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“I assure you won’t find me scaling a wall.” There was laughter in his voice, though his teasing was all soft. Gentle.

“Help,” Lio whispered. He was losing his grip.

“Jump,” Tarick ordered calmly, though sternly.

“I…No.” He shook his head fervently. Didn’t Tarick see that if he were to jump, he would surely crack his skull and meet his end?

“Come,” Tarick encouraged, still gently. “I’ve got you. I’ll catch you.”

Lio shook his head again.

The man sighed. “You aren’t honestly that far up from the ground. Look, I can touch you.” With that, his fingertips brushed Lio’s booted ankles.

Lio couldn’t feel it though the thickness of his boots, but he shivered anyway.

“Jump,” Tarick repeated.

Lio blinked rapidly, squirming, then pushed away from the wall and fell.

The world rushed by him briefly before he was being enveloped in thick arms.

The relief was instant. “You caught me.” His voice was still dulled to an awed whisper.

“Perhaps I should more often,” Tarick whispered back with a devilish grin, as though they were sharing an important, inside joke, “So that you will always look at me, just like this. One would think you are trying to court me, boy.”

Lio didn’t know how to respond to this, other than do his best to not turn brighter. Instead, he cleared his throat and asked, “W-why have I not been assigned a task like the other birds?”

“The other Susconians,” Tarick corrected absently, blowing a snowflake from Lio’s face.

Lio glared.

“Because you keep taking these little tumbles,” Tarick chuckled.

After Lio was set down, he explained his reason for hunting the man down in the first place. He wanted Tarick’s help in finding Salas. The more he talked about the other bird’s separation from the rest of the Susconians, the more Tarick’s face darkened to something grim and kin to regret.

“You have an idea of where he is?” Lio asked hopefully.

Tarick nodded. “Yes.”

But it wasn’t until days later that Tarick was able to locate the lost bird and free him. Lio watched from the window, his breath caught in his throat, as Tarick pulled Salas from an outside well and took him inside, dripping and looking of death.

On his way to meet Tarick on the lower floor, he got lost. Then he paced, and worried, and got further lost. Night fell. He refused to return to the tower where the other Susconians were. Not until he was sure his friend was safe and well.

Eventually, he did not find Tarick, but Tarick found him.

“I hear the other guards say you’ve been haunting these halls like a little ghost. Spooking the living daylight out of them,” Tarick said ruefully, walking forth from a darkened corner and gently placing a hand on Lio’s shoulder, settling him.

Lio sighed.

“Your friend is in good hands. Not the best, mind you, as our King can be a fickle sort. But he will be well,” Tarick said softly, crouching down so that they were of equal height.

Lio blinked and tried not to cry.He should never cry.

A hand came to his back and guided him away. He didn’t know where they were going until they stepped through the threshold of the empty kitchen. The staff were gone, having retired for the evening.

“Sit,” Tarick said, gesturing to a stool.

Lio sat.