Davie nodded. Nothing more. His look was grim though. Closed down really. Hard to read, but Tor guessed it wasn't a happy thing for him, finding out his younger brother was a thief.
In the shop he was all smiles and hard work, doing exactly what was suggested, and working with a will. Karina took the lead there and kept giving Box worried glances, which wasn't fair at all, the man just worked, hard and professionally, mainly with Tor, batch after batch of hand pies, the cooling rack staying full the whole time, Davie and Kari filled transport trays for delivery all morning long, and by eight they had four of the tall enclosed wooden racks ready to go and a good start on the product the shop needed for the day. Shortly after Tor got floats on the front of the wheeled racks, just to make things easier, Jerral came rolling in, looking a bit hesitant.
With good reason.
Debbie glared at him, but that wasn't what caused him to freeze in the front section of the cool bakery. The magic plate, Tor's old style, made in copper with green acid etching for a sigil sat on the wall still doing its job after a year. He nearly reached out to check the field strength but managed to stop himself in time. That wouldn't kill him or anything, but it would jar his own pattern just a bit if he did it. The changes made to himself on that tiny level being what allowed him to perceive what other things were after all.
Quiet the mind and focus on the other object, and you automatically went into resonance with it. Then it made slight changes to your own field, which by noticing what was different in your own mind, gave you information. You affected it too, but just sensing wasn't that huge a deal, anyone could learn that. The point though, was that it made some changes. Temporary ones, but being damaged already he didn't want to push it.
“Jerral.” David said, his voice even and slow. “I hear you had a bit of trouble yesterday? I won't tell father, but you're going to have to be punished.”
The other boy, only a year younger, but much smaller than his brother, a foot and a half nearly, nodded. He was dressed in very nice black velvet clothing, which was probably boiling him alive already. The kid was red at least.
“Right. I accept that. Whatever's required. I… was stupid. Let the little head think for the big one and… Yeah, it was all a mistake.” He bowed. To everyone. Even Box, who looked surprised, but awkwardly bowed back.
“I apologize for… everything. I cannot ask for forgiveness unearned as yet, but please know that I intend to do my very best to see this right. I ask only that no other be harmed for my actions. Please. I beg this of you.” This part got addressed to Tor directly, not anyone else.
It was a strange way to put it, but Karina translated for him, possibly getting that some of the people in the room might not understand? That was smart of her. Correct too.
“Yes… trying to steal from a merchant that’s a close personal friend of both a Princess and Master Tor himself is definitely a mistake. More to the point, given her resources, if Debbie decided to go after you and yours it would be a mess. She may not be able to take on the military of county Derring alone, but she could do an awful lot towards it if she decided to. Hire mercenaries, outfit them with magical resources that few have… It was a very dangerous game you played. Thankfully that isn't happening. This time.”
The boy went white, but nodded and bowed again, much lower this time, after looking at his brother. Davie just nodded at him sharply, three times. Almost as if to say that the words were true.
“Not a small point Jerral. Every person in this room could have your life and the lives of those dear to us, just for knowing you. I'm including Box in this. You think that Master Tor wouldn't back him if it came to a fight? He's well known for protecting his friends no matter what, Which you know. I told you about how he dueled Count Rodriguez in my place. Trust me, the Count is tougher than you are.”
Box came out with a tray of regular bread, oat loafs, just then.
“Ah, not that it's my business overly, but the boys been shamed enough I think. He's working to make it right. I don't… I don't think that threats will make a difference now. I mean…” He tapered off and looked down, as if remembering to act humble, even if he didn't feel that way. All the royals in the room with him probably.
Tor clapped his hands together to break the mood a little.
“Right. I agree with Box. Jerral stumbled. He’s on his feet again now and won't make the same mistake twice. Do you have anything for us?”
He had some news indeed, which wasn't actionable, yet, but served as proof to Tor that they needed to get at least some of the other girls out of the trap they were in. As promised and seeming very pleased with what Jerral had “stolen” for her, Lilli had offered him Ali for the night, to do with as he pleased. At first it had seemed fun, but when he'd moved from some gentle kissing and let his hands play over her just a little, the girl started crying.
“She didn't ask me to stop or anything, and wouldn't say what was wrong when I tried to find out, she just shook her head and asked me not to tell. She was going to, you know, do stuff, with me anyway, I think, but she was crying. I couldn't make her. It was too much like…” Jerral gave David a meaningful look and both sets of eyes closed down, emotion fading instantly.
“She said bad things would happen to her if Lilli found out, so I played it off and told her it didn't matter. I told Lilli I was happy enough with her and she… she offered to sell Ali to me for three more devices. I mean, to keep. Like a slave. That's illegal. Well, theft is too, but, I mean, that's so much worse… I can't even, I don't know. I didn't say anything, because… I don't know… What do I do now?”
Thief or not, Jerral didn't seem to be that bad a guy. He wouldn't force a woman, and felt bad for someone trapped in a poor situation. It counted for a lot right now. Tor walked with Debbie through the little side section shop with all the devices and they selected out five to give the boy, so that he could “buy” Ali. Then he was to bring her to Tor's house, where they could hide her away in comfort while they finished the rest of the little debacle.
Selling people? Her own friends? What the hell? No, what the incredibly evil, freaking hell.
The bake shop had customers coming in, and they recognized Tor, since he'd been there the year before and hadn't changed, except his new longer hair. He tried to visualize his hair on Burks younger looking, too pretty face and realized that he probably looked like his own sister, practically. Maybe it wasn't that bad, but he really needed a haircut.
After Jerral got a good ways down the street Debbie ran out yelling “thief!” but no one could tell who she was talking about, as intended, and the black clad boy made a clean escape. They all kept working until ten, as planned. A “theft” didn't mean the baking would do itself after all. Kari learned to run the cash box, since she was prettier than Box, and Tor was actually a slightly better baker than the other man, even if he was a good bit younger.
Tor remembered what Burks had said and tried to do everything as well as he could and figure out little tricks so that he'd get faster and make a better product each time. That was harder than it seemed, since a hand pie was just filling with a folded pie crust around it, but he worked at it anyway. Box just worked, and even after only a few hours there was a visible difference between what they made. Tor's stuff looked more consistent in shape and more evenly golden brown when they came out of the oven.
At ten, almost on the dot, Kolb walked through the door followed by the mean looking Baron and one of his tough looking female instructors, who was only about twenty-five, maybe a little older, and could probably take the larger men in combat half the time. She was new and even though Tor hadn't seen her closely before, she reminded him of someone.
Karen, though for the life of him Tor couldn't figure out why. This woman was leaner, older and a good bit less attractive than she'd been. Well, with two of his dead friends brothers in the room it wasn't shocking that he'd think of her, or see her in other people, was it?
David had said that this new girl, Dara, was better than any of them. Well, not Kolb, but he was probably one of the top thousand or so fighters in the whole world. Burks was better, at least from the one time Tor had seen the man fight, but even then Tor wouldn't have wanted to place bets one way or the other. The weapons instructor had skill and size, and while Burks may be — at least nearly — the best fighter in the world, he was only a little bigger than Tor, so not very large at all. Some people liked to pretend different, but that mattered in a real fight. Big people generally did better.
Debbie walked over and bowed when he came in. Tor got hugs from her, but these people commanded respect and deference? Sounded about right really. If they weren't his personal friends and acquaintances he'd probably have felt the same way. They all just looked so mean.
“I heard you may want our assistance?” The large, totally bald man asked, the question was for Tor, but Debbie, not knowing anyone was coming, answered, it being her shop.
“We could use some help. We had a horrible theft today! Just a boy, but… well, if word gets out that we can't
