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‘She has not spoken in several days,’ said Horatio’s reaper. Her name was Yovess, as Hector recalled.

‘Is there anything we can do?’ said Garovel. ‘Anything you need?’

‘Thank you, but I do not think so,’ said Yovess.

‘Does she need a doctor?’

‘We have one tending to her.’

‘I see.’

“There’s... something you should know,” said Hector. In truth, it was something that he probably should have told the Blackburns a while ago now, but with everything going on, it had somehow slipped his mind. “Ibai is alive.”

Horatio and Yovess both stared at him.

“How do you know that?” said Horatio.

Hmm. How to explain? The only ones he’d told about the Shards and Emiliana were the Najirs and the Elroys. Both of those families were directly involved, so it only made sense that they should know, but he supposed now that the Blackburns had just as much right to know.

So he told Horatio everything. About the Shards. About Rasalased. About being able to communicate with Emiliana. About her telling him that Ibai was with her. And about Gohvis.

Horatio and Yovess didn’t seem so surprised about that last part. They’d already known that Gohvis had chased after them at Dunehall, so it wasn’t much of a stretch to imagine that Gohvis hadn’t allowed them to escape.

The expected question of Ibai’s current location came up, and Hector had to give the disappointing answer that he didn’t know, that Emiliana seemed to be refusing to tell him--likely for everyone’s safety.

Horatio and Yovess fell quiet again.

Hector wondered if that news would help the Lady Nere at all. He hoped so. And he felt bad for not telling the Blackburns about this earlier. He didn’t see much point in telling them that he could have told them earlier, though. That only seemed like it would piss them off.

And justifiably so.

He wondered how he’d forgotten about it all this time. Maybe it was because he barely ever interacted with the Blackburns. They were always sequestered away from the others, never really mingling much. That was no excuse, of course, but Hector supposed it made a degree of sense, at least.

He had to be more attentive in the future, he felt. These people were hurting. Any support he could provide would be well worth the effort, but it seemed like they didn’t want to ask for help at all.

It seemed that way with all the Rainlords, really. Maybe it was a pride thing.

‘We spoke to Madame Carthrace about you and the other Rainlords,’ said Garovel. ‘She mentioned that you insisted on reimbursing us for everything while you’re here.’

“That’s right,” said Horatio.

‘While we appreciate that, it isn’t necessary in the slightest,’ said Garovel.

“Yes, it is,” said Horatio, more strongly now. “We do not intend to be a burden.”

‘If we were concerned about things like that, we never would’ve invited you back to Warrenhold in the first place,’ said Garovel.

“All the same,” said Horatio, “it is a matter of honor. And we take such things very seriously.”

‘So we’ve noticed,’ said Garovel.