Chapter Text
Lup sits in the back of a moving wagon, one leg hanging precariously off the back of the wooden platform. She’s filing her nails with a file she’d conned off someone in a neighboring wagon, lifting one hand up to inspect them before moving on to her other hand. Across from her is Taako, whose head is buried in an old book propped up with one hand while his other hand conjures small fires and breezes to tinker with. Lup glances to the side, out of the wagon, and stares for a moment at the line of matching wagons following dutifully behind.
This wasn’t the first caravan they’d been on. Far from it. Lup had lost count of how many rides they’d hitched on caravans just like this over the years they’d been homeless, but the sight of those ever-present wagons held a strange sort of familiarity to her now. They’d made their living cooking for caravans just like these, if this could be considered a living at all. It felt like they were always scraping by the skin of their teeth, always stretching to make ends meet.
“Lup, you’re spacing.”
Lup blinks and turns to face her brother. She hums inquisitively. “Did you say something?”
“I asked what you wanted to do when we reach town in a few days. We’ve been on the road for a while, but we’ll only have a few hours to wander,” Taako explains. “We should make a list of things we need to pick up.”
Lup sighs. Shopping was always a depressing matter, and reminded her of just how poor the two of them were. She runs down the meager list of her belongings in her mind. “We’ll be needing more soap, and I could go for a new pair of shoes,” she says, lifting her foot. She’s worn a hole through the thin sole of her shoe, and her toe pokes out of it. She wiggles it with a grin. “Maybe some sanitizer, if we can get out hands on some. I’ve heard a nasty fever is going around this time of year, and I’m not keen on catching that.”
“Well, we’ll see when we get there,” Taako says, which Lup knows is code for, “Not enough money”.
She leans her head back against the wall with a frown. “There’s never enough cash to go around,” she mutters. “My poor feet are gonna be mangled by the time I’ve saved up enough for a hole-less shoe.”
Taako rolls his eyes. “Don’t complain,” he chides. “All it does is make me hate you a little more. This is still better than foster care, though, wouldn’t you agree?”
Lup laughs. “Yeah, definitely.”
That evening, Taako starts to cough. It’s soft at first, the sound muffled by his sleeve, and he waves off the questioning glances Lup flashes him as they prep dinner for that night. By the end of the meal, he’s out of breath, and Lup feels dread pool in her stomach. “You okay, bro?” she asks as they get ready for bed that night. “You sound ghastly.”
“I inhaled some dust in the kitchen, that’s all,” Taako assures her, but the croakiness of his voice suggests otherwise.
Lup just shakes her head with a sigh. If he wanted to be stoic, fine, as long as he was well enough for breakfast the next morning.
The next morning, however, found Taako shivering in bed, underneath two blankets when he would normally use only one. Lup climbs down from her bunk above Taako and immediately knows that this is worse than he had previously let on. He’s paler than usual, but his face is flushed pink. Chills wrack his slender frame and as he climbs out of bed, he drags his blankets with him. Lup pushes him back down and informs him that she’ll be handling breakfast herself.
All things considered, breakfast runs smoothly. It’s odd, cooking without her partner present, but she makes do, working double-time to get the meal out on time. It’s not her best work, by any means, but the ruffians of her caravan don’t know the difference between average and exceptional. They just care that they’re getting fed. A few people ask after Taako, but most are uninterested in the two of them. Lup tells those that are that he’s cleaning up, praying that this would pass quickly.
That night, Taako is worse than before, and people have started to notice his absence. The travellers aren’t keen on picking up sick hitch-hikers, too afraid of catching their disease and spreading it to those they can’t leave behind. Lup talks her way around the issue with an expertise she’s learned over countless years of swindling, but she knows if they find out just how sick Taako is, they’ll be thrown out on the street without a backward glance. She steels herself for the ride ahead and adopts her ever-successful fake-it-till-you-make-it strategy, and dives head-first into her work.
This lasts for all of half a day before someone rats her out to the wagon-driver. He takes one look at the bedridden Taako and tells them not to come back when they reach town. Lup fumes and holds herself back from screaming at him, knowing this won’t do any good, and hastily packs up her and Taako’s belongings into a few small bags. As soon as the wagons reach town, they disappear into the crowds. Taako doesn’t have to ask why.
Taako can still walk, thankfully, but he’s glassy-eyed and shaky. The hand that Lup holds to guide them through the busy city streets is slick with sweat and clammy when it would usually be warmer than hers, and it makes her worry. They’d gotten sick before, but usually it could be shaken off in a few days. Taako only seems to be worsening with time.
She ducks into a lit back alley, and only then does she slow down to check on her brother. She sits him down against the brick wall of a building and wraps the stolen blanket tighter around his shoulders. “You still with me, bro?” she asks, reaching out to feel his forehead for a temperature. He’s burning, and she flinches back.
