Chapter 6

While it'd been a warm, dry place to stay the last few days, Talon had been more than relieved to finally leave that room. Despite having meals brought twice a day, getting his eye treated, and being provided a sleeping area, something about that room unsettled him.

Talon couldn't put his finger on it, but it was like he was being…watched sometimes. There was just one mirror on the wall in that room alongside his table and chairs. But at certain times of the day, it felt like he had eyes on him.

Now he found himself back in the carriage that'd brought him here. Sat beside Monarri as she held the reins of the horse. She'd told him about how she'd be taking him in, after many 'foster places' were… too full to take him. Talon just nodded, it seemed Demacia had its own homeless child problem.

"Why can't you take me to the border, if your husband doesn't want me there?" Talon asked after a long period of silence.

Monarri glanced down at Talon for a brief moment, before her eyes went back to the road as she spoke. "Because sending you back to Noxus isn't safe, Talon. Here, you have a chance at a new life, a life a child should be living."

Talon stared ahead, his expression unreadable. "But I want to go home…"

Monarri sighed, gently pulling the reins to slow the horse as they approached a narrow bend in the road. "This can be your home, Talon. A real home, not somewhere you have to fight to survive."

"That's just the Noxian way…" Talon mumbled.

"Your way is wrong."

He didn't argue further, for now it seemed he was resigned to this fate. Stuck living with a strange family and half apparently didn't even want him there.

xxx

They arrived after an hour. Back at the small cottage home Talon fatefully encountered a week prior. He was walked to the door as Monarri talked to him, explaining things he wasn't really interested enough to listen to.

"First things first, I think a bath is in order…" he heard Monarri say behind him, as she opened the door, calling that she's back. Inside the home it smelled…Strange to Talon. Not unpleasant, the opposite really. He wasn't used to a building having a smell other than dust or filth.

The two children were standing there near the stairs, eyes fixed on him. Talon starred back, not one to be intimidated.

Monarri gently guided him past the children, who stepped aside but continued to watch him closely. "Let's get you settled in," she said softly, leading him towards the bathroom. "We'll do some proper introductions once you're more comfortable."

The house was what some would call cozy, with wooden floors and walls adorned with family photos and little trinkets. It felt lived-in and warm, a stark contrast to the cold, hard places Talon was used to. He followed the older woman up the stairs at her command, she didn't snap or scold him when he paused to look at something that caught his eye in the house.

Once inside the bathroom, she shut the door behind him. Talon felt very very entrapped suddenly. This was quite a small space. He kept to the corner, watching her start fiddling with the taps on the bathtub. Monarri put various bottled liquids into the water gathering in the tub, then disturbed the water with her hand to start forming bubbles.

When the water finally came close to the rim, she turned to Talon. She looked ready to say something but frowned seeing him still standing there. "Talon–" She gestured like he was supposed to be doing something. When he just stared back at her, she seemed to sigh inwardly, realizing now that his life on the streets had deprived him of any basic self care.

"You need to take your clothes off before getting in the bath. Here, let me help." She sighed, approaching him slowly. However Talon backed up more, head tucking inwards inside his dirty hoodie. Glaring at her making that same irritated, throaty growl. "It's alright! …It's alright…" She said gently, hands raised slightly in a gesture of peace.

After a moment of tense silence, she reached for the edge of his hoodie, making sure to move slowly so as not to frighten him further. Talon's good eye fixed onto her, he never blinked once. She managed to gently tug the hoodie over his head, revealing the frighteningly thin, scarred frame beneath. His small body was marred with injury. Some wounds old and long healed, others still fresh and struggling to close.

Piece by piece, she undressed him, trying her best to be gentle and respectful. When he was finally free of the grime-covered garments, she guided him to the tub. Making a mental note to burn these clothes, they were falling apart at the seams and covered in years of filth. After a small struggle to get him into the tub, Talon sat down stiffly in the warm water, his small frame still tight with anxiety and fear.

