which got loud hoots of appreciation from the audience. At first. Taking a knife she ran it across her stomach to the gasps and wincing of the watchers, then took up a healing amulet, one of the pretty glowing kind like he had on him, put it on and hit the sigil. The audience gasped. So did he. What kind of person made an eighteen inch long cut to amuse the public. Insane.
A line of people wanted to try it, so Petra, not bothering to put her top back on, walked around and let people hold it. It didn't regrow limbs, but one man that had a broken back as a child cried out as things shifted and popped and then stood up, if weakly. He was apparently well known, because people started screaming in glee. That part went on for a while, with a few people calling out that they were sending into the city for crippled or ill loved one.
Well, even after it was over, they could just knock on the door, right? That would be fine. Or send word of where the people were, if they couldn't be moved? It wasn't like it was work to hand them an amulet for a few minutes.
Then there were singers and players from the Capital, coming with their prepared works and jokes. It was, in general, the best festival he'd ever heard of, much less been to. Tor stopped and bought a sweet roll, which was good, so he got a full dozen and carried them on a wooden tray to the ice manufactory where all “his” people stood helping with ice sales. Petra had put a top on and put her equalizing amulet outside the clothing for all to see. It was a bright and happy yellow that changed to nearly pure pink when she saw him. A sign that she really liked him. That or she realized with that many rolls, he'd come to share. Either way she seemed happy. Collette too, though her amulet tinged with green occasionally, showing greed. Well, that was normal enough too.
They each took a roll and so did the military men, who all called him by name. These guys recognized him, of course… Then they were focus stone workers, not gate guards, so they wouldn't have been on duty anyway, no matter when he'd gotten there. Probably down on their off day. When he took a second roll, Tor checked it for poison, but found nothing again.
They were decent. Not enough cinnamon, but then different people had varied taste perception. He always liked spicier foods himself. The crowd looked up and pointed suddenly as a transport moved to land behind the castle. The ice castle, not the big one next to it and the whole royal family got out.
They waved to everyone and to a man, woman and with a little coaxing, child, everyone else moved back to let them walk around and watch the proceedings unimpeded. The audience bowed as one too, which was kind of impressive in its own way. After all, before the war this kind of thing was normal, wasn't it? People seemed heartened to see the King and Queen at least and began cheering, which got the royals to all go up on the stage, chairs appeared for them to sit in, nice soft ones that were purple and gold, the Cordes colors, gaining more applause and the whole show from earlier was repeated. This was on the left side of the stage, a liveried Royal Guard standing behind each of them, as if it was normal.
The guy making things with focus stone worked off to the side the whole time and presented the King with a statue that was bawdy enough that the audience hooted when Richard held it up for all to see, his eyes alight. It was a light tan color, but clearly showed a man and woman intertwined.
Tor recognized the work, if not the artist himself. Flynn. Then he made practical things again for the audience. Karina stared at Petra when she made her clothing change, fairly salivating. He'd have to give her one of the clothing devices before she left if he could. The Royal Guard might not want anyone that close to them of course. Tor couldn't see them, other than the ones on stage, but if the King was there, they were too. The Prince hooted as the boats raced, and said he wanted one, which got Petra to bring out hers and put it in the middle of the river. There was barely enough water to support it, but people gasped and stomped, which seemed a popular enough activity for the crowd. Stomping. Apparently clapping just wasn't enough for some things.
Tor went into the castle and tried to find his trunk, which was on the second level up a stone staircase, first door on the right. He had to track it by feeling for the variety of fields in it. A trick that worked pretty well he realized, as long as he wasn't too far away. The room was fantastic, it had a huge bed and was lined with silk and velvet. Smiling he realized a person almost couldn't find anything to touch that wasn't soft, or so smooth glass would have felt self-conscious about how course it was. He pulled some amulets to give away as gifts or prizes and went out on the stage itself to pass them to Petra, who seemed to be in charge, her eyes lit brightly as she held the pieces up by their cords.
