Seeing is Believing (16 page)

Asahi glared at him for a moment before stepping back and starting to shut the door in Nesfir's face. Nesfir stepped forward quickly, catching the door before it could shut.

"Get out," Asahi snapped, his voice sharp except for the worn, tired note in it.

"We are not going to run you out," Nesfir said firmly, stepping around the door and facing Asahi squarely. "We're trying to make you a part of the community."

"I am not thick!" Asahi shouted, his hand still on the doorjamb. "How many times do you think I've heard that? Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"You're nervous," Nesfir said confidently, amused when Asahi let out a noise he tentatively classified as a squawk. "You don't trust us, but I'm not giving up."

"You're insane," Asahi declared, glowering but strangely sounding a little less upset. "Get
out
."

Nesfir grinned, moving toward the door. Not progress, really, but now he had a plan. Or an idea for a plan, at least.

"I'll be back," Nesfir promised, stepping outside.

Asahi just rolled his eyes, shutting the door with a mutter that sounded suspiciously like, "You always are."

*~*~*

Asahi frowned down at the nearly empty basket of food that Nesfir had brought him. There were only a few hard rolls and stale cookies left in the basket, and more of the too-chewy jerky from ages ago in his pack.

He wasn't going to attempt to cook anything again, either. He'd managed to catch a tiny rabbit, but then he'd botched the skinning and it had cooked poorly—the outside had been burnt, but the inside had been raw, and he'd ended up burying it behind his cabin instead of actually eating it.

Really, it was a wonder he hadn't starved since he left home. Asahi sighed, scrubbing his hand through his hair. Of course, he wouldn't be nearly out of food if this town had acted like all the others and tried to run him out immediately. Then he would've been able to snitch food without guilt.

He had no idea why they'd left him alone, nless Nesfir's continued visits were some obscure form of torture meant to drive him away through sheer perseverance and irritation.

Not that Asahi had seen Nesfir for almost a week. Not since the last food-burning incident, where Nesfir had taken it upon himself to come into the cabin without permission. Asahi was still a little annoyed about that, and maybe a little worried about Nesfir's absence. Relieved, too, but a also worried. He didn't know what to do with Nesfir's easy chatter or cheerful smiles or his insistence that they didn't really mind having Asahi there and would be more than willing to find odd jobs for him around town.

Asahi was far too close to caving on that. He already half-believed Nesfir—they hadn't run him off yet, and it had been nearly three weeks. And if he went and did the jobs Nesfir kept coming up with—replacing the glass in this window, creating stones for that garden path—he could request payment in food. Then he wouldn't need to risk burning down the cabin by attempting to cook.

Except it couldn't be as simple as that. There had to be some catch for them accepting his presence here, more than that they wanted to use his abilities, even if Asahi couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was.

Standing, Asahi paced across the room to where the fireplace was. There was no fire currently burning, the day had warmed up enough to take the chill bite out of the air so Asahi hadn't bothered to light the monstrosity this morning.

Frowning at the bricks, Asahi hummed thoughtfully. It would be winter in another month or so. If they chased him out of town then, he might not survive the cold if they tried to pursue him for any length of time.

So he should force their hand. Do something to force them to
do
something. Nothing unpleasant, but something that would prove their intentions. Asahi chewed his lip thoughtfully, staring at the ashes of yesterday's fire.

He should go into town.

If they saw him, and perhaps even saw him conjure something, they'd get to see the reality of having a witch around.

Only, he shouldn't do it without reason, so he'd take the next odd job Nesfir offered. Might as well get something for his trouble. Maybe some food for his next trip to wherever. Perhaps he'd head south; he'd heard it was warmer down there.

Asahi jumped as a loud
thunk
noise sounded outside his door. Not on the door, and Asahi frowned, confused. Starting across the cabin slowly, he was unsurprised when a loud knock followed the thump.

Asahi shoved the bar out of the way and yanked the door open a few inches to scowl at Nesfir.

