by M. Gregg Roe
Cinda walked up to the table, bowed, and said, “Greetings, Lady Almera. Mistress Audrey.” She held out a small piece of paper, stating, “My mother wishes me to obtain these items.” Almera nodded and took the paper from her. She glanced at it briefly and then handed it to Audrey.
Audrey thought that Cinda looked nice but somewhat sad. She was wearing a black cloak over a stylish red-and-black dress that had certainly been expensive. “How are you doing, Cinda?” Audrey asked. “Are you going to come back?”
“I am … well, Mistress Audrey. I still have not decided if I shall return.” She both looked and sounded depressed.
Audrey placed the bag with the completed order on the table. “The total is three silver and four copper.” Cinda reached into her cloak and quickly counted out the proper coins before stuffing the bag into a pocket.
Almera stared at Cinda and asked, “Are your parents forcing you into an arranged marriage, Cinda?”
“Yes, Lady Almera.” She looked miserable as she lowered her head and tears began to stream down her beautiful face.
Audrey was stunned. How could such a thing even be allowed here? she thought to herself. It’s not right.
“And that,” said Almera, “is one reason that Draymund and I rarely socialize with other wealthy people. We do not approve of that practice.”
“That is how it has always been in my family,” explained Cinda. “I have always known the fate that awaits me.” She looked at Audrey sadly. “I have never experienced a romantic date, and I never shall. It is not permitted me. I must remain virgin lest my family be disgraced.”
Audrey was horrified. “Can’t you just run away or something?”
“No. That would also bring disgrace. It is my duty, but I am most unhappy and sought to take out my anger and frustration on yourself, Mistress Audrey. For that, I am deeply sorry.”
Cinda turned and walked away. Almera looked at Audrey and said, “That girl may well be forced to marry some lecherous old man. And only because he is wealthy and well-connected. It’s disgusting. I think I may have a word with Ermizad about this.”
Almera sounded serious and suddenly Audrey felt hopeful. “Do you think that Ermizad might help?” she asked.
Almera frowned and sighed. “I’m not certain. We’ve discussed it before, but she has been reluctant to risk offending so many of the rich and powerful here.”
“Oh. I see.” That was disappointing to hear.
“Audrey, do you realize that Cinda came here to see you?”
“Why do you say that? She said her mother sent her here.”
“And that was complete nonsense. Louisa doesn’t cook; she has a cook. The cook sends his assistant when he needs something. He’s one of our regulars.”
Audrey quickly looked around but it was too late; Cinda had disappeared into the crowds. Almera tapped her on the shoulder, and she looked over to see her smiling smugly. “She’s behind us, loitering. Go talk to her.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
She saw Cinda about ten yards behind their table, simply standing with her head lowered and her shoulders slumped. Cinda looked up with tears still running down her face as Audrey approached. Audrey promptly hugged her, putting her head on Cinda’s right shoulder. Cinda hugged her back tightly, and Audrey could feel her trembling. After a minute, Audrey let go and stepped back. Cinda looked utterly without hope.
Audrey put her hands on Cinda’s shoulders and looked directly at her, but Cinda averted her eyes and turned her head. “Look at me, Cinda!” she demanded.
“I must go. My mother—”
“Stop it! I know your mother didn’t send you here. Why are you here?” Audrey found it puzzling because the two of them certainly weren’t friends.
Cinda looked directly at her and said, “I do not know. I am confused.”
Audrey thought for a moment about what to say. “I don’t know why you would come to me, but if you want my advice then here it is: refuse. They can’t make you marry someone.”
Emotions ran across Cinda’s face. “Mistress Audrey, you do not understand. I may not refuse. I may not flee. My life is not my own.”
That sounded like slavery to Audrey. “Yes, it is! Run away! Take a ship to Rohoville. Start a new life away from your family.”
Cinda had a pained look as she said, “Would that I might. I know not how to leave, and my family would most certainly locate me and force my return. I must obey. I must do my duty.”
