He shared the fact that a go between was coming to visit, for Lyn and that he could use a little help, being a bit out of his depth. Sure, Lyn had her own mother, but Tor had never met the woman and had a sneaking suspicion that she might not be a secret noble or high merchant, ready to deal with such things easily.
That got his own mother to volunteer her services. Kind of as Tor had hoped. She was bossy and overbearing, sure, but she'd protect a young girl that needed help. Or boy for that matter. Tor didn't doubt that at all.
He got up and started pacing, which got funny looks after a second, mainly from Connie and Karina.
“Oh, I'm getting stiff, I kind of pushed things earlier, I don't know if I can explain it…” He shrugged and then spread his hands.
Karina stood too and started walking with him.
“No doubt. I figured you'd just come up with some new kind of magic, to tell the truth. Fair after he pulled a knife though, so no one is going to cry foul. You didn't though did you? What did you do? Some kind of combat trance? I know that you freaked out the seconds, I've never seen any of them run from a field before, not even when someone has gone into a rage.”
Had he looked frightening? Tor doubted it. He smiled and shrugged.
“I paid them to do that.” He said simply. It was the truth after all. A simple bribe.
Well, a really expensive one, but it kind of worked.
Everyone laughed, except Rolph, “seriously?”
No one else was taking it as real, but Tor nodded and told them he really had. Just to freak out the Baron. After all, if the man got more scared, or even angry, it wouldn't make him a better fighter. What did he have to lose?
“Same reason for the casket and all the gold for Lady Priscilla. I wasn't planning on killing him originally. Just scaring him into either giving up or making a mistake. He did, but before that. If he would have just bowed and kicked my behind I'd probably be dead or in bed right now, thanking the universe for letting me survive.”
It was just the truth, but no one else seemed to get it. Oh well. Tor just asked if anyone wanted to go and make the rounds of events with him. After all, he had to keep moving and was, what, tenth down on the list of who was responsible for the day?
That got a laugh and a collection of people to go around with him, including a host of disguised Royal Guards, Rolph and Karina. They hit up his house and earned a few more people, and had a group of twenty going around before noon. Tor smiled and waved to people, and got a lot of hugs from women on the street for some reason. He stopped in to Debbie's bakery, which was hugely busy even before everyone tried to cram in.
“Tor!” Box called out from the back happily. “Come to rescue me from all this finally? I have to make another two hundred loaves of Postern bread, I could use the help…” He chuckled though, looking a lot like a tall version of Tor's own brothers. Actually Todd was nearly as tall, come to think of it, however that worked.
“Can't, I'm afraid, I have commitments, Hmmm…” He looked around the room and shrugged. Kari couldn't do it, since she was “working” later too. She was watching Box a little warily, though as far as Tor knew the man, a notorious woman hunter, had never more than casually asked her if she wanted to do something.
Still, if she was uneasy, it wouldn't do to force her.
“Weasel, care to lend a hand?” Tor half expected his brother to either politely beg off, or whine, but instead he smiled and gave Box a nod.
“Yeah, I got it. Smells like sugar cranberry?” He said, his clothing transforming into what looked like homespun bakers clothing, a slightly poorer version of what Box himself wore. Just about perfect for a kid working in a bakery like this.
“Right you are, with dried cherries in too, a specialty of mine…”
They kept talking as they headed towards the back.
“Weasel, someone will be back to get you before dinner. I want you in with us, since Lyn's your new best friend.”
Then without waiting for an answer, Tor ran into the other room, if a slow, old man looking shuffle counted as running, and found Debbie. He didn't say anything, just gave her a hug.
“Hey, come by later? We never get to visit. Tomorrow maybe? I mean if you don't want to visit with us for dinner tonight. You should though. Box too. At nine? I won't be there though, so it doesn't count for a real visit mind, but it should be a grand celebration. Oh, do you know which house is mine? Otherwise you'll end up sitting with a bunch of strangers, instead of all my people…” Which were, of course, largely strangers to her…
Tor laughed, “Duh, just follow Tim there, my little brother? He's helping out in the bakery for the day.”
Debbie gave him a look, one that spoke of being busy and a little stressed, but finally let that break and hugged him.
“OK, you forced my hand. We'll come. This is the busiest Postern ever though. I blame you for that. Kari?” She walked over and gave the girl a hug, which got Rolph to spread his arms too, laughing.
“Debbie!” He called, sweeping her into his arms.
She chuckled, and gave him a hug too, but clearly didn't recognize him. Well, they had only met the once and he'd had a different haircut then.
From there, leaving his little brother they headed out, watching the events as they walked around the city, making a slow circuit that took hours, not even hitting half of it. Their trip ended up going out the south gate, near his house, since a lot of things had been set up out that way. There were people singing, Postern bread being handed out for free from stands set up along the way and plays that showed the spirit of the holiday.
That part was different from place to place. In Two Bends and that whole part of the kingdom, Postern was a day to celebrate family, with quiet contemplation and discussion being as common as not, or a host of sedate games, ending in a nice meal. Apparently in Ward it was done differently, since everyone from there, and the south in general, had set up in a huge empty building, one of the magical ones, that had a giant bonfire inside. Tor didn't even have to test it with his mind to get the idea.
It was a Guide-fire. Only huge. So a new build. It felt like the boy when Tor walked a little closer. Brilliant. It kept the space warm no doubt, provided light and ambiance, without the danger of setting anything on fire or troublesome smoke to get in eyes or lungs. Tor clapped when he saw it, but no one else really got why. After all, a magical fire didn't seem all that special in a magical house, but it really was. The boy couldn't have spent more than a few days doing the work after all.
Most builders couldn't have done it.
Musicians played already and people were doing odd group dances, the girls separated off from the men for some reason. It must be specific to the event, he decided, since the Warden people certainly didn't break off into groups like that for dancing at home that he'd ever seen.
Maria squealed and took all the girls off, coordinated their clothes to match, light blue dresses and bare feet, then led them all in a dance around a pole. It was cute, but Tor didn't get it. Still, the other men clapped in time, so he joined in. Things were always more fun if you took part. Rolph followed along, led by Count Ward of all people.
When they finished the giant man with his dark skin and annoyingly good looks shifted his clothing to only a pair of short pants and hollered to the room.
“There is no ocean, so to the river!”
Then they had to run. Not fast at least, or Tor would have been in real trouble. As it was he kind of had to limp along. Tor gasped a bit, but didn't have to float along, so decided to feel pretty proud of what he’d managed. The meditation on his own field really made a huge difference. He decided to try and keep that up as a regular practice, if he could.
At the river, they were supposed to jump in. Sighing, Tor did it. The water was cool at first, for a half second, then it was fine. Apparently they had to sing too, even though most of the men, about three hundred of them, that jumped into the water, didn't know the words. It was kind of fun anyway. After a while almost everyone was laughing and coming out of the water, then running back into the warm building. Tor didn't feel the cold, neither did the others with him.
Rolph slapped Tor on the back as he walked back in.
“So what next?”
“Maskers. I think. About that time.”
“Oh? Well that sounds fun!” The Prince looked at everyone around him and laughed, since all the men were soaking wet still.