Monarri picked up a washcloth and dipped it into the soapy water, then began to wash his arms. Talon's hands balled into fists, his fingernails digging into his palms as his anxiety was hitting its peak. He managed to crane his neck to peer at what she was doing, seeing his skin peeling as she scrubbed and scrubbed, revealing his true skin tone beneath. He'd expected it to hurt, his skin was being shredded from the looks of it…But it didn't hurt a bit. Besides mild discomfort.

She moved from his arms to his chest and back, the washcloth uncovering patches of clean skin beneath the layers of dirt. Talon watched the water go from clear to murky after twenty minutes of this.

He felt disgusting.

He'd never bathed as long as he could remember. There was a river on the outskirts back in Noxus Prime that some would go to try and wash up. But Talon heard rumors it wasn't safe, people watched you, waited for you to become vulnerable. So he never went. Everyone living in Noxus' underbelly was in the same boat. To hear so often how badly he stank over here, now having it presented it to him was shameful.

Monarri moved on to his legs, Talon started to relax a little. Growing used to the feeling of being scrubbed now. Occasionally giving her a disapproving grunt if she was being too rough on freshly bruised areas.

"Let's do your hair next," Talon heard as she ran the tap, pouring some warm water into a jug. His hair he knew was dirty, matted, and he'd suffered from lice as long as he could remember. He wasn't sure which street kid gave them to him; it was why most just shaved their heads in the slums. "Brace yourself–"

Talon flinched as the warm water cascaded over his scalp. Despite her warning he still spluttered and wiped water off of his face and out of his eyes. Turning to shoot the woman an annoyed look. She just smiled back at him, which made him scowl more as she poured a generous amount of liquid from a bottle into her palm and began to lather his hair with it. It stank of strawberries, Talon noted.

The touch was gentle, her fingers massaging his scalp in a way that felt almost comforting. Talon closed his eyes, letting himself be lulled by the repetitive motions on his scalp. He couldn't remember the last time someone had been this gentle with him.

"This will help get rid of the lice," she explained. "I'll have to go through with the nit comb a few times though. You're infested, you poor thing."

Next came exactly as she warned, going through what felt like every strand of his hair with a fine-toothed comb. She'd rake it from his scalp to the end of the strand, then use a tissue to pull every egg and louse she found out of the comb. Talon caught her expression as she inspected the tissue, full of large parasites bloated on his blood. It wasn't revulsion, it was sadness.

The water was going cold by the time Monarri felt she'd done enough for now. She rinsed his hair one last time before giving it a rough towel dry and helping him out of the tub. Talon stood there, dripping wet but feeling the cleanest he had been in years. She offered a second towel for his body before leaving the bathroom, giving Talon a moment alone to process the entire thing.

He stood there, shivering from the dampness, but he felt… different.

Good different.

The layers of grime that had clung to his skin since he was five were gone. He caught his reflection in the mirror above the sink. Looking back at him was someone who resembled the children he'd witnessed playing days prior. Not filthy, not riddled with parasites anymore. Still very gaunt looking, but better than he'd looked in years. Talon touched his face, his fingers tracing the clean skin. It was a strange, almost surreal experience. He hardly recognized himself.

Monarri re-entered the room, carrying a bundle of clothes. "Here," she said, placing them on the top of the toilet seat. "They're my son's. They might be a bit big on you, but we'll get you kitted better in the coming days."

Talon went to take the white t-shirt and pull it over his head. He was quickly stopped by Monarri. "Talon, you're still soaking! Dry yourself down, then get dressed. Shout if you want me…Or make some kind of noise."

Nodding, Talon picked up the towel and awkwardly began to dry himself. Monarri left the bathroom, closing the door behind her to give him privacy. He rubbed the towel over his skin, feeling the soft fabric absorb the water. It was a strange sensation; normally he'd just have to dry on the go if he got soaked by the rain, or fell into deep water.

As he pulled the clothes on himself, they were too big as she had warned. Despite apparently belonging to someone his own age, the trousers sagged down anytime he moved, much to his frustration. He pulled the trousers up as high as he could, but they still threatened to slip down with every step.