“Contests!” She yelled in a booming voice, turning with a bow to the King and Queen, telling them they got to pick by tradition. If it wasn't the tradition in the Capital, no one found it amiss either. It seemed like something you'd have a King and Queen do, didn't it? Tor had brought out one of everything that had been demonstrated, except Petra's boat and Collette's house. He had the smaller versions of both though.
There was a foot race around the Capital with a prize for the first man, woman and child under twelve to finish, without shortcuts of course. The flying guard were out in force to check on that in their bright red and white uniforms.
It was a bit boring to watch for most people after the runners got around the first turn, so Tor bought up the food from all the stands and had it passed out for free, first come first serve. Same with the non-alcohol drinks and relenting when Rolph begged, some of those too. It cost nearly a hundred golds all told, but meant that kids, who never had a lot of coin, and poor people, got to have some too. Tor had to go in early to make things, as soon as the footrace finished. He waited but just to hand out the trinkets and explain how they worked. Casually he mentioned that things would be available for sale if anyone wanted them at Debbie's shop, next to the bakery, next to the Cartwright by the south wall. Oddly almost everyone knew where that was already.
He worked in focus stone and didn't sleep, making large batches of a hundred each. He created some unique things too, that weren't actually new, things like tubs and mirrors that just hung in the air, beds that could be set up anywhere and a few things that just looked pretty that he thought people might like as well as a bunch of more practical things. He had twelve hundred items all glowing and solid as far as the work went, though not on thread or leather thong. When he got to the shop, it was early, not bakery early, but only about twenty people were on the street. All of them were waiting in front of Debbie's.
People started to complain as he worked his way through to knock on the door. He had to do it persistently, until finally, eyes looking worried, his partner and boss opened the door and nearly yelp at him.
“You came! I was afraid you'd forget and I'd end up having to barricade the door and pretend not to be home. So what do you have?” She seemed both relieved and a little manic. Excited by the whole thing?
Tor hoped that was the case. He opened the bags and explained what it was he'd brought.
Enough that her eyes boggled by the end of his list. She couldn't handle both shops, so she very practically set Tor to baking, which he knew how to do well enough, having grown up in a bakery and all that. He finished the bread she'd started and, after confirming the idea with her, decided to make several large batches of festival hand pies, fruit and meat. Just in case anyone got hungry while shopping for items next door. When the door opened the shops both filled, at first the bakery did more business, until about noon when the royals started to make their appearances.
If the morning crowd had come to gawk, the afternoon was all about buying junk Tor had made and paying more for it than was really reasonable, but less than they expected, since Tor could do something about quantity where most other builders found that hard. That or they wanted to keep prices up. But Tor had to just shrug about that, after all, what was the point of keeping people from having your work?
The flow into the bakery was steady still, but now people came to watch the wealthy and influential, to see and be seen as well. A few kids from the area came in and a giant, fierce looking guard of a noble tried to run them off, even though they were clearly just locals, not thieves or even poor overly, just the kids of tradesmen. Tor looked at the man and asked him to leave his clientele alone, thank you very much. It was said with a grin, but the large fellow didn't seem to find it humorous at all.
The man bristled and said that they weren't buying anything, so pulling a silver from his pocket and tossing it in the till box, Tor asked the kids what they wanted. The man turned a beet red, but didn't ask them to leave again, even though they watched the wealthy lady shopping in her fine gown openly though the door. She was an older woman who looked kind of familiar. A Duchess, Tor knew that much since she'd been announced at a palace party once with her husband… It came to him just as she watched into the bakery door to collect her guards.
“Good afternoon Duchess Terrell.” Tor hoped that was right, he remembered it because it was his older brother’s name, nearly at least. It might be spelled differently. She spun and looked at him, them bowed, making her guard goggle a little.
“Master Tor… So unexpected to see you here. And being useful too?” She winked at him knowingly, though
