Chapter 23: Plans
When they landed in the council chambers Joanie wasted no time to squirm out of Queen Skyla's hold and stop away from her but when she saw the other people looking at her she hesitated. Hunching her shoulders in a protective stance she shifted in behind the woman.
Councilwoman Faolin blinked as she tried to get a better look at Joanie. "A child." She stated surprised. "You brought a child from… There." The tinker was smiling as Queen Skyla walked closer, indirectly forcing Joanie to come with her. "Not just any child." He said with a soft light in his eyes. "Welcome back Joanie. You look much better than the last time I saw you." Lady Faolin and the Captain of the Guard blinked. Joanie shifted awkward and sniffed. She didn't look very happy to be there. Skyla smiled and put her hand behind the girl without touching her. "Councilwoman Faolin, Captain Briar, I would like to introduce you to Joanie-Ellen. I brought her here two weeks ago because she was very sick." The tow people smiled welcoming. Lady Faolin stepped past the table and held her hand to Joanie. "Well I hope you feel better." She said with her ever-present smile. "You have a daunting task ahead of you." Joanie hunched away from Faolin, there were far to many people with wings in this room to her liking. The Tinker shook his head and motioned for them to stop closer. "It's not that daunting if it's carried out correctly." He reassured her. "I just hope you're not afraid of heights." Joanie shook her head; she spared a glance around the spacious hall. Queen Skyla shared a brief amused look with the Tinker. "Joanie come and look at this." Faolin said. "I'll show you what you have to do." The tinker went back to making some adjustments on a small gadget he had with him. "Captain Briar and I," the Councilwoman began, "we have worked out the best route to take. You know what you're supposed to do right? Good. Well, if you enter here and…" She began to explain the route Joanie should take as the girl leaned over the table. Skyla smiled as she saw a small spark of excitement enter the youth's eyes. When she was done explaining Faolin straightened and shared a look with Queen Skyla to get her approval. "Will you be able to remember that?" She asked. Joanie was tracing her finger over the route; her dark eyes were intense as she ran her other hand through her hair. "Yeah." She said distracted. "Left, left, right, left, right. How thick is this cable?" Councilwoman Faolin made to answer but Queen Skyla interrupted her. "About as wide as a brick." She said in terms that Joanie would be able to understand. "Will you be able to manage that?" Joanie looked relieved. "Yeah sure," she said lightly, "I've run over platforms thinner than that." Faolin nodded pleased. "Good." She said. "Captain Briar will take you…" Joanie's head snapped up in Skyla's direction. The Queen shook her head. "I'll take her Faolin." She pointed out. The councilwoman blinked. "Your Majesty…" She started to protest but Skyla shook her head. "That's my final decision. I have a responsibility to keep her safe Faolin." She glanced at Joanie. "Are you okay with all of this?" She asked gently. "You don't have to do it if you think it's too hard." Joanie gave her a blank look. "I'm not scared." She said, given a bit too quickly. "I've had harder times getting lunch." She sniffed and shifted uncomfortably. "IS there a place I can change? It's really hot here" Skyla nodded and motioned to Faolin. "She'll take you Joanie." She said gently. "Faolin, take her to Malakai's office as it's the closest. If he's not there packing I suggest you send one of the guards to look for him and inquire why." The councilwoman's eyes gleamed as she bobbed a curtsey and took Joanie's hand with out asking. The girl sent a brief panicked look in Skyla's direction before she was dragged away. The Tinker looked up from what he was doing and noticed the forlorn look in her eyes as she stared after the disappearing duo. He raised an eyebrow before looking back at his gadget. "She looks better." He commented. "Still a bit pasty, but better." Skyla shook herself back to reality and glanced back at the map. She studied it critically. "She's picked up a little bit of weight." She commented preoccupied. "Not enough but…" She shrugged. "It's all we could do in such a short time." The Tinker was careful not to look at her. "What's her story?" He asked in the same distracted tone of voice. Done with the map Skyla picked up a Tor crystal that was lying on the table and started fidgeting with it. "Orphaned according to the person I talked to. Definitively traumatized – if that's the right word. She's not fond of people." She sighed. "She says that she has a mother to return to." The Tinker stopped what he was doing and studied her movements critically. "You've become too involved." It wasn't a question. Skyla blinked surprised before she sighed. "Yes." She said simply. "I have."
