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[Bryelle Vaughn]

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“Gold Coin for your thoughts.” The request was soft yet bracing, as if Soren knew she was justified in asking but wasn’t sure she really wanted the response.

“You’re overpaying,” Bryelle chirped her response crisply, cracking a grin. She took her hands out from where they had been clasped behind her head and rubbed her eyes. Her legs were stretched out in front of her, her soft leather boots resting on the granite corner. Bryelle regarded the child before her with a mixture of amusement and frustration. In truth Soren wasn’t a child anymore. But in terms of life experience, of shattered illusions and painful reality, she was a babe. She lived in a world of sheltered truths, intentionally set by Bryelle and respected by Tierna. Protective was a vast understatement of their relationship. Bryelle had sworn herself to watch over Soren’s life. Over the years that had transcended as an overseeing of her mindset, her happiness and to act as general buffer from absolutely everything the girl did not need to know. Life in Umbra made that task increasingly more difficult. “I’ve been spending late nights with lizardmen.” This was honest but far from what was actually on her mind.

“What do the lizards want with you?” Soren cocked her head to the side in confusion.

“It’s a hide and seek situation.” Bryelle’s grin spread across her face. It was a hide situation alright, she would extract it from their bodies and they in turn would seek a very painful death. A win, win for all involved she thought.

“Couldn’t you play with them during the day instead?”

“I could, but sunlight and I don’t agree with each other. That means getting up at a respectable hour and I’ve never been a huge fan of respectable.” It was clear by the slightly confused blush that Soren only grasped part of her meaning. That was probably best on second thought.

“I don’t like you exhausting yourself,” Soren stated, a frown crossing her face. Bryelle kicked her feet off the desk and stood stretching her arms out. She got within an inch of the young girls face and wrinkled her nose. “You don’t eh? Well kiddo, I am way too selfish to exhaust myself,” She paused making a grand sweeping gesture with her hand, “So don’t worry about me. Besides you have enough to think of with your blacksmithing. Didn’t Miss Asteby request use of your smithing skills on a few projects?”

“Oh, yes. My deadline is tomorrow.” Soren broke her concentration at that comment, shifting it to a mental count of her bulk orders and ingot types.

“Then you better get busy.” Bryelle meant it as a gentle dismissal. Soren took it as a reminder. And Tierna, lady britches too tight, would tolerate no tardiness. An image of Tierna’s boney fingers trying to gracefully extract cotton from various crevices left an insane smile on Bryelle’s face as she grabbed her Kryss and headed out the door.
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Ariana Lenoir[3:53 pm] She has all the subtlety of a rampaging elephant.