her.
Feeling fairly confident, Tazi one day decided to filch something from Erevis Cale’s room. While most of the staff and even a few of her family were somewhat intimidated by the new butler, Tazi was fascinated by the gaunt man. She didn’t hesitate to sneak into his quarters.
Even then, Cale kept his personal effects to the barye essentials. The young Tazi was somewhat disappointed that there were such slim pickings in his bedroom. Her eyes lit up, however, when she caught sight of his pine trunk. Finding it locked, Tazi took out a crude pick and began to work on the catch, certain that there would be something of value hidden inside.
This was the sight Cale discovered when he walked into his room.
“Having some trouble?” he asked the young Thazienne.
“As a matter of fact, this lock of yours is giving me a difficult time,” she replied, not showing a hint of surprise or fear at being caught.
Cale walked over to where Tazi was kneeling, crossed his arms over his chest and fixed her with his most menacing expression. The effect it generated was not what Cale expected. Tazi looked up at him for a moment, solemnly, then clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles that threatened to escape. She could see Cale was momentarily caught off guard by her reaction, but he quickly recovered.
“So it appears I have found the rat that has been pilfering the mansion coffers for the last few tendays,” he said.
“It seems you have,” Tazi replied, matching him measure for measure.
‘ She could see that a part of him was not angry with her at all. In fact, she thought he was even a little pleased with her response. She stood up, but even though she was tall for her age, Tazi came well short of Cale’s six-foot-two frame. She had to crane her neck to look up at him better.
Cale stared at the black-haired Thazienne for a moment with an unreadable look on his face, as though he were weighing several options. He reached down and took the lock pick from Tazi’s unresisting fingers. Tazi watched as he turned it this way and that in his hand, scrutinizing it closely. A small part of her dreaded the fact that she was going to have to explain herself to her mother and father after Cale turned her in. Her mind was already racing for a good excuse when Cale interrupted her scheming.
“Do you think your parents will be pleased with the ‘hobby’ you’ve taken up?” he asked.
Now was the time for Tazi to start laying some kind of groundwork for the story she would later spin for her parents in her bid to escape punishment. But she found she didn’t want to play the tearful, contrite child for Cale.
“I didn’t do any of this for them or what they might think of me. I did it for me and me alone. It seemed the” she paused, searching for the right word”natural thing for me to do.”
Cale slowly handed the pick back to Tazi.
“This is really very poor quality,” he observed, noting that he had startled the young girl by his actions. “If this is going to be the kind of life you chose for yourself, then you should do your best.”
Tazi’s jaw dropped open when he offered his support and Cale couldn’t help but smile.
The smile softened his chiseled features and he looked very young to Tazi just then as she realized he was only twenty or so. Without thinking, she playfully jabbed him in the side as she often did her younger brother, Talbot, when he pulled a good prank on her.
“All right,” he said, seeming to ignore her touch, “let’s gather up your things. Your first lesson will be the value of proper tools,” he told Tazi as he escorted her from his chambers.
Tazi turned and glanced back at his trunk. “What about that lock?” she asked with a quick jerk of her head. Cale led her from the room.
“We’ll save that one for another day. It is far trickier than it appears.”
Tazi walked over to that same trunk so many years later, still smiling from her reverie. A low voice
Feeling fairly confident, Tazi one day decided to filch something from Erevis Cale’s room. While most of the staff and even a few of her family were somewhat intimidated by the new butler, Tazi was fascinated by the gaunt man. She didn’t hesitate to sneak into his quarters.
Even then, Cale kept his personal effects to the barye essentials. The young Tazi was somewhat disappointed that there were such slim pickings in his bedroom. Her eyes lit up, however, when she caught sight of his pine trunk. Finding it locked, Tazi took out a crude pick and began to work on the catch, certain that there would be something of value hidden inside.
This was the sight Cale discovered when he walked into his room.
“Having some trouble?” he asked the young Thazienne.
“As a matter of fact, this lock of yours is giving me a difficult time,” she replied, not showing a hint of surprise or fear at being caught.
Cale walked over to where Tazi was kneeling, crossed his arms over his chest and fixed her with his most menacing expression. The effect it generated was not what Cale expected. Tazi looked up at him for a moment, solemnly, then clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles that threatened to escape. She could see Cale was momentarily caught off guard by her reaction, but he quickly recovered.
“So it appears I have found the rat that has been pilfering the mansion coffers for the last few tendays,” he said.
“It seems you have,” Tazi replied, matching him measure for measure.
‘ She could see that a part of him was not angry with her at all. In fact, she thought he was even a little pleased with her response. She stood up, but even though she was tall for her age, Tazi came well short of Cale’s six-foot-two frame. She had to crane her neck to look up at him better.
Cale stared at the black-haired Thazienne for a moment with an unreadable look on his face, as though he were weighing several options. He reached down and took the lock pick from Tazi’s unresisting fingers. Tazi watched as he turned it this way and that in his hand, scrutinizing it closely. A small part of her dreaded the fact that she was going to have to explain herself to her mother and father after Cale turned her in. Her mind was already racing for a good excuse when Cale interrupted her scheming.
“Do you think your parents will be pleased with the ‘hobby’ you’ve taken up?” he asked.
Now was the time for Tazi to start laying some kind of groundwork for the story she would later spin for her parents in her bid to escape punishment. But she found she didn’t want to play the tearful, contrite child for Cale.
“I didn’t do any of this for them or what they might think of me. I did it for me and me alone. It seemed the” she paused, searching for the right word”natural thing for me to do.”
Cale slowly handed the pick back to Tazi.
“This is really very poor quality,” he observed, noting that he had startled the young girl by his actions. “If this is going to be the kind of life you chose for yourself, then you should do your best.”
Tazi’s jaw dropped open when he offered his support and Cale couldn’t help but smile.
The smile softened his chiseled features and he looked very young to Tazi just then as she realized he was only twenty or so. Without thinking, she playfully jabbed him in the side as she often did her younger brother, Talbot, when he pulled a good prank on her.
“All right,” he said, seeming to ignore her touch, “let’s gather up your things. Your first lesson will be the value of proper tools,” he told Tazi as he escorted her from his chambers.
Tazi turned and glanced back at his trunk. “What about that lock?” she asked with a quick jerk of her head. Cale led her from the room.
“We’ll save that one for another day. It is far trickier than it appears.”
Tazi walked over to that same trunk so many years later, still smiling from her reverie. A low voice
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