“That would have been rather disappointing,” Essryl replied dryly, not entirely believing the woman. She suspected that Ivrad was just trying to make herself out to be irreplaceable, but it truly didn’t matter to Essryl. All she wanted was the information. “So what do you have for me?”
“Well, the young woman in question is in the first year of Tyrness Academy. Her name is Lissa Nerrine, and she was recommended to the academy by a traveling fair folk mage. She’s a commoner with few friends in the region, and reports indicate that she’s shy and insular,” Ivrad said, frowning as she continued. “I remembered her talent, it’s for fire and summoning magic, which is unsurprising considering the soul-bound fire dragon I reported. I don’t have any details on how powerful it is, but her own talent doesn’t exceed third circle in fire yet.”
“Interesting. I wondered what type of person would have such a talent,” Essryl said, and smiled. “Now, is there anything else?”
“Of course. I have the room where she’s staying in the academy, and…” Ivrad began, and Essryl listened closely, mentally putting together how she’d acquire the mage that Resvarygrath required.
It wasn’t what she wanted to do, but so long as Lissa didn’t overstep herself, the young woman should survive.
Chapter 29
“Rue, are you ready yet?” Korima demanded, and Ruethwyn could hear the other woman’s foot tapping even through the door. “If we’re going to get to the performance, we need to leave soon, from what Tadrick said. It’s going to be busy.”
“I’m trying to get dressed, and it’d be easier to concentrate without the interruptions,” Ruethwyn retorted, struggling to get her arm through the sleeve of her new dress.
The cold snap hadn’t been completely unexpected, but it’d made her rush in getting one of her new wool dresses made. Dukarth wool was finely spun, and the dwarves prided themselves on the weave they used, so it wasn’t as scratchy as most other wools, plus it should help keep her warm through the winter. She had also made a couple of warm robes from the cloth, but the others had insisted on dressing up for the Starlight Troupe’s performance.
“Fine, but if you don’t get out here soon, I’m coming in to help,” Korima threatened.
“I’ll be done soon,” Ruethwyn said, finally getting her arm situated properly. She briefly considered using magic to straighten the dress, but considering how painful it was, instead she began to adjust things by hand. Her right sleeve had already been rolled up and neatly pinned in place, so that wasn’t a concern, but the laces were a bit trickier. She’d taken that into account when she designed the dress, though, so Ruethwyn fiddled with them, getting the laces just tight enough before tying them off.
“Rue!” Korima said again, but this time Ruethwyn ignored her.
Brushing her hair out took a minute more, as did grabbing her enchanted jewelry, including her new ring, but it didn’t take too long in the end. More time than Ruethwyn was sure Korima would prefer, but there was only so fast she could move, and gods knew that she wasn’t willing to let someone help her dress. She was uneasy enough with a healer looking her over, let alone one of her fellow students. Finally ready, she headed over to the door and unlocked it.
“Alright, I’m ready,” Ruethwyn said, opening the door, then paused as she blinked at the others.
Korima was front and center, her auburn hair elaborately styled and looking gorgeous in the dress that Ruethwyn had given her. The kitsune was also wearing a green cloak that matched her eyes, one which Ruethwyn hadn’t seen before. Also waiting were Sella and Tadrick, and each of them were dressed up as well.
Sella was wearing her dress, looking less at ease in it than Korima had, while wearing a blue cloak that also matched her eyes. She shifted from foot to foot as she waited, her hair also having been done up more elaborately than normal. Tadrick stood next to her, the man in a beige tunic trimmed in green and gold, along with brown trousers and a deep green cloak. He was carrying a blue cloak, which explained where the other two had gotten their new cloaks.
“I suddenly feel underdressed,” Ruethwyn told them, glancing over their outfits, then at her own. It was a nice enough blue, but it was simpler than what she’d made for the other women. Beyond that… she almost wanted to stay at the academy, with the looks they were going to get. She didn’t fit in with the others at all after she’d been injured. She likely wouldn’t have before, either.
“Your dress isn’t that bad, Rue, but what do you think you were doing with your hair?” Korima asked, frowning.