Monarri knocked on the door lightly before peeking in. "How are you getting on, Talon?"

"Too big," he grumbled, trying to keep the trousers from falling. He went into the pile of his old clothes, retrieving one of the belts he'd stolen. He threaded it around and tightened it onto the tightest loop. Talon moved around a bit, testing the fit. It was much better now.

Monarri gave his infected eye another wipe over with a clean cloth and warm water, before a medical patch was secured over it. It felt like an eyepatch, an item so many wore down in the slums as they'd lost eyes in fights.

"Come on then, let's get you properly introduced. No weapons this time," Monarri said, guiding him downstairs once again. Talon let her press her palm into his back to move him along, feeling a mix of anxiety and apprehension. The house felt strange to him—clean, warm, and full of life. The people were strange to him too.

When they reached the bottom, Monarri led him into the living room, where the two children were waiting. They both looked up as Talon entered. The girl managed a smile while her brother frowned and stayed slightly behind the older man, who himself had an unreadable, neutral expression.

"This is Talon," Monarri started, placing her hands on his shoulders. Talon flinched, snapping his neck around to glare at her, his eyes burning with mistrust.

Monarri quickly removed her hands, realizing her mistake. The young girl, his age, quietly stepped closer. Talon braced himself, expecting a scornful remark about the incident with the knife. Instead, she introduced herself.

"I'm Quinn, over there's Caleb, my twin brother. He's, uh... the one who knocked you out…. Sorry."

Talon stared at her, taken aback by the apology. He glanced at Caleb, who was still watching him with wary eyes.

Quinn continued, "Mum said you'll be staying with us now…Maybe we can…Be friends? Forgetting about that scary time with the knife?" When Talon glanced over at Caleb, his frown had deepened. Talon wasn't convinced they were going to be forgetting that anytime soon with the way this other boy glared at him.

Tarian, the older man, finally spoke. "The attic room is yours. There's not much yet, but I imagine it's more than what you had."

"I'll show you your room now," Monarri told him, leading him away from the children and her husband. "You'll probably want a few hours to yourself, I'll bring something to eat afterwards."

The way to the attic room reminded Talon of his old hovel. She pulled the ladder downwards allowing him entry. On instinct Talon scrambled up, hearing the surprised mumble below him. "Wasting no time are you?"

Reaching the top, Talon paused to take in his new surroundings. The attic room was small, with a single bed tucked under the sloping roof and a small window that let in a sliver of sunlight. The walls were bare, and a small chest of drawers stood by a mirror, creating a makeshift dressing area.

Despite its simplicity, it felt private, almost like a home. He walked over to the bed, running his hand over the blanket. It was a stark contrast to the rough, dirty rags he was used to sleeping on, stuffed inside a large delivery box while he prayed it wouldn't rain.

Monarri climbed up after him, smiling as she watched him explore. "We'll get you some things to make it more comfortable," she said. "For now, make yourself at home. I'll be back with some food in a little while." Before she disappeared down the steps. Talon followed her to the edge of the latch, watching as she descended. When she was out of sight, he pulled at the stairs, and soon enough, they retracted back up.

Only then he allowed himself to finally relax and sit down on the bed. A sit down soon turned into a long, much needed nap.

xxx

He'd slept through the entire night. Waking up warm and comfortable was a strange sensation, one he'd never felt for as long as he could remember. Talon shifted upright and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing the sleep from his good eye. Now noticing a few more items had appeared in his room overnight. A chair and a small table now occupied the space, and on the table lay a neatly folded pile of clothes.

The ones he'd slept in were still clean. He'd not scuffed or gotten anything spilled on them, so he wasn't sure why they'd provided him more clothes. The scent of cooked food was wafting into the attic now, curious and rather hungry, Talon lowered the stairs and carefully climbed down. Unsure if this was allowed, expecting to be shouted at any moment and sent back to the room.

This fostering thing was all new to him. He expected it would be like the orphanage. Do not speak, do not roam after dark and never bother the caretakers.

