First Time's a Charm (124PW)

[Sinuvarakoon Tasza]

Tasza did not see Sisara's look at him, as he was looking the other way at a group of clerks entering one of the buildings. The Court was one of the most bemoaned assignment -- two patrols in the area, and the rest were stuck on guard duty within the buildings or at the doors. Nothing was so depressing as standing still for two hours at a time with a short ten minute walk before resuming standing guard for another two hours. Spending eight hours in that manner was one of the best tests of a man, Tasza expected. He'd been wanting, himself, as a raw teenager, but he'd learned how to cope since then. The new recruit beside him likely wouldn't taste door duty until she'd proven herself on patrol; even though door duty was less dangerous it was, in his opinion, a tougher job.

"I understand why many join the Guard, I truly do," Tasza said, his voice wry. "It's hard to find a reliable, good paying job in the city. The Guard is a good way to keep food on the table -- but we shouldn't forget why it's so reliable." He paused, and then relented. "It does take time to properly memorize all aspects of this job. Keep at it, and you'll find yourself rewarded. No matter what anyone else says, nothing will replace the satisfaction of discharging your duty properly. There will be other senior guards who would scorn you for putting in such effort, and in the end it'll be you who decides what's worth your time -- but I hope you'll think seriously about what your honor is worth. That's all any of us have."

[Sisara]

Though a bit surprised that he had actually agreed with her and was almost being lenient about her lack of complete memorisation of everything there was to learn, Sisara didn’t show it. The fact however that he also admitted that others wouldn’t agree with her learning what was written in the books made her wonder why this was. And one thing she was sure of. Honour wasn’t the only thing a guard was supposed to have, or the only thing she had at least.

“If honour is the only thing a Guard has, in the end, then that is not a lot. I would have guessed that loyalty, a brain and above all a good heart would be important values as well.” As soon as she had said the words, she turned her head away from Tasza, presumably to look at a merchant yelling at his servant boy for dropping some of the wares on the ground. It wasn’t an interesting fight as such but since it was with a raised voice, she figured it would at least give her an alibi not to take in Tasza’s facial expression. She didn’t know how he would take what she had just said, but she also knew that she believed that a Guard should truly have more than just a bit of honour. Even a street kid had honour, if of a different kind, so this should really not be the only thing to set Guards and brutes – as he put it – apart.

[Sinuvarakoon Tasza]

Tasza snorted. "That's what honor is." He looked where Sisara looked, and sighed. He changed directions with a muttered, "Honor is such a misunderstood thing here. Follow me." He walked up to the merchant, and it seemed as if he gained a few inches during the approach; he drew on some unidentifiable something that made the transition from patrolman to Guard.

The merchant, for his part, seemed to lose some inches. It gave the boy some bit of pluck, though it seemed he didn't understand the same certain something his employer -- if such a word could be used -- did. Before the merchant could launch into a salvo to work his dissembling ways, Tasza cut him off. "Master Barello, it is always good to see you doing good business so early in the morning. However, it is very clearly posted that there is to be no solicitations within the interior of the Civic Court's boundaries. I am sure that you perhaps forgot that in the flush of your argument with the lad, here, and are presently on your way out. I am sure that I will not need to be informing you of which section of the codebooks on appropriate merchant venues that you would be violating by selling your wares here, or the corresponding fines and possible suspensions or community service?"

[Sisara]

What? For a moment, Sisara didn’t know what to say. How could that be honour? It was everything but. The woman mulled this over while following her partner towards the merchant she had been observing. Or was she really so deluded and didn’t even know what honour really meant?
Maybe he confused a good heart with doing good in general, but she couldn’t be sure. Honour in her book had been something else but apparently for him it encompassed what she had listed as other qualities. It was a little disconcerting.

She had to hand it to Tasza however. The way he reprimanded the merchant without actually saying anything was rather impressive. Maybe those texts did have something good. At least she could make an impression on gullible people with it, as it seemed to be working perfectly well now. However, she was more interested in the boy. He was scrambling to get everything off the floor again but somehow didn’t manage to keep it all in his arms anymore. Frantically, he tried to scrape it all together and pick it up as one but he almost broke a few things in the process.

