it when they ran out of clean clothing between wash days. Tor didn’t have to worry about that yet, even though someone had brought him a shipment of nice things, silk and soft leather stuff, along with a pile of much more practical green canvas that he suspected came from Dan Green or that side of the family, since it looked like the outfit that man had worn. No one else could have fit in his stuff, not here at least.
Not wanting to make a poor impression, since Sara was likely to tell Trice about how bad he looked anyway, Tor made a point of dressing nicely. Not the best clothes he had, but a nice deep green silk shirt, leather trousers and a vest that nearly matched the pants. He had to slip the soft brown shoes back on, because they were what he had. It was the best he could manage, even if the face in the mirror didn’t look good enough to go out in public. Tor shook his head and stopped the thought in place.
That wasn’t really fair he knew. He looked normal enough, thin and small maybe, but he had clear skin and good teeth, his hair was longer than it had been, but not so much that anyone would think he was a girl yet or anything like that. He certainly wasn’t any worse looking than average, just smaller and that only here.
All the people that came through were those that had flying rigs and that meant, by and large, royals or military elite. Both groups tended to be tall.
Taking a big breath and letting it out with a blubbering of lips he walked back to his hut. If he was lucky Sara would have taken off already and he wouldn’t have to talk to her. He really didn’t want to go over everything and discuss how he felt. It should be clear that he felt bad. Other than that, what did it matter, since he couldn’t do anything about the situation at all?
Well, he had work to do anyway, so at least there was that. If you can’t be happy, be busy.
Sara and Rolph weren’t out front of the hut when he got there, so he walked in wondering if they’d gone inside to talk and wait for him.
In the low light he saw instantly that they weren’t talking at least. Blushing he backed out of the room. There had been too little clothing in that scene for his mind to really process, but he had a general sense of what they were doing. Definitely not chatting.
Fine, but did it have to be done in his work space? Not, he knew, that they had anywhere else to do it, but… He felt jealous and a flash of bitterness passed over him for a few moments. Tor worked himself half to death and what did he get? More work.
Rolph sat and brought him water and food occasionally and had women showing up to do things that they’d never even consider doing with Tor. It softened the blow a little that Rolph was the Prince and heir, of course women would want him, but Tor had an odd feeling that it would have been happening if Rolph just been a merchants son too. His big friend had always been popular, even with people that didn’t know he was the Prince of anything. Tor on the other hand, had always been avoided by women, or at least ignored. Unless they wanted something from him.
Well. Tor didn’t know what to do, but figured that he shouldn’t go back for at least an hour and even then he did he should probably call out first. Sara was good looking, but seeing Rolph’s hairy butt pumping in the air didn’t thrill him at all. The image hovered in front of his eyes still, burnt in place in a fashion that it wouldn’t have been if it Tor had wanted to remember it. He sighed and started wondering around. He wasn’t dressed for running and didn’t feel like changing yet, and while he could eat it was likely a bit before any food would be ready, early as it was. So, instead, he walked around looking at what had sprung up when he wasn’t paying attention.
The big buildings made sense for the most part, barracks, a dining hall, furniture shop and so on. Tor chuckled then. They had a furniture shop right here, but he didn’t have any furniture? Couldn’t they at least lend him some? Walking in he saw that no one was working yet, since it was early and nothing probably really started until after breakfast. There was a sheet that was put up for people to request furniture pieces or things for different buildings. Tor blinked. There were a lot more than a half dozen names on the list. Were they covering other places too? Or, could it be that the buildings hid a lot more people than he’d thought? He hadn’t been getting out much and most of his runs had taken place near dinner time. Heh, yeah that could skew his idea of how many people were about.
He looked around for a while, seeing how the place had been laid out. Tor noticed that there was a large stack of completed furniture near the back of the space, a rectangle that must have been a hundred feet long and nearly fifty foot wide, as well as a large pile of dirt off to one side. There was a little door that they used to bring the dirt in he saw, only a few feet across and about five feet off the floor, just above his eye level.
A long work table made of the compressed dirt had been set up with six of the compressors on little flat tables in front of the bigger one. It had large boxes about six inches deep all the way along, about five foot square. It took a second, but Tor got the idea after noticing that there was dirt in each one. You kind of drew what you wanted with the compressor in the dirt, then put the pieces together with more dirt, like how he’d joined the roof onto the hut. Kind of like gluing wood to make furniture. Only way stronger, as well as much faster. No drying time for one thing.
Picking up one of the variable compressors he put the small square of copper, marked with three light green acid etched arrows that all pointed inward and started to turn it on before he realized that he needed a plan first, or he’d just be wasting dirt and making a mess. Quickly he sketched out a chair back, seat and legs, using a measuring stick that sat next to the table to make certain he got it the right size. It was just a basic chair, sized to him, but he did make the back rounded at the top. He made the back and seat both an inch thick and the legs two inch squares. It would be heavy, but it wouldn’t break easily. He also made the seat extra wide, so that he could sit in it with his legs crossed. It was a comfortable way for him to sit, if not proper. His chair, his rules, right?
Just as he finished the last of the legs someone walked in, a man, not royal, but still about a foot taller than he was, if Tor could judge such things based on looks, who wore a workman’s drab shirt and brown pants. He was clean shaven and looked to be in his mid-thirties. Reddish brown hair that was shorter than Tor’s, a military cut that reminded him he should go get his own hair done soon and a look on his face that seemed more than a little angry.
“What,” the man growled, sounding like he was about to physically harm someone. “In the thirty-seven hells, do you think you’re doing?”
“Um, making a chair?” Tor pointed to the pieces and started pulling them out slowly, thinking that one of the heavy legs would make a good enough weapon if he had to fight. He didn’t have any amulets on at all, since he’d been working so much he’d gotten used to not wearing them. The man stalked towards him and glanced at what was being laid out on the table.
“Oh. Well, it’s a little rough… Not too bad though. Done this before?” The man’s voice softened a little as he closed and took everything in.
Tor set the leg down next to the others and shook his head.
“I haven’t gotten to try these out yet, I’ve been too busy. I did a little construction, so I get the basic idea, how to make the joins and all. Just killing time really…”
The man grinned.
“Ah, so you’re the new guy? The one they’ve sent to do shipments for us? A little young, but if you can fly and run the cargo floats, we can get them loaded for you. How old are you anyway? Fourteen?”
Sighing Tor started to try and balance the seat on the legs, which got the man to laugh. He moved in and put the seat, smooth and nearly black, looking like it was made of glass almost, flat on the table, set a small pile of dirt in the corners and had Tor compress each while holding the legs in place one by one. It took about a minute for all four. It was a good trick.
“No, a little older than that. Seventeen. Nearly eighteen now.” Tor, a quick study turned the chair so that it sat flat on the ground and added four little piles of dirt where the spokes of the back would sit, being careful so that the soil didn’t over lap, since that would leave a bulge and not look very nice.
“Also, I’m not the new delivery person. I think she’s over in the hut, um, occupied with the Prince. At least it makes sense that it would be her. I guess there aren’t that many people that have been flying as long so far. Me, but that doesn’t mean I’m all that good compared to some.”
The chair, as he suspected, was heavy. Not too heavy to carry though. They had a clock on the wall, which showed that he’d been occupied for a little over an hour already, only about half of it making this chair. That was fast. He could probably make another one in less than ten minutes, now that he knew how.
It took a second for him to realize that Godfrey didn’t recognize him, and since it was basically his house, it would be rude to make the man guess. Mainly because he just wouldn’t. After all, if he thought that Tor was the new delivery boy, well… It was still hard to figure out how to let him know. Most people looking at him didn’t think
