A Simple Darkness (The Young Ancients: Tiera) Page 16

  His voice was a bit excited and he started to leave, heading to the door without pause.

  "I'll try the soap first and the towels. I think Sam is already doing toothbrushes and razors. Pots and Pans? Can you draw up some pictures? I bet Farlo would like that. She's been looking for some things to make and feeling a bit like she isn't good enough. That's silly, but... Get with her on it? I 'm going to be busy."

  The decently cute and not overly tall boy, walked out quickly, shutting the door behind himself. It was strange, but it was also nice. He'd given her presents, and had been polite about it, which was more than she'd expected. Sitting at the desk she started playing with the dishes, first trying to drop them to see if they'd break and finally throwing them to the floor as hard as she could. They didn't, of course, being made of the same stuff a shield was, she thought. That felt right at least, to her mind. She could sense the fields, even though it was hard to tell what they all were really.

  At about nine Karen came in and noticed them, but didn't say anything about it at first, collecting up a towel and soap, obviously heading to the baths. When she came back Tiera had everything put away, since it would probably be best to take them home for the rest of her family. She didn't need plates and fine goblets for her schoolroom.

  Her trainer shook her head tiredly.

  "There is a big difference between working half a day and a full one. Kolb had me with the third years all day too. You know, large enough and practiced enough to be hard to deal with, but still full of themselves enough to be emotional about things. They try to hide it at least, which is better than the first years. Except you, so far. That thing today... well, at least you don't give up. It was stupid of course, letting your ankles break like that. If it had been a real fight Kolb would have killed you most likely. Anyone would have, more to the point. You can't walk on broken legs."

  There was truth to that, so she just nodded. The move hadn't worked very well either, trying to wrap him up like that.

  She mentioned it and then shrugged.

  "The only thing I've seen work so far is turning a shield off, but I can't do it. Not yet. I started trying to practice, but it takes more than I have so far." To demonstrate she flicked the wall light on and off a few time, managing it from her own bed, about seven feet away. "That did nothing through a shield. I know it can be done, since I've had it done to me. Several times in fact. I bet the Lairdgren group can all do it, though they might not know it yet... What else can we do though?"

  Karen sighed and laid back on her bed, eyes shut, clearly not wanting to chat about fighting at the moment. "Well, we can't do that much, can we? If you have a shield on there are some tricks that work in very special cases. Kolb gave me a black eye through a shield once. That requires triggering your own inside the shield space of another person. It damages you too, so you have to use a part of yourself that you don't mind being hurt on a soft target area, like the eyes or face. That's about all we really have so far and could change with the next version of whatever is come up with."

  Then, almost as if bored, she walked to the light and tried to turn it to the low setting, making it happen, her hand hovering over the control for it, a look of focus on her face.

  "I guess we need to learn that trick too then. It's harder through a shield? Well, we can practice first and then do it on each other, until we can manage it in a fight. That could work." Yawning she went back to her bed. "I'm going to sleep now."

  Then, almost instantly, she did.

  It was a bit unfair, but it let her think for a while before she drifted off herself. Mainly she thought about math, for some reason. It was entertaining after all and different than the rest of her life. Clean and predictable. Even the classes were the same each day, with her going in, listening to a lecture and then doing new work, things that were clearly built off the old. It just made sense, in a world that often didn't.

  The next day was the first of the two she had off and her schedule said that she needed to be in County Cannor by ten to make the needed pick-ups. That was for Countess Cannor. Then she'd head south and get York, Printer and Morris. That would make a full load, since some of them had others coming along with them. The craft could only get so large.

  Before dawn by a good way she poked Karen with a single finger, which got a tremendous overhand blow delivered to the top of her shield. Blinking, she smiled.

  "That won't get me to stop Karen. Get up, we have work to do. You can sleep in the Fast Craft, but you're supposed to go with me. Remember to grab the undelivered messages. We have at least one that we might be able to pass off today." She was saying this to a blank face that clearly wasn't all the way awake yet. With a bit of pulling and pushing she had her up in a few minutes, the older woman laughing a bit and finally putting her hands up.

  "Alright, I'm up. No need to dump me out of bed."

  She didn't try to go back to sleep or anything like that, so Tiera got them both some food and made a little bundle of things to go to Two Bends, since it was on the way, and her family would already be up for the day. They ran a bakery and a delivery service. Work started before the sun was up at both.

  First they used the facilities and got cleaned up for the day, but fifteen minutes later they were both ready and left without dragging things out too much. It took fifteen more minutes to get into Two Bends. Well, a bit longer than that, but it wasn't too hard to find, since it was the only place in the whole forest that had outdoor magical lights on. It was actually easier to find in the semi dark than full light because of that.

  They settled on the main street, which had been converted to a real road in the last weeks, probably just compacted in place into focus stone. It made the whole thing too slick for winter use, but someone probably had an idea to fix that already. After all, people needed to drive wagons on it and horses broke things when they went down on ice or snow. That gave her another idea, which was a healing item for animals. Certain kinds at least. Pets maybe, and livestock. A town could share one and keep a lot of horses alive that might not have made it otherwise. There might be a reason no one had done that, but she could bring the idea up.

