by P. S. Power
Petra looked uneasy.
Tor wanted her there, because Holly Printer was an old friend of hers from school. But even though she wasn't close to her sister in-law, she was still a Ward. It would have been harder to deal with, except that the tall dark skinned girl really didn't like the Countess Ward much at all and had told people that for years. Kolb didn't think it was a stupid idea at least. Not that he'd said.
When they landed in the Printer capital, oddly enough just called “Printer” instead of Printoria, Printerland, or something even dumber sounding than that, and, efficiently enough, they were met almost instantly by the city guard. Here they wore dark green and white uniforms that weren't half as silly looking as the bright red and white used by the guard in the kingdoms capital. Actually it looked kind of sharp. Menacing, but very professional. The wore tall black boots that gleamed a little they were so polished.
It was a group of four men, and they didn't fly over, simply walking, their hard soled leather boots, about half as high as what prostitutes normally wore, marched over in step, making decently loud clomping sounds. They had clubs on their waists, but didn't draw them.
“Identify yourselves please, gentles.” The young man who was in the front left position spoke first. He had hair that was either blond or brown, one of those things that was too close to call. Other than that, all the men looked similar. Short military haircuts, trim. Very young.
It was Kolb that stepped forward, his smile looking kinder than Tor was used to seeing it, which probably meant fake. The scar on his right cheek, running from an inch under the eyebrow to an inch above the chin, a silver line on the lean face, crinkled a little bit with the effort. Even the eyes wrinkled as if trying to make him look very happy to be there.
“Well met!” He said in a phony sounding voice. Well, it sounded fake to Tor at least. Honestly it was happy sounding, the kind of voice you used with the guard when you knew you weren't about to be arrested for something and just didn't want trouble. “I'm Baron Martin Kolbrin, this young lady is Princess Veronica Cordes.” He gestured at Varley, the men all bowed as one and held it.
“Your majesty.” The lead man said. She waved them back up.
“Hello!” She said, her own voice sounding bright and chipper. Tor got the idea. Be happy, like coming to visit a friend? He could do that.
Kolb continued.
“Next we have Countier David Derring…” The tall young man, still only fifteen, if nearly seven foot tall and lean as well as hard, grinned. It was charming.
“Hey.” He said, sounding like a goofy kid.
“And Ducherina Patricia Morgan.”
Trice giggled and batted her eyelashes at one of the guards that hadn't spoken, causing the man to grin and blush. The guy was good looking, Tor had to admit. He looked down at her left arm worriedly, but didn't let it show on his face as revulsion at least. Trice was pretty, one armed or not. It did make her look a bit lopsided though.
“Oh and these two…” Kolb gestured first to Petra and then him, a bit lazily. “Petra and Tor. You know… the wizard? Hard to believe I know, but it's true.”
Petra murmured something but Tor stepped forward and wrinkled his nose at Kolb.
“Oh, come on! Everybody has to look like something, don't they? Just because I'm not so over tall as all you doesn't mean I look funny. Seriously… most people aren't giants you know.” Tor grinned at the guardsmen to show he was just playing. “Do I look odd to you?”
Tor knew he probably did. These were city folk, and ones picked to be guards, they weren't giants, but of the four of them, none was under six foot. They looked small compared to most of the people with him perhaps, but not that bad. He looked like a tiny child, which made him sigh. Even more so without his beard. He rubbed at his face absently kind of lamenting the loss. He'd look about twelve to most these people, maybe a little older in the right light. Part of it was the height, but he really did just look young, thin, and pale.
It took a few minutes to get directions to the Printer estate, which was overlooking the ocean, on the other side of town. Instead of flying they walked, since that would call the least attention to themselves. David carried the box Trice had, a plain wooden thing, not overly large, with a wooden handle on the top. She wouldn't tell him what was in it, saying it was a surprise for Holly. Tor let it go at that. If Trice didn't want to say more, it would just cause a fight if he insisted. It was good enough that the girl wasn't moping and whining about her arm still like she had at first. It sucked, but really, she'd saved hundreds of lives grabbing that death dust bomb, including the royal families as well as his. Her missing arm wasn't a handicap, but a badge of honor.
Looking at her from behind Tor winced.
She really did look out of balance though. Lopsided. Maybe he could get her a new arm somehow? He wondered if he could make one. His mind sank deep as he thought about what was needed. Could he use a combination of shield and something like a flight field so she could move objects… shape it like a hand? He'd never made light look like a solid object, but that had to be possible, didn't it? Things looked solid all the time and that was just reflected light. It would take experimentation. The feedback and links to her mind would have to be… Incredible. Hundreds of links and for best effect they'd need to mimic the ones that a real hand used, of course.
Then, could he add mental feedback so she could feel? That information already existed, even within himself, so it should be doable, but he'd have to investigate that too. It was incredibly complex he realized. More so than anything he'd ever even thought of making, but… Tor could see it. It was possible. Potentially at least. After a minute he realized that Trice had moved in front of him and was using her right hand to jiggle his left shoulder.
“Tor! Hey, snap out of it!” She laughed at least. Everyone else looked a little concerned, but she'd seen him do this before. More than once. A lot more than that.
