“He was waiting outside the bar the whole time, watching the fight. Had he thought for one minute that Uncle Hauk couldn’t handle them, he would have run back in, regardless of what it cost him. It was that very fight that led to Uncle Syn dubbing him the Andarion Tactical Assault Monkey, because Uncle Hauk had been laughing and enjoying the fight the whole time. Completely calm and in control. Unfazed. Syn said that at one point during the fight, Uncle Hauk had ripped a piece of pipe from the bar itself to beat down one of his attackers who came after him with a machete.”

Darice passed a doubtful look to Thia. “Is that really true?”

She placed her hand over her heart and bowed her head – the Andarion gesture for honesty. “On my ancestors’ honor. My father has said repeatedly that no one is better in a fight than Uncle Hauk. Even he would think twice before challenging him to a brawl… and that he’d never be dumb enough to do it alone, or sober.”

Darice shook his head as if he still couldn’t believe it. “That is so different from the stories I’ve heard of him. From what I’ve seen of him.”

Thia gave him an agitated smirk. “That’s because you haven’t seen his fighting side, Darice. You’ve only seen Uncle Hauk with elders, family, and females. And you’re right, he’s very different with your mother and yaya and paran. For that matter, he’s very, very different with me and any woman or child. He’s respectful of the fact that he’s a terrifying individual, with an incredible amount of strength. My stepmother said that the first time she was left alone with him, she almost wet her pants and locked herself in her room for the day.”

His eyes widened in anger. “When was she alone with him?”

“Oh shut up!” Thia snapped irritably. “Stop with that Andarion male bullshit. He was guarding her from assassins. He didn’t touch her. At all. And the fact that my father left him alone with my stepmother tells you just how much faith he has in Uncle Hauk’s abilities. Believe me, my daddy is the most paranoid, overprotective lunatic you’ve ever heard of… second only maybe to Shahara. In all honesty, I’m surprised I’m not required to harness myself to the bed at night for his fear I might roll out of it in my sleep and bruise a knee.”

Sumi laughed.

“You think I’m kidding… He really is that bad.”

But in spite of what Thia said, Sumi was terrified for Dancer and what he was facing.

Why do you care? If he survives, Kyr will do a lot worse to him than the assassins with him now. All they’ll do is kill him.

Kyr would torture him first.