Apollodora III

15th night of the Month of Ice, 5:55, Before Moonrise

Dora knows the Vyshe work long hours and the Ogdra, and with how busy the Haruspex must be, she calculates at what hour she would be sure to find him at home.

That hour is before the moon rises over the horizon.

She had not mentioned her intentions to her brother, just in case he managed to tell Vyshe Ardashir before tonight and somehow convinced him to mess up her plan. She had dressed quietly in a thick black shirt and breeches, her coat keeping her warm, her hair collected as cleanly as possible in a high tail, with no way of become bothersome. She was ready to train.

With her nerval Dhesi, she arrives at Badra cemetery before the moon finishes breaching the horizon, and as she slows her gallop, she sees the house where the Haruspex traditionally lives.

Crooked and wooden, tinted red. It looked like the slightest breeze would knock it over, rising like another tombstone more and twice as terrifying.

Bad omen, as anything related with the servant of Bari often is. Even if the goddess of death is also her patron, Dora had always found her intimidating, the most merciless of the gods, the ones that forcefully removes their spirits from their bodies and burns their flesh into ash to bring new life.

It makes her think of the omen they had received at the Baru. How good it had seemed and how tense the Haruspex had been afterwards, as if a new heir being predicted was terrible. Artemy had been awkward with the news, probably because it would be his child and with his wedding to the Saaga, it all seemed to be happening to fast.

Dora ties Dhesi to one of the fences of the cemetery, left to pasture in peace, as Dora braves the broken stone path to the house, that thankfully, while surrounded by the sacred ground of Bari, was not directly inside it. She walks the steps to the house, the wood creaking under her too noisily for such an early hour of the night

There's no knocker at the door and Dora is forced to knock with her knuckles, trying to be as loud as possible with such small hands. It doesn't take long and soon after knocking, Dora hears approaching steps from inside the house. She straightens her spine and dusts off her coat, mentally going over her speech again.

But it's not Vyshe Ardashir who opens the door, instead Dora comes face to face with Iset Ardashir, lady of house Ardashir and older sister of the Haruspex.

Dora knows they are not technically related, but, for what she remembers of Vyshe Ardashir's attitude from that time they had met, they are quite similar, at least in temper.

"What the fuck" states Iset Ardashir, leaning on the frame of the door, eyes still sleepy but also angry, with long curly black hair free from any restraints and with a wide eyed baby leaning over from Iset's back. The lady of house Ardashir is still wearing her sleeping clothes, with her Bisha tattoos covering her arms and visible for everyone to see.

"Good night" greets Dora conversationally, trying for a neutral tone "I wished to speak with Vyshe Ardashir"

Lady Ardashir stays quiet for a second, a disbelieving look upon her face.

"Do you even know what time is it?" Asks Lady Ardashir, then, she seems to remember herself "Your highness?"

"I know it's early" says Dora apologetic "But I didn't want to miss Vyshe Ardashir, I know he is often busy and his time is a precious and lacking thing"

More silence, this time not in disbelief but in thought. Then, Lady Ardashir shakes her head lightly.

"Whatever, get inside and sit down, I'll wake up Nima" says Lady Ardashir and turns around, leaving Dora at the door confused "Well, come on in! Sit at the kitchen"

Dora follows the instructions, squinting at the too much light as she does, taking a seat at the kitchen that doubles as a dining room.

It's all a bit of a mess, nothing is dirty, but pots, pans and plates clutter over the counter, with dried fruits hanging from the kitchen window, the table being the only thing free of anything. The house itself looks small, charmingly so, and old, with peeling dark wallpaper and creaky floors covered in warm colored carpets of intricate designs that remind Dora of Bisha tattoos. It's all very different from the Lunar Palace, with it's high ceilings, columns and black stone floors and walls.

"Get up Nima!" Hears Dora, the yells coming from upstairs as Lady Ardashir wakes her brother as violently as Artemy often wakes Dora herself on the days when she sleeps in.

Lady Ardashir's yells become suddenly answered with more masculine sounding yells, as, Dora suspects, Vyshe Ardashir wakes.

Stomps down the stairs give Dora a clue that Lady Ardashir has ended her 'waking up routine' and, sure enough, the woman joins her in the kitchen, the baby now in her arms, gurgling in the way babies do.

"He'll be here soon. Want some tea? I think I left some Parsena the last time I was here" says Lady Ardashir

"Yes, thank you Lady Ardashir" says Dora

"No problem, just call me Iset, yeah? Lady Ardashir is too long and this is my home" says La-Iset with a smirk, sitting the baby in a tall chair at the end of the table "This is Zarniqa, my daughter"

The baby babbles, clearly recognizing her name, some spit dropping from her open mouth. She is adorable, sharing the same bronze skin as her mother and with a tuff of dark purple hair that must come from her father—Dora had heard of it, of course, it had happened not that long ago, and while Iset Ardashir still wore mourning clothes, she didn't look that affected over the death of her husband.

Iset serves the tea in chipped teacups, the delicious smell drifting towards Dora's seat even before the woman puts the tray on the table. She has only two cups in the tray and Dora wonders what Vyshe Ardashir uses to break his fast.

