honestly.”
She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him gently into walking.
“But to answer your question, no. I wouldn't be mad over something like this. School is ninety percent about gaining new contacts when you're a noble like we are. You just won over almost everyone here. Yesterday you were the guy that made stuff they had to fight to get, and probably couldn't, even if they had the golds. Today you're their friend that cares about them enough to see to their personal protection, even at great personal cost. Doing it this way is brilliant too. No one will think you’re trying to curry favor with them in particular, so it just makes you seem… You know, I don’t even have a word for it, but it’s good. Every time they eat for years they'll think about their buddy Tor standing between them and death. I wouldn't have suggested it…because I just wouldn't have thought of it really. Of course your offer will include some people you aren't overly fond of… unless you want to snub them? Dorgal for instance?”
That idea made Tor happy, for about half a second, then he just sighed and shook his head.
“I don't like Dorgal. He's a bully and not overly bright, at least not that I've ever seen. But I don't want him to be poisoned, or anything, either. I don't know if he'd want anything made by me, but the offers there for him too.” That had to be done, didn't it? Dorgal wasn't his friend, but someday they'd all be adults and he wouldn't want an enemy if he could help it. Especially if he ended up with the guy as an in-law or something. For that matter he needed to make sure and send some of the devices off to Meredith Sorvee and her family too.
Even if he was trying to get out of it, she'd offered to marry him. No matter her reasoning, that was kind. Tor needed to make sure she knew that he appreciated the gesture.
They walked the rest of the way back to the room slowly, but in silence. Inside the room Tor started pulling out field amulets and handed two of the poison detectors to Trice, one hers, the other for Sara. He set two more aside and loaded up a cloth sack with some of the other fields he'd brought back from vacation with him.
“What's this?” Trice pointed at what he held in his hand.
“Oh, well, I made up about twenty flying rigs and new shields just for the school and about that many of the temperature equalizing fields. Those guys in practice armor roast this time of year. It's really bad. Then I added a few more, because, you know, I need to personally bribe Karen and the others into not killing me. I missed eleven days without giving any notice. Kind of surprised Kolb is even letting me come back, to tell the truth. It's probably just so Karen can give me a good thrashing before he kicks me out of his section. I can't really blame him, but, you know… bribes. So maybe?” He shook the bag a little, holding it up hopefully.
Trice started kissing him again which ended up with him laying on his back, her on top of him for a few seconds before she relented and told him to get off to weapons practice before they decided to kill her fiancee for real. He didn't exactly run to the weapons practice area, not being able too, but he walked quickly. He really didn't want to be too late after all. Eleven days was late enough.
When he got there Karen was working with another person, both in well fitted practice armor, so probably their own, which meant they had money to spend on luxuries like that. She called out instructions, but not nearly as many as she used the one time she'd worked with him. That made sense; the smaller form in front of her was nearly as good as she was. The moves weren't quiet as clean maybe, and the reach not as long, but the blows hit almost one for one between the two. Tor had only tapped the larger woman about once every four or five hits she'd made on him, and most of those simply lacked the needed power, if he was going to judge himself honestly.
This went on for a while, so Tor watched, trying to pick up pointers. After all, he'd probably have to work with one or both of them in the future. Their fighting style was very similar, like they'd had the same teachers, or practiced together a lot, maybe both. More, Tor realized, that instruction hadn't come from Kolb. They aimed for the head and body most often, but in a general way, not specific weak points in the armor for instance. Kolb stressed hitting weak points if possible and growled if you didn't get close enough. Maybe more with him than the others, because he was so small and needed the advantage, but Tor had heard him telling everyone similar things.
After about ten minutes Karen had knocked the smaller form down with a shoulder thrust and started beating him while on the ground.
“Get up! If you go down like that for real he'll kill you. Get up!
The thrashing didn't stop.
Chapter two
Karen kept screaming at the smaller person to get up, which they finally did, being hit the whole time, about thirty seconds later. No complaints came, they just started fighting again. Well, whoever the other person was, Tor knew one thing; they were tougher than he was. A better fighter too. Obviously whoever Karen feared would kill them, it wasn't him. They continued back and forth for another twenty minutes before they stopped to get some water, sweat dripping from both of them.
After the tall woman doffed her helm, the padded gray leather dark now, because of the sweat, she drank dippers of water for a while without stopping. It must be extra hot today, Tor realized. He hadn't noticed, since it just felt pleasant to him personally. He dug out one of the equalizing amulets, looked at the other person, a boy that looked familiar, and realized they each should have one. Heat didn’t care if you were in charge or not. It took a second to find, then another to untangle the hemp strings they were on.
“Here.” He handed the amulets over without saying more.
Almost automatically they put them on and activated them.
“Whooo!” Karen yelled suddenly. “Oh my god…” Her eyes closed for a bit and then she smiled.
“Where have you been all my life? I’d heard about these, from Rolph Merchant, but I didn’t think I’d get to use one.”
The boy looked at him and smiled a little, a sad and abstract thing. He got it now, it was the boy with the washing, the one that helped him test the clothes dryer that first time. He'd grown, standing at least four inches taller now, even after only a few months.
Royals. They grow up so fast. Tor smiled a little but didn’t laugh. The kid was a Countier after all, and could take offense.
“David, isn't it? David Derring?” Tor held his hand out to shake and the boy’s face lit up a little.
“Yeah. I didn't know if you'd remember me or not.”
Karen looked at them and grinned herself. “And here Davie's been telling everyone at home he hadn't made any important contacts yet. This will make dad happy at least, as long as we can keep you alive…” Her look went dark then, but she shrugged and turned to Tor, explaining.
“Out of the blue some Count challenged him to a duel last week. It's insane, of course, who challenges little kids like that? They've never even met. Worse, since the guys a sitting Count, Davie can't even kill him, but the guy can take him out without anyone saying much at all. Apparently dad got into an argument with him when they were at the Capital, so the guys trying to punish him by killing my brother.”
Duel?
In theory, Tor knew they could happen, but he didn't know what the rules were or even if there were any. He asked, not even thinking that it might be hard for the boy to hear until after he said the words, but David answered with authority. He'd obviously been studying up on the topic. No doubt. Tor would have been doing that too.
“It's simple enough. Two men meet, or women, though not usually mixed it's not totally forbidden, and they fight, using whatever they can bring. Well, it has to be just the two of them, and weapons that can be carried on your person, but you show up with your best weapons and fight until you can't anymore. Usually it stops when one of them is dead. But in this case, I can't actually try to kill the Count on purpose. If he dies by an honest accident, that might work, since he challenged me, not the other way around. I have another two weeks to get ready. He's coming here to kill me.”
The boy looked down and hung his head.
“The guy is huge and has a shield and full combat aura if he rages, as well as direct effect in a fight. I don't have anything yet, I may never. So, my odds aren't good.”
Any weapons? Did that mean that shields would count as well? He asked, getting a snort from Karen.
“Well, yeah. But we can't borrow one from the school for it, since they aren't allowed to be involved and short of getting one on the black market, which is almost impossible… what are we supposed to do? The weapons have
