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Alessio jumped to his feet, Nithel’s brows quirking in small confusion. He wasn’t going to run.

That didn’t feel normal, but… I just met him.

Nithel stayed low, watching as the new men stood, holding out his hand to the other, as Jaylin had him. Jaylin… Nithel cast his eyes about, where was he? Nothing. Maybe in the rows of shelves.

“My name is Virtus,” Nithel put his eyes back on the speakers, “son of Fidus. Sorry for landing on top of you.”

Nithel smiled the smallest bit in his eyes. He bore the start of the greeting Nithel knew. And Virtue, a good name.  And Fidus…. so many meanings of strength and compassion crossed Nithel’s mind. Virtus had strong parents. Or at least a loving grandfather.

Nithel slowly moved his eyes back up to Alessio. The youth’s shoulders were more relaxed. Nithel could only see the back part of his profile. The side of Alessio’s cheek moved as he swallowed hard.

Then his eyes flashed down toward Nithel, then to the strangers. He moved into light. Where people could see him, if they desired, and looked.

Nithel’s brows lifted, and he stared at his friend’s back. Then, Nithel pushed to his feet, hand still clutching his sling, and other hand fishing in his pouch.

“For the record,”

Nithel’s looked back to Alessio, the confusion cutting his eyes a second.

“I know you meant it.”

Nithel’s eyes lost most of the confusion and filled with a calm understanding.

“I’m sorry I can’t afford to feel anymore.”

Then his eyes turned to a hard seriousness. And a second later, pain, as he looked down. No worthy words came to mind. How many times had Nithel wished the pain away? But that was the way of Aden. 

“Tis good love is not an emotion then.” He lifted his head, his posture erect, but not tense. A steady easiness. But his eyes, which were looking straight ahead, held sadness, and his fingers played with a small smooth stone inside his pouch as he looked over the people.

After a short moment he blinked once, running his  eyes over everything, the people. Only the pig’s son scared Nithel. Though many made him uneasy. But, that was the way. The new ones had the heir of robbers, not soldiers.

Nithel waited. Quiet.

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