Sorry this took so long to get out. I was focusing on the latest chapter of 'A Dovahkiin Spreads His Wings.'
WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS REFERENCES TO DOMESTIC AND CHILD ABUSE!
It was obvious to Kravos that something was weighing on Ashe's mind.
This, in and of itself, was not surprising. The poor girl had been through a harrowing experience these past few days, on top of having a short, painful life. So it was only natural that there'd be ghosts that nagged her thoughts. He tried, both recently and shortly after she'd come to live with him, to get Ashe to open up about what she'd gone through, only to be met with deflection, platitudes, and silence. So Kravos let her be for now; years of raising children that the world had beaten down and left behind had taught him that attempting to force Ashe to speak of her pain before she was ready would only lead to tears and a loss of trust.
But this was different.
It wasn't so much that Ashe seemed sad or scared, it was more that she was concerned or deep in thought about something. Out of the corner of his eyes, Kravos has seen her staring across the ship deck at some of the other rescued victims. Or, rather, he'd caught Ashe staring at the young woman with two small children. She'd watch the woman play with the little ones or assist in the various chores that needed to be done on the ship. Occasionally, she'd be beckoned closer but Ashe would rarely accept, seemingly preferring to keep her distance.
'Is she thinking of her mother?' he wondered.
Ashe rarely spoke of her past but, when she did, it was more often of her mother and friends back in her home village. Kravos knew the girl's mother was dead, as was most of that side of the family. So perhaps Ashe was searching out a maternal figure to give her that gentle, unconditional love all children craved? It wouldn't be a surprise. All of Kravos' children had felt this way to some degree and, thankfully, he had enough lady friends and female companions or housecarls to give them the attention they craved.
Sure, it was often a gruffer type of affection than a mother would typically give -Rayya and Aela weren't exactly gentle in anything they did- but that didn't make it any less real.
Unfortunately, that was not the case here and it would be at least four more months until the spell to return Ashe and himself back to Skyrim was ready. While many of Kravos' friends had aged and passed on, there were still plenty who'd want to dote on Ashe and would love her without question. Perhaps he could even send Ashe to Blasie and Beika for a few months? Ashe was close in age to the twins. Perhaps Antosa and Aniskja would like to have a 'big sister' around?
Quite frankly, Ashe needed more companionship than an old man and his dog. A girl her age needed to be other children with whom she could bond and play. Hard as her life may have been when she was living with her parents, Ashe had always spoken happily about the friends she'd had and, though she'd never admitted it, Kravos knew she missed them.
'Should I approach the subject?' he wondered, staring up at the rusted metal ceiling of the room.
The ship wasn't large and most of the rooms it did have weren't meant for sleeping. The result was shared quarters -if not shared bunks- and people using the softest bits of whatever could be found as mats, pillows, and blankets. There were sleeping cabins -and the young and injured got first dibs on those- but few felt comfortable sleeping in the same beds where the men who'd kidnapped and tried to enslave them had laid their heads.
He, Rena, and Ashe had ended up in the supply closet, a small, poorly lit space that was nevertheless nearly empty with only one easily defendable entrance and therefore was an appropriate place to sleep. While Rena had claimed an old canvas tarp in the corner of the room for herself, Kravos had made up two beds with the bedrolls and sleeping pallets he'd brought along stretched across some empty wooden crates to keep them both up from the damp, slightly sticky floor.
Was it particularly comfortable? No. But Kravos had slept in the worst places and was willing to bet that Ashe had too.
He glanced over at the girl, finding her lying too still and too stiff to truly be asleep.
"Ashe?"
The tiny form shifted and, after a moment, Ashe slid out of bed and padded over to him. Rena poked her furry white head up as she watched Ashe, alert and ready to defend. Hesitantly, she tugged at the top of his blanket, her little fingers knotting in the thick woolen fabric. Through the dim gloom of the room, Kravos could see the hope in her eyes... and the worry for the rejection she might receive.
'She's never asked to sleep with me before.'
Kravos wordlessly pulled the top of his bedroll open and help Ashe crawl up to cuddle against him. Her tiny head was a featherlight weight on his chest and her cold, bare toes curled against his calf. The old Dragonborn carded his fingers through Ashe's hair, his callous catching on strands of fiery red tresses. It was getting longer, he noted, and was now curling around the tops of her narrow shoulder blades. Seeing that neither her master nor charge was in danger, Rena put her head back down on her shoulders and curled up, ready for sleep.
"Mr. Kravos?" Ashe whispered.
