was probably tired of it anyway for the time being. Instead they went to the food area where a box of fat and nut bars had been opened. A pack of crackers in waxed paper sitting on the top left hand side. People took them but ate slowly as if it was a chore, after the first bite he could see why. The flavor was bland, but not bad, just a slight nut flavor with a very light hint of berry and shreds of chewy meat, all coated in fat. Yum. They were dried, the nuts, meat and berries, so the flavors didn't carry well in the mouth. The texture was waxy, and probably had to be, to not melt in the heat, and sickening after the first few bites. One the good side, he decided, a few bites would really do the trick for a while and they could carry them along, eating when they got hungry.
“What is this crap.” The big Baron, Havor, muttered looking at the bar in his hand, not even taking a bite.
Tor didn't bother glaring. Really, he expected less complaints from a member of the secret army. He’d have to get with Kolb on that. Maybe some kind of special training? It wasn't the Baron's fault, but if he complained, others would be more likely to as well.
“Survival rations. Eat it or starve, but we have work to do and a time limit. It's food and won't make you sick, so get some in you, and eat when you get hungry, we don't have time to whine about the food here. This is one of the biggest missions your unit has ever been on. Maybe one of the biggest anyone has ever done. So eat it, and don't think about it.” Tor's voice surprised him and made Trice sit up and look at him funny. He'd sounded enough like Kolb that several people looked around for the weapons master.
The Baron looked at the bar, grimaced and took a bite, chewing as if it were poisoned and then trying it again. It wasn't of course, Tor had checked without even thinking of it. He always did now. Across from him Trice smirked, which was her go to look with him, he wondered if it was really a smirk or just her small smile? She seemed happy enough. She actually felt happy when Tor bumped into her field for a second.
He'd been reading that look wrong the whole time he'd known her? Oops. What else had he been just getting wrong, he wondered, staring at her a little as he tried to figure her out. Her smile went mischievous and playful, which made him instantly check her field, feeling relived when that guess actually turned out to be correct.
“Oooh, Commander Tor… ready for duty sir!” Going low her voice went happy and teasing too, “have any commands for me… sir?”
A year before Tor would have blushed, flustered and gone over how he'd misunderstood her or how she was obviously just playing with him. This time, a year older and wiser, he got it.
Finally.
“I do, in fact. Right now we have work to do, but later I want to see you in my quarters. Naked and on your knees. Understood?” That he blushed as he said it didn't come through in his voice at all, he thought, almost proud of the fact.
“Oohhh, fierce! Well then, yes sir, understood Commander Tor sir.”
They both laughed.
Chapter twelve
The rivers didn't go in without a hitch, they had two floods in places where the water just wouldn't follow the pits dug, choosing to make its own way. The water in one flattened and spread into what would probably be a swamp if they didn't fix it, but Mutta asked if they could leave that alone.
“Wetlands are excellent for water purification and holding the air temperature steady. There seems to be several streams developing on the other side so it should drain, we should wait and see what happens.” Her look was oddly excited by the prospect, which Tor didn't get. If she'd wanted a swamp, she could have just asked. That wouldn't have been too hard to come up with at all.
The evenings were spent resting and planning out the next day, they didn't have wood for communal fires and didn't need them, since no one was feeling the heat or the night time chill at all. So they sat around a glow plate instead.
Mutta, trying to get to know her perspective husband, had taken to sitting right next to him and chatting about Noram life, leaving Bonita sitting alone for once, next to Ali. Tor got them to scoot a tiny bit apart so that he could sit between them and put an arm around each, hoping it wasn't too foreword. He hadn't been with Nita much lately and this was about as much contact as he'd ever had with Alissa. They both leaned into him, which he took as a good sign. Leaning away could have meant anything from “don't touch me” to “wish you'd showered first”, of course he had showered already, the dust and dirt here kind of required it. It got into everything, even under his clothes and into bodily crevices that would have rubbed him raw if he hadn't cleaned up immediately after work each day.
“There you are Nita! I know I suggested that Alphonse meet you and you two get to know each other, but I also told him not to steal you away forever. He agreed, but I think under the brilliance that is you, he forgot. Not that I blame him, it's obviously all your fault, how could he help himself? I'll let it go this time, but try not to let it happen again. At least spread yourself around a bit so I don't have to worry about fighting the heir to an entire kingdom for you.” He leaned back into her gently and kissed her.
“Hey! We’re going to get married right? A little discretion then please.” Ali said, sounding almost like she meant it.
“Sorry. You're right of course. Rude of me.” Tor kissed her too, trying for a chaste peck on the lips. She grabbed his ears and didn't let go until she'd made him do what she wanted for nearly a minute. It didn't hurt, so his shield didn't turn on to protect him.
Tor felt bad about that. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, but he didn't want to break the law either. Not that kissing was covered in the law, but still, it was kind of sex adjacent in his mind. Really though, Tor realized, he didn't even know the laws about that here, he may have been breaking them already with Trice. Tor called out the question to the Ambassador across the glow plate sitting on the ground.
“What? Oh… there isn't any actual law about that… You get married when you have the funds and wherewithal to keep a man. I've heard of girls as young as twelve doing it and as old as fifty going for their first one.” The small women looked around as everyone stared.
Ursala blinked rapidly, doing calculations in her head.
“But you have to be married to have sex? And only ten percent of the population is male… then, do you have a lot of girlfriends? How does that work?”
Mutta smiled and giggled behind her hand, a Noram court gesture.
“We do without a lot. Gray changed the people of Afrak several thousand years ago to not be as sexually… driven. We mainly do that just to have children. Still, if I wrangle a Noram Prince, I'd have to change my mind set on that wouldn't I? Having sex with people. It will take getting used to.”
Ursala nodded, her face still. Tor got the idea, she'd been thinking of Rolph as hers almost her entire life and in a very real way she was right, but if she wanted to make it stick, she needed to get going soon. Bonita squeezed him and whispered in his ear.
“Too bad I couldn't get married. No one wants me though. Still, this has been nice. Everyone on this trip has been so kind to me. No jokes or games at my expense. Thank you for that. It means so much, even if I have to go back to the country estate after. I'll always remember this.” She looked sad so Tor risked Ali's wrath and kissed her cheek.
“Not unless you want to. Ali's already made plans for you to come live with us and, well, I did some checking around for you, since I can't marry you myself now, given the current plan, which I was kind of thinking of doing for a while… asking for your hand myself? Count Lairdgren likes you and he should have a wife soon. I talked to him about it and he seems to like the idea all right. You… seem to think he's funny at least, if you want I can try and get that going. Plenty of decent guys out there for you if you don't want him though. I don't get the whole thing with you thinking you aren't good enough… We could probably find a half dozen guys right here that would marry you right now if we told them you wanted to.” Who would be dumb enough to miss how great she was? Not him. Not Burks either.
They all just sat and talked that night, for hours. Tor slept alone but got up early and started working as soon as everyone got things together. Wensa and her crew had all the rivers up by day nine, and the rest of the crew had the last of the main side streams moving out into the desert for irrigation and back into the main lines to prevent
