A Simple Darkness (The Young Ancients: Tiera) Page 23

  Tiera suddenly felt like she was backwards and inept. She didn't know how to do that yet at all.

  Guide looked at the scene and recovered pretty quickly, making his own bow, which looked like something a kid from the country might have attempted, feeling horribly out of place.

  "Hello. I'm Guide. May I help you with something?"

  "Present for you. From my family. For the magical devices you sent with Tiera. Thank you, they are most welcome and used daily." The basket got shoved toward him a little roughly, but he took it with a smile.

  "This is most kind! Please tell your parents that I said thank you. I... we don't really have anything for guests, would you like to come in?"

  They did, apparently, since it wasn't everyday that Taman got to go visiting after all. Guide offered the cookies around. Taman informed him with a smile that she'd made them herself, which got him to freeze with one of the disks halfway to his mouth. Then, bravely, he took a bite, as if he expected them to be burnt or be made with salt instead of sugar.

  "These are great. I mean really good. Much better than we get here by far. We should have you in to help with the cooking here." Then he seemed to realize that he was suggesting they turn a Conserina into kitchen help, but Taman nodded, as if it were a compliment.

  It was how it was meant, so Tiera didn't say anything and Sandra didn't either, since Taman wasn't going to war with the boy over it. No, the little girl was kind and gentle. Proper. Not like she was at all.

  "Thank you. I have to see to my own duties, but I could bring more sometime?"

  It was very correct sounding, but also clearly a bit advanced, since Lars sat in the corner, away from the group a bit, fighting a laugh. He made it. Just barely.

  Then they had to get Sandra set up somewhere and get Taman back home. The easiest thing to do for the night was to send her to Ali, who was in her room and screamed when she saw them both. Her voice was loud, but happy sounding and Taman was picked up into a hug.

  "You came just to see me?" There was a pleased tone to it and her face went even wider when Sandra explained it all.

  "So, Guide has some treats, if we can pry them from him. I wonder if the rest of us get goodies if we send them things too?"

  It was an offhand thing, but Ali nodded.

  "Most likely."

  Before anyone else could speak, Tiera waved to her sister-in-law and just asked if Sandra could stay with her for a bit, not explaining why. She said yes, without hesitation, since the two girls were on good terms. Also, unlike in Two Bends, people at the school had heard about what Tiera had done, if not exactly why. She didn't ask, just dimpling at them both, glad to see that they weren't fighting at that moment. Then the floating box was passed over and there was more joyous screaming, with some clapping involved, since Tor was alive and well. It was important to the girl after all, since she really did seem to like him.

  It was an extra hour out of her day, but Taman was back home well before dinner, and all Tiera had to do was make certain no one at school was going to try and kill her, or kick her out.

  If so, she was going to be at pretty loose ends. Maybe Tim could use her full time for his transport concern?

  She headed by her own room first, to put the remaining trunks away. It was empty, except for a note on her bed, from Regina. It asked for her to come find the other girl as soon as possible, when she got back. Wanting to put off her dismissal for a few minutes, she headed to her old room, jogging up the stairs. No one was there at all, since it was, clearly, class time. She should have been in her own singing instruction period herself.

  Instead of running to the class, she went to the Headmaster's office and asked to see him, figuring that she'd be made to wait for some time, if not just asked to leave. The woman at the front desk had short hair, which was still the common fashion, and a sour look about her that told Tiera that, no matter what she might have been told previously, she really didn't matter to the world at all. It was nearly enough to get her to respond angrily. She held it in, but it was hard, since the woman seemed so very smug about it all. Tiera had to wonder if that would change if she were taken up in a Fast Craft and dropped from a great height?

  Dean Hardgrove didn't make her wait however, asking her to come in directly and even let her have a seat.

  "Would you like some tea dear? I was just about to have some myself."

  She shook her head and made a face at him, tight lipped and a bit angry, no doubt. He didn't respond to it at all. Just turning to work with the small teapot behind him, pouring the white ceramic mug full of what was probably water, leaving the leaves in their metal ball to steep.

  "No. I missed a week. I... was in a war." She paused then kept going, her voice getting a little louder as she spoke. "I won. County Morris surrendered, or better have at least. Otherwise I'm going to miss more school while I finish them off. I kind of hope it isn't needed. Their people will already suffer for what I've done." She laughed a little and leaned forward. "I actually came to see if I was still in school. Tor said that I might get life experience points for some classes, making war like that. I can't say that it helped with singing at all. Fighting and some math though." She proved the later part with a long string of numbers, explaining how she picked the businesses for maximum short term monetary damage. The man did seem impressed, but he didn't react to the news that Tor was back at all.

  Since, clearly, he already knew.

  She had been told he was trustworthy, hadn't she?

