Tear A Path

Creeeak.... the door to the bar opened, quite loudly at that causing all three of them to turn. They were quite surprised to see Eyisha turn up.

"Don't you have a lot to do kid?... now that the food allocation is under you, I imagined you wouldn't have time to visit." Chora said.

"Yeah, but I think I can be excused for a moment before the work piled up, besides I think I have something that requires more attention for now." Eyisha assured them. "Now I know you said you were fine with everything right now, but I hope you and Myr can keep your minds open..."

"What are you talking about?" Chora gave her a questioning glare.

"Well... you see... umm... I think it's better if we just get to it, Kitsi!!" As she said that Kitsi entered the room. Just as the rest were about to ask what was going on when a blonde head of hair poked out from behind her.

Instantly all their eyes went wide. Guru seemed to understand the situation almost immediately as his mouth turned into a small grin.

"No! Nope!! Nuh-uh! Nope!!.." Chora started realized the situation later than the rest did,

"But..."

"No!!"

"But she's..."

"No!!"

Smack!! a wet towel slapped the back of Chora's head. "Who do you think you are to say no, last time I checked this was my bar and you're just a free loader living in my attic." Myr spoke, curling her spinning her towel again to warn him.

"Myr, we can't do this, we're already to old..." Chora rebuked.

"Mmhm!" Guru interrupted, bending at the hip and squinting his eyes to purposely making himself look older.

"You know that's not fair." Chora became more fl.u.s.tered.

"I remember when I was your age I was training at least five or six of you young'uns," Guru bragged.

"Why don't you take her in then?" He replied.

"I already have one right now, and if you knew him well enough, you'd know it's taking all my energy to keep him occupied... I'm now half a foot in the grave anyways, are you really going to overwork the elderly, what a heartless student..." Guru picked himself off the chair and moved away to avoid being Chora's scape-goat but he didn't forget to put a limp in his step to make himself look more pitiful.

Eyisha laughed looking at Guru act so ridiculously and Chora for the first time seeming so helpless.

"Myr, we cant do this, we're not good care takers, we're killers..." he tried to persuade her.

"Oh please, the only thing you even come close killing these past few years is your liver, I think taking her in is a nice change of pace." Myr mocked him.

"I don't need to take this..." finally Chora gave up as he moved up to his quarters.

"Sorry for all the trouble Myr..." Eyisha said.

"It's not trouble at all... I've been feeling a little lonely recently, maybe it'll be a nice change of pace... though are you sure this is the best place to put her?" She replied.

"I'm not sure anywhere is a good place to put children nowadays."

"Mmm... Hello little one" Myr turned to Sola who was still hiding behind Kitsi, "what's your name?"

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Chora sat on his hammock after downing another bottle. Suddenly, the door opened letting some light filter through. "If you're thinking of changing my mind forget about it!!" He screamed.

"I'm sorry grandpa..." a soft voice spoke out, "Grandma Myr said I should come up to see if you needed anything."

He was startled to see the little girl come in. "Wha... I don't need anything and don't call me grandpa."

She innocently came and sat next to him, "Are you grumpy?"

"What... no" he replied.

"My mama said if a person is grumpy he's probably hungry," she said looking around the dim room.

"Oh... she may be right, where's your mom anyway?" He continued.

"I'm not sure, yesterday Mrs Tully our neighbour said my parents wanted me to stay with her awhile, today big sister Kitsi said they were sent to do something important..."

Chora felt like slapping himself when he remembered what had just happened to the girl's parents.

"Do you have parents grandpa?" She stared at him.

He couldn't resist looking at those big curious eyes, "Uh... yeah, a long time ago, they're gone now though..."

"Oh, like my mama and papa? Did they have to do something important too?"

"Uh yeah..." he answered.

"Do you think they'll come back?" She turned to him excitedly.

"Uh...." he couldn't look her in the eyes, this was a very delicate conversation not one he was used to maneuvering obviously. But seeing her expectant expression, he just couldn't break it to her. With the first warm smile he had given in years he answered, "I'm sure they will, I bet they're thinking about coming back to you right now."

"Um!" she nodded followed by a yawn as she laid in the hammock next to him. Curling up and laying her head on his l.a.p.

"Hey! What are you..." he stopped as he saw that she was already asleep.

"Pesky little bugger..." he whispered under his breath, his tail curled around her small body as he laid inside as well. Her arms hugged a section like a pillow as he stared up and started rocking back and forth. "Damn all of them doing whatever they want..."