“Still here,” Taako replies, fingers clutching the blanket tightly. He’s shivering despite the mild weather, which Lup takes as a bad sign. Biting her lip, she runs through her options. Sleeping on the streets was not an option if Taako was ever to recover, but the small amounts of money they had stashed away wouldn’t go far.
Sighing, Lup stands up, grasping Taako’s hands to help him stand. “C’mon, we’re going to a hotel,” she says. Taako blinks, fighting off sleep, and nods as he lets Lup hoist him back on his feet. He’s weak, though, and as he moves to take a step, he stumbles, and Lup has to catch him before he falls. She curses softly under her breath as she turns around and lifts Taako onto her back in one fluid motion, thanking her lucky stars that he’s so slender. She turns to go back the way they came, but finds her way blocked by a man.
He’s shorter than her, just slightly, but broader and, Lup figures, probably stronger. He looks surprised, his eyes flicking between her and her brother, and Lup tenses. “Out of the way,” she calls. “I don’t have time for this.”
The man doesn’t make a move to leave the alley. He seems oddly nonchalant despite his situation. “You aren’t from around here,” he says, and Lup scoffs.
“What tipped you off, stupid?” she replies snarkily. “Look, I’m kind of on a time crunch, so if you could just turn around and pretend this never happened, I’d really appreciate it.”
Again the man stands still. He’s confusing to Lup, who expected him to either approach them or leave like she asked. He just stands there and eyes them over. “Your friend looks pretty sick. He won’t last much longer without medicine,” he says.
Lup grits her teeth, feeling suddenly defensive. “Shut up! What do you want from us?” she demands.
The man holds up his hands in a placating gesture. “I just want to help,” he says slowly, and maintains eye contact with Lup despite her icy glare. His gaze flicks to Taako. “Is he your brother? You look very alike.” When Lup doesn’t answer, he adds, “I’m not gonna make you do anything, but if you want to help him, then follow me.”
With that, the man takes a step towards them, then another step. He keeps his hands up as he walks past him, and Lup lets him. This guys is certainly nosy, but he doesn’t seem dangerous. When he’s past them, he breaks eye contact with Lup and begins to walk towards the other end of the alleyway. “Coming?” he calls, pausing to glance behind him.
Lup hesitates. The way she sees it, she has two options. Go along with this stranger and see if his claims of being able to help were true, or turn and run. Strangers were dangerous, unpredictable. Someone who previously appeared trustworthy could turn on her in an instant, but she also knows that what this man says is true. Taako is fading, and fast, and there’s not enough money to pay for a proper doctor. He’ll die without medicine. On her back, Taako is unconscious, his ragged breath tickling her neck. Throwing caution to the wind, she decides that a small chance was better than no chance, and starts to trudge after the stranger.
The man smiles at her softly, and she glares back at him, making it clear that this does not make her friendly towards him. He walks in front of her, giving her ample space to leave if she needs to, and Lup appreciates the gesture. It relieves her anxiety about this whole situation, if only a little bit. She remains on edge, eyes flicking around and memorizing the streets in case she needs to make a hasty getaway. Bitterly, she thinks that she won’t be able to run very fast with Taako on her back. “Where are you taking us?” she asks, voice still hostile but not so threatening. “Who the hell are you, anyway?”
“Name’s Barry,” he answers, “and I’m taking you back to my place. I have some medicine stored up there. Something to bring down your brother’s fever and help him get his strength back.” He doesn’t look at her as he says this, keeping his gaze straight ahead. Lup relaxes a little. He answers her questions truthfully, without mincing his words, and he doesn’t ask any questions in return. Honestly is good, and Lup has become pretty talented at telling the liars from the genuine.
Lup falls silent as Barry leads her though back alleys and alongside crowds of people. Hardly anyone gives them a second glance, but Barry avoids crowd-weaving to make it easier for her to keep up. He rounds a corner onto a more residential street and stops in front of a house, reaching into his pocket to fish out a key.
The house is small and old-looking, but it’s sturdy. The tan paint is peeling in places, revealing the natural wood underneath, and the door creaks as Barry pushes it open. He offers her a smile and holds the door so she can follow him through, and after a moment’s hesitation, she obliges.
The inside of the house is more well kept than the outside. The paint looks newer in here, though the wood is just as old, and the floor plan is fairly open. Taking a quick glance around, Lup sees a small sitting area beside a kitchen and dining room. Three doors line the far wall, all tucked in a nice little row. Lup itches to turn and run, but Taako’s weight on her back reminds her that this is her best option, so she bites her tongue and takes a few steps inside.