“We've got things to do, no time to disappear on us now.”
“Sorry.” He said brightly, and trying to cover for just how deep he was Tor forgot himself and leaned in, giving the tall curly haired girl in front of him a warm kiss on the mouth. She just kissed him back, instead of hitting him like he probably deserved for taking the liberty, but Varley “humphed” and crossed her arms.
“Hey, this is a business trip, not a couple’s getaway. You two stop that and start walking.”
Ah. Tor had forgotten for a minute that Trice and he weren't engaged any more, and that he and Varley were. At least for the time being. That whole thing with the King having sabotaged his last relationship still rankled, and Varley had capitalized on the situation, if getting him was any kind of prize.
Maybe it was just something they'd dreamed up to keep him from totally losing it? Regardless, kissing Trice like that was more than a little indiscreet and therefore rude. Maybe. The social code of the nobles said that anyone could have almost any relationship they wanted and most people had several, some having ten or more at once, but you weren't supposed to advertise things like that. It had been a little too warm to write off as joking even. It was just reflex though. Tor didn't explain, because that would just call more attention to it. Instead he blushed, and kept on walking.
Petra chuckled and moved in beside him. Leaning over slightly she whispered in his ear.
“Don't worry, Veronica's not really mad, she's just guarding her territory, that's all.” Then, possibly just to see how bright red Tor could turn, the tall girl smiled and grabbed his behind. No one else seemed to notice at least.
A few minutes of walking later, when they rounded the corner of a row of densely packed single story white buildings, each of them seeming to hold a small shop of some kind, his face cooled when the stiff breeze hit it. He could smell the salt and hear the birds before that, and had for a while he realized. There in front of him was an ocean.
The beach was rock instead of the sand he expected from his prior experiences with similar things and he almost felt
like running to the water and dancing around in it to cool down. He was more than a little warm, the air being humid here and hotter than he liked, sweat collecting in his armpits, waistband and groin in an uncomfortable manner. Well, he should have taken the time to make a batch of heat equalizers instead of silly little lights. Live and learn, right? Looking around he realized suddenly that everyone with him looked comfortable. Darn them. He was the only one that had to do without it seemed. Because that made sense, didn't it? He'd invented the darned amulets and he didn't get to have one?
Yeah that was fair.
Along with the sea, there was a smell of food in the air. One of them, something fruity and warm caught his attention, he looked around until he saw the sign that said “bakery”. The scent was pie. It had to be. Peach he thought. For a second he wanted to get one and take it with them, after all, when you went to visit you were supposed to take something, right? Especially since they were showing up uninvited. Tor didn't have any money his being “borrowed” by Holly, and felt uneasy about asking anyone else to lend him some. It sure smelled good though…
An idea hit Tor and he smiled. He had an extra five hand lights in his pocket. Maybe the merchant would be willing to trade? It was worth a shot. The worst they could do was say no, right?
Waving Tor got everyone to follow him, most of them looking bemused. Except Kolb, who looked skeptical, and a little annoyed. Well, that made sense.
Going into the whitewashed little shop probably didn't seem in keeping with their task, did it? It didn't have a glass window, just a strange board that was folded up and provided shade as well as letting light in. As they approached the man behind the counter came to it directly, so they didn't have to go in at all, wiped his hands on a brown cloth and smiled.
“How Y'all doing?” He asked, his voice slow and relaxed. “New in town?”
“Yep!” Tor said brightly and inquired after the pies, just to make sure they were really there and not at one of the other shops. The man beamed at them all and brought one out, it looked perfect, flaky crust and brown topped, slightly darker where sugar had been sprinkled on it. From the color leaking slightly through the vents on top, and the smell, Tor realized it was a combination of peach and Strawberry.
The man ducked his head a little.
“These are the favorite of Countess Printer. She normally comes in for one about once a month in season. Sometimes more.” The man wore all white, an outfit similar to what the people in Warden had all been wearing.
“Would you be interested in one?”
Looking around Tor tilted his head. Royals all ate a lot, and he didn't know how many people Holly would have to feed…
“Two would be better, but I don't really have any silver on me. Would you be willing to trade?”
The man sighed hugely and looked skeptically at Tor. He was dressed well enough, but not so well this couldn't be his one nice set of clothing, which was literally true, this being the only thing he had to wear at all until he got his things back. All of them wore similar things. He had on a purple shirt in silk, along with a pair of leather pants and a vest in the same color brown. Now that he thought about it, he realized that it was probably something of Varley’s that she'd outgrown. In fact he'd seen her in it. Tor blushed. Royal girl flying clothes. No doubt he looked manly.
Getting out the hand light's he turned one on and handed it to the man. It was bright, but red. Other people stopped to stare, since it called for attention. The man gasped a little, his eyes going big.
“Magic! I… doubt my shops worth as much as this is. What does something like this go for, fifty gold at least? More than that?” His voice had gone from skeptical to awed. Not just a little either.
Tor grinned.
“Well, today it's worth two pies and something to carry them in. If you want it, I mean? It's just something I made myself.” After all, it wasn't even a proper light, being all red like it was. To someone like this it would be a curiosity at best. The man quickly agreed, looking a little guilty about it, but providing a nice basket with a top to carry it in. Tor just hope it really was something Holly liked. Merchants would claim anything to make a sale.
