Chapter 24: Tea for Three

"There you are Nosis." Saul hails me as I come through the door. "What did Saber want?"

"Well, I could use a cup of tea first," I snip lightly at him as I fall into one of the chairs at the table.

"Of course my dear girl," Nimrod huffs and glares at Saul from his seat in the rocking chair, but he softens it within seconds.

"You were gone for some time. That- is- all," Saul offers as an explanation. He carefully sets out tea serving for the three of us.

"Could we have some bread and jam too?" I ask sweetly.

Although is has been dark out for a good couple of hours, it is not late, but our diner was sometime ago. I know I am hungry again, even if they are not.

Saul snorts between pouring the water to steep. Nimrod laughs out loud at my request as he makes his way over to the table.

"That sounds like a lovely idea," for all his humor at idea, Nimrod looks just as hungry as me.

"You and your sweet tooth," Saul tisks at him, but he lays out the bread and jam and sits down to join us.

The tea is some fragrant herbal thing that Saul like's, we sip quietly as we nipple our snack.

"To answer you dear Saul, Saber was not the only person who wanted to talk to me," I look over at him.

"Oh, do tell," he brightens up and leans in pensively.

"Yes. Saber wanted to talk about my findings at the brute prison, Holiday," I dusted my fingers off. "Wanted my advice. Seth wanted my permission. And Diana wanted to confess."

"You 'have' been busy," Nimrod nods his head in sympathetic understanding. "You seemed to have gotten your hands into everything. I am rather impressed."

"Oh what a tangled web we weave." Saul giggles into his tea.

"Now, now Saul, I don't think she is deceiving anyone." Nimrod gently rebuffs him. "she is merely devious."

"And it is easier to confess to a stranger than it is to a friend. I am not likely to hit anyone over the head for what they have to say to me."

Saul snorts and sputters. "you hit anyone. of course not," he says drolly. "You only throw those thugs around like they were so much candy." He shoots me a sly grin. "it was a marvelous sight to behold."

Nimrod reaches a hand over and brushes Saul with a light caress, "Oh love I think she has gotten the best of us."

"I have not done a thing, really," I quietly defend myself against their humor.

"No you didn't need to," Saul looks over at me with a mischievous gleam in his eye. "You just inspire all kinds of things we never had a chance to do."

"Saul," Nimrod leans in. "have you always wanted-?" He sputters unable to finish his thought.