It was unfair how warm he was, but with the bad decision of taking shelter in this alcove, Evyn was allowed a moment to bask in it.

"True, we could have hours..." Her pale eyes searched his face before she looked down at him in all his rich garb. She could rip him apart for the life he had chosen. Talk about how becoming indentured was a betrayal and perhaps blame him for leading the collapse of the Brotherhood.

But Evyn did not say any of that.

She was tired, she had missed Kieran for so long, Evyn moved to lean against the wall beside him. She was half on him due to the small space, but her gaze watched the rain splash upon the ground and puddles form.

"I have been hard at work. Fletching all these arrows... It has not been made official yet, but I don't think I am classed as an apprentice anymore. My boss thinks we need to take on two more to help with the orders we keep getting. The workshop where the Veyan Armoury get their stock of arrows from burned down two months ago, that's why we are so busy these days." And that new wave of income meant she was finally able to afford her own home a whole year earlier than she had estimated.
 
Kieran shifted uncomfortably, not because Evyn got closer and closer to him, her breath warm despite her gloomy appearance that had her melting into the rain, but because she was right. They had hours, or rather, she had hours, Kieran did not. Indentured could be different for everyone, Kieran was lucky in that regard, he had seen some weavers wear collars or be branded by the noble house. The only open display of physical ownership were all his finneries, even down to his underwear, and the single look they could give him. He was a dog at their beck and call.

They had already been gracious in letting him come here, to roll around in the mud of where he came from and weep about a brother lost long ago. But to get here had taken time, to sit there drinking alone had taken time, and now the rain and Evyn were taking more of his time. What if the Lord and Lady suddenly thought of him, told a servant to go and get him, what then?

"Really?" Evyn wouldn't yell at him for the collapse of the Bastards and Kieran wouldn't admit to her just how little freedom he had. He already knew what she thought. "I hadn't heard about that." Then, there was a smile, as rare as if the sun suddenly peaked out behind those heavy clouds. "You didn't burn the workshop down, did you? If you did, deny it now or I may have to turn you in." As if he'd ever betray his brothers and sisters by being a snitch.

"If they need two more pairs of hands you gonna get the girls a job?" Neither Beth and Amie striked him as the patient sort when it came to making arrows, but what did he even know about that? He had only touched a bow and arrow once and made an absolute fool of himself. Kieran didn't even know it was called fletching until now.
 
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Evyn's eyes narrowed, seeing how he inched closer towards the rain. It was not to get away from her, she had not yet annoyed him so much that he would physically storm off like she had used to when they were younger. Evyn had always wanted to be one of the boys, but could never have the same friendships the Bastard Brothers had.

"No, you know me. When it comes to destruction, it would be by something I can control. Something that took time to dismantle." She smiled, smug, but it sobered as she shook her head. "No. Beth is awful with a carving knife and Amie is not suited to a craft." Amie was good with information, however, and always seemed to know everyone's secrets.

She watched him, took in how he looked, and how much of a drowned rat she looked. Positively sickly, if anywhere were to see them, they would think Kieran returned from the cemetery with a ghost.

"Right. We should continue. We can warm up, dry ourselves, and hopefully this rain lets up so that you can return to your... home all dry and presentable." She bit her cheek, but did not say anything else to antagonise the difference in their situations. Evyn moved, throwing herself into the narrow street and felt the pelting rain once again soaking her to her bones.

She held out her hand for him. "Feel like running?"

Just as all bastards had when they were children. Of course, it was nothing compared to a summer's storm, but half the fun was making sure their hands never slipped out from the other's while they all ran in the rain.

And Evyn was determined not to let go.
 
Cloak hood raised, Kieran stepped out after Evyn, quiet in his thoughtfulness.

"We're not kids anymore, Evyn." With one big step he was behind her, rain hitting the back of him as he took the hand she did not offer him, keeping her close to his side. Kieran had taken a piece of his cloak in his hand and held it despite the grip he had on her hand. If he hunched over just right then her head could be shielded from the rain as well. They would both get wet this way, but as long as their heads were dry then it still felt like a win.

"We'll run but you better keep up," But the pace he set for them said otherwise. It was not too fast, but not too slow. A easy pace to find one's groove in, steps soon matching up beat for beat as the rain continued to fall down, down, down. It was the sort of pace that granted them enough speed to hop over muddy puddles, the sort of pace that allowed for quick maneuvering at a second's notice.

But most importantly, it was the sort of trot through the rain and the gray, dull streets that meant they wouldn't be separated. They were no longer kids, the fear of the water making their hands too slippery to hold onto was no longer there, after all, the divide between Evyn and Kieran was more than just physical, it was caused by two invisible paths taken not on foot but in their dreams.

At least this way, Kieran could apologize for it.
 
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