The next shift had come to the hurriedly converted Arcadia Inn, which was now Arcadia Orphanage. Parker had all but threatened her with sedation to get her to go home. She took one last look at the kids that her family had rescued from the mine and reluctantly agreed to go.
The kids were so small, so scared. It broke her heart to leave them. But the wives of her employees came in force and were comforting the small ones best they could, allowing the children some peace and safety.
Aja finally walked into her house, just as the sun was coming up. She leaned against the door, for just a moment, closing her eyes and sighing heavily. She was bone tired, but there was work to do, and it wasn't going to do itself.
Maria stepped out of the kitchen, and looked at Aja for a moment, before moving forward again. "You're running yourself into the ground again, Aja." Maria scolded her and shooed her from the door. "Come eat something, then go sleep for a while." "No." Aja sighed, too tired for much else. "Have things to do." "Like go running into danger?" Maria asked in that motherly tone, making Aja look at her in surprise. "Do not even attempt to give me that innocent look, Hochi was very upset last night." "I know." Aja sighed still feeling guilty for going when Hochi wanted her to stay. The look in those eyes, and the dejected tone of his voice made her want to cry.
Then she remembered she needed to beat Tru for making Hochi feel guilty, and some of her sass returned. She looked at Maria then, putting a hand on her hip.
"So I don't suppose you'd be interested in hearing that one hundred children and two hundred and twenty four adults have been freed from slavery then?" Aja just wasn't going to mention the two hundred and seventy six that had died when the guy said the spell for the death marks. Those souls were on that man's hands. It was the only way Aja could deal with it for now.
Maria put a hand to her mouth then, looking shocked. "One hundred children?" Maria asked as if she was afraid for the confirmation of the number. Aja nodded. "Fifty five went to the clinic, they were pretty sick. The rest are in the Old Inn." "Someone is there?" Maria asked, pushing a button in Aja. Like she would leave those kids alone" Was that was her housekeeper was asking her" "Of course someone is there, Maria!" she snapped. "We didn't go through the trouble of freeing them all, just to let them wander lost with no help. Jeez." Aja paced around in the foray, movement and a little anger keeping her alert for now.
"Aja..I was asking, to see if they needed help." "Sorry." Aja shot Maria a look then deflated, back to being bone tired. "Ya can go by and check, but the wives and whatnot are over there. Parker too." "Good." Maria seemed pleased with the information, the put a gentle hand on Aja's arm. "Now. You. Straight upstairs. And do not argue. You need a nap, at the very least." "Yes, Ma'am." Maria looked shocked, not that Aja noticed as she climbed the stairs.
Once at the top of the stairs, she looked to her room, and turned for Hochi's. She silently opened the door and smiled at him sleeping in the boat bed. Hopefully, dreaming good things. She slipped into the room, and went to the edge of the bed, sitting down quietly.
Aja stroked his hair back, smiling while he slept. It was then the tears started to fall from the heart breaking picture her mind had captured of the mine, where he used to be. The dimness of it, the utter terror he had to feel being there. Aja laid down on the edge, her hand resting on his shoulder before moving to capture one of those little hands in hers.
She thought for a moment of when she first saw him. She had been in the Outback when he came running in, and came back behind the bar with her, crouching down. She had said something to him, but he feared someone would hear him. She had also spotted the bag of gold he had. She knew he was thief, called him on it. She knew all too well the signs of his behavior, and then the troubling revelation that he had been treated very badly somewhere along the line. Thief indeed. That night, somehow, the little man had stolen her heart too.
From then on, she took an interest in him. Looked out for him.
Aja closed her eyes for just a moment, holding Hochi's hand in hers and that was all it took. She was dead asleep.
((Figured we could a round robin...flashback bits that lead up to freeing Hochi from Asar, then to freeing the rest of the slaves. Add on!))
The kids were so small, so scared. It broke her heart to leave them. But the wives of her employees came in force and were comforting the small ones best they could, allowing the children some peace and safety.
Aja finally walked into her house, just as the sun was coming up. She leaned against the door, for just a moment, closing her eyes and sighing heavily. She was bone tired, but there was work to do, and it wasn't going to do itself.
Maria stepped out of the kitchen, and looked at Aja for a moment, before moving forward again. "You're running yourself into the ground again, Aja." Maria scolded her and shooed her from the door. "Come eat something, then go sleep for a while." "No." Aja sighed, too tired for much else. "Have things to do." "Like go running into danger?" Maria asked in that motherly tone, making Aja look at her in surprise. "Do not even attempt to give me that innocent look, Hochi was very upset last night." "I know." Aja sighed still feeling guilty for going when Hochi wanted her to stay. The look in those eyes, and the dejected tone of his voice made her want to cry.
Then she remembered she needed to beat Tru for making Hochi feel guilty, and some of her sass returned. She looked at Maria then, putting a hand on her hip.
"So I don't suppose you'd be interested in hearing that one hundred children and two hundred and twenty four adults have been freed from slavery then?" Aja just wasn't going to mention the two hundred and seventy six that had died when the guy said the spell for the death marks. Those souls were on that man's hands. It was the only way Aja could deal with it for now.
Maria put a hand to her mouth then, looking shocked. "One hundred children?" Maria asked as if she was afraid for the confirmation of the number. Aja nodded. "Fifty five went to the clinic, they were pretty sick. The rest are in the Old Inn." "Someone is there?" Maria asked, pushing a button in Aja. Like she would leave those kids alone" Was that was her housekeeper was asking her" "Of course someone is there, Maria!" she snapped. "We didn't go through the trouble of freeing them all, just to let them wander lost with no help. Jeez." Aja paced around in the foray, movement and a little anger keeping her alert for now.
"Aja..I was asking, to see if they needed help." "Sorry." Aja shot Maria a look then deflated, back to being bone tired. "Ya can go by and check, but the wives and whatnot are over there. Parker too." "Good." Maria seemed pleased with the information, the put a gentle hand on Aja's arm. "Now. You. Straight upstairs. And do not argue. You need a nap, at the very least." "Yes, Ma'am." Maria looked shocked, not that Aja noticed as she climbed the stairs.
Once at the top of the stairs, she looked to her room, and turned for Hochi's. She silently opened the door and smiled at him sleeping in the boat bed. Hopefully, dreaming good things. She slipped into the room, and went to the edge of the bed, sitting down quietly.
Aja stroked his hair back, smiling while he slept. It was then the tears started to fall from the heart breaking picture her mind had captured of the mine, where he used to be. The dimness of it, the utter terror he had to feel being there. Aja laid down on the edge, her hand resting on his shoulder before moving to capture one of those little hands in hers.
She thought for a moment of when she first saw him. She had been in the Outback when he came running in, and came back behind the bar with her, crouching down. She had said something to him, but he feared someone would hear him. She had also spotted the bag of gold he had. She knew he was thief, called him on it. She knew all too well the signs of his behavior, and then the troubling revelation that he had been treated very badly somewhere along the line. Thief indeed. That night, somehow, the little man had stolen her heart too.
From then on, she took an interest in him. Looked out for him.
Aja closed her eyes for just a moment, holding Hochi's hand in hers and that was all it took. She was dead asleep.
((Figured we could a round robin...flashback bits that lead up to freeing Hochi from Asar, then to freeing the rest of the slaves. Add on!))