Chapter Fifteen: A Quiet Afternoon

After services and dodging Friar Nashi, Haru slipped around the corner and disappeared into the secret walls. With great expectation, she ran down the halls, and came to the wooden spiral staircase. She looked up at the opening.

"Baron! Is it okay if I come up?" Like she had to say who it was.

"Of course," a familiar voice called back to her.

Grinning, the slim brunette started climbing up the winding staircase, accepting the gloved hand as it appeared over the side to help her up. Baron smiled warmly at the girl as she eased into the tower room. She smiled back brightly.

"Well? Was Lune able to talk to you?"

The orange and cream cat's left ear flicked once, and he nodded solemnly.

"There's a very strong possibility that I will look like this the rest of my life. But thank you for trying, Haru."

She sighed, sitting in the couch seat he was offering her. His tea over the fire began to boil. Baron calmly rescued it, and poured two cups.

"Father Hashio had a cold today," he said solemnly, handing her one of the teacups. The young girl watched the steam dance off the teacups, the slight milky mist flowing through the tea like a cloud.

"That's not good. He's being taken care of?"

"Yes. I checked on him just two minutes before you showed up."

She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"How can you move so fast?"

He shrugged with a sad smile on his lips.

"One learns how to run swiftly, to be sure of not being found. I love the library here, but with priests everywhere, it's a little hard to peruse safely."

Haru nodded, figuring he couldn't do much under these circumstances except read.

"Couldn't Father Hashio get books for you?"

Baron nodded, a sigh on his lips.

"He could, but it's not the same as choosing them myself."

"Ah. I guess that makes sense. So, what things do you read?"

"Usually science and mathematics. The philosophy ones are a bit tricky to take seriously, all things considered. I haven't had much time for books lately though, Father Hashio has me working as an accountant for the cathedral under a false name. You said you were a seamstress, before?"

Haru suddenly stood up straighter, almost being lulled to sleep by the half-cat's soothing voice, although she had paid attention to every word he was saying to her.

"Yeah. I usually do repair work on tents and clothes, but I occasionally get to make something. I can't entertain to save my life, unless you want several things to get broken, so I just stick to seamstress' work."

Baron cocked his head at her.

"What do you mean by 'entertain'?" He wasn't about to say this out loud, but just watching her was more entertainment than he usually saw at a close range, being desensitized by Toto and Muta's squabbles.

Haru gulped, and nervously rubbed the back of her neck with one hand.

"Well… you've watched gypsies perform, right?"

He nodded. Unconsciously, the brunette started rubbing her arm, feeling the old scars.

"Well, I refuse to do anything with fire for personal reasons, my singing's mediocre, I can't tell fortunes or act to save my life, and when nice guys don't come to my rescue against undesirables, I attempt to dance until the jerk has one or two broken bones, and decides I won't be much fun to play with." Such are the perils of a non-gypsy childhood. Baron tilted his head at her, incredulous.

"You don't strike me as that clumsy, Haru."

She shrugged, a little embarrassed to have told him her faults. A sip of the tea said that it was a bit mintier than the last batch.

"We haven't exactly had a lot of contact, so it shouldn't be surprising." The slim brunette looked around his place again. A small window was facing the street outside the cathedral, probably how Baron could see what was going on below.

The tawny cat noticed the direction of her gaze, and smiled.

"Haru, there's something I would like to show you."

ooOoo

The familiar wooden door opened, revealing the half-cat, now wrapped in the long dark cloak to avoid curious eyes, and the young gypsy girl. Her eyes widened, looking around the roofed pavilion.

"I guess this explains how you managed to go so long without fresh air."

Baron nodded, and pointed to the pedestal in the middle.

"That's Toto's resting spot."

Haru quirked an eyebrow.

"I thought crows preferred trees."

"They do, but Toto's a special case." He looked at her through the corner of his eye. "Did we forget to mention that he's a living gargoyle?"

Haru's mouth dropped open a little.

"You did. Well, I guess that explains why he can talk human."

Baron nodded, and then gently directed her to the wall.

"He was the one that found my mother and me, the day I was born." He gestured down the wall, making the brunette lean over enough to look down the side of the building.

"She climbed this wall, to escape a soldier that had spotted her. She didn't have anything but me wrapped up in her cloak, and it was raining that night."

The brunette carefully studied the wall, seeing how one could conceivably climb the wall, even when holding a babe. But to actually dare to do such a thing?

"She must have been very brave," Haru said softly. Baron nodded, a sad longing in his eyes.

"She was. She was one of the bravest people I'll ever meet. She died five years ago. Mother just went to bed as usual, and didn't wake up the next morning."

Sharply feeling his loss, Haru reached up with one hand to squeeze his shoulder, still not quite comfortable with the idea of hugging him.

"I'm sorry."

He sighed, covering her slim hand with his broad one.

"So am I. She was incredible." He shook his head slightly, to combat the threatening depression. "What were your parents like?"

Haru bit her lip.

"Well, Father was a tailor, and Mother was a pretty good quilter, although she told fortunes for a living. She knew Father would get carried off by cats long before it happened, and that he would come back. Father and his best friend were both crazy over Mother, but she liked Father because he was funny."

Baron cocked his head at her.

"Funny?"

She laughed a little at remembering her mother's words.

"He was very clumsy, and could trip over things and his tongue like nobody's business. Mother thought it was adorable, but it's not as fun when you happen to be the clumsy one." She started rubbing her arm, feeling the rippling scars. Her dark brown eyes faded with pain.

"Father's the reason I'm alive. Somehow, five and a half years ago, a fire got started in our home, and Father was able to find a way out, through the window. But he threw me out first, and the flames became too hot for him or Mother to escape after me."

Feeling brave, she rolled up one sleeve enough for Baron to see the old burn marks. Baron's eyes widened as he delicately took the arm, and touched the scars with a velvety finger. He was silent for a while, running his gentle fingers over her scars, and looking very serious. The slim brunette bit her lip, wondering if he found her scars to be as disgusting as her cousin did.

"You are so lucky," Baron whispered, close to tears. Haru looked up at him, wondering what could possibly be lucky about being a scarred orphan. He looked back at her, a few tears squeezing past his guard.

"Your father loved you enough to die for you. What I would give, for my father to have loved me a mere fraction of that much."

On an impulse, she wrapped her other arm around his middle and squeezed softly, sensing how desperately he needed it.

"But he does. Father Hashio's more your real father anyway, isn't he?"

Baron nodded slowly, hesitantly drawing his other arm around her, and held her close for a second.

"That he is, Haru. That he is."