The Knave and Siren - 1718
This was fun, I might add to it later...
Scarlet, Vin, Beth, and Will have been laying low in hiding with their children for eight years. That much time together has sparked more than a few fights, but when Beth and Will get into it particularly badly one night, the comfort of an old fling comes back into play.
The fight had been among the worst. Things had been broken and words had been said that could never be taken back. It was well into the night when Will had stormed into the bedroom, stranding Beth in the living room.
Groaning, she collapsed on the couch and buried her face in her hands. Her cheeks were damp with tears, but she shook with rage. Taking a deep breath, she drug her hands into her lap. More than anything she dreaded being in the house when the sun rose the following day. She couldn’t stay. She shot to her feet with nervous energy, hands shaking as she rushed to her daughter’s room.
Opening the door quietly, she slipped inside. “Rose?” She whispered, walking forward to kneel at the edge of the bed only to find the five year old’s eyes already open.
“I heard you yelling,” Rosemary said quietly.
Beth offered a halfhearted smile and brushed her daughter’s hair away from her face. “I’m sorry, sweetie,” she murmured. “I’m going to leave for a few days,” she told her. “I’d like you to come with me. Do you think you can do that?”
Rosemary nodded and sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. Beth took the top blanket from her back and quickly wrapped it around her, bundling her up tightly. “Are we taking Bello?” She asked, growing slightly in excitement.
“If you’d like to,” Beth answered before standing and hauling her into her arms. “Come on,” she said with a small smile as she exited the room and strode silently across the house, slipping through the back door. Closing it gently behind her, she shifted Rose in her arms and took a breath, rushing for the black horse nearly invisible in the shroud of night. She was thankful for the summer air, being significantly warmer in the night than any other season would be. She lifted the girl onto the back of the horse where she wriggled into place as Beth retrieved the bridle and slipped it on her old horse. Leading him over near a log, she stood on it to haul herself up, having no time for a proper saddle, and taking the reins before taking off into the forest.
--
Will woke in an immediate panic when he noticed Beth not beside him. He calmed when he remembered the happenings of the night before, but it spiked again when neither she nor their daughter were anywhere to be found. It didn’t take long for him to be reduced to tears on the small couch.
“It’s too early for this shit,” Scarlet grumbled as she trudged down the stairs with her husband close behind, having been woken by Will’s pathetic wailing. She marched up to the blubbering fool and backhanded him upside the head, causing him to flinch and look up with reddened eyes. “What the hell is your problem?” She demanded.
“Beth is gone,” he sobbed. “And she took Rose with her.”
Scarlet put her hands on her hips and let out a heavy breath. “She won’t be gone long.” As Will broke down again and buried his face in his hands, she looked over her shoulder and gestured with her head to Vin towards Rose’s empty room. With a last glance at Will, she let her hands drop back to her sides and trailed Vin into the room before closing the door and turning to face him.
“She went to Merseyside,” Scarlet said flatly, her eyes sweeping the floor in thought.
“How do you know this?” Vin asked, pinching his brows together.
Her eyes widened in irritation and she looked up at him. “Do neither of you listen? That’s always where she threatens to go!” She made a face and looked towards the door where sad Will noises seeped through the wall. “As if any brother of mine would be better than that.”
“Well, we cannot tell Will that,” Vin pointed out, troubled. “He would insist on going after her and who knows what he would find.”
“Right,” Scarlet agreed before touching a hand to his chest with a small push. “That’s why you’re going after her,” she said with a smile.
“Me?” He asked in surprised protest.
“Yes, you,” she confirmed in a chipper tone. “Unless you want to deal with Erren’s fit when he realizes I’m gone.”
Vin paused and pressed his lips together. “I will get my coat,” he announced, pushing past her to get through the door.
--
The black horse was tied outside the small tavern around evening, when business should have been at it’s peak for the day. However, when Beth opened the door to the Knave and Siren, holding tight to a very tired Rosemary’s hand, there were less people on the inside than fingers on her hands. Pursing her lips, she stopped and looked around in distaste as the door swung shut behind her. “Is this really the best you can do?” She mused in a judging tone, though a smile played at the corner of her mouth when her eyes met a familiar figure behind the bar.
In the middle of polishing a glass, Warren froze when the familiar voice reached his ears. Looking towards the door, a wide grin spread across his face when he saw the figure smiling back, setting down the glass and rag he held to rush around the counter. “Beth!” He exclaimed happily.
“Warren!” Beth nearly squealed, far more excited than she expected to be, letting go of Rose’s hand only to bounce to meet him with a hug that sent him reeling backwards, her feet briefly lifting from the ground.
“Good to see you too,” he laughed, returning her embrace before holding her back from the shoulders and looking her over. “It’s been so long- what have you been up to?” He asked with genuine curiosity. “And what brings you all the way here?”
“Will and I got into a fight,” she answered hesitantly, though still unable to wipe the smile from her face.
“Ohh,” he said, tilting his head back slightly as he drug out the word. “Still with him, then?” He asked with an air of disappointment.
“Yeah,” Beth confirmed with a sigh. “Kinda… Married him,” she mumbled, her gaze trailing off to the side.
Warren raised his eyebrows. “Really?” He stated flatly before s small laugh escaped him. “Why on earth would you want to do that?”
“Well,” she began, making a small movement with her hand that signaled Rose to walk up and take it, clinging to her blanket with the other.