Audrey wasn’t sure what else to say. Cinda obviously wasn’t going to change her mind about her arranged marriage. Then something else occurred to her. Something very bad.
“Cinda, why are you studying Shorinken? Is it so you can protect yourself from your future husband?” Audrey prayed that wasn’t the case.
Cinda closed her eyes. “Yes. That is so.”
Audrey shook Cinda by the shoulder and she opened her eyes in surprise. “Then promise me that you will return to school when your suspension is over.”
Cinda looked uncertain before finally saying, “I shall try. It is only a few more days.”
Audrey removed her hands from her shoulders and smiled gently. “Good. I’m there every afternoon now. Come and see me.”
Cinda drew herself up straight, and Audrey was pleased to see the resolve in her eyes. “Very well, Mistress Audrey. I shall see you four days hence at Xlee’s Martial Arts Academy.”
Audrey smiled and said, “I am looking forward to it, Mistress Cinda.”
17
‡ Injury ‡
It should have been Audrey’s twelfth straight day of training, but it was a struggle for her to even get out of bed, and she knew that going to school was out of the question. Her right shoulder had felt much better last evening after a long hot bath, but now it was very stiff and painful. She had slept very poorly.
Moving extremely slowly, she managed to remove her nightgown and put on a pair of pants. Her attempt to put on a shirt was so painful that she gave up and just put on her robe and sandals. She washed her face, brushed her hair, and then headed down to have breakfast.
It had been very tense in the house lately; Saxloc and the others still hadn’t returned. Draymund and Almera were maintaining a brave face, but it was clear that they were worried. Almera was visiting Medea regularly, and Draymund had even mentioned that Celebern was concerned for Hankin. Audrey wondered how long it would be before someone actually traveled to Zardis to look for them. She hoped it would be soon.
Audrey arrived in the kitchen after spending several minutes at the bottom of the stairs recovering. She had never experienced this level of pain after her training, and it was starting to really worry her. She walked over and took her seat at the kitchen table and then waited until Almera brought the food over. Draymund was already there, but he was engrossed in studying some papers.
After Almera sat down, Audrey reached for her cup of juice and gasped in pain as she felt something give in her right shoulder. Her arm jerked, causing her hand to knock the cup over in a spray of juice. Draymund looked up in surprise as Almera frowned at her.
“What’s wrong with your shoulder?” asked Almera.
“It’s just a little sore from training,” Audrey lied. “I’m going to take today off. It’ll be fine.”
Almera looked dubious. She suddenly reached out and pushed up the left sleeve of Audrey’s robe, revealing a large yellow-and-purple bruise. “Audrey, stand up and take off your robe.”
“What? But I’m not wearing anything under it.”
“Take off your robe!” insisted Almera angrily. “Now!”
Draymund stood up and said, “I’ll just step out for a minute.”
“Sit down!” ordered Almera, and he promptly sat back down.
Almera stared directly at her. “Audrey! Take. Off. Your. Robe.”
Audrey pushed back her chair and then stood. She found that she couldn’t move her right shoulder at all without severe pain. She managed to shrug the robe off of her left shoulder
and then used her left hand to pull it off of her right shoulder. She hurriedly covered her breasts with her left arm feeling very embarrassed.
Her arms and torso were covered with partially-healed bruises and contusions, with the exception of the area her chest protector covered when she wore it. Draymund looked both surprised and concerned, but Almera was furious. “You little fool!” she yelled. Almera leaned over and poked her in the ribs, causing Audrey to yelp in pain. “You’ve got cracked ribs. And your shoulder is seriously injured. Do you not remember Draymund telling you to let him cure your injuries?”
Audrey was starting to cry as she asked, “But how am I ever going to be tough enough to go on an adventure?”
“I don’t know, but pushing your body this far is not the answer.”
Almera turned and looked at her husband. “Draymund, help Audrey to her room and then do what you can to heal her. Make sure that you look at her legs as well. I will put her breakfast on a tray and bring it up. After breakfast, I am going to go see Grasapa.”