  The man let her speak for a long time and then sipped at his beverage for a while, finally, when he did speak, his voice was considering. "Let's not spend time with fictions. You were caught up in intrigue, which was clearly a mistake on Count Morris' part. Your natural inclinations probably left you almost no other option but to respond. You need to master that Tiera. I don't believe you, or I, will be better served by removing you from the school for this. I do think you might benefit from meditation practice however. That will be in the evenings, after you eat. An hour a day to begin with." He sipped again then blew over the top of the cup, his gray beard making his light blue tunic look cheery, even as he almost frowned at her. "This isn't a punishment. You aren't the first student to miss a week or two of school for a war. That isn't even the worst reason I've heard for such a thing today. But I have some information that tells me that you're closer to losing control than I think most realize. If you tell me that isn't the case, I'll let you out of the new class, but I'd like the truth."

  She didn't blurt anything out, since it would have been a denial, her face flashed to anger, her heart leading it, which... was what he meant. She nodded after a bit.

  "Constantly. Everything leaves me feeling raw and ready to fight. It's always been like this. I don't normally get violent, but I always feel ready for it. Is that normal?"

  The man was old and wise, so he did what she expected him to do and defer.

  "Honestly? I don't think so. Most girls certainly don't have to deal with that kind of thing. I've met a few young men like that and most met with an early death. Hence suggesting meditation. It isn't an instant repair for it, but might give some aid, over time, if you stick with it."

  That decided, she was given her new assignment, meeting with the meditations Instructor after dinner each night, before bed.

  "There, now all you have to do is beg your way back into classes. Good luck with that. I trust there will be no violence on your part, even if you're beaten in the commons for it? Except with the weapons master. He can fend for himself. The others are safe however?" He sounded mild and calm, but his eyes searched her for clues.

  "Yes, sir. Even if I'm beaten for it."

  "Good! I know that things have been a bit rough here for you so far, but I think you have a bright future, Miss Baker. Don't lose sight of that."

  Then, a bit abruptly, he gestured for her to leave, smiling the whole time.

  She headed back to her own room and ate there, still having some dried food left. She chec
ked it carefully and was still there when Karen came back, looking a bit sad, until she saw who was sitting there, waiting for her.

  "There you are! Is this a visit, or, well, how goes the war?" It sounded silly, but it was pretty close to a real thing wasn't it?

  "The war is won and Count Morris has surrendered, or begun the process to my satisfaction. It was a bit uncertain for a while and I may still have to kill him." She smiled though. "For the moment things are a bit better, so I'm back at school, if anyone will have me. I have a new class at night."

  Instead of insisting that she run all over the school complex finding the Instructors, Karen suggested she find Regina.

  "She's been coming to see about you every day, sometimes twice. She cried at me for hours too, so... I don't know, go and see to her, will you?"

  She got up, leaving to do just that right then, since it seemed to be a bigger deal than she'd figured it might be. Had her friend thought she'd be hurt or not come back for some reason? Not even to visit her? That wasn't her plan at all. Even if she'd been kicked out she'd be there to see her. When she knocked on the door this time the girl answered almost immediately, grabbing her and pulling Tiera inside without saying anything coherent, not even asking why she'd been gone. That story she seemed to know already.

  "I thought that evil Count or the King had killed you! Your friend Karen said that you'd gone to fight them all and that they didn't have news. I thought you'd died... that she just wasn't allowed to tell me. No one would tell me anything. What happened?"

  They talked for about an hour about it all, with Reggie asking a lot of questions about the whole thing, even though it had to be pretty boring for her. Then about halfway through, Tiera found herself being held. The girl smelled like soup and a mild floral perfume. It was nice, but reminded her that she could use a real bath herself. After all, while she'd been washing daily, it was just in a stream, not a nice long soak.

  "Come on, let's go and hog the bathtubs for a while." She felt nearly happy then, with her friend by her side, going off to do something that normal. It was the contact probably, it left her feeling better, safe and loved even.

  That was a bit too much to ask of Regina though. She was just a good friend, but there was a bond there, Tiera thought. A real one. It was as close to having someone special as she'd ever gotten at least. The baths were all free and the untreated wood and moist air made her feel good. It was familiar and pleasant. She didn't take her shield off, but did everything else, which got her friend to stare at her as she slowly sank into the warm water. The tub wasn't deep, and only big enough for one person each, but it was more than enough for someone as tiny as she was to sink down and nearly float in. Reggie couldn't, being a head taller already. The simple hemp cord got wet, which earned a hand wave.

  "Won't the water damage it?"

  "Not really. The cord can be replaced and the field itself won't be hurt by it at all. Count Morris might send people after me, so I'm not letting my guard down overly." Maybe never again. She hadn't been lazy that way, but she suddenly missed not having a weapon on her too.

  They just chatted about things then, not covering anything special. Mainly talking about music and what to do for the holidays. A few other girls came in to bathe, joining the conversation as they all relaxed, even though she didn't know them all. It took a while for a few of them to actually speak to her, since she was, still, on the list of people to be shunned it seemed, but that was alright. They talked around her and eventually gave in and asked questions of her.

  And her family. Everyone wanted to know if Tor was around and if she'd heard from him. It wasn't exactly a secret, and rumors had already flew it seemed, so she just told them about meeting up with him, which got a lot of girlish squeals.

  One of them, who was a fourth or fifth year student, a blonde girl that was pretty and had very long hair, smiled a little sadly about the topic.