Even bakers always had the best bread ever, the most wonderful cakes, and so on.
After that was dealt with they only had another half mile or so to walk, the residence being carefully hidden behind some trees, a dense growth that had probably been there for a long while. There was no mistaking what the building was when it came into view. It wasn't the dwelling of a peasant or even a rich merchant, a huge, and old feeling, castle of stone, smooth and shining, meaning it was made with magical tools. The large blocks had been put together so well it almost looked like one seamless piece for a moment, except that the stone had different colors, some of it being quarried in different places Tor guessed. It wasn't lovely really, too eclectic for that, but it was majestic without a doubt. That had probably been the original point, rather than looking nice.
Petra pointed, seeming happy suddenly.
“There it is!” She said, causing Tor to feel a flash of unwarranted annoyance. It was obvious what it was after all. There wouldn't exactly be a castle every mile along the coast now, would there? He made himself let that go as unworthy. Petra was his friend and wasn't saying that the rest of them were too stupid to figure it out, she was simply commenting, just making conversation. Most likely at least.
Really, while he liked the girl and even kind of wanted to have sex with her, he didn't know how she thought overly. For all he knew she'd meant that they were all far too stupid to not mistake the huge thing in front of them with its motley stones of black, white, gray and gem like marble, for a barn. Instead of being a jerk, Tor decided to smile and give the girl a nod.
She winked at him.
“I was here a couple of times on break, back when Holly and I were in school together, since, you know, it's on the way to Warden. Kind of.” She took Tor's hand eagerly and led him up a smooth stone path. “This way, I think.”
The path split and wound around several times, but Petra walked it easily, possibly perfectly. In three minutes they were standing in front of a door that was probably the main one, given how huge it was. Twin doors of highly polished wood, each big enough that Tor couldn't have reached across them. Petra grabbed a bell cord, one higher than he could reach, a convention that Tor always took to mean something like “don't ring this if you aren't a giant… Peon.” or something to that effect.
If he ever had a bell like this, it was going to reach nearly to the ground, he decided right then. What if some little kid needed in? OK, so he could have flown up and reached it, but other than that, he'd have to jump, which would be embarrassing. They had to ring twice before anyone came. Petra just grinned and shrugged.
“Really people normally use the side doors, but we're bringing in a Princess. How often does that happen?” The door opened out, making them all step back as the side on their left swung slowly, The door was heavy and apparently needed to be picked up to move at all.
The man in black that was moving it grinned at them a little sourly.
“Sorry it took so long, this thing is a bear… Now, how may I help you? You're obviously not here to sell us anything, right? If so, then you would have to go around the side, after helping me close this beast.” He chuckled a little. Tor smiled and stepped forward.
“Not selling anything, here to visit Countess Printer?” The man looked suddenly skeptical. Something that Tor was getting used to finally, it seemed. Did they all really see him as that much less than everyone else just for being short? “We have peach and strawberry pie?”
The man laughed again, not just a chuckle.
“Well! That would do it then, even if you were trying to sell something. Now, may I ask who's calling? Otherwise she'll just send me back to wheedle the pie from you and send you off. She's a bit… distracted today.”
Kolb did the introductions, but added in Petra’s Counserina this time. He did
n't add Tor's Countier though, which was just as well, since that kind of thing always made him uneasy. His name was just given as Tor. The man bowed low, to Varley first, since she was a Princess and then everyone else in turn, even him, though that did get done last, gesturing for them to all come in, and moving to close the heavy door on his own. Tor just grabbed the frame near the middle, where it had an edge and lifted too, after setting down the basket he carried. The whole thing had to weigh nearly two hundred pounds. Obviously made to withstand a siege, even though the place lacked a proper wall. So… maybe it wasn't for attacks at all and just meant to keep salespeople out? It should work, as long as everyone inside refused to open it.
The door didn't close with a mighty thunk, but with a creak and finally a screech that would have set Tor’s nerves on end if it had lasted even a second longer. The man took a deep breath.
“Right… Um, well, this is embarrassing, but honestly we've never had a visit from royalty before and I'm really not sure what would be correct…” The man looked about fifty, but spoke like a younger person, his voice friendly and open the whole time, as if Princesses and barons might just be people too. It made Tor smile and want to help the man out.
“Oh, well, if there's somewhere to sit, while we wait? Then you can let Countess Printer know we're here I think, if you feel comfortable with that I mean? Otherwise we can just stand here, but we are dropping in without warning, so she may want time to get ready or something?” Varley smiled and indicated that would be proper enough, which got the man to smile at her. It could be very easy to smile at a pleasant Princess after all.
“This way then. I think the main sitting room is clean. Ah, it's always clean, what am I saying? I'll have you thinking we keep the livestock in there or something at this rate.” His voice was happy enough when he said it, clearly being lightly playful. Very different than the palace.
Tor thought it kind of a big improvement. He collected the pie basket and followed the man. So far things were going a lot more smoothly than he’d thought they would. Probably the magic of pie. Who didn’t like a good pie?