  They headed for the bakery itself, since almost everyone was there early in the day, before school started. Karen followed her, looking around in the dim light, the sun being up, but just barely and the trees making things a bit darker than they would have been in a lot of places. The pines stole a lot of the day, hence the magical devices to keep things bright still being used.

  The shop looked the same, since she'd only been away for a few weeks. Inside the place was bright and clean, almost modern looking compared to the white exterior that was clearly fresh paint, but over what had been raw and weathered wood. The place smelled like home to her, a wash of yeast and bread, along with some spices and sugar. The bell on the door got her father to come to the front, wiping his hands on a towel, his eyes going wide as he looked up at Karen. He smiled though, and came around the counter to give his daughter a small hug.

  "S'Tiera! S'hows y'be?" Then, realizing that Karen wouldn't understand him, his accent shifted suddenly. "I see you brought a friend. Is this a classmate of yours?" His hand started to come out to shake, but he turned the move into a flourish and bowed instead.

  Karen bowed back.

  "Instructor. Fighting section. For today I'm a bodyguard though, since Tiera is doing transport for her brother's company. Timon, just in case one of the others has something going I don't know about."

  Douglas Baker nodded to her, looking impressed enough by the job title it seemed. Tiera waved toward her and finished the introductions though.

  "This is my father, Douglas Baker. Da, this is Karen Derring, Ali's older sister?"

  That got them both a smile and a pat on the shoulder though no hug for Karen, since it wouldn't be proper. They did get some sweet rolls out of it however, as the others heard the noise, which got a half dozen people, most of them small, to run out and tackle her. The cute thing there was that Kare
n did get some hugs, mainly from the littlest ones. Taman smiled up at her and asked her name.

  In very good standard Noram.

  "I'm Taman. May I ask your name, ma'am?" Tiera was certain the girl couldn't have said that three weeks back. She was only just turning six after all... even that would be a few months. Her birthday was three days before Noram Day.

  Karen smiled and made a half bow, since they were equals, or close enough, socially speaking. Taman was lower in rank, but it was her home, in Lairdgren County. It made it about even.

  "I'm... your second aunt, Karen. Ali is my sister. Have you met her?"

  That got a nod and more people hugging her, though again, that action was mainly about the knees.

  Terry managed a credible bow and left the room, coming back with their mother a few minutes later. She was dressed in green velvet, clearly having changed for company. Her first words however were different than the others, even though she did hug her daughter while she said them.

  "What happened to your hair?" It didn't sound worried overly, but instead of going through the whole story they told at school Karen covered for her, so she wouldn't get in trouble.

  "She got transferred to the fighters section. Sir Martin Kolbrin suggested she cut it and she had this done. I have to admit, you can't pull it in a fight." She spoke gently and Taman introduced her, as Aunt Karen, which didn't get a raised eyebrow at all. She did look at Tiera though.

  "Fast work there. You two will need to keep that quiet here in town, but... congratulations. You still have to get married though, so we'll need to find you a man willing to take both of you. Do you know Count Breen? He sent a letter to that end for Tiera the other day. Most polite. I vaguely remember him, but It's been over twenty years since we've met."

  Douglas laughed, covering his mouth, and moved to pat his wife on the back.

  "This is Karen Derring dear, Alyssa's older sister? Conserina first, I believe. So, an Aunt from a different direction." He didn't mock Tiera over the mistake yet at least. It would come, but later. When they were alone.

  Her mother smiled then and shrugged a bit.

  "Ah? That works too. Well, to what do we owe the visit then, if not to announce a relationship?" She waited, but Tiera just put the magical items on the sales counter, triggering each. The others seemed impressed enough and Terry promptly picked a large white and silver plate up, but didn't drop it or anything.

  "Magic?"

  Tiera nodded. "You don't have to wash them, just throw them in the trash and turn the device off. They'll work up to about two hundred feet from the central device. Builder Guide made them. It was my idea, so he gave me these, but I don't really need them at school."

  Laurali nodded, "very fine. We should send him a gift, what do you think he'd like?"

  It was Karen that answered, eating a spice roll without frosting or icing. They were still too warm for that.

  "Baked goods would probably be best. He's one of the Lairdgren group, so, you know, rich already. They still have to eat though. He's a bit too old for her, or I'd suggest you steer Taman at him." She was playing but Taman looked pleased with the attention, even if she didn't understand the full meaning. Terry got it and put his hands on his hips, looking protective. He didn't say anything however, which worked, getting Karen to laugh and wink at him.

  Tiera smiled and shook her head a little, since it was kind of a cute idea, if only in abstract.

  "Well, you know, just send her along with the treats for him. Get Tim to bring her and it should be safe enough." After all, he had a guard all the time now too. Captain Petra. At least Tiera thought that was the case. The woman was clearly a fighter after all and Karen had mentioned her a few times.

  Everyone seemed slightly amused by the idea, but no one stopped her on the way out, after she explained that they were due across the kingdom in a few hours. They were out in a relatively short period of time, collecting a few more hugs. It wasn't until they got back into the craft and were half the way to the Capital that Karen smirked at her.