“I brushed it out, like normal,” Ruethwyn said, shaking her head as she sighed. “It isn’t like I can do much with it, Korima. Half my hair is gone.”
“I… well, maybe,” Korima said, frowning. “You still should take care of it, if you’re going to get healed. I might be able to do something with it, but I don’t have time to try right now.”
“Speaking of which, are you sure you want me to go with you? I mean, I’m certain I’m going to attract attention, and not the right type,” Ruethwyn asked, frowning. “You could always ask Barthel or Lissa—”
“No, Rue,” Tadrick interrupted firmly, his eyes going steely as he offered her the cloak he was holding. “Look, I’m not going to lie and pretend that you’re beautiful, but I know plenty of people who’re beautiful and yet rotten at the core. I—we aren’t going to let you miss out on a performance of a lifetime just because people can’t see past that. Am I right, Korima, Sella?”
“You’re completely right,” Korima said, Sella nodding in agreement as the kitsune’s eyes flickered while she sniffed derisively. “Do you have any idea how many people have tried to get me into bed since I got to the academy, Rue? Let’s just say that the number is greater than the number of people in our class. They decided that since I’m kitsune, and we have a reputation for being easy to seduce, that my enthusiasm means I’m dim-witted and promiscuous. It’s really quite rude. I’m not going to make assumptions like that, and you’re a friend.”
“I agree, though… I wasn’t aware of people treating you like that,” Sella said, glancing at Korima in concern.
“Me either. I guess I’m coming along, but…” Ruethwyn said, her voice hesitant as she looked at Korima, accepting the cloak from Tadrick and slowly putting it on. “Have things really been that bad, Korima?”
“Pfft. I wouldn’t say that it’s been bad, since I was warned about it before leaving the clan,” Korima replied, her tone casual as she relaxed slightly, then gave a smirk, swishing her tail and causing her cloak to move oddly. “Most of the people who’ve approached me that way have taken no for an answer fairly easily. Those who haven’t… well, I’ve learned that a kick between the legs tends to deal with both genders equally.”
Ruethwyn cringed at the thought, and Tadrick blanched, protesting. “Korima! I mean, they probably deserved it, but that’s just… ow. Please don’t tell me that you resort to that first?”
“Of course not! Only when they seem to think ‘no’ means that they can push me against a wall,” Korima replied tartly. “Now, we’re running behind. Let’s go.”
“Not that far behind,” Sella murmured, but shrugged when Korima looked at her.
“Tadrick’s the one who said it gets crowded and busy over there,” Korima said pointedly. “He also said that we needed to leave early.”
“I did say that, but I just said we needed to leave earlier than normal,” Tadrick interjected with a sigh. “That’s just the safest way to ensure we get to our seats with plenty of time. Why don’t we just get going? We should have more than enough time, I think.”
“Fine, then. Rue, are you ready?” Korima asked impatiently.
“Of course. Just try not to lose me in the crowd, hmm? I’ll likely get stampeded,” Ruethwyn replied, smiling wryly at their laughter, then followed her friends down the stairs.
The trip to the theater had been interesting, as they passed by street stalls selling everything from knickknacks that Ruethwyn couldn’t
tell the use of, to sweetmeats and snacks. Despite the chill, crowds surrounded the building in a hubbub of conversation, and getting in had been just as difficult as Tadrick had warned. The lines had been long, and Ruethwyn was thankful that the tickets that Rithara had provided weren’t for the main floor, but were rather for a private box that friends and family of the troupe members could watch from.
She sighed in relief as the clamor receded behind them as a door closed at the bottom of the stairs, trudging upward after their guide. The man had looked startled when Korima approached, and some of the guards had been forced to help keep some of the crowd away when they’d spotted Korima, their cries of excitement indicating that they probably had thought that Korima was a member of the troupe. That had probably been a good part of why the guide had shown them into the stairwell so quickly, and Ruethwyn wasn’t going to argue.
