Bonding Over Bells

Writers: Estelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 2nd February 2020
Series: The Assassin's Husband

Characters: Lorican, Lusilk, Silgan
Description: Lorican, Lusilk and Silgan bond over an alarm system
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 1, day 18 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Dunrik

Lusilk

Lorican climbed the stairs to Lusilk's rooms, carrying a box under one
arm which contained the parts for the warning bell he'd made and a
hammer and small bag of screws and nails in the other. He felt the usual
weariness after a long day in the smithy, added to the aches and bruises
from the previous evening's training. To anyone watching, he thought, he
must look completely ordinary. A craftsman, going back to his mate after
a day's honest work.

He made a face, thinking of just how far that was from the truth, and
knocked at the door.

The door opened to Lusilk's face and she arched a brow. "You do know
that you don't have to knock anymore, right? You live here." She
stepped back and ushered him in.

"Lori!" Silgan greeted, a wide smile on his face as he hurried forward
to hug the man around the leg. "Did you make more stuff? Can I help
next time? I watched him today, Mama, but I was real quiet. He hits
metal really hard and it goes into funny shapes and..." he mimicked
Lorican wielding the hammer. " boom! Bam! There's sparks. I really
like watching. Can I have another story tonight, Lori?"

"Of course you can. We've got to find out if the boy and his talking
runnerbeast make it to the Gather in time for the big race, haven't we?"
Lorican crouched down beside Silgan and held out his box so the child
could see what he'd brought. "But first, I've got a job to do that I
could use some help with, if you like."

Stepping back to watch the pair, Lusilk felt a tightness in her chest
that she covered by her characteristic, ever-present smirk. The
presence of a regular male figure in Silgan's life, even after so
short a time, had allowed Silgan to blossom in their apartments and to
a small degree, out in the crafter village. He walked with more
confidence, smiled more, and the moment Lorican stepped into the
apartments, the boy's eyes lit up. Lorican was kind to him, spent time
with him, and never made Silgan feel like he was a bother. None of the
lovers Lusilk had taken had ever given Silgan a second glance, not
that she'd encouraged it, but she'd watched her son try to catch their
eye and draw their attention. It was ironic that a man she wasn't
intimate with be someone Silgan favored. She hadn't realized how much
he'd needed that in his life. She swallowed hard and sat on the couch
to watch them.

Silgan peered at the box and grinned. "A bell? That's what you were
makin'. today, right? Can I put it together? Will you show me?"

"I'd like that. It'll be much easier to put it up with an assistant,"
Lorican replied solemnly. He took the bell itself out of the box. It was
a little larger than the palm of his hand, with a metal half-ring on top
to attach it to the spring mount he'd made. "First, though, we need to
see if your Mama is happy with the sound it makes. Why don't you give
that a good shake...not too hard," he added hastily as the boy took it
from him. He didn't want to alarm their neighbours.

As Lusilk sat forward with interest, SIlgan took the bell and
restrained by Lorican's warning, lightly rang the bell. Even the light
sound rang the ear shrilly and Lusilk nodded in approval. "That'll do
fine."

Silgan grinned up at Lorican and handed him back the bell, beaming.
"Where we gonna put it?"

"Up here, at the top of the door frame." Lorican took the mount from the
box and straightened, then reached up to hold it in position. "If anyone
opens the door, it pulls on the mount and...." He demonstrated, pulling
the thin strip of metal back, then let go. It vibrated back and worth
with a faint hum. "The bell will ring."

He stood back and looked up at the door. "I'd better stand on a chair."
Even though he was tall enough to reach, it'd be awkward fixing the
mount while stretching upwards. "So, I'll need someone to hand me the
nails."

"I'll do it!" Silgan nodded enthusiastically, digging into Lorican's
box to find the nails he'd brought.

Lusilk rose, fetching her desk chair and putting it beside the door.
She stayed mostly, silent, just watching the pair with an odd
expression on her face.

Lorican pulled off his boots so he wouldn't damage the chair and stepped
up, positioning the bell mount at the far side of the door from the
hinge, where even the slightest movement would trigger it. He took out a
chalk from his pocket and marked the places where it would be fixed.
"All right, first nail, please." He reached down to take it from the
boy, then seeing how intently he was being watched, he explained. "You
want to try and hammer it straight on, if you can, so it doesn't go in
at an angle. Then tap it in, firmly but not too hard...like so." He
reached down for another nail.

Once the mount was securely in place, he started to reach for the last
piece, then changed his mind and climbed down, looking at Silgan. "Would
you like to hang the bell?"

Silgan watched every move that Lorican made, his face set in
concentration as he nodded after every sentence and handed nails up
with eager joy of simply being included in what was being done. At the
next question, his face stretched with a beaming smile of delight.
"Yeah! Can I?" He held his arms up to Lorican, hopping up and down on
his toes in his eagerness.

