Trestan felt he was being supportive and helpful, but every action the noble took reminded him that his fancy copper hairpieces had only been good enough for her horse.
CHAPTER 14
Trestan finally had a chance to separate from the noblewoman as she soaked her feet. He wandered away until a sharp twinge of pain almost doubled him over. The smith folded his arms tight over his stomach, hoping some pressure might ease the pain a little. He leaned on a nearby tree for support, for without it he likely wouldn’t stay upright. Trestan winced as the pain slowly subsided.
Petrow was standing there watching him.
Trestan pretended he was just shivering a bit from a cool breeze. He rubbed his arms a bit and straightened with a smile. The young smith tried masking his discomfort, but Petrow’s visage showed the handyman’s concern. Trestan decided he might try to distract his friend, turning the tables before Petrow could ask about his injuries.
Trestan spoke, “You looked pretty good traveling today, Petrow. I was worried with your bruises and such. I hope you’re doing alright.”
Petrow nodded, “Aye, I’m feeling good. But it’s you that we need to worry about. Not only am I worried over your injury, but also your feelings for that noblewoman. I told you she uses people. Now don’t tell me that you can’t see that now.”
Trestan sighed. He glanced back at the woman as she soaked her feet. “She’s just not made out of the strong stuff that you and I are forged. I guess I want to be there to help her, but I am getting tired of it. I don’t think she’ll see me as anything more than a good servant.”
“Tres, I spent the night in a tent with her. She was always looking down at me, she wouldn’t listen to reason, and she never cared one wit about anything I had to say. That woman is very spoiled; she feels superior to everyone else.”
“So in other words,” Trestan grinned, “You don’t like her too much.”
Petrow nodded, “Oh aye! We could leave her behind, come home as the conquering heroes, bringing the extra gold in our pockets, and I’d consider it a victory. I hate her, Tres. I really worry about how her father is going to marry her off and what will be the future of the village if he doesn’t find a good man for her.”
Trestan didn’t have an answer to that, as he was lost in his own thoughts. Petrow continued, “Anyway, it disturbs me that we didn’t stop the true goal of that bunch of riffraff. We rescued their distraction and it wasn’t much of a prize at all. Now I’m left wondering what they intended with the relic. Did they replace it with a fake? Did they simply need something from it for their own stone?”
As he talked, Petrow still had Trestan’s health foremost in his mind. He could see the young smith was still wincing. The handyman wanted to get his friend away from that noble, and possibly have Cat look at the wound. Trestan had spent too long worrying about someone who wouldn’t return the favor. Maybe Cat could offer the young smith help of some kind.
Trestan provided an opening. “My mind’s a jumble right now. I just had to get some distance from that woman for a while, for my own good. My stomach hurts, but it’s nothing to worry about.”
Petrow saw his opening, “Cat went down through those trees a short while ago. She told me a stream was down there. You should head over and have her look at that wound.”
Trestan started to protest, “I’m fine, really. What if Shauntay needs something…”
“Then I’ll get it for her, and I might even be polite about it. You rest yourself a bit. Remember, Cat has been the one leading us this whole time, and I count very heavily on her opinion. Maybe if you let her know it hurts a bit she might come up with some small remedy.”
Trestan nodded, but didn’t move. Petrow encouraged him. “You better go while you can and have a talk with her. Then maybe you can get some rest as well.”
* * * * *
Cat was lucky to have found a small waterfall among some rocks. Her sensitive ears picked up the soft splashing noises before seeing the water. It was small, with only a stream feeding it, but it offered some filtered, clear water to wash up a bit. Cat stripped down to her normal underclothes and washed her head and hands. She was combing out her wet hair by the time she heard footsteps coming from the camp. Stroking the brush through her long strands, she turned a bit to see Trestan walking down towards her. The setting sunlight illuminated him as he approached. She had been fuming about him, but that changed when she saw him coming to join her. Knowing he might be self-conscious about her state of dress, she quickly donned her tunic. The half-elf was happy to see him coming to chat and she smiled in welcome. Trestan smiled back, though it was a little forced. Cat took in a wider view of Trestan and realized that he was still pained and strained his efforts to try walking normally. He approached slower than the good pace she was used to seeing him carry out.
Her smile faded a bit, letting Trestan know he hadn’t quite hidden his discomfort. He noted that she was very concerned for him; it was plain in her eyes. It was a difference compared to how Lady Shauntay would seem mildly irritated when Trestan moved too slowly. The young smith plopped down next to the half-elf, grunting with the effort.
Cat spoke to him. “I’m glad you came down to see me. I…” Cat stopped. She wanted to say something else, but she changed to a different subject. “I am worried for you. That wound…you shouldn’t be walking, yet we are miles from a proper healer. I want a cleric to look at you.”
Trestan grinned, “I’ll be alright. We can only do so much out here in the wilderness.”
Cat ventured, “I’ve even thought about splitting up the group. You could ride my horse, taking me or someone with you to get to a town faster.”
Trestan smoothed his immature mustache, “I won’t leave. There are other dangers out there. We shouldn’t split up the party in the wild. I’m glad you thought of my health, but I’m forged from some tough iron.”
