Kor Meets Aphid / Escape From Grelod Part 5
The outside air did seem fresher this morning, even Kor could agree.
The morning sun had barely begun to warm the market, but it wasn't an uncomfortable cool.
Aphid had remarked about it to Kor, warning him that the summer months could sometimes make the canal a bit pungent.
Kor didn't know what that meant, but he assumed it was probably another thing he wasn't going to quite like about this place.
And yet again, his thoughts tried to pull away to the realization of being here, and being here that long…
But suddenly, he collided, with a force not his own, into the railing of the plank bridge they were crossing.
It immediately took his mind off his thoughts, but now he was rattled with what in oblivion just happened.
"Barakväll!" Aphid's stern voice snapped every child's attention to the towering older boy.
"I—I--," Bark stammered, "I s-swear I d-didn't mean to!"
"I literally just saw you do it!" Aphid scolded and let go of the little Redguard's hand that held to his.
Bark quickly took a few steps back as Aphid advanced, but the older boy first checked on Kor.
"You okay, polka dots?" Aphid asked as he knelt and gently looked the boy over.
Kor was rattled, but thankfully the collision didn't knock a knot in him.
"I…I'm okay," he quietly replied.
Aphid helped him to his feet and offered him a little smile before turning his furious gaze towards Bark.
The big brother stood to his full height, and with a snap of his fingers and a point at the ground beside him, Aphid firmly instructed the green eyed scamp.
"Come here," he ordered.
"W-Why?"
"Right here," Aphid ordered again.
"But why--!"
"Come here, Barakväll," the big brother demanded, "and apologize to Kor."
"I'm sorr—"
"Uh-uh, right here," Aphid pointed yet again.
"Why's it gotta be right there! He can hear me—"
"Barakväll," Aphid warned, "You want to sit your tail on the bench already? We've not even crossed the bridge and you've already caused trouble!"
"I didn't mean to--!"
"Right here. Now. You can at least offer him a sincere apology if you truly didn't mean to then, hm?"
Bark growled a high pitched, whiny growl, but approached.
He had his eyes fixated on the wooden boards of the bridge, prompting Aphid to wave a hand under the boy's reluctant gaze and direct him to set his eyes on Kor.
"Apologize," Aphid ordered.
"…I'm sorry…," Bark partially mumbled.
"…it's oka—" Kor had begun to say but Aphid waved a dismissive hand at that.
"Mm-mm," Aphid shook his head, "You may forgive him, Kor. Of course you can, but what he did was not okay…Bark, you look here…"
The older boy gripped the railing of the bridge and gave it a little shake, showcasing the worrisome wobble of the supposed support.
"You know how rickety this city is," Aphid reminded, "This whole rail could have gave way and took Kor with it."
Bark had a flicker of concern for just a moment, but his usual back talk quickly tried to cover it.
"He'd have just fallen in the wa—"
Aphid's look alone silenced the boy. Even Kor felt his stomach go cold when he glanced it, and a flash of what he had heard earlier crossed his mind.
Aphid was going to "swat" Bark, wasn't he?
Nooo. Kor didn't want to witness that.
Aphid took Bark the arm, and the tiny gasps from both the younger Nord boys seem to tell that they both thought the same thing.
But no swat came.
Aphid only pulled Bark towards the rail to have him see just what he needed to see.
"And what if," Aphid pointed down below at the boardwalks that lined the sides of the canal, "he had hit the decking instead?"
Bark's widening eyes gave away his realization.
The boy was about to say something, but Aphid spoke again.
"You know, I had quite a fall into that canal a long while ago myself," he said.
"Y-You did?" Bark asked and the other children seemed quite interested in that remark as well.
"Mhm," Aphid nodded, "When it was just me and Grelod…We were returning from the market one day when this thief tried to mug her. He snatched her satchel and thought the best distraction to hold her up was to shove me off the boardwalk. Flung me right off the side by the steps over there, and I hit the steps hard, head first…tumbled all the way down and somehow slid right into the water."
"Whaaat?!" Bark gasped, along with the surprised gasps of the other children. They sounded as if they had just witnessed such an event.
"Did he kill you?!" Eydis asked. Her seriousness only added to the humor of such a question.
"Nearly," Aphid chuckled, "Yes. I was in a very bad shape for at least a couple weeks."
"Who saved you?" the girl questioned more.
"Well, Grelod did," Aphid answered.
"No she didn't!" Bark disbelieved, "She'd rather have her purse back."
Aphid seemed to see humor in that as well.
"Mr. Balimund can vouch for her," he said, "She fished me out and even nursed me back to health herself. I was conscious for that part."
"She was nice?" Bark seemed a little unconvinced.
Aphid laughed a quieter laugh and then shrugged.
"She wasn't mean," he said.
"…that must have been scary," Bark remarked.
Aphid gave one more small breath of laugh and nod before returning to his stern demeanor.
"What was scary," he said, "was what a tumble in this city can do, you see—"
"So that's why you hit me," Bark interrupted.
"Wha--?"
"When I pushed Eydis. It reminded you of your tumble."
"Well, yes and no," Aphid waved, "I…SWATTED you, because you shouldn't have done something so mean and reckless, and because, yes, I did know first hand just how dangerous that was, and I know Grelod's son--something mean!...about those…steps."
None of the kids seemed to have caught on that he nearly slipped something there, especially since Bark couldn't control his own slip of tongue.
"…it's the same thing," he mumbled, remarking of that swat.
"Baaark," Aphid sighed in frustration, "Do you realize what you could have done? At the very least, do you? To Eydis that day and to Kor just moments ago?"
Bark seemed to be biting the inside of his bottom lip in his own frustration.