He crouched and lifted the little boy, setting him on his shoulders,
then straightened and moved closer to the door so that Silgan would be
able to reach the mount. "All right up there?" He handed the bell to the
boy. "Just hook it over the end of the mount, where the metal curves round."

"Yes." Silgan grinned down at Lorican, then took the bell. Eyes
squinting in childish concentration, he carefully set the bell into
place where directed. "Like that? Did I do it right?" He turned to
smile at his mother, little chest puffed out. "Look, mama! I put up
the bell! Are you proud?"

"Yes, very." Lusilk returned to the couch, giving him a nod and a
smile, then studied Lorican's back, becoming lost in thought.

Lorican lifted Silgan from his shoulders and gently set him down, then
stood back to look up at their handiwork. "Good, that looks like it
should work, but there's one more thing we need to check: that no one,
no matter how clever, can sneak in without ringing the bell." He gave
Lusilk a sideways look. "I think your mama would be good at sneaking,
don't you?"

Lusilk smirked, arching a brow as Silgan eagerly nodded. "Yes, Mama is
the best at sneaking. We've sneaked lots, haven't we, Mama?" He turned
and demonstrated, bending half-over and walking quietly on his tip
toes.

Lusilk chuckled, then rose once again. "Alright, I'm game. You boys
stay here and wait." She waved them away from the door and stepped
out, closing it behind her. After a moment, the door barely pushed
open and moved in tiny increments, motion barely detectable. She moved
as she would if she was trying not to be heard, keeping her breathing
inaudible and motions slow.

The man and the young boy watched intently as the door inched open and
the sprung metal slowly bent outwards. Though he knew who was out there,
Lorican felt a tightness in his chest as he followed that patient
movement and imagined it happening in the night, while they all slept.
If he hadn't got it exactly right, either the intruder would be able to
slide an arm through the gap and muffle the bell as he entered, or it
wouldn't snap back with enough force to ring at all. He'd originally
designed this device against casual thieves, not professional assassins.

Then, at last, the metal strip sprang free and vibrated, causing the
bell to ring with a light, metallic trill. Lorican grinned in relief and
looked down at Silgan. "Good job! We did it."

"Huh." Lusilk looked up at the bell, her brows raised. "I didn't think
it would actually work. Looks like I was wrong."

Silgan grinned up at Lorican, then grabbed him around his leg in a
tight hug. "We did it! I love you, Lori."

Lusilk arched her brow at the statement, looking up at Lorican before
smiling quickly down at her son. "Good job." Silgan had attached
himself so quickly to Lorican, Faranth, she hadn't expected that. It
brought up so many wrinkles to her ultimate goal that she would have
to consider.

Lorican met her gaze, half-embarrassed but still feeling an unexpected
pleasure at the child's gesture, and a determination that no-one would
destroy his innocence and loving nature while he was alive to prevent
it. "Thank you, Silgan. You were a fine helper. Now...is it time for a
story, do you think?"

Silgan released him, nodding. "Yes please."

"Wash up and go get your night clothes, Silgan." Lusilk watched as
Silgan ran to his room to quickly bathe and change. She turned back to
study the bell over the door. "I think your idea will actually work,
Lorican. With the lock and the bell, I think it'll be unexpected."

"It should discourage any night-time visitors, at least." That was some
comfort, but Lorican couldn't help worrying that if Lusilk's quarters
proved impregnable, the man would attack him at the smithy instead,
putting Master Dunrik and the apprentices in danger. At least this
should keep him away from Silgan. Trying not to get discouraged, he
managed a smile. "Never thought I'd use my craft this way. Perhaps I'll
make some more bell-traps when this is all over. It might make my fortune."

"It should, yes. And you may not be far wrong." She gestured to the
bell. "Merchants, Holders, even Lord Holders might be interested in
that contraption of yours for their storage rooms and safe rooms. After
all this is over, you may want to take it to Dunrik and see what he
thinks. It's rather clever. "

"To give credit where it's due, my interest in crafting devices to deter
uninvited guests has greatly increased since I've known you. Perhaps we
should go into business together," he suggested dryly, thinking of the
new locks he'd made to no avail. Nonetheless, he felt a warm glow at
the praise, knowing it to be hard-won.

She chuckled softly. "There's no harm in that, I assure you. I know a
particular Lord Holder that might pay nicely for a device such as
this. One day you might meet him." She arched a brow and looked over
at him, a half-smile on his face. "Perhaps we should." If they both
survived. "Now, I believe Silgan has likely rushed through cleaning up
and is waiting anxiously for you to finish that story of yours." She
turned to look at her extra room. "I'll draw a bath for you. You smell
a bit of the forge."

"Oh - sorry. Thank you." He turned and handed the chair back to her,
with a tentative smile. Then, he went over to tap on the door of
Silgan's room, recalling as he did where he'd got to in his tale.
Strange, he thought, how almost like a family they were. It was easy
enough, in the warmth and protection of her quarters, to forget the
danger that threatened them all.

Last updated on the May 31st 2020

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Bonding Over Bells