Not a Prisoner

Writers: Miriah, Yvonne
Date Posted: 29th October 2014

Characters: Taril, Humari, Cordero
Description: Taril comforts Humari after Yarmel's threats and decides to take action
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 9, day 9 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Bryvin, Yarmel, Yriadha, Torinya;
Takes place after "Never Again"

Humari

There was rapid knocking on Taril's office door as a small voice piped
up. "Sir? Sir? It's Cordero." The voice was anxious. "I needs to talk to ye, now." Unable to wait, the young boy opened the door and burst through. "I saw 'im, sir. Saw Yarmel. He got Humari and
dragged her off. You said ta tell ya. Arnott said to watch and ye'd
pay me."

"Close the door," he told Cordero. Taril's eyes unfocused for a moment
as he sent Dodger to find Humari. A moment later the flit sent back an
image of his wife with a bruised face and a knife. The merchant swore,
then pulled a battered 32nd mark out of his pocket and flicked it at
the boy as he stood. "You've earned it," he told the kid as he reached
for his crutch. Dodger came back from /between/ and Taril immediately
sent him back to Humari with instructions to guard her until he
arrived. If Yarmel came back, he'd lose his eyes.

The boy snatched the coin and tucked it in his pocket. He wanted to
ask about Arnott, but even at his young age, he knew that Taril was
more focused on his Lady. He nodded and left, leaving the door open
for Taril as he made his way back to the docks.

Humari didn't know how long she'd been crouched by the wall, but the
sound of the outer door creaking open made her hand tighten on the
knife handle. She felt her fingers cramp and tremble, but never loosed
her hold on the blade. She whimpered, but held her ground, not even
registering that Dodger had appeared nearby. Her mind was focused
solely on the sounds coming from outside of her locked room.

"Humari?" Taril called. "Are you here?"

"Taril?" Humari's voice from behind the door was quavering. Suddenly the
door burst open and Humari rushed out, barreling towards Taril and stopping
just short of tackling him as she wrapped her arms around him. The knife had
dropped from quivering fingers the moment she knew that he was there. She
pressed her face against his chest, her entire body shaking. "You're
home...you're home..."

Taril struggled a moment to keep his balance, then dropped his crutch and
tentatively put his arms around his wife. His wife, who still felt like a
stranger despite the kiss they'd shared earlier and the baby they'd made
inside her. Her touch, her voice-- the anger he'd felt earlier at Yarmel
hardened into something ugly, even as he felt helpless in the face of her
fear. "I'm home." His arms tightened around her. "You're all right."

At first, she just clung to him, trembling. Then her voice whispered, barely
audible. "I was just walking home. I swear. Just walking home. " She
swallowed roughly and then her eyes widened and her head flew up to look at
her husband. "He's going to kill me. I hurt him." She wound her fingers in
his shirt. "He threatened to...and I kicked him and scratched him. He's
going to kill me. " Her lip quivered. "Please...you have to believe me, I
was just walking home."

"I know." Taril cupped her cheek in one hand, his eyes narrowing as he
examined the swollen, red bruise marring her face. This had gone on long
enough. If Yarmel hadn't been Yriadha's son he'd be feeding the fishes in
the bay before sundown, but the Headwoman still had some influence.

Well, so did he. And the guardsman was going to pay dearly for what he'd
done. What Taril owned was _his_, and he hadn't build his business by
letting challenges to his authority go unchecked. But this time it was
personal, not business, and he'd make sure that everyone knew it.

He brushed his thumb along her cheek, then pulled her close to kiss the top
of her head. "You're safe. Yarmel won't touch you again. I'll make sure that
happens."

"He said horrible things. " She winced a little as he touched the bruise,
but then closed her eyes as he pulled her close again. She shivered. " I...I
got angry. I didn't want him to hurt the baby. I hurt him. " In a soft
voice, she detailed what exactly had happened and what had been said, all
the while clutching at him for comfort and support. That he was giving it,
not blaming her and instead holding her, caused the shivers to slowly fade.

