dog began barking excitedly. Behind all of that, I thought I heard something, but wasn't completely sure.
"Rymar?" I asked, cracking the door. "Holly, hush."
"Get it!" Rymar hissed to my dog. "Come in and close the door," he told me. Then, "Get it, Holly!"
I slipped in to find my dog skittering around the room after something round that bounced wildly. Finally, she grabbed it and hopped up on the bed to give it back to Rymar. The moment the ball fell from her mouth, she barked - right in his face.
"Whisper," I told her.
The loud barks shifted to soft ones with a lot of teeth clacking.
Rymar tossed the ball again. "I didn't know that one," he said. "And get up here so she doesn't run you over."
I hurried across the room and hopped up beside him. His back was to the wall, so I took the other side, up by the pillows. I'd barely gotten into place when Holly came back to return the ball again.
"Wait," Rymar said before rolling it across the bed, letting the ball bounce to the ground and then across the room. "Get it!"
She was off like a flash. Rymar chuckled, then scooted closer, leaving more empty space for my dog to land on when she returned. I found myself smiling as she tried to stop the ball with a foot, sending it out in another direction just to skid after it.
"How's Kanik?" he asked while she chased the ball around the room.
"Sick of being hurt, tired of feeling useless, and annoyed with the way Zasen washes his hair." I tapped his tail with my foot. "I told him to ask you to help."
"I will," he assured me, pausing when Holly came back. "Down," he ordered. "Time to relax, big girl. If you come here, I'll pet you."
Holly crawled closer, flopping over with the ball still in her mouth. Almost absentmindedly, Rymar reached over to pet her. His eyes were on me, though.
"I'm worried he's going to have trauma from this," he said. "Kanik isn't really a fighter. I mean, he's good at it, but that's not the same as being made for it."