"Do you?" Aphid insisted.
Bark's face scrunched in what seemed like an adamant refusal to answer, but it was really an attempt to keep a burst of tears at bay.
"I d-didn't mean to!" he started to lose that stronghold, and Aphid immediately softened in an attempt to spare him.
"Oh, little pup, I know," he said, "I know you—"
His softening and use of endearment for the boy, however, didn't gate the tears.
Bark spun around in his own attempt to hide the spillway, and hoped the other children were not wise to it—though they probably were—but Aphid certainly knew what was going on.
He sighed gently and spoke gently still while he opened up his arms.
"Come here, baby brother," he said.
Bark stood where he was for a moment, barely daring a glance Aphid's way, but then slid as inconspicuously as he could into Aphid's arms, being sure to keep his face turned away from the other children.
"I know you don't mean to actually hurt anyone," Aphid explained as he held the boy to him and consoled, "But that's what ends up happening when you don't take the time to think."
"A-And because I'm strong," Bark added.
"Heh, yes, you are stronger than the other kids," Aphid replied, "Eydis and Jaren, at least…But all I'm asking is that you think before you act, okay?"
"I don't know how," Bark moped and held tighter to Aphid when the tears threatened again, "I-I just…it j-just happens."
"You gotta try," Aphid said, "When you get those little urges, say like, 'I'm gonna give Kor a little shove', ask yourself something simple…'but is he going to fall?' 'is he gonna not like being sho—'"
"I caaan't," Bark whined, "It just happeeens—"
"You gotta try, little pup," Aphid insisted, "Please, before someone REALLY gets hurt…again. Remember the fork?—"
"Noo, I don't want to talk about that. I don't even want to think about tha—"
"You're gonna have to," Aphid said, "Actions have consequences. Sometimes BIG ones—"
"You're not gonna," Bark lifted his head and looked up at Aphid worriedly, "d-do what she did, a-are you??"
"No, honey," the big brother assured, "That's not what I'm getting at, although I'm not too sure that I ain't gonna have to start giving you a few swats to really get your attention—"
"Noo!" Bark pushed Aphid away, unaware of nearly shoving him through the rail, "It's the same thing!"
Aphid thankfully didn't break through that surprisingly sturdy, wobbly rail, and he thankfully didn't lose his temper, although there was a low growl of a sentence that had to have been, "I oughta bust your tail." … but his temper only reverted him back to his stern demeanor.
"It is NOT the sa--," he began to say but quickly composed himself to a light scold, "Look, I was…mostly joking, Bark. All I'm trying to get through to you…is that there are consequences to your actions, hon. It could be anything from hurt feelings, a scraped knee, a broken bone, or … something someone can't come back from…"
"What do you mea—"
"What if Kor had fallen through…," Aphid reiterated from earlier, "and hit that decking? … Cracked his skull…broke his neck?..."
"I don't want to think--!!"
"Think about it."
Bark scrunched his face up again, a whiny growl threatening to erupt and possibly more tears, but he swallowed it down and finally looked to Kor.
Kor had stayed the whole time where Aphid had helped him up, and had just been standing solemnly in place, staring at the boards and waiting for this little spat to end.
He had been drifting in and out of attention; his mind still in a whirlwind and a lull all at once from everything his poor self had been racked with within a week.
He had startled when Aphid hit the railing, and the older boy's returning sternness had him slightly fidgety, but he had remained quiet and in place. Just wanting this tense air to blow over.
When Bark looked to him, he met his gaze in return and could see a genuine remorsefulness in his eyes.
"I'm…sorry, Kor," Bark apologized.
Kor, because somewhere in that current whirling and lull within him was relieved to see a good kid within that green eyed scamp, gave the faintest of a smile and began to say "It's ok" again, but stopped short and glanced at Aphid.
"I...," Kor looked back at Bark and said instead, "I forgive you."
Bark spun towards Aphid at that and spoke with his usual impatience.
"There, see! He forgives me!" Bark spat, "It's done. Can we please just go to the market now??"
Aphid's expression, and his shoulders, dropped with an exasperation that nothing had truly sunk in with that boy.
He straightened back up and appeared to be on the verge of scolding anew, but instead he sighed and nodded with just a slight bit of impatience himself.
"Okay, yes," he said, that slight bit of impatience in his tone, "But Bark, for your sake, you better hope you were listening. For your sake and everyone else's."
"I was!"
"That goes for all of you, alright?" Aphid added, "Please?"
Eydis and Jaren offered weak nods to that request.
"…yes, sir," Kor quietly but respectfully answered.
It prompted a little smile from Aphid. He never expected any form of respect from any of the kids, and it was honestly kind of cute.
It sent a flash of a memory of his little baby sister, the first time Aphid ever had to be quite firm with her.
He missed that little freckle face so very much…
"You don't have to call me sir, Kor," the big brother snapped out of his memory said to him, "I'm not THAT much older than you."
"…yes, sir…," Kor simply answered again. The boy obviously was on auto-pilot at this point, but his dour stance and the grip he had on his elbow prompted Aphid to check on him once more.
"Are you sure you're okay, little brother?" the big brother put a gentle hand to the boy's arm and asked, "You're not hurt?"
Kor lightly shook his head, but then whispered, "…I just want to go home…".
Aphid gave the boy a little hug and whispered back, "I know, sweetie…I know."
He offered Kor his hand to take.
"C'mon," Aphid softly said, "let's get some of that candy."
Kor held his hand, but otherwise made no reaction to the prospect of candy. The other kids certainly pepped up though. Jaren was quick to take Aphid's other hand and even peep up that he wanted some peppermints.
