Karma, Part 11 - Cards

Ruune settled down with the rya in the flickering light of the candles. Dawn wasn't far, but it wasn't quite here yet. But if she wanted to get everything done today, she didn't have the time to wait for the good light. She'd need to work again in the dark in the evening too.

In Paaraja, the days had settled into a comfortable rhythm. Ruune focused on the ryas, and Tikka sat around keeping her company in silence. She didn't know how Tikka kept herself occupied and amused through the long hours of seemingly doing nothing, but it didn't matter. She didn't need to worry about that. She just needed to do her job, and Tikka could do whatever she wanted with those days, as long as she did it quietly if she insisted on staying with Ruune.

It had been going well. Until now.

Tikka was restless. It wasn't much. A shaking leg, for a while. Getting up to look out the window. Going back to sit down. No pacing, thankfully. Drawing the sword and just staring at it for a while. The leg again. Not even the whole time. A lot of the time Tikka just sat and stared into nothingness. Or whatever.

It wasn't much, but it was more restlessness than Tikka had showed during the days in Paaraja, and it was more than Ruune, normally spending her work days in a room alone, could take without being annoyed. It wasn't so distracting she wouldn't be able to get used to over time. It was just that she really didn't care to get used to it, especially today when she was on a schedule.

"Look, Tikka," she said as they sat down for lunch.

"I don't like the sound of where this is going," Tikka said and took a big swig from her glass. Ruune shook her head.

"Why do you want to stay in the room with me while I'm working?"

Tikka shrugged.

"I'm yours now," Tikka said. "So I should stay with you."

Ruune blinked at her. That was one way to say it, she supposed. There was definitely not a blush coming up her neck. It would go away.

"And anyway," Tikka continued. "Where else am I going to go?"

"There are a lot of places that aren't the exact room I'm working in," Ruune said. "Almost all places are those places. There's nothing for you to do?"

Tikka thought about it for a moment, shoving some bread in her mouth. Then she shook her head.

"Nah," she said. "I have nothing to do."

The earlier blush was now replaced by exasperation.

"There is no need to be cooped up with me in that room," Ruune said. "Why don't you go take a walk after lunch? Get some fresh air?"

"We walked all day yesterday," Tikka noted. "And the day before. I think I can manage one day without walking."

They stared at each other for a moment, Ruune trying to come up with something to say to that, anything. In the end, it was Tikka who spoke up first.

"You want me out of the room?"

"You're distracting me."

"You didn't say that in Paaraja."

"You weren't distracting me in Paaraja. You're all fidgety today."

"Just a little bit of fidgeting makes you distracted?" Tikka scoffed. Then she grinned. Stupid grin. "If you'd like, I can make you much more distracted than that."

Another moment of staring as Ruune fought for control of her face.

"You really want me to go have a walk?" Tikka said finally.

"Yes, " Ruune said. Then, "Please. Or go do whatever else you want. Just let me focus on my work today."

Tikka let out a long sigh, a sign of acceptance but not approval. "Fine."

And so, after they finished lunch, Ruune headed back to the ryas for the best daylight hours, and Tikka made her way to sight-see the town, or something.

***

It took longer than Ruune expected to finish the work. In fact, she didn't finish. She was getting tired, and seeing how much there was left to do, she decided that while she could do it all today, she really didn't want to. In the summer she might have done it just pulled a later night than usual, but not this time of the year. She'd just have to finish up tomorrow.

"Oh, that's no problem, take your time, of course we'll have you here another night so you can be well rested and have an early start for your travels the next day," the Matriarch had assured her when she went to tell her, so that at least was nice.

She collapsed in the bed when she got to their room and took a deep breath, closed her eyes. It was remarkable how tiring this work could be, even though it was technically just sitting down and stitching all day.

Maybe she could use a walk too. Some fresh air and open views could be exactly what she needed. Besides, Tikka hadn't gotten back to the room yet either. She couldn't have gone far, but Ruune guessed she had found something to occupy herself.

Well, it was all the same. She got back up, grabbed her coat, and headed out of the House of Grace.

***

Tikka still hadn't returned when Ruune got back to the room. Or after she went to eat supper. By the time she was getting ready for bed, she was starting to really worry. That's when the door opened and Tikka slipped in.

"Where have you been?" Ruune asked as Tikka planted herself on her bed.

"Hello to you too. Did you miss me?"

"I didn't expect you to be gone this long."

"Well, well. First you kick me out, and now you want me here."

"I didn't..." she trailed off as Tikka lifted her head to look at her, grinning. Ruune took a deep breath. That's when she noticed the small paper bag in Tikka's hand.