"What is that?" Asahi demanded without thinking. Nesfir laughed, wiping at the sweat glistening on his forehead. His hair was disheveled and his cheeks were flushed with exertion, and Asahi stared for a moment too long but that was okay because Nesfir was studying the table sitting on Asahi's front stoop.

"A table, I think," Nesfir decided, giving Asahi a bright smile. He was far too cheerful for a man who had apparently dragged a not-insignificantly-sized table through the woods.

"Why?" Asahi demanded crossly, because Nesfir should have really answered that. Nesfir leaned on the table, and Asahi's traitorous mind noted that his shirt was sticking to him in all the right places.

"You don't have any furniture," Nesfir answered slowly, glancing up at him. "But why a table? Mostly because I didn't think I was up to carrying a bed out here."

Asahi stared at him in disbelief. Maybe he was wrong about the town. They weren't conniving and planning something. If Nesfir was anything to go by, they were all obviously insane.

"Can you open the door so I can bring it in?" Nesfir asked, and Asahi wordlessly stepped back. He couldn't really say no, and Nesfir would probably just leave it on his doorstep if he didn't agree. Nesfir maneuvered the table inside carefully, pausing just inside the doorway.

"Where would you like it?" Nesfir asked, gracing him with another carefree smile. Asahi wondered how he could smile like that; surely he had things to worry about.

"Asahi?" Nesfir drew his attention back and Asahi scowled briefly. He was being a bigger idiot than usual, it seemed.

"There," Asahi gestured to the area in front of the fireplace. He'd need chairs. Taking a moment to think of the proper spell, Asahi opened his mouth and started chanting.

Chairs were a relatively simple chant. Asahi ignored the startled look Nesfir shot him because he was the one who kept insisting they didn't mind Asahi's magic and moved to his pack to dig out some of his tea as he spoke. Asahi shrugged, frowning as he took in the dwindling quantities. He might as well be hospitable since Nesfir was inside and he was making chairs enough for the both of them.

Muttering the last few words of the spell under his breath, Asahi took a quick breath before starting the well-worn chant for a hot teakettle of water and matching teacups. Nesfir was inspecting the chair nearest him with a smile, and Asahi only barely kept from rolling his eyes at him. Probably Nesfir had never seen magic done before.

A moment of chanting later produced a steaming teapot and the matching teacups. Asahi quickly put together a tea ball and dropped it in. At least he could make more tea, since it didn't need to have nutritional value for it to be useful.

"Sit," Asahi ordered, pointing to the chair Nesfir was still inspecting. Digging into the nearly empty basket, Asahi pulled out the stale cookies and set them down on the table.

His mother would flay him for the welcome. Well, she'd flay him for being so rude every time Nesfir had visited before, but the stale cookies would make her cringe, and so would the lack of saucers and the interior of the cabin. It was a good thing she was no long speaking to him.

Sitting down heavily in the chair across from Nesfir, Asahi favored him with a suspicious look as he poured them both tea.

"Why did you bring me a table?" Asahi asked, not satisfied with Nesfir's flippant explanation.

"Because," Nesfir so-helpfully answered, lifting his mug.

"It's hot," Asahi warned, the words tumbling out quickly. His own cup sat untouched on the tabletop. Nesfir gave him a curious look but set his cup down.

"I brought you a piece of furniture because I'm trying to convince you that it's okay to settle in," Nesfir explained, his eyes not leaving Asahi. "Chairs would have been next, so I suppose I just need to figure out a way to carry a bed out here."

"I can
make
a bed," Asahi stressed, trying to be annoyed.

"So make one," Nesfir countered calmly, picking up his tea again. Too soon, but Asahi wasn't warning him twice. Served him right if he burned himself.

"There's no point—"

"There's plenty of point," Nesfir cut him off, blowing the steam from the top of his mug away. He stared intently at Asahi, but Asahi glared right back. "At the very least you can be comfortable for however long you do choose to stay."