"We'll see, little peep," Aphid replied as they all wandered forward to the open market now, "You know how Grelod hates the smell of it."
Bark, who was walking ahead, spun around.
"Let's find some peppermint co-loam for her!" he said mischievously as he continued to walk backwards.
"Cologne," Aphid corrected, "And Bark, please watch where you're going...Also, no cologne."
"Yeah!" Eydis chirped up, "It'd be perfume, because she's a lady!"
"She is NOT a lady," Bark argued back as he still continued to walk backwards.
"Bark, turn around," Aphid said, "And no perfume either."
"Toilet water?" Jaren peeped up.
"Ew! What?" Eydis icked.
"Yeah!" Bark cheered, still walking backwards, "Toss that on her!"
"Barakväll," Aphid halted himself and spoke firmly, "Stop walking. And toilet water is just another name for perfume."
Bark did stop walking, but it might have been more for his curiosity than Aphid's demand.
"Really??" he asked with an amused smiled, "That's gross!"
"It's just how it translates from old Bretic, I think," Aphid explained.
"Bretic?" Bark tilted his head, "Wait, like, Bretons? How does Jaren know it then?"
"How do I? I'm a Nord like you," Aphid countered, "Jaren and I read books, Bark. You should try it sometime--Have you finished the math work I gave you by the way? It's two days past due now…"
Bark's eyes went wide for a quick moment, before he covered his tell with forced laughter.
"Haha, jeez," he laughed and began walking backwards again, "Bretons are gross."
"Barakväll, stop walk--!"
But before Aphid could finish saying it, Bark walked right into a woman who was just starting to spin around in a huff.
It was a Breton woman, who fell down onto her hip, as the bump from the child and her having been in the midst of whirling around knocked her off balance.
"Ow! Excuse ME!" she snipped rather sarcastically and commented angrily, "This is the RUDEST city I have ever set foot in, and I've been to Bravil!"
Aphid released the two in his hands and rushed to aid the woman.
"I'm sorry, ma'am!" he apologized and offered to help her to her feet, "It's my fault. I should have had a leash on that one, I suppose. Are you alright?"
"Am I alright?!" she nearly shrilled, aching Aphid's ear as he lifted her, "You brats bruised my hip! Where are your parents?! I'll see that they return the favor!"
"Ma'am, we're truly sorry," Aphid apologized again, "We meant no harm—"
"Wooooow," a husky female voice deadpanned, "Bretons are gross…"
It was Fjora, the guard woman from yesterday, although not in uniform now.
She had appeared seemingly from nowhere and stood next to the children.
Kor recognized her voice, but just barely recognized anything else about her without her being in uniform.
She now wore a rather laxed outfit consisting of a frayed greyish-white tunic, its decorative neckline long faded, and dark blue—though also a little faded-- linen pants, tucked into worn leather boots. She looked considerably slimmer than she had in the guard wear, though it was still clear she wasn't frail. Her arms were well defined with lean muscle, more pronounced in the folded position she held them in.
Kor didn't see her hair yesterday. Despite her helmet having been unwisely opened face, her hair had been well tucked beneath it.
Now it flowed mostly free, with two braids running along both sides of her head, meeting at one braid at the back that rested atop the loose falls. It was a long, thick, and honestly pretty, mass of dark brown waves. As dark as the brown eyes Kor had remembered seeing. The hair seemed to be the only stylish thing of her, compared to all that old clothing…
"A clumsy little kid," Fjora was saying to that Breton, "bumps into you and you immediately want a whole gaggle of them beaten to bruises. Even despite the fact you're getting a sincere apology in THIS city. You're incredibly lucky they're not a little roaming back of pint sized thieves, creating the opportunity to--"
Fjora seemed to notice something as the Breton woman appeared to be straightening out her shawl and blouse from the fall, except that wasn't exactly what she was doing…
Fjora brazenly stepped forward and yanked the woman's hand out from underneath that shawl, revealing Grelod's coin pouch the Breton was attempting to pocket from Aphid.
Lucky that Fjora could recognize her old caretaker's coin holder…
"to do exactly this," the Nord woman finished her sentence from a moment ago, "Stealing from kids, too, hm? Gross."
"This is mine--!" the Breton woman began to argue but Fjora cut her off with a simple squeeze of the wrist and unwavering deadpan tone.
"Nah," the Nord said, "Once you've had your knuckles nearly shattered for trying to slip some coin too, you don't forget the look of that pouch."
"What??" the Breton questioned what was a bewildering statement to her, but then she simply put her focus on trying to slip that tight grip.
"Just unhand me, you bully!"
Fjora did not, and a small smile may have tempted the corners of her mouth to twitch upwards.
"Nah," she said again, "…I may be off duty this morning, but I think I'll still have you sent over to the Jarl. Heard they were finally going to start cracking down on this rampant thievery. Start taking fingers. Maybe the whole hand--oh, I guess I would be unhanding you then…"
The Breton woman seemed to recognize Fjora now.
"Oh shit," the Breton grumbled, seeming to have some unspoken history with the off duty guard, "It's you…"
"It's me," Fjora deadpanned.
"Look," the Breton woman pleaded, "They got their coin right back. No harm done. Just let me go. No need to work on your day off…"
Fjora waited until the Breton pulled against the grip to let go, causing the thief to fall upon her hip again.
"Ow! You bitc—"
"Either swim the canal," Fjora cut her off with her advisement, "or slink back in the Ratway. Either way, I best not see you anywhere in the top side of city the rest of the day."
The Breton looked ready to slew whatever sort of words she had on the tip of her tongue, but wisely decided to swallow it and scramble off to the lower docks.
