Yona leaned forward, then stood, hands on the desk. Though as old as his mother, there seemed to be much more of a wear to her, the weathering of age flecked across her hands and eyes. But it was gentle, almost elegant. The signs of age that had proved a life of work and travel.
She observed Ren for a moment more, then held out her hand. "Hand me the mask, young arbiter."
Looking down to his hand, Ren paused when he realized that it was still there. Hesitating, he handed the mask over. Evelyn shifted, moving to lean her elbows on her knees, suddenly far more interested in the conversation.
"Evie," Yona said, "Is there something you wanted?"
Evelyn tilted her head. "No…"
Smiling, Yona placed the mask face-down on the desk. "Care to help your aging mother, dear child?"
Evelyn was by her mother's side in an instant. "You're going to Inscribe it?"
Yona nodded. "Concealment."
"You were practicing…" Evelyn muttered as she put the pieces together.
Ren cleared his throat. "So I just… Sit here until you're done? How long could that take?"
Yona sighed. "Hours. It will require a lot more to make it last indefinitely."
"How is that possible?"
Evelyn rolled her eyes, "No two Inscriptions are the same. Some can be used longer, others destroy the material they're inscribed on, and some enhance the material in some way. The only common thing is that it has to be done with…"
"Valisite Ink," Ren finished, "Yes. I know what Valisite is. I'm displaced, not stupid."
Evelyn, standing and leaning on the desk beside her mother, raised an eyebrow. "Good," She smirked, " Then I don't have to waste my breath."
Yona, meanwhile, had taken to tracing the mask with her fingers, the leather padding around the eyes, the wood that rested on Ren's high cheek bones. Intent was written in her features as she studied it, drawing imaginary patterns along the wood, clearly mentally going through each stroke of Ink, each movement across the exposed paint.
Finally, Evelyn turned back, watching her mother work with some quiet awe. "Why concealment, then?"
"His identity is going to be a problem. We need him to be unrecognizable." Yona responded, "Unfortunately, such a thing would require a Spirit with the strength of at least the Fifth Mark to make it last forever, and the only Mark structure that could produce that effect would be along the Justice and Mercy Pillars."
Evelyn sighed. "No luck, then. Of the Sparrows, we've only gotten three along those Pillars." She thought for a moment, then grinned, "What if we got father to Harvest one of their abilities?"
Yona hesitated, tracing her fingers along the wood. "It would be almost as potent as we need, then, but there's no way I could inverse the deactivation."
Groaning, Evelyn turned, elbows landing on the wood of the desk as she bent over backward, looking at Ren upside-down, studying him. "And we don't have any Observationalists to make it passive…" She stood upright. "I'm going to go get Felicity. Have you eaten, mother?"
"Felicity? With the young arbiter here?"
Evelyn shook her head. "...I just won't bring her inside."
Ren frowned, but kept quiet. There was no point interrupting. Worse, he understood little of what they were talking about. However… "Miss Yona…" Ren asked carefully, "Are you Marked?"
Both women's eyes snapped over to Ren. Then, Evelyn's lips twitched upward. "Of course she is."
"Evie."
Sighing, Evelyn turned to her mother, "What? It's not like I have to be all deep and mysterious all the time. Can't I have a little levity? Like Silas?"
"Your brother needs to take things more seriously."
"He runs the Sparrows!"
"And you're the primary midwife," Yona reminded her daughter, "Responsibility doesn't always give you permission to be rude to guests. Especially ones as honored as our young arbiter."
"Ren," He muttered, interrupting, "My name is Ren."
Yona paused, then smiled softly, "Of course. I'm sorry, Ren."
"Silas called him Venture," Evelyn interjected, "After making fun of him."
Bristling at the comment, Yona shook her head. "I really wish he wouldn't do that."
Turning to her, Evelyn shrugged, "Felicity thinks he's funny."
Raising an eyebrow, Yona sighed, "Yes, she does. But the poor girl couldn't live without anyone here."
Leaning his head back against the wall, feeling the carriage rumble beneath it, Ren sighed. He was going to be stuck here for some time, wasn't he? Still, it wasn't the worst thing in the world. It was warm inside the cabin, at least, and their banter wasn't that annoying. In the very least, it reminded him of when his mother and sister used to talk about nothing and everything all at once.
"I'm still hungry, though. I'm getting Felicity, and she's going to bring over some salted meat." Evelyn said, stretching her arms over her head. Then, she pushed out the door, hopped out of the wagon, and sprinted ahead.
In her haste, Evelyn had left the door swinging open. So Yona strode across the cabin, closed the door, and turned to Ren. "She's not usually like this."
Grunting, Ren stared at the closed door for some time, then met Yona's gaze. "I don't understand her."
Yona laughed softly, "If any of us did, we'd be far better off."
Ren scoffed, then turned to the mask. "And this… Mask…."
Walking back over to her desk, Yona plucked some tools from her wall. "Will make for a fine tool. Once I've Inscribed it, your identity will be concealed in one way or another."
"Is my identity so dangerous?"
Yona's fingers tapped along the desk as she pulled out some charcoal, gently drawing along the mask. "The fallen heir of a House in decline. The minor Houses they govern with their embassies have grown tired of the morals they strictly adhere to."
Ren bristled, watching her work. "Our supporters would've–"
"No, Ren, they wouldn't have." Turning to him, she shook her head. "When was the last outing you had outside of the Grand City?"
Silence filled the room. Truth be told, the last time he'd been outside of the Grand City hadn't been since he was fourteen, travelling only a short distance to a minor House so Ren could train and study under them for 'practical experience'. Shaking his head, Ren looked at his feet. Before then, he used to travel with his family to various parts of the nation as a small child. Once or twice a year they'd march with a noble caravan that would arrive at topical destinations within a month.
"I see," Yona continued, "That often the ease of privilege often blinds those to what happens below them. Such is why I ran from home."
Blinking, Ren looked up at Yona. "You're exiled, too."
"I may not have manifested the Outcast, child, but I understand what it means to walk a world unfamiliar."
"Right."
Yona chuckled, "Many people feel alone, young Elren, but it is a lucky few who Manifest the Outcast."
"What are you implying, Sorceress?" Ren said, leaning forward, eyes sharpening at her comment. "This brand marks me unlawful to my birthright."
"That the Creators seem to have something they need you for. The Outcast is rare. Weak, perhaps, but rare." She finally finished marking the wood with charcoal, then sat back at her desk. "Shall we wait for the meat? I find myself feeling peckish."
Ren sighed, once again leaning back against the wall. "Does that mean I'm meeting Felicity?"
Yona's smile tightened. "We should probably teach you how to use Inscriptions, shouldn't we?"