They reached the top of the stairs and were led along the hallway, the narrow windows admitting just enough light to walk by. Ruethwyn could see a few glow-globes set into the walls, but they weren’t lit, which made her assume that they were saving mana for after the sun had set. It wasn’t as though even a theater had unlimited mana available. After passing numerous doors the guide stopped, smiling as he turned to them.
“Here you are! You’ll be sharing the box with others, so please come to an equitable arrangement on seating,” the man explained, nodding politely. “Thank you for your patronage, and I hope you enjoy the show.”
“Thank you very much,” Korima replied, nodding in return as she turned the door’s handle.
The others murmured their agreement, which Ruethwyn added hers to, though she noticed that the man avoided meeting her gaze. Then they stepped into the box, to a sudden eruption of greetings and exclamations.
The interior of the theater box was finely paneled wood that was polished to a shine, with several tapestries on the walls to reduce the echoes within it. Ruethwyn thought there were a bit over twenty seats in the box, situated in four rows that were each on different tiers to give a proper view to those watching the show, but it was hard to tell with more than a dozen kitsune milling about, calling out greetings to Korima or hugging the woman.
“Hello, Auntie! It’s been ages!” Korima exclaimed, hugging one woman, then grinning as she shook the hand of a man, this one human, Ruethwyn realized belatedly. “Uncle, how’re you doing? I hear you’re considering retiring to the village after this trip?”
“Yeah, that’s right. While I’ve loved traveling with the troupe and setting up the scenery, I think it’s about time that I settled down. I’m not getting any younger, and maybe I’ll be able to teach some of the youngsters the proper way to build things,” the man replied, his dark hair threaded with bits of white and gray. “It’s good to see you, though!”
“I guess that makes sense… it’ll make some of the others happier to have you around,” Korima said warmly, letting go of the woman she’d hugged and grinning. “Now, these are my friends, everyone! This is Ruethwyn, Sella, and Tadrick. Be nice to them, since they’ve been nice to me, alright?”
“Nice to meet all of you!” One of the other men said cheerfully, the kitsune’s face weathered from travel. “I’m glad to hear you’re treating our Korima well. So where do you want to sit? I assume you want to sit together.”
“Well, let’s see… we’re taller than most of the others, so probably one of the rear rows…” Korima said, then paused and asked, “Do you mind if we take the four seats on the back-right of the box? Rue likes having a wall to her right where possible.”
“Of course,” a woman said, pausing to look at Ruethwyn before nodding. “Is there anything else you need?”
“Thank you, but no. That’d be more than enough for me,” Ruethwyn replied, her voice soft as she smiled at the people, feeling even more uncomfortable than before.
“Why don’t you three decide which seats you want? I need to catch up a bit,” Korima said, smiling at them happily, her ears upright and rotating to try to catch as much of the conversation as she could.
“Sure! Rue, you want to lead the way, since you’re wanting the far seat?” Tadrick suggested, and she nodded in agreement.
Walking down the row, Ruethwyn realized that there were six chairs in each row, which meant her earlier guess had been wrong. Still, the chairs looked comfortable enough, though the backs were largely open. Considering what Korima had told them a while back about elven chairs usually being uncomfortable for kitsune, Ruethwyn guessed that was to allow the guests to sit more comfortably. She took a seat with a slight sigh of relief and smiled as Sella settled in next to her.
“This looks like it’ll be interesting,” Sella said, her eyes bright as she glanced around, then nodded out of the box. “Look at that! They have a full orchestra, and the lighting is beautiful!”
Ruethwyn had been distracted enough by the gathered kitsune and their reactions to Korima that she hadn’t really looked out into the theater proper, something which she realized may have been a mistake as her eye widened and she murmured. “Oh my…”
The evening sun through the leaves above caused dappled light to play across the large stage, its curtain still drawn. All around the stage was an orchestra pit, and as Ruethwyn watched, she could see elves, humans, and predominantly kitsune taking their seats. As she watched, one blond man began tuning his violin, the sound surprisingly clear. Outside of the orchestra pit were the benches that made up most of the theater, where hundreds of elves and members of other species were sitting, their voices a dull rumble that filled the air. Floating above them were dozens of glowing crystals that shed carefully directed light on the stage, illuminating the lacquered wood even more clearly than the sunlight did. Ruethwyn imagined that only direct sunlight would be better, which was quite a feat.