When Joanie returned with Faolin she looked more comfortable. She had stripped down to only one of her old flannel shirts and Jade's oversized dungaree, which she happened to be wearing at the time she was leaving the academy. "She's not very talkative this one." Councilwoman Faolin said with an amused smile. "Not even a blink in my direction." Skyla smiled and motioned for Joanie to join her again. "She didn't come here to talk Faolin." She said amused. "Come on Joanie." As she joined Skyla's side again the Tinker was ready to explain to her what she had to do. The petite girl frowned as his explanation became more complicated. She shuddered at some stage (AN: I do that a lot in physiology) and held up her hand, motioning for him to stop. "So basically, I should stuff this thing next to the generator." She began monotonously as she held up the gadget the Tinker was still working on. "As it will "systematically" increase its power capacity and so cause it to blow up at some stage. Then, before it blows up, I should attach one of each of these crystals to others that look like them because they have to suck out the building power – or neutralize it somehow as its got a different "polarity" – what ever that means." The latter she muttered under her breath. The Tinker blinked and smiled amused. "In so few words… Yes." He said with a smile. "I should have everything ready within the hour." The girl nodded and rubbed her brow. "I can do that." She said softly and glanced at Queen Skyla. "No worry's, I'll do that." The woman gave her a reassuring smile and carefully rested her hand on the kid's head. Joanie flinched, but didn't move away immediately. Skyla ran her fingers through her short hair before she took her hand away. "I know you won't disappoint me." She said. "Thank you Joanie-Ellen." The youth sighed and met her gaze but she didn't smile.
When they landed in the council chambers Joanie wasted no time to squirm out of Queen Skyla's hold and stop away from her but when she saw the other people looking at her she hesitated. Hunching her shoulders in a protective stance she shifted in behind the woman.
Councilwoman Faolin blinked as she tried to get a better look at Joanie. "A child." She stated surprised. "You brought a child from… There." The tinker was smiling as Queen Skyla walked closer, indirectly forcing Joanie to come with her. "Not just any child." He said with a soft light in his eyes. "Welcome back Joanie. You look much better than the last time I saw you." Lady Faolin and the Captain of the Guard blinked. Joanie shifted awkward and sniffed. She didn't look very happy to be there. Skyla smiled and put her hand behind the girl without touching her. "Councilwoman Faolin, Captain Briar, I would like to introduce you to Joanie-Ellen. I brought her here two weeks ago because she was very sick." The tow people smiled welcoming. Lady Faolin stepped past the table and held her hand to Joanie. "Well I hope you feel better." She said with her ever-present smile. "You have a daunting task ahead of you." Joanie hunched away from Faolin, there were far to many people with wings in this room to her liking. The Tinker shook his head and motioned for them to stop closer. "It's not that daunting if it's carried out correctly." He reassured her. "I just hope you're not afraid of heights." Joanie shook her head; she spared a glance around the spacious hall. Queen Skyla shared a brief amused look with the Tinker. "Joanie come and look at this." Faolin said. "I'll show you what you have to do." The tinker went back to making some adjustments on a small gadget he had with him. "Captain Briar and I," the Councilwoman began, "we have worked out the best route to take. You know what you're supposed to do right? Good. Well, if you enter here and…" She began to explain the route Joanie should take as the girl leaned over the table. Skyla smiled as she saw a small spark of excitement enter the youth's eyes. When she was done explaining Faolin straightened and shared a look with Queen Skyla to get her approval. "Will you be able to remember that?" She asked. Joanie was tracing her finger over the route; her dark eyes were intense as she ran her other hand through her hair. "Yeah." She said distracted. "Left, left, right, left, right. How thick is this cable?" Councilwoman Faolin made