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“Kal and Allona are sick.”
Viago barely looked up at Esha, who was standing with her unbroken arm crossed in front of her chest in his office. “This concerns me because?”
“Is it because of poison training?”
“They're not sensitive like you, Eshari.” He replied, putting some paperwork to the side. “I'm sure it's just a head cold. Stop worrying and continue your training.”
Esha glared at him. She was only seventeen, but she felt responsible for her younger siblings. Probably because Viago often dumped them on her.
“If you won't look after them, I will.” She said shortly, and stormed out.
Her first stop was her own room, where she grabbed her medpack. It had her own potions kit, though Allona had always been better at potions than her. Speaking of, her second stop was the gardens, where she picked some elfroot and other medicinal herbs that she could recognize. It was difficult, given that her arm was still in a sling, but she managed.
Then she rushed towards Allona's room, because there was no doubt that where you found one of them, you would find the other.
She knocked sharply on the door and waited. She could hear footsteps on the inside, and a moment later the door opened.
Allona peeked out, her face pale and sunken. Esha frowned, but Allona didn't react beyond pulling the door open the rest of the way and coughing weakly.
“How are you feeling, Allona?” She asked gently, looking down at her thirteen year old sister.
Allona shook her head, coughing again.
“Can't talk?”
“Hard to…” She rasped out.
Poor thing. Esha dropped to her knees and pulled out the bag she brought. “Viago will send for a doctor soon, I'm sure, but until then, I'll give you some elfroot extract, and I need you to lay down with this on your forehead.” She said, producing a cold, wet cloth she'd dunked in the fountain in the garden. She paused. “Where's Kal?”
Wordlessly, Allona pointed to the bed, where Kal lay immobile. Esha's heart almost leapt out of her throat, but upon closer inspection he was breathing. He was just asleep in the way Kal slept; like the dead.
He was a lot worse than Allona, his skin almost pure white, nearly matching his hair. He was out cold, sweating buckets.
“Poor Kal. Viago needs to watch his microdosing portions!” She began to ramble as she crushed the elfroot she'd picked with her mortar and pestle, along with some of the antivenom she kept on her. She quickly lifted the bowl to Allona's lips. “Drink a little bit, please.”
She obeyed, tilting her head back to imbibe the mixture. She spluttered and coughed, but kept it down, thankfully. “Tastes bad.”
“It can't have been worse than the poison that did this to you.” She said, stepping over to Kal and lifting him up to a sitting position where she could pour the blend down his throat with one arm. He grumbled and tried to move away, but she kept him still.
“Kalias? Can you hear me? How are you feeling?” Esha patted his head, and found he was boiling hot. No wonder he was sweating so much.
Allona crawled up into the bed and flopped down, sighing in slight relief when the cold cloth lessened the heat.
Esha applied the other one to Kal's forehead, and he mumbled to her something that Esha assumed was some sort of ‘thank you’.
She stood up. “Have you eaten?”
Allona weakly pointed at a bowl that was still full of soup by her bedside table. Esha picked it up and tapped The surface with her silver ring. The surface turned a darker shade of grey-blue. Poisoned.
“Microdosing you when you're sick? I know Viago has been a tad negligent ever since becoming Talon last week, but this is ridiculous. I'll talk to him later. I'm sure he wasn't in charge of this decision but still…” She rolled her eyes and turned to Allona. “Stay here. I'll send Rosa to come get you tucked in, ok?”
“Don't need to be tucked in, I'm not a child…”
“Sure.”
Esha grabbed her bag and left the room, quickly stopping by the staff room to send for Rosa before storming down the hall to the kitchen.
She burst in, slamming the door so hard she thought it might come off the hinges.
“Who is in charge of Kalias's and Allona's meals?” She shouted, causing the kitchen to come to a deadstop.
“Viago, ya cannae jus–Lass?” Lucas, the head chef, looked surprised to see her. She didn't visit the kitchen as often as she used to, mostly slipping in for a snack or treat from the pantry after training. And he had probably never seen her so mad.
All the hands in the room pointed to Lucas, as well. Lucas puffed up and glared at them. “Everyone who just accused me, out!” He ordered, and Esha stepped aside to let the employees file out, looking miserable.
