up with me, jingling discordantly, “How can you tell?”
I worked the knots out of my jaw, desperately trying to keep my voice light and easy going, “The plants were growing through the ash. There were a few saplings, less than an inch wide and hip height.”
Theodemar the walking chime came to a complete stop, turned back to look backwards, and then caught up to me as I palmed water out of the pool to my mouth. “Sir, sir? How did you know… I mean, I understand how you know, but how did you see…? What I mean to say is: why did you notice that?”
I stubbornly brought another clear handful of water to my face, but inside I saw a tadpole trying to find a way out. I dropped the water as my stomach turned. “I don’t know.”
Gelia walked up to the well, a silver decanter held in her wrinkled fists like a weapon. Her face was set in an expression of cold stone, “The mistress commands a word.”
Commands ? I swallowed a growl and folded my grimace into a smile, “Of course, good priestess.”
Of course she commands a word; she can theoretically command anything she wants . I comforted myself with the idea that other than the few boys, she was in charge of a nun, two horses and a cat. Any noble could command the wind, but unless they parted their legs and made it themselves it did them little good. Those thoughts sustained my temper as I made my way to the carriage window. My only source of annoyance now was that Theodemar decided to follow at my side like a puppy in plate armor.
“Sir?” Lady Aelia pushed back the curtains, lips pursed in mid thought, “You know you are going to have to come up with something to call you except for ‘swordsman’, ‘sir’, or ‘you, there’.”
I bowed slightly, “I will endeavor to pick out something appropriate, Lady.”
“Very good.” Her eyes probed my cherubic features, having caught a whiff of sarcasm and seeking out the source, proving again she was more perceptive than I would have guessed, “I watched you range bravely ahead approaching the ruin. It seems to me a fine idea. You should take one of the guards and keep watch ahead in case of more banditry.”
I smiled sweetly, “Of course, good Lady”
She matched my expression, and I wondered if there was also a mirrored hostility beneath it, “Carry on, then.”
I bowed and backed off from the carriage, feeling my insides twist a bit. I walked out back to the road and looked down the curving road, cursing my bad luck. It was one thing to walk while others got to ride, it was another to be forced to walk twice the distance, ranging back and forth to sweep for trouble. Not to mention winding up the first one into the bear trap if there was an ambush. I considered just going off into the woods and leaving them completely. To my north and west were the Ridge Mountains. To the East was Sorrow Woods, a place not named because of the light and airy denizens of the dark hollows and swampy valleys. The only convenient way was southward. In that case, I might as way tag along.
Again, within seconds there was the telltale sound of a thousand cats made of empty cans pouncing on one another. I took a deep breath to steady myself. Theodemar was the nearest thing the Lady Aelia had to a guard captain, or a lieutenant, or a sergeant. Considering their ages, they were barely footmen. He was the first to enter Aelia’s service amongst his peers, and so now leadership fell to him. At least it should have.
“Are we ready to forge ahead, Hero?”
Heat pulsed behind my eyes, and I could not completely remove the wasps from my voice, “First: never call me that again. Second: We are not ready. Third: We are not going. I am going. You stay with the carriage.”
Theodemar set his face into a picture perfect expression of young (read: ignorant)
I worked the knots out of my jaw, desperately trying to keep my voice light and easy going, “The plants were growing through the ash. There were a few saplings, less than an inch wide and hip height.”
Theodemar the walking chime came to a complete stop, turned back to look backwards, and then caught up to me as I palmed water out of the pool to my mouth. “Sir, sir? How did you know… I mean, I understand how you know, but how did you see…? What I mean to say is: why did you notice that?”
I stubbornly brought another clear handful of water to my face, but inside I saw a tadpole trying to find a way out. I dropped the water as my stomach turned. “I don’t know.”
Gelia walked up to the well, a silver decanter held in her wrinkled fists like a weapon. Her face was set in an expression of cold stone, “The mistress commands a word.”
Commands ? I swallowed a growl and folded my grimace into a smile, “Of course, good priestess.”
Of course she commands a word; she can theoretically command anything she wants . I comforted myself with the idea that other than the few boys, she was in charge of a nun, two horses and a cat. Any noble could command the wind, but unless they parted their legs and made it themselves it did them little good. Those thoughts sustained my temper as I made my way to the carriage window. My only source of annoyance now was that Theodemar decided to follow at my side like a puppy in plate armor.
“Sir?” Lady Aelia pushed back the curtains, lips pursed in mid thought, “You know you are going to have to come up with something to call you except for ‘swordsman’, ‘sir’, or ‘you, there’.”
I bowed slightly, “I will endeavor to pick out something appropriate, Lady.”
“Very good.” Her eyes probed my cherubic features, having caught a whiff of sarcasm and seeking out the source, proving again she was more perceptive than I would have guessed, “I watched you range bravely ahead approaching the ruin. It seems to me a fine idea. You should take one of the guards and keep watch ahead in case of more banditry.”
I smiled sweetly, “Of course, good Lady”
She matched my expression, and I wondered if there was also a mirrored hostility beneath it, “Carry on, then.”
I bowed and backed off from the carriage, feeling my insides twist a bit. I walked out back to the road and looked down the curving road, cursing my bad luck. It was one thing to walk while others got to ride, it was another to be forced to walk twice the distance, ranging back and forth to sweep for trouble. Not to mention winding up the first one into the bear trap if there was an ambush. I considered just going off into the woods and leaving them completely. To my north and west were the Ridge Mountains. To the East was Sorrow Woods, a place not named because of the light and airy denizens of the dark hollows and swampy valleys. The only convenient way was southward. In that case, I might as way tag along.
Again, within seconds there was the telltale sound of a thousand cats made of empty cans pouncing on one another. I took a deep breath to steady myself. Theodemar was the nearest thing the Lady Aelia had to a guard captain, or a lieutenant, or a sergeant. Considering their ages, they were barely footmen. He was the first to enter Aelia’s service amongst his peers, and so now leadership fell to him. At least it should have.
“Are we ready to forge ahead, Hero?”
Heat pulsed behind my eyes, and I could not completely remove the wasps from my voice, “First: never call me that again. Second: We are not ready. Third: We are not going. I am going. You stay with the carriage.”
Theodemar set his face into a picture perfect expression of young (read: ignorant)
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