  "Notice how your mother assumed that you and I were a serious item? I wonder what that was about?"

  Tiera sighed and shook her head, not to negate anything, but just because it was a little convoluted.

  "Well, you know about the Ancients and all that right? That they're real and not just a children's story?" It was just possible she didn't after all, even living with her, since they hadn't really talked about it. A few offhand comments might not mean she'd picked up on the reality of the whole situation after all.

  Karen waved her hand a little, as if dismissing the topic.

  "Yes. I know that your mother, Count Lairdgren and Tor are like that too. I was briefed on it before I was set to being your roommate, in case it turned out you were weird or something." She smiled at the words. "Or at least I assume that was the point. I already knew before that though. Not about you specifically, but Petra and Kolb both knew about Tor and told me. Why? Is it related to that?"

  Tiera shrugged.

  "Well, it isn't just about living a long time. Other traits were added in and being of the gray line, like my mother and Timon, he has it too, well it means that I might only like women. You know... in that way. It isn't how I feel though. A lot of men seem really interesting to me at least, so I don't think I'm locked in to any one thing. She didn't know though. She isn't like that, but apparently Count Lairdgren told her it might be possible."

  That got a long silence and then Karen shrugged.

  "I like men myself. I need to find a husband soon. Maybe steal Count Breen from you?" She looked out the window and after a few seconds smiled, as if just getting something. "I bet it's your new hairstyle. A lot of the female fighters are often thought as being exclusively interested in women. It isn't true of course, just an old thing that people decided was a fact in the past and haven't let go of yet."

  That sort of made sense. Tiera decided not to let it bother her overly. After all, her entire family had just accepted it, hadn't they? That was standing in Two Bends too. Her parents weren't from there though, but her brother and sisters were and they hadn't batted an eyelash at the idea, even though she was nearly certain that Terry understood most of what was being said. He was smart after all. Not Timon level, but who was? Still, he wasn't unworldly at all, was he? He ran deliveries already and that meant seeing a lot more of the world than not.

  That was nice to know, since it meant she didn't have to worry about them feeling like she was being evil. That was kind of a hard thing for her still. Doing anything with another person was kind of a risk, as far as all her early training went. The idea that there weren't just other rules, but that she, personally, was supposed to live by them, well, it was a bit scary.

  They got to Timon's in time to meet up with him, and found Judith already there, loading several baskets out to her own craft, which she made a festive pink and sky blue. Timon had his out as well, which was a mirrored rectangle. Hers was kind of plain right now, a night sky black, since she hadn't bothered changing it from a few days prior. Without waiting she made it a nice bright green, which looked nice enough and was clearly special.

  Then they dashed in to get their baskets, since they didn't have a lot of time left before they needed to leave. Timon met them on the way out and nodded to Karen, not speaking to her directly.

  "We should all be back here by eight tonight. Two trips for each of us. Remember, if anything comes up, give free trips away, if you have room. We don't have to count every coin and these are some of our best potential customers coming in today. Make sure they feel pampered and loved." He didn't smile at the words, seeming more than a little down. "We'll be in my houses tonight. I know it isn't as fine as Tor's, but it will keep us all closer together."

  That seemed important to him for some reason, so Tiera didn't say anything about it. It made sense for her, being his sister, but why would it matter if Karen and Judith stayed with him? Maybe that way they could handle emergencies the next day or
something?

  On the next leg of the trip Karen wondered at it herself.

  "Maybe it's to discuss what happened at Ali's party the other day? I don't know what happened with that myself, not getting a report yet."

  Tiera let her eyes go wide and flinched.

  "We missed that? Ali will kill us! I forgot all about it. What do I tell her?" She felt half panicked, since she wasn't trying to slight her sister-in-law at all. They'd been a bit distant, but...

  Karen waved a large hand. "She knows that you've been busy. It was mainly about the Lairdgren group anyway, not you or me. We did our part, so she won't be upset, I don't think. We should make an effort to spend time with her soon, but full time training, plus classes, that doesn't leave a lot of time. We might not have even that soon, if more messages are needed to be passed. Which almost has to happen."

  That reminded her that they needed to get Countess York's to her. That one had left her feeling annoyed, when they weren't allowed in originally. If the woman was a pain about taking it now Tiera didn't know what she was supposed to do about it. Send it back to the King? Stuff it down her throat by force? That wouldn't go over well, but it would make sure she knew about it.

  They took the rest of the trip in near silence, even though Karen didn't sleep for once. They got to Cannor in good time at least, since it was only shortly after nine when they settled in Canton, the older woman they were to meet coming out with a younger man and a girl that were both about Tiera's age. They had floating luggage, but it was only one trunk each.

  Tiera hopped out and bowed low, not knowing who was who, but getting the idea that the older one was Countess Cannor and that meant someone not to anger. She wore a nice, if old fashioned dress, one that was heavily embroidered and looked like it might be scratchy. She smiled though and bowed back.

  "Are you Timon then? I'd heard you were a pretty boy, but you seem a bit more delicate than I would have expected." She didn't seem to mean anything by it at least, so Tiera just put her hands on her hips and scowled for a moment, the two younger people looking mortified. Then she let herself smile.