by P. S. Power
So, what should he do?
He decided on some old tried and true fields. Flying rigs and shields. If he hurried he could have a hundred of each ready by dinner, provided his field was as healthy as it seemed. If not… well, that would suck, but he could always do less if need be. Small batches, or maybe just focus on meditation for a while, trying to strengthen his pattern? That should work in theory, he thought. It would be interesting to try sometime.
The work went quickly, even on such large batches. He used deep level focus, but not the deepest he could manage now. Doing that tended to shift his own pattern too much. This way he could nudge the magical imprint into place a bit more slowly and without influencing himself that deeply in response. The truth was, in a small way at least, to make a magical device, you had to make part of your own pattern become the field you need. It was why he was better at copying fields he knew well, he understood suddenly. Then you used your own information, what caused you to have real form and be unique, as leverage to pry what you were working on into a new shape.
Still, just a little over two hours later he had two small boxes floating next to him in the air with bundles of flying rigs and shields like he'd planned. When he checked his own field he found… that he was fine. It was easy to feel the fields he'd just made within himself still, but they were fading fast and his own was taking precedence again. Good. As long as he allowed full recovery between work sessions he should be all right. Getting up to stretch he jumped as the door latch, a magical lock that he'd made years ago, suddenly flipped open and the door pushed in without hesitation.
Standing in the doorway was a giant filling the whole space, nearly totally. Red hair, still fairly short compared to Tor's own girlishly long locks, lean frame dressed in brown canvas, and standing nearly seven foot two now.
Rolph.
Tor didn't freak out or jump up and tackle the man, since they'd last hung out not two days before. Instead Tor tilted his head and considered the situation.
“You know Rolph, I don't think you're really going to be able to pull of the “Rolph Merchant” disguise much longer. Do merchants ever get to be over six-eight or so?”
Laughing his friend winked.
“Depends on who their dad is, doesn't it? I should be all right for now. Well, except that I'm rooming with the Wizard Tor. With all the freshmen girls beating down our door to get to you, I'll probably never get any sleep. Speaking of never getting any sleep, how’s Ali? I know you two planned on your own house…”
Tor explained his finding her with Ridley and tried to chuckle, though he actually felt a little jealous about the whole thing. Not to mention the invitation thing that happened because he was too stupid to find a cleaver way out of it. Rolph nodded and for once didn't laugh at his lack of noble knowledge.
“Well, you can just both have sex with her, it doesn't have to even be at the same time, and it will still count. You don't have to really do anything with him even. Just mention it to him first, when you're alone sometime. Let him know that you're friends and all, and that you don't mind sharing, but that you aren't into men. He'll understand, Ridley's good that way.” It was said as if the whole thing was perfectly normal.
Gah.
The large man's luggage followed him in, cases that Tor had made himself, but decorated to be very plain, looking like polished wood, but with no real decorations. It was about what any rich Merchant kid would have, except the part where they floated through the air. Even that was explainable, since his roommate made them, and gave them to him for free. It was even the truth, so he could swear it honestly. As he was setting up, Rolph glanced at the two boxes floating by his smaller friend’s bedside.
“What’s that?” A long finger pointed at the boxes, but the expression was a little skeptical. Rolph knew Tor well enough to get that it wasn't a collection of socks for the wash or anything like that.
“Oh, trying my hand at some simple copy work,” Pulling one of the shields out he held it up for inspection. It was dark brown and slick looking, that being the color of focus stone made from dirt in the area, and had a glowing green sigil in the center, an “S” with two lines through it cross ways.
“Flight rigs too. I figure that I can do up a few hundred and that way everyone can learn to fly here. I really want Ali to learn, and Ridley should too, if we’re going to let him be involved in our messes. Plus, everyone should have their own shield, right? I know Burks thinks everything should calm down for a while, but if he's wrong and someone tries to kill one of us I don't want some first year kid dying because I was too lazy or selfish to see to their well being.” Tor let his head come up. He'd done that before, not guarded the people around him like he should and nearly died trying to get everyone else to safety. He'd decided right then and there after the assassins were subdued and he'd finished crying, that no matter what, that wouldn't happen again. Not if it could be helped at all.
That got a low whistle from Rolph.
“Yep, I'm never getting to sleep again. “Oh Master Tor sir, I just love the devices you gave me… can I do anything for you? And I do mean anything.” Yep.” Voice going into a high falsetto the Prince shook his head and wondered if he could get one of those little noise canceling devices Tor made to silence the sex sounds coming from the other bed.
Tor threw his pillow at him, missing horribly, the soft thing landing all the way across the room and resting half against the back wall, half on the floor. The return volley from the tall red head was far more accurate and hit hard enough for his shield to activate and stop. Handy that, Tor thought, not being knocked to the floor for once. Getting up lightly he handed the pillow back on the way past with a soft sigh, retrieving his own before sitting down.
The room was the same size it always had been, but it looked smaller to him now. The wooden walls were plainer, the small desk each of them had to do schoolwork on seemed dingy and poor suddenly. That wasn't right though, it was a perfectly good room. He was just acting spoiled because of all his trips to the palace and his new magical houses.
