"Distracted general?" Tara asked, head cocked to the side.
Ronin blinked and focused his attention on her, "apologies your majesty."
"How's Nod doing?" Tara made no attempt to bring the conversation back to its previous topic.
"He's finally out from under the bed," Ronin's shoulders slumped slightly, "but he's still terrified about going with Barnet."
"And how are you?" Tara asked.
Ronin gave her a surprised look, "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Your little chickadee is about to leave the nest," Tara pointed out.
"He's not mine," Ronin folded his arms over his chest, "he never was."
"Ronin," Tara gave him an exasperated look.
"It's good that he has family that can take care of him," Ronin shifted to start pacing, then caught himself and stayed still, "that's what's best for him. Some of the logistics just aren't ideal."
"It's okay to be sad he's going," Tara offered gently.
"I…" Ronin frowned at her, "I'm happy he has family."
"You can be both, you know," Tara said.
"I know, I just..." Ronin's brow furrowed, "it doesn't matter. We just have to do what's best for him."
"And what do you think is best for him?" Tara asked, "what have you turned up on Barnet?"
Ronin raised his eyebrows at the queen. Being general required being able to be discreet, and Ronin was good at it. It shouldn't have been getting around that he was investigating Barnet.
"Oh please," Tara smirked, "I didn't even have to ask. Of course you're looking into him."
"And of course you would know," Ronin almost smiled, "I haven't found anything that would raise alarm. He's a widower. He has three grown sons that work with him, and he's a respected merchant, although not always well liked. That doesn't necessarily mean anything though."
"Have you asked any of your contacts in Bufo's group?" Tara frowned slightly.
"Pardon?" Ronin technically didn't have contacts in Bufo's group, and it was nothing the queen should have been asking about regardless.
"Ronin, I helped you make some of those contacts before I became queen," Tara rolled her eyes.
"I haven't asked," Ronin smirked, "I haven't found anything that points to him having criminal dealings."
"Well, keep me updated," Tara requested, "you should take some extra time off to spend with Nod."
"I was going to talk to you about that," Ronin admitted.
"Take as much time as you need," Tara said without hesitation.
"I need to talk to Finn," Ronin said thoughtfully, "he needs to be able to take time off as well, but I'll let you know."
"Alright," Tara agreed, "tell Nod I said hello. If he's up to it, I would love to see him before he goes."
"I'm sure he'll want to see you," Ronin bowed, "and I'll tell him you said hello. Good night your majesty."
"Good night general."
Ronin was half way down the hall before he realized he hadn't finished going through the day's reports with the queen. He went through them quickly in his head and decided there was nothing there that couldn't wait for tomorrow. He had a frightened little chickadee he needed to get home to.
There was a knock on the door, and Nod squeaked and dropped the blocks he had been playing with. He scrambled to his feet and raced down the hall to Ronin's room.
"Nod, it's just Eben and Mrs. Nora," Ronin called after him as he went to get the door.
Nod didn't answer or reappear, most like safely ensconced under Ronin's bed already. Ronin sighed and opened the door. Hopefully playing with Eben would help improve the boy's mood a little.
Eben tipped his head all the way back to look up at Ronin when he opened the door. He had a backpack on and his arms were full of books.
"Hello General Ronin," the boy said.
"Hello Eben," Ronin smiled down at him, "Nod is under the bed in my room."
"Okay," Eben marched down the hall in the direction Ronin pointed him in as if this were completely normal.
"Still not doing well, huh?" Nora asked sympathetically.
"No," Ronin shook his head, "he seems to think Barnet is going to show up suddenly and carry him off."
"Well, at least we know that's not going to happen," Nora said, "Eben was excited to come over, so hopefully he'll cheer Nod up some."
"I think so," Ronin glanced over his shoulder at a sudden high pitched squeal of delight, "he was excited enough about him coming that he actually came out from under the bed."
Nora laughed softly, "they'll have fun. I'll be back in a few hours."
Nora called her goodbye to Eben before leaving, and Eben shouted back with more volume than necessary, probably used to yelling over all his siblings to be heard.
After Nora left, Ronin went to check on the boys. Eben's feet were sticking out from under the bed, and Nod was explaining in great detail his plan to stay under the bed forever. Eben helpfully offered to bring him books and toys so he wouldn't be board.
"You two come out to the living room if you want snacks, alright," Ronin told them.
"Okay," Eben agreed.
"Maybe we should eat them under the bed," Nod piped up, "in case Uncle Barnet comes."
"Oh yeah," Eben agreed, feet kicking a little, "that's a good idea."
"He isn't coming today," Ronin assured them, "and if you get crumbs in the blankets you have under there, it will make them itchy."
"Maybe we'll come out later then," Nod said, "once it's too late for Uncle Barnet to come."
"He's not coming today," Ronin repeated patiently, "I'm going to do some work in my study. If you need anything, just let me know."
"Okay," the boys said in unison.
Ronin snorted softly and left them alone to play.
"Me and Eben have a plan," Nod told Ronin proudly.
"Close your eyes," Ronin cautioned before dumping a pitcher of water over Nod's head to wash the soap out of his hair, "what's your plan?"
"When Uncle Barnet comes I'm going to hide so good he'll never ever find me, but I'll tell Eben where I'm hiding and Eben will bring me food and toys and we'll play together," Nod explained after Ronin was done rinsing his hair, "and Eben will be the look out and tell me when Uncle Barnet goes home and then I'll come out and me and Eben will come here and live under the bed until everyone forgets about dumb Uncle Barnet."
"Nod, what if your uncle is really nice, and you like him?" Ronin offered as he used a cloth to wash Nod's face.
"He won't be," Nod said matter-of-factly.
"And why is that?" Ronin asked.
"Because if he was nice he would know that I'm your chickadee and I'm supposed to live with you and he wouldn't make me leave," Nod explained.
"You know you're not really a chickadee, right?" Ronin asked as he washed Nod's back.
"I could be," Nod huffed and folded his arms over his chest, "I could be a chickadee if I wanted. I know how to talk like a chickadee and find food and good places to sleep, but you're not a chickadee so I couldn't stay with you if I was a chickadee so I'm like you instead."
"I would love you even if you were a chickadee," Ronin kissed the boy's forehead, then rinsed the soap off his back.
"I'll be a chickadee then!" Nod announced, hands slapping against the water excitedly, splashing it everywhere, "Uncle Barnet isn't a chickadee, so if I'm a chickadee, I can't be his."
"But you're not a chickadee," Ronin wiped water from his face and tickled Nod's side, "you're a jinn."
"I'm a chickadee!" Nod squirmed and splashed, "I'm a chickadee! I can even take a bath like a chickadee! See!"
Nod proceeded to wiggle and splash in the tub the way a bird in a puddle would, sloshing water over the edge and soaking Ronin.
"Okay," Ronin stood, lifting the giggling, wiggling boy out of the tub and wrapping him in a towel, "you go chickadee your way into your pajamas."
"I'll tell Eben the new plan tomorrow!" Nod trotted down the hall with his towel wrapped around him, "I'll be a chickadee, and then I can't belong to Uncle Barnet."
Ronin frowned slightly. Eben wasn't coming over tomorrow. At least, Ronin hadn't heard anything about Eben coming over tomorrow.
With a shake of his head, Ronin followed Nod down the hall, dragging a towel along the floor with his foot as he went to wipe up the puddles left in the boy's wake. He was starting to wonder if he should be concerned with all of Nod's scheming, far-fetched though his plans were. He needed to find a way to help Nod accept that he was going to live with his uncle, and that it just might not be such a bad thing.
No matter how much Ronin was going to miss him.