"Yes, sweetling?"
"I think there is something wrong with Miss Wendy."
That certainly wasn't was Kravos had been expecting to hear. He lifted his head to look Ashe in the eyes. "What makes you think that?"
The girl bit her lip and she squirmed, trying to get comfortable, and Kravos stayed silent, waiting for her to speak again. Ashe had brought this up herself and, if he'd learned anything about the girl, it was that she was cautious with her words. If she chose to use them for this, it was for a good reason.
"I've been watching her, her and the babies," Ashe explained. "I've been watching how she acts when other people talk about going home. Like last night at dinner, everyone was talking about what they wanted to do and the people they wanted to see when they got back home but did you noticed that none of them said anything?"
Kravos let out a thoughtful hum. He had noticed how silent the little family had been; though, admittedly, he hadn't thought much about it. He'd been busy helping Natasha chart her course -while he may not know these waters Kravos could still give his opinion about possible dangers to avoid while traveling along a coastline- and had passed it off as a tired mother with two sleepy children. Now though...
"You are an amazingly perceptive little girl," he commented.
Ashe smiled against his chest, snuggling closer before growing sober again. "I know Miss Wendy has a husband, she mentioned it to Miss Daisy, but she never talks about wanting to see him again. I even had Westley ask Ethan and Cindy if they were excited to see their papa again, but they didn't say anything."
The girl's fingers knotted tighter in Kravos's shirt and the man fought a wince; the fabric of his tunic was old, worn, and soft but it felt rough against his previously injured shoulder. Kravos had healed the small, round wound sustained during the raid of the slaver camp quickly but, as a sign of how his body was aging, the shoulder was still sore. Kravos couldn't let Ashe see the pain though, it wasn't her place to worry about him.
"And?"
Ashe bit her lip, "And I think that Miss Wendy is scared of her husband, Mr. Kravos. I think he is a Bad Man, just like Papa."
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"Well, I suppose you would be a better judge of that than I, sweetheart," Kravos said softly, dropping a kiss on the trembling girl's head. "Do you think we should do something?"
He had to let Ashe lead the conversation. If the girl was right then this situation was undoubtedly dragging up all sorts of horrible memories. Kravos wanted to help this woman and her children too but he had to let it be Ashe's idea; he refused to put Ashe in a situation that would undo all of her healing.
"I don't want them to have to go back Miss Wendy's husband, not if he is going to hurt them again. It isn't fair that they get saved from becoming slaves but have to go back to a Bad Man," Ashe declared. "I know I shouldn't get into other people's business but... is there any way you can help them?"
'Such a brave, sweet girl,' Kravos thought adoringly. 'Despite everything you still care for others. You never let the cruel hand life has shown you snuff of the warmth of your heart.'
"I can't force them to do anything,' he said, feeling Ashe stiffen beside him, "but I may have an idea."
"What?"
"We give her somewhere else to go," the old Dragonborn said. "For now though, you just worry about getting some sleep. I'll speak with Lady Wendy in the morning."
"Alright, I trust you," Ashe nodded, eyes already shutting she nuzzled her cheek against his chest. With a sleepy sigh, she said, "Goodnight, Daddy."
Though he'd never heard the word before, something deep inside Kravos knew what it meant and it made his old heart soar.
The next morning, having left Ashe to have a bit of a lay-in, Kravos approached Lady Wendy as she sat out on deck stitching together an old shirt as her children played nearby with young Westley. He approached slowly, with a relaxed gait, gentle smile, and a plan.
"Good morning, Lady Wendy," he said. "I hope the dawn is treating you well."
"As well as can be expected," the woman laughed. "And I've told you that you can just call me Wendy, I'm far from a lady."
"My apologies, I merely wish to show the proper courtesy." Kravos nodded to the bench she was sitting on, "May I join you?"
"Oh! Yes... of course. Please, sit."
Permission granted, he sat beside the woman and took ample notice of the way she stiffened, ever so briefly, when he did so.
'Poor woman, it looks like Ashe was right. I wonder, did he hit your children too?'
"I wanted to thank you, Wendy," Kravos said, needing to put her at ease if he was to accomplish his goal.
"Thank me?" The woman blinked at him, surprised. "Whatever for?"
"Ashe told me how kind you were to her during that horrible endeavor," Kravos said. "Even in such a terrible situation for you and your children, you still had the internal strength to be kind enough to attempt to comfort a frightened young girl."