“Bring him in here,” Barry advises, leading Lup to one of the far doors. He cracks it open to reveal a tidy bedroom. It’s furnished, but it looks as though no one lives in it, everything tidy and neat and undisturbed. He comes up beside Lup and reaches out to touch Taako, then pauses. “Do you mind if I-” he starts, hands hovering shy of actually touching him.
After a second, Lup nods, and Barry helps her lay Taako down in the bed. Lup sighs and rolls her shoulders, sitting herself on the edge of the bed beside her brother. Taako is still flushed and sweaty, his breathing more shallow than she would have preferred, but he’s alive, and at this moment, it’s good enough. She reaches out a pushes the damp hair from his face as Barry pulls extra blankets from a closet across the room, setting them on the edge of the bed. Lup watches intently as he reaches out and grasps Taako’s wrist, feeling for his heartbeat and taking his temperature. “His fever’s pretty high, but as long as we keep the room cool and get him some medicine, he should be okay,” Barry says. “You’re lucky I found you when I did, miss, or this could’ve ended up a lot worse.”
“Lup,” she interrupts, and Barry halts for a moment, looking at her quizzically. “My name is Lup,” she says again. “Miss is too formal.”
Barry chuckles, nodding. “Lup, then. When was the last time you two ate, Lup?”
“This morning,” she says softly.
Barry shakes his head. “It’ll be dark soon. That’s too long to go without eating when you’re this sick. Besides, I can’t give him anything on an empty stomach. Stay here, I have some leftover soup in the kitchen.” He turns and leaves the room, the door swinging shut behind him.
To Lup, Barry is an enigma. He has no sense of caution or self-preservation, and he’s far too trusting to her. He’s not suspicious of her at all, and doesn’t ask her any questions, doesn’t dig for information. He doesn’t pity either her or Taako, and he speaks to them like equals despite obviously being more well off. Lup shakes her head and runs her fingers through Taako’s hair, weaving the beginning of a small braid into it. He remains asleep, the blanket covering him gently rising and falling with his breathing.
Barry returns after a few minutes with a bowl on a tray in his hands, and he hands it over to Lup. “He’ll have to be fed until he’s lucid enough to eat by himself,” he says. “I figured you’d be more comfortable if you were the one doing it.” He smiles at her gently, and Lup grasps the bowl with both hands, feeling the warm glass under her fingers. Barry adds, “You can meet me in the kitchen when you’re finished.”
Lup doesn’t know what she should say, so she just nods, and Barry leaves them alone again. She picks up the spoon and examines the soup suspiciously. It looks standard, a meat-based broth with chunks of vegetables floating in it, but looks can be deceiving. She doesn’t think Barry would have any reason to compromise the food, but she samples it anyway. Better safe than sorry. It’s fairly bland and flavorless for the most part, but not inedible, and Lup doesn’t feel any reaction from eating it, so she sets it on the table.
She reaches out and gently shakes Taako’s shoulder, helping him to sit up. “Hey, sleeping beauty, wake up for a minute, will ya?” she murmurs.
Taako grumbles something incoherent and blinks open his eyes slightly, looking disoriented and confused. “Lup? Where are we?” he asks.
“Hotel,” Lup replies, and shoves the spoon in his mouth before he can say something else. “Save your breath and eat, it’ll help you get better.”
Taako makes a face but does as he’s told. He keeps his complaining to a minimum while Lup feeds him, and once he’s halfway through the bowl, he starts to nod off again.
Lup lets out a long breath. “You’re not gonna be any fun for a while,” she mutters, but he’s already asleep again, his head lolling backwards against the pillows. She sighs and tucks the blankets around his shoulders, gathering up the tray and utensils and standing up. She still feels tense and antsy being in a stranger’s house, but she sucks it up, pushing the door open slowly and peeking out. Barry’s sitting at the main kitchen table reading a book, and as she steps into the main area of his home he looks up and smiles that gentle smile.
“All finished?” He says, standing up. He walks over to her and takes the tray, setting the dirty dishes in the sink while Lup watches him. “Have a seat, and let’s get some food in ya.”
It’s a proposition, more than anything. Barry doesn’t force her to do anything she doesn’t want to do, and Lup appreciates his approach. She doesn’t feel as though she’s in danger from him anymore, but she remains on edge, examining the knickknacks on his shelf as she walks slowly over to the table. She sits down silently, crossing and uncrossing her fingers restlessly.
Barry comes in a second later with two more bowls of the same soup, setting one down in front of himself and sliding the other in her direction. There’s a spoon already in it, and she pokes around in the bowl again before finally taking a bite. It tastes the same, if a bit cold, its bland flavors and soft vegetables making for an edible if not entirely appetizing meal. Lup doesn’t complain. A meal is a meal, and it would be stupid of her to turn it away. That doesn’t stop her from cupping the bowl in both hands and casting a quick heat spell, though. Her palms quickly heat the soup from outside until it’s steaming again.