“Here,” Sisara said, lowering herself into a crouch. The boy just stared at her with large eyes. “Let me help.” Placing the larger items into the boy’s arms, she then proceeded to arrange the smaller ones on top in a way that should hopefully keep them from tumbling off again. Once the boy had finally gotten over being dumbstruck, his face smoothed over the panicked and scared expression, turning into a wide smile.

[Sinuvarakoon Tasza]

Master Barello was not the sort to crumble under pressure. If he was, he wouldn't have dared step foot beyond the boundaries that marked the Civic Court as off limits to his sort. He didn't stumble over his words, or otherwise appear nervous; if anything the merchant looked about as if quite surprised to find himself past where he should be. "Oh dear me, of course not," Barello said. "It is, as you surmised, a simple misunderstanding. We will be out of your hair in but a moment. Henric." The last was spoken in an entirely different tone of voice. Tasza didn't care much for it, but as it was something that was not under his ability to regulate, he didn't react to it.

The boy was a different story. His reaction to his name was a flinch, his shoulders rising up and curving inwards. Tasza knew the posture, and knew what it meant, but there was nothing to be done for it. He watched Sisara, and said to the merchant, "See that you remain on the correct side of the boundary, unless you have proper business within the Court. Good day, Master Barello."

"Good day, Guardsman Tasza."

A flicker of irritation sped down Tasza's left shoulder, culminating in the start of an itch. It was a common misconception that his first name was his last name, or else a reaction to the difficulty of memorizing or pronouncing his last name. It was one area that did provoke a response in Tasza -- that being that he tended to call other people by the familiarity of their first names rather than their last. A small rebellion, and one that typically went wholly unnoticed by his peers and superiors, but there it was. He let it go as he watched Barello touch the back of the boy's shoulder and propel him forward towards the main entrance into the court. He watched to make sure they did indeed make it out, rather than take another unplanned detour somewhere else within the expanse. Merchants took exactly as much leeway as you gave them, but if they knew you were watching they would play by the rules. Another unspoken law in the universe. Something else that had everything to do with honor that was purposefully (or intrinsically) misunderstood and changed depending on whose point of view you were taken. Tasza had learned all too much about that.

"It is useful to know the laws and codes," he said, his voice quiet. Barello made it past the entrance and back into the throng of merchants whose sole purpose as merchants was to sell various supplies and other useless things to the various magistrates and clerks and whoever else worked in the court.

[Sisara]

“I can see that,” Sisara replied, her voice matching Tasza’s. “I’ll remember this.” And she meant it too. She didn’t just say this to make him think he had imparted some sort of wisdom on her, but she actually intended to get her back into learning the texts so that she could use them to her advantage. Rare would be the people who tried to speak up against a guard who was able to quote the exact articles and regulations that had been or were about to be violated.

“Henric is scared of him.” She didn’t know why those words suddenly came out but it was too late to stop them. She also knew that there was nothing that they could do about this as guards, but she didn’t have to like it. “Maybe that’s something the guard should start taking into consideration. The way merchants treat their assistants and apprentices.” Though of course, she was certain that this wouldn’t be happening any time soon, if at all. Her eyes had followed the merchant as well but rather in an attempt to keep an eye on the boy rather than to see what the man himself was going to do.

[Sinuvarakoon Tasza]

"It is not the small and downtrodden who make the laws. It is the big and powerful, and they do not well remember or know what it is to be small and downtrodden. But sometimes, there are places where a law may be stretched to cover those without power to help themselves. If you know how."

Tasza looked away from Henric, from the situation that he was unable to do anything about. "Of course, there are always those among the Guard who take matters into their own hands. It is not a path I follow."

He wondered if he was supposed to be frank with those new to the ranks. He wondered if anyone cared, or if it was simply one more thing to tuck under the rug when appropriate. He could not rightly say the Guard was corrupted through, for their Captain was an upright and just man, but there were times when he questioned his choice, when he wondered if his father had been right to cast him out of the family. If his siblings were still right to deny him entry back into their lives.