"What's that?"

"Caramel nuts."

She waited for Tikka to continue, but she didn't. "Where did you get them?" she prompted.

"I bought them, obviously. There's a nice lady in the square who was selling them. You want some?" Tikka held out the bag.

"You don't have any money," Ruune pointed out. "I've been paying for everything since we met." A pause. "Have you had money this whole time?

"Nope," Tikka said and popped a nut in her mouth. "But I do now. Not much, but I played the allowances off a good few acolytes in the House."

"You what?"

"Cards." She was grinning again. "I'm very good at cards, and it took them a little too long to realise that."

Of course she's good at cards, Ruune thought. "I don't think the House acolytes are supposed to gamble," she said.

"Oh, they're not. That didn't stop them though."

She gave Tikka a disapproving scowl.

"What? It wasn't my fault. They were already playing, I just joined their game."

They were both quiet for a bit. Tikka ate another nut.

"Was it a good game, at least?"

"I won every round and now I have some caramel nuts, so must have been, right?" Tikka held out the bag again with a satisfied look on her face. "Even if I had to listen to the complaining for a lot of it."

Ruune perked up at that. The Acolytes were always compaining, but considering the exchange she'd overheard in Paraaja, this seemed like something worth paying attention to.

"What were they complaining about?" she asked.

"There's some new instructions come in from the Council. The Houses are to increase the amount of tithes they collect from the people, to be sent along to the council. They weren't sure what the Council wanted the money for." Tikka rolled her eyes. The earlier grin had turned into a scowl, and her voice kept getting tenser as she continued, "The Council doesn't really use money, does it? It's just a bunch of the Matriarchs getting together every once in a while and making sure they have the doctrine straight among each other."

"It... is a bit more than that," Ruune pointed out, but Tikka waved her hand.

"I know, but that's what they 'officially' do," she said. She shook her head. "None of them like the new legislation here. It's not like their people have much extra to give. Their Matriarch promised to raise a complaint, but none of them seem very hopeful it will actually change anything, coming from a Matriarch of such a small Neighborhood, especially one that is under the governmental control of Paraaja."

Unfortunately, they were probably right. As much as on paper all Matriarchs were equal under the eyes of Heaven, in practice the Matriarchs of the City-states were the ones leading the family.

"It is odd," Ruune agreed, electing to not think too deep about the inherent power imbalance within the world. "I mean, the council does have some expenses, for organising meetings and supporting small Neighbourhoods financially during times of crisis, and such, and for something like that to function they need some organisational structure..."

"Then they should structure themselves again," Tikka cut in. "Supporting small Neighbourhoods with the money stolen from them? That's blatant virtue signalling!"

"Maybe," Ruune interjected before Tikka could go on another rant about how systematic religion and concentration of power were the worst thing to ever happen. "But it is a little concerning that the council is collecting more tithes. Usually all money that is collected, stays and is used in the Neighborhoods... The acolytes had no idea why they were making these changes?"

"Because the council is the worst, that's why. I can't believe they would..."

"Wait," Ruune interrupted her. She had just realised something much more important than whatever was going on at the top of the religious pyramid. "The acolytes are all needed for the evening prayer. That started ages ago. How are you only back now if you were with them?"

"Right, I went to get the nuts..."

"That does not take nearly that long."

"...and someone was following me again. I was going to tell you but got off track."

A shiver ran down Ruune's spine.

"What?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure," Tikka said, frowning. "I could feel eyes on me, though I never saw them. I just... couldn't figure out who it was that was looking at me. Took me a good long while to shake them too."

This wasn't good. If they actually had a stalker...

"Is it the same person who you felt was following us before?"

Tikka thought for a moment.

"I don't know. I'm leaning towards yes. But I don't know. And like I said, I didn't see anything." She barked out a laugh. "Maybe I'm going crazy."

"I don't think so."

She blinked and tilted her head at Ruune. "You don't?"

"Well, I'm not saying it's impossible," Ruune said with a cheeky grin. "But if you truly feel like something is off, I believe you."

Tikka studied Ruune's face for a moment, her own face as blank as the connection between them. "Okay," she said then and smiled. "Thank you."

Ruune nodded and lay down. She was tired, and she had work to finish tomorrow.

"You know, those Matriarchs..." Tikka started.

"Shh," Ruune told her. "Not now. I'm too tired for politics. Okay?"

Tikka grumbled something under her breath for a bit but after a moment quieted down.

_____________________________________________

The topic for tomorrow is Horizon.

~matleena