Let's be *Naughty*

[echolight4eva]

Ava looked at her. "I don't charge Skaa. They have it hard enough. Nobles, on the other hand... they pay well enough to let me do this."

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Koda raised her eyebrows, and she seemed to be unsure if Ava was speaking the truth. The girl had no reason to lie, but she was still skeptical. No one was that charitable.

[echolight4eva]

Ava shrugged at her. "It's of no concern to me whether you believe me or not. But it is the truth, nevertheless."

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Nikoda didn't reply to that. Instead, she said, "How long will he need to stay off of it? We have somewhere to be." Somewhere meaning the Garrison's prison, but she wasn't going to tell her that part.

[echolight4eva]

"Probably a week or two. He sprained it pretty badly," she replied casually.

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Koda grunted. "Will he stay here, then?" she asked. She didn't want to half carry him all the way there. It wouldn't be worth the trouble to bring in a lowly thief.

[echolight4eva]

"If necessary. I can prepare a room for you," she said to Noah. Turning back to Koda, she said, "May I ask what your relationship to him is?"

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

"Ah..." Nikoda hesitated, her eyes flicking to Noah. "Let's just say I'm a friend." A very, very new friend, one that planned to arrest him as soon as he could walk. He might have better friends, but honestly she didn't. She didn't have any friends.

[echolight4eva]

Ava studied her for a moment then nodded. "Very well. How did he get this injury, exactly?"

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

"He tripped," Koda replied. A somewhat smug look crossed her face. "It was a rather spectacular fall."

[echolight4eva]

"I can imagine," she replied. "Well, anyways, you can come back in a week or so to check up on him, or before then if you wish."

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Koda narrowed her eyes at Noah and then looked back at her. "I'll be back in three days. Make sure he doesn't sneak off before that," she said. She paused and added, "Wouldn't want him hurting it worse, now would we?"

[echolight4eva]

"Gotcha," Ava replied, smiling knowingly. She helped Noah into the other room an closed the door, telling him to sleep. She returned to Koda. "So. He try to steal something again?"

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Koda snorted. She wasn't sure why, but suddenly she felt like she didn't have to hide anything from this woman anymore. "Yeah. My pouch."

[echolight4eva]

Ava looked back at the closed door to Noah's room, smiling and shaking her head. "He's a curious one. He's tried to steal from me before. It didn't work, though. I'll make sure he doesn't get away."