Barry sets down his spoon when he sees her do this, blinking in surprise as steam wafts from her bowl. “Are you a wizard?” he asks, and he looks excited.
Lup blinks up at him, then nods. “We both are,” she says. Barry’s intrigue is a bit off-putting; is magic really so impressive to him? The spell she’d cast was low-level, not nearly as powerful as her strongest spells.
Barry grins from ear to ear, excitement practically radiating from him. “Evocation, right? I’ve always loved studying magic, and I can cast a few practical cantrips, but I’ve never been able to hire a proper tutor. Where did you learn from?”
“We learned from anyone who would teach us,” Lup answers, picking her words carefully. “Traveling wizards and sorcerers, usually. Once we had the basics, we kinda just… taught ourselves.” She watches Barry carefully, quizzically. He’s being genuine, that much she can tell just by listening to him. When you grow up dealing with the worst of people, you learn how to discern the truth from the bullshit, and Barry has approached her with nothing but truthful interest. “Why are you doing this?” She asks.
Barry smiles, but this time, there’s a hint of sadness behind it. “Is it really so hard to believe that I want to help?” he says. “Call me soft and stupid, but I couldn’t walk by knowing there was something I could do.”
“I could have killed you. I would have been easy,” Lup presses. “The moment you approached us, I could have burned you up with my magic so quickly you wouldn’t be able to get a word in edgewise.” She scrutinizes Barry’s expression, but he doesn’t flinch at her threat.
“You could have,” he agrees, “but you didn’t, because you’re not a bad person. You’re not a murderer, or a thief, or a lowlife, are you?”
Lup freezes, staring at Barry across the table for a few seconds. “I’m not,” she says at last, her hands gripped tightly together, “but I could have been. You couldn’t possibly know.”
Barry leans back in his chair, clasping his hands over his stomach. “You’re right, I didn’t know. Not at first. But that doesn’t change the fact that I couldn’t just walk away. I have medical knowledge, access to life-saving drugs, and a spare room that never gets used. I work in an apothecary, for crying out loud. I have the ability to makes sure no one dies on the street because they couldn’t go to a hospital, and I’m going to take advantage of all my resources to do just that.”
Lup smirks, leaning forward in her chair. “That selfless bullshit if gonna get you killed,” she says. “There are people all over the world who would love to take advantage of people like you. If I trusted every sad sap who told me a sob story, I wouldn’t be around now. You can’t trust anyone but yourself, bub.”
Barry brings his soup bowl to his lips and drains the remaining contents. “You don’t mean that,” he states as though it were simply a fact. It makes Lup’s blood boil.
“You don’t know anything about me,” she snaps.
“What about your brother?” Lup sucks in a breath, feeling her anger freeze in her chest. Barry stares her down and continues, “You trust him. You love him enough to stick with him even when he’s become a liability to you.”
Lup hardens her stare, standing up and leaning forward. Her chair scrapes loudly against the wood floor. “My brother is not a liability,” she hisses. Her fingers dig into the wood of the table, leaving indents from her fingernails. “He’s saved my ass more times than I can count. I would never abandon him.”
Barry holds her gaze for a few moments, both of them staring intently at the other, and then he grins. “That’s how I know you’re a good person,” he says. “You’re loyal to the people you love. You understand the power that comes from having people around you that you trust. You know it, and you know that it applies to others as well. That’s why you’re not a killer, or a thief.”
Lup wants to argue, wants to tell him that he’s wrong, but she can’t seem to conjure the words to say so. So she says nothing, just pushes her chair back and walks away, dropping her empty soup bowl into the sink with a loud clatter. “I’m going to check on Taako,” she says, and retreats back into the spare room Taako is occupying. Barry doesn’t stop her.
“Scoot over,” she says, even though she knows Taako isn’t awake to hear her. She gently shifts him over to one side of the bed so she can take the other, pulling the blanket up around her waist as she sits upright. Barry’s words echo in her head, making her chest feel tight with a flurry of emotions. She feels vulnerable and exposed, her cold exterior chipped away at so quickly that she doesn’t know how to respond. Part of her is glad for it, the part of her that desperately wants to be close to others, but another part of her is setting off alarm bells, telling her that if she lets Barry get too close, he’ll eventually stab her in the back. She’s been burned so many times that her heart is covered in scars, and they’ve made her slow to trust. Taako is the only one who’s ever been consistent with her in her entire life. She stares down at her brother, still pale and vulnerable on the bed, and feels a pang of fear. “Don’t leave me behind,” she whispers, reaching out to touch his hair. He’s still cold and his skin is slick with sweat, but he’s regained the smallest bits of color. She smiles. Food does wonders when you can get a decent meal. Pushing away her rampaging thought, she slides down under the covers and she closes her eyes.