flooding three days later. It took a bit longer than he'd thought, but even out of the sand and bare earth seeds had started growing along the water already, the moisture spreading in large dark fans from the glistening muddy brown rivers and rivulets. They hadn't even put any out. They were just there, waiting in the earth for enough water to sustain them.
Tor took down his little emergency house the next day and brushed his teeth after eating the tasteless fat bar he had in the bag on his hip. He wasn't the only one doing that, in fact he'd gotten the idea from Trice who suggested it to him on the third day. The cinnamon lingered in the mouth, but was better than just fat.
Finding Mutta he sighed.
“There you go. Ten full rivers even, instead of just four, and enough water to drown this vast desert if you don't monitor the situation closely. Believe that I'm not really the Court Jester yet?” He did his best to smirk at her, failed since it wasn't a look he could easily pull off and smiled winningly instead.
Spreading her hands the dark woman gave him a serious look.
“You can't be both? And to that end, are you really sure you aren't the Court Jester? You certainly spend a lot of time seeing to the amusement and comfort of others… Speaking of which great-uncle…” She fingered the amulets at her neck self consciously.
“Can I keep the magic clothing and heat equalizer?”
Since Tor hadn't thought about taking them back at all he nodded and asked if she wanted anything else. She smiled and looked down a bit shyly.
“Well, there is one thing…”
Tor just nodded when he heard it. It was a daring move on her part, but would make her proposal to Rolph a lot more real wouldn't it? Plus she'd invoked their family connection, which meant, by his rules, he was required to aid her. Not that he wouldn't have anyway.
They all moved back to the ship, finding it exactly as they left it, later that afternoon. Tor started right in on baking, the crackers and bread he'd made for the trip barely passing the first day before running out. No one showed up to help, being tired and wanting naps, hot soaks and entertainments. For that most of them that seemed to play cards. Tor found that so boring he wouldn't even bother and preferred working or talking to people instead. Mutta had come with them, the big “present” she'd asked for from him, so she could press her case with the Queen herself. It was actually a good move Tor knew, since a woman in a foreign land would be a lot easier to ignore than one in the next room. Ursala wasn't any too pleased about it and hinted that she could have an “accident” on the way over… But only out of ear shot of his great niece.
Mutta, it turned out, had a first name too and it wasn't even Ambassador. Close though, Tor thought. It was Abbie. Actually that was a nick name for Abumanintali, but no one other than Tor could manage it without adding or dropping syllables. She asked him to call her that instead of her last name, since they were family, a point she'd made several times when asking if she could come.
Well, he could afford her upkeep easily, if it came to that, and she had all that medical skill, the Afrak were years beyond Noram in that regard, which made her valuable… Maybe centuries ahead. Even if the marriage to Rolph fell through, and Tor did tell her it was a bit of a long shot, she could practice her craft or even teach at one of the schools. The idea made her happy it seemed, she smiled at least, and suggested she could do that even when the marriage arrangements came through.
The trip back found Tor with more helpers in the kitchen, since everyone was just that bored now, and working really did beat sitting around. For him personally it meant some actual free time to practice fighting in the afternoons. It was fun in a way, though Kolb and Petra were both constantly trying to get him killed it seemed, demanding he do better each day, and not just a little. They kept putting him up against four and even five people at once, which he couldn't beat of course, as hard as he tried. He was sore and bruised all the time, but didn't complain about it. What else did he have to do for fun? Mope?
Trice started hanging around with him constantly, and so did Sara. It was nice enough, but didn't make a lot of sense really, unless it was a spying thing? But what was there to spy on here, his secret baking recipes? Tor’s failures in fight practice? Still, if they wanted to hang out that was fine, they were friends, spies or not. On the fourth night they both moved into his room with him, their trunks sitting along his far wall and both lounging on his bed when he walked in after dinner. Looking at the whole thing Tor crossed his arms.
He didn't mind, but they each had their own room, they didn't even have to share…
“Relax Tor,” Trice said gently, giving him a hug.
“Were just claiming you as ours, that's all. You'll thank us later. Karina was about to auction you off to the highest bidder and a few of the people stepping up were definitely not your type. I think a few just wanted to have anal sex with you as revenge for making us eat those awful fat bars.” Crossing her arms the fuzzy headed bleached blond shook her head woefully.
“Who could blame them? Those things sucked. They'd have broken you though and then no one would be able to play with you.”
Sara pushed her a little and winked in his direction.
“Oh, it wasn't that bad, Trice is exaggerating. Karina was just joking about it all anyway. We just wanted some company and to solidify our claims on you. Married or not, you're our Tor. Saw you first and all that. We'll Petra saw you first, as she mentioned earlier, but you seem to like her, so we need to work harder if we don't want to be left behind.”
What? They thought he didn't like them? Why? He asked, but neither answered him until he comically started tapping his foot, hands on hips like a farmer’s wife demanding the shops oven bake faster.
“OK! I'll talk, but don't get mad?” Sara looked at him tentatively as if he really was going to get mad over something. He promised not to get too mad, and hoped he could keep his word.
It seemed that everyone thought he was being all stand-offish again.
Tor didn't visit with the crew really, or play cards, or bathe with them, except by chance and then he didn't hang out, just washed quickly and leaving. Tor also didn't make a point of spending time with any of the women overly, even his women. That made him stop Sara for a bit.
“I have women? Why doesn't anyone tell me these things. How am I supposed to know? I mean seriously, I don't think I can know things like that! I mean it may be, like a real thing, me not being able to see it. Is this serious or just casual? What am I supposed to be doing that I'm not? I mean, I understand I should spend more time with Ali, but there are others too?” He tried to think of who, but not much came. Sure, he had some friends, but…
Oh, right. They were supposed to be his girlfriends. Ah. It sounded stupid, even in his own head, but he'd forgotten that part of things. Somehow.
Sara continued without much pause.
“It's not that big a deal. It's just that you're alone a lot, so we came to make sure you aren't lonely. Is that all right? Don't worry about the rest, we're just teasing. Kind of. But… you do have some offers if you’re willing. You might want to try some of them out, build alliances and make friends. People still think of you as a bit stuck-up you know. That or so discrete no one really knows what you're up to. If that's the case you might just want to shake that up a bit. You're supposed to be discrete with your partner, not the whole world.”
Trice had to tease him then, because that was who she was. He even liked it about her, when it wasn't directed at him.
“Let us know if you need the room, or, if you want we can stay and help?” She giggled after that. As if it were just a joke?
Tor sighed and then nodded.
“Alright. But when I bring back a small hoard of women, you two have to move along quickly. Otherwise it would get all awkward, don't you think?”
Sara gave him a look that was so serious Trice busted up laughing. That got a sharp look from the blond towards her friend.
“Trice… do you really think he can't do it? Or won't?”
That got the laughter to stop for some reason.
That night was fun, wonderful really. It wasn't that they did anything much, but they talked and kissed and hugged a lot. Tor would have liked to do something with them both, but didn't know how to ask. The trick was probably just asking. They weren't exactly afraid of such things, so why should he be? Still, he put it off until he fell asleep, missing the chance completely.