"Fine," Asahi grumbled. The bedroll was making his back ache anyway, but Asahi didn't want to deal with Nesfir dragging a bed out here too. Being hospitable once was more than enough. Asahi wrapped his hands around his mug loosely, letting his hands soak up the heat through the sides of the mug. "Was that all?"

"I won't believe you're going to do it until I see it," Nesfir said, giving him another smile like that would take the insult from his words.

"You'll just have to carry a bed back to your town if you don't," Asahi shot back, watching Nesfir sip at his tea tentatively.

"This is good," Nesfir said, sounding surprised. Asahi scowled at him, toying with the handle of his cup. "What is it?"

"Tea," Asahi answered slowly, smirking when Nesfir made a face at him. Snagging a cookie, he dipped it in the tea and let it soak for a moment.

"What's in it? I don't think I've tasted anything like it before," Nesfir said, still smiling.

"Tea leaves, lemongrass, and raspberry bark," Asahi listed. There was more, but that was good enough.

"So how are you settling in?" Nesfir asked, changing the subject. "No one is bothering you, right?"

"No one's been out here but you," Asahi answered, because it would be rude to say that Nesfir was the only one bothering him. Besides, he wasn't sure why Nesfir bothered him, except for his blatant lies about accepting Asahi into the community, so he'd keep it to himself for now.

"Good," Nesfir declared, taking a hearty swallow of tea that had to be too hot still. Probably Nesfir wanted to get out of here as quickly as he could. Asahi shouldn't have made tea.

"Do you need anything?" Nesfir asked gently, as though he was afraid Asahi would snap at him or worse, that Asahi was fragile enough to need coddling.

Still, Asahi hesitated in denying it. He
did
need more food. Food he wasn't going to burn. But now it was a matter of pride. He could be self-sufficient and he didn't need Nesfir's gentle questions or charitable donations.

"No," Asahi answered coldly, crossing his arms and giving Nesfir a chilly look.

"Asahi." Nesfir looked frustrated briefly, and Asahi felt no sympathy for him. Nesfir was always frustrating him, after all. "You're not doing yourself any favors cooping yourself up in here."

"Where else would I go? To your pleasant little town?" Asahi sneered, not impressed. "Where everyone will be terrified or angry at me for who I am? Because as much fun as that sounds, I'm not interested in being stared at or run from or whispered about."

"Shakartha," Nesfir said quietly.

"What?" Asahi asked, frowning. Surely that was another language.

"Sha-karth-a," Nesfir repeated slowly, stressing the syllables with a smile. "The name of our town."

Asahi stared at him in disbelief, but Nesfir's smile only widened. He stood abruptly, nearly knocking over his chair. Nesfir picked up his teacup and swallowed the last of it quickly.

"Come on," Nesfir said, gesturing for him to stand. Asahi just stared at him blankly, not moving. He didn't trust Nesfir as far as he could throw him, and he wanted Asahi to follow orders just like that?

"Trust me," Nesfir entreated, and Asahi scoffed. "I haven't hurt you. I'm not afraid of you. I brought you food and a table. Trust me just a little, alright?" Nesfir asked solemnly. Asahi sighed, rubbing his forehead because he was about to be an idiot. He left his untouched tea on the table and stood, crossing his arms and staring at Nesfir.

"What?" Asahi demanded, stepping away from the table reluctantly. He had the feeling he wasn't going to like this, but that look on Nesfir's face had been too pitiful to ignore. At least, that was his story. Nesfir grinned at him, doing that strange thing where he looked handsome and playful at once.

"Trust me," Nesfir repeated, like that was going to make Asahi do so. He nonchalantly reached out and took Asahi's hand, tugging him into motion. Asahi stumbled into step, too thrown by Nesfir touching him to protest. It was depressing, thinking how long it had been since anyone had touched him, even casually, without the intent to bruise.

Sometimes Asahi really hated this country.

Nesfir pulled him outside, and Asahi blinked at the sunlight as his eyes adjusted. Nesfir gave him a moment before pulling him into motion again.