Fjora turned her attention towards Aphid who actually looked a little embarrassed as he accepted back the coin pouch she held out to him.
"Thank you, Fjora…," he said, "You're a skin saver--Ai, no!!"
Fjora had suddenly latched a hold on Aphid and yanked him into a headlock, and at that, she began thumping him mercilessly on top of his head.
"You're smarter than that, Aphid!" the Nord woman scolded, "How could you almost let that tramp pickpocket you! You know better!"
"Ay-ay! I know! I'm sorry!" Aphid responded a bit pained and struggling to unlock himself and block those thumps at the same time.
"Don't be sorry to me," Fjora replied as she still relentlessly thumped the boy's scalp, "It'll be your sorry hide peeled off for losing her--"
"I know, I know, I know!" Aphid began elbowing her upon the side, "C'mon, Fjora, let up! Not in front of the new kid, at least, please!"
"Aw. Embarrassed, are we?"
"No!" Aphid insisted, sounding much like a little brother in an odd change of roles, but then he whispered more seriously to the woman, "…he's sensitive…"
"Aren't they all…," she said, "Grelod's too strict. You're too lax. Ya gotta knock 'em around a little, Aphid. Toughen 'em up some, so her beatings won't feel as--"
"Fjora…," Aphid's tone seemed a little stressed, slightly pleading.
Fjora sighed and finally let Aphid go, but not before giving him quite the flick on the ear.
"Aow!" Aphid yelped and complained as he rubbed it, "Always with the ear flick, c'mon…"
He suddenly found her finger at ready to thump him on the tip of his nose.
"Rather this?" she said and he quickly recoiled with his hands covering the entirety of the lower half of his face.
"No, mm-mm," Aphid muffled and the corner's of Fjora's mouth twitched with a grin again. She straightened up and looked them all over.
"So where is the hag?" she asked, "She finally giving you free reign again?"
"Yeah…," Aphid replied, "She also needed to speak with the Jarl—"
"Oh Gods, not about me, is she?" Fjora asked.
"What? No. About funds. Why you?" Aphid questioned.
Fjora shrugged.
"I 'unno," she half hummed and said, "Maybe she didn't like how I delivered the precious cargo yesterday or my lip—I maaay have threatened her a little. So, funds. Like for the orphanage…ooor fines?"
"For the orphanage," Aphid clarified and then pointed as if he made a confirmation, "I knew that was you I heard at the door! … I was in the yard…I thought I heard y'all arguing too, but I was busy trying to get a peek in a window to see the new kid… Grelod has fines?"
"Not that it matters," Fjora shrugged, "We know she's untouchable."
Aphid nodded and Bark suddenly chimed in happily.
"Is she gonna get arrested?!" he asked.
Fjora responded before Aphid could.
"No," the woman replied, "I just said she's untouchable. Maybe because they don't want to go through the hassle of finding anyone else to watch you needy runts, or maybe they actually fear her too—Gods, Aphid, you remember when I actually tried to arrest her way back. When she was really tearing your hide right there in the mark—et!"
Aphid had actually backhanded her on the gut. He didn't mean to so hard, but he was quickly trying to cut her off from that.
"Mm. Mm-mm!" he shook his head and hummed from his throat.
It wasn't a memory he wanted to recall, at all, anyway…but he was trying to keep the worst of Grelod off the new kid's mind for as long as possible.
Fjora shrugged. She figured it was that or Aphid was still embarrassed of that day.
But her attention did pull to the gaggle of kids behind him, Kor in particular, and she noted his dour demeanor.
"Damn, he looks worse than when I left him at the doorstep," she remarked.
Aphid spoke quiet in an attempt for the kids not to hear.
"Yeah, he had a particularly rough first night…"
Bark, again, who never seems to listen when being spoken directly to, of course heard the conversation that didn't pertain to him.
"Yeah! Grelod whipped him!"
"Barakvä—"
"Wow," Fjora seemed genuinely surprised and looked to the dejected Kor, "…On the first night? Here I thought you looked like a sweet kid. How'd you go and break that hag's one good trait?"
Kor looked about ready to burst into tears again, and Aphid looked utterly done with all the rest of them continually upsetting the poor kid, but before Aphid could say anything to anyone, Kor suddenly bolted away.
"And away he goes…," Fjora deadpanned, "You really need to leash these kids, Aph—"
"Kor!! No, no, no, wait!!" Aphid hollered and began chasing after him.
Aphid had then quickly halted to call back to the other three children.
"Stay right by Fjora. DO NOT move from—"
Fjora; however, did NOT want to be saddled with babysitting…
"Oh Shor's shit stained slacks, no!" she snipped quite lively and bounded off after Kor herself, pushing Aphid aside as she barreled passed him.
Aphid lost his footing and fell to his knees.
Looking frantically between her bounding away towards Kor and the unsupervised children, he quickly had to relinquish the capture to her.
"Don't scare him, Fjora! Please!" Aphid called out, but was not giving up the chase either as he motioned the other kids to follow.
"Come on. Stay with me. Do.Not.Stray."
Kor had ran through and past the market, seeming like he was heading for the entrance gate to the city far ahead, the one he came in through yesterday, but then he suddenly rerouted and darted to the far side and back towards the direction he came.
The canal now separating them prevented Fjora and Aphid from capturing him, but they soon rerouted too, Fjora catching up with years of practice chases.
Kor had made it to the little courtyard of that little Temple of Mara, but with Fjora right on his heels, he only made it to the closed doors at the top of the temple steps before being snatched by the woman.
"Come here, kid," she grunted as she tucked a struggling Kor under her arm, "Thought I was free from chasing you yesterday—"
"Let me gooo!" Kor cried.
