The clothes were new. New coat, too, and that was strange. She felt bound. Time and again as she made her way towards the tea shop she would stretch her arms and her back. She kept stretching her arms and back as far as she dare stress the seams.

One thing for certain, she was warm. The chill nipped her nose and pricked at her jaw where her long hair was pulled back from her face. The rest of her, though, was covered. Miss Fio and Mister Ali had made sure of that. Even the hat on her head, which she had to admit she thought was just killer cute with its velvet wide brim, kept her ears warm.

Warm, however, was not keeping her from getting tired. She hated that. She had made herself walk every lunch hour and every evening. Each morning she had stretched, getting odd looks from the dog when she stood on her hands against a wall, lowered herself down, and pushed herself back up. One push-up was all she could accomplish. Everything was too hard and too tiring.

So by the time she reached the Teas "n" Tomes to meet Professor Jolyon Gardiner in order to resume her lessons, she was ready for a nap. She did not nap, fought it with all her might by trying to be extra cheerful in her greeting to the surprised lady and even more surprised grumpy old man. Oh, he recognized her alright, but it took him a look or three to do it.

Wiggle of fingers, she passed them by and went to sit in the chairs, only she could not remember where she and Mister Jolly usually sat. She looked up the stairs and down at the main floor and just could not remember. A puzzled frown, she turned about feeling all out of place. She must have looked very lost indeed, for the sweet lady behind the counter came over and pointed up the stairs. She remembered.

Lirssa thanked her and went up the stairs to sit and wait, taking off her hat and looking down at her gloved hands. She did remember she had lost her books. She remembered that very well how she had lost them. She'd have to strike a new deal with Mister Jolly for more. She'd owe him.

That was getting to be a very uncomfortable new habit.

So much. Too much. She walked. She walked too far maybe, but Dante was with her. She did as she promised. Spirit of the promise and all were kept.

Miss Fio was gone. Grace was there. Mister Ali was tired. Rekah was...crazy. Mister Lucky had mean people playing tricks on him. Mister Jolly was away.

And she had promises. They bound her as much as the new clothes did. Neat little web of promises and debts kept her right where she was.

Lunch that day opened up for a chance to work on one promise she had made to too many, including herself. She was broken and needed to be fixed. On the walk to Elliot's flat was not a quiet one, not in her mind. In there was a circus of secrets and troubles flipping and whipping in her mind.

Her tests had not been very good on the maths. Mister Jolly had said that she was mixing up the numbers on the problems. He could see the question she answered, but the question was not there. The weakness of her fingers had come out in shaky writing, letters there out of order at times. Things had been still so fuzzy that day. Clouds of cold would creep between her and what she knew then puff out of the way.

There was so much to do.

More lessons. More money to make. She had made enough last night for her books. The half of her tips she had kept for herself and not handed over to Mister Ali and Grace would help buy at least one of her books for her studies.

She would need to tend at the inn more or return to street performances before she was ready. The weather was not a good time either. A glance to the sky showed it clear, but like adults, the weather was tricky and changed as it saw fit. Eventually it would be too cold, wet, snowy to earn her coin that way. She should get back to it as soon as she could.

Not now. Now, she turned up the street that led to the flat. Even from that angle she could see the stoic, steady shapes of the line of brownstones was no longer as steady or stoic. The building with Elliot's flat had a charred and gaping maw, broken teeth of supporting timbers remained right where his flat should have been.

The weariness doubled as worry added its pressure. Dante nuzzled her fingers, for his own desire to be petted or because he knew she needed to be reminded she wasn't alone. She patted his head and started towards the building. Dante trotted in front of her with a whimper. "I'm not going up there, Dante." She frowned. She had thought about it, but the person she was looking for was obviously not going to be there.

It was late. She had promises to keep. It was time to turn back. She would still fix herself. Just...somehow else.

Mister Jolly had told her after their nature walk last week that he would not be able to meet with her Monday. Studies of his own, he had said with a smile, and promised to see her Wednesday. That meant she had not only her lunch hour that Monday, but the tutoring time as well all for herself. With Miss Grace in control, and all she had learned and wanted to learn, the defeat of her request to find Miss Fio's daughter, Lirssa needed some time to herself.

Not only that, but Mister Johnny had mentioned Val. That was another thing she needed to clear up. Val had done what he thought was right to help her. That he had broken street code had hurt her, but she had to realize he didn't live on the street anymore. He was adjusting to a life where he belonged and people helped each other without bargains and debts.

Mister Lucky made her feel very badly about the way she had treated those who wanted to help her. Help was such a'sticky thing. It made things wishy-washy and uncertain. If she knew where she fit, then she didn't get all squishy and doubtful like she had been. Doubtful what people meant, where she belonged, who to turn to, or all the other gray things of differences in caring between people. Why it was okay for her to live in the apartment when people might use her to get to others, but it wasn't okay for other children, daughters who actually belonged there with her mother. Safe for her. Not for them. It still did not make sense to her, but it was not in her control. She would do her best, try to make things better where she was, and mend the broken ties.