Grimacing Tor looked around and tried to put his mind in a better frame. It was a good room. This had been the nicest place he'd lived until a little over a year before, it would more than serve. He'd been thinking about putting in one of the new bed devices, but decided against it then. Too much luxury and you stopped appreciating it. This was a good lesson for him, and since school was about learning it would make sense for him to pay attention to it, right?
Rolph suggested that they gather their current people up and go get something to eat. The dining halls weren't open yet, but the town had three good restaurants. Tor half wondered who all their people were, but everyone needed to eat, and spending gold meant that the people working in town would have some to spend and so on. He placed about twenty gold in a small velvet bag made for the purpose and formed a little pocket in his browns to put it in. Rolph shook his head at the amount, but Tor hadn't ever really gone to any of the places in town before and didn't know how many people he’d be paying for. Better to bring a little too much than to not have enough.
They found Alissa in her room with a young girl, also a first year, by the look of her and the fear in her eyes. The girl was thin and plain looking, especially compared to his wife's cute and busty look, they had about the same color light brown hair, almost a dirty blond, but the new girl's was done in the new standard look, a short military style bob. She wore brand new student browns, but was tall enough she was clearly a royal, a noble, of some kind. Alissa met him at the door with a kiss and a musky scent that meant Ridley hadn't been kidding about what they had planned earlier. Rolph got a hug from her, since they were friends now. Not lovers, Tor didn't think, but asking that would be foolish if he didn't want to know. Technically they were to related to get married, but there were things allowed in their circles between distant family members that Tor didn’t think were right at all.
Moving back to Tor, Ali pressed her breasts against his chest and smiled
sweetly at him, already nearly looking him in the eyes. In a year she'd be a few inches taller than him or more and in three years she'd probably be near six-six or so. A giant compared to his five-four. He'd keep growing though and by about three thousand years old he should be about five-nine. The idea was ridiculous, but there it was.
“Tor, Rolph, this is my new roommate, Sheri. Um, Sherilyn Bonner, she's a Ducherina second, youngest in her family. Sheri, this is Rolph Merchant, who studies accounting here, and my husband, Torrance Baker. He's a builder. Also Countier four Lairdgren, but he almost never bothers with titles himself.” Ali sounded proud when introducing him, which made him feel a bit better about the scene earlier. At least she hadn't decided that Tor wasn't worth spending any time with yet. That would make for an uncomfortable marriage to say the least.
Tor smiled at Ali and then the new girl, Sheri. He tried to remember the name. How rude would it be to forget something like that?
“We were just going to go to dinner, would you like to come Sheri? The dining halls are closed until tomorrow at lunch.”
The girl went still and her breath caught. It could mean anything, but Tor had recently become aware of how many spies were around him all the time and decided to take action when he could. Focusing lightly, the girl’s pattern, and thoughts, came out clearly. Not in words or even emotions, but for a moment he knew what she was thinking and feeling. He just knew it.
Uneasy, because this was all new, and a bit ashamed, because her parents hadn't sent her with money for fine dining, just school supplies and some toiletries. If she spent her money now she'd feel that lack later. If she didn't there wouldn't be food for a day. It was a quandary for her. One she couldn't get out of without losing face. Not in her world. She steeled herself though, trying to find the nerve to tell these people she was too poor to go with them, so they wouldn't mistake her reluctance for distaste.
Tor nearly misted up, the emotions were so strong.
“I'm paying for everyone. We may even pick up a couple of others on the way, it'll be fun.” His voice was light and cheery, and out of all of them only Rolph got that something was going on.
Tor wasn't sure that he understood what exactly, but he grinned and looked down, as if feeling sheepish.
“Ah, that's true and I get to pick up the tip, because I kind of lost a bet with Tor… He bet me that he couldn't pick up my sisters. I mean, look at him, they should have been all over him, but no, all decorum and politeness. Go figure. Anyway, this meal is totally covered and for the bet we agreed at least six people had to come with to count.” He spread his hands and shrugged playfully.
Sheri stared and then laughed behind her hand delicately.
“Are you sure they weren't just discrete about it? I can't imagine a lot of women actually say no to him. Torrance? That's a nice name. I'd love to come, thank you.” Relief came out of her in waves and her stomached growled a bit already.
It was a giant thing, they were always hungry and the growing ones were generally worse about it than the adults. Going a day without food for the skinny Ducherina would have been like him going without for two.
Maybe three.
They walked into town, since it wasn't far at all and zipping along using Not-flyers would have been showing off here. In the Capital a few hundred people had them, the devices that let them float about four inches off the ground and travel way faster than could be run. Much more than that if they were military grade ones, which was all he'd bothered giving his friends. Plus Sheri didn't have one yet, so it would have been rude.
On the way they passed Ridley, who was with another young man, both dressed in all black, the material looking soft and expensive. Petra, one of Tor's girlfriends, had told him what it was called, but he couldn't remember the name at the moment. They were invited too, which made Ridley smile and seem pretty happy all things considered. Well, things could have been tense between them, Tor guessed, but it was a simple fact that Ali was going to have sex with other men. And probably women. At least Ridley would make sure to treat her properly and with respect.
