on a daily basis to draw some of the danger away from here?
“I followed you today not because I suspected you, but because I was concerned,” Fei continued when Rune didn’t speak. “Trouble has been haunting your footsteps and you have given no hint of it. You do not see Deepwoods as your guild, I know. Most here do not accept you yet.”
“You…do?” Rune asked hesitantly.
“I see much of myself in you. You are not my enemy. It is you who refuses to be my ally.”
Siobhan blinked. How in the world were Rune and Fei alike?
“I’m…like ya?” Rune parroted dubiously.
Fei chuckled, a low and rough sound. “Yes. Your curiosity of the world, the thirst you have for knowledge, the way you wish to experience life to the fullest. That, you and I have in common.”
Rune didn’t seem to know how to respond to this.
“Siobhan is not your only ally here,” Fei assured him gently. “The others are not sure of your intentions and so do not trust you.”
“I don’t know why I’m here,” Rune admitted with a long sigh.
“Yes, I see your confusion clearly. Siobhan brought you here for her own reasons, which she has not explained to me. But her reasons are solely hers. You must ask yourself, what do you wish?”
“It’s not my choice ta make.”
“Certainly, it is. If not yours, then who’s could it be? You have an open path here. Carve it, direct it where you will. If you wish to stay with us, then do so.”
“How?” Rune objected. “No one trusts me!”
“What reason have you given them to trust you?” Fei countered. “My young friend, in your life, you have not been shown how to make strong ties with people. But in truth, it is very simple. This is all you need to do: show them that their well-being is your priority.”
Siobhan blinked. It sounded ridiculously simple, but in truth, that really was how friendships were formed and how strong relationships were maintained.
Rune seemed to feel this was too simplistic. “That’s it?”
“It sounds simple, but think about what that means. You must safeguard them, be thoughtful of their needs and wants, and provide comfort in their darkest hours. Showing concern can be done with both silence and words. Have you not seen this, in how Siobhan-ajie cares for the whole guild?”
“Safeguard,” Rune repeated in a quieter, more contemplative tone.
“That, I understand, is how Wolf won the trust of the guild. He proved to them that no matter what happened, he would protect them from danger. It is a small but vital step. I think you are capable of doing such. The question is, do you wish to be here?”
Silence fell.
Siobhan found herself holding her breath.
“If…if I can.”
She closed her eyes in abject relief and blew out a long, silent breath.
“Then let me tell you the best way to earn their respect, yes?” There was a smile in Fei’s voice. “Let us start with Grae-ren.”
She listened in for a few more minutes as he gave a precise summary of Grae’s personality, and a few hints on how to interact with him, but didn’t linger more than that. It was clear that Fei, at least, had figured out what it was Rune lacked and was giving him the information he needed. So, Rune hadn’t tried to form any bonds with them simply because he didn’t know how? That had never occurred to her. Bless Fei and his extraordinary ability to read people. He was the perfect person to guide Rune.
Just as importantly, Rune wanted to stay. That was the only information she really needed in order to know what to do next.
With a bounce in her step, she headed for her bed, content that after this Rune would sort things out on his own. Whatever assassins came after him tonight Fei would help him deal with, too, although she would need to step in at some point and do something about that situation.
She owed Fei a serious hug.
“Rune!” Siobhan ducked into the common room, half-expecting him to be there, but also aware that he might be completely tucked out of sight. Fei had assured her he hadn’t gone into the city this morning, but was still on the compound. Somewhere.
She stopped a few steps inside the room, looking carefully into every corner but not seeing him. Rain and drought, but she needed to tell him about everything she’d done this morning. How was she supposed to do that when she couldn’t even find him?