{"id":126,"date":"2018-02-02T18:03:15","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T18:03:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/?p=126"},"modified":"2018-02-02T18:03:15","modified_gmt":"2018-02-02T18:03:15","slug":"thirty-teamwork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2018\/02\/02\/thirty-teamwork\/","title":{"rendered":"Thirty: Teamwork"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhy did you even buy us?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cKid,\u201d Weckel sighed, \u201cyou are going to get yourself and everyone else in a world of hurt. \u00a0Would you stop that?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome here. \u00a0Cory, right?\u201d \u00a0She had no idea what she was doing. \u00a0Did it show?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCory. \u00a0Mistress.\u201d \u00a0He was only a couple seats away from her; he settled on kneeling on the floor in front of her. <\/span><\/p>\n

The Raven was either still asleep or faking it to see what she\u2019d do. She put both hands on his shoulders and looked down at him. \u00a0\u201cYour Mistress made me angry. \u00a0Your former Mistress. \u00a0She treats people like things. \u00a0I\u2019d had enough of that already, and I haven\u2019t been on the road that long. \u00a0So I took away the people that were letting her think of people as things. \u00a0It was, uh. \u00a0I didn\u2019t think that long about it. \u00a0And that was dumb.\u201d \u00a0She steadied herself. \u00a0\u201cI said you had to teach me. \u00a0So. \u00a0What would your old MIstress do if you talked to her like that, and why?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean, why\u2026 Mistress?\u201d \u00a0His voice dipped from angry to scared by the end of the sentence. \u00a0\u201cShe would probably have had Weckel take the strap or paddle to me. \u00a0Or have Yisser feed me one of those potion concoctions\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd why,\u201d Raizel repeated. She had plenty of little siblings. \u00a0She could keep repeating her question for hours until she got an answer. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Cory asked again. \u00a0\u201cBecause I\u2026\u201d \u00a0He trailed of \u00a0\u201cBecause I was disrespectful, Mistress.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause,\u201d Weckel offered, \u201cif you allow disrespect, it tends to grow. \u00a0And the most obvious way to punish disrespect is with pain or with, ah. \u00a0well, Pain. \u00a0So that everyone knows that the Mistress is not tolerating such things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s the obvious answer? \u00a0A slave mouths off and you beat them?\u201d \u00a0She knew people who treated their children that way. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think Weckel brought the paddle, Mistress.\u201d \u00a0Cory had begun to sound worried. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Weckel growled, \u201cbut I brought my belt, and that will work just fine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHold.\u201d \u00a0Raizel looked between them. \u00a0\u201cCory. \u00a0Do not speak for the next half an hour. \u00a0Not one word. \u00a0Understand?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He opened his mouth, closed it, and nodded. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI – I took ownership of you -\u201d that didn\u2019t sound any better. \u201cI took you from your Mistress because I was angry. \u00a0That\u2019s a horrible reason to change anyone\u2019s life. \u00a0If any of the rest of you want to go back, at the first train stop, I\u2019ll buy you tickets back. \u00a0I will. \u00a0That\u2019s why I need to know what you want. \u00a0So we can decide what comes next.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe?\u201d \u00a0Cailing considered that. \u00a0\u201cCory has one good point. \u00a0I like being valued, and I haven\u2019t been on my own in a long time. \u00a0But with the Master gone, I don\u2019t want to belong to our former Mistress anymore. \u00a0Can you find me someone who will value me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can do that.\u201d \u00a0She wanted to say <\/span>try<\/span><\/i>, but she was doing more and more things she didn\u2019t think she could. \u00a0\u201cIt might take me some time. \u00a0Weckel?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI just want to go home – but I\u2019ll, that is, uh. \u00a0I want to stick with you until you\u2019ve settled everyone else, if you don\u2019t mind, miss.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh!\u201d \u00a0She looked at Weckel; he looked both nervous and certain. \u00a0\u201cYou want to protect them?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBetter to say keep them out of trouble, I think, miss. \u00a0They\u2019re – well, you\u2019ve seen. \u00a0They don\u2019t think much about what they\u2019re doing, because they\u2019ve always had someone else pushing back on them\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSpeak for yourself,\u201d Yisser complained. \u00a0\u201cI can take care of myself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYisser.\u201d \u00a0Weckel\u2019s voice was full of affectionate exasperation. \u00a0\u201cYou might have been a prisoner and not a volunteer, but remember what happened the last time you had to go to the other side of the city? \u00a0I\u2019ll watch after you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you will, will you? \u00a0And who will watch after you, who can\u2019t cook anything without turning it to char? \u00a0You\u2019re going to need me to chase after you and feed you, or you\u2019ll waste away to nothing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd neither of you can clean at all,\u201d pointed out Penna, who up until then had been quiet. \u00a0\u201cThe messes you leave\u2026 Face it, we work well together and not all that well apart. \u00a0We\u2019ve all gotten very used to having a team.