to answer but Queen Skyla interrupted her. "About as wide as a brick." She said in terms that Joanie would be able to understand. "Will you be able to manage that?" Joanie looked relieved. "Yeah sure," she said lightly, "I've run over platforms thinner than that." Faolin nodded pleased. "Good." She said. "Captain Briar will take you…" Joanie's head snapped up in Skyla's direction. The Queen shook her head. "I'll take her Faolin." She pointed out. The councilwoman blinked. "Your Majesty…" She started to protest but Skyla shook her head. "That's my final decision. I have a responsibility to keep her safe Faolin." She glanced at Joanie. "Are you okay with all of this?" She asked gently. "You don't have to do it if you think it's too hard." Joanie gave her a blank look. "I'm not scared." She said, given a bit too quickly. "I've had harder times getting lunch." She sniffed and shifted uncomfortably. "IS there a place I can change? It's really hot here" Skyla nodded and motioned to Faolin. "She'll take you Joanie." She said gently. "Faolin, take her to Malakai's office as it's the closest. If he's not there packing I suggest you send one of the guards to look for him and inquire why." The councilwoman's eyes gleamed as she bobbed a curtsey and took Joanie's hand with out asking. The girl sent a brief panicked look in Skyla's direction before she was dragged away. The Tinker looked up from what he was doing and noticed the forlorn look in her eyes as she stared after the disappearing duo. He raised an eyebrow before looking back at his gadget. "She looks better." He commented. "Still a bit pasty, but better." Skyla shook herself back to reality and glanced back at the map. She studied it critically. "She's picked up a little bit of weight." She commented preoccupied. "Not enough but…" She shrugged. "It's all we could do in such a short time." The Tinker was careful not to look at her. "What's her story?" He asked in the same distracted tone of voice. Done with the map Skyla picked up a Tor crystal that was lying on the table and started fidgeting with it. "Orphaned according to the person I talked to. Definitively traumatized – if that's the right word. She's not fond of people." She sighed. "She says that she has a mother to return to." The Tinker stopped what he was doing and studied her movements critically. "You've become too involved." It wasn't a question. Skyla blinked surprised before she sighed. "Yes." She said simply. "I have."
When Joanie returned with Faolin she looked more comfortable. She had stripped down to only one of her old flannel shirts and Jade's oversized dungaree, which she happened to be wearing at the time she was leaving the academy. "She's not very talkative this one." Councilwoman Faolin said with an amused smile. "Not even a blink in my direction." Skyla smiled and motioned for Joanie to join her again. "She didn't come here to talk Faolin." She said amused. "Come on Joanie." As she joined Skyla's side again the Tinker was ready to explain to her what she had to do. The petite girl frowned as his explanation became more complicated. She shuddered at some stage (AN: I do that a lot in physiology) and held up her hand, motioning for him to stop. "So basically, I should stuff this thing next to the generator." She began monotonously as she held up the gadget the Tinker was still working on. "As it will "systematically" increase its power capacity and so cause it to blow up at some stage. Then, before it blows up, I should attach one of each of these crystals to others that look like them because they have to suck out the building power – or neutralize it somehow as its got a different "polarity" – what ever that means." The latter she muttered under her breath. The Tinker blinked and smiled amused. "In so few words… Yes." He said with a smile. "I should have everything ready within the hour." The girl nodded and rubbed her brow. "I can do that." She said softly and glanced at Queen Skyla. "No worry's, I'll do that." The woman gave her a reassuring smile and carefully rested her hand on the kid's head. Joanie flinched, but didn't move away immediately. Skyla ran her fingers through her short hair before she took her hand away. "I know you won't disappoint me." She said. "Thank you Joanie-Ellen." The youth sighed and met her gaze but she didn't smile.