[Sisara]

“And why not?” Sisara enquired, intrigued by his reply. “If you tell me that there is a way to stretch the ways of the Guard to do a bit of good in matters the rich and powerful seem to have forgotten about, then why not do it?” She wasn’t accusing him and she hoped the question didn’t come out that way, but she was genuinely wondering why he wouldn’t do it if he could, especially since he seemed to believe that the Guard’s rules were lacking in that area.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, a plan was beginning to form but it was far from taking proper shape, but at least it was something to consider and maybe to act upon at a later date. She would first have to make sure she would actually be able to stay in the Guard and live up to expectations. So far, it wasn’t looking too bad but she was still fairly new to everything and having to handle so many men was proving to be harder than she’d hoped. At least on patrol there was only one guy. One she could handle easily.

Dutifully, she let her eyes roam over the crowd again but she wasn’t really seeing anymore. She didn’t really care at that moment how many adults were trying to be visible, to be seen by others, how many merchants were milling about. What her eyes spotted were the children.

[Sinuvarakoon Tasza]

Tasza shifted his shoulders as his skin continued to prickle. "It is wrong to break the law. I have and will continue to do what I may within the bounds of the law, but I will not compromise myself on a road that does not benefit anyone in the end. That way lies a crusade of selfish impulse."

[Sisara]

“I wouldn’t call it selfish to help someone who is too helpless to defend themselves or are dependent on their jobs and cannot defy their masters even though they’re being treated like dirt.” Sisara replied, almost in a huff.

This guy was just weird. Really, what was his problem? One moment she thought he was genuinely on the right track with his attitude and view as a guard, and in the next, he was an idiot again, almost ruining the good impression he’d made with other things he’d said. Either he wanted to do the right thing or not.

“You just said yourself that you can bend the law in just the right way if you know how. Bending isn’t breaking.”

[Sinuvarakoon Tasza]

Tasza remained silent in the face of Sisara's opinion. Being of the female gender, he knew she would not be able to consider an opinion beside her own; it would be a waste of breath and time to even try. The latter, however, he saw no issue in clarifying. "There is a marked difference between bending laws and going into another individual's home and bending his arm the wrong way. There is likewise a difference between using legal, if questionable, methods to aid an individual in need and bypassing those same laws altogether."

[Sisara]

Sisara just looked dead ahead, trying to keep a straight face. But in her head she was screaming. What?!? She hadn’t understood a word he’d just said since it had made absolutely no sense whatsoever in her mind, at least not in relation to what they had been discussing. Of course bending laws and bending someone’s arm the wrong way wasn’t the same, but how was that even at all relevant?

Shaking her head almost imperceptibly, she decided to not say anything. What was there to say anyhow? He apparently didn’t want to understand what she was saying or asking, so why should she bother replying to this nonsense. If he had wanted to achieve her being quiet, well then he had done a good job.

Her eyes were back to roaming over the crowd with a clearer look and she didn’t let her gaze linger on the children longer than necessary. She would only make herself unhappy if she saw any more incidents like the one with Henric. Not sure quite what to do, she kept walking and looking and studiously ignoring Tasza.

[Sinuvarakoon Tasza]

Had she understood? Tasza thought she might have, for she didn't seem to have more questions. In any case, he didn't see a point of lecturing her further while she had already seen and heard enough to keep her thinking. He encouraged thinking in the men and women sent to him, over the years, for their on-the-job experience. Even if he resented the change in his schedule, the boring beats, or time away from a schedule and a rhythm that he found enjoyable, he could not deny that the chance to change someone for the better -- even if that person was a woman -- was somewhat intoxicating of a thought. If they chose to go a different route from his own he was not discouraged (though, perhaps, there was some irritation in there). That was something he expected. His way was the exception, not the norm, and it was only through acceptance of that fact that he had made it as far as he did. Not that he didn't still have altercations, of course. He was not perfect, though he desperately wanted to be.

Time passed slowly, and Tasza managed it as he always did. The girl did not speak again, and he found himself wondering if he had managed to anger her, or disturb her in some way. The moods of women were fickle things; one day you might tell them something and they would laugh, and the next you would find yourself the target of anger so complete that it would be better to go swimming in a river during the rainy season than stick around. The most he could do was his job, and without any more incidents disturbing their regular circuits of the Court and the area just outside it, there was no real reason to poke the hornet's nest.

