Arriving at Kochi

Tyr and Macha settled the all the refugees into their new jobs and everything seemed to be going fine. Fatima and Aponi both wanted to work at the pie shop. Since their employment, sales doubled. Now they often sold out of pies by midday.

Fatima had a charisma that drew in many customers from the streets. Her zest for life made other people wish for a piece of whatever pie she ate. They hoped buying a pie from her would liven up their day as well.

Aponi gave the children and wives a comforting feeling. She had suggested they sell the pies by the slice for single people who could not finish a whole pie. This caused many more customers to purchase the individual slices, despite it costing more per slice than a whole pie. She also came up with the idea of creating a special monthly pie that would be sold for a limited time.

The sound of papers rustling filled the office. Tyr flicked them to the side of his desk. He did not want to go on another mission and leave Macha alone. Two years ago, he would have been overjoyed to see a request like this, but lately, he experienced none of his former wanderlust.

He leaned back and admired Macha as she read a letter. A faint line formed between her brows because she concentrated on reading it correctly. Occasionally she moved her lips as she sounded out a word. Tyr knew she still struggled to understand the terms used in many of the official documents that were sent to them.

Macha sensed him watching her, and she looked up. He often made it hard to concentrate because he stared at her so often. She was never certain if he wanted something or if he was just getting distracted. "Did you want to stop for the day?" The sun began to set on the horizon and the autumn sunset caused the sky to turn a dull shade of grey. It was not a beautiful sunset tonight Macha mused.

Tyr got up and strode over to her desk. Unless he consciously tried to be silent, he tended to take heavy steps. As he walked towards her, the sound of his boots beat against the wooden floor. "Macha, do you want to come with me on a trip to Kochi?" he asked.

The mission he reviewed had been from Freyr, asking him to make a delivery to Kochi. They requested that Marseille sell them some weapons. Tyr convinced himself that Macha would make it seem less suspicious. There was no reason he could not mix business with pleasure this time.

Something seemed odd about Tyr wanting to go to Kochi now, so Macha gave him a skeptical look. "Kochi's in the middle of a war. Do you really think that's a good idea?" She loved traveling with him, but this trip sounded like a bad idea. Usually, people shied away from visiting countries that actively fought in a war.

Leaning on the desk, Tyr crossed his arms. He looked up at the ceiling for a moment to ponder how to convince her to come with him. "I have to drop something off to an old friend, but it's a quick drop-off. Nothing too dangerous. I can show you the city before the war hits. Right now the fighting is going on at the border."

Macha was aware that war often destroyed beautiful buildings and artworks. The idea sounded tempting, but it seemed dangerous. After much deliberation, she decided to trust Tyr and go with him. He was strong, and he said it was just a quick drop-off.

"If I won't be getting in your way, then sure. I'd love to see the city before anything happens to it. I can bring a few foods back for the Kochi refugees to help them with their homesickness." She knew it was the small things, like not having foods you are used to that can add up. Macha could not help with their homesickness, but she wanted to help ease it. The trip would also allow her to learn about Kochi's food and culture so she would be able to connect with them better.

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Freyr gave the weapons to Tyr in a small chest that could fit in any other traveling trunk that they would use. The weapons made it so Tyr did not want to share a luggage with Macha for this trip. He did not want to risk having her open the chest out of curiosity.

When he adamantly refused to share the same luggage as her, Macha asked him why. This time she did not have to worry about being embarrassed about sleepwear. He lied, saying it was because he had gifts to give to people in Kochi, so there was not enough room. He did not view it as a complete lie, but he did not want to inform her of the mission as well.

The two of them took his family airship to Kochi. Tyr did not want Macha wandering around the Outer-Reaches if she did not have to for two to three weeks. He also believed that the use of his family airship helped to lend integrity to the trip being a 'small vacation'. This time he prepared for Macha's airsickness and they had no problems on the ride there.

As they approached, the sight of the city caused Macha to jump with excitement. The many trees that surrounded the city reminded her of home and she spotted sandy beaches. She whipped her head around and hugged Tyr, "I'm so happy you convinced me to come! It would have been a shame to see this after the war." In her mind, she imagined how it would look after the war. The tree line probably would be destroyed and the buildings would be in ruins.

Tyr wore his family ring and his nicer clothes. Today he dressed in a midnight blue jacket over a black turtle-neck. "Macha, are you sure this outfit looks all right? I feel awkward in it." He had been trying to extend the color range of his wardrobe, but anything other than black still made him feel self-conscious.

The uncomfortable look Tyr gave Macha caused her heart to swell. "I like it on you, but if you don't, you can change. You don't have to wear colors if you don't want to." She realized that he really tried to step out of his shell. Tyr's wardrobe preference of black did not bother her, but she assumed he disliked that she always wore bright colors. He probably wanted to liven up his wardrobe so they would appear more like a couple.

Adjusting his jacket, Tyr straightened up. "No, it's fine. If you think it looks good on me, then that's all that matters." He twirled his family ring on his finger, "Remember. Do not leave my side here. Kochi was known for treating the entitled well while everyone else was taken advantage of." He did not think there would be any problem concerning their visit, but he wanted to make sure Macha did not wander off on her own.

The Valois family ring shined with the sunlight. A large dark green emerald came with the family crest engraved on it. Sapphires and diamonds surrounded the stone. Tyr rarely wore the ring and usually kept it in his nightstand drawer.

Macha received his warnings at least five times already. She nodded her head enthusiastically, "Understood. Don't worry. Why would I want to leave you, anyway?" The amount of worry that Tyr had, caused her to chuckle. The day was beautiful, and the air was clear, she did not see how anything bad could happen.

After they docked, the two of them checked into the same luxurious hotel Krystof had stayed in when he waited for Tyr, The Grand Crowne. Macha liked how bright and colorful things were here. The hotel decorated the room in red and gold silk fabrics.

Tyr unpacked the trunks while Macha freshened up. The sun shone on her face as she brushed her long dark hair. The light that reflected off the red and gold fabrics made her appear as if she were glowing. Seeing her like this made him think that adding color to the apartment would be a good idea if she could look like that at home.

He grabbed the small chest that contained the weapons and said, "Macha, let's go and drop off the gift, then we can wander around the market." They arrived an hour earlier than expected, so he wanted to get to the restaurant early. These things usually happened without any issues, but he preferred to be cautious because Macha traveled with him.

Macha's hands hung onto Tyr's arm as they walked around the city. While they walked around, she wondered what he needed to drop off. She looked at the busy streets and admired the shop stalls they passed. There were many spice stalls and fabric stores. Silk seemed to be a big commodity here as well as engraved metals. Distracted by the busy streets, her voice was distant when she asked, "Tyr, what sort of friend are we meeting?" She was not aware that he had any friends in Kochi.

The chest he carried seemed a little heavier in his arms after Macha's question. "An old friend from the war." Wanting to change the subject he asked, "Did you make a list of who we need to get gifts for?" It was not a common practice for people in Marseille to give gifts after traveling, but Macha was adamant about bringing things back for people. She said it is something they practiced back home.

She patted her bag, "Already made it. I have it in my purse." She then realized that Tyr brought his lances along. He had not told her she needed weapons, so she did not bring her daggers with her. "Tyr, is Kochi dangerous? Why did you bring your weapons?" After asking her question, she noticed he seemed to concentrate on their surroundings more than usual. His eyes roamed the surroundings similar to when they were in the Outer-Reaches.

Tyr discovered someone was following them. He forced a smile on his face, "No reason. I just wanted to after our last trip. I think it's better to be cautious." Three other people seemed to be closing in on them. "Macha lets hurry to the restaurant. I don't want us to be late."