Then they managed to pick up a young man almost randomly, a second year, that also needed food but was too proud to ask, and ran through the whole diner bet thing with him, including him without question. He was a scholarship kid and rather humbly let them know that, but Tor just shrugged.
“So you got in by earning your place rather than having it handed to you? Good. I don't think anyone here has a problem with hard work, do they?” The other new kid in black surprised him a bit by stepping forward and putting out his hand to shake.
“I'm Gersh, pleased to meet you.”
The boy ducked his head shyly and shook hands, clearly expecting a game or to be mocked, but hunger drove him to at least try.
“Henry.” He replied.
In all they had a round group of ten that was dressed in multiple dark shades, when the server in the restaurant, a fairly short woman only about three inches taller than Tor, wearing a pretty blue and red skirt and cream colored top, saw their plain clothing she balked a bit and didn't want to let them in. Tor cast his mind out again, just to see what the problem was. It was simple enough, she really doubted that they had enough to pay for the meal and didn't want to have her place of work ripped off. Ah. That kind of seemed sensible, if people didn't normally pay first.
Tor didn't know the protocol here, waving gold around was rude, but she certainly had a right to know that they weren't going to steal their dinners too. Rolph strode up and smiled charmingly at her.
“Perhaps a price estimate would be in order? What do you think ten meals with wine would likely come to?”
The woman took a half deep breath, her mouth forming lines around it from the pursing action that made her look older than her real years.
“About five coppers apiece for the lot, unless you get the most expensive items… So five silvers for the group, not counting desert or second helpings of wine. Harder spirits being extra.”
Smiling Rolf pulled several golds out of his pocket, the coins glittering in the late afternoon sun, since it was early still. They didn't want to miss the places working hours though. The woman smiled then and let them in.
So, sometimes it was OK to show gold, but you hid it from your friends and just showed the merchant? All right, now he just needed to find out if there were other rules involved too. Country rules were a little easier for him still. In Two Bends, there wouldn't have been a restaurant, so this whole scene wouldn't have happened at all. Much easier.
This wasn't, Rolph assured them, the most expensive place in town by any means, but the food was good and filling and they made a wonderful cold pie of cherries and cream. It sounded lovely to Tor, but he'd probably skip it himself. Places like this tended to serve way too much food for him to begin with. Or he guessed that would be the case, if they were charging five pennies per meal. That or the food would be better than the King’s table itself.
The food was good enough, not as good as what was served at the palace, but then what was? Tor had made better, but what he made wasn't always as good, he had to admit. The server was polite enough and good at her job, after they got past the hurdle of the front door. The place was wide open, with no dividers or separate eating rooms. It seemed rude to look around at the other people overly. Instead he stared at the ivory colored linen table cloth and focused on the people closest to him, Rolph was talking to Sheri about what classes she was taking, Music, math and culture, so not too different than what Tor had himself, he thought.
Ali was busily making eyes at the new boy, Henry, who wasn't that good looking, but seemed polite and intelligent once she got him talking. Ridley kept lightly kicking him under the table. At first Tor thought he was trying to be fresh with him, but it wasn't that, Tor got when the other man motioned with his head at a table across the room where a group of four rather loutish looking young nobles in the fine silk version of browns sat staring. Angrily.
They were a bit older,
probably fifth or sixth year students and while it was hard to see who they were looking at, they certainty didn't seem happy about it. Probably him then. For some reason a lot of guys at school had always acted a little hostile. Well, Tor didn't want problems, especially with wealthy people that could afford good silk clothing…
He almost laughed when he remembered that he could afford nice clothing, he just didn't need it anymore. Feeling awkward wasn't going to help him so he sat and watched them covertly for a while. Whoever they were, the eye contact wasn't for him in particular, that much he could tell. It wasn't great magic or anything, they just barely noticed him. Nor was it directed towards Ali or even their new friend Sheri. Tor hoped those two would be friends at least. The girl seemed nice enough. They were either staring at Henry or Gersh, Tor decided. One of them, a man easily large and muscular enough to be a combat giant, rose and left, leaving the others to pay and rush after him.
It was a bit of an odd scene, but they'd left, so if they had a problem with his guests, they didn't seem inclined to do anything about it in the restaurant. That was good, because people that big would probably break stuff, especially if they got angry.
Tor decided to try some of the chilled pie after all, which was nearly as good as Rolph had told them, and settled the bill with the server when she told Rolph what it cost. She was standing over him so she saw the golds in the purse, but she just smiled when he gave her the two golds and returned with a handful of change a few minutes later. Rolph handed her the tip, which looked to be several silvers, not a bad bit of money considering it was less than two hours of work. Some people didn't make a half silver in a week.
Ridley nudged him on the way by, his upper arm pushing him lightly, but not enough to trigger his shield. Ali was on his other side, holding his left hand, so it was definitely directed at him and not something for his wife that simply missed the mark. The contact held longer than Tor was comfortable with, but he got the idea, they needed to be watchful in case of attack. Sure enough just outside the establishments red painted door, the men had stopped to wait for them.