Wendy blushed and waved him off, "Oh, think nothing of it. Your girl has a core of steel, never once showed how scared she must have been. To be totally honest, I'm not sure how much help I was to your daughter -she didn't even tell me her real name. She told me it was Ashley."
Kravos gave an awkward chuckle. "Aye. Sadly, Ashe has had a hard life and does not trust easily. Please don't take it personally."
"I don't," Wendy said, her eyes fixed on her children as they played. "The world is a dangerous place, especially for the naive and trusting."
It didn't escape Kravos' notice the way the woman tugged at and fiddled with the small, dented ring on her finger. "So, once again, I would like to thank you for being king to Ashe."
"Think nothing of it," Wendy said, eyes still glued to her children. "You and Natasha saved us in the end. I'd say that makes us more than equal."
"Still, I'd like to offer you something in return for your good deeds."
The woman finally looked back to Kravos, her eyebrows shooting up. "Excuse me?"
Kravos smiled kindly and continued, "I would like to offer for you and your children to come live with Ashe and me at our home. You could stay briefly as a guest, just stay until you can decide on your family's next move, or you could stay longer and I would employ you as a teacher for the children. Your living space and food would be free, of course."
Wendy reeled back and stammered, "Oh… That is an incredibly generous offer b- but my children and I already have a home to return to. My husband is- He's waiting for us."
"Wendy, do you really want to return to him?" Kravos asked, gentle but firm. His voice was low so they would not be overheard. "Would returning to him be best for you and your children?"
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"You have a lot of nerve!" Wendy snarled, jolting to her feet and glaring down at him. "You don't know anything about me or my husband! You have no right to question me about my marriage!"
Internally, Kravos sighed. 'I was afraid of this. Until they're ready, people refuse to admit the truth to themselves or others.'
"I was simply suggesting that-"
"Have a good day, Mr. Redwind," the woman cut him off. "And keep your mouth shut around me and my children. If I see you speaking to them behind my back then I won't hesitate to shove you overboard, got it?"
Wendy didn't even wait for an answer before storming off, scooping up her children and vanishing into the ship's kitchen.
"What was all that about?"
Kravos looked up to see Natasha step out from the ship's cockpit and sighed. "Just someone afraid to accept the help they need."
When Nat cocked an eyebrow in his direction, he continued. "Ashe and I have reason to believe Wendy's husband mistreats her and their children. I obviously don't want them going back into that situation, so I offered her the option to come live with the two of us at our home. But, when I tried to speak of her about it, Wendy reacted poorly."
"I had my suspicions too. It's always sad to have them confirmed though," Natasha said with a sad sigh. When Kravos gave her a questioning look, she explained further. "Back before... before the war, I was a lawyer. I graduated from Suffolk County School of Law and intended to go into Criminal Law but ended up in Family Law. A choice I often ended up regretting."
Kravos was familiar with lawyers; High Rock had plenty of them and Francois briefly considered studying to become one when he was first starting his studies in Leyawiin. It was a noble, if often frustrating, pursuit. He did have one question though.
"I thought you were a housewife?"
Nat laughed, "I was a housewife, a mother, and a lawyer, all in one. My friends used to call me the 'Ultimate Modern Woman.' But, yes, I was taking a year off after Shaun was born to focus on caring for him. Anyway, when I was practicing, I dealt with a lot of battered women trying to leave their husbands. I remembered that I used to get so frustrated when, after everything these men would put them through and how much work I put into helping them, they'd almost always end up going back.
Then, one day, I was venting my frustration about a particular case to an older lawyer, and she gave me an important piece of advice. She told me that she understood my annoyance but to remember that victims are always trying their best. I won't say I never got angry at a client again, but I did always try to keep that in mind. So that is what we remember about Wendy now -that she is doing her best."
As wonderful as that advice was, it didn't do them much immediate good. "I don't suppose you and your fellow Minutemen can do anything?"
"Unfortunately, we can't do much without proof of wrongdoing on the husband's part or Wendy actually asking for help," Nat said, shaking her head. "I can try talking to her though. Maybe she'll feel more comfortable talking to another woman."
Kravos nodded, "That is a good idea. Thank you."
"I do my best."
Later that night, after Kravos tucked Ashe into bed and was getting ready for sleep himself, there was a knock on the door. When he opened the door, expecting to find Natasha or one of the men he'd assigned to patrol the ship deck, Kravos was surprised to find Wendy standing there.
The woman looked up at him and pulled the thin blanket tighter around her trembling shoulders and said, "Can we talk?"