She doesn't have to wonder long, as more stomping sounds wander to her ears, an unmasked Haruspex standing at the open doorway to the kitchen, staring straight at her with bemusement on his face, bronze skin, messy black hair and missing his sleeping shirt, showing off his muscular torso and that he shares the same Bisha tattoos as his sister, both arms covered from the tips of his fingers to his shoulders, not even is palms being spared from the red intricate designs.

"Hmmm" says Vyshe Ardashir, his strange nomad eyes narrowed at Dora, that cannot help but stir in her chair in discomfort.

"That's all you have to say?" Asks Iset with a raised eyebrow "You find the Infans in your kitchen and that's your reaction?"

"I'm still half asleep" croaks Vyshe Ardashir, raising a hand up to scratch at one of his eyes.

Dora tries not to stare, even if she is allowed to do so in the private of his home, it's uncomfortable to see Vyshe Ardashir's face.

She supposes he would be handsome, if it wasn't for the scar on his face. It was an ugly thing, vicious in it's shape, too thick, like it hadn't been healed properly by stitching it. It crossed his left cheek, pointing towards his eye but not touching it, bisecting the corner of his mouth and showing some of his teeth, making him look like he was perpetually grimacing at everything. Apart from the scar, she can also see his neck, bruised in yellow, blue and purple, this is enough to make Dora lower her eyes, mostly in embarrassment. She doesn't want to know how he got those.

"Still" says Iset as she leans over the table, picking one of the cups and taking a loud sip of Parsena, making eye contact with her brother over the rim of the cup.

Vyshe Ardashir groans and takes a seat in front of Dora, making her straighten up and defy the instinctual need to lower her eyes from his face. She needs to appear formal and motivated, showing weakness is a no-no. She is allowed to stare and not doing so would be disrespectful. Not to tradition itself, as it would be polite to not look in private, but to him as a person.

"What does her highness need of a lowly nomad such as myself?" Asks Vyshe Ardashir with a defiant look, leaning back on his chair and spreading his legs, showing that he also doesn't fear her and that he's comfortable. She resist the huff that climbs up her throat, to act like someone of lower standing when the Vyshe stand equal in power to the royal family, what a strange lie to turn into a statement.

This is no mere conversation, thinks Dora, this is a battle, the hardest one. A battle of the mind.

And she needs to win.

She frowns in concentration and prepares herself. She trained for this, she repeated the same speech many times in front of her mirror, studying every possible answer and arguments to those.

"The Haruspex of Neth is the best fire asha user in the whole city, able to defend it if necessary, and I need that expertise. As a fire asha user I've been trained but my Masters do not meet my expectations and refuse to teach me more than basic defense" says Dora, it's feels like when she vomits, like she cannot stop what's coming out of her "I humbly ask of you to train me like you were trained, so that I may be able to protect myself and others if the need arose"

When she finishes, Dora bows her head as far as it can go, almost touching the table, with both hands with their palms up laid on the table. A show of weakness but also of respect.

"No"

Dora raises her head in a rush, making her dizzy for a second, mouth already open to dispute his refusal.

"Why not?" Asks Iset before Dora herself can say it. Dora swivels her head to her.

Vyshe Ardashir looks at his sister, eyes filled with annoyance.

"Where is your respect, Izz?" Asks the Haruspex with a raised eyebrow and an angry tone that feels not truly angry, mocking or teasing instead.

"I respect, but I don't slobber. Answer the question" Replies instantly Iset, almost like she had been expecting such a question.

"I'm busy" he says simply as he drags a hand through his short dark hair.

"With what?" Asks his sister. Dora is extremely glad Iset is doing this in her stead. Such a curt and rude person as Vyshe Ardashir, that acts like he doesn't care about any arguments she may spout, needs to rebutted by a person just like him.

"Creed shit" he answers, making Dora fidget at the language "Other stuff too"

"The Creed has been bugging you with the Nashe thing" argues Iset "This could be like training a Nashe, not the real thing, but she would help in getting used to one. You need to start to make time for one anyway"

The Haruspex glares at his sister before turning the glare towards Dora, but it's a more considering stare than a glare.

She can do this.

"I would accommodate to your schedule" says Dora, filled with hope and voice wavering with excitement "I also learn fast and there would be no reason to hold back in any type of training. I can take it"

He keeps staring at her, but with new eyes this time, almost fond.

"Yeah, I think you do" he says finally "Fine, I'll train you"

Dora internally cheers and screams in joy, but externally she just bows her head again. In her peripheral vision, she can see Iset is smiling conspiratorially and as satisfied as a well fed caith.

"Now get out, I'm expecting a guest soon" says Vyshe Ardashir nodding to the door.

Dora is too excited to even ask to start tonight or even wonder who is the Haruspex expecting in his own home and not the Ogdra. She reaches the door, but Vyshe Ardashir's voice stops her before she can open the door fully.

"I'm sorry for your loss" he says, eyes blank "Your uncle was a great man"

Dora doesn't answer and instead just nods and exits the house, almost running to Dhesi that waits expectantly for her in her grass patch.

She is not dumb. Dora can tell when people lie or deceive her, it's not easy, but she learned eventually after being present at some of the Night Hall's court meetings. Her uncle had taught her were to look, face, voice and even posture.

And just now, as he told her his condolences, Vyshe Ardashir had lied.