Page 17

Bedsheets rustled and Harlow’s cooled skin flushed when a warm hand slid from its place upon her back and across her stomach, pulling her backwards. She let out an “it’s too early”

groan and grabbed a fistful of linen comforter and pulled it over herself and Atlas.

“I don’t want to go.”

Their voice was husky and the sadness in it made Harlow' turn in her spot to face them.

Atlas leaned into Harlow's palm when it slid to cup the side of their face. Their arms wrapped around her and gave a squeeze as if to never let go.

Harlow' placed her forehead upon theirs and closed her eyes with a sigh, “Then who will feed the dog?”

“I should really spellweave something for that…or let House do it...”

“That would be a mistake. House doesn’t know when to quit.”

Harlow' smirked, shoving her hands underneath Atlas’s shirt, warming them on their warm skin.

“Gah!”

Atlas shrieked from her cold hands but didn’t move away, instead pressing their arms against her hands as if to quicken their warming.

As if to interrupt anything from continuing, the door began to rattle in place with an impatient cadence.

“OK, I’m coming.”

Atlas groaned and began to pull away out of the covers but not before placing a gentle kiss on Harlow's forehead.

Atlas spent the next few moments not getting ready but instead circling around the bed to nudge a pair of slippers to a very particular spot next to the bed and proceeded to tuck the comforter under Harlow'

“I’d say, all snug like a bedbug… but no. Bedbugs, are terrible. They’ll shred the flesh off your bones in three seconds flat.”

They placed their hands on their hips while cracking their neck. “And we like your flesh exactly where it is.”

There was a muffled sound of agreement from beneath the sheets.

“Yes, yes, exactly.”

Atlas responded to the sleepy language of Effie’s grunts.

The door rattled with an attempt to open it. “Oh, come on, I’m awake.”

There was a sigh from behind them and Harlow' unfolded herself from the carefully crafted package Atlas tucked her into and her feet slid into the perfectly placed house slippers.

“I get it, I’m coming too.”

“There’s more than enough time for you to sleep in a bit more…”

“No chance. House is right, it’s a big day.”

Harlow' cleared the sleep out of her eyes and smiled.

“Absolutely, you ready?”

Atlas pulled the door open which House had finally allowed.

“Just a few more things to adjust.”

“You know, if something is off, it’s OK. Nothing must be perfect.”

“You are.”

“Take that back! I am absolutely flawed and will hear no such thing!”

“Fine, fine, you are riddled with various levels of skills and muddled characteristics.”

“Ah much better, my love. Thank you.”

Harlow's brandished a silken robe with exactly two moth holes.

There was an argument with House where House wanted to keep the moths fed but Harlow' was insistent that she didn’t want to have to keep replacing and repairing every article of clothing she wore.

So, they settled for two moth holes each.

When together, hand in hand, they reached the kitchens, they found their pup feasting on a mound of food larger than it, which was saying something now that its height reached Harlow's knees.

Atlas stepped forward and with a wave of their hands dispersed the food back into its container, save half the bowl. House sadly whistled through its windows. “Getting better though, you’ll get it!”

As Atlas continued to greet the dog, Harlow gave them both a kiss on the cheek before continuing down the hall to the workspaces.

Workspaces.

No longer just one but two.

Her door was on the left and Atlas’ was on the right.

The door opened for her, and she stepped through.

House ignited the sconces for her and pulled the curtains open.

Dawn flooded the room, giving it a pinkish glow.

She stood there as she tightened her robe around her.

Along the walls and the room were organizations of spell reagents, stacks of various paper types.

You could never have too much.

Different inks and different pen nibs.

But also, unlike before there was a rivaling amount of lock picks.

All different shapes and made from different metal types.

There was a slew of practical locks and arcane locks resting along a peg board on the far wall.

A mound of bells in one corner and even a self-healing combat dummy.

It was a space that melded all facets of her.

In between tools of her trades were the paintings she’d traded for around town for her services.

Knickknacks from neighbors and tokens from Atlas. It was her space where she didn’t have to hide anything from anyone and surely not from herself.

Off to the side, near the door was a smaller desk.

Cleared off save for a tray of the very basics: pen, quill, lock-picking set, and a feather.

There was no chair and Harlow rubbed her forehead.

She’d been putting that part off.

Sensing the sensation of her frustration, House slid two different chairs from out in the hallway into her room.

Slide was being generous; House was quite loud in its delivery.

“Ah yes, thank you... umm.”

Harlow stared at the differences between stool and wingback chair. “I guess… stool? Perhaps they should pick their own, mm?”

House maneuvered the chair with a ripple of its floorboards while also replacing the wingback chair somewhere else in the house.

Harlow gave the room a final nod before exiting. She flicked her wrist followed by a snap of her fingers and her nightclothing was replaced with dark satin pants and a wispy violet blouse that Atlas gifted her last week.

She found Atlas in the foyer waiting for her. There was a gentle, slight knock that one would almost miss if they were any deeper in the house.

Atlas quickly covered Harlow’s mouth with their hand and placed a finger over their own lips. Harlows eyes went wide, and she turned her face towards the door. They both paused long enough to make whoever was on the other side uncomfortable.

There was another knock, louder this time.

Atlas whispered, “Seems they got the hang of it now.”

They dusted their hands off and took a breath. “Shall we?”

Harlow smiled and felt jitters radiate through her. On the other side of the door were strangers. Their names were known and their presence expected, but still strangers.

Harlow felt nerves she hadn’t felt in a long time. Those nerves fueled her into action, and she reached the door before Atlas, throwing it open widely… quite opposite of Atlas when she was the one on the stoop.

Two people with packed bags at their feet jolted up straight and then bowed together.

“Spellsaven Daggerroot, I-I’m here as your new apprentice.”

They beamed but the corners of their mouth quivered. Nerves were fickle things.

“Of course you are, how would you be anything but?”

Atlas zipped forward and grabbed their bag, after waiting with an outstretched hand for consent, before leading the dragon-fleshed young man inside. “This way…”

The other, a young person dressed all in black and hair shorn down to the scalp, took a deep breath before making eye contact with Harlow, doing their best not to break it.

“Councilor Daggerroot. Tavorian reporting for apprenticeship duty.”

They bowed again but much more stiffly than before.

Harlow dropped her wide grin to a smirk and tilted her head, “Most wonderful, you can use a pen, correct?”