“Impressive, right? I’ve heard that the Ovara Kingdom and some other nations have bigger theaters, some which are even more impressive,” Tadrick said, grinning at Ruethwyn. “On the other hand, they have a lot more people they need to entertain than we do. Everything I’ve heard about human cities indicates they’re pretty crowded.”
“That does sound accurate from what I’ve read, but…” Ruethwyn paused for a long moment, then gestured outward at the theater. “It’s just, it’s one thing to read about, but something entirely different to be able to see things like this. I doubt that even a memory crystal could carry the same impact of being here in person.”
“I think you’re right,” Sella murmured softly.
“Heh, yeah, that sounds correct,” Tadrick said, glancing around the room and grinning as he added, “Navaan was kind of annoyed that I got to come while he couldn’t find tickets, but it just serves him right. He’s usually the one who gets all the invitations to things, so it’s only fair that he’s the one in the lurch from time to time.”
“Your brother is odd, though. He sent me a box yesterday, one which I haven’t opened,” Sella replied, frowning as she did so. “If we’d interacted more, I’d think he was trying to court me, but we’ve barely talked, aside from him showing us around the academy.”
Ruethwyn frowned at that, only vaguely remembering seeing Tadrick’s brother. He was in a far more advanced class than theirs, so the only time she’d seen him was when he’d been dropping off a message for Tadrick from their father. From the glimpse she’d gotten of him, he’d seemed like he was a handsome man, but he hadn’t left much more of an impression on her.
“Ah, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything, Sella,” Tadrick said, frowning. “I’m a little surprised at him, but… you have to understand, among nobility it isn’t that unusual for someone to begin courting another in order to get to know them better.”
“What? But I’m not a noble! My father’s just a knight, and not a landed one!” Sella protested, looking stunned. “Besides, I’m only thirty-one!”
“In some human kingdoms, it’s customary for women to marry before they’re sixteen, Sella, or the equivalent of maybe nineteen for
us. Sometimes without having ever met their spouse beforehand,” Ruethwyn interjected, watching the curtains sway thoughtfully. She thought there might be something going on, since she didn’t think there was enough wind to move the curtains on their own.
“You’ve got to be kidding! That’s just… how are they supposed to know what they’re going to do with their lives by that point?” Sella demanded. “And never having met their fiancé? That’s insane!”
“Sella…” Ruethwyn began, turning to face her friend and pausing. Tadrick looked uncomfortable but curious. After a moment, she asked, “Do you want me to continue explaining? It really doesn’t matter to us, for the most part.”
“I have to say that I’m a bit curious, in the sort of way that I am when watching a disaster in progress that I can’t stop, like a wagon tipping over in the river,” Tadrick admitted, shaking his head. “I knew that some human kingdoms were weird, but I haven’t heard about anything like that in Ovara.”
“I… I think I do. Otherwise, I’m going to be wondering through the entire performance,” Sella agreed, still looking stunned.
“As you like. So, the thing is that most humans don’t live much past sixty or seventy years, Sella. Some can reach over a century, particularly magi or those who are regularly healed by healers, but they have much shorter lives than we do,” Ruethwyn explained, wincing at the thought of having already lived most of the life of a human. “They tend to develop faster, though. I’ve heard that they can absorb as much mana as we do, but instead of it extending their lives they tend to grow stronger fast, by comparison. But because they live so much shorter of lives, they tend to always keep moving and trying to progress quickly. They can’t spend fifty to eighty years figuring out what they want in life, or on a courtship. They have to decide now. And that also leads to their elders sometimes making decisions for them.”
“Sheesh, no wonder they’re so temperamental, then,” Tadrick said, looking slightly taken aback. “If they’re making decisions that fast, they’re almost guaranteed to anger others, and that can go poorly.”
The Avatar's Flames (Through the Fire Book 1) Page 22