Voices were chattering downstairs, he could hear the excited chirping of the other two children. Talon carefully crept downstairs, following the voices and the smell of food to the kitchen. There sat the twins, tucking into what was a week's worth of food for Talon. Tarian sat himself down with them to eat his own serving, about to take a mouthful. But he paused and looked up, Talon realized he'd been spotted.

Talon froze, a wave of panic washing over him as Tarian's gaze met his. The room fell silent for a moment, the other voices dying down as they followed Tarian's line of sight. He swallowed and took a frightened step back, until Quinn spoke up.

"Good morning, Talon! Are you feeling better?" She asked, giving a small smile. Talon didn't answer, just kept his gaze down. Quinn however wasn't deterred. "Dad, is there anything left for Talon?"

"Don't let him come in, there's knives in the kitchen…" Caleb mumbled with a mouthful of food, giving his sister a sharp look. "And Mum said he has lice, ew!"

"Caleb," Their father said, his tone warning him that was enough. He looked to Talon and got up out of his chair, approaching slowly. "Are you hungry, boy? There's plenty left…"

Talon hesitated, glancing between the family members. Quinn's smile and their father's gentle nod finally reassured him enough to take a cautious step forward.

"Just ignore Caleb," Quinn said, rolling her eyes at her brother. "He's just being mean for no reason."

"Am not," Caleb muttered, but he didn't push further. Just cringing in his seat when Talon slowly entered the kitchen. Talon gingerly sat on the chair pulled up for him, his body was coiled like a taut string.

Tarian placed a plate of food in front of him, filled with scrambled eggs and bacon. It smelled…Beyond words Talon could muster. He wanted to just shovel it down immediately, so he did. Grasping bits of bacon in his bare hands and chowing down with vigor. Quinn's eyes widened, Tarian blinked in surprise while Caleb looked away in slight disgust.

"Dad, …He's eating with his hands…" Caleb mumbled.

Talon paused, his cheeks stuffed with bacon. Noticing they were all looking at him made him nervous, wanting to eat faster and get out.

"I know," Tarian said, taking a long drink of something hot from his mug. "Just let him eat, Caleb. We'll work on the Noxian's table manners in due time."

Talon finished his food as fast as he could. It was hurting his throat because he was swallowing so much without chewing. Eager to get back to his new little sleeping area, where he was safe and out of the way.

"Why don't you use your fork, Talon?" Quinn asked, reaching across to nudge the fork closer.

Talon saw a hand coming close to him, to his food and his instincts kicked in. Slamming his hand down and gripping Quinn's wrist to the table, eyes blazing. "Don't take! Mine!" Talon snarled loudly in Noxian, guarding his plate with his spare arm.

Caleb jumped back, eyes wide, screaming in terror, while Quinn winced but didn't pull away. Tarian stood up immediately and began to force Talon's vice grip off of his daughter's wrist. "Let go!" he ordered loudly. "Let go, boy!"

Talon's grip tightened for a moment, his breath quickening. But then he looked up at Tarian, saw the look in his eyes, and then slowly, he released her wrist, his own hand trembling.

He fled the table seconds later, running for the front door. Trying to get it open, but it wouldn't budge. He was trapped, trapped here and he'd just messed up. Talon pressed himself into the corner, his whole body trembling as he buried his face in his knees.

Somebody approached after a few moments. "Talon…?" He heard Quinn's voice. Talon didn't lift his head, his body shaking with silent sobs. She knelt down beside him, careful to give him space. "Are you okay…?"

Talon sniffled, his face still buried in his knees. What did he even say to her? He couldn't say anything, just stay in the corner and hope she'd go away. But she didn't, he felt her arms come around him, pulling him into a gentle hug.

But for once, his instinct wasn't to become defensive at the sudden touch. Despite twice now he'd attacked her, Quinn held onto him. Exactly how a sister would comfort an upset brother. Offering silent company as Talon finally let himself sob against her shoulder.

AN: This was always a sadder chapter for me. Talon experiences care and compassion for the first time in his life.