"Uh, no?" she replied, "Hey—"
Kor had, against his sweet nature, began hitting and kicking her in an attempt to break free.
"Kid…," Fjora warned, "Don't fight me. I'll win…kid…"
Her warning had no effect on his struggling and fighting, so she suddenly held him upside down by his ankle, temporarily disabling him with simple confusion.
Once the realization settled on him, he kicked at her holding arm with his free leg, though it seemed he was trying to at least not kick too hard. He just wanted free; he didn't want to actually hurt her.
But she responded with threat just the same.
Holding her knuckles to his gut, she then reeled back that closed fist and warned, "Here comes my win, kid…"
"Fjora! Stop!" Aphid finally appeared upon the steps just below them, "Set him down!"
Fjora dropped her reeled arm but spoke while still holding Kor upside down.
"Aphid, you know I'm joking…," she replied.
He nodded but motioned to Kor.
"He doesn't," the tall boy said, "Please, set him down…"
Fjora sighed, flipped Kor right side up and set him on his feet, though she took a hold of, and would not release, the back of his shirt.
Aphid glanced back at the other three children to assure they were there behind him before he knelt upon the step before Kor and addressed him.
"Little brother," he said, "I understand, and am so sorry, that you are so scared right now. I know you are feeling things you've never felt before and they're all awful…but…"
Aphid made his voice a bit sterner. He didn't want it to be too so, but he knew he had to be a little firm on this.
"Kor Bjergsen, you CAN NOT run off like that," he said and the poor boy immediately broke down before he could say anything more.
"I-I'm s-orryyy," Kor sobbed and collapsed into Aphid's arms. Fjora had immediately released him upon those sobs…
"I-I just…want t-to… f-ind...my Papaaa," he tried to explain through his sobs.
"…What?" Aphid gently asked, "Sweetheart, what do you mean--"
Fjora cut in, motioning to the temple they stood at.
"Think he just means pray to," she said, "He was eyeing this place yesterday as I brought him over."
Aphid noted what she said but spent a moment comforting the sobbing boy from his hysterics.
Kor was in the midst of so many awful emotions and worried on top of it.
"I-I'm sor-ryyy," he cried and shook and held onto the older boy tightly, "I d-didn't mean to run. It just…I-I'm just so…I-I'm sorryyy. P-Please don't be m-maaad, please don't s-swat—"
"Shh, shh," Aphid softly shushed and patted, "Hey. Hey, now. Simmer on down, polka dots. I understand. I'm not mad at you and I'm not going to punish you, alright? I understand what's going on, I do."
Kor was quieting a little and stilled a bit to Aphid's comfort and words, though Aphid knew he needed to at least be a little firmer than he was being about all this.
"But do not run off again," the big brother warned and softened when he felt that shaking renewing. It was hard to be firm to a child in such a state.
"When you feel you need to run," he consoled, "you run to me, okay? You can run to me. And you can cry to me and you can tell me anything you need to tell me, alright?"
Kor held a little closer, pressing his cheek on Aphid's shoulder.
"…y-yes, s-sir," he answered and he felt Aphid rest his head atop his as a returning gesture of that hold.
It took a moment for the boy to stifle his small whimpers and sniffles, but Aphid patiently waited and comforted the trembling child with sympathetic pats and gentle rubs on his back.
The other three children thankfully made no fun of Kor's sniveling, merely sitting themselves upon a step and mingling with each other.
Fjora seemed quite awkwardly out-of-place though, but she stood by regardless, even if her attention drifted anywhere but them.
Kor's trembling finally lulled and his breathing steadied, aside from just a little bit of sniffles.
He stood back and swiped at the wet streaks staining his face, a task Aphid took over for him.
"Alright now…," the motherly brother kindly said as he finished drying those tears with his thumbs, "Would you like to go pray in the temple, Kor?"
Kor nodded.
Bark suddenly leapt to attention.
"What about the market?!" he exclaimed, "Aphid, we finally get to go in town again! I don't want to spend it cooped up in just some other building!"
Aphid looked at him with a little amusement.
"Impatient," he said, "is the boy that held us up first by trying to ram poor Kor off the bridge, and then held us up again by running us into that thief—"
"YOU'RE the one that held us up!" Bark argued, "With scolding me and tryin' to get pickpocketed!"
Aphid's amusement was wiped clean off with that. Standing, that frightening glare of his from earlier may have started to resurface, but the temple doors pulling open grabbed his attention from searing down at Bark.
Maramal, the temple's head priest, poked his head out to see what the commotion he had been hearing was.
"Oh!" the religiously garbed Redguard seemed a bit surprised at his findings, "Um, hello there, children…"
He began to look towards Fjora, the oldest present amongst this rabble of children, but she seemed to be very deliberate in avoiding his attention. Having at first turned his way at the sound of the doors opening, she then spun right back around, as if putting her attention back to the children…though she said nothing to anyone.
Aphid could see a hint of agitation on her face, but couldn't be certain whom it was for. The priest or the patience draining children…
Maramal spoke again and with recognition this time of the rabble, especially of Aphid.
"Where's your grandmother?" he asked of the boy.
Aphid made a baffled expression to that at first before replying, "Headmistress, sir?"
Maramal himself made quite a strange expression in response, and nearly seemed as if he almost reflexively covered his mouth before he nodded and waved his hand like a dismiss of his previous question.
"Oh, yes, sorry," he said, "I'm late waking today, body and mind, heh. Um, so, what's brought you children to our step? Where is…Grelod? Has she taken ill? Has Elgrim been sent for—"
"She's fine, sir," Aphid explained, "She's on an errand. May we, um, …come in… for prayers? Please?"
