36th of Bethas, 2719
Lee could not believe that she was in Old Rose Harbor. Old Rose Harbor!
Her father had always said that, when she got older, he would take her to explore the world. But, obviously, that hadn't happened. Lee had long ago accepted that she would live and die in Vienda. And then, the beautiful moon person that was Xav came along and uprooted their life.
(She still called Xav "moon person" in her head. She suspected she always would.)
They had spent most of the last month on Surwood Isle and Lee was more than happy to be back in a familiar urban setting. The girl's anxiety had settled somewhat during the time she and Xav spent on the Isle and she had even started playing with a couple children before the two of them had left. But she knew, deep down, that she'd never feel comfortable as a wick. Her da had raised her a golly and he had told her that she had to be a perfect golly, or the real ones would hurt her when they found out. Once her father was gone, she had to take care of herself on the streets and was always waiting for someone to come and try to steal what little she had. Her entire life had been steeped in strict caution until Xav had entered her life. She just couldn't understand the carefree life that wicks seemed to have. Her da had a saying – "wearing boots for gloves". He told her that it meant doing something that didn't feel right at all.
Lee had been wearing boots for gloves the entire time she and Xav had been on Surwood Isle. Now that she was in a city again, she felt like she had put her gloves back on.
Xav had ended up coming out a bit ahead, money-wise, even with Lee buying a handful of books. When they arrived in Old Rose, they had been able to pick out a decent, if nondescript, inn to stay in. While they unpacked, Xav told Lee about the town, where it would be relatively safe to sing, where it would be safe to pickpocket, and areas that the brown-haired girl needed to avoid. They had a hefty dinner and collapsed into bed, Lee curling up against Xav, wedging herself under the tall, pale Gioran's arm as Onna wrapped herself around the Gioran's head before they all fell into a deep sleep. Lee would have never admitted it to Xav, but the traveling was wearing on her. She needed the rest that a stay in Old Rose would give her.
When Lee woke up late the next morning, she was alone in the bed. The spot where Xav had slept was cold, so they must have gone out a while ago. Lee heard Onna chittering and got up, then winced at the scene she saw. "Ewwww, Onna!!" she yelled at the ferret, who was chewing on a mouse on the hearth. She shuddered, but was thankful that Onna hadn't left it on her pillow this time.
Xav had left a wedge of cheese, a sausage, and a couple rolls under a covered plate on the table. Lee called for Onna, who abandoned the mostly-eaten mouse on the hearth as Lee threw her half the sausage. Lee grabbed one of the rags out of the bunch that Xav had bought from their friend Mr. Feldspur and picked up the remains of the mouse, dropping them in the trash, along with the rag. Lee was used to Onna hunting for her own food so, while she was grossed out, her stomach still gnawed at her spine. She grabbed a roll, covering the plate back up and wandering into the bathroom to draw a bath.
Lee and Xav hadn't taken a real bath since they left Surwood, but they had been too tired to bathe the night before. "Musta been dead if I slept through Xav bathing," the dusty wick said as she sat on the edge of the tub, gnawing and ripping the bread with her teeth like a rat. She had lived as a street kid long enough that her manners had disintegrated and, while they came back a bit when she was around Xav (sometimes only because Xav would scold her), she still slipped back into a street kid's habits when she was alone.
Once she was done with the roll, she stripped down and sunk into the bathtub, letting the warmth of the water soak away her aches from the trip. Once the water was cold, she hopped out of the bath and dried off, happily humming as she wandered over to the dresser to pick out one of the handful of clean shirts she had.
Five shirts for performances! Lee thought gleefully as she picked out her favorite shirt to wear, a button-up shirt with pinstripes that made her look like a kid who was on important business. She faintly remembered the days before her da had died, when she had a whole wardrobe and a dresser full of clothing, but things had changed so much since then. Now, the idea that she could probably go a week and a half without having to wash her clothes amazed her.
(She had told Xav that she had lived with her 3 shirts and 2 pair of pants since her da died and she didn't need more clothes, but Xav seemed determined to make sure the girl turned into a clothes hoarder like the milk-skinned Gioran themselves. Lee had stopped arguing with them the first week they were in Surwood, when she had seen how happy it made Mr. Feldspar to alter clothes to fit her. She was still a bit shy around the man, but his joy for his work was contagious.)
Lee quickly finished her breakfast after getting dressed, then grabbed the few coins that Xav had left her. That many coins meant that she'd be on her own for dinner, which was fine with Lee. That meant that Xav planned on performing at a tavern, which meant that they'd not have to worry about money. She got up, picking up Onna and what was left of the sausage before leaving the room her friend had rented for them.
Lee spent the afternoon wandering Old Rose, observing the people and learning their patterns. She wasn't stupid enough to assume that she could go back to her old pickpocketing habits – this wasn't Vienda and Xav had warned her about "Big Brothers". Around dinner time, she stopped in a market, buying a sandwich to share with Onna. Once she was done, she stood up, planting herself on the corner and putting her cap on the ground. Then, she started singing with her clear, bell-like voice, serenading the busy shoppers on their way home from work. Onna danced along to her song happily, performing little leaps and rolls.