61 Ashan 720
Caelin, as infuriating and as flirty as he was, had been an invaluable resource the trial before with the University, offering his ship and expertise in seafaring to capture the elusive muter fish. Yeva had certainly never seen one before and so she had overlooked her mortifying experience of indecent exposure and took keen notes during the lecture. It wasn't until after, when everyone was heading back to the local inn, The Buckle & Chain, that he had decided to continue his tormenting, "Sunspot," he cooed, half whispered as he sidled up beside her. In Almund, surrounded by buildings made of reclaimed ships and the sound of dock bells in the background, she realized just how much of a pirate he resembled. Somehow the fading sun cast a catlike deviousness to his expression. How had she not noticed beforehand?
"What do you want, Mr. Ash?"
"Oooh, polite," she could feel his fingers slip through the back of her hair and she spun sharply, swatting him away. Why, out of all the others, had he taken a shining to her? Even before her humiliation, he had nearly hand picked her from the group, "Remember when we were in the bay and you couldn't keep your hands off me? I think about that fondly." She didn't have to look back to tell that he was smiling.
Her teeth were gritted, "I didn't know how to swim. I could have drowned."
"But you learned so fast! Think of all the other things I could teach you..."
He had successfully baited the medic, who stopped walking and was ready to give a piece of her mind. Past all the innocence, had fire in those big, dark eyes, Caelin noticed. When he spoke, there was a secretive seriousness in his voice, "There's a place I know - we know it as Dukahrn's. Heard of it?"
Yeva waited, glancing at the others who were already half disappeared up the street, "What about it?"
He watched her closely, "It's a medical facility, busy. Lots of operations you have never even seen before. I could you take you, let you get a taste of some real saw cut stuff."
Saw cut stuff? Yeva realized quickly, "It's a boneyard doctor, isn't it?" Medical "professionals" whose practices were hardly ethical or safe. Yeva was already shaking her head. The Order of Adunih would never approve of it, "Absolutely not."
"Why? Because of your little faction?"
"Stop being condescending!"
"Me?" he barked a laugh, "You think just because you're going to university, you're better? Just because you're wearing a glorified blanket-"
Yeva threw an open palm at his face, but he jumped back out of reach, "Dukahrn helps people. The people society forgets about, the ones they scorn. Yeah, maybe it's not always safe, but the pirates, the criminals, the teenage mums, he sees 'em all. He fixes 'em up. Meanwhile, the Order gets to play gods. Pick and choose who deserves treatment, you just haven't seen it yet."
"The Order would never!"
"But they would! They deny surgery if they deemed it unsafe, they make people feel as if they can't seek aid! Dukharn fills a need; one that isn't being filled! Why is that, you think? Some people don't have hope, Sunspot, they need a place to go. He wouldn't be in business if that weren't the case. Come with me, and see for yourself. It's busy. Always."
Anger still stirred in her, but she hesitated. Why would a Scalvoran choose a backyard butcher in a place where an entire healing faction was stationed? She couldn't tell if the pirate was lying or not, "Why are you telling me this?"
"You're in danger here. You wear a target on your back and don't even know it. The Order of Adunih isn't everyone friend. I can show you."
"What do you want, Mr. Ash?"
"Oooh, polite," she could feel his fingers slip through the back of her hair and she spun sharply, swatting him away. Why, out of all the others, had he taken a shining to her? Even before her humiliation, he had nearly hand picked her from the group, "Remember when we were in the bay and you couldn't keep your hands off me? I think about that fondly." She didn't have to look back to tell that he was smiling.
Her teeth were gritted, "I didn't know how to swim. I could have drowned."
"But you learned so fast! Think of all the other things I could teach you..."
He had successfully baited the medic, who stopped walking and was ready to give a piece of her mind. Past all the innocence, had fire in those big, dark eyes, Caelin noticed. When he spoke, there was a secretive seriousness in his voice, "There's a place I know - we know it as Dukahrn's. Heard of it?"
Yeva waited, glancing at the others who were already half disappeared up the street, "What about it?"
He watched her closely, "It's a medical facility, busy. Lots of operations you have never even seen before. I could you take you, let you get a taste of some real saw cut stuff."
Saw cut stuff? Yeva realized quickly, "It's a boneyard doctor, isn't it?" Medical "professionals" whose practices were hardly ethical or safe. Yeva was already shaking her head. The Order of Adunih would never approve of it, "Absolutely not."
"Why? Because of your little faction?"
"Stop being condescending!"
"Me?" he barked a laugh, "You think just because you're going to university, you're better? Just because you're wearing a glorified blanket-"
Yeva threw an open palm at his face, but he jumped back out of reach, "Dukahrn helps people. The people society forgets about, the ones they scorn. Yeah, maybe it's not always safe, but the pirates, the criminals, the teenage mums, he sees 'em all. He fixes 'em up. Meanwhile, the Order gets to play gods. Pick and choose who deserves treatment, you just haven't seen it yet."
"The Order would never!"
"But they would! They deny surgery if they deemed it unsafe, they make people feel as if they can't seek aid! Dukharn fills a need; one that isn't being filled! Why is that, you think? Some people don't have hope, Sunspot, they need a place to go. He wouldn't be in business if that weren't the case. Come with me, and see for yourself. It's busy. Always."
Anger still stirred in her, but she hesitated. Why would a Scalvoran choose a backyard butcher in a place where an entire healing faction was stationed? She couldn't tell if the pirate was lying or not, "Why are you telling me this?"
"You're in danger here. You wear a target on your back and don't even know it. The Order of Adunih isn't everyone friend. I can show you."
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