The Silver Lark was in view, and Lirssa expected to find Val in the workshop that supplied the shop with wares, at least those things that were of the metalworking kind. She was not ready yet to visit the Smith's home. Last time she had been there, she had hurt them and hurt herself. They had tricked her, and she had been mean back. She had started speaking with them again, but she couldn't face a visit just yet. Val was going to be messy enough.

He was not where she had expected to find him, so she went into the store and that is where he was. He was dressed better than she had ever seen. In fact, he had gotten rid of the narrow pinched look. He looked healthy. She, in self reflection, did not as yet even in her coat and hat to keep away the growing chill of winter

With care and a more useful purpose put to his nimble fingers, he was arranging some jewelry in a case when she walked in and stopped just a few feet from him. "Be just a moment," he started to smile as he turned to look at who entered and then he froze.

This was not going well from the start, and Lirssa toed back from him. She did not get far before he moved to her and just pulled her in a hug. "I heard the most awful things, Lir. Rumors about you'd moved off or died."

Now Lirssa felt frozen. She had never had a hug from Val. She couldn't think of any who had. The Smiths must have some magical powers in them to get him to be so touchy. He just kept hugging her, and so eventually, she managed to hug him back. What she first planned to say to him was not in her head. Instead, all that came out was, "You better close the case."

Val did not release her just yet. "I'm not going to vanish," she whispered and tried to step back again to be free of him. It was making her feel all weird inside.

"You sure?" He grinned. It was the same lopsided grin she remembered. That was much better. Val turned to finish his work and closed the case. "You know, Lir, I only told them because I thought you needed help."

Lirssa nodded and watched him work, then a soft smile when he looked at her. "I know, Val. It was just, there were things you didn't now. There are things most folks still don't know. I'm trying to keep you all safe, too."

There was a frown at the corners of his mouth he was trying so hard not to let her see. He was disappointed at something, but it was a smile in the end. "You will tell someone, right, Lir" Don't go disappearing again. Caitir near thought the world had ended. The Smith's haven't said so directly, but I've heard "em talkin"." His dialect was slipping again as they spoke. It made Lirssa grin to hear it. "They're talkin" of adoptin" her. There'll be no livin" with her then. She'll be walkin on air for years."

Lirssa just could imagine. She was glad he did not ask more about what had happened or where she had been. She was glad he was talking to her at all after what she said to him. And they spoke more about the kids of the street, High Spires House, and anything and everything that was not about either of them. They could see the other was doing well, or getting there. That was enough.

It had been too difficult for Lirssa to find her pack, particularly her favorite Great Dane, during the short time she had originally negotiated for during the day. That she was supposed to be at home at night by a certain time she felt was more flexible since Mister Ali and Miss Fio were never really around that often to check anyway. Besides, she was tired of feeling cooped up. Nobody else had to stay inside at night. Child or not, she was starting to feel safer outside than inside.

That she had run into the couple out at the inn in the evening without Dante as escort had gone against all plan. Mister Jolly was supposed to meet her at the magic duels on the Island. Ever her luck of late that plans did not go quite as she hoped, he had sent a return not to meet her at the Inn. That is where she found him and them, and then she knew she upset them. It wasn't in what they said or did. It was in what they didn't say or do. They didn't care.

Any other night, that might have hurt, but that night it worked in her favor and she did not even think beyond how she might have upset them. She would add it to her debt. This night, she had things to do. The conversation with Mister Jolly would have to wait until the next day, lessons at his home instead of the tea shop. She would rather have had it out already, but instead, she focused on her other task: she had to find her dogs.

It was getting cold, and food scarce to scrounge for. She just wanted to see if they were alright. Dante could not come with her. That just seemed like asking for trouble. So, she walked the cold streets alone, trying to stay within her Place while also keeping an eye on trouble around her in the physical world. It was tiring all the watchfulness.

Twice she had to climb up the side of a building, gloveless hands aching with the strain, toes and ankles still not up to strength. It had been a struggle that required brief rests before she could continue her search. A search that had to be on the ground.

The cold could not keep away the noisome stench of the wharfs. Teeth chattering rats scurried from her steps. Her shoes were too nice for this place, but she kept looking. Time ticked by and Lirssa's eyes began to burn and tear with weariness.

It was a gentle, warning woof. The narrow strip of space between two warehouses wiggled masses of darkness. Lirssa stopped and blinked away the sting of her eyes to focus. Another woof followed by a whimper and then wiggling tales and furry faces came out towards her. How thin some looked. New gashes, old hurts, all of them tugged at Lirssa's heart. She hugged them tight, whispered words to them, and then lead them all out of the wharfs to one of her favorite winter time cobble bed spots.

The spot was not vacant, but with some coaxing, she convinced the lady there that the more bodies the more warmth there would be. She wished there was more she could do for the dogs who had helped her shelter, but she had stretched her limits with Mister Ali and Miss Fio already that night.

As she turned from the dogs, patting them and bidding them stay, she began the trek back, frowning at the thoughts in her mind. She had some decisions to make.