Draymund picked up Audrey’s robe from the floor and wrapped it loosely around her. He followed her as she walked out of the kitchen. She ascended the stairs slowly, trying to move her right arm as little as possible. He opened her bedroom door for her and they both went inside. She walked in front of the bed, shrugged off her robe, and kicked off her sandals. She used her left arm to loosen the waist of her pants and then stepped out of them after they fell to the floor. Her legs were injured even worse than her arms. She stood with her eyes downcast, completely naked and feeling both embarrassed and ashamed.
Audrey lost count of how many times Draymund cast Recovery on her. His expression was serious as he worked his way down to her feet. When he finally finished, he turned away from her, and she could see his face beginning to redden. “Go ahead and get dressed,” he told her.
Audrey picked up her robe from the bed and quickly donned it, but her shoulder still hurt as she pulled it on. “Thank you so much, Draymund. I’m very grateful, but my right shoulder still hurts.”
He turned around and looked at her sadly. “That’s the best I can do. I couldn’t fully heal your ribs either. There are limits to what the Recovery spell can heal. I hate to admit it, but Saxloc is actually better at it than I am. I was quite impressed by how he healed your leg, and I doubt I could have done as well.
“And before you ask, we are not going to take you to Preston or some other cleric for additional healing. This isn’t like your scars, Audrey. You brought this on yourself, and you must live with the consequences.”
Audrey lowered her head. “I understand. I’m very sorry. I know I’ve been stupid.”
Almera entered carrying a tray piled with food which she placed on the desk. “Are you feeling better now?” she asked gently.
“Yes. I’m … I’m sorry to cause so much trouble.”
“You had better be sorry. If you do something like this again, then we will send you back to your parents. Do you understand?”
Audrey nodded earnestly. “Yes. I understand.”
Draymund suddenly spoke up. “I couldn’t fully heal her shoulder or her ribs. They were likely first injured several days ago, and there’s a great deal of inflammation.”
Almera pursed her lips and appeared lost in thought for a moment. “Audrey, after you eat I want you to go to bed. You look like you haven’t been sleeping well.”
“No. I haven’t.”
After the two of them had left, Audrey ate her breakfast. Then she laid in bed contemplating her stupidity until she nodded off.
♦ ♦ ♦
When Audrey next woke, it was mid-afternoon and she was starving. She put her robe on over her nightgown, discovering that her right shoulder still hurt if she moved her arm very far. She tentatively poked her ribs, finding them still sore. She went down to the kitchen and quickly downed some bread, cheese, and fruit. Almera walked in as she was finishing, and placed a small paper packet on the table.
“How are you feeling?” Almera asked her.
“Much better, but my shoulder and ribs still hurt.”
Almera pointed at the packet. “This is medicine I obtained from an alchemist. It should help, but you are going to have to rest your shoulder for a few days. That means that we will have to immobilize your right arm.”
“Okay. Maybe I can get caught up on my reading.”
Almera nodded approvingly. “My talk with Grasapa went about as I expected. She repeatedly warned you to stop training so hard and you ignored her. You have also been hiding some of your injuries from her and the other instructors. When you do resume your Shorinken training, it will be back on the original schedule, with at least one day to recover between lessons. Understood?”
Audrey’s face lit up. “Yes! I was afraid that you would make me quit.”
“No, Audrey. Draymund and I know how much it means to you. And Grasapa says you have a real talent for it. Perhaps one day you will be an instructor there. Now you need to take your medicine.”
Audrey went back to her room, and Almera helped her to fashion a sling for her arm using a shirt. The medicine made her drowsy, and she ended up doing far more sleeping than reading. Almera brought dinner on a tray, and Audrey apologized to her again.
As she lay in her bed that night, she suddenly realized that today was the day Cinda was supposed to return to school. She felt guilty for not being there and wondered if she had even shown up. Cinda wasn’t her friend, but she couldn’t help worrying about her.
