Rolph made a rude sound with his tongue.
“Oh stop being a stupid bitch Trice! Tor just spent nearly two months making a special device so that you won't send people into combat rage and his butts covered with bed-sores. He can't walk and hasn't even eaten, the first thing he did was insist on coming here. The least you can do is open the door enough to get your present. It's actually really cool. I'd ask for one just as a decoration. Seriously though, stop being stupid now please? I don't think Tor has the energy to hang around here all day waiting for you to decide you don't hate him or whatever.”
Nothing happened for a second, then a sound of fumbling, a lock or bar on the inside, which made no sense to Tor. Was that so the firewood could have privacy? When the door opened, a fearsome sight peeked out, hair longer than Tor remembered, all brown frizz and curls, just a hint of blond at the tips. The blue eyes were feral and looked half insane.
“I don't hate him, he hates me. Because of you!” A finger pointed at the King, who didn't deny the accusation at all. It was true to an extent, except Tor didn't hate her. Far from it, obviously.
The small and exhausted builder rolled his eyes.
“Like he said, stupid. Not true. Now take the device and let's go get cleaned up. Bed time soon. Food.” The croak was harsh and Tor realized that if they didn't hurry he was just going to fall asleep on the floor.
Rolph practically had to wrestle with Trice to get her to put the thing on and she didn't comment on the little dragon at all, hardly even seeing it. She started to close herself back in the little storage room, but Rich put a hand out.
“No. Enough of that. The danger has been dealt with and all has returned to normal, more or less. We require both of you now. I'll give you both a day to fix yourselves, but no more. It's time to stop goofing off and get back to work now.” The voice was stern and all royal suddenly.
Tor shrugged. Yeah, well building was his job, and Trice was his friend. If the King thought he had anything to do more important than helping her, he was mistaken. The girl came out though, which was a start. Tor managed to reach out and take her hand, the right one, with his left.
“Help me find Ali?” Was all he said. She was his wife and the fact that he hadn't shown concern for her first was telling. Too much so.
Worst husband ever, Tor thought a little sullenly. She probably hated him now, his freaking out and scaring everyone like that. Spewing combat aura for days. Who did that? No one. It wasn't survivable.
Dying would explain how awful he felt at least. Tor tried for a grin, but it didn't come to his face. Instead he just turned and started to float away slowly, Trice shambling along behind him, Rolph and the King next to her talking softly. It was the Prince that suggested they check the guest house for Alissa, since Karina and Tor's wife had set up shop there, so that they could pick Denno's brain for ideas.
“They want to hire the work done, but don't know who to go to for it. The Guild is harder to find than you might think. Not that I blame them, after all, it's a good idea, even if it does take a hundred thousand golds to get it done.”
A soft grunt came from the King.
“I keep wondering when Karina will figure out to ask our… friends about it.”
Tor got it. Their friends were the special army that Kolb ran. Armed with nearly the best magical devices in the world, trained hardened fighters put together to take on the hardest of special projects. This had to count.
Karina was even in the chain of command. If she told them she wanted Daria Glost killed, it would happen.
Tor just nodded.
“Alright. I'll… I need to make some stuff first, so they can do it safely. Get her to stall for a bit?” Tor chuckled at the silence behind him. “Don't worry, it won't take months of work, but darn it, I'm building up a bit first. Working from school for a while, so get people ready.” Unless it wasn't there or something.
Rolph took a deep breath. “Um, Tor…”
“Uh, yeah?” It sounded like he didn't know who he was for a second. That was silly though. It nearly made him want to laugh.
The giant red-head continued, his voice sounding worried, “I don't think you can pass this year. Neither of us can, we missed too much.”
Trice whimpered, like him not getting good grades would be some big deal.
“So? There's the building group to get with there and our friends. I have a house. Plus I want to get with all of them and Instructor Fines on some group work. I… May not personally be up to getting everything ready in time. We have people for that though now. I think. Maybe.”
They didn't talk about it after that, not for a while. Finally Richard put a large hand on his shoulder. It kind of hurt, even though it was nothing more than a reassuring weight. So, yeah, Tor got that he wasn't ready to do anything too heroic for a bit. He'd stressed his pattern.
Nearly to death.
He didn't mention it though. Because while he intended to claim it was the work he’d done, and that had certainly been part of it, the days of combat rage had probably done most of the damage. Honestly, if he’d been doing anything but sitting at first, probably for weeks, he would have likely died. Trice would freak if she realized how close this had really come. Tor figured that if he tried to make even a simple cutter right then the effort would kill him. He'd just fall apart, for real.
Really, just reading someone too closely for too long might do it.
It had to be done though. Thank god, he'd gotten the work for Trice done and delivered first. Even if he died now, she'd be OK. When they got to the outside door Rolph skipped forward to open it for everyone. The King spoke gently to Tor, as if fearing he might be a bit mentally unstable, which wasn't fair. OK, sure, he'd nearly worked himself to death, but there had been a reason for it.
“So, you're going to live at the school?”
“Um… no.” Tor didn't show anything externally and couldn't really. It was a side effect of the work he'd done, being so deep for so long. Finally he remembered to speak. It took effort.
“Checking in there, then getting with Smythe. I… don't think… I… Well, I promised I'd help.” Saying that he didn't think he'd be able to work building for a while might not go over so well, he realized. As it was Trice was still quietly sobbing.
After a while he spun to look at her. After all, she didn't cry softly, did she? It was odd…
Like something in her had broken.
“Trice is coming with me. Ali and Karina too. Traveling for a bit. Get Trice assigned to the investigation.” It came out as an order.
To the King.
Tor was actually trying to beg, but it just didn't sound like it at all, did it? Gods. Well, hopefully he'd survive the beating to come for insolence.
Rich patted his back again. It hurt, even if not the thrashing he deserved.
“Done. Hear that Patricia? You are, for the duration of this investigation, attached to Smythe of Westend. Both of you need to report to him first thing in the morning. Arrange the rest of your schedule around that.”
They continued walking slowly, floating that way in his case.
Ali was easy to find, she and Karina were sitting in the main dining room of the guest house, maps and papers laid out all over the table, calling things out to Denno, who worked scrubbing the floor with a brush. He actually noticed them first, and looked up with a grin. It was “Greg”, but Tor got it, without checking his field even.
“Little brother! So good to see you. Finished your project then?” He stood up and dropped the brow bristled brush in the sudsy wooden bucket.
“Yep. Sorry it took so long everyone. I blame laziness and intractable slowness in my working skills.”
“Tor!” Ali said it first and ran to him, she stopped in front of him and looked to be about to hug him, but stopped.
“Oh… What… do you need? Food? Water? I…” She didn't wait, turning to Denno.
“Run to the kitchen and get food for him please? Water…” They had a pitcher on the table, and a nice glass with ice in it was handed to him moments later. She brought the whole thing though, cool enough for beads of condensation to start forming on the outside of the glass as he finished the water. She gave him two more, one