Taril was quiet as she calmed, and quite honestly was happy to use the
time to calm himself, as well. Yarmel was-- rage, hot and blind,
flared up. That Yarmel had threatened his own _sister_ like that, had
threatened the mother of _his_ child... Yarmel was not going to last.

But the last thing Humari needed was to deal with another angry man,
so he buried it deep and let it burn. He kissed her forehead. "You did
the right thing. I'm glad you hurt him. I'm proud of you. But right
now, I could use a seat. So why don't we go get a glass of water for
both of us, and we'll sit down for a bit. All right?"

"I've never done that before." There was a soft sniffle as she wiped
at her eyes and then slowly pulled her head away from his chest. She
looked up at him, brown eyes soft as he kissed her brow. She
swallowed, staring up at him before what he said clicked and she
glanced around. Realizing that he was standing without his crutch, she
moved quickly to pick it up. "I'm sorry. I didn't even think." She
handed it back at him. "And I haven't even started on dinner or
anything...and we were supposed to celebrate..."

She stepped away, suddenly anxious. "I'm sorry. I'll get you some
water and start on dinner right away." She hurried to the kitchen,
poured him a cup of water and handed it to him.

"We can celebrate another day, when it will feel more like a
celebration." Taril handed the glass of water back to her. "Drink
this. You'll be dry after all that crying."

She took the glass in careful hands and took a long drink, nodding
slowly. "Oh. Okay." She chewed on her lower lip and sat down on their
couch, leaving him enough room to join her.

Taril did, and took her hands in his own. "Do you need me to send for a
healer?"

She shook her head slowly. "No. It's not the first time, it'll fade in
a sevenday or so. Healers would just tell me to go put something cold
on it." She took a deep breath. "And my stomach wasn't wounded or hit.
The baby should be fine." She looked down at their joined hands, her
fingers nestled in his own. "I'll..." She took a deep breath. "I'll
just be more careful when I go out. I'll take Torinya with me if I
have to leave."

"No, you won't." Taril tightened his grip on her hands. He was getting
angry again. "You'll go out any damn time you please. You're not a
prisoner in my house. Just-- wait a few days. I have some things I
need to do."

She blinked and stared at him, confused. "But..." Yarmel was going to
be furious with her and what could Taril do? He was just a merchant. A
wealthy one, yes, but he had to know that Yarmel wouldn't blink at
hurting him too. She looked down at her hands and then back up at him,
confused. "What things?"

"I have a meeting with the Lord Holder." Or would, shortly. Whether
Bryvin wanted a meeting or not. And there was a certain dockside
urchin he needed to find, just in case Cordero decided to disappear
like Arnott had.

"Right now?" Her hands clutched at his, watching his face. She wanted
him to stay; she felt safe with him, but didn't know why. Taril wasn't
a physical match for Yarmel in any way. If her brother wanted to, he
could break Taril in half.

"As soon as he's on dry land." He squeezed her hands in his own. Bryvin's
ship was still out at sea, but it wouldn't be more than a candlemark or two
until he sailed into harbour. "And I have a boy named Cordero to find. He
was the one who told me about Yarmel. You have friends out there, keeping an
eye on you. Did you know that?"

"Oh. Okay." She nodded and instinctively curled her fingers between his,
even as she accepted that he had to leave her for a little while longer. She
tilted her head and shook it slowly. "No, I didn't know. Cordero..." Her
brow furrowed. "He's Arnott's brother, I think." The last was a murmur as
she searched her memory; it had been a long time since she had interacted
with the boys.

Brothers. A flash of guilt made him drop his gaze. His brother
missing, likely because of Yarmel. Yarmel daring to lay a hand on his
wife. Yarmel, knocking his own wife to the ground in a fit of temper
after finding the graffiti. That man deserved no kindness, and for a
moment Taril let himself fantasize about knocking his corpse into the
bay.

But. He was still Yriadha's son and Humari's brother, and that
amounted him some... discretion. Today he'd ensure that his informant
was kept safe, and he'd have his revenge on Yarmel by sundown the day
after. Brother-in-law or not, no one crossed Taril without facing the
consequences.

And this time, he wouldn't hold back.

Last updated on the November 13th 2014

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