Maramal seemed to, for a slight moment, be trying to read those words for any possible hidden context, but then smiled and fully opened those doors.
"Oh my, of course, my children," he said, "Of course. Come in. Come in…And, Fjora? My, it's been quite a long time. Have you come to pra—"
"No," Fjora said flatly and began descending the steps.
"Fjora, wait," Aphid spoke out to her, "Can you do us a fav—"
"No."
"Fjora, pleas—"
"No."
"Pleaaaaaaaaa—"
"Nooooooooo--fine. What is it?"
She turned to see that damn grateful smile of his and hear his damn request.
"Can you keep an eye out towards the keep?" Aphid asked, "And let me know if Grelod starts coming towards the market?"
Fjora only stared for a moment before giving an aggravated sigh and nodding.
"Fine. Sure," she said with that apparent agitation, "Save your arse for a THIRD time today, why not? It's not even ten in the mornin' yet. I am nicest damn piece of shite in the city, because it ain't like you pitiful lot can ever pay me back either for all this sorry hide saving I do for nothi--"
"Thanks, big sis," Aphid said, all smiles despite her ranting, and he began gathering up his kids to head in the temple.
"Whatever," Fjora huffed back, "You're welcome…skinny little runt."
She posted guard at the stone entryway in the temple yard as Aphid and the children went inside with Maramal.
"Welcome, children, welcome," Maramal greeted them happily once again as he eagerly led them further in, "Mara smiles upon such special guests in her home."
Bark squinted his eyes beyond the man, towards the far end of the great room, ahead of the pews and behind the podium.
"That's Mara?" he asked of the grand golden statue illuminating from the candles upon its pedestal.
"A representation of, yes," Maramal answered.
"She's not smiling," Bark observed, retorting to Maramal's welcoming comment, "She's crying!"
Maramal chuckled at the innocence at least.
"Tears of compassion, I suppose," he responded on what he thought was more understandable to a child.
"…what?" was all he got from the boy in return.
"Um," Maramal tossed his thoughts around for a moment before lightly clapping his hands together, "How about a sermon?"
"A fish?" Bark spoke again and his bewildering reply brought a laugh out of Aphid.
"No, Bark," he chuckled, "You're thinking of a salmon."
Eydis and Jaren giggled at that, even Kor had a tiny smile, but Bark looked a little miffed…at first…but then even he chuckled about it.
Aphid turned his attention back towards Maramal, who looked both humored but a little awkward—probably a good deal rusty with visitors, especially child visitors.
"Is Mister Briehl in, sir?" Aphid asked.
"Oh!" Maramal lightly clapped again, "Yes! Of course he is! Brother Briehl! We have visitors! To pray!"
There was a clatter from somewhere else in the temple and a voice could be heard, not quite deciphered, but while the clattering and muffling and shuffling was echoing from where ever, Aphid turned to three of his kids.
"Bark, Eydis, Jaren," he addressed them, "Why don't you three sit upon a pew with Mister Briehl and he'll learn ya a bit of basics about Mara—" he looked to Maramal with a whisper – "They don't know much about her," he explained and put his attention once more back on the kids.
"You three keep your tails seated for Mister Briehl and NO disrespect, do you hear me? None."
"Fine," Bark lazily replied.
"Okay," Eydis about as lazily replied as well.
Jaren quietly nodded.
"Heard what I said," Aphid emphasized, "You will not act up in a place of worship. I mean it."
"Okaaaay!" Bark and Eydis both drawn out in unison, which earned all three of the kids a snap of Aphid's finger and a firm point for them to go ahead and place those tails in a pew.
As they did so, Aphid knelt to Kor and asked him, "Would you like me with you? Or Mister Maramal? Or would you prefer to be by yourself?"
Kor seemed a little nervous or intimidated now, fiddling with the front end of his shirt as his gaze dropping to the floor.
"I've never been in a temple before…," he said a bit shyly, "Papa … would say prays at the dinner table and bedtime… I always … just sat by him and listened…"
Maramal knelt down to the boy too.
"That's perfectly alright, my child," he said, "Even just listening to prayer is far more beneficial than one might think… I can certainly help lead you, but I bet you can recall many of your Papa's words yourself. Is there a particular prayer you are thinking of offering?"
Kor looked a little more shy.
"I…Can I pray to my Papa?" he asked.
Maramal was quiet for a moment, simply staring, but then his smile widened and he nodded.
"I don't see why not," he said, "Would you still like me to lead you?"
Kor nodded again and Maramal offered him his hand.
"Come. Come with me then," he said warm and kindly, but Kor shied away a little bit and looked to Aphid instead.
"Can Aphid come too?" he asked.
Maramal took no offense to the child's request nor to his taking of Aphid's hand instead of his when told he could come.
Aphid had an ever present aura of love and compassion. Maramal sensed it the very first time he met that boy and he was very relieved to see it still present, untainted by this wretched city and that wretched crone…
The priest led them straight to that shining statue, but before instructing anything to the boys, Maramal took a small moment to instruct Briehl—a Nord man who finally emerged from a back room, his robes a little splattered in stew broth—to sit with the three other children and share some teachings of Mara with them.
Briehl nodded with a smile, but there was a readable hesitancy.
"Just the basics, brother," Maramal smiled, assuming his hesitancy was only because of Briehl's inexperience with preaching to children. Although, there wasn't much experience to be gained from any one in this city…
But Briehl seemed to eye one of the children in particular before leaning a little closer to Maramal and whispering, "That Nord boy was the one who knocked over the fish barrel behind me in the market that day, splashing and soaking my robes in that fish muck—"
"He did what?!" Aphid overheard and immediately locked his furious gaze on the boy. Bark scrambled upon the seat and actually leapt over the back of the pew to hide behind it.