He spoke only when he saw Lanton approaching them. "Ah, here we are. Last to the meal ticket today." It was because she was new to the Guard. Lowest rankers tended to get the worst times for a food break. Not that scheduling mattered in the end -- should anything untoward happened while you were eating or relaxing, you'd be going right back on patrol. "It's best to eat near to where you're on the beat, as you want to be close if you're needed. Here, I've found that the merchants are already set up to feed the pen-pushers in the Court, and so it makes the most sense to eat from the stalls."

Lanton said upon closing the distance, "I've got your patrol. Go eat."
"You're on," Tasza replied, turning from where they'd been walking to head towards the front entrance to the court. "Guardsman Sisara, you're free to go where you'd like for food, but if you're willing I'll show you some of my favorites from the vendors."

[Sisara]

Lunch break was a welcome distraction and Sisara didn’t need to be told twice about the stalls set up all around the place. The smells had been wafting to her nose for quite a while now, making her stomach growl regularly and her mouth water. She would have to learn to get a grip on that! It was almost embarrassing.

When Lanton shooed them off, she thanked him and instantly dropped into a more relaxed posture, only to almost freeze again when Tasza offered to show her some of his favourite places for food. Not that she was still angry at the man or that there was any reason why they shouldn’t eat together but it struck her as a little odd that he would take his free time to show a new recruit where to eat well.

And she honestly could have used a bit of time off, but hell, if it was about good food, then she was in! “That would be nice, thanks! Some of these have been smelling so good for far too long already,” Sisara admitted when she fell into step next to Tasza. “A very different kind of torture almost. Please tell me that you get used to smelling but not being allowed to eat?”

Just like that, conversation seemed easy again and she hoped that something wasn’t going to come up to ruin their lunch break, whether work interruption or unnecessary comments from either of them. “Does it happen often? Being called back to work during your breaks, I mean.”

[Sinuvarakoon Tasza]

Order was appreciated. Tasza relaxed when she accepted his offer, glad for the chance to keep to a regular schedule rather than need to wait to see if she'd show up on time, or have a call come in and need to respond or, worse, find her first. There were always the few well-intentioned (or bad-intentioned, though those were few and far between) recruits who would toddle off to lunch only to show up several minutes past the end of the lunch break full of apologies and excuses. Timeliness was part of order. It was always much simpler when a pair assigned to beat stuck together until their job was through or they were required to split up by some quirk of their beat duty.

"You don't, I'm afraid," Tasza said. He didn't smile, but his tone was warmer than it had been the last time they'd spoken some hours previous. "Here, do you like spicy food?" It took all of five steps past the exit of the Court to one of his favorite stalls. They always kept the same spots, each holding a deed to a strictly designated space for their use. Competition for such spots was hot and fierce, and the deeds were treasured to the point of being family heirlooms to those who had been around long enough. Most of them had. New faces outside of the typical vendor families were not often seen, and when they were it could be assured that something nasty (strictly legal or not) had happened behind closed doors.

There were two people ahead of them in line, and Tasza took the time presented to respond to Sisara's question. "It really depends on your beat. The Business District from midday to dusk is a field of unresolved incidents waiting to boil over. The Industrial District is typically quiet, but when something happens in there that requires a guard, it's usually nasty and time consuming. Here, it's almost a guarantee that you'll be able to eat lunch at your leisure. Sometimes it depends on the season, on the month, on particular events -- over time you'll get a feel for when you can expect to take your time and when you'll need to be on your toes. However, no matter how certain you are of something, there's always a chance for the unexpected to happen -- that is the only thing you can completely rely upon. That's why it's a good idea to carry dry rations with you; if it's necessary and possible you'll then be able to eat on the move." His lips twitched, "It's not a pretty thing, and it's not something I recommend except in the event that you need energy due to the unflattering image it portrays of a guardsman on duty, but it's better to do that then faint from hunger at the end of a long or extended shift."