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A team<\/span><\/i>. \u00a0Raizel leaned back, looking at the Raven, who had opened his eyes but so far had not spoken. Louren had gotten in on the argument, too, while Cailing and Cory were staying quiet. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Raven raised his eyebrows at her. \u00a0\u201cMissing your family?\u201d he asked quietly, under the noise. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d \u00a0It seemed strange, but she was. \u00a0\u201cMissing being part of a team.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhy did you even buy us?\u201d \u201cKid,\u201d Weckel sighed, \u201cyou are going to get yourself and everyone else in a world of hurt. \u00a0Would you stop that?\u201d \u201cCome here. \u00a0Cory, right?\u201d \u00a0She had no idea what she was doing. \u00a0Did it show? \u201cCory. \u00a0Mistress.\u201d \u00a0He was only a couple seats away from her; he settled… Continue reading Thirty: Teamwork<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Side Quest Chapter Thirty: Teamwork\r\nIt\u2019s almost quiet on the train\u2026","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-quest"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Tn4Q-22","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":124,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2018\/01\/26\/twenty-nine-overheard\/","url_meta":{"origin":126,"position":0},"title":"Twenty-Nine: Overheard","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"January 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Raizel napped for a while, only to wake to very quiet conversation circling around her. \u00a0Her head was on the Raven\u2019s shoulder, and his was resting on her head. \u00a0It felt cozy, the way she\u2019d only ever felt with - she felt a stab of guilt. It had been days\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":121,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2018\/01\/16\/twenty-eight-the-people\/","url_meta":{"origin":126,"position":1},"title":"Twenty-Eight: The People","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"January 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The Raven had done something, she was sure of it. \u00a0She had expected to be in the part of the train where people crowded onto benches or sat in the aisles. \u00a0That was cheap part, the part where most people like her rode. Instead, she and the Raven and six\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":107,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/10\/27\/twenty-five-the-ruminant-of-roelkia\/","url_meta":{"origin":126,"position":2},"title":"Twenty-Five: The Ruminant of Roelkia","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"October 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cYou\u2019re amassing quite a reputation,\u201d the Diamond Raven commented, as they made their way out of the Judge\u2019s office. \u00a0\u201cWe should hurry if we\u2019re going to catch the train today. \u00a0I know you\u2019re on a deadline here.\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t understand it.\u201d \u00a0Raizel shook her head. \u00a0\u201cIt has to be you,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":95,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/10\/11\/twenty-two-lost-and-found\/","url_meta":{"origin":126,"position":3},"title":"Twenty-Two: Lost and Found","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"October 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cWhy her?\u201d The Diamond Raven shifted so he was standing almost between Raizel and the Left Hand. \u00a0\u201cWhy this stranger on the street?\u201d \u201cBecause she\u2019s not a stranger, is she? \u00a0She\u2019s the one that everyone\u2019s been muttering about. \u00a0She\u2019s got you, which is interesting in and of itself. \u00a0She\u2019s made\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 3 comments","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/10\/11\/twenty-two-lost-and-found\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":77,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/08\/25\/seventeen-crossing-cross\/","url_meta":{"origin":126,"position":4},"title":"Seventeen: Crossing, Cross","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"August 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cYou\u2019re old enough to be out on your own, yes?\u201d \u201cOf course I am.\u201d \u00a0She wrinkled her nose at him. \u00a0\u201cI am here, aren\u2019t I? \u00a0Everyone may keep calling me child, but I have an apprenticeship, I am carrying the weight of my family to the capital, and I -\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":49,"url":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/2017\/07\/14\/seven-moving-on\/","url_meta":{"origin":126,"position":5},"title":"Seven: Moving On","author":"Lyn Thorne-Alder","date":"July 14, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The black-and-blue light danced upwards like a geyser and then seemed to be sucked downwards, towards the books. \u200b\u201dNo!\u201d Trinner Traln shouted. \u00a0Raizel glanced at him just in time to see him jerk away from Esterzon Gorenz and dart towards the idol. The blue-black light seemed to suck him in.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Quest"","block_context":{"text":"Quest","link":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/category\/quest\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":127,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126\/revisions\/127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.lynthornealder.com\/sidequest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}