Briehl immediately waved the tattle away and gave an awkward quiet laugh.
"It was an accident, I'm sure," he said, "Probably just an innocent little bump turned spill…"
Aphid put his hands to his hips and didn't break his eye contact off where Bark would be hiding behind the pew
"Oh, I'm sure…," the big brother replied in disbelief, "Did he even apologize?"
"Um, actually, well," Briehl stammered. He seemed to not want to get the boy in trouble, "I don't remember—he probably did--"
"Barakväll," Aphid snapped his fingers, "Up."
Bark peeked over the pew. Only the top of his head and his worried green eyes showing.
"I did apologize! I swear!" he insisted, "B-But it wasn't even me! It—It was Eydis!"
"WHAT?!" Eydis whipped around on the pew, stood up upon the seat, and lifted her arm as if to bonk the boy right over the head, "No it wasn't--!"
"Ah-ah!" Aphid clapped, "Eydis, sit. Barakväll, stand up."
"Bu—" the boy started to protest more but Aphid silenced him with his absolutely serious tone.
"Now."
Bark stood, without snark, without an over exaggerated sigh, without even a stink eye. No, he knew this was it and Aphid looked ready to lay the law on him.
With Aphid's brief flick of a lip curl, the telltale sign of his loss of patience, he opened his mouth to set the sentence.
After everything he's let slide since last night, the past few days really, and after all the trouble this morning and hearing this, the big brother was going to put him on restriction. He was going to enact his bench threat and ground him further at home--no board games, no yard play, no playing with the other kids for at least two whole days. He would keep his tail seated, unless doing chores—in fact, he was going to actually complete his chores and extra…without help…to absolute completion or he could spend the time on his feet with his nose in a corner. Aphid was absolutely done with the shenanigans this week--
But glancing at Kor…
That poor kid who was just trying to keep his focus on anything but all the overwhelming change and worrisome world around him…
Well, it quickly pulled Aphid's patience back into perspective. And perhaps Mara's Mercy blanketed this temple…Lucky Bark.
Though besides, Grelod would definitely question Aphid on the discipline, and he couldn't let it seem like he was given any trouble today…
"You just apologize to Mr. Briehl," Aphid ordered Bark, "You hear me? And at least sound like you mean it."
Bark didn't argue. The boy apparently did know when enough was enough. He looked to Briehl and apologized.
"Sorry about the fish thing…," he said and there was some sort of sincerity to it.
Briehl acknowledged the apology with nod and smile.
"Consider it under the bridge," he said, "with the other fishies, eh? Now how about I take a seat with you three and tell you a little something about—" He motioned to the statue— "our lovely lady here."
"She looks—" Bark began to probably say something of his usual unnecessary remarks, but Aphid's stern eye very quickly snubbed it. Bark was not going to push his luck any further today.
Briehl joined the three kids and began his little sermon, while Aphid and Maramal put their attentions back on Kor.
He was patiently standing, eyes fixated on the floor, a hand cupped over the opposite elbow, and a slight rocking upon his heels.
Aphid could see the lingering anxiousness though.
He knelt down beside Kor and gently took his hand.
"Are you ready to get started, little brother?" he asked.
Kor seemed to bite the inside of his bottom lip, bit nodded.
Aphid patted his hand assuredly and guided the boy to kneel beside him, as they both sat fully upon their knees before the statue.
Maramal did the same on the other side of Kor and softly began speaking him through the praying process.
After leading the boy through an offering of submittance and prayer to Mara, he allowed Kor to seek out his father, assuring him he could do so aloud or within his heart. It would be heard.
Kor, however, seemed suddenly apprehensive or perhaps just shy.
"Would you like to be alone now?" Aphid asked.
Kor only stared down at his own knees for a moment, before sneaking a very quick glance towards Maramal and then tugging at Aphid's arm for a whisper.
Aphid leaned in to hear it and then leaned back up with a small smile. He gave Maramal a nod and the man read it without needing to hear any words. He politely took his leave, as Kor took a hold of Aphid's hand, closed his eyes, and quietly focused on a prayer in his heart.
After a couple minutes, Kor opened his eyes, looked up upon the statue and then looked around…
And gloomily sat his eyes back upon his knees…
Before Aphid could say anything to him, Kor shut his eyes and seemed to go back into prayer. He was whispering now, but so low, Aphid couldn't make it out even being beside him.
After a couple more minutes, Kor looked up again but not about.
"Kor—"
Aphid started to speak but Kor again went into prayer.
He whispered a little louder this time, but only enough for Aphid to catch a few words here and there.
A "Papa", a "please", a "need", a "show".
Aphid, of course, knew exactly what Kor was hoping for.
And he knew, despite ghosts certainly existing in this world, you didn't always see the ones you hoped to see. And then sometimes…the ones you hoped to see, materialize as a memory you wished to forget.
Aphid quickly blinked the mist in his eyes away, away from the horrid ghostly image of his … torn …baby sister… and back on Kor, who was staring at his knees again.
"Kor…," Aphid softly said and he saw the tears immediately well in the boy's eyes. Aphid was about to speak again when Kor sniffled and put himself in a fetal-like position, laying a bit upon Aphid's knees.
The big brother welcomed it and rested a hand upon the boy's back.
"Little brother, it's alright," he consoled, "It is. Just because you can't see him, doesn't mean he isn't here. And it doesn't mean he can only be here, you know. He's with you, Kor. I promise. And you will feel his heart beating in yours. You will feel it. I sincerely promise you that."