Cat found her eyes wandering over the young man. She had to admit, he was muscular and had displayed a lot of endurance. Eventually she stared at the point of his armor that had the hole melted into it. Trestan wore a different shirt underneath, hiding the wound. He shifted uncomfortably and she realized she was making him nervous. Her eyes snapped back to his dark brown eyes.
“You should at least ride. It will be better on you and conserve your strength.” She offered.
Trestan shook his head. “It wouldn’t help, I fear. Lady Shauntay slows us down more than I do. Her feet have been tortured by the journey. It would be faster if she rode and I walked.”
Cat frowned for a few reasons. The half-elf brushed out her hair for a few more strokes. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to say about his behavior around the noble, so she settled for a general comment. “You give too much of yourself for others.”
“Humble roots,” he replied, “I work the hot forge all day for people. But it’s time I helped you out a bit too. You also have done a lot for us.”
Trestan gently reached out to her arm and grabbed the comb. Cat arched an eyebrow, but let him take it from her hands. She turned so as to offer her hair towards him and he started brushing her raven strands. His muscular hands gently slid the comb through her long tresses. The half-elf closed her eyes and allowed her nerves to relax a bit. She listened to the bubbling of the small stream. The setting sun gave warmth against her face. All the while she felt strong arms tending to her hair. It was very relaxing for the half-elf, allowing her mind to drift from some of the concerns of the day. While the other companions might hold some fear of the countryside, the half-elf loved the scenery. In her mind, the waterfall near the edge of the wood was a sylvan glen of paradise. It was comforting to enjoy the surroundings under the attentions of a friend. She traveled alone too much.
At one point while brushing Trestan hit a knot. The young man paused as he considered how to get past it. “Just pull down through it. Break it.”
The voice came from behind her, “You sure? I don’t want to hurt you.”
Cat smiled, “I may be
built on gracefulness, but I’m made of some tough stuff too. It doesn’t hurt me, just pull down and break through it.”
Trestan brushed her hair more. Cat loved the feeling, but some thoughts surfaced that she had to talk about. “You admired her, didn’t you?”
“What?”
“The Lady Shauntay,” Cat spoke, “You have or you had feelings for her.”
Trestan paused a moment. Cat still had her eyes closed and turned away from him, but she wondered how he would respond. The young man found his voice a moment later and continued brushing her hair again as he spoke. “I used to worship every glance. The low-cut shirts, the way she moved, her disarming smile…everything about her makes a man let his guard down.”
Cat almost frowned, but she kept her face neutral and her eyes closed. Trestan was not in a position to see her reaction. He continued to answer honestly, “Every young man in that town would bend over backwards for her. Every other woman was measured against her beauty. I was nay different. I crafted something really nice once. She took notice of it and wanted it for herself. I gave it freely, but in the end it meant nothing to her. I’m getting the same treatment now. That woman uses her charms to get what she wants without giving back. I feel, well, disappointed and used.”
Trestan was silent for a few moments. “How much do I comb your hair? I don’t know if I’m overdoing it or not.”
Cat giggled, “If I really was trying to look good I would brush a hundred strokes, but generally I just do enough to get most of the snags out. My hair can get real tangled for what I put it through. On the trail like this, it spends most of its time smothered by a helm anyway.”
“Well, I’ll give you the full hundred. You deserve it!”
They sat in silence for a bit longer. Cat wanted to ask more, but at the same time she didn’t want to break the moment. Eventually, it was Trestan that spoke again. “While we are still traveling, I’ll help her out because she needs somebody. After all this is done, I’ll be glad if I never see her again. It might be better that way. I don’t need to be a rich woman’s servant.”
“Just make sure that you take care of yourself,” Cat rebuked, “I wanted to smack her when she asked for your blanket and yet we had a few extra from that camp.”
“I said that every young man in the village compared every woman to her,” Trestan started, but then paused to choose his words. “Since then I’ve come to set a new standard.”
Those last words hung in there air, conveying a private meaning for Cat. After the young smith seemed to stumble on words, Cat urged him, “Go on.”
Trestan blushed, though the half-elf could not see it. “Well, milady, err, Cat. I’ve come to judge women by your standard. Not just physical qualities either, but the way you helped us and your sacrifices for others. I feel bad for anything I have done that pushed you along this quest, and into harm’s way. You are a better person, in body and spirit, than Lady Shauntay could ever hope to be.”
Cat beamed a smile. She hadn’t expected to hear such a compliment. “Thank you for your praise! I treasure it! But don’t regret anything you may have done on this trip. You set your heart on a goal and worked hard for it. It was rather scary at times, but we came through and achieved our task.”
“I achieved as much as I could have dreamed. For a short while, I was something more than a humble smith in patched clothes. I was scared at many times along the road, unsure of what would happen. I’ve looked to Sir Wilhelm’s deity for faith and support. Somehow I did it. Nay, somehow we did it. You’ve been there for us, Cat. You are a big reason why we came out of this as good as we did. You’ve done a lot for Petrow and me, and we couldn’t have come to anywhere as near a happy ending without you. Even though you lied to me more than once, and it made me crazy.”
