Are We Not Alone?

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Even despite the small jab Arya had given her, Tak rolled her eyes. But only a little.

"Of course he's a Loveloxx."

Still leaning partially over the table, the little Lupine gave a know-it-all grin before speaking to him in Bast'yr.

<"I bet you can even understand me, can't you.">

[Sarin von Metzger]

I eyed the girl a bit warily. She could change, was a Losstarot, and could speak Bast'yr? Despite her odd, childish accent, I understood clearly what she was saying. Her parents were really what I was wondering about.

<"That I can, young one,"> I replied. My eyes went back to Arya. "And I am a Loveloxx, like you. That is the reason I sought you out, you see. We are family, though distant our bloodlines have grown."

[Arya Ravenwing]

"Stop it, Tak," Arya snapped, irritated. "No talking in a language I can't understand or you'll go to your room. Er, our room.

"And you," she pointed at Sarin, "Don't encourage her. She can be pesky." The smuggler poured herself another drink. "I thought there were no more Lupines. That's what I was told... by my mother."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

Tak gave a conspiratorial grin to Arya, but remained mindful to speak Basic.

"That's what Dama said too, but she was wrong, wasn't she?"

Suddenly, the little girl looked to Sarin, oddly interested in him now, more-so because of the thought of him knowing their language.

"What House are you? I never learned the Loveloxx Houses very well, but I did memorize the Losstarot Houses."

A pout.

"Dama hasn't been able to give me my Brand yet though."

[Sarin von Metzger]

I continued to keep a careful eye on the little girl. It did make sense for the age-old hostilities to have dimmed between Loveloxx and Losstarot during this age of near-extinction.

"My name is Sarin von Metzger, little one," I replied, lowering my 'hackles', as it were. "I am perhaps of the last of the scions of the Greater Houses of Loveloxx."

I grinned and with silent request to Ravenwing, poured myself another small bit of the alcohol. This would be the last for the night for me, as I didn't like nor dislike fermented and distilled drinks, save for many types of wine.

I smiled lightly. "I would not think that you would have had to study the Houses of Loveloxx. The greatest strifes and grudges are always borne among siblings."

I tipped my head back and swilled the drink. It no longer burned as it went down, and I felt a marginal surge of satisfaction at the thought.

[Arya Ravenwing]

Arya didn't like their guest getting too familiar with the kid in her care. "Greater House, blah blah. If you can't change, what proof do you have then?

"And why can't you change?" She glowered, "I don't exactly... know... anything..." Tak giggled, and Arya shot her a look. "Anything about this Lupine nonsense. Let alone Houses and Loveloxx, et cetera."

[Sarin von Metzger]

I blinked, dredging through the myriad little memories that flitted through my mind.

"Our forebear, Enda von Metzger. Many generations of us have passed since then. Into shadow and memory." Mother gave Father a small displeased look at his waxing poetic and despondent...

..."A curse, it is said," Mother murmured as she smoothed my blankets. I was seven years of age. "As retribution for allowing the Losstarot Houses to experiment with their heritage. But they're likely all gone now, so don't think too much on it."...

..."Information on Arya Ravenwing wanted..."...

..."...Ravenwing, a lower House." Mother smiled in pride as I finished reciting all the Loveloxx Houses from memory. She reached forward to touch my face, as she had been doing more often, but my childishly masculine sensibilities would have none of that, and I ducked the outstretched hand petulantly. She merely smiled...

"I think," I said, bringing myself out of the memories, "I think it had something to do with recessive genes and a dwindling gene pool. Our reticence in mingling with outsiders emphasised that part of us that was related to them. Or something like that."

I grinned a bit. "That was Father's supposition; Mother always said it was a curse passed down to us for the errors of our ancestors."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

With a loud sniff to voice her presence, Tak sat back in her seat to fix her stare first at Arya, then at Sarin, and in her best know-it-all voice, she offered her own thoughts on the matter of her new caretaker's question.

"Maybe it's because you're a Loveloxx, and not, you know, Losstarot."

[Arya Ravenwing]

Arya looked down at the little girl, frowning. "I'm a Loveloxx. Stop being so racist. Its not attractive."

She sighed. "My mother had a journal that she kept before she died. It was full of... well... nonsense really. I think she wrote about all the Houses and things like that, but it didn't make any sense to me as a child. ImpIntel has it now."

Arya sat back, arms crossed in front of her. "But you still have offered no proof of what you say." Even as she said it she knew Sarin was telling the truth - his scent did not lie, and it was telling her he was like her. Even Tak had sensed it, way before Arya had.

[Sarin von Metzger]

I sat up in alarm. "Did you say Imperial Intelligence has concrete proof of Lupine existence?" I asked. Sheltered I may be, I will not lie about something so easily discovered, but even in such solitude as my own one could not escape the reality of the Empire. I could smell the truth of her statement, and could not see any tell-tale tensing of a falsehood, or even a misleading statement. One learns much of falsehood from parents who draw breath only because of them.

"That is... unfortunate," I said tensely, looking down at my hands. "That would have been a font of information for the both of us, and now... It would not be so misguided to believe that such a thing would peak the interests of some in the Empire."

[Teagan s'Ilancy]

This was getting boring. Booorrriiinnnggg. All Arya and Sarin were doing was talking about the Empire, and she'd learned early on from hearing Dama and Dad talk about it, that there was never anything interesting to hear about the Empire.

"Can't you guys talk about something else? Dama and Dad always talk about the Empire, and it's always boring."

Leaning her arms on the tabletop, Tak let her chin fall into them as she gave a disgruntled look to no one in particular.

[Arya Ravenwing]

Arya ignored Tak for the moment. "Unfortunate? Personally I found it a bit more unfortunate that they had me prisoner for weeks and are now raising the bounty on my head every month I'm free." She gritted her teeth. "Sorry, should probably have told you that before you came on board."

She slid out of the booth, pushing the kid out in front of her. "I have a headache. Lupine or not, you're my passenger and I'll see you safely to port."

[Sarin von Metzger]

I took a deep breath to calm myself. The Empire, having scared everyone I have met so far, was something I never wished to meet.

"I am unable to comprehend what you must have gone through, having not gone through it myself. But I shall give you whatever aid I can to make sure that you'll never be caught by them again. I may not be able to Change, but there are other benefits to our heritage than transformation."

I stood. "But I think it is time I rest a bit, and digest what I've learned. If you'd please excuse me."