Kor's little voice whimpered, "I…just want to hear his voice…"
"You will…," Aphid said and Kor ever slightly turned his head as if to look up at him.
"Now it may not be," Aphid continued, "directly from the heavens…but perhaps it could be. I hear my Mama sometimes, clear as a bell…admittedly usually when I'm doing something I probably shouldn't be…but I hear her."
He mimicked sternly, "Aphid Jordsvar!"
And then he chuckled.
"Sometimes so clearly behind me that I actually tuck my tail to the wall to avoid that swat she used to lay on me, heh—" he then quickly added, "only when I did something a bit dangerous or particularly rude, mind you…"
Kor turned his head back down towards Aphid's knees.
"W-When I was doing something I shouldn't…," the boy explained, "Papa always seemed to pop up out of nowhere…"
Aphid chuckled a little.
"They always did seem to just pop up, didn't they? I think parents have some sort of scrying magic whether they're magically inclined or not. Just knew we were up to something before we even knew we were."
He felt Kor nod to that.
"Papa usually says—would say," Kor spoke, "…whenever he caught me…'Don't you dare, baby bear!'…And even though he meant business…he'd always crack up at me startling."
"That's adorable," Aphid commented. He really did imagine how precious that must have been.
Kor curled up just a bit tighter and Aphid felt the kid's little hand gripping his pant leg.
"I want more than a-anything," Kor shook, "to hear it again. E-Even if it meant I'm in t-trouble."
Aphid leaned over the boy in a hug.
He knew again, that there was not much more he could say to his grief other than assuring him that he understood and that he was here to hold him through it, but after a moment, Aphid suddenly felt the need to say something else.
"You will hear him again," he found himself saying, and saying it with a sure confidence in his heart, "You will. Maybe not right here, right now, but you will. He wouldn't snub his little cub."
There seemed to be a slight jolt through Kor.
Little cub…
He said little cub…
Maybe only because Kor did say "baby bear"…
Or maybe
It was a sign…
Kor sat up and soon found himself seated beside Aphid, but up against him and hugging his arm.
Aphid didn't mind it at all as he reached his free arm across and patted Kor on the side of his arm as a returning hug.
Kor snuggled his face further into Aphid's arm and could hear the older boy beginning a quiet prayer to both Kyne and Mara, and then even a prayer to Kor's father.
Kor, truly, felt a sense of peace in this moment.
And he felt something he did not want to believe he was imagining.
A warmth upon his back. One that felt like…Papa's hand.
He dared not look, despite his soul desperately wanting to. He was afraid he'd spin around to dive into his Papa's arms…and see nothing.
As surely if something was there, the others would have spoke out.
But he savored that warmth and imagined his Papa was there. He had to be.
When he thought he could brave looking back, Aphid's prayer concluded.
And the warm hand was gone…
But it was enough.
At least, it had to be.
As Fjora flung the temple doors open.
"Aphid, are y'all about done?" she asked.
Aphid whipped his head around, as did everyone else from that flinging of doors.
"Is Grelod coming?" Aphid responded as he and Kor stood up.
Fjora folded her arms and put her weight to one hip.
"No," she said impatiently, "but I don't feel like wasting even half my day off babysitting you runts. I already waste my life babysitting this whole damn city…Besides, I need to piss."
"charming," Maramal could be heard murmuring from where he sat with Briehl and the three kids. Briehl actually chuckled before trying to hide it behind his hand.
Bark leapt up from the pew, disregarding the chuckling he too could have given to Fjora's rudeness, and he simply asked as patiently as he could—still sticking not pushing any more buttons today—"Can we go to the market now, Aphid?"
Aphid sighed a little and looked to Kor.
"Do you need some more time here?" he asked.
Kor seemed to think for a moment and he looked upon Mara's statue as he absently flexed the shoulder that had had that warmth upon its back.
"…No," he finally answered, "I…I think I'm okay."
"You sure?"
"…Yeah."
Kor took Aphid's hand and looked towards the opened doors before he looked back up at Aphid with a little smile.
"I'm ready," he said and his braver tone was noted.
Aphid smiled back and nodded, but before he could start walking, Kor suddenly hugged him.
"…Thank you," Kor said as he held tightly around the big brother.
Aphid hugged him in return.
"Of course," he replied.
"Aphid," Fjora sounded with an impatience again and even stomped a foot a couple times, "I'm going before I go."
"Okay, okaaaay," Aphid answered, much like Bark would do to him…
The big brother—who apparently could play little brother to someone—found his maturity again and began rounding up the kids, "Let's get to the market, guys. Thank you very much, Mister Maramal, Mister Briehl…"
They soon finally found themselves down at the town stalls. The sun had risen more fully upon the damp city, but Kor saw the misty air and dew coated wood and stones in a more comfortable light.
The sounds of life continuing around him didn't seem so mocking now, at least for now, and he found himself looking upon the other children with a readiness to interact with them.
Even Fjora didn't seem so intimidating when she returned to the gaggle of kids.
Despite having said she didn't want to waste her day on them, she certainly stuck close by them and even playfully continued her pestering of Aphid as he shopped.
Kor even found himself in a game of tag with the other three smaller kids, as they ran and looped through the market under the watchful eye of the big brother—and bigger sister.
The grouching grumbles of other shoppers, and the stall vendors, didn't fall upon Kor's ears as he was content with losing himself for while.
He still felt a heaviness, of course, but looking at the good that was having a big brother to look to…
It felt just a bit lighter.
He felt, with a much better certainty, that things could indeed be alright.
He wasn't scared now.
…but he would be terrified a week later.
When Grelod found that knife Aphid had hastily stashed at breakfast this morning…