“You.” Esha bounded over to him. She may have only been seventeen, but she was still taller than the dwarf by at least three or four feet. She must have been threatening, even with a busted arm, because Lucas didn't make a peep.
“Allona and Kal are sick, and yet there was poison in their soup.”
Lucas stared her down, not one to give in easily. She'd known the dwarf for twelve years now, so this was par for the course . “T'wasnt me, lass. I just make the food, ah don't bring it to them. Nothin’ that comes outta ma kitchen is poisoned.”
Esha did not back down. “So you're saying there was nothing in the soup when it left the kitchen?” She put her hand on her hip.
“Nothin’ but veggies and broth, lass.”
“Can you prove it?”
“Considerin’ ya just scared off all ma workers, no, I cannae.”
Esha tilted back. “I'll watch you make it again. So I can be sure it's not poisoned this time.”
“You'll do better than watch, lass.” He gestured around him. “Ya see any sous chefs in here? No? Then put on an apron!”
Esha rolled her eyes, but nodded. There was no point in arguing with a two-foot dwarf with a rolling pin heavier than a bathtub unless she wanted a deathwish. Not that she thought Lucas would kill her, she'd just rather get this over with so she could get back to Kal and Allona.
But as he barked out instructions, and Esha followed them to a T, she felt a sort of relief she hadn't felt in a while. It wasn't like sewing or crocheting, something she had to hide from Viago. And it wasn't like killing or screwing around, that was a physical release. This was…nice.
“What's next?” Esha picked up the bowl of chopped veggies she had just finished. It felt nice to use a knife for something other than stabbing someone's hand. Or gut. Any number of places, really.
Lucas pulled his stool to the stove and dumped something into the pot burning there. “Put them in. Slowly! So they don't burn.” He instructed. She did as he said, grinning to herself. Lucas seemed to notice her excitement. “It's nice, isn't it?”
“What is?” She glanced at him, almost dropping a carrot but managing to maneuver just in time to catch it and drop it in the pot.
“Makin’ somethin’ with your own hands.”
She scoffed. “Lucas, I sew and knit. I make stuff with my hands all the time. You know…when I have both arms available.”
Lucas notched his stool up higher so he could stir the stew they appeared to be making. “Yes but cookin’ is more complicated. It's like potions. One wrong move and tha whole dish is ruined.”
Esha nodded. “Well I'm awful at potions.”
“Mayba ya just dinnae have tha right teacher.” He smirked.
Esha smiled. “I'm still watching you.”
He laughed. “I hope so! Othawise how will ya learn?”
They finished up the stew quickly, moving in unison with Esha keeping a very close eye on the dwarven man. He didn't seem to be adding anything suspicious, but Esha had to be certain.
“All that's left is ta let it simmer for a bit.” Lucas explained, dropping down from his stool to stare up at her.
“If you think I'm gonna leave to let it do so, you're wrong.”
He dusted his hands off. “Ah wouldn't expect ya to. Ya did good, lass. Ya'd make an excellent chef.”
Esha preened a bit, not used to receiving such praise, at least within the household. Especially as of late. She'd just killed her fist contract, but given it was routine, she'd received no praise. And Viago didn't exactly dole out compliments. “Thank you. I suppose I was a little harsh.”
“Is tha lad okay?” Lucas asked softly. “Ah wasn't aware he was sick. Tha stew’ll help.”
“He'll be fine." Esha sighed. “I gave them some elfroot extract. It'll bring their fever down. Thank you, Lucas.”
They sat in silence for a bit until Lucas's kitchen timer went off. “It's done. Tell ya what, lass.” He ladled the thick stew into two separate bowls and put those on a tray. “Ya ever want any lessons on cookin’...ya come back here an’ ask fer me.”
Esha smiled and nodded. “I might just take you up on that, Lucas.” She grabbed the tray and quickly left the room, heading back towards Allona's room.
She felt a little giddy. She was naturally talented at most Crow duties aside from poisons and potions, but no one aside from her siblings were ever interested in her hobbies.
She definitely wanted to get back into the kitchen. Though, maybe she could wait until after her siblings weren't at deaths door.