“Tor, not sir. Really though, you two have as much right to the room as I do. For now though, Judith, could you give us a bit? I have to go away for a while and Rolph is my best friends, so… I hate to be rude.” His face showed the pain he felt at even suggesting it. He didn't want her to feel rejected or anything, as she walked past he gave her a hug and whispered into her ear.
“Thanks for being so understanding.”
Rolph didn't need to be told what was going on, just that Tor was going and that in two weeks the real mission started. What plan there was so far, he knew as well as Tor did. Maybe better, if any updates had come in from his parents. Normally Tor would have expected people to tell him things like that, but in this case it may just be better for him to not know.
For instance, if the plan turned out to be him waiting to be castrated and set to being used by the crazy masses in Austra as Daria Serge had promised as her wedding “gift” to him, then really, it was better not to tell him. Of course she wasn't getting that chance. Tor was going in shielded and armed and if they had a problem with it, they could forget the whole thing. At least shielded, he reconsidered. A weapon might be too much to ask, but even insane people couldn't feel threatened by a shield, not if they were trying to give the illusion that they didn't just want to kill him outright.
The Prince didn't say much, he just looked at him for a long time and then shook his head.
“I'd go with you if I could. Or take your place. Even if it meant dying.”
It was a true statement and for a second tears stung at Tor’s eyes. The idea wafted off of Rolph's field, it sang to Tor so loudly he couldn't ignore it. It was what lay under that sense of desperation and fear for his friend that made Tor draw back mentally.
Rolph loved him.
Not, “hey buddy, let’s go pick up chicks” love, or “hey… don't get yourself killed” even, but the real, “I'd die for you” kind, mixed with “let's share a bed”. It was something that Tor had never noticed before from him.
Or expected.
Tor just nodded, not able to find anything clever or witty to say. Not that he managed either of those all that often. Rolph was funnier and lighter most of the time. He had to say something though. You couldn't leave that kind of statement just resting in the air.
“I know. Never doubted it for a second. Unfortunately you won't fit in my clothing. The rest I think we could manage, but making you look smaller would be really hard.” He smiled, even though it wasn't funny… it was true. Both parts.
Tor needed to be able to disguise himself and soon. The more tricks he had up his sleeve the better. Premier Glost Serge was a nut job from what he'd seen and Lilli, the name that Daria had used while roaming the streets of the Capital, stealing and killing people, personally disliked him for some reason.
That or she thought threats of castration and forcible and repeated sodomy to be foreplay. Tor was kind of hoping for the crazy threat, to tell the truth. Then he wouldn't feel as bad when he had to kill her. He'd never directly killed anyone. Paid for it to be done, once, but to just do it? Never. But he knew that getting Denno Brown free might mean he'd have to. He might have to murder a bunch of people.
He hugged Rolph goodbye. It was troubling and awkward for him, but his friend was still his friend, and if that meant Tor had to deal with complications and issues he really wasn't ready for, then so be it. The hug was long, but had that back pounding “guy hug” feel to it. Good enough. As he left Tor wondered how long his friend had that going on in his head, those kinds of feelings. Days? Weeks?
Years?
Well, something to deal with when he got back. After all, he really could die doing this. What were the odds that the Glost's plan for him involved lavish entertainments and candy? Not very likely. All he could do was ready himself and then go do his best.
The walk to his little house on the edge of the school complex only took a few minutes. It was his, literally, but it felt strange to just walk in. He'd only been inside once, and it looked different now. The front room was tasteful, larger and had a lot more decoration. In fact Bonita Coltress, one of his very good friends, was showing off her ability to decorate it to Count Lairdgren. Her actions and words all but shouted, “I'd be a wonderful wife!” it was cute, but she really was trying too hard, the man had already said yes, and didn't seem inclined to change his mind. Which was good, since then Tor would have to tie him up and deliver him to the wedding that way. The only reason Tor was letting them get married at all was that he couldn't marry Bonita himself.
But the Count seemed to get the idea without needing to be told. A benefit of being thousands of years old probably. It was good. Tor wasn't sure exactly how to go about capturing an Ancient anyway.
He seemed entertained by the antics at least. Then he probably found it cute too, since Tor and Burks patterns were essentially the same.
Tor walked in and gave her a huge hug.
“Nita! So I hear you've talked the Count into settling down? I figured it would be you… who could resist?” Certainly not Tor. She was nice. Her face was close to a true oval, her eyes just a bit too far apart for pretty and her nose was large, straight down the middle and hooked down at the end, but on the wrong face for it to really work. Her smile showed too much gum and her laugh was shy and timid most of the time. She was also one of the sweetest and most caring people he'd ever met, and bright too. In short, nearly perfect.
At least if you had enough brains to see it.
Burks did. So did Tor. Seeing them so happy together made him a little sad, but joyful at the same time. They both deserved something wonderful in their lives. Nita smiled at him, large and innocent.
“I know, I didn't even have to bribe him or anything, go figure? It's good to see you Tor. Do you have time to chat?”
Did he? Sure, he had all the time in the world for her. Especially if it meant putting of thinking about his pending mission. Burks chuckled, obviously having a good idea of what he was thinking. He was older, wiser and probably better at everything imaginable, but he'd been Tor. The circumstances were different, but he'd lived all this more than once, probably.
“We could spend forever here and be marvelously happy love, but every moment we waste could be the one that costs us everything. Obviously Denno can't save himself. Unless this is just a trap. It wouldn't be like him, but even those like me and Tor are people, and can make mistakes and do things that others simply don't understand. Which brings me to the first thing I wanted to talk to you about Tor…” Burks gently moved him towards the door. It wasn’t all that subtle even.
Laughing Tor quickly hugged Nita again and then kissed her, more warmly than he really should have in front of her prospective husband, but she returned it without pause. If Burks didn't like it, he shouldn't have made “the rules” like he had. The whole messed up system of the nobles was literally the old man's creation after all. Tor kissed Nita again and whispered that he'd see her soon into her ear. Then he got pulled out the door a little forcefully. Burks was chuckling a bit himself, so it wasn't meant to be a true chastisement.
They talked while they flew, taking one of the new carriages that Tor had made, the really fast ones. Tor made it gray to match the color of the clouds above. He didn’t want to scare anyone seeing it, who might think it an Austran craft come to bomb their little town or village.
Burks had started with small talk and watched Tor carefully, trying to remember what it was like to be that young. Most likely realizing how stupid it meant too, Tor thought. Well, that wasn't wrong.
He still did things because his feelings were hurt and reacted like a buffoon when a pretty girl paid attention to him sometimes. That was the hard part too, the “sometimes”. One day a woman would proposition him for sex and he coolly accept. The next day a nervous young lady would ask if he was free to chat and he'd stammer and feel like his face was on fire from blushing.
It was idiotic for him to go instead of Burks. If they could swing a good disguise device they should both go, of course, but him alone? That would be suicide. Still, if that was the plan, he had to try it. If someone called you brother and meant it, then you had to do what you could for them, didn't you?
Really he just wondered how he could bring Burks around to thinking that the idea was the right one? He was wiser, a way better fighter, maybe one of the best in the world, and had that calm under fire that Tor wondered if he'd really ever learn, same being or not. If he were the one held hostage, Burks would be the one to come get him, not some eighteen year old knock-off that could freak out at any moment.
Burks just sighed.
“I think I should go in as you Tor, I-”
