She could hear the wind howling outside and was thankful that the food delivery came before the snow hit. While the storm would be over by morning, the roads would be impassable for at least a day or two until they were cleared. That didn’t worry her. They still had plenty of food in the pantry, and as long as they had full, comfortable bellies, they would be okay. She was more worried about unexpected visitors.
She frowned. Had it been foolish to invite them inside? Although Grandma Rose had seemed quite accepting of the Ragoru, she knew that not all her neighbors felt the same. If anyone found out, they would talk, and while not all the comments would be unkind, there was a good chance that any hurtful words would eventually be overheard by her children.
Alis had a tender heart and was deeply affected by gossiping tongues. Nik was no different, though he tried to pretend otherwise, but Betani wasn’t fooled. She’d seen the hurt in his eyes when his peers mocked him with their cruel jokes. A few well-placed barbs would devastate them.
Betani sighed and rubbed her eyes. She hoped it didn’t come to that. If it did, however, she would not be entirely unprepared. The Citadel had changed from even a year ago. Ragoru were no longer forbidden, fearfully talked about in hushed whispers. They were a dying species, the same as humans, just struggling to survive—and among them many good males who were looking for a family. Helping a triad shouldn’t realistically attract too much negative attention, but after years on the streets, she didn’t like anything potentially disturbing the peace of her family.
Even so, she was willing to deal with it. She wasn’t so monstrous as that she could allow the Ragoru to die outside her steps to spare her family from gossip. Seeing the Ragoru half-frozen in the snow had brought back memories of winters past, trying to find shelter from storms with her own children and being grateful for whatever little charity she could find on the worst nights. She hadn’t the heart to turn them away, so she had done the sensible thing.
She just needed to counter misinformation and bolster her children’s confidence that what they did was the right thing, regardless of whatever fears their neighbors held.
She glanced over at Nik as he rinsed his mouth out.
“You do realize there is a chance that not everyone will approve of our guests,” she began.
Nik shrugged. “The kids at school say mean things about the Ragoru. Just stuff that they hear at home. I don’t care. I think they’re neat.”
Alis nodded enthusiastically around her toothbrush. “They need our help,” she said in a garbled voice. “You said we should help each other.”
Betani smiled, emotion choking her as she felt her pride in them swell. “That I did, little bean. However, if anyone finds out they’re here and tries to make you feel bad for it…”
Nik scoffed, his thin chest puffing out. “Don’t worry, Mom. We won’t listen to them… Will we, Alis?”
His sister grinned impishly. “Nope. I like them.”
Betani laughed as she handed a cup of water to Alis. “You don’t even know them.”
Alis shrugged. “They’re tired and sick, but they look nice. Nicer than the girls at school,” she said, making a face. “They make fun of me because I don’t have the same pretty clothes and ribbons. The Ragoru won’t care.”
“Don’t listen to them, Alis,” Nik huffed. “Their ribbons are stupid.”
“Yes… but I would still like a ribbon,” Alis muttered, looking down at her simple, unadorned braids. “The Ragoru won’t care I don’t have a pretty ribbon or dress, will they?”
Betani’s heart squeezed painfully, and she shook her head, blinking back tears. “No, baby. I doubt they will even notice. They don’t clothe themselves like humans.”
“So neat,” Nik commented on a breath of awe. “Can I…”
“No, you cannot run around without clothes,” Betani replied firmly, nipping that question in the bud.
Her son grinned up at her and shrugged.
If everything went well, she could possibly avoid the worst of the gossip. She was certain that no one had seen them enter, and she doubted anyone would be dropping by. It would give her some time to deal with any potential fallout and address any concerns her neighbors might have before tongues started really wagging. At least she could delay word getting to Ava. She didn’t know how the warder would react to Ragoru in her “territory.”
At least she didn’t have anything to worry about with her clients. She didn’t expect any of them to bring her any additional mending or alterations until after the holiday passed, so none of them were bound to come by unexpectedly and get a surprise. She had just finished the last of her mending the day before, and it had all already been collected with good tidings exchanged for the holiday week. At the time, she hadn’t been thrilled about having a week with no work coming in, but now it brought a sense of relief.
She clung to that relief and the hope that everything was going to turn out okay as she hustled her children from the washroom into her bedroom and gave the males in the living room one last look before she closed her door behind them.
Betani pressed her lips together as she got Alis and Nik settled into bed. Despite the closed door, her mind seemed to be dwelling on the Ragoru. Although she was trying to be optimistic, she didn’t have a lot of hope for the larger white male. That bothered her more than she expected. She fretted as she went through the motions of their bedtime routine. She debated trying to go for the doctor, but the rattle of the windowpanes and the hollow howl of the wind just beyond it reminded her that, with the snowstorm, she didn’t have much of a chance of surviving the trip.
She would go first thing in the morning if the weather permitted. Although there wasn’t any guarantee that the white male would survive, the doctor would have at least something with which to treat the symptoms. He had once been Master Physician and personal doctor of the First Elite huntsman, but at the fall of the Order, Dr. Wallace had retired to a residence nearby where he had committed himself to aiding those in the greatest of need. He would be the best option to save the male’s life.
She certainly didn’t feel that she could do it on her own, especially since the male was unconscious and couldn’t take the broth and herb by mouth. It made her feel particularly helpless. She only hoped that between the doctor and the grace of the gods the male would recover and the Ragoru triad would leave as soon as possible, before tender little hearts became attached.
Nik was already fascinated by them, despite his habit of pretending to be unaffected by everything, and Alis became attached to everything heartbreakingly easy. Given enough time, she had little doubt that they would get attached to the strange males, and when the triad finally left, she would be alone comforting their broken hearts.
With the children settled, Betani slipped back down the stairs and filled a bowl with cold water. This she carried out to the living room where she set it beside the white male. His sides heaved and he shivered with the fever wracking his body. She hesitated for a moment. He was so large that it was intimidating, and she was going to be touching him. Her skin prickled with nerves, but she ignored it as she looked for the best places to cool him. She didn’t know anything about Ragoru or how well this would even help him, but she had to try something to bring down his fever. The problem was that he was covered with fur and she didn’t think that just soaking him would help. She bit her lip. Perhaps it would be best if she targeted areas where the fur was noticeably the thinnest. She knew that when dogs on the farm were sick the ears and paws were wiped with cool cloths, but Ragoru weren’t dogs any more than they were human.