The dining room was big. The palace had bigger ones, but none really any grander. This looked like a jungle inside, complete with plants and blue sky. Not real of course, but it looked like a clearing in Ward, palm trees, big leafed plants of dark green and various other colors and sunny blue sky above. It was lovely. The floor had been made to look like slightly uneven dull gray stone, and the air wasn't humid, but it was a good approximation all told otherwise. As a plus there were no bugs in here.
There was one big table in it, with people sitting and eating casually. Some of the Warden people it looked like, women too, ones he didn't recognize immediately, so at least some of them had come from the palace. That was good, they'd probably be more at home with him and their other friends than the people at the palace, who would all be very proper with them, but still think of them as servants. Tor grinned at them and waved his hand a little to say hello. When they looked up everyone smiled, but didn't jump up or anything like that.
“Tor!” Called out a woman, easily in her forties, that he didn't really recognize.
“Come join us. We were just planning out our day. You want to be our native guide? Us ladies want to go shopping, but none of the guys are willing to stand around looking at things for hours. Maybe take in the main market and get in trouble? It'll be fun!” All the women nodded and the guys laughed, probably thinking that it would be boring, but Tor had never actually been to the big market square in the Capital at all, so it could be interesting. It was supposed to be incredible.
One of the younger men shook his head.
“Nah, we should all go sailing on their little river. They turned the magic one on yesterday, so the waters not bad even. I don't know where we rent boats, but someone has to have something. It's water.” Everyone just nodded in response. Obviously, in their world, if you had more than a puddle, you had a boat. Tor smiled.
Actually he did. A lot of them.
“That is not a problem at all, you can just borrow one of mine.” They were new, based on a design he'd seen in a book back in Printer, about the size of one of the fishing boats, but sleeker looking, and decorated with bright colors that would glow at night. The crew could even change them at will. Whoever was driving at least.
He grabbed a bowl of oatmeal and a slice of bread that smelled fresh, so early bread, made that day. Feeling a little guilty about it, he put a half spoon of honey on the top and spread it around with the light tan focus stone paddle. It was a waste he knew, adding sweetener to the meal, but he did have orders to have fun from the King, and apparently the whole Council of Counts. Did that count? Eating sweet foods was supposed to be fun, right?
Tor didn't stand on ceremony, just placing his bowl and small plate next to the woman that had been speaking first. The woman next to her scooted out a bit to make room. Someone got him a chair and some fruit juice to go with his meal.
Everything got checked out with a poison snoop, but no one even blinked at it. Either so normal it was accepted or, more probably, so odd that no one had a clue what he was doing. Magical seasonings maybe? Or just a really funny looking salt shaker.
Tor didn't know if he could go to the markets with them, or even out on the water, it might be considered work. What he needed to do was find Rolph, and see what he had to say on the matter. It would also be fun if Nita was around.
He hadn't seen her in days, not since the attack. That kind of thing could put a person off, assassins coming for the person they're sitting next to, so she might just stay at the palace, figuring it as safer.
Then, she might be right.
It would be a shame, but he couldn't blame her if that was the case. After a while spent chatting everyone else moved off to start doing things, and not wanting to be the last one sitting around, he got up and did too.
Tor had absolutely no clue what he was up to. Boredom had already started to seep in around the edges and this was what, not even hour three yet?
Hurray. Vacation.
Chapter three
Being daring, Tor ventured out to the ice manufactory carrying amulets for two more of them, hoping that handing them off wouldn't be against the rules. This was harder than it seemed like it would be at first. Really, he hadn't realized how much he'd been working in all, having been thinking of work as only being building, or maybe copying. Most of the time planning would have been done at a time like this, or helping someone do something at least. When he got to the place people were loading their ice and Collette, wearing a light pink workman's tunic and a broad tan hat that looked to be made of grass, waved at him and looked excited.
Looking around, she hopped over, a literal bouncing movement and kissed him. Her lips touched his and she gasped.
“No shield? I can't work with ice and have one on, but is it safe for you? No one wants to kill me… Unless your sister Tamerlane is more jealous than she seemed? Didn't seem like it the one time we met.” She gave him a look that wasn't exactly teasing, so Tor just chuckled and shook his head, black hair long enough to actually move a bit, even from the gentle shift of position.
“No, Terlee…” He stopped suddenly and tilted his head. “Honestly? I know for a fact she wouldn't harm you just for having dated, or even slept with, her future husband, but I don't know that she might not really be unhappy about it. She doesn't always talk about what she's thinking. Um… You might want to send her a letter or something, proclaiming the two of you friends? Then there will be no debts between you, including things like that.”
“Wait, I just say, “we're friends” and it magically means she can't be mad at me? I like that rule.” The pretty blond smiled sweetly.
“We're friends, aren't we Tor? I know I think of you as a good friend.”
Tor stuck out his tongue.
“Silly. But yes, of course we are. Only, it has to go both ways. You forgive people, but that doesn't mean you have to put up with them constantly trying to tear you down or anything. You have to be a real friend. Terlee really would be a good person for you to get to know though. She's quiet, but a good person.”
“Alright then. I'll send a letter off to her. Know where she is? Two Bends or…” A small breeze caused the hat to shift, making her grab it without comment.
“I don't really know. What I'd do it take it to the Two Bends Fast delivery outpost around the wall and have Stewart just hand it off to the next delivery people through to take to her. It should get there.”
“Done then. Kind of handy really. Would that work if I needed to get something to you, do you think?”
“Maybe? I need to let my family know where I am more, probably.”
“That doesn't explain the lack of a shield though, or that people keep trying to kill you.”
Tor shrugged.
It was as good a time as ever to try the field out, since she asked. He took her hand and kissed it gently, just to show he was really making contact. The whole time he looked right into her eyes, which made her blush prettily for some reason.
“OK.” He made his face go blank. “Now hit me.”
She hesitated, “What?”
“Shield test, hit me, like you really mean it.” Then he shut his eyes and let go of her hand in that order.
The shield engaged with the blow stopping her hand in the air about a quarter inch from his body. A decent uppercut to the stomach. Her field showed a lot more muscle under her work clothing and skin than it looked like. He opened one eye first and grinned.
Nodding, Tor turned it back off and asked her to trying choking him instead. The shield turned back on before she could make contact. When he had her just stroke his neck nothing happened. A warm hand moved around his throat from behind, hard with calluses, but pretty when he looked down, a solid dark tan color, almost brown. Petra. Gently she started petting him, but then made to tighten around his throat in a sudden rush.
The shield wasn't fooled. It made a soft sound as her hands flew away.
“Damn! Ow!” Shaking her hands, she grinned. “Full shield too? Like your newest ones? How does it work?”
That was hard to explain really, so he didn't try to tell her the whole thing. How it actually linked to a