♦ ♦ ♦
Audrey had three visitors the next day, but only the first one was expected.
Grasapa turned up just after breakfast. Audrey soon found herself sitting in the parlor drinking the tea that Almera had fixed for the two of them. Grasapa sat calmly and sipped her tea, clearly waiting for her to begin.
Audrey tried to look contrite as she said, “I’m sorry, Grasapa. I pushed myself too hard. I should have listened to you and the other instructors.”
Grasapa put down her cup. “Yes, you really should have listened to us. Now you are paying the price.”
“I know. I won’t do it again. I’ll tell you when I’m hurt, and I’ll ask Draymund for help.”
“I know that you will, Audrey. You are the type that actually learns from their mistakes.” Grasapa sighed. “My daughter Ariel used to do the same thing when she was learning sword-fighting from her father. She would push herself until she was too injured to continue. Then, when she recovered, she would go right out and do it again. It took us years to break her of that.”
Grasapa finished her tea and then asked, “Are you still determined to go adventuring with Saxloc and the others?”
“Yes, I am,” she replied firmly. She hesitated and added, “If they ever come back.”
Grasapa smiled gently. “I know that people are worried, but they have not been gone all that long. They have probably just encountered unexpected delays or decided to do some additional exploring.”
Audrey found Grasapa’s words reassuring. “Okay. Uh … did Cinda come back?”
“Yes, and I am pleased. I am instructing her privately for now. She told me that you convinced her to return.”
“I certainly tried. I’m glad it worked.” Audrey frowned. “But I’m still worried about her arranged marriage.”
Grasapa nodded. “I am as well, but it is her family’s business. It is not illegal and we cannot interfere. I do, of course, very much disapprove of the practice.”
Audrey nodded in agreement. “When I come back, I’ll go back to my original schedule. I was really stupid to train that hard every day. I definitely need a recovery day.”
Grasapa looked satisfied as she stood up. “Good. I don’t want to see you again until you have fully recovered.”
“You won’t. I promise. Thank you for coming to see me.”
“Take care of yourself, Audrey. I will see myself out.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Shortly before noon, Almera came to her room
to wake her, telling her she had a visitor waiting in the parlor. She left before Audrey thought to ask her who it was. Audrey went downstairs and found Erwin sitting in the parlor. She was only wearing a robe and her nightgown, and she hadn’t thought to groom herself, but it was too late now.
Erwin stood up as she walked slowly and carefully toward the front of the parlor. “I heard about your injury,” he said, looking upset. “Are you all right?”
She gave him an embarrassed smile. “I will be eventually. Thank you for coming to see me, Erwin.” She motioned for him to sit down, and then sat opposite him.
“We are all worried about you. Grasapa said you might be out for a while.”
“Yes. I overdid it. A lot. It’s going to be several days.” She suddenly yawned. “Sorry. I’ve been sleeping a lot. Do you want to stay for lunch?” She looked around. “Is it time for lunch?”
Erwin laughed. “It is if you’re hungry. But no, I need to be going. I have a meeting early this afternoon. I’ve been spending a great deal of time learning my father’s business lately.”
“Oh.” Maybe he really had been busy that time. She looked at him seriously. “Erwin, I really am sorry about our last date. Next time I’ll just have water or juice or something.”
“Next time?” he asked, looking surprised.
“Yes, I want to make it up to you.”
“All right. We’ll talk after you’re better.” He stood up and smiled gently. “Take care, Audrey. I’ll tell everyone that you’re on the mend. I’ll show myself out.”
“Okay,” she replied, feeling warm inside. She really did like him. She got up and made her way to the kitchen, still feeling somewhat drowsy. Almera was stirring something in a large pot, and Audrey could smell fresh bread as she seated herself at the table.
Almera looked over and said, “It will be a few more minutes. So that’s Erwin?”
“Yes. He’s very sweet.”
“Good. You should go out with him again,” said Almera making it sound almost like an order.