  "I always tried to get his attention when we met, when he used to go here. I never could. For a while I thought it meant he liked men, but he married Gretchen Derring. I guess I wasn't good enough?"

  It was strange hearing Ali's real name used like that, but Tiera knew it. The girl looked fine, so she couldn't imagine why her brother wouldn't have paid attention to her at all.

  The same girl smiled and sank into the water, the heater on the side of the thing making the water in her metal tub steam a little. "So, Conserina Baker... I hear that a certain sister of yours paid a visit to one of the Lairdgren group? Builder Guide? That's a first, isn't it? Very daring of her too." The girl didn't really chuckle about it at all, but the other girls didn't get the joke, and seemed excited.

  Even Reggie didn't seem in on it.

  "Let me guess, you heard the tale from Lars? Did he mention that my sister is only five, and was very proper about the whole thing? Guide was a darling about it, a true gentleman. I was there the whole time and so was Sandra Morris."

  One of the other girls snickered then, but bit her lip to make the noise stop, so she could speak.

  "Isn't she the one you're holding hostage against her father's good behavior? If so we should all go and make her do stuff. She's cute." There was a wicked laugh then, even as Tiera snorted.

  "No. I won't let her be harmed or abused, so get that idea out of your mind right now. She's not even a real hostage, though don't tell her father that. The man's a pain."

  There was more chuckling then, but the conversation shifted over into ways to fix the dining hall, since almost no one ate there anymore.

  Then, later than she should have probably, Tiera went back to her room, to find Karen already fast asleep.

  Chapter nine

  The next morning she didn't have to do anything in particular, as far as begging went at least, for three and a half hours. At least that was the normal amount of time it would take for Karen and Sir Kolbrin to get there. She got there early, since she'd woken at about four and had nothing else to do. It was hard to run in the dark, but the pell was far enough away from all the rooms that no one complained about that and the stones only made noise when she dropped them. That was a nice resonate thud that carried, but would be hard to track down, if anyone cared.

  Just as dawn broke she ran, going as fast as she could for two laps around the whole school, which made her stomach hurt, but didn't take that long. Then she was a little stuck, not having much left to do at all until people came. Like always, Havar was first, but he had his regular exercises to get to and she didn't want to bother him. At a loss for a while she decided to just work the pells longer, taking one of the well beaten metal clubs to it, trying not to lose her balance as she swung. It had to weigh in at about sixty pounds, which was a big chunk of her weight. Two thirds at least. Maybe a bit more.

  The noise from it was loud, and after about fifteen minutes the sturdy log, the same one that she regularly punched with her fists and kicked, broke, nearly in half. It was so loud Tiera jumped back.

  "Gah!" Then, not knowing what else to do, she attacked the downed section and beat it until it stopped moving, which was ridiculous, but got Havar to laugh.

  "Break through!" He called out walking over with a big smile. "That means you get to change the pell out. Come on, I'll show you how. It doesn't take long, or won't with two of us working on it."

  Together they pried the sunken part of the thing out and then carried in a very large replacement, a thing that was nearly two and a half feet around and shaved sooth, someone having used a cutter on it. They had to do that again at the base, so that it would fit into the hole, but the weight of the thing made it slip down all the way. It really didn't take long, only about fifteen minutes.

  "There, now you can get back to work." The giant didn't seem to think that was odd or anything, but he'd probably broken more than one of the things before himself. She worked at it for a while, but finally had to stop, her shoulders about to fall off. Instead of using the healing amulet, she decided to keep going, if she could. Her fists and head we
re bloody from earlier, but it only hurt.

  She pounced on the bigger man just as he finished his own workout, holding two long staves up. She didn't really know how to use them yet, but it wouldn't be that different than what she was used to, she didn't think. Hers was shorter, her own height, so five feet even. His was short for him, since she didn't want to give away that much in reach, so it was just over that by a smidge.

  It was a little different, but she was able to keep up with the larger man, mainly. He hit hard, but avoided blows to the head, mainly taking her in the arms. She did the same to his legs, actually getting him to limp a bit, a few resounding cracks stinging him occasionally. She figured out how to block, but most of the true deflections were his, since he was far more skillful than she was at the whole thing. They kept at it while the others came in, no one paying too much attention to her, other than what was needed to keep from being hit by the new girl as she flailed around.

  Suddenly Havar grinned and hit her in the middle with the end of the stick, which hurt a lot, but took her totally off guard. She hadn't even been considering that before. When she tried it herself, it was blocked, missing his middle by a bit, and he stepped in using his staff to tie up her legs and send her sprawling. Then, because the man was clearly insane, he stood over her and swung with both hands over his head, crashing down on her full force. She tried to roll, but didn't make it and nearly passed out from the pain, which took her by surprise. It was bad. She was pretty certain a rib had broken from the move. Scrambling away as fast as she could let her take the next blow on the back of the thigh, which ripped the fake fabric of her magical clothing. She hadn't been aware that was something that could even happen. It burned, and made her gasp, but she limped over to her own stick and picked it up, nearly going down under another blow. One the man was clearly pulling.

  That must mean he liked her.