Warren looked down to see the small girl and took a step back, arms falling to his sides as she stared up at him with unsettlingly familiar green eyes shrouded with dark hair. “Oh,” he said tautly, growing slightly unsure and looking back up at Beth.
“This is Rosemary,” she introduced with a smile, then looked down at her daughter. “Rose, this is Warren, aunt Scarlet’s brother.”
“Ohhhhhh,” Rose drolled as if a lightbulb just went off in her head, her gaze drifting to him from her mother. “Is that why you have poofy hair like Erren?”
Warren paused, slightly taken aback by the question and entirely unsure of how to interact with the small child. “Uh… Probably?” He answered, his hand flying up to nervously scratch the back of his head.
Rose simply nodded as if in deep thought. “Erren doesn’t let me touch his hair,” she explained. “I told him it was too tangly but he said he liked it that way,” she mused, her words and eyes trailing away.
“... Right.” Warren stared at her a moment longer before rocking back on his heels and bringing his hands together before him, looking up at Beth. “So…” He began slowly. “Are you guys… Hungry?”
“Famished,” Beth confirmed dramatically, noticing him relax at the change of subject.
“Great,” Warren said happily then gestured behind him. “Just made some stew. I’ll bring some out.” With a last glance at Rose, he turned and headed for the kitchen. “And for the record,” he called, “It’s only this empty on sundays.”
--
After their dinner, Beth had promptly gotten a room for them to stay in before Rose fell into her half-empty bowl- free of charge upon Warren’s insistence. Rose was asleep in a matter of seconds; Beth, on the other hand, continued back downstairs to sit at the bar and exchange stories with an old friend.
“So how old is she?” Warren asked, leaning on the countertop as he slid her a pint of ale.
“She’ll be six in a couple months,” Beth answered in a tone that suggested she could hardly believe the words she spoke, gripping her mug with both hands.
Warren simply nodded. “And that makes Erren…?”
“Seven- and a half, specifically,” Beth answered in an amused tone. “As he would say.”
Warren continued to nod. “They’re gonna do it.”
Beth choked on the sip she had been taking and slammed her mug down. “What?” She sputtered.
“Well think about it,” Warren explained casually. “A boy and a girl growing up together that close in age, completely unrelated...” he paused, trailing away in thought before grumbling, “Even if they were related, pent up in a house like that-”
“They won’t,” Beth interrupted with a humorless laugh and a shake of her head. “No, they’re practically siblings.”
“But they’re not,” Warren pointed out.
“They spend most of their time arguing,” Beth insisted.
Warren burst into laughter. “Saying that doesn’t lead somewhere is a god damn lie, especially coming from you.”
--
The two of them were up far after the place had emptied, echoing with their laughter. Beth had steadily gone from tipsy to wasted, complaining every fifteen or so minutes about the lack of drink in her hand after Warren cut her off. He was more amused than anything at her behavior, but some of what slipped out of her mouth was cause for concern because he knew she’d never say such things sober.
Beth was now sitting on her knees on the stool, leaning on her forearms far over the counter as she looked Warren over. “Why didn’t I stay with you?” She asked suddenly, swaying a little back and forth.
Warren looked up in surprise. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly with a shrug.
“Well I should have,” she grumbled. “All Will ever does is complain and piss me off.”
“But did he ever do anything else?” Warren pointed out with a small laugh, wiping down the countertop before closing.
Beth paused in thought. “No,” she answered. “Not really.” There was a pause as her eyes flickered back to him, though he remained preoccupied. “You did other things sometimes,” she said.
“Sometimes?” He laughed, still avoiding her gaze. “That’s good to know.”
“Do you still do… Other things… Sometimes?” She asked casually.
Warren stopped and sighed before walking around the counter and towards her, a smirk reaching her lips. “Come on, Beth,” he insisted, helping her lower herself from the teetering position atop the stool. “You should be getting to sleep.”
“But I don’t wanna sleep,” she said mischievously, sloppily walking two fingers up his chest as she leaned against him.
“Yes you do,” he insisted, pulling her forward towards the stairs and keeping her upright as she stumbled and grunting with the effort.
“But I really don’t,” she pouted, clinging to him.
“You really, really do,” he retorted, shifting to hold her up from behind as he pushed her up the stairs.
“Ugh, fine,” Beth groaned. “But don’t worry, I’ll still be here tomorrooooow,” she giggled.
“I’m sure,” he retorted, keeping her on course to her room. Once they were standing in front of the door, he turned her around by the shoulders to face him. “Now you have to be very quiet,” he whispered.
“Right,” she whispered back, then paused. “Why?”
“Because Rose is still sleeping,” he reminded her.
She gasped slowly. “Riiiiight, Rose is sleeping.”
“Ok, come on then,” he said, opening the door and helping her inside as quietly as possible.
It became obvious how tired she really was the second her head hit the pillow and she closed her eyes and smiled, wrapping her arms tightly around it as Warren pulled the blanket over her, careful not to wake Rose.
“Ok, I’m going to go now,” he whispered.
“No-” Beth protested, but was quickly silenced.
“Shh,” Warren insisted. “I’ll still be here tomorrow, remember?”
“Oh yeah,” she slurred, her smile returning and eyes remaining closed.
“Ok, good night,” he said, waiting for a response but none came. He straightened up when it was apparent she was already asleep, tiptoeing towards the door and quietly closing it behind him.
He paused outside, bringing a hand to his forehead and letting out a sigh. Looking over his shoulder at the door, his expression became pained before he turned and trudged back down the stairs.