Cat felt hurt that she had wounded the young man with her lies. “The last thing I want is to hurt you, either of you. I lied when I did to accomplish a better good. I never meant to keep anything hidden forever. The healing potion was there for when we truly needed it. As far as the camp that night, we were lucky Petrow didn’t meet his end; however, if the dwarf had charged in that night would the outcome have been far worse?”
Cat took the comb back from Trestan, thanking him in the process. They sat together quietly after that, side by side. Both stared into the trickle of the waterfall.
The half-elf spoke again. “You are so nice, my friend, upholding some high yet odd morals. You care very much, even for those who tried to kill you. I don’t know if that is a gift. That attitude can leave you vulnerable to someone exploiting your kindness, like that noble. I worry that anyone who feels as you do will come to a hard fall sooner or later. I respect that you stand up for high morals, but I fear that you care too much.”
The young man felt her words and warnings were accurate. “I know I run a risk, but I just wouldn’t live my life any other way. Maybe that’s why I felt drawn to Abriana. I care a lot for everyone, and I’d rather care too much than live a selfish life. Don’t be too hurt by what I said earlier. You’ve been a good friend since the start. I like you…” There was just enough of a pause that Cat could tell he was trying to say the right words, “…very much. In fact, I was blessed to meet you.”
Cat felt herself blushing, and wondering where his comments might be leading. When he had come down to the stream to be in her company, was there an underlying reason? When taking the comb from him she noticed he looked a little nervous, maybe even shaky. She had long thought he was handsome, but how did he feel about her? The woman found her ears hanging on his every word, and she watched him discreetly from the corner of her emerald eyes.
“You know, I don’t remember if I ever said it,” Trestan spoke, “but I’d say you are the most wonderful woman I’ve ever met. I’m serious about that; you’ve made a large impact on my life. I’m afraid of when we get back home what may happen after all this adventure is over. You are a traveler, and my home is there. I don’t want to see you just ride off into the wild and not look back.”
“What do you propose we do? I travel a lot; though do not think I would forget you.” As Cat spoke, she had to admit she felt a little excited. She didn’t know what the future might hold either, and she wasn’t about to stay rooted to one spot. Nevertheless, where Trestan was concerned she felt a pleasant, tingling anticipation in her nerves.
Trestan spoke, “I want to make sure I at least get in the little things that matter greatly to a person. You may insist on buying the drinks, but this time I also want to treat you to a dance when we get home. Maybe if you don’t mind staying a bit, I’ll craft something nice for you. I’ll give you something to wear, and keep as a reminder that you are always welcome back.”
Cat realized that Trestan seemed to be leaning closer. It popped into her mind that he might try to kiss her! She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, and she was hoping that she wasn’t misunderstanding anything. She had to wonder, if he tried to kiss her, whether she should turn him away or accept it. He had always looked up to her, and yet certain men had a way of making her feel like a nervous young girl again! She could not deny the romantic settings as well, with the waterfall bubbling and the last rays of the sun lighting the land. Cat couldn’t think rationally at that moment.
His offer had been left hanging unanswered, so she responded with as even a voice as she could manage. “You don’t have to go through the trouble to make me something, but I’d stay to accept any gift you would offer.”
Cat was aware Trestan hovered a little closer. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to say; events were going to wherever the young smith meant to take them.
Trestan was looking at her face and studying it. The young man commented, “Emerald eyes, and night-black hair; what would compliment them nicely enough? Anything I make would not do justice to the beauty of the woman.”
Cat closed her eyes; she could feel his breath across her pointed ear. Trestan was being rather direct towards her, after always maintaining a respect
ful distance. The half-elf waged a brief inner struggle, but any reason was replaced by emotions. Eyes closed, she turned her head slightly towards the young man. If he was going to kiss her, she was leaving herself open and vulnerable. In fact, a part of her would have been disappointed if he didn’t try.
Something went wrong. Cat sensed it even with her eyes closed. Trestan didn’t lean into her as much as he fell against her. His head bumped her shoulder. A moment later, he was limply rolling down her back to lie flat on the ground. Cat opened her eyes with shock, wondering what happened. Trestan twitched on the ground. His eyes were partly closed; she could see his pupils rolled up under his upper eyelids. The young man didn’t seem aware of anything around him anymore. It hit her: he hadn’t simply been nervous or shaky from their conversation, something had been genuinely wrong.
Sweat covered his forehead and the exposed part of his arms. His lips quivered, but no words or sound came forth. She put a hand to him and shook him, calling his name. The young man didn’t respond. Cat placed a hand against his forehead, only to find it very warm to the touch. Her gut instinct was to check his abdomen wound. When she placed a hand against it, Trestan shook a bit more. The skin underneath the shirt was also very warm to the touch. Cat had to get to the wound and look at it, but she couldn’t get his armor off without help.
The Earthrin Stones 1 of 3: Inheritance of a Sword and a Path Page 30
